Palworld

Palworld pairs an 8-core AMD Ryzen 7 9700F with a 4 GB AMD Radeon RX 570, a combination that ranks near the bottom of the database’s tested configurations for this game. The measured frame rates show a system that is decisively GPU-bound, with the CPU’s strong multi-threaded potential largely untapped at the resolutions and settings where the RX 570 can operate. This analysis interprets the benchmark data to explain where the bottleneck sits, how the combo ranks against 2,944 other tested pairings, and what settings offer the most playable experience.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is a Zen 5 desktop processor built on TSMC’s 4 nm process, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads. Its base clock is 3.80 GHz with a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, and it carries a 65 W TDP. The CPU’s cache layout includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 32 MB L3 cache. In synthetic PassMark testing, the 9700F scores 36,470 in multi-thread performance and 4,691 in single-thread performance, with an average benchmark score of 69,996 that places it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs tested.

Despite this strong theoretical showing, the Palworld data reveals that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 73, which is the highest measured result across all settings and resolutions. When resolution drops to 1440p Low, the average falls to 48 FPS, and at 4K Low it drops further to 27 FPS. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck, as the CPU’s workload does not increase proportionally with resolution. The 9700F’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (0.2% higher average score), the Intel Core i7-14700KF (0.2% lower), the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (0.7% higher), and the Intel Core i7-14700K (0.9% higher). These rivals would likely show similar behavior in Palworld, as the game’s frame rates here are constrained by the graphics card, not the processor.

The data suggests that the Ryzen 7 9700F is effectively idle in many scenarios. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is just 13, which is far below what the CPU could theoretically support. Even at 1080p Low, the 73 FPS average likely does not represent the CPU’s maximum capability; rather, it reflects the RX 570’s ceiling at that setting. The CPU’s high single-thread score of 4,691 indicates it can handle Palworld’s game logic and physics without issue, but the measured FPS never approaches a point where CPU thread saturation would become apparent. For this game, the 9700F’s role is to provide ample headroom, ensuring that frame rates are determined entirely by the GPU’s rendering throughput.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and AMD Radeon RX 570 holds a combo rank of 2,821 out of 2,944 tested configurations in Palworld. This places it in the bottom 5% of all tested combos, indicating that this pairing delivers among the lowest frame rates in the database for this game. The rank is a holistic measure that accounts for performance across all tested resolutions and settings, and the data confirms that the RX 570’s age and 4 GB memory capacity severely limit the overall experience.

To contextualize this rank, consider the GPU’s synthetic benchmarks. The RX 570 scores 880 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 39,349 in Geekbench Metal, 32,084 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 42,752 in Geekbench Vulkan, with an average benchmark score of 28,766 that places it in the 74th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6800M (0.4% higher), the AMD Radeon R9 M295X (0.7% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 470 (0.8% higher), and the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 8000 (1.2% higher). Notably, the RX 570 is nearly identical in synthetic performance to the RX 470, which is its direct predecessor from the same Polaris generation. This means that the combo rank is not an outlier due to a defective unit; rather, it reflects the inherent capability of a GPU that was released in 2017.

The combo rank of 2,821 out of 2,944 implies that there are only 123 tested combos that perform worse in Palworld. This is a striking statistic, as it suggests that even lower-end or older hardware can sometimes outperform this pairing. The likely explanation is that Palworld’s open-world survival gameplay, which involves large maps and many dynamic objects, benefits from more VRAM than the RX 570’s 4 GB can provide. At higher settings, the game may be swapping textures or reducing draw distances, which would disproportionately impact frame rates. The data shows that the combo’s best result is 73 FPS at 1080p Low, which is just barely playable for a fast-paced action game, while all other configurations fall below 60 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average FPS this combo can achieve in Palworld?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 73, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only configuration that exceeds 60 FPS, and it represents the peak performance for this pairing.

Q: How does the combo rank compare to other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 2,821 out of 2,944 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 5% of all configurations. This indicates that the vast majority of other tested hardware pairings deliver better frame rates in Palworld.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this combo?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The Ryzen 7 9700F scores in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, while the RX 570 scores in the 74th percentile of all GPUs. The FPS scaling across resolutions (73 FPS at 1080p Low, 48 FPS at 1440p Low, 27 FPS at 4K Low) is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, as the CPU’s workload does not change with resolution.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS measured?

A: The lowest average FPS is 13, recorded at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings. This is effectively unplayable and demonstrates the GPU’s inability to handle high resolutions with demanding settings.

Q: Does the RX 570’s 4 GB VRAM affect performance?

A: The data suggests a strong correlation between settings and FPS drops, which is typical of VRAM limitations. For example, at 1080p, the average FPS drops from 73 at Low to 46 at High, a 37% decrease. At 1440p, the drop from Low to High is from 48 to 30 FPS, and at 4K, it is from 27 to 17 FPS. The larger drops at higher settings are consistent with the GPU exceeding its 4 GB memory capacity.

Q: How does the RX 570 compare to its nearest rival, the RX 470?

A: The RX 570 has an average benchmark score of 28,766, which is 0.8% lower than the RX 470’s score of 28,996. In practical terms, the two GPUs are almost identical in performance, meaning the combo rank would likely be similar if the RX 470 were substituted.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 73 at Low to 35 at Ultra. The Medium preset yields 59 FPS with a minimum of 50 and a maximum of 68, while High yields 46 FPS. The step from Low to Medium is a 14 FPS drop (19%), from Medium to High is a 13 FPS drop (22%), and from High to Ultra is an 11 FPS drop (24%). This shows a consistent degradation as settings increase, with each preset costing roughly 20% of the previous frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS ranges from 48 at Low to 23 at Ultra. The Medium preset yields 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 and a maximum of 45, while High yields 30 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 9 FPS (19%), from Medium to High is 9 FPS (23%), and from High to Ultra is 7 FPS (23%). The percentage drops are similar to 1080p, but the absolute frame rates are lower, indicating that the GPU is already struggling at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 27 at Low to 13 at Ultra. The Medium preset yields 22 FPS with a minimum of 18 and a maximum of 25, while High yields 17 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 5 FPS (19%), from Medium to High is 5 FPS (23%), and from High to Ultra is 4 FPS (24%). At 4K, even the Low preset is below 30 FPS, which is generally considered the minimum for playable frame rates in most games. The data shows a clear pattern: the RX 570 cannot sustain 60 FPS at any resolution above 1080p Low, and it cannot sustain 30 FPS at 4K with any settings.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 570 is a Polaris 20 chip built on GlobalFoundries’ 14 nm process, with a die size of 232 mm² and 5,700 million transistors. It features 2,048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 raster operation units. The GPU has a base clock of 1168 MHz and a boost clock of 1244 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective). The 4 GB of GDDR5 memory is accessed via a 256-bit bus, providing 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The card’s FP32 performance is 5.095 TFLOPS, and it has a TDP of 150 W.

The 4 GB VRAM is the most critical specification for Palworld. The game’s open-world environment, which features large vistas and many simultaneous entities, likely requires more than 4 GB at higher settings. The data supports this: at 1080p, the FPS drops from 73 at Low to 35 at Ultra, a 52% reduction. At 1440p, the drop from Low to Ultra is from 48 to 23 FPS, a 52% reduction. At 4K, the drop is from 27 to 13 FPS, also a 52% reduction. This consistent halving of performance from Low to Ultra across all resolutions suggests that the GPU is hitting a hard memory or bandwidth limit, rather than a compute limit. The 224.0 GB/s bandwidth is also a factor, as higher settings require more texture fetches and higher resolution buffers.

The RX 570’s synthetic benchmarks reinforce its position. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 880 is very low, and its Geekbench scores (39,349 Metal, 32,084 OpenCL, 42,752 Vulkan) indicate that it is a mid-range GPU from 2017. The GPU’s percentile of 74 means it outperforms 74% of all GPUs in the database, but this is misleading in the context of modern games. Palworld was released in 2024, and its visual demands have outpaced the RX 570. The card’s nearest rival, the RX 6800M, has an average score that is 0.4% higher, but that is a laptop GPU, not a direct desktop comparison. The RX 470, which is nearly identical in performance, further confirms that the RX 570 is a legacy part that struggles with contemporary titles.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the only truly playable configuration is 1080p with Low settings, which yields an average of 73 FPS. This is the only preset that exceeds the 60 FPS threshold that most players consider smooth for action games. The 1080p Medium preset, with an average of 59 FPS and a minimum of 50 FPS, is borderline playable but may experience noticeable stutters during intense gameplay. The 1080p High preset, at 46 FPS, is playable but not ideal, and the 1080p Ultra preset, at 35 FPS, is marginal.

For players who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, the 1440p Low preset, at 48 FPS, is a reasonable compromise. It offers a higher resolution than 1080p while maintaining a frame rate that is above 30 FPS, which is the minimum for playability in most games. The 1440p Medium preset, at 39 FPS, is also playable, but the 1440p High preset, at 30 FPS, is at the edge of the playable threshold. The 1440p Ultra preset, at 23 FPS, is not recommended, as the low frame rate will detract from the experience.

At 4K, no preset is recommended. The 4K Low preset, at 27 FPS, is below the 30 FPS threshold, and the 4K Medium, High, and Ultra presets (22, 17, and 13 FPS respectively) are all unplayable. The data indicates that the RX 570 simply does not have the memory bandwidth or compute power to handle Palworld at 4K, regardless of settings. The best experience for this combo is unequivocally 1080p Low, which provides the highest frame rate and the most consistent performance. If a player insists on higher settings, 1080p Medium is the only other option that comes close to 60 FPS, but the minimum FPS of 50 suggests that there may be occasional dips below the smooth threshold.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The FPS scaling across resolutions is a textbook example of a GPU-bound system. At Low settings, the average FPS is 73 at 1080p, 48 at 1440p, and 27 at 4K. This represents a 34% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 44% drop from 1440p to 4K. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 63%. At Medium settings, the averages are 59 FPS at 1080p, 39 FPS at 1440p, and 22 FPS at 4K, with drops of 34% and 44% respectively. At High settings, the averages are 46 FPS at 1080p, 30 FPS at 1440p, and 17 FPS at 4K, with drops of 35% and 43%. At Ultra settings, the averages are 35 FPS at 1080p, 23 FPS at 1440p, and 13 FPS at 4K, with drops of 34% and 43%.

The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings is telling. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively flat as resolution increases, because the CPU’s workload is independent of resolution. Instead, the FPS drops by roughly one-third when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and by another one-third when moving from 1440p to 4K. This is exactly what would be expected if the GPU’s pixel throughput and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors. The RX 570’s 224.0 GB/s bandwidth and 5.095 TFLOPS of compute are simply insufficient to fill a 4K frame buffer at playable rates.

The data also shows that the FPS drop is slightly larger at lower settings. For example, the drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 63%, while at Ultra settings it is 63% as well (35 to 13 FPS is a 63% drop). This uniformity suggests that the GPU is not hitting a VRAM capacity wall at any specific resolution, but rather that its overall throughput is the constraint. The 4 GB memory size does not cause a sudden cliff, but it likely contributes to the lower absolute frame rates at higher settings. The implication is clear: to improve performance in Palworld, the GPU must be upgraded. The Ryzen 7 9700F has ample headroom to support a much more powerful graphics card, as evidenced by its 94th percentile CPU ranking and high single-thread score. The current combo leaves the CPU’s potential almost entirely untapped, and the measured FPS is a direct reflection of the GPU’s age and limitations.