Palworld

Palworld, released on 2024-01-18, is a Survival title that places significant demands on both processor and graphics hardware. This analysis examines the measured performance of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X paired with the AMD Radeon RX 570, a combination that ranks 1644 out of 1718 tested combos in this game. The data indicates a pairing heavily constrained by its graphics component, particularly at higher resolutions and detail settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance rank of this CPU-GPU combo in Palworld?

A: The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and AMD Radeon RX 570 ranks 1644 out of 1718 tested combos for Palworld, placing it in the bottom 5% of tested hardware configurations.

Q: What is the best average frame rate achieved by this combo?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 70.9 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only configuration in the measured data that surpasses the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the GPU's memory configuration affect performance?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 570 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus. This limited capacity is a likely bottleneck for Palworld's open-world environments, especially at higher resolutions where texture data exceeds the available memory.

Q: What is the CPU's multi-threaded capability in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700X scores 9824 in the 3dmark_16_threads test and 9771 in the 3dmark_max_threads test. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 31588, indicating robust multi-threaded performance.

Q: Does the CPU performance vary significantly between single and multi-threaded tests?

A: Yes, there is a substantial difference. The 3dmark_single_thread score is 1280, while the 16-thread score is 9824, roughly 7.7 times higher. This shows the processor scales well with additional threads.

Q: What is the performance delta to the GPU's nearest rivals?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 30158, placing it 0.2% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 and 0.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT. It also leads the NVIDIA Tesla M60 by 0.6% and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile by 0.8%.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1644 out of 1718 configurations places it in the lowest percentile of tested systems for Palworld. This position is not due to a weak processor; the Ryzen 7 9700X is a high-end desktop part with an 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs. The data strongly suggests the graphics card is the limiting factor. The CPU's average benchmark score of 36029 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, with a delta of just 0.2% from the Intel Core i5-14500HX and -0.4% from the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H. This indicates the CPU is performing as expected. However, the GPU, while holding a respectable 74th percentile among all GPUs, is an older architecture. The measured frame rates, particularly at 4K, show this system is fundamentally unable to deliver a smooth experience in this specific title, a direct consequence of the GPU's age and memory capacity relative to the game's demands.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 570 is built on the Polaris 20 chip using the GCN 4.0 architecture on a 14 nm process. Its specifications include a base clock of 1168 MHz and a boost clock of 1244 MHz. The 4 GB of GDDR5 memory operates at 1750 MHz. These specifications, while capable for their era, are insufficient for Palworld's modern rendering requirements. The data shows a clear correlation between resolution and performance, which is classic GPU-bound behavior. At 3840x2160, the average frame rate is 15.8 FPS on High settings. Dropping to Low settings at this resolution yields 24.9 FPS, an improvement of 9.1 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is severely overloaded, and even reducing graphical fidelity cannot bring it to a playable level at 4K. The GPU's benchmark scores, such as 880 in 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12, are consistent with its classification as an end-of-life product. While it manages to edge out the RTX 5060 by 0.2% in average score, this does not translate to real-world performance in this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance curve. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves 70.9 FPS on Low settings, which is the only playable result. Increasing to Medium drops the average to 58.5 FPS, and High further reduces it to 45.6 FPS. Ultra settings yield 34.5 FPS. The pattern suggests that the 4 GB VRAM is a primary constraint, as the game requires more memory at higher settings, causing a pronounced performance hit.

At 2560x1440, performance falls off a cliff. Low settings produce an average of 49.6 FPS, which is borderline playable but not ideal. Medium settings drop to 41.1 FPS, and High settings to 31.2 FPS. Ultra settings are nearly unplayable at 24.8 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a roughly 30% decrease in performance across all settings, indicating that the GPU's memory bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s is insufficient to handle the increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the results are uniformly poor. Medium settings achieve 22.7 FPS, High settings 15.8 FPS, and Ultra settings 15.6 FPS. Even Low settings can only manage 24.9 FPS. This data confirms that 4K resolution is entirely out of reach for this configuration in Palworld. The gap between the CPU's capability and the GPU's output is stark; the data indicates a bottleneck that cannot be overcome with settings adjustments.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is a Zen 5 architecture processor with 8 cores and 16 threads. It has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. This processor is not the performance bottleneck in this configuration. Its synthetic benchmarks are strong, including a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 31588 and a Geekbench multicore score of 17002. The CPU's 3dmark scores show excellent scaling: 2525 for 2 threads, 4869 for 4 threads, 8184 for 8 threads, and 9824 for 16 threads. This near-linear scaling indicates the processor can handle heavily multithreaded workloads.

In Palworld, a game that can utilize multiple cores for world simulation and AI, the Ryzen 7 9700X provides ample processing power. The measured frame rates are far below what the CPU is capable of feeding to the GPU. The fact that performance dips so drastically with resolution and settings changes points directly to the GPU as the limiting factor. The CPU's 89th percentile ranking and its benchmark scores, which are within 0.8% of its nearest rivals, confirm it is performing admirably. The data suggests that pairing this CPU with a more modern GPU would yield significantly higher frame rates, as the CPU has substantial headroom to support a faster graphics card.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 resolution. At this resolution, Low settings deliver an average of 70.9 FPS, which is the only configuration that consistently exceeds the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. This should be the recommended preset for users who prioritize frame rate.

For users who prefer higher visual fidelity, Medium settings at 1920x1080 provide 58.5 FPS, which is acceptable for a survival game where immersion is key. However, High settings at 45.6 FPS and Ultra at 34.5 FPS introduce noticeable stuttering and should be avoided if competitive or responsive gameplay is desired.

At 2560x1440, the data suggests that only Low settings, with an average of 49.6 FPS, are viable. Medium and High settings fall below 45 FPS, which can be a hindrance in combat scenarios. Ultra settings at 24.8 FPS are not recommended. At 3840x2160, all settings produce frame rates below 25 FPS, making the game effectively unplayable. The recommendation is to avoid 4K entirely with this hardware. The best balance of visual quality and performance is achieved at 1920x1080 with Medium settings, offering 58.5 FPS, which is close to the 60 FPS target while providing a more detailed environment than Low. Users seeking maximum smoothness should select Low at 1080p.