Palworld

Palworld, a survival title released on January 18, 2024, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with graphical settings and resolution. The data for the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X paired with the Intel Arc B570 shows a configuration that is heavily constrained by the graphics card at higher resolutions, yet capable of delivering smooth frame rates at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across the tested configurations, interprets the CPU and GPU roles, and contextualizes the combo's overall ranking among 2,944 tested combinations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic GPU-bound scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces an average of 81 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same High preset drops the average to 53 FPS, a reduction of 28 FPS (34.6%) from the 1080p figure. The scaling continues to 3840x2160, where the average falls further to 30 FPS, a 43.4% drop from the 1440p result and a 63.0% drop from the 1080p baseline.

This steep decline in performance with each resolution step strongly indicates that the Intel Arc B570 is the limiting component in this pairing for Palworld. The GPU's 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth, is likely saturated at higher pixel counts. The 4K Low preset achieves an average of 47 FPS, which is only 16 FPS lower than the 1080p High result, suggesting that even at reduced settings, the pixel throughput requirement at 4K is a significant hurdle for this graphics card.

The data shows that the scaling from Medium to High at 1440p is a 16 FPS drop (69 to 53), while at 1080p the same settings step costs 24 FPS (105 to 81). This pattern indicates that the GPU's compute resources are being exhausted more gracefully at lower resolutions, where the CPU can feed frames more readily. At 4K, the gap between Low (47 FPS) and High (30 FPS) is 17 FPS, highlighting that the Arc B570's raw shading power, rated at 11.52 TFLOPS FP32, is the primary bottleneck at this resolution, regardless of the CPU's ability to keep up.

The 1080p Ultra preset yields 61 FPS, which is 20 FPS lower than High, while at 1440p Ultra the drop to 40 FPS is 13 FPS lower than High. This non-linear scaling suggests that the most demanding settings introduce effects that disproportionately impact the GPU's fill rate and memory subsystem, especially as resolution increases. For users targeting high refresh rates at 1080p, the data shows this combo can deliver, but at 4K, the experience is firmly in the field of playable-but-not-smooth, with averages hovering around the 30 FPS mark for most presets.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal balance of frame rate and visual fidelity for this specific hardware combination is the Medium preset. At 1920x1080, Medium produces an average of 105 FPS with a minimum of 89 FPS and a maximum of 121 FPS. This frame rate range is comfortable for most displays and provides a substantial margin above the 60 FPS threshold, ensuring smoother gameplay during Palworld's exploration and combat sequences.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset still delivers a playable experience, averaging 69 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS. This is the only 1440p setting tested that consistently stays above the 60 FPS line, making it the recommended choice for users with QHD monitors. While the minimum FPS of 59 is a marginal dip, it is far more stable than the High preset's 53 FPS average, which offers no headroom for demanding scenes.

The Low preset is the only viable option for 4K gaming with this combo, producing an average of 47 FPS. While this is below the ideal 60 FPS target, it is significantly more fluid than the Medium preset's 38 FPS average and the High preset's 30 FPS. For players who prioritize resolution over detail, Low at 4K is the data-backed choice, but for most users, the Medium preset at 1440p or 1080p provides the best experience per the measured rows, offering a balance between visual quality and frame rate stability.

Ultra settings are not recommended for any resolution in this pairing. The 1080p Ultra average of 61 FPS is playable, but it represents a 44 FPS loss compared to Medium for a marginal visual gain. At 1440p Ultra, the 40 FPS average is borderline, and at 4K Ultra, the 22 FPS average is effectively unplayable. The data clearly indicates that the Arc B570's 10 GB VRAM and compute capabilities are insufficient to handle the highest preset at acceptable performance levels, even with the strong Ryzen 7 9700X CPU.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is a formidable processor, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge). It has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a 32 MB shared L3 cache. Its benchmark scores are strong, including a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 20,485 and a single-core score of 2,211, placing it in the 86th percentile of all CPUs.

However, in this Palworld configuration, the CPU's role is secondary due to the GPU-bound nature of the workload at higher resolutions. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 9,824 and max-thread score of 9,771 indicate that the CPU has ample headroom for threading, but the game's engine appears to leverage this effectively only at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the bottleneck. At 1080p, the jump from High to Ultra (81 to 61 FPS) is a 20 FPS drop, which is more pronounced than the 16 FPS drop at 1440p (53 to 40 FPS). This suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU enough data to expose the graphics card's limitations on higher settings.

The Ryzen 7 9700X's performance relative to its nearest rivals is noteworthy. It benchmarks nearly identically to the Intel Core i9-14901E, with a deltaPct of 0.1% and an average score of 37,943 compared to 37,911. It is also 0.1% faster than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 and 0.3% faster than the Intel Core 5 211E. These results show that the CPU is not a weak link in this combo, but its high single-threaded performance (3DMark single-thread score of 1,280) is what allows it to maintain high frame rates at 1080p Low, where the 130 FPS average is achieved.

The data suggests that for Palworld, the CPU is more than capable of handling the game's simulation and AI logic, as evidenced by the high FPS at 1080p Low (130 FPS). The limiting factor is the GPU's ability to render frames. Therefore, users with this combo should focus on GPU settings rather than CPU-related tweaks, as the processor is unlikely to be a source of stuttering or frame drops in this title, given its high multi-threaded (Passmark multithread score of 37,161) and single-threaded (Passmark single-thread score of 4,654) capabilities.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2,362nd out of 2,944 tested combos in Palworld. This places it in the bottom 19.7% of all configurations, which is a significant underperformance for a modern CPU and GPU pairing. This low ranking is primarily attributable to the Intel Arc B570's position in the GPU hierarchy, as the CPU is highly competitive in its own right.

The Intel Arc B570's average benchmark score is 20,556, placing it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (deltaPct 0.1%), Intel Arc A750 (deltaPct -0.1%), and NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (deltaPct 0.4%). This suggests that the B570 performs similarly to a mid-range mobile GPU or a previous-generation desktop part, which explains why it struggles to push high frame rates in a demanding title like Palworld at higher resolutions.

The combo's rank is a direct result of the GPU's limitations. While the Ryzen 7 9700X is in the 86th percentile of CPUs, its performance is effectively wasted in many scenarios because the Arc B570 cannot keep pace. For instance, at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 130 FPS, but this is likely a CPU-limited scenario that the GPU can handle. However, at 1440p and 4K, the GPU's 10 GB VRAM and 160-bit memory bus become bottlenecks, dragging the overall combo rank down.

Compared to other tested combos, this pairing is not optimized for Palworld. A combo featuring a similarly ranked CPU but a higher-tier GPU would likely rank much higher. The data indicates that users should expect this combination to perform adequately at 1080p, but it will underperform relative to other systems when pushing higher resolutions, which is reflected in its low overall percentile ranking.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to use with this CPU and GPU combo in Palworld?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where this combo can consistently exceed 60 FPS on Medium and High settings. At 2560x1440, only the Medium preset achieves an average above 60 FPS (69 FPS), while at 3840x2160, all presets fall below 50 FPS.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X a bottleneck for the Intel Arc B570 in this game?

A: No, the benchmark results indicate the CPU is not the limiting factor. The Ryzen 7 9700X has a high Cinebench R23 multicore score of 20,485 and a single-core score of 2,211, placing it in the 86th percentile of CPUs. The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K are consistent with a GPU-bound workload.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to its closest rival, the Intel Arc A750?

A: The Intel Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20,556, which is 0.1% lower than the Intel Arc A750's score of 20,582 (deltaPct -0.1%). In Palworld, this translates to similar performance, with the B570 being marginally slower in synthetic benchmarks.

Q: What is the expected frame rate at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows an average FPS of 69 at 2560x1440 with Medium settings, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS. This is the most stable 1440p configuration in the dataset.

Q: Can this combo handle Ultra settings in Palworld?

A: Ultra settings are only playable at 1080p, with an average FPS of 61. At 1440p, the average drops to 40 FPS, and at 4K, it falls to 22 FPS, which is not a smooth experience. The data suggests that Ultra is not a viable preset for this GPU beyond 1080p.

Q: Why is the combo's rank so low if the CPU is powerful?

A: The combo ranks 2,362nd out of 2,944, which is a reflection of the GPU's limitations. The Intel Arc B570 is in the 65th percentile of GPUs, and its 10 GB VRAM and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for high-resolution Palworld, causing the overall combo to underperform despite the CPU's high percentile ranking.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS across presets are as follows: Low yields 130 FPS, Medium yields 105 FPS (with a min of 89 and max of 121), High yields 81 FPS, and Ultra yields 61 FPS. This resolution provides the widest range of playable settings, with even Ultra maintaining a solid frame rate.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages drop significantly: Low produces 85 FPS, Medium produces 69 FPS (min 59, max 80), High produces 53 FPS, and Ultra produces 40 FPS. The Medium preset is the only one that consistently stays near or above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the averages are substantially lower: Low produces 47 FPS, Medium produces 38 FPS (min 33, max 44), High produces 30 FPS, and Ultra produces 22 FPS. None of these presets reach the 60 FPS target, indicating that 4K gaming with this combo requires significant compromises or a lower resolution.

The frame time consistency, as indicated by the min and max FPS values for Medium settings, shows that the combo is more stable at 1080p (89-121 FPS) than at 1440p (59-80 FPS) or 4K (33-44 FPS). This further supports the notion that the GPU is under increasing stress as resolution rises, leading to more variable frame pacing.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570, based on the Xe2-HPG architecture (Battlemage), is the primary determinant of this combo's gaming performance in Palworld. Its specifications include 2,304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output pipelines. It operates at a boost clock of 2500 MHz, providing a pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s. The GPU has 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s.

The GPU's average benchmark score is 20,556, placing it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its performance is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (deltaPct 0.1%) and the Intel Arc A750 (deltaPct -0.1%). This positioning suggests that while the B570 is a capable mid-range card, it lacks the raw throughput needed for demanding titles at high resolutions.

In Palworld, the GPU's limitations are evident in the resolution scaling. The 63% drop in average FPS from 1080p High (81 FPS) to 4K High (30 FPS) is a clear indicator of GPU-bound behavior. The 10 GB VRAM may also be a factor at 4K with Ultra settings, where the average FPS falls to 22, likely due to memory capacity and bandwidth constraints. The card's 380.0 GB/s bandwidth is a significant bottleneck compared to higher-tier GPUs with wider memory buses.

The GPU's FP32 performance of 11.52 TFLOPS is modest, and this is reflected in the diminishing returns seen when increasing settings from Medium to High at 1440p (a 16 FPS drop) compared to the drop from Low to Medium (also a 16 FPS drop). This suggests the card is consistently saturated, and any increase in graphical complexity directly taxes its compute resources. The data confirms that the Arc B570 is the limiting component in this pairing, and users should adjust their expectations for Palworld accordingly, prioritizing 1080p or 1440p Medium settings for the best balance of smoothness and visual quality.