Palworld

Palworld’s measured frame rates for the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination reveal a system that scales predictably with resolution, but with a distinct bottleneck shift as pixel count rises. The data shows a clear hierarchy: at 1080p, the CPU dominates; at 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor. This pairing, ranked 536th out of 1718 tested combos, offers a versatile but not top-tier experience, with the RTX 3080’s 10 GB of VRAM and the 9800X3D’s 96 MB of L3 cache each playing specific roles in the final frame delivery.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, indicating a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 238.8 FPS at 1920x1080 to 158.4 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 80.4 FPS, and then to 84.9 FPS at 3840x2160, a further drop of 73.5 FPS. This halving of performance from 1440p to 4K is a classic sign that the RTX 3080’s rasterization throughput, rated at 29.77 TFLOPS, is being saturated. The pattern repeats at High settings, where FPS goes from 146.8 at 1080p to 95.1 at 1440p and finally to 52.5 at 4K. The scaling factor from 1080p to 4K is roughly 2.8x, which aligns with the pixel count increase, confirming the GPU is the primary constraint at 4K.

However, the data also shows that at 1080p, the CPU’s role becomes more prominent. The jump from Low to Ultra at 1080p results in a 126.2 FPS difference (238.8 to 112.6), which is a large swing, but the absolute values remain high. The fact that the 9800X3D can push 238.8 FPS on Low settings suggests that the CPU is not holding back the GPU at this resolution. In contrast, at 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra is only 45.7 FPS (84.9 to 39.2), a much narrower margin, which further reinforces that the GPU’s limits are reached before the CPU’s potential is exhausted. The benchmark results indicate that the limiting component shifts from the CPU at 1080p to the GPU at 4K, with the crossover point occurring somewhere between 1440p and 4K.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D brings 8 cores and 16 threads, based on the Zen 5 architecture, with a boost clock of 5.20 GHz. In this game, the CPU’s performance is best illustrated by its benchmark scores, such as the Cinebench R23 multicore score of 34004 and the single-core score of 4800. These numbers suggest a processor capable of handling high-thread-count workloads, but Palworld’s engine appears to leverage this efficiently, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 10081 and the max-thread score of 10067 are nearly identical, indicating that the CPU scales well with additional threads, but the single-thread score of 1212 is relatively lower, which could be a limiting factor in scenarios where the game’s logic is not fully parallelized.

The 96 MB of shared L3 cache is a standout feature, and while the data does not directly link cache size to FPS, the high minimum frame rates at 1080p suggest that cache hits are frequent, reducing memory latency. Compared to its nearest rivals, the 9800X3D sits just 0.1% behind the Intel Xeon 6353P in average benchmark score (37780 vs 37811) and 0.6% behind the Intel Core i9-13900HK (38020). This places it in a competitive position, but the data implies that for Palworld, the CPU is rarely the bottleneck at higher resolutions. The processor’s 120 W TDP and DDR5 memory support with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth are consistent with a high-end desktop part, but the game’s frame rates suggest that the GPU becomes the focus as resolution increases.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is a 10 GB GDDR6X card with a 320-bit memory bus and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth. Its 8704 shading units and 68 RT cores are typical for the Ampere architecture, but the 10 GB VRAM capacity is a point of interest for Palworld. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 39.2, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, and this could be partially attributed to VRAM pressure. While the benchmark scores, such as the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4407 and the Passmark G3D score of 25086, indicate strong raw performance, the memory capacity may limit texture streaming at higher settings. The GPU’s percentile ranking of 80th out of all GPUs places it in the upper tier, but its nearest rivals, like the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE (0.9% higher score) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile (1% higher), show that it is not the absolute fastest.

The clock speeds of 1440 MHz base and 1710 MHz boost are moderate, and the 29.77 TFLOPS FP32 performance is the same as the FP16 rate, indicating a 1:1 ratio. This suggests that the GPU is not artificially limited in compute tasks. However, the measured FPS at 4K High (52.5 FPS) versus 4K Low (84.9 FPS) shows a 32.4 FPS improvement when settings are lowered, which points to the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth being the primary constraints rather than the CPU. The RTX 3080’s 10 GB VRAM is a notable factor; at 4K Ultra, the game likely exceeds this capacity, leading to performance degradation. The data does not provide VRAM usage, but the substantial FPS drop from Medium (70.4 FPS) to Ultra (39.2 FPS) at 4K suggests a steep resource requirement curve.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Ryzen 7 9800X3D and RTX 3080 ranks 536th out of 1718 tested combos in Palworld, placing it in the 31st percentile of tested systems. This ranking is influenced by both the CPU and GPU, but given the CPU’s high benchmark standing (90th percentile vs all CPUs) and the GPU’s 80th percentile, the combo rank is lower than the sum of its parts. This suggests that Palworld is more sensitive to GPU performance than CPU performance, as the CPU’s strength is not fully utilized at higher resolutions where the GPU is the bottleneck. The data implies that pairing this CPU with a higher-tier GPU would yield a better ranking, but for this configuration, the 536th spot reflects a mid-pack position, not a top-tier one.

Comparing to the CPU’s nearest rivals, the 9800X3D is 0.1% behind the Intel Xeon 6353P and 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225, but these differences are negligible. The GPU’s nearest rivals show a similar pattern, with the RTX 3080 being 0.2% behind the AMD Radeon Pro Duo and 0.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon 880M. These small deltas indicate that the combo’s ranking is not driven by a single component’s dominance but by how the pair interacts. The 1718 total combos tested means that 1182 other combinations outperform this one, which is a significant number, but the measured FPS data shows that at 1080p, this setup is very capable, with all settings exceeding 112 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 146.8.

Q: How does the RTX 3080’s VRAM affect 4K performance?

A: The 10 GB VRAM is likely a limiting factor at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS drops to 39.2, compared to 70.4 FPS at Medium settings, indicating a steep performance cliff as memory demands increase.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the FPS ranges from 72.8 FPS at Ultra to 158.4 FPS at Low, showing a large spread, but the GPU is still the primary constraint, as the CPU could likely push higher frame rates based on its 1080p performance.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested systems?

A: This combination ranks 536th out of 1718 tested combos for Palworld, placing it in the lower third of tested systems.

Q: How does the CPU’s single-thread performance compare to its multi-core?

A: The 3DMark single-thread score is 1212, while the 16-thread score is 10081, a ratio of about 8.3x, indicating strong multi-thread scaling but a relatively lower single-thread capability.

Q: What is the lowest FPS recorded in the data?

A: The lowest average FPS is 39.2, recorded at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows a clear progression: Low settings deliver 238.8 FPS, Medium delivers 191.6 FPS, High delivers 146.8 FPS, and Ultra delivers 112.6 FPS. This represents a 126.2 FPS difference between the lowest and highest settings, indicating that the CPU can maintain high frame rates even when graphical demands rise. At 2560x1440, the values are 158.4 FPS for Low, 126 FPS for Medium, 95.1 FPS for High, and 72.8 FPS for Ultra. The spread narrows to 85.6 FPS, suggesting the GPU is beginning to take over. At 3840x2160, the numbers are 84.9 FPS for Low, 70.4 FPS for Medium, 52.5 FPS for High, and 39.2 FPS for Ultra. The difference between Low and Ultra is now just 45.7 FPS, confirming that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K.

The data also shows that the scaling from 1080p to 1440p is not linear across settings. For instance, Low settings drop from 238.8 to 158.4 FPS, a 33.7% reduction, while Ultra settings drop from 112.6 to 72.8 FPS, a 35.4% reduction. This consistency suggests that the GPU’s pixel throughput is the main driver. From 1440p to 4K, the drops are more severe: Low goes from 158.4 to 84.9 FPS (a 46.4% reduction), and Ultra goes from 72.8 to 39.2 FPS (a 46.2% reduction). These percentages align closely with the pixel count increase, further reinforcing that the RTX 3080’s 760.3 GB/s bandwidth is saturated at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the data suggests using High settings at 1080p, where the average FPS of 146.8 is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a smooth experience. At 1440p, Medium settings deliver 126 FPS, which is a strong option, while High at 95.1 FPS is still playable but may not be optimal for fast-paced action. The jump to Ultra at 1440p (72.8 FPS) is acceptable, but the marginal visual gain over High may not justify the 22.3 FPS drop. At 4K, the data recommends Low settings, which yield 84.9 FPS, as Medium at 70.4 FPS is also viable, but High at 52.5 FPS and Ultra at 39.2 FPS fall below the 60 FPS target, making them less desirable for a smooth experience.

The measured rows indicate that the RTX 3080’s 10 GB VRAM is a constraint at 4K Ultra, so users seeking higher visual fidelity should consider lowering settings to Medium or High to avoid the steep performance penalty. For those prioritizing frame rate over visuals, 1080p Low at 238.8 FPS is the highest possible average, but this sacrifices graphical detail. The optimal experience depends on the user’s display resolution and refresh rate. For 1440p monitors, Medium settings offer a high frame rate with good visual quality, while for 4K displays, Low settings are recommended to maintain playability. The data suggests that the system is best utilized at 1080p or 1440p, where the CPU’s strength can be fully realized, rather than at 4K, where the GPU becomes the bottleneck.