Palworld

Palworld presents an unusually demanding workload for the Intel Arc B370, and the measured frames indicate that this integrated GPU is the definitive bottleneck in this pairing. The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D, a 92nd-percentile CPU with a strong multi-threaded score of 22,807 in Cinebench R23, is effectively idle while the graphics subsystem struggles to maintain playable rates. The data shows a combination that ranks 2706th out of 2944 tested combos for this game, placing it in the bottom 8% of configurations. Benchmark results indicate that users should expect a fundamentally limited experience, with the CPU’s capabilities largely untapped at every resolution and preset.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario, but with an unusually steep penalty. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 76 FPS. Dropping the resolution to 2560x1440 yields 50 FPS, a 34% reduction. Moving to 3840x2160 produces only 28 FPS, a further 44% decline from the 1440p figure. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a component that is saturated at even the lowest settings, where any increase in pixel count directly translates to a near-linear drop in frame rate.

The story is consistent across all presets. At High settings, the frame rate falls from 47 FPS at 1080p to 31 FPS at 1440p, then to 17 FPS at 4K. This represents a 64% loss from 1080p to 4K, which is more severe than the 63% loss seen at Low settings. The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic collapse, starting at 36 FPS at 1080p, dropping to 24 FPS at 1440p, and bottoming out at 13 FPS at 4K. The data suggests that the GPU’s limited pixel throughput and fill rate are the sole limiting factors, as the CPU’s performance headroom is never approached.

The fact that the 1080p Low result of 76 FPS is the only measured average above 62 FPS across the entire matrix underscores the severity of the limitation. Even at the lowest resolution and settings, the system is only marginally above the threshold for smooth gameplay. The 4K results, ranging from 13 to 28 FPS, are uniformly unplayable for a survival game that requires constant input and awareness. This is not a case where tweaking settings can bridge the gap; the resolution scaling indicates that the Arc B370’s 25 W TDP and system-shared memory architecture are simply overwhelmed by Palworld’s rendering demands.

FAQ

Q: What is the best frame rate this combo can achieve in Palworld?

A: The highest measured average is 76 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only configuration that approaches a standard 60 FPS target, and it does so narrowly.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D the reason for the low performance?

A: No. The CPU benchmarks show it is a top-tier processor with a 92nd-percentile ranking and a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22,807. The frame rates are consistently low across all resolutions, which is a signature of GPU limitation, not CPU bottlenecking.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GPU’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. It is nearly identical to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, which scores 1186, and the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which scores 1190. The performance delta is less than 1% in all cases.

Q: What is the impact of moving from 1080p to 1440p on performance?

A: The penalty is substantial. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 76 FPS to 50 FPS, a 34% reduction. At High settings, it drops from 47 FPS to 31 FPS, a 34% reduction as well. This indicates a consistent scaling factor across presets.

Q: Can the Ultra preset be used at any resolution?

A: The data suggests no. The highest Ultra average is 36 FPS at 1080p, which is still below a smooth 40 FPS. At 4K, the Ultra preset yields a 13 FPS average, which is effectively a slideshow.

Q: Does the CPU’s large L3 cache help in this game?

A: While the CPU has 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is a strong asset for many workloads, the measured FPS data shows no evidence that it mitigates the GPU bottleneck. The frame rates are uniformly low, indicating that the cache’s benefits are entirely masked by the graphics subsystem’s inability to keep up.

How This Combo Ranks

The data places this configuration at rank 2706 out of 2944 tested combos for Palworld. This is a bottom-decile result, putting it in the 8th percentile of all tested pairings. The ranking is primarily driven by the GPU, which sits in the 5th percentile of all GPUs based on its average benchmark score of 1184. The CPU, in contrast, is in the 92nd percentile of all CPUs, creating a stark imbalance.

This pairing is a study in mismatched capabilities. The Ryzen 7 9850X3D is a high-end desktop processor with a launch MSRP of $499, designed for demanding multi-threaded tasks. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-14900 (avg score 58,115) and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 (avg score 58,826), are all within 0.7% of its average benchmark score of 58,386. This CPU is clearly not the limiting factor. The Intel Arc B370, however, is an integrated graphics solution with a 25 W TDP, and its benchmark score of 1184 is within 1.4% of the AMD FirePro M2000 (score 1168), which is a professional mobile GPU from a previous era.

The combination of a 92nd-percentile CPU with a 5th-percentile GPU results in a system that is completely GPU-bound in Palworld. The game’s rendering engine is likely sensitive to the GPU’s low pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s, which are insufficient for the game’s open-world environments. The combo rank of 2706 reflects this severe bottleneck, and users should not expect this configuration to handle the game above minimal settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the combo shows its only viable performance window. The Low preset delivers an average of 76 FPS, which is the single playable result in the entire dataset. The Medium preset drops to 62 FPS, with a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 71 FPS, which is still within a reasonable range for a survival game. The High preset falls to 47 FPS, and the Ultra preset struggles to 36 FPS. These results show a clear, linear penalty for each step up in visual fidelity, with a 53% loss from Low to Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the performance becomes marginal. The Low preset averages 50 FPS, which is playable but not smooth. The Medium preset averages 41 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable gameplay. The High preset drops to 31 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 24 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 52%, similar to the 1080p result, but the absolute values are all shifted downward by roughly a third.

At 3840x2160, the results are uniformly unplayable. The Low preset averages 28 FPS, which is a 44% drop from the 1440p Low result. The Medium preset averages 23 FPS, with a minimum of 19 FPS and a maximum of 26 FPS. The High preset averages 17 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 13 FPS. The frame rate at 4K is so low that even the lowest settings cannot provide a stable experience, and the minimum FPS of 19 at Medium suggests significant frame pacing issues.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the primary determinant of performance in this configuration. Its specifications reveal a design focused on efficiency rather than raw power: a 300 MHz base clock and a 2400 MHz boost clock, with 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units. These are modest numbers for a game like Palworld, which requires sustained fill rates for its sprawling environments. The GPU’s FP32 performance of 6.144 TFLOPS is the theoretical ceiling, and the measured FPS data suggests that the game is consistently hitting that ceiling.

The memory subsystem is a particular weakness. The GPU uses "System Shared" memory, meaning it has no dedicated VRAM. This is a critical limitation for a game that loads large textures and assets, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory bandwidth, which is listed as "System Dependent." The lack of dedicated VRAM likely contributes to the severe frame rate drops at higher resolutions and presets, where texture memory demands increase. The GPU’s 10 ray tracing cores are irrelevant here, as the measured data does not suggest that ray tracing is a factor in the performance.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in terms of benchmark scores are all legacy parts, such as the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and the ATI Radeon HD 5770. This places the Arc B370 in a performance tier that is over a decade old for gaming purposes. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 is a low baseline, and Palworld’s results confirm that this GPU is not suited for modern gaming workloads beyond the lowest settings. The GPU’s 5th-percentile ranking is a clear signal that it should be considered an entry-level integrated solution, not a gaming part.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the only viable configuration for Palworld is 1920x1080 with the Low preset, which yields a 76 FPS average. This is the sole result that exceeds the 60 FPS threshold, and it provides the necessary headroom for the frame rate fluctuations common in a survival game. The Medium preset at 1080p is the secondary option, with a 62 FPS average and a minimum of 52 FPS, but it is riskier due to the lower minimum frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only playable option, with a 50 FPS average. This is below the ideal 60 FPS target, but it is acceptable for a game of this genre where reaction times are less critical than in a competitive shooter. The Medium preset at 1440p, with a 41 FPS average and a 35 FPS minimum, is not recommended, as the frame drops will be noticeable during combat or exploration.

At 3840x2160, no preset is recommended. The highest average is 28 FPS at Low, which is too low for a smooth experience. The data indicates that users should avoid 4K entirely with this combo. The Ultra preset should be avoided at all resolutions, as it never exceeds 36 FPS and drops to 13 FPS at 4K, making it the worst-performing preset in the dataset. The recommendation is to prioritize resolution over visual quality, as the GPU’s limitations are most apparent in the higher settings.