Palworld

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 lands at rank 1583 out of 2944 tested combos in Palworld. That places this configuration in the 46th percentile of all tested system pairings, meaning it sits just below the midpoint of the database. The data indicates a mid-pack result for a game that is notoriously demanding on both CPU and GPU, with the ranking reflecting a combination that can handle the game but does not dominate it.

The combo's standing is heavily influenced by the individual component percentiles. The CPU, a 16-core Zen 4 Dragon Range part, holds a 95th percentile ranking among all CPUs, which is exceptional. The GPU, meanwhile, sits at an 82nd percentile among all GPUs. When these two are combined in Palworld, the result is not the sum of their parts; the game's engine and optimization clearly limit the pairing to a modest overall rank. This suggests that while each component is strong in isolation, the game itself does not allow them to fully flex their collective muscle, likely due to engine bottlenecks or specific workload characteristics that neither the high-core-count CPU nor the Blackwell GPU can fully overcome.

Compared to its nearest rivals in the GPU benchmark database, the RTX 5070 trades blows with professional workstation cards rather than gaming-focused ones. It is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 580, 0.8% ahead of the Radeon Pro WX 7100, and 2% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile, while sitting 1.2% behind the Radeon Pro 5300. These are negligible deltas, indicating that the RTX 5070's raw compute performance is closely matched with those workstation parts, though Palworld's gaming workload will behave differently than the synthetic benchmarks those scores are derived from. For the CPU, the Ryzen 9 8945HX is virtually tied with the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, sitting just 0.1% above it in average benchmark score, and 0.6% above the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D. It trails the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX by 0.4% each. These sub-one-percent differences show that at the top end of CPU performance, the 8945HX is firmly in elite company, even if the Palworld combo ranking does not reflect that dominance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 brings 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, yielding a memory bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s. In Palworld, a game that renders vast, open environments with many objects and creatures, this memory subsystem is critical. The 12 GB capacity is sufficient for the resolutions tested, though the bandwidth figure is what drives high-resolution texture streaming and asset loading. The GPU's base clock is 2325 MHz with a boost clock of 2512 MHz, and the memory operates at an effective 28 Gbps. These clocks, combined with the 30.87 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, define the raw throughput available for shading and physics calculations in-game.

The GPU's architecture is Blackwell 2.0 on a 5 nm TSMC process, with 31,100 million transistors packed into a 263 mm² die. It has 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 80 ROPs. The 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores are present but Palworld does not heavily leverage ray tracing or DLSS in the measured data, so their impact is indirect. The pixel rate of 201.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 482.3 GTexel/s indicate how quickly the GPU can fill the screen and apply textures, which directly affects frame rates at higher resolutions. The benchmark results show the GPU holds an 82nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, with a PassMark G3D score of 29137 and a PassMark GPU compute score of 15787.

In Palworld specifically, the GPU's role becomes more prominent as resolution increases. At 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU, but the frame rates suggest the GPU is still the primary driver. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 31, which is a clear indication that the GPU is struggling with the highest settings at the highest resolution. The 12 GB VRAM is a factor here; at 4K with Ultra textures, the memory capacity and bandwidth are likely taxed, causing the significant performance drop. Conversely, at 1080p Low, the GPU delivers 177 FPS, showing that when the workload is lighter, the RTX 5070 has ample headroom. The GPU's 250 W TDP and dual-slot design are relevant for thermal performance, but the benchmark data does not capture thermal throttling; it captures the raw FPS results, which show a GPU that is capable at lower resolutions but becomes the limiting factor at 4K.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Dragon Range. It runs on the AMD Socket FL1 with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This is a mobile processor with a 55 W TDP, but it is clearly designed for high-performance laptops given the 16 cores and 5.4 GHz boost. The CPU has 64 MB of L3 cache, with 1 MB of L2 cache per core and 64 KB of L1 per core. The memory support is DDR5 on a dual-channel bus, providing 83.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The 5 nm process from TSMC packs 13,140 million transistors across a 2x 71 mm² die size. The CPU's benchmark scores are stellar: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42713 and a single-core score of 6030, with a PassMark multithread score of 51405.

In Palworld, the CPU's role is to manage the game's simulation, including the AI for the Pals, the physics of the world, and the streaming of the open-world environment. The 16 cores and 32 threads are more than adequate for this task, and the high single-core boost clock of 5.40 GHz ensures that the game's primary thread, which often remains single-threaded, is handled efficiently. The benchmark data supports this: at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 177 FPS, which is a high frame rate that would require a strong CPU to maintain, especially in a game with complex simulation. The PassMark single-thread score of 3907 indicates strong per-core performance, which is crucial for games that are not perfectly multi-threaded.

The CPU's 95th percentile ranking among all CPUs is reflected in its performance here. However, the combo rank in Palworld is much lower, suggesting that the CPU is not the bottleneck in most scenarios. The CPU's nearest rivals in the database are all within 0.6% of its average benchmark score, showing that the 8945HX is at the very top of the CPU performance heap. The data indicates that the CPU provides a solid foundation for Palworld, but the game's frame rates are ultimately dictated by the GPU, especially at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU is capable of pushing frame rates past 170 FPS on Low settings, but the GPU cannot sustain that at higher quality presets. The CPU's 64 MB of L3 cache is also beneficial for Palworld, as the game's asset streaming and object tracking can benefit from a large cache to reduce memory latency.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how this combo performs across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the results are strong. Low settings yield an average of 177 FPS, which is exceptionally high and indicates that the CPU and GPU are both working efficiently at this resolution. Medium settings see a drop to 144 FPS, with a minimum of 122 and a maximum of 165, showing good consistency. High settings average 110 FPS, while Ultra drops to 84 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p is a 53% drop in frame rate, which is steep but typical for a game like Palworld that has heavy draw distances and many dynamic elements.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain playable but show the GPU starting to feel the load. Low settings average 117 FPS, which is still very smooth. Medium settings average 95 FPS with a minimum of 80 and a maximum of 109. High settings drop to 73 FPS, and Ultra falls to 55 FPS. The delta between 1080p and 1440p at High settings is a 37 FPS drop, from 110 to 73, representing a 34% reduction. This indicates that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor as pixel count increases.

At 3840x2160, the performance takes a significant hit. Low settings average 65 FPS, which is just on the edge of playable for a game like this. Medium settings average 52 FPS with a minimum of 45 and a maximum of 60, showing some frame time inconsistency. High settings drop to 40 FPS, and Ultra falls to 31 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The data shows that this combo is not suited for 4K Ultra in Palworld, as the 31 FPS average is stutter-prone and not a good experience. The Medium preset at 4K, with its 52 FPS average and a 45 FPS minimum, is the only 4K setting that approaches a playable frame rate, though it is still not ideal.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the bottleneck characteristics of this combo. At High settings, the frame rates are 110 FPS at 1080p, 73 FPS at 1440p, and 40 FPS at 4K. This represents a 34% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 45% drop from 1440p to 4K. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 64%, which is a substantial reduction. This steep scaling curve is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario; as resolution increases, the GPU's workload grows exponentially, and the frame rate falls accordingly. The CPU, with its massive 16-core and 5.4 GHz boost, is not the limiting factor here, as evidenced by the consistent scaling pattern.

At Low settings, the scaling is similar but with higher absolute numbers: 177 FPS at 1080p, 117 FPS at 1440p, and 65 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 34%, and from 1440p to 4K is 44%, for a total drop of 63%. This consistency across settings suggests that the GPU is the primary limiter at all resolutions, even at Low settings where the workload is lighter. The fact that the percentage drops are nearly identical between Low and High settings indicates that the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth are the constraining factors, not the CPU. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a smaller percentage drop at lower resolutions, as the CPU would cap the frame rate regardless of resolution.

The 4K results are telling. At 4K Ultra, the 31 FPS average is a clear indication that the RTX 5070's 12 GB of VRAM and 672 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for the highest quality at this resolution. The gap between 4K Low (65 FPS) and 4K Ultra (31 FPS) is a 52% reduction, which is a larger drop than the 47% reduction seen at 1080p (177 to 84 FPS). This suggests that at 4K, the higher settings are not just increasing resolution but also adding more complex effects and textures that further tax the GPU. The data shows that this combo is best utilized at 1080p or 1440p, where the GPU has enough headroom to deliver high frame rates, and the CPU's power is not wasted.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and the desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the High preset at 110 FPS is the sweet spot for a balance of visual quality and smoothness. The Ultra preset at 84 FPS is still playable and offers better visuals, but the 24% drop from High to Ultra may not be worth the visual gain for most players. For competitive or high-refresh-rate play, the Low preset at 177 FPS is the choice, but the visual downgrade is significant. The Medium preset at 144 FPS is a strong middle ground, offering 144 FPS with a minimum of 122 FPS, which is smooth and stable.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 95 FPS is the recommended setting. It provides a good balance, with a minimum of 80 FPS, which is above the stutter threshold. The High preset at 73 FPS is also acceptable, but the drop to 73 FPS means less headroom for demanding scenes. The Low preset at 117 FPS is excellent for competitive play, but again, the visuals suffer. Ultra at 55 FPS is not recommended, as the frame rate is too low for a game with fast-moving action and many on-screen elements.

At 3840x2160, the data suggests that the Low preset at 65 FPS is the only setting that provides a consistently playable experience. The Medium preset at 52 FPS is borderline, with a minimum of 45 FPS, which could cause noticeable stuttering in busy areas. High at 40 FPS and Ultra at 31 FPS are not recommended, as they fall below the 60 FPS target that most players prefer, and the 31 FPS at Ultra will feel sluggish. For 4K play, the recommendation is to use Low settings and accept the visual compromise, or to drop to 1440p where the Medium preset at 95 FPS provides a much better experience. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can deliver high frame rates with good visual fidelity, and that 4K should be reserved for lower settings to maintain playability.