Palworld

Palworld, a survival title released in early 2024, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with both resolution and graphical presets. This analysis examines the measured performance of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER across a matrix of settings, providing a detailed look at how this high-end combination handles the game's engine.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable progression as resolution increases, highlighting the shifting balance between CPU and GPU load. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 316 FPS. This high frame rate indicates that the CPU, with its 12 cores and 24 threads, is capable of feeding the GPU with data at a rapid pace. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset, the average drops to 208 FPS, a substantial 34% reduction. This drop is typical of the GPU beginning to work harder to fill the additional pixels. At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the average falls further to 115 FPS, another 45% reduction from the 1440p figure. This steep decline strongly suggests that at 4K, even with the RTX 4080 SUPER's substantial compute power, the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor, with the CPU's role diminishing.

The scaling pattern becomes even more pronounced when examining the higher settings. With the Ultra preset, the average frame rates are 149 FPS at 1080p, 98 FPS at 1440p, and 55 FPS at 4K. The transition from 1080p to 1440p on Ultra results in a 34% performance drop, while the move from 1440p to 4K yields a 44% reduction. This consistency across presets indicates that Palworld's rendering load scales almost linearly with pixel count, with no unexpected bottlenecks or inefficiencies. The data shows that the RTX 4080 SUPER's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 256-bit memory bus are sufficient to handle the texture and geometry data at all tested resolutions, as there are no anomalies like a sudden catastrophic frame rate collapse that would indicate memory capacity issues.

The relationship between resolution and the limiting component is clear. At 1080p, the high frame rates, particularly the 316 FPS Low result, indicate that the system is often CPU-bound, as the GPU has ample headroom to render frames quickly. As resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, the GPU's workload expands, and the system becomes progressively more GPU-bound. The data suggests that for players targeting the highest refresh rates on a 1080p or 1440p monitor, the CPU is providing excellent support, but at 4K, the RTX 4080 SUPER is the definitive performance ceiling.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Granite Ridge, with a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. Its substantial 128 MB of L3 cache is a key asset for gaming, and the benchmark data confirms its strength in this scenario. In synthetic tests, the CPU scores 12,490 in 3DMark's 16-thread test and 13,795 in the max-thread test, showing strong multi-threaded scaling. Its single-thread performance is also high, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 1,269 and a Geekbench single-core score of 3,041.

In Palworld, the CPU's role is most evident at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the 316 FPS average reflects the processor's ability to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls without becoming a bottleneck. The 3DMark 2-thread score of 2,512 suggests that even with a lighter CPU load, the processor's high per-core performance ensures a solid foundation. However, as resolution and settings increase, the GPU takes over as the performance limiter, and the CPU's advantage becomes less critical to the final frame rate. For instance, at 4K Ultra, the 55 FPS average is far below what the CPU could theoretically support, showing that the GPU is struggling to keep pace.

The CPU's 24 threads are likely well-utilized by Palworld, which is known for having many active entities in the world. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 47,737 indicates that the processor can handle heavy all-core workloads, which might become relevant in complex in-game scenes with many Pals and structures. The data shows a well-balanced pairing, with the CPU providing enough performance to ensure that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The processor's percentile ranking of 91 against all CPUs places it firmly in the high-performance tier, matching the expectations for a top-tier gaming processor.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings?

A: The measured average frame rate at 1920x1080 with the High preset is 197 FPS. This result suggests that the combo can easily drive high-refresh-rate 1080p monitors with visual quality settings above the minimum.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER's synthetic benchmark score compare to its nearest rival?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 54,209. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, has a score of 54,247, which is a -0.1% difference. This indicates they are virtually identical in raw compute performance.

Q: Is there a significant performance gap between the Medium and Ultra presets at 2560x1440?

A: Yes, the data shows a substantial difference. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 169 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 98 FPS. This represents a 42% decrease in frame rate when moving to the highest settings.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 4K with Medium settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS measured is 79, with an average of 94 FPS and a maximum of 108 FPS. This indicates that the frame rate can fluctuate by roughly 30% during intense scenes.

Q: Does the CPU have a high core count?

A: Yes, the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D features 12 cores and 24 threads. This configuration is well-suited for modern games and productivity tasks that can utilize multiple threads.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested combinations in this game?

A: This specific CPU and GPU combination ranks 216th out of 2,944 tested combos for Palworld. This places it in the top 7.3% of all configurations tested.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER combination ranks 216th out of 2,944 tested combos in Palworld. This placement puts it in the top 7.3% of all systems tested, which is a strong result for a high-end desktop configuration. The ranking is a relative measure of performance, and the data shows that while this combo is very fast, there are still 215 other combinations that deliver higher average frame rates.

The ranking suggests that the pairing is well-balanced but not the absolute peak for this specific game. The CPU's strong performance, evidenced by its 91st percentile ranking against all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 54,762, ensures it is not a limiting factor. The GPU, ranking in the 86th percentile against all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 54,209, also performs admirably. However, the 216th rank implies that other combinations, likely featuring higher-tier GPUs, can achieve even better results in Palworld. The data indicates that the RTX 4080 SUPER is a very capable card, but for this title, there is headroom for more powerful hardware to secure a higher rank.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is a high-end graphics card built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, featuring the AD103 chip. It has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s. Its boost clock is 2550 MHz, and it contains 10,240 shading units. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 34,245 in Passmark's G3D test and 219,065 in Geekbench's OpenCL test, indicating substantial raw compute power.

In Palworld, the GPU's role is dominant at higher resolutions and settings. At 4K, the performance is entirely dictated by the GPU's rendering capacity. The measured average FPS at 4K ranges from 115 on Low to 55 on Ultra. This demonstrates that the RTX 4080 SUPER is powerful enough to handle 4K gaming, but not at the highest frame rates. The 16 GB of VRAM is likely sufficient for the game's assets at these settings, as the frame rates scale consistently with resolution, showing no signs of memory swapping or capacity-related stutters.

The GPU's performance relative to its rivals is minimal. Its average benchmark score of 54,209 is only -0.1% lower than the RTX 4080's score of 54,247, making them statistically equivalent in synthetic tests. The data shows that the RTX 4080 SUPER provides a strong foundation for Palworld, enabling high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p. At 4K, it is the primary bottleneck, but it still delivers a playable experience, especially with the Medium preset, which averages 94 FPS. The card's specifications, including its 320 TMUs and 112 ROPs, contribute to its ability to handle the game's post-processing and lighting effects at higher presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across a grid of resolutions and presets.

At 1920x1080, the performance is exceptionally high. With the Low preset, the average FPS is 316. The Medium preset delivers an average of 256 FPS, with a minimum of 218 and a maximum of 294 FPS. High settings produce an average of 197 FPS. The Ultra preset, the most demanding, still yields a high average of 149 FPS. These results show that at 1080p, the combo is capable of delivering frame rates well above the refresh rate of most monitors, even at the highest settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain very impressive. The Low preset averages 208 FPS. The Medium preset averages 169 FPS, with a minimum of 143 and a maximum of 194 FPS. The High preset sees a reduction to 130 FPS average. The Ultra preset delivers an average of 98 FPS. This demonstrates that the combo is fully capable of high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming, with the Medium and High presets providing an excellent balance of visual fidelity and speed.

At 3840x2160, the performance is more moderate, reflecting the increased GPU load. The Low preset averages 115 FPS. The Medium preset averages 94 FPS, with a minimum of 79 and a maximum of 108 FPS. The High preset averages 72 FPS. The Ultra preset brings the average down to 55 FPS. This data indicates that for 4K gaming, players will need to adjust settings to maintain high frame rates. The Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot, offering a playable average above 90 FPS, while the High and Ultra presets fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate.

For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is a viable option, as it still produces an average of 149 FPS. This allows players to experience the game with maximum visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. For those with 240Hz monitors, the High preset at 197 FPS or even the Medium preset at 256 FPS would be excellent choices to push frame rates to the absolute maximum.

At 2560x1440, the High preset, with an average of 130 FPS, provides a strong balance for most players, ensuring high visual fidelity and a frame rate that is well-suited for 144Hz displays. The Medium preset at 169 FPS is also a great option for those who prioritize a higher refresh rate over some graphical details. The Ultra preset, at 98 FPS, remains playable and is a good choice for players who want the best image quality and are comfortable with frame rates below 100 FPS.

For 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation, delivering an average of 94 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS. This provides a smooth and responsive experience on a 4K display. The High preset, at 72 FPS, is also playable, but the average dips closer to the 60 FPS threshold. The Low preset, at 115 FPS, is an option for players who prioritize maximum smoothness over visual quality. The Ultra preset, at 55 FPS, is only recommended for players who accept a lower average frame rate in exchange for the highest possible visual fidelity. The data suggests that the Medium preset offers the best experience at 4K, as it maintains a high average frame rate while still providing a significant visual upgrade over the Low preset.