Palworld

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, with a base clock of 4.30 GHz and a boost clock of 5.70 GHz. Its substantial cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a large 128 MB L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU demonstrates exceptional multi-threaded capability, scoring 42,018 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 70,255 in Passmark multithread. Single-thread performance is equally strong, with a Geekbench single-core score of 3,064 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4,737. The processor holds a 95th percentile ranking against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 75,779. Its nearest rivals in synthetic testing include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755, which scores 75,738 (0.1% higher), and the Intel Core Ultra 9 285, which scores 75,488 (0.4% lower), showing that the 9950X3D sits at the top of the desktop performance tier.

However, these impressive CPU figures do not translate into high frame rates in Palworld when paired with the Intel Arc B370. The data reveals a massive bottleneck on the graphics side, not the processor. At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces 76 FPS, which is the highest average across all tested configurations. This suggests that even at lower resolutions and settings, the CPU is not the primary limiter, as the frame rate does not scale with the CPU's massive multi-threading headroom. The 16-core processor is likely underutilized in a game like Palworld, which typically does not scale perfectly across 32 threads. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 16,374 versus the max-thread score of 17,184 indicates that performance gains from additional threads beyond 16 are marginal, implying that the game's workload is not highly parallelized. The CPU role here is to provide a stable, high-frequency foundation, which it does admirably, but the measured FPS indicates that the GPU is the decisive factor in this combination.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. It features 1,280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units, along with 10 ray tracing cores. Its clock speeds are listed as a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 2400 MHz. The memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the host system's DDR5 memory, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." The GPU's raw compute capabilities are modest, with an FP32 performance of 6.144 TFLOPS and a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark, it scores 1,184, which places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, a very low ranking. Its nearest rivals in synthetic scores are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1,186, -0.2%) and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1,192, -0.7%), which are both extremely old and low-end parts. This data clearly identifies the Arc B370 as the limiting component in this pairing.

The GPU's performance in Palworld is consistently low across all resolutions. At 1080p Low, it achieves 76 FPS, but this drops rapidly as settings increase. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS falls to 36, a 52.6% decrease from Low. The trend continues at higher resolutions, with 1440p Low producing 50 FPS and 4K Low producing only 28 FPS. The GPU's 25 W TDP and integrated nature suggest it is designed for low-power, portable devices, not demanding gaming. The data shows that the GPU is overwhelmed by the graphical load of Palworld, particularly at higher settings and resolutions. The fact that the GPU's memory bandwidth is "System Dependent" and shared with the CPU likely compounds the performance issues, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory access, further limiting its already constrained capabilities.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on the optimal settings for this hardware combination. At 1080p, the Low preset yields an average of 76 FPS, which is the only configuration in the entire dataset that approaches a consistently playable frame rate. The Medium preset at 1080p produces 62 FPS with a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 71 FPS, offering a better balance between visual quality and performance, provided the user can tolerate occasional dips below 60 FPS. The High preset at 1080p drops to 47 FPS, and Ultra falls to 36 FPS, both of which may feel less smooth. For a stable experience, the Low preset is the safest choice, but Medium is viable if the user prioritizes visual fidelity over a locked 60 FPS.

At 1440p, the situation becomes more challenging. The Low preset delivers 50 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. The Medium preset drops to 41 FPS (min 35, max 47), and High falls to 31 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p produces only 24 FPS, which is not recommended for any action-oriented gameplay. For 4K resolution, none of the presets are truly playable. The Low preset yields 28 FPS, Medium 23 FPS, High 17 FPS, and Ultra 13 FPS. These frame rates are below the threshold for smooth interactive experiences. The data strongly suggests that this combo is only viable at 1080p with Low or Medium settings. The best experience per the measured rows is at 1080p Low, which offers the highest average FPS and likely the most consistent frame pacing. For users who prefer Medium settings, the 1080p Medium row's minimum of 52 FPS indicates that the frame rate will occasionally dip below 60, but overall it remains playable.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and the Intel Arc B370 ranks 2706 out of 2944 tested combos in Palworld. This places it in the bottom 8% of all configurations, which is a startling result given the CPU's top-tier status. The ranking is almost entirely dictated by the GPU's performance, as the Arc B370 is a low-power integrated part. The data indicates that this pairing is severely imbalanced; the CPU is capable of far more, but it is held back by the GPU's inability to render frames quickly. This rank suggests that users would be better served by pairing this CPU with a dedicated discrete graphics card, as the integrated GPU is not suited for gaming at any resolution above 1080p with low settings. The combo's rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's 5th percentile standing among all GPUs, which severely limits the overall system's gaming capabilities. While the CPU's 95th percentile ranking is impressive, it is irrelevant when the GPU cannot keep up with even basic rendering tasks. The data implies that this combo is a poor match for Palworld, and the system's performance is bottlenecked entirely by the GPU.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K are dramatic and reveal the GPU as the limiting component. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 76. Moving to 1440p Low, the FPS drops to 50, a 34.2% decrease. Moving further to 4K Low, the FPS falls to 28, a 63.2% decrease from 1080p. This pattern is consistent across all settings. For example, at High settings, the FPS drops from 47 at 1080p to 31 at 1440p (34.0% decrease) and then to 17 at 4K (63.8% decrease from 1080p). At Ultra settings, the FPS drops from 36 at 1080p to 24 at 1440p (33.3% decrease) and then to 13 at 4K (63.9% decrease from 1080p). The proportional decrease in FPS as resolution increases is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound system. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS would remain relatively constant across resolutions, as the CPU's workload does not change significantly with resolution. Instead, the FPS scales inversely with the number of pixels, which is the hallmark of a GPU bottleneck.

The data shows that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are insufficient for higher resolutions. The pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s is not enough to handle 4K (3840x2160) at high quality, resulting in the very low FPS observed. The scaling pattern also suggests that the GPU's performance is not limited by the CPU's ability to feed it data, but rather by its own rendering capabilities. The 63% drop from 1080p to 4K is a typical figure for a GPU with a small memory bus and limited compute units. The "System Shared" memory configuration is likely a significant contributor to this bottleneck, as the GPU's memory bandwidth is dependent on the system's DDR5 bandwidth, which is shared with the CPU. This shared memory architecture means that as the resolution increases, the GPU requires more memory bandwidth, which competes with CPU workloads and further degrades performance. The data strongly indicates that this combo is only suitable for 1080p gaming, and even then, only at lower settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact measured FPS values for each resolution and settings combination.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

| :--------- | :------- | :------ | :------ | :------ |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 76 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 62 | 52 | 71 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 47 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 36 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 50 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 41 | 35 | 47 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 31 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 24 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 28 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 23 | 19 | 26 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 17 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 13 | - | - |

At 1080p, the system ranges from 36 FPS on Ultra to 76 FPS on Low. The Medium preset provides a middle ground with a 62 FPS average and a minimum of 52 FPS, which is the only setting that maintains a minimum above 50 FPS at this resolution. Moving to 1440p, the best average FPS is 50 on Low, which is a significant drop from 1080p. The Medium preset at 1440p has a 41 FPS average with a minimum of 35 FPS, indicating that frame pacing may be inconsistent. At 4K, all settings produce sub-30 FPS averages, with the highest being 28 FPS on Low. The Ultra preset at 4K is nearly unplayable at 13 FPS. The data shows a clear linear relationship between settings and FPS within each resolution, with Ultra typically being about half the FPS of Low. This consistency suggests that the GPU's performance scales predictably with the graphical load, but the absolute performance is too low for any high-resolution or high-quality gaming.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this CPU and GPU combo in Palworld?

A: The highest average FPS is 76, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: Is this combo capable of running Palworld at 4K resolution?

A: No, the data shows that at 3840x2160 resolution, the highest average FPS is 28 on Low settings. Other presets are lower, with Ultra producing only 13 FPS.

Q: Which settings preset provides the most stable frame rate at 1080p?

A: The Medium preset at 1080p provides the most stable frame rate, with an average of 62 FPS, a minimum of 52 FPS, and a maximum of 71 FPS. The Low preset has a higher average (76 FPS) but its minimum is not listed.

Q: How does the FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p on Low settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 76 at 1080p to 50 at 1440p on Low settings, a decrease of 26 FPS or 34.2%.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this system?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU has a 95th percentile ranking among all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 5th percentile. The FPS scales inversely with resolution, which is a characteristic of a GPU bottleneck.

Q: What is this combo's rank among all tested combos in Palworld?

A: This combo ranks 2706 out of 2944 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 8% of all configurations tested.