Palworld

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Palworld across the three tested resolutions reveals a clear pattern of scaling that points directly at the GPU as the primary performance governor at higher settings. Starting at 1080p with the Ultra preset, the combo of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER delivers an average of 131 FPS. Moving to 1440p Ultra, that figure drops to 86 FPS, a reduction of 45 FPS, and then at 4K Ultra, the average falls to 48 FPS. This represents a cumulative drop of 83 FPS from 1080p to 4K, which is a 63% reduction in performance.

The scaling behavior differs markedly when the graphics settings are lowered. At the Low preset, the average FPS at 1080p is 276, which is exceptionally high. At 1440p Low, the average is 182 FPS, and at 4K Low, it is still a very playable 101 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 175 FPS, which is a 63% reduction as well, but the absolute numbers are so high that the experience remains fluid at all resolutions. This indicates that at Low settings, the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU, and the GPU is still the limiting factor, but the workload per pixel is low enough to allow for high frame rates.

The Medium preset shows a predictable middle ground. At 1080p, the average is 224 FPS. At 1440p, it falls to 147 FPS, and at 4K, it drops to 82 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K at Medium settings is a 65 FPS drop, which is a 44% reduction. This is a steeper percentage drop than the 38% reduction seen from 1080p to 1440p at Medium, suggesting that the GPU is beginning to hit a more significant architectural bottleneck as pixel count increases.

The data suggests that the limiting component is overwhelmingly the GPU. The CPU, with its 16 cores and 32 threads, is not showing signs of frame pacing issues or a hard cap at any of the tested settings. The consistent scaling pattern—where every step up in resolution at a given preset results in a substantial FPS loss—is classic GPU-bound behavior. The fact that the 4K High preset still achieves 63 FPS while 4K Ultra only manages 48 FPS further underscores that the GPU's compute and memory resources are being saturated at the highest quality levels.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate this combo achieves in Palworld?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 276, which occurs at 1920x1080 with the Low settings preset. This is the peak of the measured data and indicates a significant CPU and GPU headroom at lower resolutions and quality settings.

Q: How does the 4K performance compare to 1440p performance?

A: At the High preset, the average FPS at 2560x1440 is 113, while at 3840x2160 it drops to 63. This represents a 50 FPS reduction, or a 44% decrease in performance, when moving from 1440p to 4K at the same settings.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 SUPER's 12 GB VRAM sufficient for Palworld at 4K?

A: The benchmark data shows that the GPU can handle 4K at all tested settings, with average FPS ranging from 48 at Ultra to 101 at Low. While the data does not include VRAM usage, the performance figures indicate that the 12 GB frame buffer is not causing a hard performance cliff at the tested settings, as the game remains playable even at 4K Ultra.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: The average FPS at 1080p Low is 276, while at 1080p Ultra it is 131. This is a difference of 145 FPS, meaning the Ultra preset runs at roughly 47% of the frame rate of the Low preset at the same resolution.

Q: Does the Ryzen 9 9950X3D bottleneck the RTX 4070 SUPER?

A: The data shows no evidence of a CPU bottleneck. The FPS scales consistently with resolution changes, and the CPU's benchmark scores, such as a Passmark multithread score of 70255 and a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 42018, are high. At 1080p Low, the 276 FPS average suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU without limiting frame output.

Q: Are there any settings where the minimum FPS is recorded?

A: Yes, the Medium preset at all three resolutions includes minimum FPS values. At 1920x1080, the min FPS is 190, at 2560x1440 it is 125, and at 3840x2160 it is 70. These are the only settings rows with recorded minimum FPS data, providing a glimpse into frame time consistency.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER plays the central role in determining Palworld's performance, particularly at higher resolutions and settings. The GPU is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a process node of 5 nm, and it features 7168 shading units. Its memory subsystem consists of 12 GB of GDDR6X on a 192-bit bus, offering a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. The base clock is 1980 MHz with a boost clock of 2475 MHz. These specifications directly correlate with the measured FPS, as the GPU's raw compute and memory throughput are the primary factors in rendering the game's world.

The data reveals that the RTX 4070 SUPER is a capable 4K card for this game, but with limitations at the highest preset. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 48, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. However, at 4K High, the average FPS is 63, indicating that a slight reduction in visual fidelity yields a playable experience. This suggests that the GPU's compute resources, while substantial, are not sufficient for the most demanding configuration at 4K.

The GPU's 12 GB VRAM is a critical factor for high-resolution textures. While the data does not provide direct VRAM usage metrics, the performance at 4K Medium (82 FPS) and 4K High (63 FPS) implies that the memory capacity is adequate for these settings. The transition from 4K Medium to 4K Ultra results in a 34 FPS drop, which is a 41% reduction. This indicates that the Ultra preset likely applies a significant increase in shading and texture complexity, which the GPU's 35.48 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 198.0 GPixel/s pixel rate struggle to handle at 4K.

Comparing the GPU's average benchmark score of 43223, it sits in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB (avgScore 43262, deltaPct -0.1) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile (avgScore 43667, deltaPct -1). This places the RTX 4070 SUPER in a competitive position, with performance nearly identical to a professional-grade Quadro card and only 1% behind a mobile RTX 4090 in synthetic benchmarks Polygon. In Palworld, this translates to strong 1440p performance, where it achieves 86 FPS at Ultra and 113 FPS at High.

The GPU's clock speeds are also relevant. With a boost clock of 2475 MHz, the card can maintain high core frequencies under load, which is essential for sustained performance in a game like Palworld. The memory clock of 1313 MHz, effectively 21 Gbps, provides the 504.2 GB/s bandwidth needed for high-resolution textures. The measured FPS at 1440p Medium (147 FPS) and High (113 FPS) suggests that the GPU is well-utilized, with no obvious stalls or thermal throttling indicated by the benchmark data.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows a wide spread across settings. The Low preset yields an average FPS of 276, which is the highest score in the entire dataset. The Medium preset averages 224 FPS, with a minimum of 190 and a maximum of 258 FPS. The High preset averages 172 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 131 FPS. This progression shows a 145 FPS difference between Low and Ultra, which is a 53% reduction in frame rate. The 1080p Medium preset's min FPS of 190 indicates that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate stays well above the refresh rate of most monitors.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down in a predictable manner. The Low preset still achieves a high average of 182 FPS)Skip. The Medium preset averages 147 FPS, with a min of 125 and a max of 170 FPS. The High preset averages 113 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 86 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 96 FPS, which is a 53% reduction. The min FPS of 125 at Medium settings suggests that the frame time consistency remains decent, with no severe drops that would cause stuttering.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is under significant load. The Low preset averages 101 FPS, which is still playable for competitive or high-refresh gaming. The Medium preset averages 82 FPS, with a min of 70 and a max of 94 FPS. This min FPS of 70 is the lowest recorded in the dataset. The High preset averages 63 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 48 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 53 FPS, which is a 52% reduction. The data shows that 4K High is the boundary for a 60 FPS experience, while 4K Ultra requires a compromise on frame rate.

The measured FPS across all resolutions and settings confirms that the RTX 4070 SUPER can handle Palworld at 1440p with high fidelity, but 4K gaming requires careful setting selection. The data also shows that the CPU is not a limiting factor, as the frame rates at 1080p Low (276 FPS) are exceptionally high, indicating that the Ryzen 9 9950X3D can push the GPU to its limits.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge). With a base clock of 4.30 GHz and a boost clock of 5.70 GHz, it offers substantial single-threaded and multi-threaded performance. The CPU's L3 cache is 128 MB, which is large and beneficial for gaming workloads that require fast access to frequently used data. The data shows that this CPU is more than capable of keeping up with the RTX 4070 SUPER in Palworld.

In Palworld, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, entity updates, and physics calculations. The benchmark results show that the CPU does not bottleneck the GPU at any tested resolution or setting. For instance, at 1080p Low, the average FPS is 276, which is a very high frame rate that typically requires a strong CPU to avoid being the limiting factor. The CPU's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2259 and Passmark single-thread score of 4737 indicate strong per-core performance, which is crucial for games that rely on a few primary threads.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are also notable. With a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 42018 and a Geekbench multicore score of 26736, the processor can handle background tasks and heavy multi-threaded workloads without impacting game performance. In Palworld, which is a survival game with many concurrent entities and systems, this multi-threaded strength helps maintain stable frame rates, particularly during complex gameplay scenarios.

The CPU's 128 MB of L3 cache is a significant advantage. This large cache can store more game data, reducing the need to access slower system memory. This is reflected in the performance at 1080p, where the CPU is not a bottleneck, allowing the GPU to run at its maximum potential. The CPU's memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s (Dual-channel DDR5) is also sufficient for feeding the GPU and CPU cores with data.

Comparing the CPU to its nearest rivals, it has an average benchmark score of 75779 and sits in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755, has an average score of 75738, a deltaPct of 0.1, meaning the 9950X3D is essentially tied with it. This indicates that in synthetic benchmarks, the 9950X3D is at the top of the heap, and in Palworld, this translates to a smooth, high-FPS experience with no observable CPU-induced frame drops.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and frame rate preference. For 1080p gaming, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 131 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. The High preset at 172 FPS is also a strong choice for competitive play, offering a balance between visual quality and frame rate. The Medium preset at 224 FPS is the best for maximizing frame rate, but it sacrifices some visual fidelity.

For 1440p gaming, the High preset is the recommended choice for a balanced experience, with an average FPS of 113. This provides a smooth, high-quality experience for most players. The Medium preset at 147 FPS is suitable for those who prefer higher frame rates, while the Ultra preset at 86 FPS is still playable but may not be ideal for fast-paced action. The data shows that 1440p High is the sweet spot for this GPU and CPU combo, providing a 60+ FPS experience with high visual quality.

For 4K gaming, the High preset is the only viable option for a 60 FPS experience, with an average FPS of 63. The Medium preset at 82 FPS is also a good choice if you want higher frame rates, but the visual difference between Medium and High may be noticeable. The Ultra preset at 48 FPS is not recommended for a smooth experience, as it falls below the 60 FPS threshold. The Low preset at 101 FPS is viable for competitive play, but the visual quality is significantly reduced.

The data indicates that the Medium preset offers the most consistent frame times, as it is the only settings tier with recorded minimum FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the min FPS is 190, at 1440p it is 125, and at 4K it is 70. This suggests that Medium settings provide a more stable frame pacing experience, which can be more important than raw average FPS for perceived smoothness. For users who prioritize frame time consistency, the Medium preset is the safest choice across all resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combo ranks 650th out of 3711 tested combinations in Palworld. This places it in the top 17.5% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing for a high-end desktop configuration. The rank reflects the overall performance of this pairing in the game, considering both the CPU's and GPU's contributions.

Given that the CPU is in the 95th percentile of all CPUs and the GPU is in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs, the combo's rank is slightly lower than what the individual components might suggest. This is likely due to the fact that Palworld is a GPU-intensive game, and the GPU's 83rd percentile performance is the more significant factor in determining the final rank. The CPU's high percentile ensures that it is not a bottleneck, but it does not fully compensate for the GPU's mid-to-high-tier positioning.

The rank of 650 out of 3711 means that this combo outperforms the vast majority of systems tested. It is a high-end enthusiast setup that can handle Palworld at 1440p with high settings and 4K with medium-to-high settings. The data shows that this combo is well-balanced for this game, with no single component severely limiting the other. The 4K High performance of 63 FPS and 1440p Ultra performance of 86 FPS are indicators of a system that is capable of delivering a premium gaming experience.