Palworld

AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 paired with the AMD Radeon 890M integrated graphics presents a specific set of trade-offs in Palworld, a survival title that demands steady throughput. The benchmark data shows a combination that ranks near the bottom of the tested pool, primarily constrained by the integrated GPU’s limits rather than the CPU’s substantial compute resources. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, examines the division of labor between the processor and graphics silicon, and interprets what the scaling patterns reveal about system bottlenecks.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 and the AMD Radeon 890M holds a rank of 2777 out of 2944 tested combos in Palworld. This places it in the bottom 6% of all tested system pairings, which is a significant indicator that this configuration is not optimized for this specific game. The rank reflects the measured frames per second across the board, and the data suggests that while the CPU is a high-end part, the GPU holds the entire system back in a graphics-intensive environment like Palworld.

The CPU alone performs at the 95th percentile compared to all tested processors, according to its aggregate benchmark score. However, the GPU sits at the 45th percentile compared to all tested graphics solutions. This massive discrepancy—a top-tier processor paired with a mid-pack integrated GPU—explains the poor overall combo rank. The system is effectively a high-performance CPU platform with a graphics solution that cannot translate that processing power into high frame rates in a demanding 3D title. The data shows that in this configuration, the GPU is the limiting factor, dragging the entire system’s ranking down to the 2777th position out of 2944.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 890M is an integrated graphics processor based on the RDNA 3.5 architecture, built on a 4 nm process. It features 1024 shading units, 64 texture mapping units, and 32 raster operations pipelines. The GPU’s clock speeds are notable, with a base clock of 400 MHz and a boost clock of 2900 MHz. Its theoretical peak performance is listed at 5.939 TFLOPS for FP32 operations, which is a modest figure for modern gaming. The GPU’s memory configuration is system-shared, meaning it draws from the same LPDDR5X pool as the CPU, with bandwidth described as system-dependent rather than fixed.

In Palworld, the GPU’s role is decisive. The measured frames per second are directly tied to the 890M’s output, and the numbers show a clear ceiling. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 75 FPS, but this drops sharply as resolution and graphical demands increase. The GPU’s performance percentile stands at 45, meaning it performs worse than 55% of all tested graphics cards. Its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the AMD Radeon Vega 8, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960, and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 465, all of which it trails by less than 1% in average score. This places the 890M in a performance class that is acceptable for esports titles at low settings but struggles with modern open-world survival games.

The boost clock of 2900 MHz is high for an integrated solution, but the sheer number of pixels and the game’s rendering complexity overwhelm its 32 ROPs and relatively low texture fill rate of 185.6 GTexel/s. The GPU’s pixel rate of 92.80 GPixel/s is insufficient for high-resolution rendering, which is why 4K performance falls to single digits in demanding presets. The data indicates that the 890M is the primary bottleneck in this system, capping performance at levels that do not utilize the CPU’s full potential.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Strix Halo. It operates with a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with a thermal design power of 55 watts. It features a substantial cache hierarchy, including 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and a shared 64 MB L3 cache. The CPU supports LPDDR5X memory over a quad-channel interface, providing up to 256.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. It also includes integrated Radeon 8060S graphics, though the test combo uses the separate 890M.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU is a powerhouse. It scores 35,314 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,044 in single-core. In Geekbench, it achieves 20,992 multi-core and 2,464 single-core. Its Passmark multithread score is 54,934, and its single-thread score is 4,147. The CPU’s aggregate benchmark score is 77,740, placing it at the 95th percentile. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX, which it trails by 1.6%, and the Intel Core i9-14900K, which it beats by 1.7%. This indicates the CPU is not a limiting factor in Palworld.

The CPU’s role in Palworld is to handle game logic, physics, and AI calculations, which it does with enormous headroom. The measured FPS data shows that even at 1080p Low, where the GPU is less stressed, the system only reaches 75 FPS. This is not due to CPU limitations, as the processor’s single-thread performance (2,044 in Cinebench R23) is more than capable of driving frame rates well above 100 FPS in most scenarios. The 16 cores and 32 threads are overkill for a game that typically scales to fewer threads. The quad-channel memory bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s is also sufficient to feed both the CPU and the integrated GPU, so memory bandwidth is not a bottleneck in the measured results. The data suggests that the CPU is effectively idle in this combo, waiting on the GPU to render frames.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 75 FPS on Low settings, which is the highest frame rate recorded in the entire dataset. Moving to Medium settings at 1080p, the average drops to 61 FPS, with a minimum of 52 and a maximum of 70. High settings at 1080p yield an average of 47 FPS, while Ultra settings reduce the average to 35 FPS. This progression shows a linear decline as settings increase, with a 53% drop from Low to Ultra at the same resolution.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. Low settings produce an average of 49 FPS, which is a 35% decrease from the 1080p Low result. Medium settings average 40 FPS, with a minimum of 34 and a maximum of 46. High settings average 31 FPS, and Ultra settings average 23 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 53%, consistent with the 1080p scaling. The minimum FPS data for Medium settings indicates some frame pacing issues, but the average remains playable at Low and Medium.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings average 27 FPS, Medium settings average 22 FPS with a minimum of 19 and maximum of 25, High settings average 17 FPS, and Ultra settings average 13 FPS. The 4K results show that the GPU is completely overwhelmed, with even Low settings failing to reach 30 FPS. The data reveals that the system is only viable for 1080p gaming, and even then, only at Low to Medium settings for a smooth experience. The 4K numbers are essentially unusable for a game like Palworld, which requires responsive controls and consistent frame delivery.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling analysis shows how the system’s performance degrades as pixel count increases. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops by roughly 35% across all settings. For example, at Low settings, the FPS goes from 75 to 49, a 26 FPS drop. At Medium settings, it goes from 61 to 40, a 21 FPS drop. At High settings, it goes from 47 to 31, a 16 FPS drop. At Ultra settings, it goes from 35 to 23, a 12 FPS drop. This scaling is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, where the frame rate is inversely proportional to the number of pixels rendered.

From 1440p to 4K, the scaling becomes even more severe. At Low settings, the FPS drops from 49 to 27, a 45% reduction. At Medium settings, it drops from 40 to 22, a 45% reduction. At High settings, it drops from 31 to 17, a 45% reduction. At Ultra settings, it drops from 23 to 13, a 43% reduction. This consistent 45% drop from 1440p to 4K is a classic signature of a GPU that is running out of fill rate and memory bandwidth. The 4K resolution requires 2.25 times the pixels of 1440p, and the FPS drops accordingly, confirming that the GPU is the sole limiting component.

The scaling pattern also indicates that the CPU is not a factor in these results. If the CPU were limiting, the FPS would not drop as sharply with increasing resolution, as the CPU’s workload would remain constant regardless of pixel count. The fact that FPS scales almost perfectly with pixel count proves that the Radeon 890M is saturated at all resolutions, and the CPU is waiting for the GPU to complete its work. The 256.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is shared between the CPU and GPU, but the scaling suggests that the GPU is not even able to utilize this bandwidth effectively, as its theoretical limits are far below what the memory can provide.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Palworld with this combo?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system can achieve playable frame rates. At 1080p Low settings, the average FPS is 75, while at 1440p Low, it drops to 49, and at 4K Low, it falls to 27.

Q: How does this combo’s CPU performance compare to its GPU performance?

A: The CPU has an average benchmark score of 77,740, placing it at the 95th percentile, while the GPU has an average score of 9,210, placing it at the 45th percentile. This indicates a significant imbalance, with the CPU far outperforming the GPU.

Q: Is this system capable of running Palworld at 4K Ultra settings?

A: No. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 13 FPS, which is far below the threshold for smooth gameplay. All 4K preset results are below 30 FPS, making them unsuitable for this game.

Q: What settings preset provides the highest FPS at 1080p?

A: The Low settings preset at 1920x1080 yields the highest average FPS of 75. The Medium preset at 1080p is next at 61 FPS, followed by High at 47 FPS and Ultra at 35 FPS.

Q: How does the GPU’s performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Radeon 890M has an average benchmark score of 9,210. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Vega 8, has an average score of 9,221, which is 0.1% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 has a score of 9,273, 0.7% higher, and the GTX 850M has a score of 9,302, 1% higher.

Q: What does the FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K indicate about the system bottleneck?

A: The FPS drops by approximately 35% from 1080p to 1440p and 45% from 1440p to 4K across all settings. This pixel-count-dependent scaling is a clear indication that the GPU is the limiting component, as the CPU’s workload does not change with resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for Palworld with this combo depend on the user’s resolution and preference for frame rate versus visual fidelity. For a smooth experience at 1920x1080, the Low preset is the only setting that guarantees frame rates above 60 FPS, with an average of 75 FPS. This is the recommended choice for competitive play or if the user prioritizes responsiveness over visual quality. The Medium preset at 1080p delivers an average of 61 FPS, which is still playable, but the minimum FPS of 52 indicates potential stutters in heavy scenes. For users willing to accept occasional frame dips, Medium offers a better visual experience without sacrificing average performance.

At 2560x1440, the data suggests that only the Low preset, with an average of 49 FPS, is viable for consistent gameplay. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 40 FPS, which may be acceptable for slower-paced exploration but will feel sluggish in combat. High and Ultra presets at 1440p are not recommended, as they fall below 31 FPS. At 3840x2160, all presets are below 30 FPS, making the game unplayable at this resolution. The best experience at 4K would require a significant reduction in rendering resolution, which is not reflected in the measured data.

The benchmark results indicate that this system is best suited for 1080p gaming with Low to Medium settings. The CPU’s immense power is wasted in this configuration, as the GPU cannot push frames fast enough to utilize it. For users who own this combo, the practical choice is to play at 1080p Low for maximum frame rate or 1080p Medium for a balance of visuals and performance. The measured data does not support any higher resolution or preset combination without falling below playable thresholds.