Palworld

Intel Core i3-12100F paired with Intel Arc B390 in Palworld delivers a predictable but starkly limited experience, with the data showing a combination that is heavily constrained by the graphics processor. Across all measured settings and resolutions, the system produces playable frame rates only at the lowest settings and resolution, while higher configurations fall below acceptable thresholds. The benchmark results indicate a clear hierarchy where the CPU’s capability is largely irrelevant to the final output, as the GPU becomes the definitive bottleneck in every scenario tested.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a dramatic and consistent drop as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, confirming that the Intel Arc B390 is the limiting component in this pairing. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 53 FPS at 1080p to 35 FPS at 1440p, then to 19 FPS at 4K. This represents a 34% reduction when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 46% reduction when moving from 1440p to 4K. The scaling pattern is nearly linear with pixel count, which is a hallmark of a GPU-bound workload where the rendering pipeline is saturated.

Low settings show a similar trend with slightly better absolute numbers: 84 FPS at 1080p, 56 FPS at 1440p, and 31 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 33% and 45% respectively, nearly identical to the High settings scaling. Medium settings follow the same pattern, with 68 FPS at 1080p, 45 FPS at 1440p, and 25 FPS at 4K, showing a 34% and 44% reduction across the two resolution transitions. Ultra settings exhibit the most severe degradation, starting at 40 FPS at 1080p, falling to 26 FPS at 1440p, and bottoming out at 15 FPS at 4K.

The consistency of these percentage drops across all four settings presets strongly indicates that the GPU’s pixel throughput is the sole determining factor. The Intel Core i3-12100F, with its 4 cores and 8 threads, does not appear to introduce any CPU-side limitation that would flatten the scaling curve at higher resolutions. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see smaller FPS differences between resolutions, particularly at 1080p where the GPU has less work to do. Instead, the data shows that even at 1080p Low, the system reaches only 84 FPS, suggesting the GPU is already near its practical ceiling for this title.

The most telling observation is the 4K Ultra result of 15 FPS, which is effectively unplayable. The gap between 4K Low at 31 FPS and 4K High at 19 FPS shows that the GPU struggles to maintain even basic rendering loads at this resolution. The scaling behavior points to a graphics processor that has sufficient raw capability for 1080p gaming at low to medium settings, but quickly exhausts its resources as pixel count rises.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal experience for this combination is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which produces an average of 84 FPS. This is the only configuration that clears the 60 FPS threshold, providing a smooth baseline for gameplay. The data indicates that this setting also leaves minimal headroom for demanding scenes, as the minimum FPS is not recorded, but the average suggests consistent performance.

For users seeking better visual quality, 1920x1080 Medium offers a compromise at 68 FPS average, with recorded minimum and maximum values of 58 FPS and 79 FPS respectively. The minimum of 58 FPS is close to the 60 FPS target, meaning occasional dips below the threshold are possible, but the overall experience remains fluid. This setting represents the best balance between visual fidelity and playability, as it delivers significantly higher frame rates than High settings while maintaining a reasonable minimum.

High settings at 1080p drop to 53 FPS average, which is below the 60 FPS target but still within a range that many players would consider acceptable for a survival title. The lack of recorded minimum and maximum values for this setting makes it harder to assess stability, but the average indicates a playable, if not ideal, experience. Ultra settings at 1080p fall to 40 FPS average, which begins to feel sluggish for a game that requires responsiveness for combat and exploration.

At 2560x1440, only Low settings approach playability with 56 FPS average, though this is borderline. Medium settings at 1440p produce 45 FPS with a minimum of 38 FPS, which will result in noticeable stuttering during intense moments. High and Ultra at 1440p fall to 35 FPS and 26 FPS respectively, both below acceptable thresholds. At 3840x2160, all settings are effectively unplayable, with the highest average being 31 FPS at Low settings and the lowest being 15 FPS at Ultra.

The recommendation is clear: users should prioritize 1080p resolution. Within that resolution, Medium settings provide the best experience per the measured data, offering a 68 FPS average with a recorded minimum of 58 FPS. This configuration avoids the significant frame rate penalty of High settings while providing a noticeable visual upgrade over Low. For competitive play where frame rate is paramount, Low settings at 1080p is the safest choice.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process node. The data shows it operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, with the memory configuration listed as "System Shared" and bandwidth as "System Dependent." This shared memory arrangement is critical to understanding the performance results, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for system memory bandwidth.

The GPU’s benchmark results are modest, with a single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482. This places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, indicating that it is near the bottom of the performance spectrum. The nearest rivals in the data are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX with a score of 1463 (1.3% lower), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M with 1460 (1.5% lower), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM with 1446 (2.5% lower), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 with 1443 (2.7% lower). These comparisons show that the Arc B390 sits just above a group of very old, entry-level discrete GPUs, which contextualizes its performance in Palworld.

The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units, along with 12 ray tracing cores. Its pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS. These specifications are modest by modern standards, and the measured FPS results align with these figures.

The boost clock of 2500 MHz is relatively high for an integrated solution, but the "System Shared" memory bandwidth is the primary constraint. In Palworld, the data shows that the GPU struggles to maintain frame rates above 60 FPS even at 1080p Low settings, which suggests that the shared memory subsystem is limiting performance more than raw compute capability. The 15 FPS result at 4K Ultra further confirms that the GPU cannot handle high pixel counts without significant drops.

The GPU’s integration as an IGP (Integrated Graphics Processor) with a slot width of "IGP" and no power connectors means it shares power and thermal budget with the CPU. This shared design explains why the performance is consistent with very low-end discrete GPUs from over a decade ago, as the system memory bandwidth and power constraints cap its potential.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers the following average frame rates across settings: Low produces 84 FPS, Medium produces 68 FPS with a minimum of 58 FPS and maximum of 79 FPS, High produces 53 FPS, and Ultra produces 40 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 52% reduction in frame rate, with each step up in settings costing roughly 15-16 FPS on average.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low at 56 FPS, Medium at 45 FPS with a minimum of 38 FPS and maximum of 52 FPS, High at 35 FPS, and Ultra at 26 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p costs 28 FPS at Low settings, 23 FPS at Medium, 18 FPS at High, and 14 FPS at Ultra. The smaller absolute drops at higher settings indicate that the GPU is already so constrained that resolution changes have less impact.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low at 31 FPS, Medium at 25 FPS with a minimum of 21 FPS and maximum of 29 FPS, High at 19 FPS, and Ultra at 15 FPS. The 4K results are uniformly poor, with even the best case of 31 FPS falling well below playable thresholds for a survival game that requires quick reactions to environmental threats.

The Medium settings rows are the only ones with complete minimum and maximum data. At 1080p Medium, the range from 58 to 79 FPS shows a 21 FPS variance, indicating some scene-dependent volatility. At 1440p Medium, the range from 38 to 52 FPS shows a 14 FPS variance, while at 4K Medium, the range from 21 to 29 FPS shows an 8 FPS variance. This tightening of the range at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is consistently saturated, leaving less room for performance fluctuation.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo in Palworld?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the system achieves an average above 60 FPS, specifically at Low settings with 84 FPS. At 2560x1440, the highest average is 56 FPS at Low settings, while at 3840x2160, the highest average is 31 FPS at Low settings.

Q: Can this system handle Medium settings?

A: Yes, but only at 1080p. The measured data shows 68 FPS average at 1920x1080 Medium, with a minimum of 58 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 45 FPS with a minimum of 38 FPS, and at 4K Medium, the average is 25 FPS with a minimum of 21 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390 has a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482. It is 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (1443).

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this configuration?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The consistent percentage drops in FPS as resolution increases (approximately 33-34% from 1080p to 1440p and 44-46% from 1440p to 4K) are characteristic of a GPU-bound workload, not a CPU-bound one.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings produce 84 FPS average, while Ultra settings produce 40 FPS average. This represents a 52% reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest settings preset.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations for Palworld?

A: This combination ranks 2607 out of 2944 total tested combos in Palworld, placing it in the lower portion of the ranking table, which aligns with the GPU’s 9th percentile standing among all GPUs.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. It has a 12 MB shared L3 cache and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. The CPU’s benchmark results show strong single-thread performance for its class, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 893 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1674.

The CPU’s multi-threaded performance is also respectable, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 11860 and a Geekbench multicore score of 7252. These figures place the i3-12100F in the 68th percentile of all CPUs, meaning it outperforms the majority of processors in the database. Its nearest rivals in the CPU benchmark data are the Intel Core 3 N355 with a score of 13492 (0% delta), the Intel Core i5-9500 with 13452 (0.3% higher), the Intel Core 5 120UL with 13594 (0.7% lower), and the Intel Core i7-1250U with 13351 (1.1% higher).

In the context of Palworld, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls, handle game logic, and manage the simulation of the open world. The 4-core/8-thread configuration is sufficient for most modern games, and the high single-thread performance of 1674 in Cinebench R23 suggests that the CPU can handle the main game thread without issue. However, the measured FPS data shows that the CPU’s capabilities are never fully utilized, as the GPU consistently limits the frame rate.

The evidence for CPU adequacy lies in the scaling behavior. If the i3-12100F were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates that remain constant across different resolutions, since the CPU workload would be identical regardless of pixel count. Instead, the FPS drops proportionally with resolution, confirming that the GPU is the limiting factor at all settings. The CPU’s 4.30 GHz boost clock and 12 MB L3 cache provide ample headroom for this game’s requirements.

The CPU’s TDP of 58 W and 10 nm process node indicate an efficient design that does not produce excessive heat, which is beneficial when paired with an integrated GPU that shares the same thermal envelope. The lack of integrated graphics on the i3-12100F (it requires a discrete GPU) is noteworthy, but in this case, the Arc B390 is the graphics solution. The CPU’s support for PCIe Gen 5 with 16 lanes ensures sufficient bandwidth for the system memory shared with the GPU.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i3-12100F plus Intel Arc B390 combination ranks 2607 out of 2944 tested combos in Palworld, placing it in the 11th percentile of all tested systems. This ranking is consistent with the GPU’s individual performance, which sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU performs much better at the 68th percentile of all CPUs. The disparity between the two components’ individual rankings clearly illustrates that the GPU drags down the overall system performance.

The combination’s rank of 2607 means that 337 other tested combos perform worse in Palworld, while 2606 perform better. This positions the system in the bottom tier of the ranking table, suitable only for low-resolution, low-settings gaming. The data suggests that swapping the Arc B390 for a more capable GPU would dramatically improve the ranking, as the CPU has significant headroom to support higher frame rates.

The nearest CPU rivals in benchmark scores—the Intel Core 3 N355, Core i5-9500, Core 5 120UL, and Core i7-1250U—all have similar processing power to the i3-12100F. When paired with a better GPU, these CPUs would likely achieve much higher rankings in Palworld, further confirming that the CPU is not the limiting factor. The GPU’s nearest rivals, including the GT 520MX and GT 710, are all ancient, low-end parts, which underscores how far behind the Arc B390 is in modern gaming performance.

In summary, this combo ranks poorly due to the GPU’s severe limitations. The CPU is a competent mid-range processor that would perform well in most games, but the Arc B390’s integrated-class performance caps the system at 1080p Low/Medium settings. Any improvement to the GPU would yield substantial gains, while upgrading the CPU would provide minimal benefit in this title given the current GPU bottleneck.