Palworld

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER ranks #3170 out of 3711 tested combos in Palworld. This places the combination in the bottom 15% of all tested configurations, a result that reflects the aging nature of both components. The data shows a system that can run the game, but with significant compromises required at higher resolutions and settings.

The ranking position is primarily driven by the GPU's position in the overall hierarchy. The GTX 1660 SUPER sits at the 53rd percentile among all GPUs, meaning nearly half of all tested graphics cards outperform it. The CPU fares somewhat better, landing at the 68th percentile among all processors, which indicates the i3-12100F is comparatively stronger relative to its peers than the GPU is. This asymmetry matters: the bottleneck in this system is clearly the graphics card, not the processor.

When comparing the CPU to its nearest rivals, the i3-12100F's average benchmark score of 13494 places it in a tight cluster. It sits essentially tied with the Intel Core 3 N355 (13492, 0% delta) and the Intel Core i5-9500 (13452, 0.3% ahead). The Intel Core 5 120UL is marginally faster at 13594 (-0.7% delta), while the Intel Core i7-1250U trails at 13351 (1.1% ahead). These tiny margins confirm that the i3-12100F is a competent mid-range CPU, but its performance headroom is irrelevant when the GPU cannot keep up.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals show a similar clustering. The GTX 1660 SUPER's average score of 12986 is within 1% of the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (12940, 0.4% ahead), the RX 580 (12928, 0.4% ahead), and the Radeon 740M (12870, 0.9% ahead). The Tesla M2090 (13075, -0.7%) is the only one slightly faster. This means the GTX 1660 SUPER is competitive with a range of mid-tier cards from both NVIDIA and AMD, but none of these represent modern high-end performance.

GPU Role

The GTX 1660 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture using the TU116 chip, manufactured on a 12 nm process at TSMC. It carries 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, yielding a memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. The GPU's base clock is 1530 MHz with a boost clock of 1785 MHz, and memory runs at 1750 MHz (or 14 Gbps effective). These specifications define its capabilities in Palworld.

The 6 GB VRAM capacity is a critical constraint. Palworld's open-world environments with many creatures and structures can be memory-hungry, and the data shows this card struggling as settings increase. The GPU also features 1408 shading units, 88 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units, with a pixel rate of 85.68 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 157.1 GTexel/s. Compute performance is rated at 5.027 TFLOPS for FP32 and 10.05 TFLOPS for FP16, figures that place it firmly in the entry-to-mid tier of modern GPUs.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 53 among all tested GPUs means it sits almost exactly at the median. In practical terms, this translates to playable frame rates at 1080p with reduced settings, but the card runs out of headroom quickly as resolution climbs. The benchmark results show a clear pattern: the GTX 1660 SUPER can handle Palworld at 1080p Low with ease, but 4K Ultra is far beyond its capabilities.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how dramatically performance degrades as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the combo averages 117 FPS, which drops to 77 FPS at 1440p Low (-34%), and further to 43 FPS at 4K Low (-63% from 1080p). This steep decline indicates the GPU is the limiting factor — a CPU-bound system would show less severe scaling as resolution increases.

Moving to High settings, the pattern repeats: 73 FPS at 1080p, 48 FPS at 1440p (-34%), and 27 FPS at 4K (-63%). The consistent percentage drops across settings suggest that resolution scaling is uniform regardless of quality level, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU's single-thread score of 893 in 3DMark and multi-thread score of 4023 are sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but the graphics card simply cannot maintain frame rates as pixel counts rise.

At Ultra settings, the situation becomes more extreme. The combo delivers 55 FPS at 1080p, 36 FPS at 1440p (-35%), and 20 FPS at 4K (-64%). These figures show that Ultra settings are only viable at 1080p, and even then, the frame rate barely crosses the 60 FPS threshold. The scaling pattern — roughly a third lost at each resolution step — demonstrates that the GTX 1660 SUPER's memory bandwidth and compute capacity are exhausted well before the CPU becomes a constraint.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. Low settings produce an average of 117 FPS, making for a very smooth experience. Medium settings still achieve 95 FPS with a minimum of 81 FPS and maximum of 109 FPS, indicating consistent frame pacing. High settings drop to 73 FPS average, while Ultra falls to 55 FPS. These numbers show that 1080p is the sweet spot for this hardware, with even High settings maintaining playable frame rates.

At 2560x1440, performance becomes more strained. Low settings average 77 FPS, which remains playable. Medium settings drop to 62 FPS with a minimum of 53 FPS and maximum of 72 FPS, showing occasional dips below the 60 FPS threshold. High settings fall to 48 FPS, and Ultra plummets to 36 FPS. The 1440p results indicate that this combo is best suited to Medium or Low settings at this resolution to maintain smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the hardware is clearly overmatched. Low settings average 43 FPS, which is borderline playable. Medium settings drop to 35 FPS with a minimum of 29 FPS and maximum of 40 FPS, showing significant frame dips. High settings fall to 27 FPS, and Ultra drops to 20 FPS. None of the 4K results reach the 60 FPS target, and only Low settings approach playability.

The Medium settings rows provide the only min/max data available, which offers insight into frame consistency. At 1080p Medium, the range from 81 FPS to 109 FPS shows a tight spread. At 1440p Medium, the range from 53 FPS to 72 FPS indicates more variance. At 4K Medium, the range from 29 FPS to 40 FPS reveals instability that would be noticeable during gameplay.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data points to a clear recommendation: 1080p Medium offers the best balance of performance and visual quality for this combo. At 95 FPS average with a minimum of 81 FPS, this setting provides smooth gameplay without sacrificing too much visual fidelity. The frame rate is well above the 60 FPS target, and the minimum stays comfortably high, suggesting consistent performance during demanding scenes.

For players who prioritize frame rate above all else, 1080p Low at 117 FPS is the obvious choice. This setting maximizes responsiveness and is ideal for competitive play or if the game's survival mechanics demand quick reactions. However, the visual downgrade may be significant in an open-world game like Palworld, where environmental detail contributes to immersion.

At 1440p, Medium settings at 62 FPS is the only configuration that approaches playability, though the 53 FPS minimum means dips below 60 will occur. Players with 1440p monitors would be better served dropping to Low settings at 77 FPS for a more consistent experience. The 4K options are not recommended — even Low settings at 43 FPS fall short of the smoothness expected in a survival game where timing matters.

Ultra settings should be avoided entirely with this hardware. At 1080p Ultra, the 55 FPS average is below the ideal threshold, and at 1440p and 4K, the 36 FPS and 20 FPS results are simply too low for enjoyable gameplay. The visual improvements from Ultra settings do not justify the substantial frame rate cost.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Palworld at 60 FPS?

A: Yes, but only at 1080p. At Medium settings the average is 95 FPS, and at High settings it drops to 73 FPS. At 1440p, Medium settings average 62 FPS, which is close to 60 but with a 53 FPS minimum that will occasionally dip below the target.

Q: What is the best resolution for this hardware?

A: The data clearly favors 1080p. Every settings level at 1080p produces higher frame rates than the equivalent at 1440p or 4K. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is roughly 34% across all settings, and the gap to 4K is over 60%.

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

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The GTX 1660 SUPER ranks at the 53rd percentile among GPUs, while the i3-12100F ranks at the 68th percentile among CPUs. The consistent ~34% performance drop from 1080p to 1440p across all settings is characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios.

Q: How does the GTX 1660 SUPER compare to similar graphics cards?

A: The GTX 1660 SUPER's average benchmark score of 12986 is nearly identical to the RTX 3050 Ti Mobile at 12940 (0.4% slower) and the RX 580 at 12928 (0.4% slower). It is slightly ahead of the Radeon 740M at 12870 (0.9% slower) and slightly behind the Tesla M2090 at 13075 (0.7% faster).

Q: What settings should I use for the smoothest experience?

A: For maximum smoothness, 1080p Low at 117 FPS is the best option. If visual quality matters more, 1080p Medium at 95 FPS with an 81 FPS minimum offers a strong compromise. Avoid Ultra settings at any resolution, as even 1080p Ultra only reaches 55 FPS.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this combo?

A: Technically yes, but not at playable frame rates. The best 4K result is Low settings at 43 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. Medium settings drop to 35 FPS, High to 27 FPS, and Ultra to 20 FPS. This hardware is not suited for 4K in Palworld.