Palworld

Palworld pairs the Intel Core i5-10400F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER, and the measured frame rates show a combination that scales unusually well across resolution and preset levels. The 6-core, 12-thread Comet Lake processor, with a 2.90 GHz base clock and 4.30 GHz boost clock, provides enough headroom to keep the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER fed at 1080p, while the GPU’s 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 672.3 GB/s bandwidth take over at higher resolutions. The data indicates a system where the bottleneck shifts predictably: at 1080p Low, the average of 240 FPS suggests the CPU is near its limit, while at 4K Ultra, the 51 FPS average places the load squarely on the GPU. This is a practical pairing for Palworld, provided you understand what each resolution and preset demands from the hardware.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of how Palworld responds to resolution changes with this combo. At 1080p, the frame rates are exceptionally high across all presets: Low averages 240 FPS, Medium 222 FPS, High 183 FPS, and Ultra 139 FPS. Moving to 1440p, the averages drop to 193 FPS on Low, 157 FPS on Medium, 120 FPS on High, and 91 FPS on Ultra. At 4K, the numbers fall further: Low hits 107 FPS, Medium 87 FPS, High 67 FPS, and Ultra 51 FPS.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is steep but consistent: Low drops by 47 FPS, Medium by 65 FPS, High by 63 FPS, and Ultra by 48 FPS. This suggests a GPU-bound scenario at higher presets, where the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER’s 44.10 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 250.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are being exercised more heavily. The 1440p to 4K transition shows smaller absolute drops: Low falls by 86 FPS, Medium by 70 FPS, High by 53 FPS, and Ultra by 40 FPS. The diminishing delta at Ultra indicates that at 4K Ultra, the GPU is already near its practical ceiling for this title, while the larger drop at Low (86 FPS) implies that at low settings, even 4K is still partially CPU-limited in certain scenes.

What this tells a builder is that the i5-10400F does not become the limiting factor until you push toward 1080p with low settings. At 1080p Low, the 240 FPS average is likely constrained by the CPU’s single-thread performance, measured at 688 in 3dmark_single_thread and 1451 in cinebench_r23_singlecore. The 4.30 GHz boost clock helps, but the Comet Lake architecture, on a 14 nm process, cannot push much beyond that in a physics-heavy survival game. At 1440p and above, the GPU takes over, and the frame rates scale more predictably with resolution and preset changes.

The data shows that 4K is playable at Medium (87 FPS) and High (67 FPS), but Ultra dips to 51 FPS, which may feel sluggish for fast-paced gameplay. The 1080p numbers are all above 139 FPS, making this combo excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p, provided you do not expect the CPU to sustain 240 FPS in dense base-building scenes. The 1440p results are the sweet spot: 120 FPS on High and 91 FPS on Ultra offer a strong balance of visual quality and responsiveness.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Palworld, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER ranks 612 out of 3711 combos. That places it in the top 16.5% of all tested configurations, which is respectable given the CPU’s age and the GPU’s mid-2024 release. The CPU itself sits at the 68th percentile among all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 14185. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 6756E (score 14163, delta 0.2%), the Intel Core 7 160UL (score 14232, delta -0.3%), the AMD EPYC 7552 (score 14115, delta 0.5%), and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (score 14277, delta -0.6%). These deltas are all within 0.6%, meaning the i5-10400F’s raw CPU performance is statistically identical to those server and mobile chips, despite being a desktop part from 2020.

The GPU ranks at the 76th percentile among all tested GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 31087. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Quadro M5000 (score 31206, delta -0.4%), the NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q (score 31220, delta -0.4%), the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell (score 31532, delta -1.4%), and the NVIDIA TITAN RTX (score 31676, delta -1.9%). The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is essentially on par with the TITAN RTX in synthetic benchmarks, which is notable given the TITAN RTX’s much higher launch MSRP. However, in Palworld specifically, the combo rank of 612 suggests that the CPU holds back the GPU in some scenarios, particularly at 1080p Low where the 240 FPS average may be a CPU ceiling.

Compared to other combos in the database, this pairing is not a top-tier performer, but it is far from weak. The rank implies that roughly 16% of tested combinations achieve higher frame rates in Palworld, likely those with newer CPUs like 12th or 13th gen Intel parts or Ryzen 5000/7000 series chips. The i5-10400F’s 12 MB of shared L3 cache and DDR4 memory support (with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth) are modest by modern standards, but they are sufficient for this game’s demands. If you are building with this combo, the data says you are getting a solid mid-range experience, not a flagship one.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide clear guidance on which preset to choose based on your target resolution and frame rate preference. At 1080p, all presets are playable, but the sweet spot is High at 183 FPS or Ultra at 139 FPS. Low at 240 FPS offers no visual benefit for most players, and the CPU is likely the bottleneck there, so pushing to High or Ultra gives you better image quality without sacrificing playability. Medium at 222 FPS is a reasonable middle ground if you want high refresh rates with slightly better visuals than Low.

At 1440p, the recommendation shifts to High at 120 FPS. This delivers smooth gameplay on a 120 Hz monitor, and the 91 FPS at Ultra is also viable if you prefer maximum visual fidelity over a few extra frames. Low at 193 FPS is unnecessary unless you are chasing competitive frame rates, and Medium at 157 FPS is a solid choice for 144 Hz displays. For 4K, the data shows that High at 67 FPS is the practical ceiling for a good experience, while Medium at 87 FPS is better if you want to stay above 60 FPS with some margin. Ultra at 51 FPS is borderline, and Low at 107 FPS sacrifices too much visual quality for a game that is often played for its aesthetic.

The best experience per the measured rows is 1440p High, because it offers 120 FPS, which is smooth on most modern monitors, while retaining enough visual detail to appreciate Palworld’s world. If you have a 4K display, Medium at 87 FPS is the recommended trade-off, as it stays well above the 60 FPS threshold and looks noticeably better than Low. For 1080p users, Ultra at 139 FPS is the pick, as it maximizes quality without dropping below the 120 FPS mark that high-refresh users target.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are as follows: Low produces 240 FPS, Medium produces 222 FPS with a minimum of 189 FPS and a maximum of 256 FPS, High produces 183 FPS, and Ultra produces 139 FPS. The Medium preset’s measured range shows that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate stays above 189 FPS, which is strong for a survival game with dynamic lighting and physics. The jump from Ultra to Low is 101 FPS, indicating that the GPU has significant headroom at this resolution, but the CPU limits the top end.

At 2560x1440, the average frame rates drop: Low yields 193 FPS, Medium yields 157 FPS with a minimum of 133 FPS and a maximum of 180 FPS, High yields 120 FPS, and Ultra yields 91 FPS. The Medium range at 1440p shows a 47 FPS spread, which suggests some scenes are more demanding, likely due to many creatures or base structures on screen. High at 120 FPS is a consistent 60 FPS above the 4K High result, making 1440p the resolution where this combo performs best relative to its component strengths.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low at 107 FPS, Medium at 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS, High at 67 FPS, and Ultra at 51 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 74 FPS is still above 60 FPS, which is important for maintaining a playable experience during combat or exploration. Ultra at 51 FPS is the only measured preset that falls below 60 FPS, so it should be avoided unless you have a variable refresh rate monitor and can tolerate occasional dips. The 4K Low result of 107 FPS shows that the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is capable of high frame rates at 4K, but only with reduced visual fidelity.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo better at 1080p or 1440p for high refresh rates?

A: The data shows 1080p High averages 183 FPS and 1440p High averages 120 FPS. Both are above 120 FPS, but if you have a 144 Hz monitor, 1080p High provides a larger margin above the refresh rate, while 1440p High is more visually demanding and still hits 120 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Palworld?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K Medium, the average is 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS, which is smooth. At 4K High, the average drops to 67 FPS, which is still playable. At 4K Ultra, the average is 51 FPS, which may be too low for some players.

Q: What is the limiting component at 1080p Low?

A: The 240 FPS average at 1080p Low is likely limited by the Intel Core i5-10400F. The CPU’s single-thread score of 688 in 3dmark and 1451 in cinebench r23 suggests that its 4.30 GHz boost clock cannot push beyond that frame rate in Palworld’s simulation-heavy scenes.

Q: How does the i5-10400F compare to its nearest CPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i5-10400F has an average benchmark score of 14185, which is within 0.6% of the Intel Xeon 6756E (14163), Intel Core 7 160UL (14232), AMD EPYC 7552 (14115), and AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (14277). In raw CPU performance, these chips are effectively equal.

Q: What GPU is this RTX 4070 Ti SUPER comparable to?

A: The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER’s average benchmark score is 31087, which is 1.9% lower than the NVIDIA TITAN RTX (31676) and 1.4% lower than the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4500 Blackwell (31532). It is 0.4% higher than the NVIDIA Quadro M5000 (31206) and NVIDIA GRID M60-1Q (31220).

Q: Should I use Medium or High at 1440p?

A: Medium averages 157 FPS with a minimum of 133 FPS, while High averages 120 FPS. If you have a 144 Hz monitor, Medium ensures you stay above 133 FPS at all times. If you prefer better visuals and have a 120 Hz monitor, High is sufficient.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F brings 6 cores and 12 threads to this pairing, based on the Comet Lake architecture on a 14 nm process. Its base clock is 2.90 GHz and boost clock is 4.30 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The cache layout includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. This CPU supports DDR4 memory in dual-channel mode, with a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s, and connects via PCIe Gen 3 with 16 lanes.

In Palworld, the CPU’s role is most evident at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the 240 FPS average is a hard ceiling that the CPU cannot exceed, regardless of the GPU’s capability. The 3dmark_16_threads score of 4748 and cinebench_r23_multicore score of 10283 indicate that multi-threaded performance is adequate for a game that may spawn many AI creatures, but the single-thread score of 688 in 3dmark and 1451 in cinebench_r23 limits peak frame rates. The 12 threads help with background tasks and physics calculations, but the 4.30 GHz boost clock is the key factor for maintaining high FPS in less demanding scenes.

At 1440p and 4K, the CPU becomes less of a bottleneck. The frame rates scale primarily with the GPU’s workload, as shown by the 1440p High result of 120 FPS versus 1080p High of 183 FPS. The CPU’s 42.7 GB/s memory bandwidth is sufficient for Palworld’s data streaming, and the 12 MB L3 cache reduces latency for frequently accessed game data. The 65 W TDP means this CPU is easy to cool, and its 68th percentile ranking among all CPUs shows it is still a competent mid-range part in 2024, despite being from 2020.

The benchmark data shows that the i5-10400F is not the weak link in this combo for most resolutions. Its nearest rivals in synthetic scores are server and mobile chips, which confirms that its raw compute is comparable to much newer parts. The real limitation is its architecture, which lacks the higher IPC of newer Intel generations, but in Palworld, the measured FPS at 1440p High and 4K Medium show that the CPU holds up well enough to let the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER do its job. If you are building this combo, expect the CPU to be the limiting factor only at 1080p with low settings, which is a scenario most players will not encounter in normal gameplay.