Palworld

Palworld, a survival title released on 2024-01-18, presents a demanding workload that stresses both processor and graphics hardware. The combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 produces a specific performance profile that is heavily dependent on resolution and quality settings. This analysis examines the measured data for this pairing, focusing on how its components contribute to the final frame rates and where the primary bottlenecks lie.

How This Combo Ranks

The pairing of the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 holds a rank of 3067 out of 3711 tested combinations for Palworld. This places it in the lower percentile of all tested configurations, indicating that it is not a high-performance solution for this particular title. The data shows that while the system is capable of running the game, it does so with significant compromises at higher visual fidelity and resolutions, requiring users to dial back settings to achieve smooth gameplay.

This ranking is a direct result of the hardware's relative standing among its peers. The CPU is more capable than the GPU, but its performance is still limited. The CPU's average benchmark score of 17177 places it in the 71st percentile of all CPUs, which is a respectable mid-range position. In contrast, the GPU's average benchmark score of 9780 places it in the 47th percentile of all GPUs, putting it just below the median. This disparity suggests that the graphics card is the more limiting factor in this system, a hypothesis that is supported by the frame rate data across different resolutions and settings.

The ranking also reflects the age and performance class of the components. The CPU sits in a performance tier where it is comparable to processors like the AMD EPYC 7H12, which has an average score of 17120 and a deltaPct of 0.3, and the Intel Core i5-12450H, which has an average score of 17239 and a deltaPct of -0.4. The GPU, on the other hand, is in a tier with the AMD FirePro W5000, which has an average score of 9803 and a deltaPct of -0.2, and the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M, which has an average score of 9832 and a deltaPct of -0.5. This positions the GTX 1070 as a lower-mid-range part in the current landscape, which aligns with its low rank for this demanding game.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Rocket Lake architecture, built on a 14 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The processor has a 12 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 memory with a dual-channel bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 14340 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2024 in single-core, indicating a solid balance between multi-threaded and single-threaded performance.

In Palworld, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, world simulation, and the numerous AI-driven creatures that populate the world. The 6-core/12-thread configuration is generally sufficient for modern games, and the high boost clock of 4.40 GHz helps with single-threaded tasks. The data suggests that at lower resolutions like 1920x1080, the CPU is able to feed frames to the GPU effectively, as seen in the high average FPS at Low settings (125 FPS). However, the CPU's overall performance, while adequate, does not prevent the GPU from becoming the main constraint at higher resolutions.

The CPU's performance relative to its rivals shows it is a competent mid-range part, but not a high-end one. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7H12, has a nearly identical average score, showing that in raw compute, the i5-11400F is competitive with server-class parts from a different era. However, for gaming, the architectural differences matter. The i5-11400F's single-thread score of 2024 in Cinebench R23 is a more relevant metric for gaming, and it indicates that the processor will not generally bottleneck a mid-range GPU at 1080p, as evidenced by the frame rates achieved.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is based on the Pascal architecture, built on a 16 nm process at TSMC. It features 1920 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The card has a base clock of 1506 MHz and a boost clock of 1683 MHz. It is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s. The card's FP32 performance is 6.463 TFLOPS.

The GPU's role is to render the game's environments, creatures, and effects. The 8 GB of VRAM is a critical factor for Palworld, as the game's open world can be memory-intensive. The data shows that the GPU is the primary performance limiter, especially at higher resolutions. At 3840x2160, the frame rates are consistently low, with the High preset achieving only 28 FPS and the Ultra preset dropping to 22 FPS. This indicates that the GTX 1070's compute and memory bandwidth are insufficient for 4K rendering in this title.

The GPU's performance is below the median, as indicated by its 47th percentile ranking. Its average benchmark score of 9780 is very close to that of the AMD FirePro W5000 (9803), showing it is in a similar performance class. The GTX 1070 is an older architecture, and while it remains functional for 1080p gaming, it struggles with the demands of Palworld at higher settings. The memory clock of 2002 MHz and the 256-bit bus are not enough to maintain high frame rates at 1440p and 4K, where the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck.

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 combo achieves consistently high frame rates. At 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS is 125, and even at High settings, it maintains a solid 78 FPS. At 2560x1440, the frame rates drop significantly, with High settings averaging 51 FPS. At 3840x2160, the performance is not playable, with High settings averaging only 28 FPS.

Q: How does the GTX 1070's performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 9780 is nearly identical to that of the AMD FirePro W5000, which has a score of 9803 and a deltaPct of -0.2. It is also comparable to the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M, which has a score of 9832 and a deltaPct of -0.5. This indicates that the GTX 1070 is in a very tight performance cluster with these professional-grade cards, though they are not typically used for gaming.

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

A: The benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU has a percentile rank of 71, while the GPU has a percentile rank of 47. This is reflected in the frame rates; as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, the average FPS at High settings drops from 78 to 28, a 64% decrease. This steep drop is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario.

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

A: At 1920x1080, the average FPS at Low settings is 125, while at Ultra settings, it is 59. This represents a performance difference of 66 FPS, or a 53% reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest quality preset. The Ultra preset is still playable, but it requires a significant sacrifice in frame rate for increased visual fidelity.

Q: Can this combo handle 1440p gaming in Palworld?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 is a challenging resolution for this combination. At Low settings, the average FPS is 82, which is playable. However, at High settings, it drops to 51 FPS, and at Ultra settings, it falls to 39 FPS. For a consistently smooth experience, users would need to stick to Low or Medium settings at this resolution.

Q: What is the CPU's single-thread performance, and why is it important?

A: The CPU's single-thread score in Cinebench R23 is 2024. This metric is important for gaming because many game engines, including those for survival titles, rely heavily on a single main thread for core game logic. A strong single-thread score helps ensure that the CPU can keep up with the GPU, preventing a CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data clearly illustrates the impact of resolution on this hardware combination. The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and reveals the GPU's limitations. At High settings, the average FPS at 1920x1080 is 78. This drops to 51 FPS at 2560x1440, a 35% reduction, and then to 28 FPS at 3840x2160, a further 45% reduction from the 1440p figure. This pattern is consistent across all settings presets.

This scaling behavior is a classic sign of a GPU-bound system. As the resolution increases, the number of pixels the GPU must render grows exponentially, placing a greater load on its shading units and memory bandwidth. The GTX 1070's 256.3 GB/s of bandwidth and 6.463 TFLOPS of compute are simply not enough to handle 4K rendering in Palworld. The CPU, meanwhile, is less affected by resolution changes, so its performance remains relatively constant, which allows the GPU to become the sole bottleneck.

The data also shows that the gap between Low and Ultra settings narrows at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference is 66 FPS (125 vs 59). At 1440p, the difference is 43 FPS (82 vs 39). At 4K, the difference is 24 FPS (46 vs 22). This suggests that at 4K, the GPU is so heavily loaded that even reducing settings does not provide a massive performance boost, as the fundamental rendering resolution is still too demanding for the card.

Settings Recommendations

For this combination of CPU and GPU, the optimal settings depend heavily on the user's target resolution and desired frame rate. The data provides a clear picture of what is achievable. For a smooth 60 FPS experience, the only viable option is 1920x1080. At this resolution, the Medium preset averages 101 FPS, and the High preset averages 78 FPS. Both are well above the 60 FPS threshold and provide a good balance between visual quality and performance.

Pushing to Ultra at 1080p yields an average of 59 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS target but may be acceptable for some users. At 2560x1440, achieving 60 FPS is not possible with this hardware. The Low preset averages 82 FPS, but the Medium preset drops to 66 FPS, which is still playable. The High preset at 51 FPS is borderline, and Ultra at 39 FPS is not recommended for a smooth experience. The data indicates that the best experience is achieved by staying at 1080p. The High preset offers a significant visual improvement over Low while still maintaining a high frame rate, making it the recommended choice for most users. The Medium preset is a good fallback if higher, more consistent frame rates are preferred.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average, minimum, and maximum FPS values measured for each resolution and settings preset.

1920x1080

• Low: 125 FPS average.
• Medium: 101 FPS average, with a minimum of 86 FPS and a maximum of 116 FPS.
• High: 78 FPS average.
• Ultra: 59 FPS average.

2560x1440

• Low: 82 FPS average.
• Medium: 66 FPS average, with a minimum of 57 FPS and a maximum of 76 FPS.
• High: 51 FPS average.
• Ultra: 39 FPS average.

3840x2160

• Low: 46 FPS average.
• Medium: 37 FPS average, with a minimum of 31 FPS and a maximum of 42 FPS.
• High: 28 FPS average.
• Ultra: 22 FPS average.

The data shows that the Medium preset is the only one at each resolution with recorded min and max FPS values. The variance at Medium settings, such as the 30 FPS range at 1080p (86 to 116 FPS), indicates that the frame pacing can be inconsistent, which may be noticeable during intense gameplay moments. At 4K, all presets deliver average FPS below 50, confirming that this resolution is not suitable for this hardware.