Palworld

Palworld pairs the Intel Core i5-11400F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050, a combination that lands at rank 2283 out of 3711 tested combos in this game. The data shows a system that is clearly capable of smooth 1080p play, but which begins to struggle as resolution climbs toward 4K, where the GPU becomes the dominant limiting factor. This analysis breaks down exactly what each component contributes to the measured frame rates.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor built on the Rocket Lake architecture, using a 14 nm process. It runs with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This CPU has a 65 W TDP and uses the Intel Socket 1200. It supports dual-channel DDR4 memory with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s and provides PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes from the CPU. The cache layout includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU scores 14,340 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,024 in single-core. Its multi-threaded performance is further reflected in a PassMark multithread score of 16,908 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 7,737. The single-thread PassMark score is 2,981. The CPU sits at the 71st percentile of all CPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 17,177. Its nearest rivals, based on average score, include the AMD EPYC 7H12 (0.3% faster), the Intel Core i5-12450H (0.4% slower), and the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G (0.6% slower), indicating the 11400F is positioned in a tightly contested mid-range tier.

For Palworld, the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are more than sufficient to feed the RTX 5050 at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 160 FPS on average, which is a clear sign that the CPU is not the bottleneck in that scenario. The 12 MB of L3 cache helps with the game's world-streaming demands, while the 4.40 GHz boost clock provides the single-thread responsiveness needed for the game's simulation and AI routines. The data suggests that the i5-11400F provides a solid foundation for this game, as frame rates scale predictably with GPU load rather than being prematurely capped by CPU limits, except in the highest-FPS scenarios.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain high frame rates?

A: At 1080p, the combo delivers 100 FPS on High settings and 76 FPS on Ultra, making it the only resolution where all settings levels stay above 60 FPS. At 1440p, High drops to 66 FPS, and at 4K, High falls to 36 FPS.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between Low and Ultra settings?

A: The gap is substantial and grows with resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low (160 FPS) and Ultra (76 FPS) is 84 FPS, or a 110% increase in performance from Ultra to Low. At 4K, the gap is 30 FPS, with Low at 58 FPS and Ultra at 28 FPS, representing a 107% uplift.

Q: Does this CPU hold back the GPU in Palworld?

A: The data indicates the CPU is sufficient for most scenarios. At 1080p Low, the system hits 160 FPS, suggesting good headroom. However, at 1440p and 4K, frame rates drop significantly (e.g., 66 FPS at 1440p High), which points to the GPU becoming the primary limiter as resolution increases.

Q: How does the RTX 5050's performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The RTX 5050 has an average benchmark score of 21,035, placing it at the 66th percentile of all GPUs. It is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (0.6% faster) and the AMD Radeon HD 8970M (1% faster), while being 1.6% slower than the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT.

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

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. At 4K Low, the average FPS is 58, which is playable. At 4K Medium, it drops to 47 FPS, and at 4K High it falls to 36 FPS. Ultra at 4K is not viable, with an average of 28 FPS.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The only settings level with reported minimum FPS data is Medium. At 4K Medium, the minimum FPS is 40. At 1440p Medium, it is 73, and at 1080p Medium, it is 110.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. Starting with High settings, the average FPS drops from 100 at 1080p to 66 at 1440p, a 34% reduction, and then to 36 at 4K, a further 45% reduction. This steep decline at 4K is a hallmark of GPU-bound performance, where the render resolution overwhelms the graphics card's fill rate and memory bandwidth.

Looking at Low settings, the trend is similar but with higher absolute numbers. The system produces 160 FPS at 1080p, 105 FPS at 1440p (a 34% drop), and 58 FPS at 4K (a 45% drop from 1440p). The proportional drops are nearly identical across setting levels, which strongly suggests that the scaling is driven by the GPU's rasterization workload rather than the CPU's ability to submit draw calls.

The RTX 5050 has an 8 GB GDDR6 memory pool on a 128-bit bus, providing 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This is a modest configuration for 4K gaming, and the data reflects that limitation. At 4K Ultra, the frame rate collapses to 28 FPS, which is only 37% of the 1080p Ultra score of 76 FPS. The pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s and texture rate of 205.8 GTexel/s appear to be insufficient for the demands of 4K with high-quality textures and effects. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K reserved for lower presets or less demanding scenes.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Palworld, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 holds the rank of 2283 out of 3711 combos. This places it in the lower half of all tested systems, which is consistent with the mid-range positioning of both components. The rank is a composite measure that reflects the overall frame rate performance across all tested resolutions and settings.

Given that the CPU sits at the 71st percentile of all CPUs and the GPU at the 66th percentile of all GPUs, the combo's overall rank of 2283 out of 3711 (approximately the 38.5th percentile) might seem lower than expected. This discrepancy can be explained by the GPU's 8 GB VRAM capacity, which becomes a limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings in Palworld. The game's open-world nature and asset streaming can quickly fill the VRAM buffer, causing the performance to degrade more severely than the raw GPU compute scores would suggest.

The combo's performance is largely defined by the GPU's bandwidth constraints. With a memory bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s and a 128-bit bus, the RTX 5050 is not equipped for high-refresh 1440p or 4K gaming. This is evident in the 4K High result of 36 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The rank reflects this reality, positioning the combo as a capable 1080p performer that loses ground to systems with more robust GPUs as resolution increases.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture using TSMC's 5 nm process. It features 2,560 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs, along with 20 ray tracing cores and 80 tensor cores. The GPU operates with a base clock of 2,317 MHz and a boost clock of 2,572 MHz. Its memory subsystem consists of 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s with an effective memory clock of 20 Gbps. The card is rated for a 130 W TDP and requires a 300 W power supply.

The GPU's performance is quantified by a PassMark G3D score of 17,326 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2,502. It achieves 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. In terms of overall GPU percentile, it ranks at the 66th position, with an average benchmark score of 21,035. Its nearest rivals are closely matched, with the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL being 0.6% faster and the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile being 1.6% faster.

In Palworld, the 8 GB VRAM is the most critical factor. At 1080p, the GPU has enough headroom to handle the game's textures and geometry, resulting in 100 FPS on High and 76 FPS on Ultra. However, as resolution scales to 4K, the VRAM capacity and bandwidth become bottlenecks. The 4K High result of 36 FPS and 4K Ultra result of 28 FPS demonstrate that the GPU is overwhelmed. The 128-bit memory bus is particularly limiting, as it halves the bandwidth compared to wider-bus cards, and this directly impacts the frame rates in a game that relies on streaming large world assets. The data suggests that the RTX 5050 is best paired with 1080p monitors for this title, where it delivers a smooth experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The following data represents the measured average FPS for each resolution and settings combination, with minimum and maximum FPS values provided where available.

At 1920x1080, the combo achieves its highest frame rates. On Low settings, the average FPS is 160, which is excellent for competitive or high-refresh-rate play. Medium settings yield an average of 130 FPS, with a minimum of 110 FPS and a maximum of 149 FPS. High settings produce 100 FPS on average, and Ultra settings bring the average down to 76 FPS. This resolution is clearly the sweet spot for this hardware, as even Ultra settings remain above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, performance declines noticeably. Low settings average 105 FPS, which is still smooth, but the gap from 1080p is evident. Medium settings average 85 FPS, with a minimum of 73 FPS and a maximum of 98 FPS. High settings drop to 66 FPS on average, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. Ultra settings fall to 50 FPS on average, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. The data shows that 1440p is viable for lower to medium settings, but High and Ultra presets require compromises.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck. Low settings average 58 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings average 47 FPS, with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 54 FPS. High settings drop to 36 FPS on average, and Ultra settings are not playable, with an average of 28 FPS. The 8 GB VRAM and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for 4K demands, and the data confirms that this resolution should be avoided for this game with this combo, except possibly for static scenes or screenshots.