Palworld

Palworld, a survival title released in early 2024, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly across resolutions. The combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 produces a wide spectrum of frame rates, from highly playable at 4K to extraordinarily high at 1080p. The measured data reveals a system where the GPU's immense power is progressively constrained by CPU performance as resolution decreases. This analysis examines the benchmark results to understand the balance between the processor and graphics card across the 12 measured configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K demonstrates a classic pattern of GPU load transfer. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 280.2 FPS, but this drops to 224.3 FPS at 1440p and further to 121.6 FPS at 4K. This represents a 56.6% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, indicating that the RTX 5080 is the primary bottleneck at lower resolutions. The scaling pattern changes significantly when examining Ultra settings. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 161 FPS, which falls to 105.3 FPS at 1440p and 60.1 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is less than half of the 1080p Ultra result, showing that the higher settings amplify the GPU's workload considerably.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU's capabilities are the limiting factor. The i5-11400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, likely struggles to feed frames to the RTX 5080 at lower resolutions. Evidence for this lies in the relatively small performance gap between Low and Medium settings at 1080p. The Low preset delivers 280.2 FPS, while Medium achieves 261.5 FPS, a difference of only 18.7 FPS. This narrow margin implies that the CPU is nearing its maximum output, preventing the GPU from fully flexing its muscles. As resolution increases, the GPU becomes the dominant constraint, and the gap between settings grows substantially, with the 4K Low to Medium difference being 23.5 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Rocket Lake architecture, based on a 14 nm process. Its base clock is 2.60 GHz with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The CPU's benchmark scores provide context for its gaming performance. In Cinebench R23, it scores 14372 points in multi-core and 2029 points in single-core tests. These results place the processor in the 75th percentile compared to all CPUs, indicating it is a solid mid-range performer. The Passmark multithread score of 16908 and single-thread score of 2981 further corroborate its balanced capabilities.

In Palworld, the CPU's role becomes most apparent at 1080p. The relatively flat performance curve between Low and Medium settings at this resolution—280.2 FPS versus 261.5 FPS—suggests the processor is approaching its frame generation limit. The 12 threads handle the game's simulation and AI tasks, but the 6 physical cores likely represent a bottleneck when trying to reach frame rates above 280 FPS. At 4K, the CPU is less stressed, as the GPU's rendering time becomes the dominant factor. The 4K Low result of 121.6 FPS is more than double the 4K Ultra result of 60.1 FPS, showing that the CPU can easily maintain these lower frame rates without becoming a limiting factor.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is a flagship graphics card built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. It features 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s. The GPU's memory clock operates at 1875 MHz, with a base clock of 2295 MHz and a boost clock of 2617 MHz. Its raw compute capabilities are substantial, with an FP32 performance of 56.28 TFLOPS and a Passmark G3D score of 36565, placing it in the 89th percentile of all GPUs.

The RTX 5080's performance in Palworld is heavily influenced by resolution and settings. At 1080p, the GPU is underutilized, as evidenced by the 280.2 FPS Low result. The 16 GB VRAM is ample for the game, even at 4K Ultra, where the average frame rate remains playable at 60.1 FPS. The GPU's scaling from Medium to Ultra at 4K shows a significant performance hit, dropping from 98.1 FPS to 60.1 FPS. This 38.7% reduction highlights the demanding nature of the Ultra preset, which likely includes more complex shadows, textures, and post-processing effects. The GPU's benchmark scores, such as the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 8637, confirm its high-end positioning, but the data shows that Palworld's Ultra settings can still push it to its limits at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured results span three resolutions and four settings presets, providing a complete picture of performance. At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 280.2 FPS on Low, 261.5 FPS on Medium, 207.5 FPS on High, and 161 FPS on Ultra. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 42.5% decrease in frame rate, indicating that each settings tier adds a measurable load. The 1080p results are consistently above 160 FPS, making this resolution ideal for high-refresh-rate displays, even with the most demanding preset.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are 224.3 FPS on Low, 179.3 FPS on Medium, 138.7 FPS on High, and 105.3 FPS on Ultra. The drop from Low to Ultra at this resolution is 53.1%, demonstrating a steeper performance curve as the GPU takes on more work. The 1440p Ultra result of 105.3 FPS remains smooth for most gaming scenarios. At 3840x2160, the averages are 121.6 FPS on Low, 98.1 FPS on Medium, 77.3 FPS on High, and 60.1 FPS on Ultra. The 4K Ultra result is the only one below 60 FPS, making it a borderline case for strict 60 FPS targets. The 4K Low result is comfortably above 120 FPS, showing that the RTX 5080 can handle 4K gaming well if settings are adjusted.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum frame rate achievable with this CPU and GPU combination in Palworld?

A: The highest measured average is 280.2 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is the RTX 5080 powerful enough for 4K gaming in Palworld?

A: Yes, at 4K with High settings, the average frame rate is 77.3 FPS. Even at Ultra settings, the average is 60.1 FPS, which is playable.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance at lower resolutions?

A: At 1080p, the CPU becomes a limiting factor, as shown by the small performance difference between Low (280.2 FPS) and Medium (261.5 FPS) settings, suggesting the processor cannot feed frames much faster than 280 FPS.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: The average at 1080p High is 207.5 FPS, while at 4K High it is 77.3 FPS, representing a 62.7% decrease in performance.

Q: Which settings preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance at 1440p?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 138.7 FPS, which is above 120 FPS and likely offers a good balance between visual fidelity and smoothness.

Q: Is the 16 GB VRAM sufficient for Palworld at maximum settings?

A: Yes, the 4K Ultra preset, which is the most demanding configuration, runs at an average of 60.1 FPS, indicating the 16 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 4K displays, the High preset is the recommended choice, as it delivers an average of 77.3 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 60.1 FPS, which is borderline; players with variable refresh rate monitors might find it acceptable, but the High preset provides more headroom. The Medium preset at 4K offers 98.1 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate 4K panels, though it sacrifices some visual quality.

At 1440p, the High preset is the sweet spot, providing 138.7 FPS. This frame rate is high enough for most 144Hz monitors and maintains good visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 1440p achieves 105.3 FPS, which is still very playable and may be preferred by those who prioritize image quality over frame rate. For competitive play, the Medium preset at 1440p offers 179.3 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most gaming monitors. At 1080p, all presets deliver frame rates above 160 FPS, so the Ultra preset is the clear recommendation for maximum visual quality, as it still maintains an average of 161 FPS. The data indicates that the RTX 5080 is powerful enough to handle Palworld at high settings across all resolutions, with the CPU becoming the primary bottleneck only at 1080p.