Palworld

Palworld’s measured performance on the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination shows a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, yet the CPU’s 6-core/12-thread configuration proves sufficient to drive very high frame rates at 1080p. The data indicates a capable pairing for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming, with 4K Ultra representing the only setting where the experience dips below the 60 FPS threshold. The benchmark results quantify a clear hierarchy of performance across presets and resolutions, providing a precise map for optimizing visual fidelity against frame rate targets.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear directive for the optimal experience with this hardware combination. At 4K, the High preset delivers an average of 87 FPS, which is a substantial 21 FPS improvement over the Ultra preset’s 66 FPS average. This 31.8% performance uplift for a single-step reduction in settings makes High the clear choice for 4K gaming, as it maintains fluid motion while preserving most visual quality. The Medium preset at 4K yields 114 FPS, but the jump from Medium to High is only a 27 FPS difference, whereas the drop from High to Ultra costs 21 FPS, indicating that High is the efficiency sweet spot at this resolution.

For 1440p, the High preset achieves 157 FPS average, which is more than sufficient for any high-refresh-rate monitor. The Ultra preset at 1440p still produces a very playable 119 FPS average. Given that the gap between High and Ultra at 1440p is 38 FPS, players with 144Hz displays may prefer Ultra for maximum fidelity, while those with 165Hz or higher displays should stick to High to fully utilize their refresh rate. The Medium preset at 205 FPS is only necessary for 240Hz displays, but the visual compromise is significant.

At 1080p, the Ultra preset produces an average of 181 FPS, which is high enough for competitive play and most fast-paced scenarios. The High preset at 237 FPS is the recommendation for 240Hz displays, as the 56 FPS gain over Ultra is substantial. The Medium preset at 261 FPS offers diminishing returns over High, and the Low preset’s 281 FPS is only marginally faster, indicating that the CPU begins to limit performance at these extreme frame rates. The optimal balance across all resolutions is the High preset, which provides the best performance-per-visual-fidelity ratio without falling below 87 FPS at any tested resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, shows its capability in this title through the frame rate scaling at 1080p. The processor’s base clock of 2.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz provide adequate single-thread performance for Palworld’s game logic and physics. The benchmark data reveals that at 1080p, the frame rate ceiling is reached: the Low preset averages 281 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 261 FPS. This relatively small 20 FPS gap between Low and Medium, compared to the 24 FPS gap between Medium and High, suggests the CPU is approaching its limit in feeding the GPU at these high frame rates.

The processor’s 14 nm Rocket Lake architecture and 12 MB of shared L3 cache contribute to its performance profile. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 5,652 in 3DMark max threads and 1,4340 in Cinebench R23 multicore, placing it in the 71st percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7H12, scores 17,120, a delta of only 0.3%, indicating that the i5-11400F’s multi-threaded performance is competitive with enterprise-class silicon in this specific metric. However, the single-thread score of 2,024 in Cinebench R23 is more relevant for gaming, and it is this capability that allows the 1080p frame rates to reach 281 FPS.

At 1440p and 4K, the CPU’s role diminishes as the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck. The frame rate drops from 281 FPS at 1080p Low to 244 FPS at 1440p Low, a 13.2% decrease, which is less than the resolution’s pixel count increase, confirming that the CPU is still partially engaged at 1440p. By 4K, the Low preset drops to 140 FPS, a 50.2% decrease from 1080p, indicating the GPU is now the dominant limiter. The data shows that the i5-11400F is not a hindrance for this game at 1440p High and above, as the GPU is always the bottleneck at those settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the dominant component in this pairing, as evidenced by its massive performance headroom. With 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus delivering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth, the GPU has ample resources for Palworld’s open-world environments. The 2,407 MHz boost clock and 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power are reflected in the measured frame rates, which show the GPU scaling predictably with resolution. The GPU’s 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 77,712, places it in the top tier of graphics hardware.

The GPU’s role is most clearly defined by the resolution scaling. At 1080p High, the system produces 237 FPS, but the GPU is capable of more, as evidenced by the 281 FPS at Low settings. This indicates that at 1080p, the GPU is often idle waiting for the CPU. At 1440p High, the frame rate drops to 157 FPS, and at 4K High, it drops to 87 FPS. This scaling pattern is consistent with a GPU that is being progressively more utilized as resolution increases. The 4K Ultra preset at 66 FPS shows the GPU’s limits when fully stressed, with the 32 GB VRAM not being a constraint, as the frame rate is determined by compute and memory bandwidth.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in the benchmark database, the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT and RX 6850M XT, score 76,904 and 78,940 respectively, with deltas of 1.1% and -1.6%. This places the RTX 5090 D in a narrow performance band with these mobile-oriented GPUs, which is surprising given the 5090 D’s 575 W TDP and desktop-class design. However, the game-specific results show the RTX 5090 D’s strength: at 4K Medium, it achieves 114 FPS, which is 48 FPS higher than the 4K Ultra result, demonstrating that the GPU has significant headroom when settings are optimized.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks 85th out of 2,944 tested combinations in Palworld. This top 2.9% ranking reflects the GPU’s immense power, but the position is not higher due to the CPU’s mid-range classification. The data indicates that this combo outperforms the vast majority of systems, but the CPU is the limiting factor in achieving the absolute highest frame rates. The 85th rank out of 2,944 combos means that 2,859 other combinations score lower, positioning this system firmly in the top tier for this game.

The ranking is particularly impressive given the CPU’s 71st percentile standing among all CPUs. The GPU’s 92nd percentile ranking is the primary driver of the combo’s high placement. The disparity between the CPU’s and GPU’s percentile rankings suggests that the combo is unbalanced for this title, with the GPU having significant untapped potential at lower resolutions. In games that are more CPU-intensive, this same combo would likely rank lower, but Palworld’s engine appears to leverage the GPU heavily.

The combo’s rank is even more notable when considering the CPU’s rivals. The Intel Core i5-12450H, which has an average score 0.4% higher than the i5-11400F, would likely pair similarly with the RTX 5090 D. However, the frame data shows that the i5-11400F is sufficient to avoid severe bottlenecks, as the 1080p Low preset at 281 FPS demonstrates that the CPU can push frame rates well beyond typical display refresh rates. The combo’s rank of 85 confirms the GPU’s dominance, but it also highlights that a more powerful CPU could potentially move this combo into the top 50.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data across resolutions reveals the bottleneck characteristics of this system. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 281 FPS at 1080p to 244 FPS at 1440p (a 13.2% decrease), then to 140 FPS at 4K (a 42.6% decrease from 1440p). This pattern shows that the system is CPU-limited at 1080p, transitioning to GPU-limited at 1440p, and heavily GPU-limited at 4K. The 50.2% drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is less than the 4x pixel count increase, indicating that the CPU still has some influence even at 4K.

At High settings, the scaling is more linear: 237 FPS at 1080p, 157 FPS at 1440p (a 33.8% decrease), and 87 FPS at 4K (a 44.6% decrease from 1440p). This consistent decline indicates that the GPU is the primary limiter at High settings across all resolutions. The 1080p High result of 237 FPS is likely near the CPU’s maximum sustainable frame rate for this game, as it is only 44 FPS higher than the 1440p result, whereas the 1440p to 4K drop is 70 FPS.

The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling: 181 FPS at 1080p, 119 FPS at 1440p (a 34.3% decrease), and 66 FPS at 4K (a 44.5% decrease from 1440p). The 4K Ultra result is the only measured configuration below 60 FPS, confirming that this setting is too demanding for the GPU’s capabilities in this title. The Medium preset at 4K achieves 114 FPS, which is 48 FPS higher than Ultra, showing that the GPU has significant headroom when settings are reduced. The data clearly shows that the GPU is the limiting component at 1440p and 4K, while the CPU becomes the limiter only at 1080p Low and Medium.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset to use for 4K gaming with this combo?

A: The High preset is recommended for 4K, as it delivers an average of 87 FPS compared to Ultra’s 66 FPS. This 21 FPS advantage makes High the only 4K preset that maintains a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 1080p competitive play?

A: Yes. At 1080p with Low settings, the system averages 281 FPS, and at High settings, it averages 237 FPS. Both are well above the 144Hz refresh rate common in competitive monitors.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in Palworld?

A: The GPU is the bottleneck at 1440p and 4K resolutions, as shown by the frame rate scaling. At 1080p Low and Medium, the CPU becomes the limiter, capping frame rates around 261-281 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 D compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5090 D scores 77,712 on average, which is 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT and 1.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT. It also sits 2.1% below the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB.

Q: What is the frame rate at 1440p Ultra settings?

A: The 1440p Ultra preset averages 119 FPS, which is playable on high-refresh-rate displays. This is 38 FPS lower than the High preset at the same resolution.

Q: Does the 32 GB VRAM ever become a limiting factor?

A: No. The measured FPS data shows that performance is determined by compute and memory bandwidth, not VRAM capacity. The frame rates scale consistently with resolution and settings, indicating no VRAM-related stutters or drops.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table lists the exact measured average frame rates for each resolution and settings combination tested. Minimum and maximum values are provided where the data includes them.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|---------|---------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 87 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 140 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 114 | 96 | 131 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 66 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | High | 157 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 244 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 205 | 174 | 235 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 119 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | High | 237 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 281 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 261 | 222 | 300 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 181 | - | - |

The data shows a complete range from 66 FPS at 4K Ultra to 281 FPS at 1080p Low. The Medium preset is the only one with complete min/max data, showing a 35 FPS variance at 4K, a 61 FPS variance at 1440p, and a 78 FPS variance at 1080p. This variance increases as resolution decreases, indicating that CPU-side frame time inconsistencies become more apparent at higher frame rates. The 1080p Medium max of 300 FPS is notable, as it represents the highest single measured frame rate in the dataset, while the 4K Ultra average of 66 FPS is the lowest average, reinforcing the recommendation to avoid Ultra settings at 4K with this hardware combination.