Palworld

# Palworld Performance Analysis: Intel Core i5-12400 + AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT

The Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT combination delivers a playable yet resolution-sensitive experience in Palworld, a survival title released on 2024-01-18. The measured data shows this pairing ranks 1315th out of 1718 tested combos in this game, placing it in the lower half of the database. The 6-core, 12-thread Alder Lake processor with a 2.50 GHz base and 4.40 GHz boost clock provides solid computational headroom, while the RDNA 1.0-based GPU with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. Benchmark results indicate a clear scaling pattern: at 1920x1080, the combo achieves over 70 FPS on all presets, but at 3840x2160, even the High preset drops below 35 FPS, making resolution choice the single most important factor for this configuration.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor built on Intel's 10 nm Alder Lake-S architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its L3 cache totals 18 MB shared across all cores, with 1.25 MB L2 per core and 80 KB L1 per core. The processor's 65 W TDP and dual-channel DDR4/DDR5 memory support indicate a balanced mainstream design. In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-12400 scores 15,935 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,249 in single-core, with a 3DMark 16-thread score of 5,873 and a max-thread score of 5,890.

For Palworld, a survival game that typically involves world simulation, creature AI, and base-building physics, the CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are relevant. The passmark multithread score of 18,747 and floating point math score of 45,494 suggest the processor can handle complex game logic without becoming the limiting factor. The percentileVsAllCpus of 77 indicates the i5-12400 outperforms 77% of all CPUs in the database. Compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-12400 is essentially tied with the Intel Core i7-9700, which scores 19,831 (0.1% higher), and the Intel Core i7-8700 at 19,894 (0.2% lower). The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX scores 19,928 (0.4% lower), and the Intel Core i5-11600K scores 19,771 (0.4% higher). These negligible deltas mean CPU performance is not a differentiator in this combo's ranking.

The measured FPS data shows that at 1920x1080 Low, the combo reaches 151.3 FPS, which is nearly 2.5 times the 3840x2160 High result of 34.3 FPS. This scaling suggests the CPU has ample headroom even at low settings, as the frame rate remains high. The 3DMark single-thread score of 910 and passmark single-thread score of 3,456 indicate strong per-core performance, which is crucial for Palworld's game logic that may not scale perfectly across all 12 threads. The 18 MB L3 cache provides a reasonable buffer for frequently accessed game data, though the absence of v-cache technology means it relies on conventional cache hierarchy.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT features the Navi 10 chip on TSMC's 7 nm process, with 10,300 million transistors and a die size of 251 mm². It operates at a base clock of 1605 MHz, a game clock of 1755 MHz, and a boost clock of 1905 MHz. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory runs at 1750 MHz with a 256-bit bus, yielding 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has 2,560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units, producing 9.754 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and a pixel rate of 121.9 GPixel/s.

The GPU's percentileVsAllGpus of 68 places it above 68% of all GPUs, but its nearest rivals show a tight cluster: the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile scores 24,763 (0.1% higher), the Intel Arc A350M scores 24,647 (0.3% higher), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile scores 24,592 (0.6% higher), and the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 scores 24,519 (0.9% higher). The RX 5700 XT's average benchmark score of 24,731 is within 1% of these competitors, indicating comparable raw performance. However, Palworld's measured results reveal that this GPU is the primary constraint at higher resolutions.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is adequate for 1920x1080 and 2560x1440, but at 3840x2160, the combination of higher resolution textures and geometry demands push the GPU to its limits. The 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth helps maintain throughput, yet the measured FPS at 4K Ultra (28.4 FPS) versus 1080p Ultra (70.2 FPS) shows a 59.5% performance drop, which is steeper than the resolution pixel count increase alone would suggest. The DirectX 12 benchmark score of 64 in PassMark indicates the GPU handles modern APIs, but Palworld's engine may not fully utilize the RDNA 1.0 architecture's capabilities.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain 60+ FPS?

A: At 2560x1440 Medium, the combo achieves 80.4 FPS, and at High it reaches 60.6 FPS. At 1920x1080, all presets exceed 70 FPS, with Low hitting 151.3 FPS. For a consistent 60 FPS experience, 2560x1440 High is the highest quality setting that stays above the threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i5-12400's average benchmark score of 19,850 is within 0.4% of its nearest rivals. The Intel Core i7-9700 scores 19,831 (0.1% higher), the Intel Core i7-8700 scores 19,894 (0.2% lower), and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX scores 19,928 (0.4% lower). These differences are negligible for gaming performance.

Q: Is the RX 5700 XT's 8 GB VRAM sufficient for Palworld at 4K?

A: The data shows 8 GB is insufficient for smooth 4K play. At 3840x2160, the best average FPS is 52.7 on Low, but High drops to 34.3 FPS and Ultra to 28.4 FPS. The memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s cannot compensate for the resolution's demands.

Q: What FPS can be expected at 1920x1080 Ultra settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 Ultra is 70.2. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold, providing a smooth experience for most players. The gap between Ultra (70.2 FPS) and Medium (119.5 FPS) shows a 41.2% performance gain by dropping one preset level.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations in Palworld?

A: The combo ranks 1315th out of 1718 tested combinations, placing it in the lower third of the database. This ranking reflects the GPU's limitations at high resolutions rather than CPU inadequacy, as the i5-12400's percentileVsAllCpus of 77 is higher than the GPU's 68.

Q: Does the GPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks translate to Palworld?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 24,731 and percentileVsAllGpus of 68 suggest mid-range performance, but Palworld's measured results at 4K show significant degradation. The PassMark G3D score of 16,277 indicates adequate rasterization power, yet the game's demands at 3840x2160 exceed what the RDNA 1.0 architecture can deliver consistently.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal preset depends heavily on target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset at 70.2 FPS provides the best visual quality while maintaining smooth gameplay. Players seeking higher frame rates can drop to Medium at 119.5 FPS, a 49.3 FPS improvement, or Low at 151.3 FPS, which is more than double the Ultra result. The High preset at 91.7 FPS offers a balanced middle ground.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 80.4 FPS delivers the best experience, as it stays comfortably above 60 FPS while offering better visuals than Low at 100.6 FPS. The High preset at 60.6 FPS is borderline, and Ultra at 48.7 FPS falls below the 60 FPS threshold. For 4K gaming, no preset achieves 60 FPS; the Low preset at 52.7 FPS is the only playable option, while High at 34.3 FPS and Ultra at 28.4 FPS are too sluggish for action-oriented gameplay.

The data suggests that 2560x1440 Medium is the sweet spot for this combo, offering 80.4 FPS with reasonable visual fidelity. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1440p shows a 51.9 FPS range, which is manageable, but the 4K results indicate the GPU is the limiting factor. Based on the measured rows, the best experience per the data is 2560x1440 Medium, as it balances performance and quality without sacrificing smoothness.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400 + AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT combination ranks 1315th out of 1718 tested combos in Palworld, placing it in the 23rd percentile of all configurations. This ranking is notably lower than the individual components' percentiles (CPU at 77, GPU at 68), indicating that the pairing is suboptimal for this specific game. The CPU's strong synthetic scores do not translate to a high in-game rank because the GPU becomes the bottleneck at higher resolutions, where the game's demands exceed the RX 5700 XT's capabilities.

Compared to other combos, this pairing's rank suggests that many configurations with weaker CPUs but stronger GPUs outperform it in Palworld. The CPU's nearest rivals show negligible performance deltas (all within 0.4%), so the GPU choice is the primary differentiator. The RX 5700 XT's nearest rivals also show tight clustering (within 0.9%), meaning the in-game ranking is influenced more by how the specific game engine utilizes the hardware than by raw benchmark scores.

The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1920x1080 or 2560x1440 gaming, where it can achieve playable frame rates across most presets. At 4K, the combo falls short of the 60 FPS target on all settings, which contributes to its lower ranking. The 1718 total combos include many with more modern GPUs or higher VRAM capacities, which explains the 1315th rank. For players prioritizing Palworld performance, the measured results suggest that upgrading the GPU would yield greater benefits than upgrading the CPU, as the i5-12400's performance is not the limiting factor in this pairing.