Palworld

Palworld pairs the Intel Core i5-12400 with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, and the measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system that is clearly balanced around 1080p and 1440p gaming. The data shows a processor with strong single-threaded capability and a graphics card with enough memory bandwidth for high-detail work, but the combination hits a hard wall at 4K where the GPU becomes the dominant constraint. This analysis walks through the CPU and GPU roles individually, then examines how resolution scaling exposes the bottleneck, before closing with settings guidance and a full breakdown of the measured results.

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

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Alder Lake-S family, built on Intel's 10 nm process. Its base clock is 2.50 GHz with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, and it carries 18 MB of shared L3 cache alongside 1.25 MB of L2 per core. For a survival game like Palworld, which typically involves world simulation, creature AI, and base-building physics, the thread count and cache are relevant, but the benchmark data suggests that the CPU is rarely the limiting factor in this pairing.

The processor's synthetic benchmark scores place it in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18683. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7643 (0.1% slower), the Intel Core i7-1355U (0.3% slower), and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (0.7% slower), while the Intel Core i3-14100F is 0.9% faster. In multi-threaded workloads, the i5-12400 delivers a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 8564, but its single-thread scores are more telling: 2257 in Cinebench R23 and 1848 in Geekbench. These single-thread numbers matter because Palworld's frame pacing at lower resolutions often depends on the main game thread, and the i5-12400's boost behavior appears sufficient to keep up with the RX 6600 XT at 1080p and 1440p.

Looking at the measured FPS data, the CPU's influence is most visible at 1080p with Low settings, where the combo reaches 152 FPS average. That figure is 20% higher than the 123 FPS at Medium and 60% higher than the 95 FPS at High, which indicates that at Low settings, the system is pushing frames fast enough that the CPU's per-core performance is still adequate. However, the fact that the 1080p Low score (152 FPS) is not dramatically higher than the 1440p Low score (100 FPS) — a 52% drop — suggests that even at Low, the GPU is starting to feel the load. The i5-12400's 3DMark scores (910 single-thread, 5873 for 16 threads) confirm that it has enough headroom for this game, but it is not a top-tier processor; it sits in the middle of the pack among its rivals, all of which are within 1% of each other in average score.

The CPU's 65 W TDP and lack of overclocking support (multiplier locked) mean it runs within a modest power envelope, but the benchmark results show that this does not hamper Palworld. At 4K, the CPU's role diminishes further: the 3840x2160 High average of 35 FPS is nearly identical in pattern to the 1440p High average of 62 FPS, and the scaling from 1440p to 4K (a 44% drop) is steeper than the scaling from 1080p to 1440p (a 35% drop), which points to the GPU as the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The CPU's 12 threads are more than enough for Palworld's typical load, and the data does not show any CPU-bound stuttering or min-FPS collapses in the measured rows.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT is based on the Navi 23 chip with RDNA 2.0 architecture, built on TSMC's 7 nm process. It has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth, with a base clock of 1968 MHz, a game clock of 2359 MHz, and a boost clock of 2589 MHz. The GPU's memory configuration is the first thing to scrutinize for Palworld, because open-world survival games often consume VRAM for textures and draw distances, and 8 GB is a moderate allocation. The measured FPS data shows that at 4K Ultra, the combo drops to 26 FPS average, which is not just a compute limitation but likely a memory bandwidth and capacity issue as well.

The GPU's synthetic benchmarks place it in the 70th percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 24442. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1630 (0.7% slower), the Intel Arc A350M (0.8% faster), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti (0.8% slower), while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER is 1.1% slower. These deltaPct values are all within 1.1%, meaning the RX 6600 XT is in a tightly contested performance band. For Palworld specifically, the GPU's 10.60 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 165.7 GPixel/s pixel rate are the raw resources that determine frame rates at higher settings, and the data reflects this.

At 1080p, the GPU shows clear scaling with settings: 152 FPS at Low, 123 FPS at Medium, 95 FPS at High, and 72 FPS at Ultra. The step from High to Ultra is a 24% drop, while the step from Medium to High is a 23% drop, which suggests that Ultra settings impose a significant shader and texture load that the GPU cannot fully sustain. At 1440p, the pattern holds but with lower absolute numbers: 100 FPS Low, 81 FPS Medium, 62 FPS High, and 47 FPS Ultra. The 1440p Ultra figure of 47 FPS is still playable, but the 4K results are where the GPU's limits become obvious. At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 55 at Low to 26 at Ultra, with Medium hitting 45 FPS and High at 35 FPS. The GPU's 8 GB VRAM is likely a factor at 4K Ultra, where texture data can exceed the available memory, causing the frame rate to fall below 30 FPS.

The RX 6600 XT's memory bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s is adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the pixel throughput demand (165.7 GPixel/s) combined with the 128-bit bus creates a bottleneck. The data shows that the GPU is the primary limiting component at 4K, as the CPU's performance headroom is not the issue — the FPS drops are consistent with GPU-bound behavior across all settings. The GPU's 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs are mid-range figures, and the benchmark results confirm that this card is best suited for 1080p high-refresh and 1440p high-detail gaming, not 4K.

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

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how this combo scales across resolutions. Starting at 1080p High (95 FPS) and moving to 1440p High (62 FPS) results in a 35% drop, while moving from 1440p High to 4K High (35 FPS) results in a 44% drop. This nonlinear scaling is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance: as resolution increases, the GPU's pixel and texture workload grows faster than the CPU's workload, so the frame rate falls disproportionately.

At Low settings, the scaling is even more revealing. 1080p Low (152 FPS) to 1440p Low (100 FPS) is a 34% drop, and 1440p Low to 4K Low (55 FPS) is a 45% drop. The fact that even at Low settings the 4K frame rate is only 55 FPS — below the 60 FPS target — indicates that the GPU cannot maintain playable performance at 4K regardless of settings. The CPU, in contrast, is not the constraint here: the i5-12400's single-thread score of 910 in 3DMark and 3456 in Passmark single-thread are sufficient to drive the GPU at 1080p and 1440p, as evidenced by the high FPS figures at those resolutions.

At Medium settings, the data includes min and max FPS values, which offer additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the average is 123 FPS with a min of 104 and max of 141, showing a narrow 37 FPS range that indicates stable frame pacing. At 1440p Medium, the average is 81 FPS with a min of 69 and max of 93, a 24 FPS range. At 4K Medium, the average is 45 FPS with a min of 38 and max of 52, a 14 FPS range. The narrowing range as resolution increases suggests that the GPU is becoming more uniformly saturated, with less variance in frame times because the bottleneck is consistent. This is typical of a GPU-bound scenario where the CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU steadily.

The resolution scaling data points to the GPU as the limiting component at 4K, while the CPU is adequate for the lower resolutions. The 1080p to 1440p drop (around 35%) is roughly in line with the pixel count increase (1.78x), which suggests a balanced load, but the 1440p to 4K drop (around 44%) exceeds the pixel count increase (2.25x) when normalized, indicating that the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute are stretched thin. For users targeting 4K, this combo is not viable beyond Low settings, and even then, the 55 FPS average is below the 60 FPS threshold.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU-GPU combo in Palworld?

A: The data shows that 1080p is the strongest resolution, with averages ranging from 152 FPS at Low to 72 FPS at Ultra. 1440p is also viable, with 62 FPS at High and 47 FPS at Ultra, but 4K is not recommended as the highest average is 55 FPS at Low.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM on the RX 6600 XT cause issues at 4K Ultra?

A: The measured 4K Ultra average of 26 FPS is the lowest in the dataset, and given the 8 GB memory size and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth, it is likely that texture data at 4K Ultra exceeds the available VRAM, contributing to the severe frame rate drop.

Q: How does the i5-12400 compare to its nearest CPU rivals in terms of overall score?

A: The i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 18683, which is 0.1% lower than the AMD EPYC 7643 (18697) and 0.3% lower than the Intel Core i7-1355U (18730), but 0.9% higher than the Intel Core i3-14100F (18519). All rivals are within 1% of each other.

Q: Is the RX 6600 XT a good match for the i5-12400 in this game?

A: The benchmark results indicate a well-balanced pairing at 1080p and 1440p, where the CPU is not a bottleneck. At 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, as shown by the consistent FPS drops across settings, but the combo performs as expected for its component class.

Q: What settings preset should I use for a smooth 60 FPS experience at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, the Medium preset delivers 81 FPS average with a min of 69 FPS, which is above 60 FPS. The High preset drops to 62 FPS average, which is marginal, so Medium is the safer choice for maintaining a 60 FPS floor.

Q: How does the combo rank globally among all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 2619 out of 3711 tested combinations, placing it in the 29th percentile of all combos, which reflects its mid-range status in the database.

How This Combo Ranks

In the global database of tested CPU-GPU combinations for Palworld, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT ranks 2619 out of 3711 combos. This rank places it in the lower-middle portion of the distribution, which is consistent with the component specifications: the CPU is in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs, and the GPU is in the 70th percentile of all GPUs, but the combined rank (29th percentile) is lower than either individual percentile because the game's performance is not a simple average of the two.

The rank of 2619 indicates that there are 1092 combos that perform worse, which means this system is capable of running Palworld, but it is not competitive with higher-end configurations. The measured FPS data supports this: at 1080p Ultra, the combo achieves 72 FPS, which is playable but not exceptional, and at 4K, it falls below 60 FPS on all settings. The combo's rank relative to other tested systems is driven by the GPU's 4K limitations and the CPU's mid-range single-thread performance, though the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in this game.

For context, the nearest GPU rivals (GTX 1630, Arc A350M, GTX 780 Ti, RTX 2080 SUPER) all have average scores within 1.1% of the RX 6600 XT, meaning the combo's rank is not an outlier but rather a typical result for this performance class. The rank of 2619 out of 3711 suggests that users should expect a solid 1080p experience and a decent 1440p experience, but not 4K capability.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 1080p, the Medium preset delivers 123 FPS average with a min of 104 FPS, which is ideal for a 120 Hz or 144 Hz monitor. The High preset (95 FPS average) is also viable for a 100 Hz display, but Medium offers a more comfortable margin above 60 FPS. For 1440p, the Medium preset (81 FPS average, min 69 FPS) is the best choice for a 75 Hz or 100 Hz monitor, as it keeps the minimum FPS above 60. The High preset (62 FPS average) is borderline, and the Ultra preset (47 FPS average) is only suitable for 45 Hz displays. At 4K, no preset achieves 60 FPS, but the Low preset (55 FPS average) is the only option near playable, with Medium (45 FPS) being the fallback for users willing to accept lower frame rates.

The data shows that the Low preset at 1080p (152 FPS) is the highest measured frame rate, but it sacrifices visual quality. The Medium preset is the sweet spot for most users, as it provides a significant FPS boost over High while maintaining reasonable visual fidelity. At 1440p, Medium is the clear recommendation, and at 1080p, Medium is the best balance of performance and quality. For users with variable refresh rate monitors, the min FPS at Medium (104 FPS at 1080p, 69 FPS at 1440p) ensures that frame drops are unlikely to cause visible stutter.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table summarizes the measured average FPS for each resolution and settings preset, with min and max FPS where available:

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

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

| 3840x2160 | High | 35 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 55 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 45 | 38 | 52 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 26 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | High | 62 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 100 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 81 | 69 | 93 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 47 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | High | 95 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 152 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 123 | 104 | 141 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 72 | — | — |

At 1080p, the progression from Low to Ultra shows a consistent decline: 152, 123, 95, and 72 FPS. The Medium preset's min FPS of 104 is the highest minimum in the dataset, indicating stable frame delivery. At 1440p, the averages are 100, 81, 62, and 47 FPS, with Medium again showing the tightest min-max range (69-93 FPS). At 4K, the averages are 55, 45, 35, and 26 FPS, with Medium's min of 38 FPS being the only non-null minimum — the other settings lack min FPS data, but the averages alone show that 4K is not a viable target for this combo. The 1080p Low average of 152 FPS is the standout result, proving that the i5-12400 and RX 6600 XT can deliver high refresh rates when settings are lowered, but the 4K Ultra average of 26 FPS is the clear low point, underscoring the GPU's limitations.