Palworld

Palworld with an Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 represents a pairing of a modern 6-core CPU with a last-generation mid-range GPU. This combination produces a wide spread of performance depending on resolution and settings, and the data reveals a system that is heavily constrained by the graphics card in most scenarios. The measured frames per second range from a playable 125 FPS at 1080p Low to a slideshow-like 22 FPS at 4K Ultra, indicating that the GTX 1070 is the primary bottleneck in this configuration.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and clearly illustrates where the bottleneck lies. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 78 FPS at 1920x1080 to 51 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 28 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 35% reduction in performance when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 45% reduction when stepping up to 4K. The scaling is not linear, which is typical when a GPU becomes increasingly strained at higher pixel counts. The GTX 1070's 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and 256-bit bus are being pushed to their limits at 4K, where the data shows the card simply cannot keep up with the demands of the rendering pipeline.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low (125 FPS) and Ultra (59 FPS) is 66 FPS. At 1440p, that gap shrinks to 43 FPS (82 FPS on Low vs 39 FPS on Ultra). At 4K, the difference is only 24 FPS (46 FPS on Low vs 22 FPS on Ultra). This compression of the performance envelope at higher resolutions is a clear sign that the GPU is saturated. When the graphics card is fully utilized, changing settings has less impact because the limiting factor is raw pixel throughput, not shader complexity. The data shows that at 4K, even dropping to Low settings (46 FPS) cannot achieve a smooth 60 FPS experience, confirming that resolution scaling is the primary enemy of this combo.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is the star of this show, for better or worse. With a base clock of 1506 MHz and a boost clock of 1683 MHz, the card is running on the older Pascal architecture, built on a 16 nm process. Its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory operates at an effective 8 Gbps, delivering a bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s across a 256-bit bus. These specifications, while respectable for their time, place the card in the 47th percentile of all GPUs, meaning it sits just below the midpoint of the performance distribution. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD FirePro W5000 and NVIDIA Quadro M2000M, show that the GTX 1070 is firmly in the mid-range tier of available hardware.

The card's compute capabilities are modest by modern standards, with an FP32 performance of 6.463 TFLOPS. This is reflected in the benchmark results, where the GPU scores 13498 in Passmark's G3D test but only 6102 in the compute-focused test. In Palworld, this translates to a card that can handle 1080p gaming well but struggles at higher resolutions. The measured data shows the GTX 1070 achieves its best 1080p performance on Low settings with 125 FPS, but this drops to 59 FPS on Ultra. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient at 1080p, but at 4K, the card's pixel rate of 107.7 GPixel/s and texture rate of 202.0 GTexel/s are insufficient to maintain smooth frame rates, with the best 4K result being 46 FPS on Low settings.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the i5-12400 and GTX 1070 ranks at 3067 out of 3711 combos. This places it in the bottom 17% of all tested configurations, which is a sobering statistic for a system that can still deliver 125 FPS at 1080p. The ranking reflects the fact that while the CPU is capable, the GPU drags the overall performance down when compared to systems with more modern graphics cards. The combo rank is a holistic measure, and it indicates that most other tested pairings offer better overall performance in Palworld.

The CPU itself performs well in isolation. The i5-12400 sits in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18683. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD EPYC 7643 and Intel Core i7-1355U, are within a fraction of a percent in performance, showing that the processor is not the weak link in this system. However, when paired with a GPU that is in the 47th percentile, the combination results in a low overall rank. The data suggests that the CPU is capable of pushing more frames, but it is held back by the GPU's inability to render them. This is a classic case of a balanced system being limited by its weakest component, and in this instance, the GTX 1070 is clearly the constraint.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Palworld with this combo?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where this combo can consistently exceed 60 FPS. At High settings, it achieves 78 FPS, and at Medium, it reaches 101 FPS. At 1440p, the best result is 82 FPS on Low settings, while 4K is only playable on Low with 46 FPS.

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

A: Technically yes, but not comfortably. The highest average frame rate at 3840x2160 is 46 FPS on Low settings. High settings drop to 28 FPS, and Ultra falls to 22 FPS. None of these reach the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, so 4K is not recommended for a consistent experience.

Q: How does the GTX 1070 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GTX 1070 has an average benchmark score of 9780, which is within 0.7% of the AMD FirePro W5000 (9803) and NVIDIA Quadro M2000M (9832). It slightly outperforms the NVIDIA Tesla M10 (9724) and Tesla C2070 (9716) by 0.6% and 0.7%, respectively. This indicates it is at the very bottom of its performance tier.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400 a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No. The CPU has a passmark multi-thread score of 18747 and a single-thread score of 3456, placing it in the 72nd percentile. At 1080p, the frame rates scale with settings (125 FPS on Low, 59 FPS on Ultra), which indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU has headroom to push higher frame rates if the GPU could render them.

Q: What is the most consistent setting for maintaining high frame rates?

A: At 1080p, Medium settings provide a good balance with 101 FPS average and a minimum of 86 FPS. This is the only setting at any resolution that offers both high average frame rates and a minimum above 60 FPS, ensuring a stable experience without major dips.

Q: How does the combo's rank reflect its gaming capability?

A: The combo ranks 3067 out of 3711, which places it in the lower tier of tested systems. This low rank is primarily due to the GPU's 47th percentile performance. Despite this, the system is fully capable of 1080p gaming, showing that a low overall rank does not preclude a playable experience at lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience with this hardware, the data points to 1080p as the target resolution. At this resolution, the Medium preset offers the most compelling combination of performance and visual quality. The measured results show 101 FPS average with a minimum of 86 FPS and a maximum of 116 FPS. This means the game will feel smooth and responsive, with no drops below the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 1080p also works well, delivering 78 FPS, but the Medium setting provides a more comfortable margin to prevent stutters during intense combat or when many Pals are on screen.

At 1440p, the situation becomes more challenging. The Low preset achieves 82 FPS, which is playable, but the Medium preset drops to 66 FPS with a minimum of 57 FPS. This minimum is below 60 FPS, which could lead to noticeable hitches in demanding scenes. If you have a 1440p monitor, the Low preset is the only option that maintains a consistent frame rate above 60 FPS. The High and Ultra presets at 1440p (51 FPS and 39 FPS, respectively) are not recommended for a smooth experience. For 4K, the data is clear that this combo is not suited for the resolution. Even the Low preset at 46 FPS is below the 60 FPS target, and the visual compromise of Low settings at 4K may not be worth the performance hit. Stick to 1080p Medium for the best balance of visual fidelity and frame rate stability.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on Alder Lake architecture, built on a 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, with 18 MB of shared L3 cache. In terms of raw performance, it achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989 and a single-core score of 2257. The Passmark multi-thread score is 18747, placing it in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs. This is a strong showing for a desktop processor, and its nearest rivals — including the AMD EPYC 7643 and Intel Core i3-14100F — are all within 0.9% of its average score (18683). The data indicates that the i5-12400 is more than capable of feeding the GTX 1070 in Palworld.

However, the CPU's role in this specific game is secondary to the GPU. The measured frame rates at 1080p scale directly with graphics settings, which is the hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU is likely providing enough headroom to avoid bottlenecks, as evidenced by the high frame rates achievable at Low settings (125 FPS). The 3DMark 16-thread score of 5873 and the 2-thread score of 1692 suggest that the processor can handle both multi-threaded and lightly-threaded workloads efficiently. Palworld, being a survival game, may not be heavily multi-threaded, but the i5-12400's 6 cores and 12 threads provide ample processing power for game logic, AI, and physics calculations without impeding the GPU. The fact that this CPU ranks in the top 28% of all processors, while the GPU ranks in the bottom 53%, reinforces the conclusion that the graphics card is the limiting component in this pairing.