Palworld

Palworld presents an interesting stress test for the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER pairing, as the data reveals a system that shifts its bottleneck depending on the resolution and quality preset. At 1080p, the combination is clearly capable of high refresh rates, but the demands of 4K quickly expose the limits of the graphics card. The measured frames per second show a predictable scaling pattern, but the magnitude of the performance drop between resolutions is the key indicator of where this hardware stands.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 produces a dramatic reduction in frame rates across all settings, confirming that the RTX 2070 SUPER becomes the primary limiting factor as pixel count increases. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 102.3 at 1080p to 71.9 at 1440p, a decline of roughly 30%, and then falls further to 37.7 at 4K. This represents a steep 63% loss in performance from 1080p to 4K, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario where the graphics card’s memory bandwidth and processing power are overwhelmed by the sheer number of pixels.

The scaling is even more pronounced when looking at the Low preset, where the system achieves 169.7 FPS at 1080p but only 58.7 FPS at 4K. The fact that even the lowest settings cannot maintain a playable frame rate at 4K indicates that the resolution itself, rather than the graphical complexity, is the dominant constraint. Conversely, the relatively small gap between Low and High settings at 1080p—169.7 FPS versus 102.3 FPS—suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU adequately at lower resolutions, and the performance ceiling is being set by the graphics card’s ability to render the scene.

At 2560x1440, the system finds a middle ground. The High preset delivers 71.9 FPS, which is a solid result for a demanding survival game, while the Low preset pushes to 110.8 FPS. This resolution appears to be the sweet spot for balancing visual fidelity and performance, as the drop from 1440p to 4K is significantly larger than the drop from 1080p to 1440p. The data suggests that users targeting 60 FPS or higher should consider 1440p as the maximum resolution for this combination, as the 4K results at Medium (47.9 FPS) and High (37.7 FPS) fall short of that threshold.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is a critical factor in Palworld’s 4K performance, as the game’s open-world environments and asset streaming demand significant memory throughput. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS plummets to 32.2, which is barely playable, indicating that the GPU is not only struggling with compute load but also potentially hitting memory capacity limits.

The GPU’s clock speeds, with a base of 1605 MHz and a boost of 1770 MHz, are relatively modest by modern standards, and the Turing architecture’s 2560 shading units are tasked with heavy lifting. The benchmark scores for this GPU place it in the 65th percentile among all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 22206. This positions it close to the NVIDIA RTX A400, which is only 0.5% faster, and the AMD Radeon RX 5700, which the RTX 2070 SUPER outperforms by 2.5%. These comparisons highlight that while the GPU is not a top-tier performer, it is a competent mid-range option that excels at 1080p and handles 1440p well.

The role of the GPU becomes clearer when examining the frame rate drops at higher settings. At 1080p, the difference between Medium (138.7 FPS) and Ultra (79.8 FPS) is substantial, showing how the GPU’s compute resources are taxed by increased graphical effects. However, the CPU, an Intel Core i5-12400 with 6 cores and 12 threads, appears to keep pace, as the frame rates at 1080p Low (169.7 FPS) are high enough to suggest that the CPU is not the bottleneck in most scenarios. The i5-12400’s boost clock of 4.40 GHz and 18 MB of shared L3 cache provide sufficient single-thread performance for game logic, even if its multi-threaded benchmark scores are merely average.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested combinations, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 1033rd out of 1718 combos for Palworld. This places it in the lower-middle tier of all tested systems, which is a reasonable expectation given the age of the components. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 19850 puts it in the 77th percentile of all processors, with nearest rivals including the Intel Core i7-9700 (0.1% faster) and the Intel Core i5-11600K (0.4% slower). This indicates that the i5-12400 is a well-balanced processor that does not hold the GPU back significantly.

However, the GPU’s ranking is less impressive. With an average benchmark score of 22206, it sits in the 65th percentile, and its nearest rivals include the RTX 4060 Mobile, which is 2.3% faster, and the GTX TITAN Z, which is 0.9% slower. The combination of a mid-range CPU and an older mid-range GPU results in a system that is outclassed by more modern hardware, but it still delivers acceptable performance for 1080p gaming. The combo rank of 1033 out of 1718 suggests that there are 685 other combinations that perform better, but also that there are 685 combinations that perform worse, making this a decidedly average setup for Palworld.

The data indicates that this combo is not optimized for high-end gaming, as the 4K results are poor, but it is perfectly serviceable for 1080p and even 1440p gaming. The bottleneck is clearly the GPU, as the CPU’s benchmark scores are competitive with newer processors, but the GPU’s age and memory limitations prevent it from achieving higher frame rates at demanding resolutions. Users with this combo should focus on settings and resolution adjustments to find a playable balance.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the best experience for this combo is achieved at 1920x1080 with the High preset, which delivers an average of 102.3 FPS. This provides a smooth and responsive experience that is well above the 60 FPS threshold, and the High preset offers a good balance between visual quality and performance. For users with 1440p monitors, the High preset at 2560x1440 yields 71.9 FPS, which is still playable and provides a sharper image. However, pushing to Ultra at 1440p drops the frame rate to 51 FPS, which may be acceptable for some but is not ideal for fast-paced action.

At 4K, the data strongly suggests avoiding this resolution unless the user is willing to compromise significantly on quality. The Low preset at 3840x2160 achieves 58.7 FPS, which is the only 4K setting that comes close to 60 FPS, but the visual fidelity will be noticeably reduced. The Medium preset at 4K drops to 47.9 FPS, and High falls to 37.7 FPS, making these settings unsuitable for a smooth experience. For the best overall experience, the recommendation is to use 1080p High for competitive play or 1440p High for a more immersive visual experience, while avoiding 4K unless the user prioritizes resolution over frame rate.

The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as it provides diminishing returns. At 1080p Ultra, the frame rate is 79.8 FPS, which is lower than the High preset at 1440p (71.9 FPS), meaning users can achieve better visual quality by selecting a higher resolution with High settings rather than sticking to 1080p Ultra. The data clearly shows that the GPU is the limiting factor, and adjusting settings to reduce the load on the GPU is the most effective way to improve performance.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 with High settings delivers 102.3 FPS, which is the highest frame rate at that quality level. For a balance of sharpness and performance, 2560x1440 High at 71.9 FPS is also viable, but 4K is not recommended.

Q: How does this combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 Ultra, the average frame rate is 32.2 FPS, which is below playable thresholds. The GPU is clearly the bottleneck at this resolution, as even Low settings only reach 58.7 FPS.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400 a bottleneck for the RTX 2070 SUPER?

A: The CPU’s benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15935, place it in the 77th percentile. The frame rates at 1080p Low settings (169.7 FPS) suggest that the CPU can keep up, and the GPU is the limiting factor in most scenarios.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals in this game?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score is 22206, which is 2.3% slower than the RTX 4060 Mobile and 2.5% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 5700. This indicates it is a mid-range performer that is slightly outclassed by newer mobile parts.

Q: What is the combo’s overall ranking among all tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 1033rd out of 1718 combinations tested for Palworld. This places it in the lower-middle tier, reflecting the age of the components.

Q: Can this system handle 1440p gaming comfortably?

A: Yes, at 2560x1440 with High settings, the average frame rate is 71.9 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset achieves 87.2 FPS, providing additional headroom for smoother gameplay.