Palworld

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER delivers a robust Palworld experience, ranking 299th out of 1718 tested combos. This places the pairing in the top 17.4% of all configurations, a strong result for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU. The data shows a system capable of high refresh rate gaming at 1080p and smooth 60+ FPS performance at 4K, though the gap between Low and Ultra settings reveals where the hardware's limits lie.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 299 out of 1718 tested configurations indicates it outperforms roughly 82.6% of all possible pairings tested on this benchmark database. This is a strong showing for a 6-core, 12-thread Alder Lake processor. The i5-12400's individual benchmark scores support this position, with the CPU sitting at the 77th percentile among all processors. Its average benchmark score of 19850 places it in a virtual dead heat with its nearest rivals: it is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-9700 (avg score 19831) and 0.4% ahead of the Intel Core i5-11600K (avg score 19771). It trails the Intel Core i7-8700 by 0.2% (avg score 19894) and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX by 0.4% (avg score 19928). These delta percentages are negligible in real-world terms, meaning this CPU's compute capability is effectively identical to those older or more expensive parts.

On the graphics side, the RTX 4070 SUPER holds the 84th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 42576. Its nearest rival comparisons show similar parity: it is 0.2% behind the NVIDIA RTX A6000 (avg 42653) and 0.3% behind the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE (avg 42723), while leading the AMD Radeon Pro 580X by 1.4% (avg 41991) and the NVIDIA Tesla M40 by 1.6% (avg 41897). This GPU is clearly a top-tier performer. The combination's 299th rank is largely driven by the GPU's strength, but the CPU's ability to feed it at lower resolutions is critical. At 1080p Low, the system pushes 279.4 FPS, suggesting the i5-12400 is not a bottleneck in less demanding scenes, allowing the GPU to stretch its legs.

FAQ

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

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo averages 47.6 FPS. This is below the 60 FPS threshold often desired for smooth gameplay, indicating that maxed-out 4K is a stretch for this hardware.

Q: What is the best resolution for high refresh rate monitors?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the combo produces 113.6 FPS. Dropping to Low at that resolution yields 183.2 FPS. For 1080p, the average FPS at High is 169.7, and at Low it reaches 279.4 FPS, making 1080p the clear choice for 144Hz+ displays.

Q: How much of a performance hit does Ultra settings take compared to High?

A: Across all resolutions, Ultra causes a significant drop. At 1080p, the average FPS falls from 169.7 (High) to 130.4 (Ultra). At 1440p, the drop is from 113.6 to 85.4. At 4K, it falls from 63 to 47.6. This represents a consistent 23-25% reduction in frame rate when moving from High to Ultra.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary limiter at higher resolutions. The FPS drops dramatically as resolution increases (from 279.4 at 1080p Low to 101.4 at 4K Low), which is characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios. The CPU's performance is sufficient to drive high frame rates at 1080p.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming?

A: Yes, but not at maximum settings. At 4K Medium, the average FPS is 84.7, which is playable. At 4K High, it drops to 63 FPS, which is still acceptable for many. Only at Ultra does it fall below 60 FPS, averaging 47.6.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 SUPER compare to its direct rivals?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER's average benchmark score of 42576 is nearly identical to the RTX A6000 (42653) and RX 7650 GRE (42723), with deltas of only -0.2% and -0.3% respectively. It is slightly ahead of the Pro 580X and Tesla M40 by 1.4% and 1.6%.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing for Palworld, a game that is seemingly highly dependent on GPU throughput. The card is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using a 5 nm process at TSMC, featuring the AD104 chip with 35,800 million transistors. It operates with a base clock of 1980 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz. The memory subsystem is a key asset: 12 GB of GDDR6X on a 192-bit bus provides 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory bandwidth is likely crucial for handling the game's large open-world textures and asset streaming at higher resolutions.

The GPU's compute capabilities are substantial, with 7168 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output pipelines. It also includes 56 RT cores and 224 tensor cores, though Palworld's implementation of ray tracing is not measured in this data set. The FP32 performance of 35.48 TFLOPS gives it significant raw processing power. The card's 220 W TDP and 550 W suggested PSU indicate it is a power-hungry component, but the benchmark results show that power is translated into performance. The GPU's benchmark scores are stellar, with a Passmark G3D score of 29995 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 192684, placing it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs. This data suggests the RTX 4070 SUPER has ample headroom for most gaming scenarios, and the measured FPS in Palworld confirms that the GPU is the main driver of performance, particularly as resolution increases.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance scaling across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the combo is exceptionally fast. Low settings produce an average of 279.4 FPS, Medium yields 223.9 FPS, High delivers 169.7 FPS, and Ultra still manages 130.4 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system is never CPU-bound in any meaningful way, as even the highest settings maintain frame rates well above 120 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, there is a noticeable but expected decline. Low settings average 183.2 FPS, which is still extremely high. Medium settings produce 148.1 FPS, and High settings deliver 113.6 FPS. Ultra settings at 1440p average 85.4 FPS, which remains a very playable experience for competitive or fast-paced gameplay. The step from High to Ultra at this resolution costs roughly 28 FPS, a significant hit for marginal visual gains.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to show its limits. Low settings yield an average of 101.4 FPS, which is respectable for 4K. Medium settings drop to 84.7 FPS, still above 60. High settings average 63 FPS, right at the edge of smoothness. Ultra settings, however, fall to 47.6 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. This indicates that while the RTX 4070 SUPER is capable of 4K, users will need to make compromises on settings to maintain a consistently smooth frame rate. The data shows a clear hierarchy: the combo is a 1080p and 1440p powerhouse, and a capable but not uncompromising 4K performer.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound pattern. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 279.4 at 1080p to 183.2 at 1440p, and finally to 101.4 at 4K. This represents a 34.4% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 44.7% drop from 1440p to 4K. This steep decline is indicative of the GPU being the limiting component, as the rendering load increases exponentially with pixel count.

At High settings, the pattern is similar but with lower absolute numbers: 169.7 FPS at 1080p, 113.6 FPS at 1440p, and 63 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 33.1%, and from 1440p to 4K it is 44.5%. These consistent percentage drops across different settings strongly suggest that the CPU is not introducing a bottleneck at any resolution. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a plateau in FPS at lower resolutions (like 1080p), where the GPU has less work to do. Instead, the FPS continues to rise significantly at 1080p, indicating the i5-12400 has enough headroom to feed the GPU even at very high frame rates.

The scaling behavior also highlights that the RTX 4070 SUPER's memory bandwidth and compute power are the primary constraints at 4K. The 504.2 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for 1440p High, but at 4K Ultra, the game's demands outstrip the GPU's capabilities, resulting in the 47.6 FPS average. This is not a failure of the CPU; rather, it is the expected behavior of a high-end GPU being tasked with a very demanding resolution. The data confirms that for this combo, resolution scaling is a pure function of GPU performance, with the CPU playing a supporting role that never becomes a hindrance.