Palworld

Palworld is a demanding survival title that scales heavily with both CPU and GPU, and the pairing of an Intel Core i5-12400 with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D creates a fascinating bottleneck dynamic. This combination ranks 38th out of 2944 tested combos in the database, placing it in the top 1.3% of all configurations for this game, yet the data reveals that the processor is often the limiting factor at lower resolutions while the GPU takes over at 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a dramatic drop as resolution increases, which is typical for a game like Palworld that stresses both components. At 1080p High settings, the combo averages 239 FPS, but at 1440p High it falls to 157 FPS, and at 4K High it drops further to 87 FPS. That represents a 63.6% reduction from 1080p to 4K at High settings. The scaling pattern tells us something important: the RTX 5090 D is powerful enough that at 1080p, the CPU is the primary constraint, and only when resolution climbs does the GPU become the bottleneck.

Look at the Low settings data for a clearer picture. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 327 FPS, which is near the practical ceiling for many displays. At 1440p Low, it still manages 252 FPS. But at 4K Low, it falls to 140 FPS. The gap between 1080p Low and 1440p Low is 75 FPS, while the gap between 1440p Low and 4K Low is 112 FPS. This larger drop at the higher resolution step indicates that the GPU is becoming more heavily loaded as pixel count increases, but even at 4K Low the frame rates remain highly playable.

The Medium settings data includes min and max FPS values, which provide additional insight. At 4K Medium, the average is 114 FPS with a minimum of 96 FPS and a maximum of 131 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average is 205 FPS with a minimum of 174 FPS and a maximum of 235 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the average is 303 FPS with a minimum of 258 FPS and a maximum of 348 FPS. The spread between min and max is relatively consistent across resolutions, suggesting that the frame pacing is stable and that neither component is causing severe hitches.

The Ultra settings results show the steepest resolution penalty. At 1080p Ultra, the combo averages 181 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 119 FPS. At 4K Ultra, it falls to 66 FPS. The jump from 1440p Ultra to 4K Ultra is a 44.5% reduction, which is larger than the 34.3% reduction from 1080p Ultra to 1440p Ultra. This suggests that at Ultra settings, the GPU is the dominant bottleneck even at 1440p, and 4K Ultra requires the full might of the RTX 5090 D.

What does this mean for the limiting component? At 1080p across all settings, the i5-12400 with its 6 cores and 12 threads is likely holding back the RTX 5090 D. The GPU is capable of far more than 327 FPS at 1080p Low, but the CPU cannot feed it frames fast enough. At 4K, the tables turn, and the GPU’s workload becomes the primary constraint, especially at Ultra settings where the 66 FPS average reflects the sheer pixel and shading demands.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Alder Lake generation, built on Intel’s 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. Its benchmark scores place it in the 72nd percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18683. The nearest rival in the database is the AMD EPYC 7643, which scores 18697, a delta of -0.1%, meaning the i5-12400 is essentially tied with that server-class processor in aggregate benchmarks.

In Palworld specifically, the CPU’s role becomes evident when comparing FPS across resolutions at the same settings. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 327 FPS, but at 1080p Medium it drops to 303 FPS, and at 1080p High it falls to 239 FPS, with 1080p Ultra at 181 FPS. The CPU’s single-thread performance, as measured by a 3DMark single-thread score of 910 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2257, is adequate for the game’s logic and physics, but the 6-core design limits parallel processing in heavily populated areas. The passmark physics score of 1105 and the passmark multithread score of 18747 suggest that the CPU handles game physics reasonably well, but it is not a high-end multi-threaded part.

The i5-12400’s memory support includes both DDR4 and DDR5, with dual-channel memory bus. The lack of a memory bandwidth figure in the data means we cannot quantify how much this affects Palworld, but the game’s open-world survival mechanics often benefit from faster memory access. The CPU’s PCIe Gen 5 support with 16 lanes provides ample bandwidth for the RTX 5090 D, which uses PCIe 5.0 x16. This ensures that the GPU is not starved for data transfer, even if the CPU’s compute capabilities are the limiting factor at lower resolutions.

The 3DMark 16-thread score of 5873 versus the 8-thread score of 4745 shows that the CPU scales reasonably well with thread count, but the jump from 4 threads (3012) to 8 threads (4745) is larger than the jump from 8 to 16 threads. This indicates diminishing returns beyond 8 threads, which aligns with the 6-core/12-thread design. In Palworld, where the game may not fully utilize all 12 threads, the CPU’s performance is likely closer to its 4-thread or 8-thread scores rather than its maximum thread score.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a monster of a GPU, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process from TSMC. It features 21,760 shading units, 680 TMUs, and 176 ROPs, with 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores. The GPU has 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing 1.79 TB/s of memory bandwidth. Its base clock is 2017 MHz with a boost clock of 2407 MHz, and the memory runs at 1750 MHz with 28 Gbps effective speed. The GPU’s FP32 performance is 104.8 TFLOPS, and its texture rate is 1,636.8 GTexel/s.

The RTX 5090 D ranks in the 92nd percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 77712. Its nearest rival in the database is the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT, which scores 76904, a delta of 1.1%, meaning the RTX 5090 D is about 1.1% faster in aggregate benchmarks. The next rival is the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT at 78940, a delta of -1.6%, and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB at 79396, a delta of -2.1%. These rivals are all mobile or datacenter parts, which underscores how the RTX 5090 D sits in a unique position among consumer GPUs.

In Palworld, the GPU’s role is most apparent at 4K resolution. At 4K Low, the combo averages 140 FPS, which is a solid result for a demanding game. At 4K Medium, it drops to 114 FPS, and at 4K High, it falls to 87 FPS. At 4K Ultra, the average is 66 FPS. The GPU’s massive 32 GB VRAM buffer means that memory capacity is never a concern at any settings, even with high-resolution textures. The 1.79 TB/s bandwidth ensures that texture streaming is not a bottleneck, which is crucial for an open-world game like Palworld that loads assets continuously.

The GPU’s compute capabilities, as measured by the Passmark G3D score of 44065 and the Geekbench OpenCL score of 310674, are clearly sufficient for Palworld’s rendering demands. The Vulkan score of 376915 suggests that the GPU excels in modern APIs, which Palworld likely uses. The DirectX 12 score from Passmark is 219, which is lower than the DirectX 11 score of 371, but this is a synthetic benchmark and does not necessarily reflect in-game performance.

At 1440p, the GPU begins to show its strength relative to the CPU. At 1440p Ultra, the combo averages 119 FPS, which is a 34.3% drop from 1080p Ultra’s 181 FPS. This is a smaller drop than the 44.5% reduction from 1440p to 4K, indicating that the GPU is still able to keep up with the CPU at 1440p, but at 4K, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. The RTX 5090 D’s 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is put to work at 4K, and the results show that even this powerful GPU cannot maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra, averaging just 66 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 327 FPS, which is the single highest measured FPS in the entire dataset. Medium settings average 303 FPS, with a minimum of 258 FPS and a maximum of 348 FPS. High settings average 239 FPS, and Ultra settings average 181 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 44.6% reduction in FPS, which is significant but still leaves headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors at all settings except possibly Ultra on 240Hz displays.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show the expected drop from 1080p. Low settings average 252 FPS, which is still excellent for competitive play. Medium settings average 205 FPS, with a minimum of 174 FPS and a maximum of 235 FPS. High settings average 157 FPS, and Ultra settings average 119 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra at 1440p is 38 FPS, which is smaller than the 58 FPS gap between Low and Medium. This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces more GPU-intensive effects that the RTX 5090 D handles well but not without cost.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates drop to levels that are still playable but not as high as lower resolutions. Low settings average 140 FPS, which is a strong result for 4K gaming. Medium settings average 114 FPS, with a minimum of 96 FPS and a maximum of 131 FPS. High settings average 87 FPS, and Ultra settings average 66 FPS. The 4K Ultra result of 66 FPS is above the 60 FPS threshold, but there is no min FPS data for Ultra settings, so we cannot assess frame consistency. The Medium settings data shows a minimum of 96 FPS, which suggests that even in demanding scenes, the combo maintains playable frame rates.

The comparison between settings at each resolution reveals how the game scales. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 146 FPS (327 vs 181). At 1440p, the difference is 133 FPS (252 vs 119). At 4K, the difference is 74 FPS (140 vs 66). This shrinking gap at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU becomes the limiting factor, and the CPU’s influence on settings-based performance diminishes as resolution increases.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 38th out of 2944 tested combinations in Palworld, placing it in the top 1.3% of all configurations. This is an exceptionally strong ranking, driven primarily by the RTX 5090 D’s raw performance. However, the CPU’s position in the 72nd percentile against all CPUs suggests that the i5-12400 is not the best possible pairing for this GPU. The data shows that the combo’s ranking is likely limited by the CPU at lower resolutions, where the GPU is underutilized.

To contextualize this ranking, consider that there are 2944 total combos tested. A rank of 38 means that only 37 other CPU-GPU pairings produce higher average FPS in Palworld. Given that the RTX 5090 D is one of the most powerful GPUs available, the ranking is expected to be high, but the i5-12400’s mid-range status may cap the combo’s potential. If paired with a higher-end CPU, the same GPU could likely achieve a higher rank, but the data does not include such a comparison.

The combo’s performance in Palworld is consistent with its benchmark scores. The i5-12400’s average benchmark score of 18683 places it near the AMD EPYC 7643 (18697, -0.1%) and the Intel Core i7-1355U (18730, -0.3%). The GPU’s average benchmark score of 77712 places it near the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76904, 1.1%) and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78940, -1.6%). These aggregate scores suggest that both components are well-matched in overall performance, even if their individual strengths and weaknesses differ in gaming workloads.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1440p offers the best balance of frame rate and visual fidelity. At 1440p High, the combo averages 157 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and close to the 144 Hz refresh rate of many monitors. At 1440p Ultra, it still averages 119 FPS, providing a high-quality experience without sacrificing smoothness. While 1080p delivers higher frame rates (up to 327 FPS at Low), the visual improvement at 1440p is substantial, and the frame rates remain excellent.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K Ultra settings in Palworld?

A: Yes, but with caveats. The average FPS at 4K Ultra is 66, which is above the 60 FPS target for most players. However, there is no minimum FPS data for Ultra settings, so it is unclear how the combo performs in the most demanding scenes. At 4K High, the average is 87 FPS, which provides more headroom. For a stable 60 FPS at 4K, the data suggests that High settings are a safer choice than Ultra.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this combo?

A: The bottleneck shifts depending on resolution and settings. At 1080p, the CPU is the limiting factor, as evidenced by the 327 FPS average at Low settings, which is likely near the CPU’s frame delivery limit. At 4K, especially at Ultra settings, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, as shown by the 66 FPS average at 4K Ultra. At 1440p, the balance is more even, with the combo delivering 205 FPS at Medium and 119 FPS at Ultra.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 D compare to its nearest rivals in aggregate benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77712, which is 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76904) and 1.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78940). It is also 2.1% lower than the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (79396) and 2.4% lower than the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (79605). These comparisons are based on synthetic benchmarks and may not directly translate to Palworld performance.

Q: What is the i5-12400’s performance relative to its nearest rivals?

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). It is 0.7% lower than the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (18811) and 0.9% higher than the Intel Core i3-14100F (18519). These deltas are all within 1%, indicating that the i5-12400 is a well-rounded mid-range processor in synthetic tests.

Q: How much FPS drops from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the combo averages 239 FPS at 1080p, 157 FPS at 1440p, and 87 FPS at 4K. This represents a 34.3% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 44.6% drop from 1440p to 4K. The total reduction from 1080p to 4K is 63.6%, which is consistent with the increased pixel count and shading demands at higher resolutions.