Palworld

Palworld presents a demanding workload for the Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 570. The measured data reveals a configuration that struggles to maintain playable frame rates at higher resolutions, with performance scaling that clearly identifies the GPU as the primary constraint. This analysis breaks down the benchmark results across resolutions, settings, and component roles.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K shows a steep and consistent decline, characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 73 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings, the average drops to 48 FPS, a reduction of 34%. At 3840x2160, the average falls further to 27 FPS, which is only 37% of the 1080p performance. This pattern indicates that the rendering load is scaling almost linearly with pixel count, a classic sign that the Radeon RX 570's compute and memory resources are being saturated.

The gap between settings widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 38 FPS (73 vs 35). At 1440p, that gap narrows to 25 FPS (48 vs 23), and at 4K it shrinks to 14 FPS (27 vs 13). This compression of the settings range at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is so overwhelmed by pixel throughput that the additional shading work from higher presets has less relative impact. The limiting factor shifts from the complexity of the scene to the sheer number of pixels being processed.

The 4K results are particularly telling. All four presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — produce averages between 13 and 27 FPS. Even the lowest preset cannot break past 27 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The data shows that this configuration is not viable for 4K gaming in Palworld, regardless of graphical compromise. The 1440p results are borderline, with the Medium preset averaging 39 FPS and a minimum of 33 FPS, while the Low preset reaches 48 FPS. For a playable experience, 1080p remains the only resolution where the combo delivers consistently acceptable performance, with Medium averaging 59 FPS and Low reaching 73 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and AMD Radeon RX 570 ranks 3543 out of 3711 tested combos for Palworld. This places it in the bottom 5% of all configurations, indicating that it is significantly underpowered relative to the majority of systems tested in this game. The percentile ranking reflects a hardware pairing that is mismatched for the demands of Palworld's open-world survival gameplay.

The CPU component itself is not the primary issue. The i5-12600KF holds a percentile rank of 79 among all tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27799. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-10900K, which scores 27872, a delta of -0.3%, and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, which scores 27896, also a delta of -0.3%. This indicates the i5-12600KF is performing essentially on par with these high-end processors from previous generations. The GPU, however, tells a different story. The RX 570 has a percentile rank of 74 among all GPUs, with an average score of 28766. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6800M, which scores 28874, and the Radeon RX 470, which scores 28996. While these scores are close, the RX 570's absolute performance level is simply too low for Palworld's requirements.

The low combo rank is a direct consequence of pairing a mid-range CPU with an entry-level GPU from 2017. The CPU is capable of feeding the GPU, but the RX 570 cannot translate that data into high frame rates. The benchmark results confirm that the GPU is the bottleneck, as the combo's rank is far lower than either component's individual percentile would suggest. This is a case where the whole is significantly less than the sum of its parts in terms of gaming performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average frame rate this combo can achieve in Palworld?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 73 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only setting that approaches high-refresh-rate territory.

Q: Can this system run Palworld at 4K resolution?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the average frame rates range from 13 FPS on Ultra to 27 FPS on Low. None of these results are playable, indicating the GPU lacks the necessary pixel throughput for 4K.

Q: How does the i5-12600KF compare to its nearest CPU rival?

A: The i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score of 27799, while the Intel Core i9-10900K scores 27872. This represents a delta of -0.3%, meaning the i5-12600KF is essentially within statistical noise of the i9-10900K in overall CPU performance.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset?

A: For the Medium preset, the minimum FPS was 50 at 1920x1080, 33 at 2560x1440, and 18 at 3840x2160. These minimums indicate that frame pacing can suffer, especially at higher resolutions.

Q: Is the Radeon RX 570 the bottleneck in this system?

A: Yes. The benchmark data shows a steep performance drop as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of GPU saturation. The CPU's individual performance rank is high, but the combo's rank is very low, confirming the GPU limits the frame rate.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 48 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 23 FPS. This 25 FPS difference shows that the higher preset's additional graphical effects come at a significant performance cost.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the configuration shows a clear tiering of performance across presets. Low settings produce an average of 73 FPS, which is the only result above 60 FPS. Medium settings average 59 FPS, with a minimum of 50 and a maximum of 68. High settings drop to an average of 46 FPS, and Ultra falls to 35 FPS. The data shows that each step up in preset costs roughly 12-14 FPS on average.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance envelope shrinks considerably. Low settings average 48 FPS, which is still usable but not smooth. Medium settings average 39 FPS, with a minimum of 33 and a maximum of 45. High settings average 30 FPS, and Ultra drops to 23 FPS. The frame rates here are marginal for a survival game that may have frequent action sequences.

At 3840x2160, the results are uniformly poor. Low settings average 27 FPS, Medium averages 22 FPS with a minimum of 18 and maximum of 25, High averages 17 FPS, and Ultra averages 13 FPS. None of these results approach a playable threshold. The data indicates that the GPU's 224.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 5.095 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are insufficient for the pixel load at this resolution.

The Medium preset is the only one with reported minimum and maximum FPS values across all resolutions. At 1080p, the range is 50-68 FPS; at 1440p, it is 33-45 FPS; and at 4K, it is 18-25 FPS. This suggests that the Medium preset experiences the most variable frame pacing, likely due to the interaction between the GPU's compute units and memory subsystem.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 570 is built on the Polaris 20 chip using a 14 nm process from GlobalFoundries. It has 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1168 MHz and a boost clock of 1244 MHz. Its memory subsystem consists of 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. The card's FP32 performance is rated at 5.095 TFLOPS.

In Palworld, these specifications translate to a hard ceiling on performance. The 4 GB VRAM capacity is a potential limitation for higher texture settings, although the measured data does not show a catastrophic drop that would indicate VRAM overflow. The more significant constraint appears to be the raw compute throughput. The 5.095 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is simply not enough to handle the game's rendering demands at higher resolutions. The pixel rate of 39.81 GPixel/s and texture rate of 159.2 GTexel/s are also modest by modern standards.

The GPU's benchmark scores reflect its position in the hierarchy. It has a percentile rank of 74 among all GPUs, with an average score of 28766. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6800M, scores 28874, a delta of -0.4%. The RX 570's end-of-life production status and 2017 release date are consistent with its performance profile. The data shows that this GPU is best suited for 1080p gaming at medium to low settings in modern titles, which aligns perfectly with the measured results in Palworld.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend entirely on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers the best balance, averaging 59 FPS with a minimum of 50 FPS. This provides a stable, playable experience that remains above 60 FPS on average. The Low preset at 73 FPS is smoother, but the Medium preset's visual improvements are worth the ~14 FPS drop for most users. The High preset at 46 FPS is a significant downgrade in smoothness, and Ultra at 35 FPS is not recommended for any serious gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the choices become more constrained. The Low preset at 48 FPS is the only option that stays above 45 FPS, but it is still below the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset at 39 FPS is playable but may feel sluggish during intense moments. The High and Ultra presets at 30 and 23 FPS respectively are not recommended. For a better experience at 1440p, users would need to lower the resolution to 1080p or accept the Low preset.

At 3840x2160, no settings are recommended. All presets produce averages below 30 FPS, with the best being Low at 27 FPS. This resolution is not viable for this hardware. The data suggests that the best overall experience is achieved at 1080p with Medium settings. This configuration delivers a 59 FPS average with a 50 FPS minimum, which is the sweet spot between visual quality and performance for this hardware pairing. Users prioritizing frame rate above all else should select Low at 1080p to achieve 73 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. The CPU features a 20 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory. Its individual performance is strong, with a percentile rank of 79 among all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 27799. In Cinebench R23, it scores 23391 in multicore and 3302 in single-core tests.

In the context of Palworld, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The benchmark data indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor at any resolution. The frame rate drops are consistent with GPU saturation, not CPU bottlenecks. At 1080p Low, the 73 FPS average could potentially be higher with a more powerful GPU, as the CPU has headroom. The CPU's 3dmark scores — 7956 for 16 threads and 7952 for max threads — suggest it can handle multi-threaded workloads effectively.

The CPU's nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, scores 27896, which is only 0.3% higher. This indicates that the i5-12600KF is performing at the expected level for its class. The CPU's boost clock of 4.90 GHz is well-suited for gaming, where single-thread performance often matters. However, Palworld appears to be a title that is heavily GPU-bound, as evidenced by the large FPS swings between resolutions. The CPU's contribution to the overall combo rank is minimal; the GPU is the determining factor for the 3543 rank out of 3711 combos.