Palworld

Palworld presents a demanding survival sandbox where the balance between processor throughput and graphics rendering dictates playability. For the configuration pairing the Intel Core i5-13400F with the Intel Arc B370, the measured data reveals a system that is strictly limited by its graphics subsystem at every tested setting. The benchmark results indicate a combination that can achieve playable frame rates only at lower resolutions and quality presets, with the CPU demonstrating ample headroom for the game's mechanics.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. This configuration is well-suited for modern game engines that leverage multiple threads for physics, AI, and world simulation. In Palworld, which involves complex survival mechanics and creature AI, the 10 physical cores provide a robust foundation for processing game logic. The processor's benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22604 and a single-core score of 3191, indicate strong computational performance. This is further supported by a Passmark multithread score of 25032 and a Geekbench single-core score of 1996.

Given the measured FPS data, the CPU is not the performance bottleneck. At 1080p Low settings, the system reaches 76 FPS, a figure that is more likely constrained by the graphics card than the processor. The CPU's 3DMark scores, such as 7314 for 16 threads and 5591 for 8 threads, suggest it can handle substantial parallel workloads. The 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache help ensure that game data is readily accessible, reducing latency. The 16 threads are sufficient to feed the graphics pipeline, but the data shows that the Intel Arc B370 cannot translate this processing power into high frame rates at higher settings. The CPU's performance percentile of 77 versus all CPUs places it well above the median, reinforcing that its role is to provide a stable, high-throughput platform. In this specific game, the Core i5-13400F's capabilities are largely underutilized, as the frame rates are consistently low across the board, indicating that the graphics card is the primary limiter.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-13400F a bottleneck for the Intel Arc B370 in Palworld?

A: No. The measured FPS data shows that performance is consistently low across all settings, and the frame rate scales significantly with resolution and quality, which are GPU-bound factors. The CPU's high multi-threaded scores suggest it has ample capacity, with the system likely limited by the Intel Arc B370's graphics processing capabilities.

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

A: The data indicates it is not viable. At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 13 FPS on Ultra settings to 28 FPS on Low settings. The highest 4K average is 28 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay, and the Ultra preset yields a nearly unplayable 13 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for a playable experience?

A: According to the measured data, the most playable experience is at 1920x1080 with Low settings, which achieves an average of 76 FPS. At 2560x1440 with Low settings, the average drops to 50 FPS, which is still playable but less smooth. The High preset at 1080p yields 47 FPS on average.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals in terms of raw performance?

A: The Intel Arc B370 has an average benchmark score of 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, scores 1186, a delta of -0.2%, showing they are nearly identical. The AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192, which is 0.7% higher, indicating the Arc B370 is on par with these legacy parts.

Q: Does the CPU's performance change between 1080p and 4K?

A: The CPU's processing power remains constant, but its utilization changes. At 1080p, the system achieves higher FPS (76 FPS on Low), which requires more CPU work to prepare frames. At 4K, the FPS drops (28 FPS on Low), meaning the CPU is doing less work per second, as the GPU takes longer to render each frame, confirming the GPU is the limiting factor.

Q: What is the frame time variance at 1440p Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the system produces an average of 41 FPS with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 47 FPS. This indicates a 12 FPS variance between the minimum and maximum, showing some inconsistency in frame pacing, but the average remains relatively stable.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-13400F and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2706 out of 2944 tested combos in Palworld. This places the configuration in the bottom 8% of all tested systems, reflecting its significant performance limitations in this specific game. The low rank is almost entirely attributable to the Intel Arc B370's graphics performance, which is in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. The CPU, in contrast, is in the 77th percentile of all CPUs, showing a massive imbalance in capability.

Benchmark results indicate that this combo is not competitive with most other tested combinations. The GPU's performance is comparable to that of the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which is a much older component, and this is reflected in the overall rank. The data shows that while the CPU is strong, the GPU severely restricts the system's ability to render Palworld's environments and effects. The high rank number (2706 out of 2944) suggests that users would need to make significant compromises in resolution and settings to achieve any level of playability. This pairing is a clear example of a CPU-bound platform being held back by an underpowered graphics solution in a demanding game title. The system's performance is so low that it would be difficult to recommend for Palworld, as even the lowest settings at 1080p only manage an average of 76 FPS, which is acceptable but not ideal for a game that can have many on-screen objects.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the system's performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. Starting at 1920x1080, the system achieves an average of 76 FPS on Low settings, which is the highest average frame rate recorded. This drops to 62 FPS on Medium settings, with a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 71 FPS. The High preset yields 47 FPS, and the Ultra preset produces 36 FPS. At this resolution, the system can be considered playable on Low and Medium, but the frame rate drops become more noticeable on higher presets.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance decreases across the board. The Low preset achieves an average of 50 FPS, which is a significant drop from 1080p. The Medium preset averages 41 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 47 FPS. The High preset yields 31 FPS, and the Ultra preset produces 24 FPS. At 1440p, only the Low setting provides a consistently smooth experience, while others fall into a range that may feel sluggish.

At 3840x2160, the performance is severely limited. The Low preset averages 28 FPS, making it the only setting that comes close to playability. The Medium preset averages 23 FPS, with a minimum of 19 FPS and a maximum of 26 FPS. The High preset drops to 17 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages a nearly unplayable 13 FPS. The data shows a linear progression of performance loss as resolution increases, with 4K proving too demanding for the Intel Arc B370.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data reveals how the system scales with resolution, which is a key indicator of the limiting component. From 1080p to 1440p with Low settings, the average FPS drops from 76 to 50, a reduction of 34%. This is a substantial loss, but the system remains playable. From 1440p to 4K with Low settings, the average FPS drops from 50 to 28, a reduction of 44%. This shows that the performance penalty is not linear, with the higher resolution causing a disproportionately larger drop.

This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound system. As the resolution increases, the number of pixels that the graphics card must render increases exponentially, placing a much heavier load on the GPU. The CPU's workload does not increase as much with resolution, as it still has to process the same game logic. The data shows that the Intel Arc B370 is overwhelmed by the demands of 4K rendering, as the frame rate drops to levels that are not playable. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is also steep, suggesting that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are insufficient for the task. If the system were CPU-bound, we would expect to see similar frame rates across resolutions, as the CPU would be the limiting factor. The fact that frame rates drop so significantly with resolution confirms that the Intel Arc B370 is the primary constraint on performance in Palworld.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the only viable settings for a playable experience are at 1920x1080 with the Low preset, which achieves an average of 76 FPS. This is the only configuration that offers a frame rate high enough for smooth, responsive gameplay in a survival game where quick reactions can be important. The Medium preset at 1080p yields 62 FPS, which is also playable, but the margin for error in demanding scenarios is smaller. For users who prioritize visual quality over raw frame rate, the High preset at 1080p provides 47 FPS, which is acceptable for a less action-oriented playstyle.

At 2560x1440, the only recommended setting is Low, which averages 50 FPS. This provides a sharper image than 1080p but with a lower frame rate. The Medium preset at 1440p, at 41 FPS, is borderline, but the minimum of 35 FPS suggests it may not be consistent. For 3840x2160, the data does not support any settings for a good experience. The Low preset at 28 FPS is below the threshold for smooth play, and all higher settings are unplayable. The best experience per the measured rows is unequivocally 1080p Low, which offers the highest average FPS and the most headroom for the game's dynamic elements. Users should avoid Ultra presets at any resolution, as the performance cost is too high for the visual benefit, with the 1080p Ultra setting only achieving 36 FPS.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, with a 3 nm process node. It has 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units, along with 10 ray tracing cores. Its boost clock is 2400 MHz, and it has a TDP of 25 W. The GPU's memory is system-shared, meaning it uses the system's RAM, and its bandwidth is system-dependent. This configuration is fundamentally limited for gaming, as it must share memory bandwidth with the CPU.

The GPU's benchmark performance is exceptionally low, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. This puts it in the same performance class as the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which is a much older discrete graphics card. In Palworld, this translates to the low frame rates observed in the data. The GPU's 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is insufficient for the demands of a modern game at high resolutions and settings. The system-shared memory is a major bottleneck, as it limits the amount of data that can be transferred between the GPU and the CPU.

The measured FPS data directly reflects the GPU's limitations. The fact that the system can only achieve 76 FPS at 1080p Low shows that the GPU is the primary constraint. The performance scaling with resolution is also a clear indicator, as the GPU's fill rate is unable to keep up with the increasing pixel count. The Intel Arc B370 is a component designed for basic graphics tasks, not for gaming, and the data confirms this. It lacks the dedicated memory and processing power necessary to provide a smooth gaming experience in a title as demanding as Palworld. The GPU's 48.00 GPixel/s pixel rate and 96.00 GTexel/s texture rate are simply too low for the game's rendering requirements.