Palworld

Palworld on the Intel Core i5-13400F and Intel Arc B390 combination produces a fundamentally GPU-limited experience across every tested resolution and settings preset. The measured frame rates show a steep performance cliff as resolution increases, with the integrated graphics solution struggling to maintain playable numbers beyond 1080p. The data indicates that this combo ranks in the 11th percentile of tested configurations, placing it near the bottom of the database for this title.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and consistent across all settings presets, confirming that the Intel Arc B390 is the dominant bottleneck in this pairing. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 84 at 1920x1080 to 56 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 28 frames, then further down to 31 at 3840x2160. This represents a 63% loss in average FPS from the lowest to the highest resolution tested at Low settings.

The scaling pattern becomes even more pronounced at higher quality presets. At High settings, the average drops from 53 at 1080p to 35 at 1440p, then to 19 at 4K — a 64% reduction overall. Medium settings show a similar trajectory: 68 FPS at 1080p, 45 at 1440p, and 25 at 4K. The Ultra preset, which demands the most from the GPU, delivers only 40 FPS at 1080p, 26 at 1440p, and a marginal 15 FPS at 4K.

These numbers reveal that the resolution scaling is not linear but accelerates as pixel count grows. The gap between 1440p and 4K is consistently larger than the gap between 1080p and 1440p. For instance, at Medium settings, moving from 1080p to 1440p costs 23 FPS, while moving from 1440p to 4K costs an additional 20 FPS despite the smaller relative pixel increase. This behavior is characteristic of a GPU that exhausts its shading and texture throughput early, making each additional pixel progressively more expensive.

The measured FPS range at Medium settings provides additional insight. At 1080p, the minimum FPS is 58 and the maximum is 79, a spread of 21 frames. At 1440p, the spread narrows to 14 frames (38-52), and at 4K it tightens further to 8 frames (21-29). This compression of the FPS range at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is consistently saturated, leaving little headroom for variance. The data strongly suggests that the i5-13400F is not the limiting factor at any resolution; the CPU's 10 cores and 16 threads are ample for this workload, while the Arc B390's modest specifications dictate the performance ceiling.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor built on the Xe3-LPG architecture with a 3 nm process node. Its specifications are minimal: 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operation units. The core clock operates at a 300 MHz base and boosts to 2500 MHz. Memory is system shared, with bandwidth described as system dependent — meaning the GPU relies on the host system's DDR4 or DDR5 memory rather than dedicated VRAM.

The GPU's benchmark results contextualize its performance. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals are all legacy discrete parts: the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, 1.3% slower), the GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% slower), the GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% slower), and the GT 710 (1443, 2.7% slower). This places the Arc B390 in the same performance tier as entry-level discrete GPUs from over a decade ago, which explains its inability to maintain high frame rates in Palworld at demanding settings.

The shared memory architecture is a critical factor. Since the GPU has no dedicated VRAM, it must compete with the CPU for memory bandwidth. In Palworld, a survival game that loads large open-world environments, this contention likely contributes to the low average FPS at 4K. The system shared memory type and system dependent bandwidth mean that performance could vary based on the host system's memory configuration, but the measured data shows that even at best, the GPU cannot exceed 84 FPS at 1080p Low.

The FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are modest figures that align with the observed results. The pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s, combined with the 24 ROPs, is insufficient for high-resolution rendering. The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) is present, but the hardware capabilities are too limited to leverage advanced features at playable frame rates. The 2500 MHz boost clock is the only specification that appears competitive, but it cannot compensate for the low core counts and shared memory bandwidth.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F is a 13th-generation Raptor Lake desktop processor with 10 cores and 16 threads. It runs at a 2.50 GHz base clock and boosts to 4.60 GHz. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. The 65 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 mounting are standard for this segment. The processor supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus, with PCIe Gen 5 providing 16 CPU lanes.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-13400F demonstrates strong multi-threaded capability. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 22604, and its single-core score is 3191. The Geekbench multi-core result is 11068 with a single-core score of 1996. These figures place the CPU in the 77th percentile of all processors in the database, a stark contrast to the GPU's 9th percentile ranking. The average benchmark score of 25292 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals: the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS (25284, 0% delta), Intel Core 5 120 (25362, -0.3%), AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D (25365, -0.3%), and AMD Ryzen 7 6800H (25201, 0.4% delta).

The CPU's processing power is far in excess of what Palworld requires for the frame rates observed. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 7314 and max-thread score of 7307 show nearly perfect scaling, indicating the 10-core design is well-utilized in multi-threaded workloads. The PassMark multi-thread score of 25032 and the floating point math score of 60539 further confirm the CPU's capability. At 1080p Low, where the GPU is least stressed, the CPU still delivers 84 FPS — but this is constrained by the GPU, not the processor.

The data shows no scenario where the i5-13400F becomes the bottleneck. Even at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS drops to 15, the CPU's single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3191) is more than sufficient to feed the GPU. The 4.60 GHz boost clock ensures responsive frame pacing, but the GPU cannot translate that into higher FPS. The CPU's 65 W TDP and 16 threads are well-matched for Palworld's gameplay mechanics, but the pairing is unbalanced: the processor has excess headroom that the Arc B390 cannot utilize.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-13400F and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2607 out of 2944 tested combos in Palworld, placing it in the bottom 11.4% of all configurations. This rank reflects the GPU's severe limitation, as the CPU is a top-quartile performer. The disparity between the two components' percentiles — 77th for the CPU versus 9th for the GPU — is the defining characteristic of this pairing.

This rank means that the vast majority of tested combos achieve higher frame rates in Palworld. The 2944 total combos include a wide range of hardware, and this configuration's position at 2607 indicates it is outperformed by approximately 88% of alternatives. The GPU's nearest rivals, which include the GT 520MX and GT 710, are ancient parts that would not be expected to run modern games well; the Arc B390's similar performance tier explains the low ranking.

The combo's performance is consistent with the GPU's standalone ranking. The Arc B390's 9th percentile position among GPUs directly translates to a bottom-decile combo rank when paired with a mainstream CPU. The i5-13400F's strength does not boost the ranking because Palworld's frame rate is overwhelmingly determined by the GPU at all tested settings. The data shows no resolution or preset where the CPU's capabilities meaningfully influence the outcome.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS ranges from 84 at Low settings to 40 at Ultra. The Medium preset delivers 68 FPS with a minimum of 58 and maximum of 79. High settings produce 53 FPS. This is the only resolution where any preset achieves a frame rate above 60 FPS, and only the Low preset reaches it. The Medium preset's 68 FPS is playable, but the High and Ultra presets fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops significantly. Low settings yield 56 FPS, Medium delivers 45 FPS (38-52 range), High produces 35 FPS, and Ultra falls to 26 FPS. No preset at this resolution reaches 60 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 38 FPS indicates occasional drops below smooth gameplay standards. The step from Low to Medium costs 11 FPS, while Medium to High costs 10 FPS, and High to Ultra costs 9 FPS — showing a relatively even penalty per quality tier.

At 3840x2160, the results are largely unplayable. Low settings average 31 FPS, Medium averages 25 FPS (21-29 range), High averages 19 FPS, and Ultra averages 15 FPS. The Medium preset's maximum of 29 FPS is below the minimum for any playable experience. The gap between Low and Medium is 6 FPS, Medium to High is 6 FPS, and High to Ultra is 4 FPS, showing diminishing returns as settings increase. The 4K results confirm that this combo is not suitable for high-resolution gaming.

The data reveals that the FPS penalty for each settings tier is not uniform across resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 44 FPS (84 to 40). At 1440p, the spread narrows to 30 FPS (56 to 26), and at 4K it narrows further to 16 FPS (31 to 15). This compression indicates that at higher resolutions, the GPU is so saturated that quality settings have less impact on absolute frame rates, but the relative penalty remains significant.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal configuration for this combo is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which delivers an average of 84 FPS. This is the only tested setting that provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, making it the recommended choice for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 1080p, averaging 68 FPS, is a viable alternative for users who prioritize visual quality over frame rate headroom, as it remains above 60 FPS on average.

At 2560x1440, no preset achieves 60 FPS. The Low setting at 56 FPS is the closest, but it falls short of the smoothness threshold. Users with 1440p displays should consider lowering resolution to 1080p for a better experience. The Medium preset at 1440p, with a minimum of 38 FPS, may cause noticeable stuttering in fast-paced gameplay. The data does not support any 4K configuration, as even Low settings at 31 FPS are below playable standards.

For users who must play at 1440p, the Low preset is the only reasonable choice, accepting the 56 FPS average. The High and Ultra presets at any resolution above 1080p are not recommended due to sub-40 FPS averages. The Medium preset's measured FPS range at 1080p (58-79) shows that it can dip near 60 FPS, so users with variable refresh rate displays may tolerate it, but the Low preset offers the most consistent performance.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1920x1080 with Low settings delivers the highest average FPS at 84, making it the only tested configuration above 60 FPS. Medium at 1080p averages 68 FPS and is the second-best option.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Palworld?

A: No. The highest 4K average FPS is 31 at Low settings, with Medium at 25, High at 19, and Ultra at 15. All 4K results are below playable thresholds.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad, which is 1.3% higher than the GT 520MX, 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M, 2.5% higher than the GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% higher than the GT 710.

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

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile of GPUs, while the i5-13400F ranks in the 77th percentile of CPUs. Frame rates drop consistently with resolution, indicating GPU saturation.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking in Palworld?

A: This combo ranks 2607 out of 2944 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 11.4% of all configurations tested for this game.

Q: What is the FPS range at Medium settings across resolutions?

A: At 1080p Medium, the range is 58 to 79 FPS. At 1440p Medium, it is 38 to 52 FPS. At 4K Medium, it is 21 to 29 FPS. The range narrows as resolution increases.