Palworld

Palworld on the Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 combination demonstrates a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics solution at higher resolutions, though the CPU shows it is more than capable of feeding the GPU at lower settings. The measured frames per second across the resolution and settings matrix reveal a clear performance hierarchy, with the 1080p Low preset being the only configuration approaching a fluid experience, while 4K remains largely unplayable. The data indicates that this is a pairing where the GTX 1650 is the definitive bottleneck in every scenario except for the most demanding CPU-bound situations, which are not present in this dataset.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K produces a dramatic collapse in frame rates, confirming that the GPU is the primary limiting component. At the High preset, the average frame rate falls from 46.4 FPS at 1920x1080 to 31.4 FPS at 2560x1440, and then plummets to 14.4 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a reduction of roughly 52% in performance when moving from 1440p to 4K, alongside a 32% drop from 1080p to 1440p. The scaling pattern is consistent with a graphics card that is running out of pixel throughput and memory bandwidth as the resolution increases, rather than a CPU limitation.

The Low preset exhibits a similar trend but with higher absolute values. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 73.6 FPS, which drops to 50.6 FPS at 1440p and further to 26.2 FPS at 4K. Even at the lowest quality settings, the 4K resolution is too demanding for the GTX 1650, as the score falls well below the 30 FPS threshold typically associated with playability. The Medium preset follows the same pattern, going from 61.3 FPS at 1080p to 36.7 FPS at 1440p, and then to 20.2 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset is the most punishing, starting at a low 31.4 FPS at 1080p and degrading to 23.5 FPS at 1440p and a mere 12.9 FPS at 4K.

The resolution scaling data indicates that the GTX 1650's 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and 128-bit bus width are insufficient for the demands of Palworld at higher resolutions. The frame rate deltas between settings are more pronounced at 1080p, where the difference between Low (73.6 FPS) and Ultra (31.4 FPS) is 42.2 FPS, whereas at 4K the same comparison yields only a 13.3 FPS difference. This compression of performance at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is saturating its available resources regardless of the quality preset, making resolution the dominant factor in performance output.

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. Its benchmark scores indicate a strong mid-range performer, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21279 and a single-core score of 3004. The processor's percentile rank of 82 out of all tested CPUs places it well above average, and its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-13620H with a delta of 0.1% and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D with a delta of -0.5%. This level of performance is more than sufficient for Palworld, which is a game that does not appear to be heavily threaded based on the observed frame rates.

In the measured data, the CPU does not show signs of being a bottleneck at any resolution or setting. The frame rates scale consistently with resolution and quality changes, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. For instance, at 1080p, the difference between Low and Medium settings is 12.3 FPS, and between Medium and High is 14.9 FPS, showing that the CPU is able to handle the increased draw calls without limiting the frame rate. Even at 4K Ultra, where the average frame rate drops to 12.9 FPS, the processor is not the limiting factor; rather, the GPU is unable to process the increased pixel count and geometry load.

The processor's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support contribute to its ability to maintain consistent frame delivery. The 3DMark multi-threaded scores, such as 7314 for 16 threads and 7307 for max threads, indicate that the CPU has ample headroom for gaming workloads. In this specific title, the CPU's role is to provide a stable foundation, which it does effectively, as evidenced by the fact that the GPU reaches its performance ceiling before the CPU does in all tested configurations. The data suggests that pairing this CPU with a more powerful GPU would yield significantly higher frame rates, as the i5-13400F is not the constraining element.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is the clear performance limiter in this configuration. This GPU features 896 shading units, 56 texture mapping units, and 32 render output units, with a base clock of 1485 MHz and a boost clock of 1665 MHz. Its memory subsystem consists of 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 128.1 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's benchmark scores reflect its entry-level positioning, with a PassMark G3D score of 7880 and a percentile rank of 43 versus all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile with a delta of -0.4% and the AMD Radeon 550X with a delta of -0.4%, showing that it sits at the bottom of the modern discrete GPU hierarchy.

The measured frame rates directly reflect the GPU's limited capabilities. At 1080p High, the GTX 1650 manages 46.4 FPS, which is playable but not smooth by modern standards. However, at 1440p High, the frame rate drops to 31.4 FPS, and at 4K High it falls to 14.4 FPS, rendering the game effectively unplayable at those resolutions. The GPU's 4 GB of VRAM is likely a significant factor in the poor 4K performance, as Palworld's open-world environments with numerous creatures and structures can easily exceed this capacity, leading to texture swapping and frame time spikes. Even at 1080p Ultra, the GPU only achieves 31.4 FPS, indicating that it cannot handle the highest quality settings at any resolution.

The performance deltas between settings are more pronounced at lower resolutions, which is typical for a GPU that is not bandwidth-limited. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 42.2 FPS, while at 4K, the same difference is only 13.3 FPS. This suggests that at 4K, the GPU is hitting a hard architectural limit, possibly related to its pixel fill rate of 53.28 GPixel/s and texture rate of 93.24 GTexel/s. The GPU's FP32 performance of 2.984 TFLOPS is also modest, further explaining its struggles with the game's visual effects. In summary, the GTX 1650 is a legacy part that is adequate for 1080p gaming at low to medium settings in Palworld, but it has no headroom for higher resolutions or quality presets.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal experience for this combination is achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset, which yields an average frame rate of 73.6 FPS. This is the only configuration in the dataset that comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS threshold, providing a smooth and responsive gameplay experience. The Low preset at 1080p also offers a significant performance advantage over the Medium preset, which delivers 61.3 FPS, and the High preset, which delivers 46.4 FPS. While the Medium preset is technically playable, the 12.3 FPS improvement from Medium to Low is substantial and worth considering for players who prioritize frame rate stability.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves 50.6 FPS, which is playable but with noticeable stutter in busy areas. The Medium preset at 1440p drops to 36.7 FPS, which is borderline for a survival game that requires quick reactions. The High and Ultra presets at 1440p are not recommended, as they fall to 31.4 FPS and 23.5 FPS respectively. At 3840x2160, all presets are effectively unplayable, with the Low preset being the best at 26.2 FPS, followed by Medium at 20.2 FPS, High at 14.4 FPS, and Ultra at 12.9 FPS. For 4K, the data clearly shows that this GPU cannot handle Palworld, and users should not attempt to run the game at this resolution.

The Ultra preset is the worst choice across all resolutions. At 1080p, it delivers 31.4 FPS, which is the same as the High preset at 1440p, indicating that the extra visual fidelity is not worth the performance cost. The data suggests that the game's Ultra settings impose a heavy load on the GPU's shading units and memory subsystem, making it unsuitable for this hardware. The recommended configuration is 1080p Low, with 1080p Medium as a viable alternative if the user is willing to accept a lower frame rate for improved visuals. For users with variable refresh rate displays, the 1080p Low preset provides the best frame time consistency.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 ranks 1670 out of 1718 tested combos for Palworld. This places it in the bottom 3% of all configurations, indicating that it is one of the weakest systems for this particular game. The rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's limitations, as the CPU's performance is well above average. The i5-13400F's percentile rank of 82 among all CPUs contrasts sharply with the GTX 1650's percentile rank of 43 among all GPUs, creating a significant imbalance in this pairing.

The combo rank of 1670 out of 1718 means that 48 other tested configurations perform worse than this system in Palworld. This is a surprising statistic, given the CPU's strength, and it underscores the severity of the GPU bottleneck. The data indicates that the GTX 1650 is holding back the i5-13400F to such a degree that the entire system performs like a much weaker machine. For comparison, the GPU's nearest rivals, such as the RTX 3050 A Mobile and Radeon 550X, have similar average benchmark scores, but their performance in Palworld would likely be similar given the resolution and settings tested here.

The low combo rank is not a reflection of the CPU's capabilities but rather evidence of the GPU's age and limited feature set. The GTX 1650's 4 GB VRAM and lack of hardware ray tracing acceleration are not directly relevant to Palworld's requirements, but its raw rasterization performance is simply insufficient for a modern open-world game. The measured FPS data confirms that this system is only viable at 1080p Low, which severely limits its usability. Users with this combination should consider it a legacy 1080p gaming setup, and any expectation of higher resolution or quality performance would be unfounded based on the benchmark results. The rank of 1670 serves as a cautionary indicator that this hardware pairing is not suitable for Palworld beyond the most minimal settings.