Palworld

Palworld’s measured performance with the Intel Core i5-14400F and Intel Arc B390 combo is severely constrained by the graphics processor, producing a playable experience only at 1080p with reduced settings. The data shows a 2607th place ranking out of 2944 tested combos for this title, placing it in the bottom 11% of all configurations. This pairing demonstrates a profound imbalance where the capable 10-core CPU is effectively idled by a GPU that ranks in the 9th percentile among all graphics cards, making settings and resolution adjustments the only viable levers for improving frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate collapse from 1080p to 4K is stark and reveals a GPU-bound scenario at every resolution tested. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 84 at 1920x1080 to 56 at 2560x1440, a 33% reduction, and then to 31 at 3840x2160, which is a 63% drop from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern indicates that the Intel Arc B390’s rendering throughput is the primary limiting factor, as the pixel count increase directly translates into proportional performance losses.

The High settings preset tells a similar story with slightly lower absolute numbers. The average FPS falls from 53 at 1080p to 35 at 1440p (a 34% decrease) and then to 19 at 4K (a 64% decrease from 1080p). These consistent percentage drops across different quality presets suggest that resolution scaling is independent of the specific graphics settings applied, confirming that the bottleneck is purely the GPU’s fill rate and shading capacity rather than any CPU-side constraint.

The Medium preset provides the most complete dataset with min and max FPS values, offering insight into frame pacing. At 1080p Medium, the average is 68 FPS with a minimum of 58 and maximum of 79, showing a relatively tight 21 FPS spread. Moving to 1440p Medium drops the average to 45 FPS with a range of 38 to 52, and at 4K Medium the average falls to 25 FPS with a 21 to 29 range. The consistent delta between min and max FPS across resolutions—roughly 8 to 10 FPS—indicates that the frame time variance is stable even as the average performance degrades, which points to a sustained GPU workload rather than sporadic CPU hitches.

Ultra settings are nearly unplayable at higher resolutions, with the 4K Ultra average sitting at just 15 FPS. The 1080p Ultra result of 40 FPS is the only Ultra preset that approaches a minimally acceptable frame rate, yet it still represents a 52% reduction compared to the 1080p Low result. The data clearly shows that users targeting 1440p or 4K will need to accept Low or Medium settings at best, while 1080p offers more headroom for higher quality presets.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, and its memory configuration is entirely system-shared with bandwidth described as system-dependent. This architecture explains the dramatic performance scaling observed in Palworld, as the GPU must contend for memory bandwidth with the CPU. The 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate are the raw throughput figures that govern the resolution scaling behavior documented above.

The GPU’s benchmark results place it in the 9th percentile of all graphics cards, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482. Its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX at 1463 (1.3% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M at 1460 (1.5% slower), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM at 1446 (2.5% slower). These comparisons highlight that the B390 sits at the very bottom of the discrete GPU performance ladder, and the Palworld results corroborate this positioning—the 1080p Low average of 84 FPS is the only remotely competitive figure, and it comes at the cost of reduced visual fidelity.

The GPU’s 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs provide the core architectural foundation for its rendering capabilities. The 12 ray tracing cores are present but irrelevant for Palworld’s standard rasterization workload. The DirectX 12 Ultimate support with a 12_2 feature level is technically modern, but the raw execution resources are simply too limited to drive demanding open-world survival titles at high resolutions. The 80 W TDP and integrated graphics form factor (IGP) reinforce that this is not designed for heavy 3D workloads, despite its active production status and 2026 release date.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Palworld with this hardware?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the only resolution where average FPS exceeds 50 across multiple presets. At 1080p Low, the average is 84 FPS; at 1080p Medium, it is 68 FPS; and at 1080p High, it is 53 FPS. All 1440p and 4K results fall below 56 FPS, and most fall below 35 FPS.

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

A: In synthetic benchmarks, the B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. It is 1.3% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M, and 2.5% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM. These are marginal differences that translate to sub-5% performance deltas in real-world gaming.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-14400F holding back the GPU in Palworld?

A: No. The CPU has a multithread score of 25470 in PassMark and ranks in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U and Intel Core i9-11900, with deltaPct values under 0.5%. The FPS scaling pattern from 1080p to 4K shows consistent GPU-bound behavior, meaning the CPU is not the limiting factor.

Q: What settings preset provides the most stable frame rate at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 45 FPS with a minimum of 38 and maximum of 52. This is the only 1440p preset with complete min/max data, and its 14 FPS spread between minimum and maximum indicates reasonable frame pacing. Low settings at 1440p average 56 FPS but lack min/max data.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 53 at 1920x1080 to 35 at 2560x1440, and then to 19 at 3840x2160. This represents a 34% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 64% reduction from 1080p to 4K, showing that 4K gaming is not viable with this combination.

Q: Does the Ultra preset ever deliver playable frame rates?

A: Only at 1080p, where the average FPS is 40. At 1440p Ultra, the average drops to 26 FPS, and at 4K Ultra it falls to 15 FPS. The 1080p Ultra result is the only Ultra preset that could be considered marginally playable for slower-paced gameplay.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full spectrum of settings was tested. Low settings produce an average of 84 FPS, which is the highest measured result for this configuration. Medium settings average 68 FPS with a documented range of 58 to 79 FPS, providing a stable experience above the 60 FPS threshold. High settings average 53 FPS, which is playable but noticeably below 60 FPS. Ultra settings average 40 FPS, which is the lowest 1080p result but still the only Ultra preset that exceeds 30 FPS.

At 2560x1440, performance drops significantly across all presets. Low settings average 56 FPS, which is the only 1440p result above 50 FPS. Medium settings average 45 FPS with a range of 38 to 52 FPS, making it the smoothest 1440p option with documented frame pacing. High settings average 35 FPS, and Ultra settings average 26 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 30-35% of the average FPS across all settings, consistent with the increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, all settings produce sub-60 FPS results, with most falling below 30 FPS. Low settings average 31 FPS, which is the only 4K preset above 25 FPS. Medium settings average 25 FPS with a range of 21 to 29 FPS. High settings average 19 FPS, and Ultra settings average 15 FPS. These numbers confirm that 4K gaming is not a realistic option for this hardware combination, regardless of quality settings.

The Medium preset is the only setting level with complete min and max data across all three resolutions. At 1080p, the spread is 58 to 79 FPS; at 1440p, it is 38 to 52 FPS; and at 4K, it is 21 to 29 FPS. This consistent dataset shows that the frame rate range narrows as resolution increases, but the minimum FPS remains proportionally close to the average, indicating no severe frame time spikes.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2607th out of 2944 tested combos in Palworld. This places the configuration in the bottom 11.4% of all tested systems, a poor result that underscores the GPU’s limitations. The CPU itself is a strong performer, with a 21645 Cinebench R23 multicore score and a 3055 single-core score, but these capabilities are irrelevant when the GPU cannot keep up with the rendering demand.

The GPU’s 9th percentile ranking among all graphics cards is the dominant factor in this combo’s overall position. The nearest GPU rivals—GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710—are all legacy or entry-level parts from previous generations, yet the B390 only leads them by 1.3% to 2.7% in synthetic tests. In Palworld, this translates to the sub-60 FPS averages at 1080p High and below-30 FPS averages at 1440p, which are consistent with what those older parts would achieve.

The rank of 2607 out of 2944 means that 337 combos perform worse, but the vast majority of tested systems deliver better Palworld frame rates. This is not a case of a balanced mid-range system; it is a case of a strong CPU paired with a very weak GPU, resulting in a lopsided configuration that cannot leverage the processor’s headroom. The data suggests that any upgrade path for Palworld should focus exclusively on the graphics subsystem.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and frame rate, the 1080p Medium preset is the recommended starting point. The measured average of 68 FPS with a minimum of 58 FPS ensures that most gameplay stays above 60 FPS, and the documented 58 to 79 FPS range shows consistent frame delivery. This preset provides a meaningful visual improvement over Low settings while maintaining the highest average FPS that still exceeds 60.

If a higher frame rate is the priority, the 1080p Low preset delivers 84 FPS average, which is the best performance this combo can achieve. This is the only preset that approaches the 90 FPS mark, making it suitable for competitive or fast-paced scenarios where responsiveness matters more than visual fidelity. However, the visual downgrade from Low to Medium is substantial, and the 16 FPS difference between the two may not justify the quality loss for most players.

For users who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, the 1080p High preset at 53 FPS average is the highest quality option that remains playable. The 1440p Medium preset at 45 FPS average is the best choice for users with 1440p displays, as it provides a reasonable frame rate with better image clarity than 1080p, but it requires accepting a frame rate below 60 FPS. The Ultra presets at any resolution are not recommended, as even the 1080p Ultra result of 40 FPS is inferior to the High preset in terms of smoothness while offering marginal visual gains.