Palworld

Palworld presents a demanding workload that stresses both the CPU and GPU, and the Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER produces a specific performance profile that is best understood by examining each component's role. The measured data shows a system that is fundamentally GPU-limited at higher resolutions, but which also reveals the CPU's capability in maintaining frame rates at lower settings. This analysis will break down the benchmark results to explain how this combination behaves across different settings and resolutions.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-14400F 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 4.70 GHz. Its cache configuration includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21,645 and a single-core score of 3,055, placing it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs tested. Its average benchmark score of 32,279 is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, which scores 32,233 (0.1% delta), and the Intel Core i9-11900, which scores 32,226 (0.2% delta).

For Palworld, the CPU's role becomes evident when observing the frame rates at 1080p with Low settings. At this resolution and setting, the measured average FPS is 86, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo across all tests. This suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU enough data to achieve high frame rates, but the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases. The CPU's strong single-thread performance, indicated by its Passmark single-thread score of 3,701, helps maintain responsiveness in a game world that requires constant physics and AI calculations, though the data shows that the GPU bottleneck prevents the CPU from fully stretching its legs in most scenarios.

It is also notable that the CPU's boost clock of 4.70 GHz provides a significant headroom over its base clock, which is beneficial for Palworld's variable workloads. However, the benchmark results indicate that even with this processing power, the system's performance is heavily constrained by the graphics card at higher settings. For instance, at 1440p with High settings, the average FPS drops to 23, which is a 73% reduction from the 1080p Low result, illustrating that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in this configuration. The 10-core, 16-thread design ensures that background tasks and game logic do not cause stuttering, but the measured FPS values are dictated by the GPU's capabilities rather than the CPU's limits.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its base clock is 1470 MHz with a boost clock of 1650 MHz. The GPU has 2,176 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units, along with 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 16,462 in Passmark G3D, placing it in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 18,093 is very close to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile, which scores 18,159 (-0.4% delta), and the AMD Radeon Pro 5700, which scores 18,189 (-0.5% delta).

The GPU's performance in Palworld is the defining factor for this combo. At 1080p with Low settings, the RTX 2060 SUPER delivers 86 FPS, but this drops to 54 FPS at Medium settings and 36 FPS at High settings. The 8 GB VRAM capacity appears sufficient for most settings, as the frame rate scaling is consistent with the increasing graphical load. However, at 4K resolution, the GPU is clearly overwhelmed. The average FPS at 4K Low is 29, which drops to 18 at Medium and just 12 at High. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS falls to a mere 7, indicating that the GPU cannot handle the pixel count and shader complexity required at that resolution.

The GPU's memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s is a key factor in these results. At 4K, the high memory pressure causes significant performance degradation, particularly at higher settings. The data shows that the RTX 2060 SUPER is a capable 1080p card for Palworld, but it struggles at 1440p and becomes nearly unplayable at 4K for most settings. The 12 nm process node and 175 W TDP also indicate that this is a power-hungry card that generates substantial heat, but the benchmark results speak more to its architectural limits than its power characteristics. The GPU's Passmark DirectX 12 score of 61 is notably low, which may explain some of the performance issues in a DirectX 12 title like Palworld.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, confirming that the GPU is the primary limiting component in this system. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 86 at 1080p to 55 at 1440p, a 36% reduction, and then to 29 at 4K, a 66% reduction from 1080p. This steep decline is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where the CPU has enough headroom to process the game logic but the GPU cannot render the additional pixels fast enough.

At Medium settings, the frame rate scaling is similar but with lower absolute values: 54 FPS at 1080p, 34 FPS at 1440p, and 18 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops from 1080p to 4K are 67% at Medium, 67% at High (36 to 23 to 12 FPS), and 70% at Ultra (23 to 14 to 7 FPS). This consistent pattern across all settings strongly indicates that the GPU is the bottleneck, as the CPU's performance would not scale so dramatically with resolution. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates would remain relatively flat across resolutions, but the data shows a steady decline.

The most telling data point is the comparison between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low (86 FPS) and Ultra (23 FPS) is 63 FPS, while at 4K, the difference between Low (29 FPS) and Ultra (7 FPS) is only 22 FPS. This narrowing gap at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is saturated even at Low settings in 4K, leaving little room for additional graphical features. The data suggests that for this combo, 1080p is the sweet spot for playable frame rates, 1440p is a compromise, and 4K is only viable at Low settings with a reduced frame rate.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Palworld?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 86, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

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

A: At 4K, the average FPS ranges from 29 at Low settings to 7 at Ultra settings. Only Low settings approach a playable frame rate, but 29 FPS is still below the 30 FPS threshold typically considered acceptable.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 18,093, which is 0.4% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (18,159) and 0.5% lower than the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (18,189).

Q: What is the CPU's percentile ranking among all tested CPUs?

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F ranks in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32,279.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Medium and High settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Medium settings produce an average of 34 FPS, while High settings produce an average of 23 FPS, a difference of 11 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system for Palworld?

A: The data shows the GPU is the limiting component, as frame rates drop significantly with resolution increases while the CPU's performance remains sufficient. At 1080p Low, the CPU allows 86 FPS, but the GPU cannot maintain high frame rates at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user's resolution and frame rate priorities. At 1080p, Medium settings provide an average of 54 FPS with a minimum of 46 FPS and maximum of 62 FPS, which offers a balanced experience between visual quality and smoothness. High settings at 1080p drop to 36 FPS average, which is playable but less fluid, while Ultra settings at 23 FPS are not recommended for action-heavy gameplay.

At 1440p, the data shows that Low settings are necessary for a playable experience, with an average of 55 FPS. Medium settings at 1440p drop to 34 FPS, which may be acceptable for slower exploration but could feel choppy in combat. High and Ultra settings at 1440p, with averages of 23 and 14 FPS respectively, are not recommended. For 4K, only Low settings provide a remotely playable experience at 29 FPS, and even then, the frame rate is marginal.

The measured data indicates that the best experience is achieved at 1080p with Medium settings, as it offers the highest frame rate that still maintains a reasonable minimum (46 FPS) without dropping to unplayable levels. For users prioritizing frame rate over visuals, 1080p Low at 86 FPS is the smoothest option. For users with a 1440p monitor, Low settings at 55 FPS is the recommended compromise, as Medium settings at 34 FPS may cause noticeable stuttering during intense gameplay moments.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this combo's performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the average FPS values are 86 for Low, 54 for Medium, 36 for High, and 23 for Ultra. The Medium setting also records a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 62 FPS, showing a relatively stable frame rate range. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 63 FPS, indicating that the GPU can handle the lowest settings with ease but struggles with the highest preset.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS values decrease to 55 for Low, 34 for Medium, 23 for High, and 14 for Ultra. The Medium setting shows a minimum of 29 FPS and a maximum of 39 FPS, which represents a tighter range than at 1080p. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 31 FPS at Low settings, 20 FPS at Medium, 13 FPS at High, and 9 FPS at Ultra. This decreasing absolute difference at higher settings suggests that the GPU is already saturated at 1440p with higher presets.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS values are 29 for Low, 18 for Medium, 12 for High, and 7 for Ultra. The Medium setting records a minimum of 15 FPS and a maximum of 21 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 26 FPS at Low, 16 FPS at Medium, 11 FPS at High, and 7 FPS at Ultra. These numbers clearly show that 4K is beyond the capabilities of the RTX 2060 SUPER for Palworld, with even Low settings producing an average below 30 FPS. The data across all resolutions confirms that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p being a secondary option at lower settings.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the comprehensive database of tested hardware combinations for Palworld, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 3,636 out of 3,711 total combos. This places it in the bottom 2% of all tested configurations, indicating that it performs significantly worse than the vast majority of other hardware pairings in this game. The rank of 3,636 out of 3,711 is a stark indicator that this combo is not well-suited for Palworld's demanding requirements.

Despite the CPU's respectable 83rd percentile ranking among all CPUs and the GPU's 62nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, the combination of these two components produces results that are far below average for this specific game. This discrepancy highlights the fact that Palworld is particularly demanding on the GPU, and the RTX 2060 SUPER, while a mid-range card, is not sufficient to handle the game's requirements at higher resolutions and settings. The combo's low rank suggests that users with this hardware would need to significantly lower their expectations regarding visual quality and frame rates.

The data indicates that this combo is ranked nearly at the bottom of the list, with only 75 other tested combinations performing worse. This is a clear signal that for Palworld, this hardware pairing is inadequate for a satisfying gaming experience at standard settings. The CPU's strong synthetic benchmark scores do not translate into good in-game performance because the GPU cannot keep up with the rendering demands. This rank serves as a warning to potential users that this combo should be paired with lower resolutions and settings to achieve any semblance of playability.