Palworld

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER delivers a decisive performance curve in Palworld, where the GPU is the clear scaling bottleneck across resolutions. The data shows a dramatic drop in frame rates when moving from 1080p to 4K, with the delta widening as settings increase. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 317.1 FPS at 1920x1080 to 114.7 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of roughly 64%. However, at Ultra settings, the same resolution change sees the average plummet from 152.8 FPS to 56.3 FPS, a steeper 63% decline that underscores how the RTX 4080 SUPER's rendering load becomes the primary constraint at higher resolutions. This pattern indicates that while the CPU can feed frames efficiently at lower resolutions, the GPU's pixel throughput dictates the ceiling at 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The scaling behavior across the three tested resolutions reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario, but with nuance based on the preset. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves exceptionally high frame rates, with the Low preset hitting 317.1 FPS and even Ultra maintaining a comfortable 152.8 FPS. This suggests that at 1080p, the RTX 4080 SUPER has ample headroom, and the Core i5-14600K's 14 cores and 20 threads are sufficient to keep the GPU fed. Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS for Ultra drops to 100.2, while Low remains fluid at 208.1. The 4K results, however, tell a different story: Ultra plummets to 56.3 FPS, and High settles at 70.2 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is substantial—114.7 FPS versus 56.3 FPS—indicating that the GPU's shading units and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors. The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 736.3 GB/s bandwidth are adequate, but the 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is stretched by the higher preset workloads at 3840x2160.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K plays a supporting role in Palworld, and benchmark results indicate it is not the bottleneck in this configuration. With 14 cores (including performance and efficiency cores) and 20 threads, the CPU offers robust multi-threading capabilities, as evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32881 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 15846. The boost clock of 5.30 GHz ensures strong single-thread performance, reflected in a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4642. In this game, the CPU's role is to maintain a stable frame delivery pipeline, and the data shows it excels at this. At 1080p Low, the average FPS of 317.1 demonstrates that the CPU can push beyond typical refresh rates, while at 4K Ultra, the 56.3 FPS result is constrained by the GPU, not the processor. The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide adequate data locality for game logic, but the performance deltas between resolutions are almost entirely attributable to the GPU's workload.

Settings Recommendations

For the best measured experience, the High preset offers the most balanced trade-off between visual fidelity and frame rate across all resolutions. At 1920x1080, High delivers 194.6 FPS, which is more than sufficient for high-refresh-rate displays, while at 2560x1440, it maintains 129.9 FPS, keeping gameplay smooth. At 3840x2160, High yields 70.2 FPS, which is playable for most users, though not ideal for competitive play. The Medium preset is a viable alternative for higher resolutions, providing 94.2 FPS at 4K and 166.5 FPS at 1440p, but it sacrifices some visual quality. The Ultra preset, while visually impressive, is not recommended for 4K gaming on this combo, as the 56.3 FPS average dips below the 60 FPS threshold. Conversely, Low settings are unnecessary for this hardware, as even High at 1440p exceeds 120 FPS. The data suggests that High at 1440p or Medium at 4K are the sweet spots, balancing the GPU's 88th percentile ranking against playable frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 120th out of 1718 tested combos in Palworld, placing it in the top 7% of all configurations. This ranking reflects the strong synergy between the CPU and GPU, though it is not at the absolute top tier. The CPU's average benchmark score of 49166 places it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, with nearest rivals like the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (49062, 0.2% delta) and the Intel Core i5-14600KF (49367, -0.4% delta) showing virtually identical performance. The GPU, with an average benchmark score of 53610, sits in the 88th percentile, with the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (53489, 0.2% delta) as its closest competitor. The combo's ranking suggests that while both components are individually strong, Palworld's optimization favors slightly different hardware configurations, but the overall performance is firmly in the high-end tier.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the dominant factor in this combo's Palworld performance, and the measured FPS data confirms its role as the primary scaling driver. With 10240 shading units, 320 texture mapping units, and 112 render output units, the GPU's architecture is well-suited for the game's rendering demands. The boost clock of 2550 MHz and 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 compute provide substantial raw power, but the results show that at 4K Ultra, the GPU is pushed to its limits. The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory is ample for Palworld, and the 256-bit bus width with 736.3 GB/s bandwidth ensures high texture throughput. However, the performance drop from 208.1 FPS at 1440p Low to 114.7 FPS at 4K Low highlights the pixel fill rate constraints, which are more pronounced at higher resolutions. The GPU's 88th percentile ranking and its nearest rivals (RX 6900 XT, Radeon Pro W6600M) indicate it is a top-tier card, but not the absolute fastest, which explains the 4K Ultra dip below 60 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's capabilities across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are 317.1 (Low), 257.4 (Medium), 194.6 (High), and 152.8 (Ultra). These numbers demonstrate that the GPU is not the limiting factor at this resolution, as even Ultra exceeds 150 FPS. At 2560x1440, the averages are 208.1 (Low), 166.5 (Medium), 129.9 (High), and 100.2 (Ultra), showing a consistent scaling pattern where each preset tier reduces performance by roughly 20-30%. At 3840x2160, the averages drop significantly: 114.7 (Low), 94.2 (Medium), 70.2 (High), and 56.3 (Ultra). The 4K Ultra result is the only configuration that falls below 60 FPS, and the gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 58.4 FPS, compared to a 164.3 FPS gap at 1080p. This data indicates that the GPU's performance ceiling is reached at 4K with higher presets, while the CPU remains underutilized.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average FPS is 317.1, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Does this combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra settings?

A: No, the average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 56.3, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in benchmark scores?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600K has an average benchmark score of 49166, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (49062) and 0.4% lower than the Intel Core i5-14600KF (49367).

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all tested GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is in the 88th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 53610.

Q: Which resolution and settings combo offers the best balance for high refresh rates?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the combo delivers 129.9 FPS, which is well-suited for high-refresh-rate monitors while maintaining visual quality.

Q: How many total combos were tested for Palworld, and where does this one rank?

A: This combo ranks 120th out of 1718 tested combos, placing it in the top 7% of all configurations.