Palworld

Palworld’s performance on the Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination reveals a clear hierarchy across resolutions and presets. The data shows a system capable of high frame rates, but the scaling pattern indicates where the limits lie. From 1080p to 4K, the average frame rate drops substantially, but the magnitude of that drop varies dramatically depending on the selected settings, pointing to a shift in the primary bottleneck from the CPU to the GPU as resolution and graphical load increase.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates demonstrate that resolution scaling is heavily influenced by the chosen preset. At the Low preset, the drop from 1080p to 4K is immense: the average frame rate falls from 352.4 FPS to 128.1 FPS, a reduction of roughly 64%. This steep decline suggests that at lower settings, the GPU is being pushed harder as resolution increases, but the absolute numbers remain so high that the CPU is still delivering enough frames to keep the system fluid. At the Medium preset, a similar pattern emerges, with 1080p at 284.8 FPS dropping to 4K at 102.5 FPS, a 64% decrease.

The High preset shows a more moderate scaling penalty. Here, 1080p delivers 221.7 FPS, 1440p delivers 142.6 FPS, and 4K drops to 82.8 FPS. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is about 63%, which is consistent with the Low and Medium presets. However, the Ultra preset reveals a different story. At 1080p, the system manages 167 FPS, at 1440p it drops to 111.7 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 58.7 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 4K here is 65%, similar in percentage, but the absolute values are much lower.

The key insight is that the resolution scaling curve is relatively consistent across presets in percentage terms, but the absolute frame rate headroom changes. At 1080p Low, the system is clearly CPU-limited, as the GPU is capable of far more than 352.4 FPS in this scenario. As resolution climbs to 4K, the GPU workload increases, and the frame rate drops to 128.1 FPS, which is still high but shows the GPU beginning to take on a more significant role. The Ultra preset at 4K, with an average of 58.7 FPS, indicates the GPU is now the dominant limiting factor, as the combination of high settings and high resolution demands more from the RTX 4090 than the CPU can compensate for.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average frame rate is 352.4 FPS, achieved at 1080p with the Low preset.

Q: How does the 4K Ultra performance compare to 1080p Ultra?

A: At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate is 58.7 FPS, while at 1080p Ultra it is 167 FPS. This represents a 65% reduction in performance when moving from 1080p to 4K under the same settings.

Q: Is the system capable of 1440p gaming at high refresh rates?

A: Yes. At 1440p with the High preset, the average frame rate is 142.6 FPS, which is well above the 120 FPS threshold for high-refresh-rate monitors. Even at 1440p Ultra, the system maintains an average of 111.7 FPS.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 4K?

A: The Low preset at 4K delivers an average of 128.1 FPS, while the Ultra preset delivers 58.7 FPS. This shows that moving from Low to Ultra at 4K cuts the frame rate by more than half.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600K has an average benchmark score of 49166. It is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (49062) and 1% ahead of the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (48698). It is 0.4% behind the Intel Core i5-14600KF (49367) and 0.9% behind the AMD EPYC 4345P (49595).

Q: What is the GPU’s position in the overall benchmark percentile?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 sits in the 91st percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 66473.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the dominant component in this pairing. Its specifications are substantial: 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. The memory clock runs at 1313 MHz, with an effective speed of 21 Gbps. The GPU’s base clock is 2235 MHz, boosting to 2520 MHz. With 16384 shading units and 128 RT cores, the card is built for heavy workloads.

In Palworld, the GPU’s role becomes apparent when examining the 4K results. At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate is 58.7 FPS, which is the lowest recorded score in the dataset. This indicates that the GPU is the limiting component at this resolution and setting. The 24 GB VRAM buffer is likely sufficient for the game’s high-resolution textures, but the sheer compute load of Ultra settings at 4K taxes the GPU’s 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 performance. The data shows that as settings increase from Low to Ultra at 4K, frame rates drop from 128.1 to 58.7 FPS, a clear sign of the GPU being saturated.

At lower resolutions, the GPU has more headroom. At 1080p Low, the RTX 4090 is able to push 352.4 FPS, which suggests the CPU is the primary limiter in this scenario. The GPU is capable of even higher output, but the 14-core processor cannot feed the frames fast enough. This dynamic shifts as resolution increases, with the GPU becoming the bottleneck at 4K, particularly at the higher presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at the system’s performance across all resolutions and presets.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers:

• Low: 352.4 FPS
• Medium: 284.8 FPS
• High: 221.7 FPS
• Ultra: 167 FPS

At 2560x1440, the frame rates are:

• Low: 234.5 FPS
• Medium: 190 FPS
• High: 142.6 FPS
• Ultra: 111.7 FPS

At 3840x2160, the frame rates drop significantly:

• Low: 128.1 FPS
• Medium: 102.5 FPS
• High: 82.8 FPS
• Ultra: 58.7 FPS

The pattern is consistent: each step up in settings reduces the average frame rate, and each step up in resolution reduces it further. The gap between Low and Ultra is widest at 1080p, where the difference is 185.4 FPS. At 4K, the gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 69.4 FPS. This narrowing suggests that at higher resolutions, the GPU is already working hard, and the incremental load from higher settings has a more pronounced relative impact on the lower base frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal balance of performance and visual quality varies by resolution. For 1080p gaming, the High preset at 221.7 FPS offers a smooth experience for high-refresh-rate displays, while Ultra at 167 FPS still provides excellent frame rates for most users. The data suggests that at 1080p, there is no reason to use Low or Medium unless targeting extremely high frame rates beyond 300 FPS, as the visual quality trade-off is significant.

For 1440p, the High preset at 142.6 FPS is the sweet spot. It delivers frame rates that are well-suited for 144Hz monitors, and it maintains a comfortable margin above the 100 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 111.7 FPS is also viable for 120Hz displays, but the 31 FPS drop from High to Ultra may not justify the visual improvements for all players.

At 4K, the situation is more constrained. The High preset at 82.8 FPS is the best option for a consistent 60 FPS experience with headroom, while Medium at 102.5 FPS offers even more fluid gameplay. The Ultra preset at 58.7 FPS is playable but hovers near the 60 FPS line, which could lead to occasional dips. The Low preset at 4K, at 128.1 FPS, is an option for competitive play, but the visual compromise is steep. For the best experience at 4K, the Medium preset provides 102.5 FPS, which is a strong balance of quality and speed, avoiding the heavy penalty of Ultra.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core processor with 20 threads, based on the Raptor Lake architecture. Its base clock is 3.50 GHz, boosting to 5.30 GHz. The CPU has a 24 MB shared L3 cache and supports dual-channel DDR4 and DDR5 memory. Its synthetic benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 32881 and a single-core score of 4642.

In Palworld, the CPU’s role is most evident at 1080p with lower settings. At 1080p Low, the system hits 352.4 FPS, which is a clear indicator of CPU-bound performance. The GPU is capable of more, but the CPU’s single-thread performance, while excellent, becomes the limiting factor. The high boost clock of 5.30 GHz helps maintain these high frame rates, but the game’s engine appears to have a ceiling around 350 FPS at this resolution.

As resolution increases, the CPU’s influence wanes. At 4K, the frame rates are much lower, and the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck. However, the CPU still plays a critical role in maintaining minimum frame rates, though the data does not include min FPS values. The CPU’s 20 threads are sufficient for the game’s multithreaded workload, and its 93rd percentile rank among all CPUs indicates it is a top-tier performer. When compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-14600K is nearly identical in average benchmark score to the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, with a delta of just 0.2%, showing that it provides comparable processing power for this gaming scenario.