Palworld

Palworld, a survival game that has captured attention since its release in early 2024, presents a demanding environment for older hardware. The combination of an Intel Core i5-9400 and an AMD Radeon RX 580 represents a pairing of two end-of-life components from a similar era. The benchmark data reveals a system that is capable of delivering playable experiences at lower resolutions but struggles significantly at higher fidelity and resolution targets. The measured results show a clear performance hierarchy across different presets, making this a fascinating case study in hardware limitations and settings optimization.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo in Palworld?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the most viable resolution. At this setting, the combo achieves an average of 81 FPS on Low, 66 FPS on Medium, and 51 FPS on High, which are all playable. In contrast, at 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 33 on High, and at 3840x2160, it falls to a mere 18 FPS on the same preset, indicating 1080p is the target for a smooth experience.

Q: How does the RX 580 compare to its nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The RX 580 has an average benchmark score of 12928, placing it at the 53rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile, scores 12940, which is a negligible 0.1% difference. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is also very close, with a score of 12986, a 0.4% difference, showing these three cards are statistically on par in this metric.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: The difference is substantial. At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields an average of 81 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields an average of 38 FPS. This represents a significant drop of 43 FPS when moving from the lowest to the highest settings, indicating that the Ultra preset demands more than double the processing power per frame.

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested CPU/GPU combinations in this game?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 580 combo ranks 3382 out of 3711 tested combinations. This places it in the lower percentile of systems tested, indicating that while it can run the game, it is outperformed by the vast majority of other hardware pairings in the benchmark database.

Q: How much does the CPU's multi-core performance compare to its closest rival?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254, with its nearest rival being the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, which scores 2259. This shows the i5-9400 is 0.2% behind its closest competitor, a nearly identical level of performance. Its Geekbench multicore score is 5141, and its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 6629.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 on Medium settings, the minimum FPS recorded is 37, with a maximum of 50 and an average of 43. This min FPS figure is important as it shows that even in this mid-range setting, frame times can dip significantly, potentially causing noticeable stutters.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, with a 9 MB shared L3 cache. While this configuration was a solid mid-range option at its release in late 2018, its role in Palworld is likely more about maintaining a baseline level of performance rather than being the primary driver of high frame rates. The CPU's average benchmark score of 2254 places it at the 47th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a middle-of-the-road performer.

In the context of this game, the CPU's performance relative to its rivals is remarkably tight. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, is only 0.2% faster in average score, while the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 is a mere 0.4% slower. This suggests that the i5-9400 is not a bottleneck that is significantly out of step with its contemporaries. However, the data from the measured FPS shows that at lower resolutions and settings, the CPU's influence may become more apparent. For example, at 1080p Low, the system hits 81 FPS. This is a high frame rate, but it may not fully saturate the capabilities of the RX 580, which is capable of more in less demanding titles, suggesting the CPU is a limiting factor at this performance level. The transition from 1080p to 1440p on Low shows a drop from 81 to 53 FPS, a 34.5% reduction, which is a significant scaling cost that could be attributed to both the CPU handling the game's logic and the GPU's rendering load.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the i5-9400 and RX 580 holds a rank of 3382 out of 3711 tested combos in Palworld. This position, in the bottom 9% of all tested systems, is a stark indicator of its overall performance capability. This is not a reflection of a single weak component, but rather the synergy of two older, mid-range parts that are now considered entry-level. The data suggests that while each component is comparable to its direct rivals, the pairing as a whole is situated well below the median performance level for this game.

This ranking has practical implications for the player. A rank in the 3000s means that the vast majority of other hardware configurations tested will deliver a smoother, higher-fidelity experience. It implies that the system is on the edge of playability for modern titles like Palworld. The fact that it achieves a rank of 3382 means that users should have low expectations for high-end visuals and should prioritize a stable frame rate over graphical fidelity. The system is functional, but it is operating at the limits of its architectural capabilities, and the benchmark results confirm this is a low-to-mid-range performer in the current landscape.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at the system's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system shows its best results. The Low preset achieves an average of 81 FPS, which is smooth. The Medium preset yields a solid 66 FPS, with a minimum of 56 and a maximum of 76. The High preset drops to an average of 51 FPS, which is still playable but less fluid. The Ultra preset, however, causes a significant drop to an average of 38 FPS, making it the least desirable option at this resolution for a smooth experience.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance impact is clear. The Low preset averages 53 FPS, a noticeable drop from the 1080p figure. The Medium preset averages 43 FPS, with a minimum of 37 and a maximum of 50. The High preset falls to 33 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages just 25 FPS. These numbers suggest that 1440p is only really viable on the Low or Medium presets if a player wants to maintain a reasonable frame rate. At 3840x2160, the system is severely challenged. The Low preset averages 30 FPS, the Medium preset averages 24 FPS, the High preset averages a very low 18 FPS, and the Ultra preset bottoms out at 14 FPS. The 4K resolution is not practical for this combo, as even the lowest settings struggle to hit a consistent 30 FPS.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is a card from the Polaris generation, built on the GCN 4.0 architecture. It features 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock is 1340 MHz, and it has a peak FP32 performance of 6.175 TFLOPS. The GPU's average benchmark score of 12928 places it at the 53rd percentile of all GPUs, making it a slightly above-average performer in its own right. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER, which is only 0.4% faster, showing the RX 580 is still competitive with that generation of cards.

In Palworld, the GPU's role is the primary driver of resolution scaling. The dramatic drop in FPS from 1080p to 4K is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. For instance, at High settings, the average FPS drops from 51 at 1080p to 18 at 4K, a 64.7% reduction. This indicates that the RX 580's processing power and memory bandwidth are being overwhelmed by the increased pixel count. While the 8 GB of VRAM is generally sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, the sheer computational load of 4K proves to be too much. The GPU is the clear bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the CPU's performance remains constant while the GPU's workload increases exponentially.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal experience is achieved by prioritizing a stable frame rate over visual fidelity. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers the best balance. With an average of 66 FPS and a minimum of 56 FPS, it provides a smooth and responsive experience that is significantly better than the 51 FPS of High and the 38 FPS of Ultra. The jump from Low (81 FPS) to Medium (66 FPS) is a 15 FPS drop for a noticeable visual improvement, while the drop from Medium to High (51 FPS) is another 15 FPS for a less impactful gain. Therefore, Medium is the "sweet spot" for this resolution.

For players who prefer to play at 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only realistic option for a playable experience, with an average of 53 FPS. The Medium preset, at 43 FPS, is borderline, and the minimum of 37 FPS may cause noticeable stutters. At 3840x2160, no preset provides a truly playable experience. The Low preset's 30 FPS average is technically playable but not smooth. The data suggests that users should stick to 1080p and use the Medium preset to get the best combination of smoothness and visual quality from this hardware.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly identifies the GPU as the primary limiting component. At High settings, the average FPS degrades from 51 at 1080p, to 33 at 1440p, and finally to 18 at 4K. This is a linear progression of approximately a 35% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 45% drop from 1440p to 4K. This pattern is typical of a system where the GPU is fully saturated, as the workload on the CPU does not change with resolution, but the GPU's pixel-rendering workload increases massively.

The data shows a similar trend at Low settings, where FPS drops from 81 at 1080p, to 53 at 1440p, and 30 at 4K. However, the scaling is less severe in absolute terms. The gap between 1080p and 1440p at Low settings is 28 FPS, which is a 34.5% reduction. This is in contrast to the 18 FPS gap at High settings between the same resolutions, which is a 35.3% reduction. This indicates that while the GPU is still the bottleneck, the lower settings reduce the overall workload, allowing the CPU to keep up better. The fact that the 1080p Low preset (81 FPS) is so much higher than the 1440p Low (53 FPS) suggests that the system has enough headroom at lower resolutions to push higher frame rates, but the GPU's rendering power is still the definitive wall that prevents higher performance at increased pixel counts.