Palworld

The Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 6600 combination delivers a highly playable experience in Palworld, though the data clearly shows a system that leans on the GPU for heavy lifting while the CPU provides a stable, unremarkable foundation. The measured framerates indicate that the RX 6600 is the decisive component in this pairing, with the i5-9400's six cores and six threads serving as a competent but secondary partner. This pairing lands in the lower half of tested configurations, but its performance profile is more nuanced than that ranking suggests, offering a smooth experience at mainstream resolutions while struggling to maintain playability at 4K.

The i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. It lacks multi-threading, meaning it processes exactly six threads simultaneously, which is a critical detail for a game like Palworld that relies on physics and world simulation. The CPU's benchmark scores place it in the 47th percentile of all tested processors, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 6629 and a single-core score of 935. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-10710U, scores just 0.3% higher on average, showing that the i5-9400 is a solidly average performer in synthetic tests. However, in Palworld, the game's demands on the CPU are moderate; the data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 139 FPS, which suggests the CPU can feed frames at a high rate, but it is likely the bottleneck at this setting, as GPU load would be lower.

When examining the CPU's role specifically, the 1080p results are telling. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 139, which is a high frame rate that indicates the CPU is keeping up with the GPU's output. However, the jump from Low to High at 1080p only reduces the average FPS from 139 to 87, a 37% drop. This suggests that while the CPU is not a severe constraint at lower settings, the GPU is still the primary driver of performance changes as settings increase. The i5-9400's 9 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support provide sufficient bandwidth for this workload, and the data does not show any signs of stutter or CPU-bound frame drops, as the minimum FPS recorded at 1080p Medium is 96 FPS. In essence, the CPU provides a stable base, but it is not the component that defines the experience; the RX 6600 is.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 6600 ranks 2890 out of 3711 tested combos in Palworld, placing it in the 78th percentile of all configurations, meaning it outperforms roughly 78% of other pairings tested. This rank is a reflection of the GPU's strength relative to the CPU, as the RX 6600 sits in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs, while the i5-9400 is in the 47th percentile. The data suggests that this pairing is slightly held back by the CPU, as the GPU has more headroom than the processor can fully utilize in some scenarios. For context, the RX 6600's average benchmark score is 19036, with its nearest rival being the NVIDIA Quadro K6000, which scores a near-identical 19030, a 0% difference. The i5-9400's average benchmark score is 2254, with its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, scoring 2259, a 0.2% difference.

The combo rank of 2890 indicates that while the system is capable of running the game, it is not a top-tier configuration. The gap between the CPU and GPU percentiles shows that a more powerful processor, such as one with higher single-thread performance, could potentially push the RX 6600 to higher frame rates in CPU-limited scenarios. However, the measured data in Palworld shows that the system achieves playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, with the rank reflecting the overall balance of the system rather than a hard performance ceiling. The rank also suggests that many other tested combos consist of more balanced or newer hardware, which is expected given the i5-9400's release in 2018 and the RX 6600's release in 2021. The data indicates that this is a mid-range pairing that performs adequately, but it is not a standout configuration for Palworld, as the game's optimization favors GPUs with higher memory bandwidth and compute throughput.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which is indicative of a GPU-bound system. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 87, dropping to 57 FPS at 1440p High, and further to 32 FPS at 4K High. This represents a 34% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 44% drop from 1440p to 4K. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU that is being pushed to its limits, as the RX 6600's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 128-bit memory bus become a constraint at higher resolutions. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS falls to 24, which is unplayable, while 1080p Ultra maintains 66 FPS, indicating that the GPU is the limiting factor at all resolutions above 1080p.

The scaling from Low to Ultra settings at each resolution further confirms this. At 1080p, the average FPS drops from 139 on Low to 66 on Ultra, a 53% reduction. At 1440p, the drop is from 92 on Low to 43 on Ultra, a 53% reduction as well. At 4K, the drop is from 51 on Low to 24 on Ultra, a 53% reduction. This consistent percentage drop across resolutions suggests that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as the CPU's performance is not significantly affected by resolution changes. The i5-9400's six threads are enough to handle the game's logic at all settings, as evidenced by the fact that the frame rate scaling is proportional to the GPU's workload. This means that if a user were to upgrade the GPU, they would see significant gains at all resolutions, but upgrading the CPU would likely yield minimal improvements in Palworld, as the data points to the GPU being the limiting component.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best performance, with an average FPS of 139 on Low settings, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. Medium settings yield an average of 113 FPS, with a minimum of 96 and a maximum of 130, showing solid frame consistency. High settings produce 87 FPS, which is still very playable, while Ultra settings drop to 66 FPS, which remains smooth but shows the GPU beginning to strain. The data indicates that 1080p is the sweet spot for this combo, as even the most demanding settings maintain playable frame rates. The minimum FPS of 96 at Medium suggests that the CPU is not causing any stutters, and the frame pacing is likely stable.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably, but remains playable. Low settings average 92 FPS, which is excellent for a higher resolution. Medium settings average 74 FPS, with a minimum of 63 and a maximum of 85, indicating that the game remains fluid even with some frame drops. High settings average 57 FPS, which is borderline for a smooth experience, while Ultra settings fall to 43 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. The data shows that at 1440p, the GPU is the clear bottleneck, as the RX 6600's memory bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s is insufficient to maintain high frame rates at higher settings. The minimum FPS of 63 at Medium suggests that the system can hold above 60 FPS, but it is close to the edge.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playability. Low settings average 51 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS target. Medium settings average 41 FPS, with a minimum of 35 and a maximum of 47, showing significant frame drops that would be noticeable during gameplay. High settings average 32 FPS, which is not smooth, and Ultra settings average 24 FPS, which is unplayable. The data clearly shows that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combo in Palworld, as the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are severely limiting factors. The drop from 1080p to 4K at High settings is from 87 FPS to 32 FPS, a 63% reduction, which quantifies the GPU's inability to handle the increased pixel count.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications directly explain the performance observed in Palworld. The GPU is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with a Navi 23 chip, featuring 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. It has a base clock of 1626 MHz and a boost clock of 2491 MHz, with a game clock of 2044 MHz. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s, which is a key factor in the resolution scaling seen in the data. The GPU's FP32 compute performance is 8.928 TFLOPS, and it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, which is relevant for Palworld's modern rendering features.

The RX 6600's benchmark scores show it is a mid-range performer, sitting in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs. Its Passmark G3D score is 15096, and its Geekbench Vulkan score is 67623, indicating strong compute performance for its class. The GPU's nearest rival is the NVIDIA Quadro K6000, which scores 19030 compared to the RX 6600's 19036, a negligible 0% difference. This places the RX 6600 in a competitive position against older high-end cards, but the data in Palworld shows that the GPU is the primary driver of performance, with the CPU playing a supporting role. The GPU's 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gameplay, but at 4K, the memory capacity and bandwidth become a bottleneck, as evidenced by the 24 FPS average at Ultra settings. The GPU's TDP of 132 W is modest, and it requires a 300 W power supply, indicating it is an efficient card that does not need excessive power delivery.

The RX 6600's role in Palworld is to handle the game's graphics workload, which includes rendering the open-world environment, Pals, and lighting effects. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting component at 1440p and 4K, as the frame rate drops significantly with resolution increases. At 1080p, the GPU is also the primary bottleneck, but it is capable of maintaining high frame rates. The GPU's 63rd percentile ranking suggests it is a capable card, but it is not a high-end solution, and the measured FPS data confirms that it is best suited for 1080p gaming, with acceptable performance at 1440p for most settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Palworld with this CPU and GPU combo?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the best resolution, with an average FPS of 87 on High settings and 66 on Ultra. At 2560x1440, High settings drop to 57 FPS, which is still playable, but 3840x2160 is not recommended, as High settings only average 32 FPS.

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

A: The measured FPS data indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions. The frame rate drops consistently with resolution increases, which is a sign of GPU limitation. The CPU's performance is sufficient, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p Low settings, where the GPU is less taxed.

Q: How does the RX 6600 compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RX 6600 has an average benchmark score of 19036, while its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro K6000, scores 19030, a 0% difference. This shows they are statistically identical in synthetic performance, but the RX 6600's modern architecture and features may provide better real-world gaming performance.

Q: Can this system achieve 60 FPS at 1440p in Palworld?

A: The data shows that at 1440p Low settings, the system averages 92 FPS, and at Medium settings, it averages 74 FPS. However, at High settings, the average drops to 57 FPS, which is below 60 FPS. So, 60 FPS is achievable only at Low or Medium settings at 1440p.

Q: What is the frame rate at 1080p Ultra settings, and is it smooth?

A: At 1080p Ultra settings, the system averages 66 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS threshold and should provide a smooth gameplay experience, though it is lower than the 87 FPS seen at High settings, indicating the GPU is working harder.

Q: How does the i5-9400's CPU performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254, while its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-10710U, scores 2248, a 0.3% difference. This indicates they are nearly identical in synthetic CPU performance, but the i5-9400's desktop form factor may offer better sustained performance in gaming.