Palworld

Palworld, the survival title that swept into early access in 2024, presents an interesting stress test for the pairing of an Intel Core i5-9400 and an AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT. The measured data shows a combination that is capable of high refresh rates at mainstream resolutions but begins to show its limits as pixel count and graphical fidelity rise. The benchmark results indicate a system where the GPU is the primary driver of performance, yet the older six-core CPU still holds its ground without becoming a major bottleneck in most scenarios.

Resolution Scaling

The most telling narrative in this data is how average frame rates collapse as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves a robust 153 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 101.7 FPS, a 33.5% reduction, and then to 4K Low we see 55.8 FPS, which is a further 45% decline from the 1440p figure. This steep, non-linear curve is classic evidence that the rendering load on the GPU is scaling aggressively with pixel count.

However, the scaling factor becomes even more pronounced when we look at higher presets. At High settings, the drop from 1080p (97.9 FPS) to 1440p (64 FPS) is a 34.6% loss. The jump from 1440p High to 4K High (33.8 FPS) represents a 47.2% loss. This pattern suggests that at Ultra settings, the GPU is almost entirely saturated. The 4K Ultra result of 27.5 FPS is barely playable, highlighting that this combo is not designed for native 4K gaming at maximum fidelity.

What does this imply about the limiting component? At 1080p Low, the frame rate of 153 FPS suggests the CPU is still managing to feed the GPU adequately, as the GPU is not yet overwhelmed. But the fact that the gap between Low and High settings at 1080p is only 55.1 FPS (from 153 to 97.9) indicates the GPU is scaling with settings as expected. The data strongly implies the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions and presets, while the CPU's influence is more subtle and likely appears at the very highest frame rates where the 6-thread processor might struggle to keep up.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s standing in the database for Palworld is a mid-pack result. It ranks 1189 out of 1718 tested combinations, placing it in the lower third of the field. This ranking is a sobering reminder that while the individual components are solid, their combination is not optimized for this specific title's demands. The data suggests that many other pairings can achieve higher average frame rates.

Looking at the GPU's own standing, the RX 6600 XT sits at the 71st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27985. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, which is virtually identical with a 0.1% score difference, and the AMD Radeon R9 M395X, which is 0.4% behind. Interestingly, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is only 0.9% ahead in the synthetic average, yet in Palworld, the ranking suggests the RX 6600 XT is not punching above its weight. The CPU, with a 50th percentile ranking, is a more average performer, with its nearest rival, the Intel Core i3-10305, being a mere 0.2% faster in synthetic tests. The combo's rank of 1189 indicates that the sum of these parts is less than the individual benchmarks might suggest for this game.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve 60 FPS?

A: The data shows that 1440p is the highest resolution where this can be consistently achieved. At 1440p High, the combo hits 64 FPS, and at Medium it reaches 79.8 FPS. At 4K, all presets fall below 60 FPS, with the highest being Low at 55.8 FPS.

Q: How much of a performance hit is there from Ultra to Low settings at 1080p?

A: The difference is substantial. At 1080p, Low settings produce 153 FPS, while Ultra settings produce 74.5 FPS. This represents a 78.5 FPS difference, or about a 51% reduction in performance when maxing out the settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main limiting factor in this game?

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The frame rates scale dramatically with resolution, which is a clear sign of GPU saturation. The CPU’s role is less clear, but at 1080p Low with 153 FPS, it may start to become a secondary constraint.

Q: How does the RX 6600 XT perform relative to its nearest rival, the RTX 3070?

A: In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 3070 is only 0.9% faster than the RX 6600 XT. However, the combo ranking of 1189 out of 1718 for Palworld suggests that real-world game performance may not perfectly mirror these synthetic scores.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p Medium and 1440p Medium?

A: The drop is significant. At 1080p Medium, the combo achieves 121.2 FPS, but at 1440p Medium, it falls to 79.8 FPS. That is a loss of 41.4 FPS when moving up in resolution.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with any settings for this combo?

A: While technically playable, the results are not smooth. The highest 4K average is 55.8 FPS on Low settings. All other 4K presets, including Medium (43.4 FPS), High (33.8 FPS), and Ultra (27.5 FPS), fall below the 60 FPS threshold and are not ideal for a fast-paced survival game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The detailed measurements provide a clear matrix of performance. At 1920x1080, the combo is very capable. Low settings yield an average of 153 FPS, Medium produces 121.2 FPS, High delivers 97.9 FPS, and Ultra still manages a playable 74.5 FPS. This is a comfortable range for high-refresh-rate monitors, even with demanding settings.

Stepping up to 2560x1440, the performance remains respectable. Low settings provide 101.7 FPS, which is excellent. Medium drops to 79.8 FPS, and High falls to a still-smooth 64 FPS. Ultra is the first setting to dip below the 60 FPS marker, landing at 47.3 FPS. This resolution presents a good balance between visual quality and performance, with most presets offering a solid experience.

At 3840x2160, the limitations of the hardware are fully exposed. Low settings yield 55.8 FPS, which is borderline. Medium drops to 43.4 FPS, High to 33.8 FPS, and Ultra to 27.5 FPS. None of these averages reach the coveted 60 FPS target, indicating that 4K is only for those who prioritize resolution over smoothness and are willing to turn down settings to the absolute minimum.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT is the workhorse of this combination, and its specifications explain the performance patterns observed. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, it provides a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the data suggests it may be a limiting factor at 4K, where the higher resolution textures and larger frame buffers can strain the capacity and bandwidth.

The GPU’s clock speeds are aggressive, with a base of 1968 MHz and a boost of 2589 MHz. This high boost clock is likely why the card performs well in synthetic tests, placing it in the 71st percentile. The 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs are also typical for this class of card. In Palworld, the GPU's compute power is clearly the main driver of frame rates, as evidenced by the significant FPS drops when settings are increased. The card's performance, while not class-leading, is adequate for a smooth 1440p experience, but the measured 4K results indicate it is out of its depth at that resolution.

Settings Recommendations

For the best overall experience, the data points to 1440p as the sweet spot. At this resolution, the Medium preset offers an excellent balance, delivering 79.8 FPS. This provides a smooth frame rate while still allowing for a moderate level of graphical detail. For players who prefer higher visual fidelity, the High preset at 1440p is also a strong choice, with its 64 FPS average being just above the 60 FPS target.

At 1080p, players have more freedom. The High preset at 97.9 FPS is an excellent choice for those with high-refresh-rate monitors, as it balances visual quality with a very high frame rate. The Ultra preset at 74.5 FPS is also viable and offers the best image quality. For competitive play, the Low preset's 153 FPS is the clear winner for maximum responsiveness, but it comes at the cost of visual fidelity.

At 4K, the recommendation is more about compromise. The Low preset at 55.8 FPS is the only playable option, but it is still below the 60 FPS target. Given the data, it is advisable to avoid 4K on this combo unless the user is willing to accept a sub-optimal experience. The performance cliff from 1440p to 4K is too steep, making 1440p the definitive recommended resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture. Its base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost clock of 4.10 GHz are modest by modern standards. The CPU has 9 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 memory. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores a 50th percentile, putting it squarely in the middle of the pack. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i3-10305, is only 0.2% faster, indicating a performance class that is consistent.

In Palworld, the CPU’s role is less dominant than the GPU's. The frame rate scaling with resolution suggests that the GPU is the primary bottleneck. However, the CPU is not entirely without influence. At 1080p Low, the 153 FPS result is high enough that the CPU’s 6 threads could be a limiting factor in specific scenes with many AI-driven creatures or complex physics. The lack of hyper-threading means it has to process all tasks on its 6 physical cores, which could lead to occasional stutters in a game like Palworld that has a living world with many entities. The data does not show a hard CPU bottleneck, but its mid-tier synthetic scores and 6-thread limit suggest it is a capable, not exceptional, partner for the RX 6600 XT.