Palworld

Palworld with an Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 delivers a playable experience that scales predictably across resolutions and presets. This pairing sits in the lower-middle tier of tested configurations, ranking 3067 out of 3711 combos, which means it is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming rather than 4K. The data shows a clear performance hierarchy: the GTX 1070’s 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and the i5-9400’s six cores provide enough headroom for smooth frame rates at medium settings, but pushing to Ultra or 4K quickly exposes the hardware’s limits. Benchmark results indicate that this combo is a capable survivor for Palworld’s open-world exploration, provided you adjust expectations for visual fidelity.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows make the optimal preset choice straightforward for each resolution. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers an average of 101 FPS with a minimum of 86 FPS and a maximum of 116 FPS, which is the sweet spot for this combo. Low pushes to 125 FPS average, but the jump from Medium to Low sacrifices noticeable visual quality for only a 24 FPS gain, while High drops to 78 FPS average — still smooth but with less headroom for demanding scenes. Ultra at 1080p falls to 59 FPS average, which is borderline for fast-paced gameplay, so Medium is the recommended preset for a balanced experience.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset again stands out with an average of 66 FPS, a minimum of 57 FPS, and a maximum of 76 FPS. This is the only 1440p preset that maintains a playable frame rate above 60 FPS average, making it the clear choice for this resolution. Low at 1440p hits 82 FPS average, but the visual downgrade is more noticeable at this pixel density, and High drops to 51 FPS average, which introduces stutter in busy areas. Ultra at 1440p is not viable at 39 FPS average, so stick with Medium.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes entirely. Low is the only preset that approaches playability at 46 FPS average, while Medium falls to 37 FPS, High to 28 FPS, and Ultra to 22 FPS. The data suggests that 4K is only feasible with the lowest settings, and even then, the frame rate is below the 60 FPS target most players prefer. For the best experience across all resolutions, start with Medium at 1080p or 1440p; if you must play at 4K, use Low and accept the compromise.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is the primary driver of Palworld’s frame rates, and its specifications explain the performance profile seen in the measured data. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus with 256.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient for Palworld’s textures and assets at 1080p and 1440p, but becomes a bottleneck at 4K where the memory bandwidth is stretched thin. The core clock runs at 1506 MHz base and boosts to 1683 MHz, providing consistent performance that scales well with resolution changes — the 1080p Medium average of 101 FPS drops to 66 FPS at 1440p, a 35% reduction that aligns with the increased pixel count.

The GPU’s 1920 shading units and 64 ROPs deliver a texture rate of 202.0 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 107.7 GPixel/s, which are modest by modern standards but adequate for Palworld’s stylized visuals. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1082 places this GPU in the 47th percentile of all GPUs, indicating mid-range performance. The PassMark G3D score of 13498 reinforces this positioning. The FP32 compute of 6.463 TFLOPS is the theoretical ceiling for raw arithmetic, but Palworld is not compute-heavy; the real constraint is memory bandwidth and fill rate, which explains why 4K Ultra drops to 22 FPS average — the GPU cannot sustain the pixel throughput at that resolution and preset.

The GTX 1070’s 8 GB VRAM is not exhausted at 1080p or 1440p Medium, but at 4K High and Ultra, the memory capacity becomes a limiting factor. The benchmark data shows a steep cliff between 1440p Medium (66 FPS) and 4K Medium (37 FPS), a 44% drop that is more severe than the resolution increase alone would predict, indicating the GPU’s memory subsystem is overwhelmed. For this game, the GTX 1070 is a solid 1080p card and a passable 1440p card, but it is not a 4K solution.

FAQ

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

A: The measured data shows 1920x1080 at Medium settings provides the best balance with an average of 101 FPS, a minimum of 86 FPS, and a maximum of 116 FPS. At 2560x1440, Medium still delivers a playable 66 FPS average, so 1440p is viable if you accept lower frame rates.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K in Palworld?

A: Only at Low settings, where the average FPS is 46. Medium drops to 37 FPS, High to 28 FPS, and Ultra to 22 FPS, all of which are below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. 4K is not recommended unless you prioritize resolution over frame rate.

Q: How does the GTX 1070 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score is 9780, with the AMD FirePro W5000 scoring 9803 (0.2% higher) and the NVIDIA Quadro M2000M scoring 9832 (0.5% higher). The NVIDIA Tesla M10 scores 9724 (0.6% lower) and the Tesla C2070 scores 9716 (0.7% lower), placing the GTX 1070 in a tight cluster of similar-performance cards.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-9400 a bottleneck for the GTX 1070 in Palworld?

A: The CPU’s six cores and six threads with a boost clock of 4.10 GHz provide enough processing power for Palworld’s simulation and AI workloads at 1080p and 1440p. The CPU ranks in the 47th percentile of all CPUs, and its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 6629 indicates it can keep up with the GPU at these resolutions without being the primary limiter.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p Ultra settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1080p Ultra is 59, with no minimum or maximum recorded. This is playable but close to the edge for competitive or fast-paced gameplay, and the Medium preset at 101 FPS average offers a significantly smoother experience.

Q: How does the combo rank overall compared to other tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 3067 out of 3711 tested combos, placing it in the lower 17% of all configurations. This indicates it is a mid-range to entry-level setup for Palworld, suitable for 1080p and 1440p gaming but not for high-refresh-rate or 4K play.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the performance hierarchy is clear: Low settings produce an average of 125 FPS, Medium drops to 101 FPS with a minimum of 86 FPS and a maximum of 116 FPS, High averages 78 FPS, and Ultra averages 59 FPS. The step from Medium to High is a 23 FPS loss, which is substantial, while the step from High to Ultra is only 19 FPS, showing diminishing returns at the top end. For most players, Medium is the sweet spot, offering a 101 FPS average that stays above 86 FPS even in the worst-case measured frame.

At 2560x1440, the same pattern holds but with lower absolute numbers. Low averages 82 FPS, Medium averages 66 FPS with a minimum of 57 FPS and a maximum of 76 FPS, High averages 51 FPS, and Ultra averages 39 FPS. The Medium preset remains playable, but the minimum of 57 FPS indicates occasional dips below the 60 FPS threshold, which could be noticeable in dense areas. Low is the only preset that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS average, but the visual quality hit is significant.

At 3840x2160, the GPU struggles across all presets. Low averages 46 FPS, Medium averages 37 FPS with a minimum of 31 FPS and a maximum of 42 FPS, High averages 28 FPS, and Ultra averages 22 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium is a 9 FPS drop, and from Medium to High is another 9 FPS drop, while the step to Ultra is only 6 FPS lower. This resolution is only viable on Low, and even then, the 46 FPS average is below the ideal for smooth gameplay. The data shows that 4K is not a realistic target for this combo, and players should stick to 1080p or 1440p for the best experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 3067 out of 3711 tested configurations places this setup firmly in the lower tier of Palworld performance. This is not a surprising result given the hardware’s age — the GTX 1070 was released in 2016 and the i5-9400 in 2018, both now end-of-life products. The rank indicates that roughly 82% of tested combos deliver higher frame rates, which means this setup is best suited for budget-conscious players who prioritize 1080p gaming over high-end visuals.

The GPU’s percentile of 47 and CPU’s percentile of 47 both sit at the median of their respective benchmarks, but the combination does not synergize to exceed the sum of its parts. The GTX 1070’s average benchmark score of 9780 is close to its nearest rivals, with the AMD FirePro W5000 just 0.2% ahead and the Quadro M2000M 0.5% ahead, showing that the GPU is not particularly strong or weak for its class. Similarly, the i5-9400’s average benchmark score of 2254 is nearly identical to the Core i7-1068NG7 (2259, 0.2% higher) and the Core i7-10710U (2248, 0.3% lower), confirming a mid-pack CPU.

In Palworld specifically, the combo’s rank suggests that the game’s open-world survival mechanics, which rely on CPU for creature AI and world simulation, and GPU for rendering, are not especially demanding. The 1080p Medium result of 101 FPS average is respectable, but the 4K Ultra result of 22 FPS average shows the hardware’s ceiling. For players who own this combo, the data indicates that sticking to 1080p or 1440p with Medium settings will yield the best experience, and that upgrading either component would be needed to push higher resolutions or presets.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 provides the processing foundation for this combo, and its six cores and six threads are sufficient for Palworld’s survival gameplay, which involves world simulation, creature pathfinding, and inventory management. The CPU’s base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost clock of 4.10 GHz deliver single-threaded performance that is adequate for the game’s main thread, while the 9 MB of shared L3 cache helps with data locality. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 6629 and single-core score of 935 indicate that the CPU is not a strong performer by modern standards, but it is enough to avoid becoming the primary bottleneck at 1080p and 1440p Medium settings.

The CPU’s memory support for DDR4 with a dual-channel bus and 42.7 GB/s of bandwidth is a potential limitation, as Palworld may benefit from faster memory in large open-world areas. However, the measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions — the frame rates drop consistently as resolution increases, which is a GPU-bound pattern. At 1080p Low, the CPU can push 125 FPS average, but at 1080p Ultra, the frame rate falls to 59 FPS, indicating that the GPU is saturated before the CPU runs out of steam.

The i5-9400’s nearest rivals in the benchmark database are the Core i7-1068NG7 (0.2% higher average score), Core i7-10710U (0.3% lower), AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (0.4% higher), and Core i3-10305 (0.4% lower), all of which are within a 1% performance band. This means the CPU is not a differentiator in this combo — it is a mid-range processor that does its job without excelling. For Palworld, the CPU’s role is to keep the game’s simulation running smoothly while the GTX 1070 handles the rendering, and the data shows this division of labor works well up to 1440p Medium, where the combo delivers a 66 FPS average. Beyond that, the GPU becomes the clear constraint, and the CPU has headroom to spare.