Palworld

Palworld pairs a 12-core Intel Core i7-12700K with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, a combination that ranks 32nd out of 1,718 tested CPU-GPU pairings for this title. The data shows a system that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions but capable of extreme frame rates at 1080p, with the RTX 4090’s 24 GB of VRAM and high bandwidth ensuring that visual settings, not memory capacity, dictate performance.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS reveals a predictable but steep scaling curve as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 352.6 FPS, but this drops to 233.8 FPS at 1440p and further to 131.2 FPS at 4K. This represents a 63% drop from 1080p Low to 4K Low, indicating that the GPU is the primary limiting factor even at the lowest settings. The trend is consistent across all presets: moving from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 34-36% of performance, while moving from 1440p to 4K costs another 44-45%.

The scaling pattern suggests that at 1080p, the system is partially CPU-bound, particularly at Low settings where the GPU has less work to do. The 352.6 FPS figure at 1080p Low is exceptionally high, and the fact that it does not scale linearly with resolution changes points to the i7-12700K’s 20 threads providing sufficient headroom. However, at 4K Ultra, the frame rate collapses to 60.1 FPS, a 79% reduction from 1080p Low, which is a classic sign of the GPU being fully saturated by pixel throughput and shading work.

How This Combo Ranks

With a combo rank of 32 out of 1,718 tested configurations, this pairing sits in the top 2% of all tested combos for Palworld. The rank reflects the synergy between the i7-12700K and the RTX 4090, where neither component bottlenecks the other to a significant degree. The CPU’s percentile ranking against all CPUs is 89, meaning it outperforms 89% of tested processors, while the GPU’s percentile is 91, placing it above 91% of all GPUs.

The balance between the two components is notable. The i7-12700K’s average benchmark score of 35,684 places it within 0.3% of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 and 0.6% behind the Intel Core i7-13700T, indicating that the CPU is competitive with newer parts. The RTX 4090’s average benchmark score of 66,473 puts it 0.4% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla T4 and 0.5% behind the Tesla P40, which are workstation cards, underscoring the 4090’s dominance in gaming workloads. This combination’s rank suggests that for Palworld specifically, the pairing extracts near-maximal performance from both components.

GPU Role

The RTX 4090 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications explain the measured results. With 16,384 shading units, 512 texture mapping units, and 176 raster output pipelines, the GPU has immense raw compute throughput. Its boost clock of 2520 MHz and base clock of 2235 MHz, combined with 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, allow it to push frame rates well above 300 FPS at lower resolutions.

Memory plays a critical role in Palworld’s performance. The 24 GB of GDDR6X VRAM on a 384-bit bus provides 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for this game’s textures and assets. The data shows that even at 4K Ultra, the GPU does not appear to be VRAM-limited, as the frame rate drop from Medium to Ultra (102.2 FPS to 60.1 FPS) is consistent with increased shading and rasterization demands rather than memory capacity issues. The GPU’s 21 Gbps effective memory clock and 443.5 GPixel/s pixel rate ensure that resolution scaling is smooth, with no sudden cliffs that would indicate memory swapping.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance across all settings. Low settings produce 352.6 FPS, Medium 288.2 FPS, High 220.4 FPS, and Ultra 166.9 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 53%, showing that even at the highest preset, the frame rate remains well above the refresh rate of most monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show more differentiation. Low settings yield 233.8 FPS, Medium 190.2 FPS, High 144.1 FPS, and Ultra 110.3 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p is the first point where the frame rate dips below 120 FPS, suggesting that players targeting 144 Hz displays should consider High settings.

At 3840x2160, the performance curve becomes more constrained. Low settings achieve 131.2 FPS, Medium 102.2 FPS, High 81.4 FPS, and Ultra 60.1 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration in the entire dataset that falls below 60 FPS, and it does so by a narrow margin. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K is a 54% reduction, consistent with the 1080p scaling, indicating that the GPU handles all resolutions with equal efficiency.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain 144 FPS?

A: At 1440p High, the system achieves 144.1 FPS, making it the highest quality setting that consistently meets 144 Hz. At 1080p, all presets exceed 144 FPS, with Ultra hitting 166.9 FPS.

Q: Is the RTX 4090’s 24 GB VRAM necessary for Palworld?

A: The data does not show VRAM capacity as a limiting factor at any resolution. The 4K Ultra result of 60.1 FPS is more attributable to compute throughput than memory, as the 1.01 TB/s bandwidth is ample for the game’s assets.

Q: How does this combo compare to the top-ranked configurations?

A: Ranking 32nd out of 1,718 combos places it in the top 2% of tested pairings. The CPU’s 89th percentile and GPU’s 91st percentile scores indicate a well-matched system.

Q: Can this system run Palworld at 4K Ultra smoothly?

A: The measured average FPS at 4K Ultra is 60.1 FPS, which is playable but not smooth on high-refresh displays. Dropping to High settings at 4K yields 81.4 FPS, a 35% improvement.

Q: Does the i7-12700K bottleneck the RTX 4090 in Palworld?

A: At 1080p Low, the 352.6 FPS result suggests some CPU limitation, but at higher resolutions the GPU takes over. The combo rank of 32 indicates effective balance overall.

Q: What settings provide the highest frame rate at 1440p?

A: Low settings at 1440p produce 233.8 FPS, but High settings at 144.1 FPS offer a better balance of visual quality and performance for most users.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K provides the computational foundation for this system, with 12 cores and 20 threads operating at a 3.60 GHz base clock and 5.00 GHz boost clock. Its Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel’s 10 nm process, supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory, though the data does not specify which memory type was used for these measurements. The CPU’s 25 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 cache per core help maintain high instruction throughput.

Benchmark results show the CPU’s strength in multithreaded workloads, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 29,241 and a Passmark multithread score of 34,404. Single-thread performance is also robust, with a Geekbench single-core score of 2,561 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4,128. These scores place the CPU in the 89th percentile against all tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35,684, just 0.3% below the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 and 0.6% above the Intel Core i7-13700T.

In Palworld specifically, the CPU’s role becomes apparent at lower resolutions. The 1080p Low result of 352.6 FPS is likely near the CPU’s maximum frame generation capability, as the GPU could theoretically produce even higher frame rates if unrestrained. The CPU’s 20 threads are well-utilized by the game’s survival mechanics, which involve world simulation, AI for Pals, and physics calculations. At 4K, the CPU has ample headroom, as evidenced by the consistent scaling patterns that match GPU-bound behavior.

Settings Recommendations

For players prioritizing frame rate above all else, 1080p Low settings deliver 352.6 FPS, which is far beyond any display’s refresh rate. However, this setting sacrifices visual fidelity for performance that offers no practical benefit beyond competitive play. The 1080p Medium preset at 288.2 FPS or High at 220.4 FPS provides a more balanced experience, with both comfortably exceeding 200 FPS.

At 1440p, High settings at 144.1 FPS are the recommended choice for 144 Hz monitors, as this is the highest preset that achieves the target refresh rate. Players with 165 Hz or 240 Hz displays can drop to Medium at 190.2 FPS or Low at 233.8 FPS to match their monitor’s capabilities. The Ultra preset at 110.3 FPS is only advisable for those with 100 Hz displays or those who prioritize visuals over smoothness.

For 4K gaming, the data suggests that High settings at 81.4 FPS are the optimal balance, providing a 35% improvement over Ultra’s 60.1 FPS while maintaining high visual quality. The Medium preset at 102.2 FPS is a strong alternative for those who want to stay above 100 FPS, while Low at 131.2 FPS offers the smoothest 4K experience. The Ultra preset, while playable at 60.1 FPS, does not provide enough visual improvement over High to justify the 26% performance penalty.