Palworld

Palworld is a demanding survival title that stresses both CPU and GPU, and this pairing of the Intel Core i7-13700K with the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT lands in the lower half of the tested field. The combo ranks 2762 out of 3711 tested combinations, placing it in the 26th percentile of all systems in the database for this specific game. That ranking reflects a significant bottleneck: the RX 5700 XT, while competent at 1080p, cannot keep pace with the i7-13700K’s substantial processing power, especially as resolution climbs. The data shows a system that is very capable at lower settings but struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K Ultra, making it a configuration better suited for high-refresh 1080p or balanced 1440p gameplay rather than maxed-out 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 2762 out of 3711 tested combos in Palworld places it firmly in the lower third of the performance distribution. This is a telling result because the CPU component is a top-tier performer—the Intel Core i7-13700K sits in the 89th percentile against all CPUs in the database with an average benchmark score of 46881. The GPU, however, is the limiting factor, as the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT only reaches the 59th percentile against all GPUs with an average score of 16361. The gap between these two percentiles explains the modest overall ranking; the system’s potential is capped by the graphics card.

Looking at the CPU’s nearest rivals, the i7-13700K scores 46881, which is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (46971, -0.2% delta) and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 (47022, -0.3% delta). It slightly edges out the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX (46654, +0.5% delta) and the Intel Xeon w3-2535 (46653, +0.5% delta). These differences are negligible, meaning the CPU is not the differentiator here. In contrast, the RX 5700 XT’s nearest rivals show a similar picture of near-parity: the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M (16351, +0.1% delta), the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell (16408, -0.3% delta), and the AMD Radeon PRO W7500 (16415, -0.3% delta) are all within a fraction of a percent. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D V2 (16504, -0.9% delta) is also close, which underscores how mid-range this GPU is in the broader context.

The practical implication of this rank is that in Palworld, this combo will deliver playable but not exceptional frame rates. The 26th percentile position means that the majority of tested systems outperform it, and the primary reason is the GPU’s inability to handle the game’s visual workload at higher settings. The data suggests that users with this configuration should prioritize settings adjustments over resolution increases to achieve smooth gameplay.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is built on the RDNA 1.0 architecture with the Navi 10 chip, manufactured on a 7 nm process by TSMC. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz, which translates to 14 Gbps effective. The GPU has a base clock of 1605 MHz, a game clock of 1755 MHz, and a boost clock of 1905 MHz. With 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation units, it offers a pixel rate of 121.9 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 304.8 GTexel/s. Its FP32 performance is 9.754 TFLOPS, and FP16 performance is 19.51 TFLOPS (at a 2:1 ratio).

In Palworld, the RX 5700 XT’s 8 GB VRAM is a critical factor. The game’s texture-heavy environments and open-world rendering demand substantial memory bandwidth, and while 8 GB is sufficient at 1080p and 1440p with medium to high settings, it becomes a constraint at 4K. The measured results show that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 26, and at 4K High, it only reaches 34. This is not a case of the GPU being compute-limited; rather, the memory capacity and bandwidth are insufficient for the highest resolutions and settings. The 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is decent for its era, but modern games like Palworld with large draw distances and dynamic lighting can saturate it.

The GPU’s 59th percentile ranking against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 16361, confirms its mid-range status. It is not a high-end card, and its performance in Palworld reflects that. The nearest rival comparisons show that it is essentially on par with professional workstation cards like the Radeon PRO W7500 and the RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell, which are not gaming-focused but share similar raw compute capabilities. This tells us that the RX 5700 XT is a capable but aging GPU, and in a demanding survival game like Palworld, its limitations are exposed at higher settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 148 FPS. Dropping to 2560x1440 Low reduces that to 98 FPS, a 33.8% decrease. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls to 54 FPS, which is a 63.5% drop from 1080p. This scaling is consistent with a GPU that is being pushed harder at each resolution step; the CPU has ample headroom, but the RX 5700 XT’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors.

The trend is even more pronounced at higher settings. At 1080p High, the average is 93 FPS. At 1440p High, it drops to 61 FPS (a 34.4% decrease), and at 4K High, it falls to 34 FPS (a 63.4% decrease from 1080p). The Ultra preset shows the steepest falloff: 70 FPS at 1080p, 46 FPS at 1440p, and 26 FPS at 4K. This indicates that the GPU is being saturated at 4K, with the gap between 1080p and 4K widening as settings increase. The pattern is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck; if the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS would not drop so dramatically with resolution changes.

The medium settings data provides additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the average is 120 FPS with a minimum of 102 and a maximum of 138. At 1440p Medium, it is 79 FPS (67 min, 91 max), and at 4K Medium, it is 44 FPS (37 min, 51 max). The minimum FPS values at 4K Medium (37) and 1440p Medium (67) show that the GPU can dip below the average, which can cause stuttering in intense scenes. This suggests that for a consistently smooth experience, the user should avoid 4K altogether and consider 1440p Medium as the sweet spot, or 1080p High for higher frame rates.

The data clearly shows that the limiting component is the GPU. The i7-13700K, with its 16 cores and 24 threads, can easily feed the RX 5700 XT at any resolution. The CPU’s benchmark scores—such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 30745 and a single-core score of 2116—are far beyond what Palworld requires. The resolution scaling is thus a direct consequence of the GPU’s workload, and the system’s performance is entirely dependent on the graphics card’s capabilities.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers strong performance across all presets. With Low settings, the average FPS is 148, which is excellent for competitive or fast-paced gameplay. Medium settings yield 120 FPS on average, with a minimum of 102 and a maximum of 138, providing a good balance between visual quality and smoothness. High settings reduce the average to 93 FPS, still very playable for most users. Ultra settings drop to 70 FPS, which is acceptable but not ideal for high-refresh monitors. The data shows that 1080p is where this combo shines, with all presets except Ultra staying comfortably above 90 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance takes a noticeable hit but remains playable for most settings. Low settings produce 98 FPS, which is still smooth. Medium settings average 79 FPS, with a minimum of 67 and a maximum of 91, indicating some variance in demanding scenes. High settings average 61 FPS, which is borderline for 60 Hz displays. Ultra settings fall to 46 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The 1440p results suggest that Medium is the highest preset that can maintain a consistent 60+ FPS experience.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overwhelmed. Low settings average 54 FPS, which is playable but not smooth. Medium settings average 44 FPS, with a minimum of 37 and a maximum of 51, showing significant dips below 40 FPS. High settings average 34 FPS, and Ultra settings average 26 FPS, both of which are unplayable for a survival game requiring quick reactions. The 4K data confirms that this combo is not suitable for 4K gaming, even at Low settings, where the 54 FPS average is just barely above the 50 FPS threshold for acceptable playability.

The settings-specific data shows a consistent pattern: each step from Low to Ultra costs roughly 20-25% of the frame rate at any given resolution. For example, at 1080p, Low (148 FPS) to Medium (120 FPS) is a 18.9% drop, Medium to High (93 FPS) is a 22.5% drop, and High to Ultra (70 FPS) is a 24.7% drop. This linear scaling indicates that the GPU is the sole bottleneck, with no CPU-related hiccups. Users should note that the minimum FPS values, available only for Medium settings, show that the GPU can dip up to 15% below the average, which is worth considering for frame-time consistency.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user’s resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p displays, High settings at 93 FPS provide an excellent balance between visual fidelity and performance. The game will look good, and the frame rate is high enough for smooth gameplay. Ultra settings at 70 FPS are also viable if the user prioritizes graphics over frame rate, but the 23 FPS loss from High may not be worth the marginal visual improvement. Low and Medium settings are overkill at 1080p, as the GPU is not stressed enough to justify the reduction in quality.

For 1440p, Medium settings at 79 FPS are the recommended choice. This preset delivers a solid experience with minimum FPS of 67, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smoothness. High settings at 61 FPS are acceptable for users with 60 Hz monitors, but the average is close to the edge, and any demanding scene could push it below 60. Low settings at 98 FPS are not necessary, as Medium provides a significantly better visual experience without a major FPS penalty. Ultra settings at 46 FPS should be avoided, as the frame rate is too low for a game that requires responsive controls.

For 4K, the data suggests that this combo is not suitable for anything above Low settings. Even at Low, the 54 FPS average is marginal, and Medium drops to 44 FPS with minimums of 37, which can cause noticeable stuttering. High and Ultra are unplayable at 34 and 26 FPS respectively. The best course of action for 4K users is to either lower the resolution to 1440p or accept Low settings. Given that Palworld is a survival game where quick reactions matter, the 1080p High preset is the best overall experience, offering 93 FPS with good visual quality.

The measured rows indicate that the Medium preset is the only one with complete min/max data, showing that it is the most stable in terms of frame pacing. At 1080p Medium, the 102 minimum FPS is well above any playability threshold, and at 1440p Medium, the 67 minimum is still solid. This makes Medium the safest choice for users who want to avoid frame drops, even if High provides higher averages. In summary, the recommended settings are 1080p High for the best balance, 1440p Medium for a compromise, and 4K Low only if resolution is a hard requirement.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel’s 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. Its cache configuration includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, and it has 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes. Its integrated graphics are UHD Graphics 770, and it uses the Intel Socket 1700.

In Palworld, the CPU’s role is to handle game logic, physics, and AI, which can be demanding in a survival game with many entities. The i7-13700K’s benchmark scores show that it is more than capable. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 30745 and single-core score of 2116 place it in the top tier of processors. The 3DMark scores are also strong: 10717 for 16 threads, 8193 for 8 threads, and 4469 for 4 threads. The Geekbench multi-core score of 19429 and single-core score of 2529 further confirm its prowess. These numbers indicate that the CPU will not bottleneck the GPU in Palworld, even at 1080p where CPU load is typically higher.

The CPU’s 89th percentile ranking against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 46881, is consistent with its performance in Palworld. The nearest rival comparisons show that it is statistically tied with the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 (46971, -0.2% delta) and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 (47022, -0.3% delta), and slightly ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX (46654, +0.5% delta) and the Intel Xeon w3-2535 (46653, +0.5% delta). These differences are within the margin of error, meaning that any of these CPUs would perform identically in Palworld with the same GPU.

The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo. The resolution scaling analysis demonstrates that the FPS drops are entirely attributable to the GPU, as the CPU has ample headroom. For instance, at 1080p Low, the 148 FPS is well below what the CPU could potentially deliver, as its single-thread performance would allow for much higher frame rates if the GPU were faster. The CPU’s high boost clock of 5.40 GHz and 24 threads ensure that Palworld’s multi-threaded workloads, such as pathfinding and world simulation, are handled without issue. Ultimately, the i7-13700K is a powerful companion to the RX 5700 XT, but it is underutilized in this configuration, as the GPU holds the system back.