Palworld

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates for Palworld show a steep and consistent penalty as resolution increases, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario at higher pixel counts. At 1080p with Ultra settings, the combo produces an average of 56.9 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that to 40.8 FPS, a reduction of roughly 28%. The climb to 4K Ultra is far more punishing, landing at 20.7 FPS, which is about 49% lower than the 1440p result and 64% below the 1080p figure. This trajectory indicates that the rendering load at 4K simply overwhelms the graphics processor, and the frame rate collapses accordingly.

The pattern holds across other settings levels, though the relative drops vary. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 77.8 FPS at 1080p to 51.1 FPS at 1440p, then to 30.6 FPS at 4K. That is a 34% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and another 40% drop from 1440p to 4K. At Medium settings, the numbers are 100.5 FPS, 66.1 FPS, and 36.7 FPS respectively, showing a similar proportional decline. The Low preset is the outlier in absolute terms, starting at 125.6 FPS at 1080p, falling to 80 FPS at 1440p, and reaching 46.3 FPS at 4K — still a steep cliff, but the higher starting point keeps 4K barely playable.

The consistency of these scaling factors points to the GPU as the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate would typically flatten out as resolution increases, because the processor would be maxed out even at low pixel counts. Instead, the data shows frame rates that continue to fall sharply with every step up in resolution, meaning the graphics card is doing all the heavy lifting and running out of headroom. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is smaller than the gap between 1440p and 4K, which suggests that the GPU hits a particularly steep performance wall as the pixel count approaches 8.3 million. For this combination, 4K is not a practical target for smooth gameplay at any preset, while 1440p is borderline and 1080p is the only resolution where the system can maintain high frame rates across multiple settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, it posts a single-thread score of 1136 in 3DMark and a multi-thread score of 12412 at max threads, with Cinebench R23 results of 5505 single-core and 39000 multi-core. These figures place the CPU in the 93rd percentile among all tested processors, meaning it is well above the median in raw compute capability. Its nearest rivals in aggregate benchmark score include the Intel Core i7-13700KF at a deltaPct of -0.1, the AMD EPYC 4364P at 0.3, the Intel Core i9-12900F at 0.4, and the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 at -0.5. The differences are negligible, all within a fraction of a percent, which indicates that the 13700K is sitting in a very tight cluster of high-performance chips.

In the context of Palworld, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU based on the resolution scaling analysis. The game is a survival title that typically involves world simulation, creature AI, and building physics, all of which can tax the processor. However, the measured frame rates do not show signs of a CPU limit. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 125.6 FPS, which is a high number but not exceptionally so for this processor; a CPU-bound scenario would likely cap the frame rate at a more rigid ceiling regardless of resolution. The fact that 4K Low still produces 46.3 FPS, while 1080p Ultra produces 56.9 FPS, suggests that even at the lowest graphics settings, the GPU is still the primary constraint at higher resolutions.

The processor's high single-thread performance, as evidenced by the 3DMark single-thread score of 1136 and the PassMark single-thread score of 4333, should be more than adequate for Palworld's core game logic. The multi-thread capability, with 16 cores and 24 threads, provides ample headroom for background tasks and any parallel workloads the game might generate. Given that the CPU sits in the 93rd percentile and its nearest rivals are all within 0.5% of its aggregate score, it is not the component holding this combo back. The data indicates that the processor has sufficient compute headroom to feed the GPU at 1080p and 1440p, but the GPU's limitations become the dominant factor as resolution increases.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is a Pascal-architecture card with 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s. Its base clock is 1506 MHz with a boost clock of 1683 MHz, and it offers 1920 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The memory runs at 2002 MHz, or 8 Gbps effective. In synthetic benchmarks, the card scores 13498 in PassMark G3D and 1082 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it in the 51st percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in aggregate benchmark score are the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 at a deltaPct of 0.7, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M at -1.3, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER at -1.4, and the NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm at -1.7. These are all older or lower-tier cards, which confirms that the GTX 1070 is a mid-range performer in the current landscape.

In Palworld, the GPU's limitations are clearly visible in the measured frame rates. The card's 8 GB of VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the sharp drop at 4K suggests that memory bandwidth and fill rate become critical constraints at higher pixel counts. The pixel rate of 107.7 GPixel/s and texture rate of 202.0 GTexel/s are modest by modern standards, and the 4K results reflect this. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is just 20.7, which is below the threshold for comfortable play. Even at 4K Low, the card only manages 46.3 FPS, indicating that the raw throughput of the GP104 chip is not enough to handle the 8.3 million pixel workload efficiently.

The GTX 1070's 51st percentile ranking among all GPUs places it right at the median, which aligns with its performance in this game. It is not a weak card by any means, but it is also not a high-end solution. The measured results show that it can handle 1080p with ease, producing over 100 FPS at Medium settings and 125.6 FPS at Low. At 1440p, it remains playable, with 66.1 FPS at Medium and 51.1 FPS at High. The card's FP32 compute of 6.463 TFLOPS is adequate for a game like Palworld, which is not particularly demanding in terms of shader complexity. The bottleneck at 4K is more likely the memory subsystem and the ROP throughput, given the 256-bit bus and 64 ROPs, which struggle to keep up with the pixel fill requirements.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this pairing of the Intel Core i7-13700K with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ranks 1463 out of 1718 total combos for Palworld. That places it in the bottom 15% of all tested systems, which is a poor showing for a CPU that is in the 93rd percentile. The discrepancy highlights the fact that the GPU is the overwhelming bottleneck in this configuration. The 13700K is a top-tier processor, but when paired with a mid-range GPU from 2016, the overall system performance is dragged down significantly.

The combo rank of 1463 out of 1718 means that there are 255 combinations that perform worse, but the vast majority of tested systems deliver higher frame rates in this game. This is not surprising given that the GTX 1070 is an end-of-life product with a successor already two generations old. The CPU's high benchmark scores do not translate into in-game performance when the GPU cannot keep up. The rank reflects the combined result, and the data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor. If the same CPU were paired with a more powerful GPU, the rank would likely be much higher, but as measured, this combo is firmly in the lower tier.

The deltaPct values for the CPU's nearest rivals are all within 0.5%, meaning the choice of processor among those four would not meaningfully change the outcome. The GPU's nearest rivals are also similar in performance, with deltas of -1.7% to 0.7%. This suggests that swapping either component for a directly comparable part would result in negligible frame rate changes. The combo rank is therefore primarily determined by the GPU's limitations, and the data supports that conclusion.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1080p, the Ultra preset delivers 56.9 FPS, which is playable but not smooth by competitive standards. The High preset at 1080p produces 77.8 FPS, which is a substantial improvement and offers a better balance between visual quality and performance. The Medium preset at 1080p reaches 100.5 FPS, providing a very smooth experience, while the Low preset hits 125.6 FPS, which is well above any reasonable refresh rate target.

For 1440p, the choices are more constrained. The High preset yields 51.1 FPS, which is borderline acceptable for a survival game where precise aiming is less critical. The Medium preset at 1440p produces 66.1 FPS, which is a solid playable frame rate and likely the best compromise for most users. The Low preset at 1440p reaches 80 FPS, which is excellent, but the visual fidelity loss may be noticeable. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 40.8 FPS, which is too low for comfortable play.

At 4K, the situation is grim. The Low preset is the only option that approaches playability, with 46.3 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 36.7 FPS, and the High preset falls to 30.6 FPS. The Ultra preset is effectively unplayable at 20.7 FPS. Given these numbers, the data suggests that 1080p Medium or High is the sweet spot for this combo, providing a smooth experience without sacrificing too much visual quality. For 1440p users, Medium is the recommended preset, as it offers the best balance of frame rate and image quality. 4K should be avoided unless the user is willing to accept low settings and sub-60 FPS performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average frame rates are as follows: Low settings produce 125.6 FPS, Medium produces 100.5 FPS, High produces 77.8 FPS, and Ultra produces 56.9 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a consistent degradation, with each step up in settings costing roughly 20-25% of the frame rate. The gap between Low and Medium is 25.1 FPS, between Medium and High is 22.7 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 20.9 FPS. This linear decline indicates that the GPU is handling each settings tier without hitting a sudden wall at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the measured averages are 80 FPS for Low, 66.1 FPS for Medium, 51.1 FPS for High, and 40.8 FPS for Ultra. The drops between settings are 13.9 FPS from Low to Medium, 15 FPS from Medium to High, and 10.3 FPS from High to Ultra. The pattern is similar to 1080p, but the absolute values are lower, and the relative differences are slightly smaller. The 1440p results are all within a playable range for Low through High, but Ultra dips below 45 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the measured averages are 46.3 FPS for Low, 36.7 FPS for Medium, 30.6 FPS for High, and 20.7 FPS for Ultra. The drop from Low to Medium is 9.6 FPS, from Medium to High is 6.1 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 9.9 FPS. The 4K results show that even the Low preset struggles to maintain 60 FPS, and the Ultra preset is below 25 FPS. The data confirms that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combo, with the frame rate falling below 30 FPS for all settings except Low. The breakdown across all resolutions and settings shows a consistent pattern of GPU-bound performance, with the GTX 1070 being the limiting factor in every scenario.