Palworld

Palworld on the Intel Core i7-14700F + Intel Arc B390 combination presents a dataset dominated by the integrated graphics solution. The measured frames per second (FPS) across all resolutions and settings presets indicate a system where the visual output is the primary constraint, with the CPU's substantial core count providing ample headroom. The Arc B390, functioning as an IGP with system-shared memory, delivers playable results only at the lowest graphical settings and resolution, while higher fidelity targets quickly become untenable.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, clearly identifying the GPU as the limiting component. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 84 at 1920x1080 to 56 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 33%, and then further to 31 at 3840x2160, which is a 63% decline from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern is typical of a graphics solution where the fill rate and memory bandwidth are severely constrained; as the pixel count increases, the rendering workload outpaces the Arc B390's capabilities.

The trend is even more pronounced at higher quality presets. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 53 at 1080p to 35 at 1440p (a 34% decrease) and then to 19 at 4K (a 64% decrease from 1080p). Ultra settings show the most dramatic collapse, with the average FPS falling from 40 at 1080p to 26 at 1440p and finally to 15 at 4K. The consistency of these percentage drops, regardless of the preset, suggests that the bottleneck is purely resolution-driven. The data indicates that the Intel Core i7-14700F is not the limiting factor in this scenario; if it were, the frame rate would remain relatively flat as resolution increases, since the CPU workload per frame would not change significantly. Instead, the halving of performance at each major resolution step confirms a GPU-bound scenario.

FAQ

Q: What is the best performance the Intel Arc B390 can achieve in Palworld with this CPU?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 84, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset. This is the only configuration in the dataset that approaches a high-refresh experience, though it still falls short of a locked 60 FPS for all scenarios.

Q: Is Palworld playable at 4K resolution with this hardware combo?

A: The data shows that 4K performance is severely limited. The best result at 3840x2160 is an average of 31 FPS on Low settings, but this drops to 19 FPS on High and 15 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset at 4K averages 25 FPS with a minimum of 21 FPS, indicating that smooth gameplay is not achievable at this resolution.

Q: How does the Low preset compare to the Medium preset at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves an average of 56 FPS, which is 11 FPS higher than the Medium preset's average of 45 FPS. The Medium preset also provides a minimum FPS of 38, which is a useful data point for understanding frame time consistency.

Q: What is the performance difference between High and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The High preset at 1920x1080 yields an average of 53 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields 40 FPS. This represents a 13 FPS, or approximately 25% performance cost for moving from High to Ultra at the same resolution.

Q: Does the Medium preset at 1080p provide a stable frame rate?

A: The Medium preset at 1920x1080 has an average FPS of 68, with a reported minimum of 58 and a maximum of 79. The minimum FPS of 58 suggests that the frame rate can dip below the average, but it remains within a range that could be considered more stable than the 4K Medium results.

Q: Based on the data, what is the most demanding settings preset for this system?

A: The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 is the most demanding configuration, producing an average of only 15 FPS. This is the lowest average FPS recorded in the entire dataset for Palworld.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the decisive factor in this system's Palworld performance. Its specifications, including a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, are paired with system-shared memory, meaning the GPU relies on the main system RAM for its frame buffer. This architecture is the root cause of the performance levels observed. The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 places it in the 9th percentile among all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are older, low-end discrete parts like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and GeForce GT 710, with deltaPct values of 1.3% and 2.7%, respectively. This indicates the Arc B390's raw rendering power is comparable to those legacy chips, which are not designed for modern gaming workloads.

The shared memory configuration is particularly problematic for a game like Palworld, which involves a large, persistent world. The GPU's memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," and its bus width is "System Shared," meaning the performance is directly tied to the speed and configuration of the host system's DDR4 or DDR5 memory. The FP32 compute rating of 7.680 TFLOPS and pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s are theoretical maximums that are unlikely to be reached in a real-world gaming scenario due to the memory bottleneck. The data confirms this; the FPS figures are far below what would be expected from a discrete GPU with similar compute capabilities. The GPU's role here is to provide a baseline visual output, but it is fundamentally underpowered for Palworld at higher resolutions and settings, as evidenced by the average FPS dropping from 84 at 1080p Low to 15 at 4K Ultra. The 24 ROPs and 48 TMUs are simply insufficient to handle the pixel and texture fill rates demanded by higher resolutions, making the Arc B390 the absolute ceiling for this combination's gaming potential.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this system's capabilities. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 84 FPS, which is the highest score in the entire dataset. The Medium preset averages 68 FPS, with a minimum of 58 and a maximum of 79 FPS, showing a playable but not perfectly stable frame rate. The High preset drops to an average of 53 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 40 FPS. This resolution is the only one where any preset achieves an average above 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. The Low preset averages 56 FPS, making it the only preset at this resolution to remain above the 30 FPS playability threshold. The Medium preset averages 45 FPS, with a minimum of 38 FPS. High settings average 35 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to an average of 26 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a reduction of roughly 33% for most presets, underscoring the GPU's inability to handle the increased pixel workload.

At 3840x2160, the results are marginal for any form of gameplay. The Low preset averages 31 FPS, which is the only average above 30 at this resolution. The Medium preset averages 25 FPS, with a minimum of 21 FPS. High settings average 19 FPS, and Ultra settings average just 15 FPS. The data shows that 4K is not a viable target for this combo, as even the lowest settings preset fails to maintain a consistent 30 FPS, and the minimum FPS of 21 on Medium indicates significant frame pacing issues. The progression from Low to Ultra at each resolution shows a consistent performance penalty of roughly 25-50%, depending on the preset, but the absolute numbers are so low at 1440p and 4K that the settings choice has a smaller relative impact on playability.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a high-end desktop processor that is vastly more capable than the GPU it is paired with. Its 20 cores and 28 threads, based on the Raptor Lake architecture, provide substantial multi-threaded throughput. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35122 and Geekbench multi-core score of 19620 place it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a top-tier performer for compute-intensive tasks. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X with a deltaPct of 0.6% and the AMD EPYC 7313P with a deltaPct of 0.8%, are all server or high-end desktop parts, showing the i7-14700F is in elite company.

However, in Palworld, the CPU's role is largely passive due to the GPU bottleneck. The game is clearly GPU-limited, as evidenced by the resolution scaling data. The CPU's high boost clock of 5.40 GHz and strong single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4958) ensure that it is not a limiting factor. The data suggests that the i7-14700F could easily drive frame rates far higher than what the Arc B390 can produce. The CPU's 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample bandwidth for game logic and world streaming, but these resources are underutilized because the GPU cannot keep up. In a system with a more powerful discrete GPU, this CPU would likely allow for much higher average FPS and better minimum frame times, but the measured results here are entirely constrained by the integrated graphics solution. The i7-14700F's influence on Palworld's performance is, therefore, to provide a stable and highly capable platform that is never the source of a frame rate dip.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the only configuration that provides a consistently playable experience is the Low preset at 1920x1080, which achieves an average of 84 FPS. This is the only settings/resolution combination where the average FPS is high enough to suggest a smooth, responsive experience for a game like Palworld, which involves combat and exploration.

For users who prefer a higher visual quality, the Medium preset at 1920x1080 is the next best option, with an average of 68 FPS and a minimum of 58 FPS. While the minimum is slightly below 60, the average is high enough to be acceptable for many players. The High preset at 1080p, with an average of 53 FPS, is a compromise, but the drop below 60 FPS may be noticeable.

At 1440p, the Low preset is the only viable choice, with an average of 56 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p, with an average of 45 FPS and a minimum of 38 FPS, is borderline, but the lower minimums suggest potential stutter. All other presets at 1440p and all presets at 4K produce average FPS below 40, which is generally not recommended for a smooth experience in a survival game. The data points to a clear hierarchy: prioritize the lowest settings at 1080p for the best performance, and only consider higher presets if you are willing to accept a significant drop in frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700F + Intel Arc B390 combination ranks 2607 out of 2944 tested combos for Palworld. This places the system in the bottom percentile of all tested configurations, which is a direct consequence of the GPU's low performance. The combo rank is far below what the CPU alone would suggest, given its 91st percentile ranking among all CPUs. The disparity between the CPU's high standing and the combo's low standing highlights the severe bottleneck created by the Arc B390.

The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482, which is in the 9th percentile, is the primary driver of this poor ranking. Its nearest rivals, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and GeForce 800M, are legacy parts from a different era of gaming, and the deltaPct values of 1.3% and 1.5% show that the Arc B390 is barely faster than them in synthetic benchmarks. In a real-world game like Palworld, the results are equally poor. The rank of 2607 indicates that the vast majority of other CPU/GPU combinations tested will provide a better experience. This data suggests that while the CPU is a strong foundation, the integrated GPU is not suitable for this game, and the overall combo ranking accurately reflects the playability issues demonstrated in the measured FPS data.