Palworld

The Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is a study in contrast: a high-end 20-core processor anchored by an entry-level 6 GB graphics card from a previous generation. In Palworld, this pairing yields a playable but strictly limited experience, with the GPU acting as the definitive bottleneck across all resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured performance data, contextualizing the combo's ranking and scaling characteristics.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance rank of this CPU and GPU combination in Palworld?

A: The combo ranks 1513th out of 1718 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 12% of all tested systems for this specific game.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its direct rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Core i7-14700F has an average benchmark score of 54097. It trails the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X by 0.6% and the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D by 1.1%, while leading the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 by 1.2% and the AMD EPYC 7313P by 1.7%.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all graphics cards?

A: The GTX 1660 SUPER sits in the 55th percentile of all GPUs, indicating it is a middling performer. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11, scores 0.2% higher in average benchmark score.

Q: What is the best achievable frame rate for this combo in Palworld?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 118.8, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only setting combination that surpasses the 100 FPS mark.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Palworld?

A: At 3840x2160, the system only manages an average of 21.2 FPS on Ultra settings and 29.3 FPS on High settings. These figures are below the standard 30 FPS playability threshold, indicating 4K is not a viable option.

Q: What is the launch MSRP for the CPU?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700F had a launch MSRP of $359.

How This Combo Ranks

The data places this specific configuration at rank 1513 out of 1718 tested combos, a position that underscores a fundamental mismatch in capabilities. This is not a ranking driven by the processor; the Core i7-14700F is a formidable component that sits in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. Its synthetic multi-core score of 35443 in Cinebench R23 and 16571 in Geekbench multicore place it in the top tier of desktop processors, effectively on par with the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X (0.6% difference) and Ryzen 9 9900X3D (1.1% difference).

The bottleneck is clearly the GTX 1660 SUPER. With an average benchmark score of 14286, it sits in the 55th percentile of all GPUs, a stark contrast to the CPU's 94th percentile. The GPU's average score is nearly identical to that of the AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT (0.7% lower), making it a solid entry-level card but one that is hopelessly outclassed by the CPU it is paired with. The near-identical scores of its nearest rivals highlight that the GTX 1660 SUPER is a standard mid-pack performer, and it is this component that drags the entire combo down to the 1513th position. The processor's potential is effectively capped by the graphics card's limited throughput.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data reveals a classic GPU-bound scaling pattern. As resolution increases, the frame rate drops significantly, demonstrating that the GTX 1660 SUPER is working at its limit even at lower resolutions. The most telling comparison is the transition from 1080p to 4K at High settings, where the average frame rate falls from 72.2 FPS to 29.3 FPS, a drop of 59%. This massive reduction is a clear indicator that the GPU's pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth (336.0 GB/s) are insufficient for higher resolutions.

Even at Low settings, the same trend is visible, with FPS dropping from 118.8 at 1080p to 41.3 at 4K. While the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at 1080p Low (118.8 FPS), the scaling curve confirms that the system's limits are governed by the graphics card. The Core i7-14700F, with its boost clock of 5.40 GHz, is not the limiting factor in this game; the data suggests that the GPU's 6 GB of VRAM and 192-bit memory bus are the primary constraints on performance as resolution and settings increase.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark results provide a clear picture of performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the combo is most capable, delivering an average of 118.8 FPS on Low settings, which drops to 97.5 FPS on Medium, 72.2 FPS on High, and 55.3 FPS on Ultra. These figures show that 1080p gaming is viable, though only at Low and Medium settings will users see frame rates above the 60 FPS threshold for a consistently smooth experience.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance penalty is substantial. The average frame rate on Low settings is 75.5 FPS, which is still playable, but it falls to 62.7 FPS on Medium and 46.6 FPS on High. At Ultra settings, the average drops to 39 FPS, which begins to feel less fluid for a survival game where quick reactions can be important. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at High settings is 35%, from 72.2 to 46.6 FPS, illustrating the resolution's heavy toll.

At 3840x2160, the system is clearly out of its depth. The average frame rate on Low settings is 41.3 FPS, but this quickly becomes unplayable as settings increase. Medium settings yield 34.5 FPS, High settings drop to 29.3 FPS, and Ultra settings bottom out at 21.2 FPS. None of the 4K results reach the 60 FPS target, and even the 30 FPS minimum for playability is only barely met on Low settings. The data confirms that this combo is strictly a 1080p and, to a lesser extent, a 1440p solution for Palworld.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER is the decisive component in this pairing. Its specifications—6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth—are modest by modern standards. The benchmark data shows that its performance is the primary constraint, as the CPU's capabilities are never fully utilized in this game. The GPU's boost clock of 1785 MHz and 1408 shading units are insufficient to maintain high frame rates at higher resolutions or quality presets.

The GPU's role is further defined by its nearest rivals. With an average benchmark score of 14286, it is virtually indistinguishable from the AMD Radeon RX Vega 11 (0.2% higher), Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics (0.2% higher), and AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT (0.7% higher). This level of performance, which places it in the 55th percentile of all GPUs, is the ceiling for this combo. The 6 GB VRAM capacity is likely a limiting factor at 4K with High or Ultra settings, as the game's texture data may exceed the available memory, causing stalls and reduced frame rates. The data shows that the GTX 1660 SUPER is a capable 1080p card, but when paired with a top-tier CPU like the i7-14700F, it becomes the clear and obvious performance bottleneck in Palworld.