Palworld

Palworld presents an interesting stress test for the Intel Core i7-14700KF and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT combination, with the measured frame rates revealing a clear shift in system bottleneck as resolution changes. The data shows a significant performance drop from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the game becomes increasingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the CPU's substantial core and thread count keeps performance competitive at lower settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a dramatic scaling curve across the three tested resolutions. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo delivers 144 FPS, but this falls to 95 FPS at 2560x1440 and further to 53 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 63% drop from 1080p to 4K at High settings, which is characteristic of a system where the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets, with Low settings showing the smallest relative drop—from 231 FPS at 1080p to 152 FPS at 1440p and 84 FPS at 4K, a 64% reduction overall.

The Medium preset provides the most complete data, including minimum and maximum FPS values, allowing for a more detailed analysis of scaling behavior. At 1080p Medium, the combo averages 187 FPS with a minimum of 159 FPS and maximum of 215 FPS. Moving to 1440p Medium drops the average to 123 FPS with a range of 105 to 142 FPS, while 4K Medium yields 68 FPS with a range of 58 to 79 FPS. The consistent decline suggests that Palworld's engine scales predictably with pixel count, and the frame time consistency appears to hold well even as the GPU load increases.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly steep, with High settings falling from 95 FPS to 53 FPS—a 44% reduction. This steep drop indicates that the RX 6800 XT's 16 GB of VRAM and 512.0 GB/s memory bandwidth are being pushed hard at 4K, though the card still maintains playable frame rates. At 1080p, the high frame rates suggest the CPU's 20 cores and 28 threads are keeping up with the game's demands, but the GPU becomes the binding constraint as resolution climbs.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT plays a central role in determining Palworld's performance ceiling, particularly at higher resolutions. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1825 MHz, a game clock of 2015 MHz, and a boost clock of 2250 MHz, paired with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus. This memory configuration provides 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is essential for handling the texture-heavy environments typical of survival games like Palworld.

The GPU's 4608 shading units, 288 texture mapping units, and 128 ROPs deliver a peak FP32 performance of 20.74 TFLOPS. This compute capacity translates directly into the measured frame rates, with the card posting 144 FPS at 1080p High and 53 FPS at 4K High. The data indicates that the RX 6800 XT is the limiting component at all resolutions above 1080p, as evidenced by the steep performance scaling. At 1080p, the GPU still has headroom, but the frame rate ceiling is likely influenced by the game's engine and CPU performance.

The GPU's benchmark scores provide context for its in-game performance. The card scores 24980 in Passmark G3D, placing it in the 85th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile with a score of 47743 (1.5% lower), the Intel Arc A550M at 49737 (2.5% higher), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti at 49957 (3% higher). These comparisons show that the RX 6800 XT sits in a competitive mid-to-high range, though its end-of-life production status means it represents mature technology rather than current-generation performance.

At 4K Ultra settings, the combo manages only 40 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold many players consider ideal. This suggests that the RX 6800 XT's 16 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient, but the raw compute power is stretched thin at the highest settings. The memory clock of 2000 MHz (16 Gbps effective) and the 256-bit bus width are adequate for the game's demands, but the data shows that Ultra settings at 4K are not a viable option for smooth gameplay with this combination.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF provides the computational backbone for this system, featuring 20 cores and 28 threads based on the Raptor Lake-R architecture. The processor operates with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. This configuration is well-suited for Palworld, which benefits from multiple cores for game logic, world simulation, and AI processing typical of survival titles.

The CPU's benchmark results indicate strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44167 and a single-core score of 6235. In Geekbench, the multi-core score reaches 21462, while single-core performance is 2578. These scores place the i7-14700KF in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 70163. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F with an average score of 69996 (0.2% lower), the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX at 69875 (0.4% lower), and the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X at 69515 (0.9% lower). The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K scores 70879, which is 1% higher.

In Palworld, the CPU's role is most apparent at 1080p, where the combo achieves 144 FPS at High settings and 231 FPS at Low settings. These high frame rates suggest the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU efficiently at lower resolutions. However, the processor's 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache help maintain consistent performance in complex game scenes. The CPU's memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5 provides flexibility, though the measured data does not specify which memory type was used in testing.

The i7-14700KF's Passmark multi-thread score of 52425 and single-thread score of 4480 reinforce its capability as a gaming processor. At higher resolutions, the CPU becomes less influential, as the GPU takes over as the limiting factor. This is evident in the 4K results, where the combo's performance closely tracks GPU capabilities rather than CPU potential.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of Intel Core i7-14700KF and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT achieves a combo rank of 1183 out of 3711 tested combinations in Palworld. This places the pairing in the top 32% of all tested combos, indicating that it delivers above-average performance for this game. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU's strong multi-threaded capabilities and the GPU's solid mid-to-high range performance.

The ranking position suggests that while this combo is not at the absolute top of the performance spectrum, it provides a capable experience for Palworld players. The CPU's 94th percentile ranking among all processors contrasts with the GPU's 85th percentile, indicating that the CPU is relatively stronger than the GPU in this pairing. This imbalance becomes more apparent at higher resolutions, where the GPU's limitations are exposed.

Comparing the combo's performance to the individual components' standings, the CPU's nearest rivals—the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, Ryzen 9 7940HX, and Ryzen 9 7950X—all fall within 1% of the i7-14700KF's average benchmark score. The GPU's rivals, including the Intel Arc A550M and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, are within 3% of the RX 6800 XT's score. These margins suggest that swapping either component for a close rival would result in minimal performance differences in Palworld.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Palworld?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 offers the best balance, with 95 FPS at High settings and 123 FPS at Medium, providing smooth gameplay with good visual quality. At 1080p, the combo achieves 144 FPS at High but does not fully utilize the GPU's potential.

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

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 4K Medium settings, the combo averages 68 FPS with a minimum of 58 FPS, which is playable. However, 4K High drops to 53 FPS, and 4K Ultra falls to 40 FPS, which may feel less smooth.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700KF has an average benchmark score of 70163, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (69996) and 0.4% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69875). It scores 1% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K (70879).

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT ranks in the 85th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48477. It sits 1.5% above the NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile and 2.5% below the Intel Arc A550M.

Q: Is the 16 GB VRAM sufficient for Palworld at high settings?

A: The measured data indicates that 16 GB of VRAM is sufficient, as the combo maintains playable frame rates at 4K High (53 FPS) and 1440p Ultra (72 FPS) without indications of memory-related stuttering.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values at Medium settings?

A: The data shows minimum FPS of 159 at 1080p, 105 at 1440p, and 58 at 4K, all at Medium settings. These minimums indicate that the combo maintains consistent frame delivery without severe drops.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce an average of 231 FPS, Medium settings yield 187 FPS with a range of 159 to 215 FPS, High settings achieve 144 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 109 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, the system has ample performance headroom, with even Ultra settings maintaining above 100 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance scales down proportionally. Low settings average 152 FPS, Medium settings deliver 123 FPS with a range of 105 to 142 FPS, High settings reach 95 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 72 FPS. This resolution represents the sweet spot for this combo, as all settings presets remain above 60 FPS, with Low and Medium providing particularly smooth experiences.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. Low settings average 84 FPS, Medium settings produce 68 FPS with a range of 58 to 79 FPS, High settings drop to 53 FPS, and Ultra settings manage only 40 FPS. The 4K results show that while the combo can handle 4K gaming, players must compromise on settings to achieve smooth frame rates, with Medium being the highest preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset offers the best overall experience for this combo. At all three resolutions, Medium provides a balance of visual quality and performance, with average frame rates of 187 FPS at 1080p, 123 FPS at 1440p, and 68 FPS at 4K. The minimum FPS values at Medium—159 at 1080p, 105 at 1440p, and 58 at 4K—indicate consistent frame delivery without major stutters.

For players prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity, the Low preset is the strongest option, delivering 231 FPS at 1080p, 152 FPS at 1440p, and 84 FPS at 4K. This preset is ideal for competitive play or for users with high refresh rate monitors, as even 4K stays well above 60 FPS.

The High preset is recommended for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it achieves 144 FPS and 95 FPS respectively. However, at 4K, High settings drop to 53 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset is only viable at 1080p (109 FPS) and 1440p (72 FPS), as 4K Ultra at 40 FPS is not recommended for a smooth experience. For the best balance of quality and performance across all resolutions, Medium settings provide the most consistent results with this hardware combination.