Palworld

Palworld is a demanding survival title, and the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and Intel Arc B370 produces a very constrained experience. The benchmark data indicates that this pairing is fundamentally GPU-limited, with performance collapsing at higher resolutions and a rank near the bottom of the database. The Intel Arc B370, functioning as an integrated graphics solution, is the decisive bottleneck, making this combo suitable only for low-resolution, low-setting gameplay.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data reveals a steep and consistent performance cliff as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 76 FPS, which is the only playable result in the entire dataset. Moving to Medium settings at 1080p drops the average to 62 FPS, and High settings further reduce it to 47 FPS. At Ultra settings, the average plummets to 36 FPS, indicating that even at the lowest resolution, the graphics processor is struggling to maintain fluid frame rates under maximum load.

Scaling to 1440p shows a dramatic reduction in performance. The Low setting average falls from 76 FPS at 1080p to 50 FPS at 1440p, a 34% decrease. The Medium setting drops from 62 FPS to 41 FPS, and High settings fall from 47 FPS to 31 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, the average is just 24 FPS, which is below the threshold for acceptable playability. This pattern confirms that the rendering pipeline is overwhelmed by the increased pixel count, with the integrated GPU unable to sustain performance.

The 4K results are effectively unplayable across all settings. The best average at 4K is 28 FPS on Low, followed by 23 FPS on Medium, 17 FPS on High, and 13 FPS on Ultra. The difference between 1080p Low (76 FPS) and 4K Low (28 FPS) represents a 63% loss in frame rate. This severe degradation highlights that the limiting component is not the CPU but the graphics solution, as the workload is purely pixel-bound. The data shows a linear relationship between resolution and performance loss, with each step up in resolution halving the frame rate potential.

The scaling behavior suggests that the system is entirely constrained by the fill rate and shading capacity of the Intel Arc B370. The 20 ROPs and 40 TMUs are insufficient for the demands of 4K rendering in a modern title like Palworld. The frame rate drops are not gradual but cliff-like, indicating that the GPU is hitting a hard architectural limit rather than a thermal or power constraint.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the clear performance anchor in this configuration. With a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, the integrated GPU has a theoretical FP32 performance of 6.144 TFLOPS. However, the benchmark results show that this computational headroom does not translate into real-world gaming performance. The GPU’s memory is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the CPU’s DDR5 memory rather than dedicated VRAM, which introduces severe bandwidth limitations.

The memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," and with a dual-channel configuration providing 102.4 GB/s for the CPU, the GPU must compete for the same bandwidth. This shared resource model is a primary reason for the poor scaling. At 1080p, the system can partially mask the bottleneck, but at 1440p and 4K, the bandwidth demand exceeds what the system can provide, causing the average FPS to collapse.

The GPU’s 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, which is exceptionally low. Its nearest rivals, such as the ATI Radeon HD 5770 with a score of 1190, are over a decade old. This comparison underscores that the Arc B370 is not a gaming-oriented part. The 1280 shading units and 10 RT cores are present, but their performance is crippled by the memory architecture and low power envelope of 25 W.

In Palworld, the GPU role is decisive. The data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck at any resolution, as the frame rates are consistently low regardless of settings. The Ultra settings at 1080p (36 FPS) versus Low settings at 1080p (76 FPS) show a 53% performance swing, which is entirely attributable to the GPU’s inability to handle increased shader complexity and draw calls. The 20 ROPs are insufficient for pixel fill rates at higher resolutions, explaining the 4K collapse to 13 FPS on Ultra.

FAQ

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

A: The only configuration that achieves a consistently playable frame rate is 1080p with Low settings, which averages 76 FPS. Medium settings at 1080p also reach 62 FPS, but High settings fall to 47 FPS, which may be borderline for some users.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Arc B370’s 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 is 0.2% slower than the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186) and 0.5% slower than the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190). It is 1.4% faster than the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168). These rivals are all legacy parts, indicating the Arc B370 is a low-performance integrated solution.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is the definitive limiting factor. The Intel Arc B370’s 3DMark score is in the 5th percentile, and the frame rates drop drastically with resolution. The CPU, with a Passmark single-thread score of 4412, is not the constraint, as performance scales poorly with resolution changes.

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

A: No. At 4K, the maximum average frame rate is 28 FPS on Low settings. Ultra settings at 4K produce only 13 FPS. These results are unplayable, confirming that the integrated GPU lacks the memory bandwidth and pixel throughput for 4K rendering.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, Low settings average 50 FPS, while Ultra settings average 24 FPS. This represents a 52% performance loss when moving from the lowest to highest quality preset, showing that the GPU is heavily taxed by the higher graphical fidelity.

Q: How does the CPU’s benchmark score influence gaming performance here?

A: The CPU’s Passmark multithread score of 30459 and single-thread score of 4412 are adequate for gaming. However, the data shows that the GPU is the bottleneck, as the frame rates do not improve when settings are lowered at the same resolution, indicating the CPU is not the limiting component.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination ranks 2706 out of 2944 tested combos in Palworld, placing it in the bottom 8% of all configurations. This rank is a direct result of the Intel Arc B370’s extremely low GPU percentile ranking of 5%, which drags the entire system down. The CPU’s percentile rank of 85% shows that the processor is capable, but it is paired with a graphics solution that cannot utilize its potential in this game.

The rank indicates that the vast majority of other CPU and GPU combinations deliver higher frame rates. The data suggests that any dedicated graphics card, even a modest one, would outperform this integrated solution. The 2706th rank out of 2944 means there are only 238 combos that perform worse, and those likely feature even older integrated graphics or severely mismatched components.

The combination’s performance is consistent with its hardware profile. The CPU, with 10 cores and 10 threads, is a modern desktop part, but the GPU is an integrated solution designed for basic tasks, not gaming. The 25 W TDP of the GPU and the lack of dedicated memory are the primary reasons for the low rank. The system is not balanced, and the rank reflects that the GPU is a severe weak link.

The measured FPS data corroborates the rank. At 1080p Ultra, the combo achieves only 36 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target that most modern systems aim for. The rank is a global assessment across all settings and resolutions, and the poor 4K performance (13-28 FPS) heavily penalizes the overall score. This combo is unequivocally at the bottom tier for Palworld.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process. Its base clock is 3.30 GHz with a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, and it has 20 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU’s benchmark results show strong synthetic performance, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 25891 and a single-core score of 3655. Passmark scores further confirm its capability, with a multithread score of 30459 and a single-thread score of 4412.

In Palworld, however, the CPU’s role is secondary due to the GPU bottleneck. The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor, as the frame rates are uniformly low across all resolution and settings combinations. The CPU’s 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates it is a competent processor, but its performance is wasted in this configuration. The game’s CPU demands, such as world simulation and AI pathfinding, are likely handled without issue, but the GPU cannot keep up with rendering.

The CPU’s memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s is shared with the GPU, and this becomes a critical constraint. At higher resolutions, the GPU requires more memory bandwidth, but it must share the dual-channel DDR5 bandwidth with the CPU. This contention exacerbates the performance drop, as the CPU’s memory operations interfere with the GPU’s texture fetching. The result is that the CPU’s strong computational performance is masked by the memory subsystem bottleneck.

The CPU’s 20 MB L3 cache is beneficial for gaming, as it reduces memory latency for frequently accessed data. However, in Palworld, the GPU’s rendering demands dominate the frame time. The 10 cores and 10 threads are sufficient for the game’s multi-threaded workload, but the system’s overall performance is capped by the GPU. The CPU’s role is to feed the GPU, but the GPU cannot process the data fast enough, leading to the observed low frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the performance varies significantly by settings. Low settings produce an average of 76 FPS, which is the highest result in the entire dataset. Medium settings average 62 FPS, with a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 71 FPS. High settings drop to 47 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 36 FPS. The data shows a clear stepwise degradation, with each quality tier costing roughly 15-20% performance.

Moving to 1440p, the averages are substantially lower. Low settings achieve 50 FPS, Medium settings 41 FPS (min 35, max 47), High settings 31 FPS, and Ultra settings 24 FPS. The jump from 1080p to 1440p reduces the Low setting performance by 26 FPS, which is a 34% loss. This resolution increase has a disproportionate impact, confirming the GPU’s limited fill rate.

At 4K, the results are marginal. Low settings average 28 FPS, Medium settings 23 FPS (min 19, max 26), High settings 17 FPS, and Ultra settings 13 FPS. The 4K Low result is less than half of the 1080p Low result, highlighting the severe bandwidth limitations. The minimum frame rate of 19 FPS at 4K Medium indicates significant stuttering, making the game feel unresponsive.

The overall pattern shows that the system is only viable at 1080p with Low or Medium settings. The 76 FPS at 1080p Low is the only result that approaches a smooth experience. All other configurations fall below 60 FPS, with 4K results being entirely unplayable. The data is measured, not estimated, and it consistently shows that this combo is unsuitable for Palworld beyond the lowest resolution and quality settings.