Palworld

Palworld, a survival title from January 2024, places significant demands on both processors and graphics cards. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, using only the provided benchmark data. The dataset covers three resolutions and four quality presets, offering a clear view of how this combination scales under load. The CPU, with 10 cores and 10 threads, clocks up to 4.90 GHz, while the GPU features 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and a boost clock of 1680 MHz. The following sections break down the results, focusing on resolution scaling, component roles, and the optimal settings for playable performance.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable but steep decline as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 138 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings drops this to 91 FPS, a reduction of 34%. At 4K Low, the average falls further to 51 FPS, which is only 37% of the 1080p figure. This pattern strongly indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor as pixel count rises. The rendering workload grows geometrically with resolution, and the RTX 2060’s 6 GB frame buffer and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth become increasingly strained.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly punishing. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 57 at 1440p to 32 at 4K, a 44% decrease. At Ultra, the figures are 43 FPS at 1440p and just 24 FPS at 4K. This demonstrates that the GPU’s compute resources are exhausted well before the CPU’s capabilities are tested. Conversely, the jump from 1080p to 1440p at Medium settings, from 112 FPS to 74 FPS, still shows a substantial 34% loss, but the absolute values remain in a more playable range. The data points to a system where the RTX 2060 is the bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU has more headroom, but even then, the GPU’s limits are visible in the difference between Low (138 FPS) and Ultra (65 FPS), which suggests that the graphics card’s shading units and memory capacity are the dominant constraints.

FAQ

Q: How does the combo perform at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS is 86. This is lower than the Low preset (138 FPS) but higher than Ultra (65 FPS), indicating that High settings offer a balanced load for the GPU.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this setup?

A: The maximum measured average FPS is 138, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. No other resolution or preset combination reaches this level in the data.

Q: Is the system capable of 4K gaming?

A: At 3840x2160, the best result is 51 FPS on Low settings. High and Ultra presets drop to 32 FPS and 24 FPS respectively, which are below the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset averages 41 FPS with a minimum of 35 FPS.

Q: How does the GPU rank among all tested graphics cards?

A: The RTX 2060 holds a percentile rank of 58, meaning it outperforms 58% of all GPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score is 15290.

Q: What is the CPU’s position relative to other processors?

A: The Core Ultra 5 225 has a percentile rank of 85, placing it above 85% of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score is 36938, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36945) and slightly ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37018).

Q: What is the best FPS for the Medium preset at 1440p?

A: The data shows an average of 74 FPS for this combination, with a minimum of 63 FPS and a maximum of 85 FPS. This is the only preset at 1440p that provides both a minimum and maximum value in the dataset.

How This Combo Ranks

In Palworld specifically, this combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 ranks 2327 out of 2944 tested combos. This places it in the lower 21% of all configurations, despite the CPU’s strong individual standing. The discrepancy between the CPU’s high percentile (85) and the combo’s low rank highlights the GPU’s limiting role in this game. The RTX 2060, which ranks at the 58th percentile among all GPUs, drags the overall performance down. The combo rank suggests that while the processor is capable of feeding frames, the graphics card cannot keep pace with the demands of Palworld at higher settings.

The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (deltaPct 0) and the Intel Core i9-12900T (deltaPct -0.5), have nearly identical average scores, confirming that the Ultra 5 225 is not the weak link. However, the GPU’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM (deltaPct 0.6) and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 (deltaPct 0.8), which are all within 1% of its average score. This indicates that the RTX 2060 is performing as expected for its class, but that class is simply not sufficient for strong results in this title. The rank is a direct consequence of the GPU’s mid-tier status, as the data shows that the combo struggles to deliver high frame rates at 1440p and 4K, with most settings falling below 60 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system shows its strongest performance. The Low preset delivers an average of 138 FPS, which is smooth and responsive. Medium settings yield 112 FPS, with a minimum of 95 FPS and a maximum of 129 FPS, indicating consistent frame times. High settings drop to 86 FPS, still playable. Ultra settings bring the average down to 65 FPS, which is the lowest at this resolution but remains above the 60 FPS line. This resolution is clearly the sweet spot for this GPU, offering playable performance across all presets.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance takes a noticeable hit. Low settings average 91 FPS, which is still fluid. Medium settings average 74 FPS, with a minimum of 63 FPS, barely staying above the 60 FPS threshold. High settings produce 57 FPS, which is below the ideal mark for fast-paced action. Ultra settings fall to 43 FPS, making the game feel sluggish. The data shows that at 1440p, users must compromise on quality to maintain a consistent frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the system is clearly overburdened. Low settings average 51 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. Medium settings average 41 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS, causing noticeable stutters. High settings drop to 32 FPS, and Ultra settings bottom out at 24 FPS. None of the 4K presets reach the 60 FPS target, and even the Low preset struggles to maintain smoothness. The frame drops are severe, confirming that 4K is not a viable option for this hardware combination in Palworld.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is the decisive component in this setup. With 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, it offers a bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. The GPU’s boost clock is 1680 MHz, and it operates at a TDP of 160 W. The data shows that the GPU’s memory capacity is a critical factor. At 1080p, the 6 GB frame buffer is sufficient for most presets, but at 4K, the higher resolution textures and geometry quickly fill the available memory, leading to the sharp FPS drop from 51 at Low to 24 at Ultra.

The GPU’s compute capabilities, measured at 6.451 TFLOPS for FP32, are also a limitation. The shading units (1920) and texture mapping units (120) are from the Turing architecture, which is now several generations old. The benchmark scores support this assessment: the GPU’s Passmark G3D score is 14111, and its percentile rank is 58. The nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 7600, have an average score of 15171, which is within 0.8% of the RTX 2060’s score, showing that it is not an outlier but rather a mid-tier performer. The VRAM is the primary bottleneck in Palworld, as the game’s open-world survival nature requires large texture pools. The data indicates that to improve performance, the GPU would need more memory and higher memory bandwidth, as the 336.0 GB/s is insufficient for 4K workloads.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience is found at 1920x1080. The Medium preset offers the best balance, with an average of 112 FPS and a minimum of 95 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay without sacrificing too much visual fidelity. For users who prefer higher visual quality, the High preset at 1080p, averaging 86 FPS, is also a strong choice. The Ultra preset at 1080p, at 65 FPS, is playable but may exhibit occasional dips in demanding scenes.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the highest quality option that maintains a playable frame rate, averaging 74 FPS with a minimum of 63 FPS. The Low preset, at 91 FPS, is smoother but at a significant visual cost. The High and Ultra presets, at 57 and 43 FPS respectively, are not recommended for a consistent experience.

At 3840x2160, the data suggests avoiding this resolution entirely for serious gameplay. The Low preset at 51 FPS is the only option that approaches playability, but the Medium preset’s minimum of 35 FPS and the High preset’s 32 FPS average make them unsuitable. The Ultra preset at 24 FPS is effectively a slideshow. For the best experience, the recommendation is to stick with 1080p and the Medium or High presets, as these provide the highest frame rates with the least risk of stuttering.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a strong processor that is not the limiting factor in this configuration. With 10 cores and 10 threads, it is capable of handling the game’s logic and physics. Its base clock is 3.30 GHz, and it boosts to 4.90 GHz, providing ample single-thread performance. The CPU’s L3 cache is 20 MB shared, and it supports DDR5 memory. The benchmark scores reflect its strength: the Cinebench R23 multicore score is 25891, and the single-core score is 3655. The Passmark single-thread score is 4412, and its percentile rank is 85.

The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, have an average score of 36945, which is only 0.2% higher than the Ultra 5 225’s 36938. This indicates the CPU is performing at its expected level. In Palworld, the CPU’s role is to feed frames to the GPU. At 1080p with Low settings, the CPU can push the frame rate to 138 FPS, but the GPU cannot maintain that in more demanding scenarios. The data shows that as resolution increases, the FPS drops proportionally to the GPU’s workload, not the CPU’s. This confirms that the CPU has headroom, and the system’s overall performance is bottlenecked by the RTX 2060. If the GPU were upgraded, the Core Ultra 5 225 would likely be able to support higher frame rates without becoming a constraint.