Palworld

Palworld’s open-world survival gameplay demands sustained throughput from both the processor and the graphics card, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER produces a balanced yet resolution-dependent experience. Measured results show this combo ranks 2066th out of 2944 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-mid tier of the database for this specific title. The data indicates that while the CPU offers strong single-thread capabilities that handle game logic and world streaming, the GPU becomes the primary constraint as resolution increases, particularly at 4K where frame rates fall below playable thresholds on higher presets.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread desktop processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC. Its base clock of 3.30 GHz and boost clock of 4.90 GHz provide the headroom needed for Palworld’s simulation-heavy workload, which involves numerous AI-driven creatures and persistent world state changes. The processor’s single-core performance is notable, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655, which directly supports the game’s primary game-thread demands. In contrast, its multi-core score of 25891 in the same test indicates that scaling across its 10 physical threads is solid but not exceptional, which aligns with the game’s moderate thread utilization.

The CPU’s cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. This configuration helps reduce memory latency when accessing frequently used game data, though Palworld’s open-world streaming can still cause occasional hitches if the cache is thrashed by rapid asset loading. The processor supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, which is adequate for feeding the GPU at 1080p but may become a minor bottleneck when paired with higher-resolution textures that require more memory bandwidth.

Benchmark results place the Core Ultra 5 225 in the 85th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 36938. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (deltaPct: 0), the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (deltaPct: -0.2), and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (deltaPct: -0.4), indicating that the Intel chip is statistically tied with these competitors in general compute workloads. For Palworld specifically, the CPU’s PassMark single-thread score of 4412 is the most relevant metric, as it suggests the processor can keep up with the game’s physics and NPC logic without becoming the limiting factor at lower resolutions. However, at 1080p Low settings, where the GPU is less stressed, the CPU’s performance ceiling is approached, as evidenced by the 152 FPS average that remains below what a more powerful CPU might achieve with a higher-end GPU.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is a Turing-architecture GPU built on a 12 nm process, featuring 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its base clock of 1470 MHz and boost clock of 1650 MHz, combined with 2176 shading units, 136 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, provide a baseline that is now considered entry-level for modern titles. The GPU’s FP32 throughput of 7.181 TFLOPS and texture rate of 224.4 GTexel/s are the key specifications that determine its ability to render Palworld’s stylized visuals, which include dense foliage, dynamic lighting, and numerous on-screen characters.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gameplay at most presets, but the measured data shows that at 4K Ultra settings, the frame rate drops to 26 FPS average, suggesting that both VRAM capacity and memory bandwidth are stretched beyond comfortable limits. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 16462 places it in the 62nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18093. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (deltaPct: -0.4), the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (deltaPct: -0.5), and the AMD Radeon RX 460 (deltaPct: -1.5), indicating that the RTX 2060 SUPER performs nearly identically to these cards in general compute tasks, though its ray tracing and tensor cores (34 RT cores, 272 tensor cores) are not heavily utilized in Palworld, which relies primarily on rasterization.

The GPU’s DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4 API compatibility ensure that it can run the latest rendering features, though the game’s engine does not appear to leverage them for significant performance gains. In Palworld, the GPU’s role becomes dominant at higher resolutions and settings, as evidenced by the FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p Low, the average FPS of 152 indicates that the GPU is not the bottleneck, but at 4K Ultra, the 26 FPS average shows that the GPU is severely limited, likely due to the combination of pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth constraints.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain a 60 FPS average?

A: The data shows that at 2560x1440 with High settings, the average FPS is 62, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average FPS is 95, providing more headroom. For a consistent 60+ FPS experience, 1440p High is the highest resolution that meets this criterion.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in overall benchmark scores?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has an average benchmark score of 36938, which is statistically identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (deltaPct: 0) and slightly higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (deltaPct: -0.2) and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (deltaPct: -0.4). This indicates that the CPU is well-matched against these alternatives in general compute performance.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average FPS of 152, while the Ultra preset drops to 72 FPS. This represents a 53% reduction in frame rate when moving from Low to Ultra, highlighting the significant GPU load increase from higher graphical fidelity settings.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: The measured data strongly indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K. At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 26 on Ultra to 55 on Low, with the highest preset still below 60 FPS. The CPU’s strong single-thread performance (PassMark single-thread score of 4412) is unlikely to bottleneck at this resolution, as the GPU is clearly overwhelmed by the pixel count.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested combinations for Palworld?

A: This Intel Core Ultra 5 225 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER combo ranks 2066th out of 2944 tested combinations, placing it in the 70th percentile of all tested setups. This indicates that while it is not a top-tier configuration, it is far from the bottom of the performance spectrum.

Q: How does the GPU’s memory bandwidth affect 4K performance?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, which is insufficient for 4K Ultra settings, resulting in a 26 FPS average. The bandwidth limitation is evident in the FPS scaling, where dropping to Low settings at 4K (55 FPS) still cannot reach 60 FPS, suggesting that the 8 GB VRAM and 256-bit bus are both constraints at this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER achieves a rank of 2066 out of 2944 tested combos in Palworld, placing it in the 70th percentile of all tested setups. This ranking reflects a configuration that is capable of handling the game at 1080p and 1440p with playable frame rates, but is clearly outclassed by higher-end GPUs at 4K. The CPU’s percentile rank of 85 among all CPUs (average benchmark score of 36938) is significantly higher than the GPU’s percentile rank of 62 (average benchmark score of 18093), indicating that the GPU is the limiting component in this pairing.

Compared to other tested combos, this setup is positioned in the lower-mid tier, where it competes with systems featuring GPUs from the same era but with more powerful processors. The data shows that the CPU is not the primary constraint at any resolution, as evidenced by the fact that FPS scales almost linearly with GPU load when moving from High to Ultra settings. For example, at 1440p, the FPS drops from 62 on High to 47 on Ultra, a 24% reduction, while at 1080p, the drop is from 95 to 72, a 24% reduction as well. This consistent scaling suggests that the GPU is the sole bottleneck when settings are increased, and the CPU has sufficient headroom to support higher frame rates if a more powerful GPU were installed.

The rank of 2066 out of 2944 means that roughly 70% of tested combos outperform this configuration in Palworld, but it also means that 30% of combos are slower. This places the setup in a viable range for gamers who prioritize 1080p or 1440p gameplay over maximum visual fidelity at 4K. The data does not include any min FPS values for most settings, but the Medium preset at 1080p shows a min FPS of 105, which indicates that frame pacing is stable enough to avoid severe stutters in typical gameplay scenarios.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal balance between visual quality and performance for this combo is achieved at 2560x1440 with High settings, which yields an average FPS of 62. This preset provides a playable experience with a smooth frame rate while still offering enhanced textures and lighting compared to Medium or Low presets. For gamers who prefer a higher frame rate, the 1920x1080 Medium preset delivers an average of 123 FPS with a minimum of 105 FPS, ensuring that even in the most demanding scenes, the frame rate never drops below 100 FPS. This makes it the best choice for competitive or fast-paced gameplay where responsiveness is critical.

If visual fidelity is the top priority, the 1920x1080 Ultra preset is the highest setting that maintains a playable average FPS of 72, though this comes at the cost of reduced headroom and potentially more noticeable frame drops in heavy action sequences. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset drops to 47 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and may result in a less fluid experience. The 3840x2160 resolution should be avoided for anything other than Low settings (55 FPS average), as Medium (45 FPS) and High (35 FPS) are both below 60 FPS, and Ultra (26 FPS) is unplayable.

For a balanced experience that prioritizes stability, the 2560x1440 High preset is recommended, as it provides a 62 FPS average that is just above the 60 FPS target. Alternatively, the 1920x1080 Medium preset offers a much higher frame rate (123 FPS average) with a wide margin above the minimum FPS threshold, making it the safest choice for ensuring consistent performance. The data indicates that the Medium preset at any resolution provides the most stable frame times, as it is the only preset with recorded min and max FPS values, showing a narrow range (e.g., 105-142 at 1080p) that suggests predictable performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo demonstrates a clear performance hierarchy across presets. The Low preset achieves an average of 152 FPS, which is the highest measured result in the entire dataset, indicating that the CPU and GPU are both underutilized at this setting. The Medium preset delivers an average of 123 FPS with a minimum of 105 and a maximum of 142, providing a solid 60+ FPS experience with room for demanding scenes. The High preset averages 95 FPS, which is still well above playable thresholds and suitable for most gamers. The Ultra preset drops to 72 FPS, which remains playable but shows a significant 24% reduction from High, reflecting the increased GPU load from higher-quality textures and effects.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down consistently. The Low preset averages 100 FPS, which is a 34% reduction from the 1080p Low result, indicating that the GPU is beginning to become a factor. The Medium preset averages 81 FPS with a minimum of 69 and a maximum of 93, which is still comfortably above 60 FPS and provides a good balance of quality and speed. The High preset averages 62 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS target but leaves little headroom for fluctuating scenes. The Ultra preset averages 47 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and may result in a less smooth experience, though it is still playable for less demanding moments.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the dominant constraint. The Low preset averages 55 FPS, which is the only 4K setting that approaches playability, but it still falls short of the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset averages 45 FPS with a minimum of 38 and a maximum of 52, indicating that frame times can vary significantly and may cause noticeable stutters. The High preset averages 35 FPS, which is marginal for gameplay. The Ultra preset averages 26 FPS, which is effectively unplayable for a game that requires quick reactions and smooth movement. The data across all resolutions shows that the Medium preset is the only one with recorded min and max FPS values, suggesting that it is the most stable preset in terms of frame pacing.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the GPU-bound nature of this configuration. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 95 at 1920x1080 to 62 at 2560x1440, a 35% reduction, and then to 35 at 3840x2160, a 63% reduction from 1440p. This scaling is not linear, as the pixel count increases by 1.78x from 1080p to 1440p and by 2.25x from 1440p to 4K, but the FPS drops are proportionally larger, indicating that the GPU is hitting memory bandwidth or fill rate limits. Specifically, the 448.0 GB/s bandwidth and 105.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are insufficient to handle the increased pixel throughput at 4K.

At Low settings, the scaling is less severe but still significant. The FPS drops from 152 at 1080p to 100 at 1440p (34% reduction) and then to 55 at 4K (45% reduction from 1440p). This suggests that at Low settings, the GPU’s compute units are still the bottleneck, but the memory bandwidth constraint is less pronounced because the reduced texture quality lowers the data transfer requirements. The Medium preset shows a similar pattern: 123 FPS at 1080p, 81 FPS at 1440p (34% reduction), and 45 FPS at 4K (44% reduction from 1440p). The Ultra preset exhibits the worst scaling: 72 FPS at 1080p, 47 FPS at 1440p (35% reduction), and 26 FPS at 4K (45% reduction from 1440p).

The consistent FPS reduction percentage across all presets when moving from 1080p to 1440p (approximately 34-35%) indicates that the GPU is uniformly limited by the increased pixel count, rather than by any specific setting. However, the smaller percentage reduction from 1440p to 4K (approximately 44-45%) compared to the pixel count increase (2.25x) suggests that the GPU is also limited by other factors such as CPU overhead at lower resolutions, which becomes less relevant at 4K where the GPU is fully saturated. Overall, the data clearly shows that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K only viable at Low settings, and the GPU is the definitive limiting component at higher resolutions.