Palworld

Palworld pairs the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER, a combination that lands at rank 1665 out of 2944 tested combos. This places the pairing in the lower-middle tier of the database, meaning it will handle the game but with clear compromises at higher resolutions and settings. The data shows a system where the GPU is the primary bottleneck, especially as resolution climbs, while the CPU provides enough headroom to avoid becoming the limiting factor.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS reveals a steep and consistent performance drop as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo averages 104 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 drops that to 69 FPS, a 34% reduction. At 3840x2160, the average falls to 38 FPS, which is a further 45% drop from the 1440p figure and a 63% drop from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern is the signature of a GPU-bound scenario; the RTX 2070 SUPER is struggling to fill the increasing pixel count.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens dramatically at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the spread from Low (167 FPS) to Ultra (79 FPS) is 88 FPS. At 1440p, that spread narrows to 58 FPS (110 FPS Low vs 52 FPS Ultra). At 4K, the spread is just 32 FPS (61 FPS Low vs 29 FPS Ultra). This compression at 4K indicates that even on Low settings, the GPU is so saturated that it cannot significantly increase frame rates; the render target is simply too large for the 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and the TU104 chip to handle efficiently.

Comparing the 4K Low result (61 FPS) to the 1080p Ultra result (79 FPS) is particularly telling. They are only 18 FPS apart, despite representing opposite ends of both resolution and quality spectrums. This suggests that the RTX 2070 SUPER's raw compute and memory bandwidth are the hard limits. The 448.0 GB/s bandwidth and 9.062 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are simply not sufficient for 4K gaming in a title like Palworld, which appears to favor higher resolutions with more demanding geometry and effects.

The data also shows that the CPU is not the primary constraint in this game. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225, with its 10 cores and 10 threads, maintains a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. The FPS scaling from 1080p to 1440p (e.g., High settings: 104 to 69 FPS) is a 34% drop, which aligns closely with the GPU's workload increase. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a more plateaued curve at lower resolutions, where the GPU has spare capacity. Instead, the steady decline across all settings points to the GPU being the limiting component from 1080p onward.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Palworld with this CPU and GPU combo?

A: The data suggests 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution. At this resolution, the combo achieves a playable 79 FPS on Ultra settings and a highly fluid 104 FPS on High. At 2560x1440, the frame rate drops to 69 FPS on High, which is still playable but less smooth. At 4K, even Low settings only produce 61 FPS, indicating the GPU is too weak for a consistent experience.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER perform relative to its closest rivals in this context?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 20282, placing it at the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, which scores 20480, a 1% difference. The Intel Arc B570 is also close with a score of 20556, putting it 1.3% ahead. This means the RTX 2070 SUPER is essentially in the same performance tier as these cards, with no significant advantage or disadvantage.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 a strong enough partner for the RTX 2070 SUPER?

A: Yes, the CPU is more than capable. It has a passmark single-thread score of 4412 and a multithread score of 30459, putting it at the 85th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, has a nearly identical average score (36945 vs 36938, a 0% delta). The CPU's performance is sufficient to keep up with the GPU in Palworld, as evidenced by the FPS scaling being tied to resolution rather than CPU workload.

Q: What are the minimum FPS figures for the Medium settings?

A: The measured data provides minimum FPS only for Medium settings. At 1920x1080, the minimum is 115 FPS with a maximum of 156 FPS. At 2560x1440, the minimum drops to 76 FPS with a maximum of 103 FPS. At 3840x2160, the minimum is 42 FPS with a maximum of 57 FPS. These figures show that the combo can maintain playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K minimum of 42 FPS will result in visible stutters.

Q: How does this combo rank against all other tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 1665 out of 2944 tested combos for Palworld. This places it in the 43rd percentile, meaning it outperforms roughly 43% of all tested systems but is beaten by the majority. This is consistent with the mid-range nature of the RTX 2070 SUPER, which is now an older, end-of-life product.

Q: What is the impact of the CPU's cores and threads on Palworld's performance?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has 10 cores and 10 threads, which is a modest count for a modern desktop CPU. However, its high boost clock of 4.90 GHz and strong single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655) are more important for gaming. The data does not show the CPU bottlenecking in Palworld, as the FPS scales predictably with resolution, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER holds the 1665th position out of 2944 tested combos in Palworld. This puts it in the bottom half of the database, specifically in the 43rd percentile. This ranking is a direct reflection of the GPU's age and performance class; it is an end-of-life product from the GeForce 20-series, and its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory is a limitation for modern titles.

The CPU, by contrast, is a much newer and stronger component. It ranks at the 85th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 36938. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36945, 0% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37018, -0.2% delta), indicating it is competitively positioned in the CPU market. This disparity between a high-ranking CPU and a mid-ranking GPU creates the imbalance seen in the game's performance.

The combo's rank is not a measure of poor engineering but rather a result of pairing a current-generation CPU with a previous-generation GPU. The data shows that the system is held back by the GPU, as upgrading to a more powerful graphics card would likely yield significant FPS gains without needing a CPU change. The 1665th rank should be interpreted as a warning that this is not a high-end gaming rig, but rather a competent mid-range setup that requires settings adjustments to run Palworld smoothly.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. On Low settings, it averages 167 FPS, which is exceptionally high and suitable for competitive play or high refresh rate monitors. Medium settings produce 136 FPS (min 115, max 156), still very fluid. High settings drop to 104 FPS, which is excellent for most gaming scenarios. Ultra settings bring the average down to 79 FPS, which is still above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. Low settings average 110 FPS, which is still very playable. Medium settings average 89 FPS (min 76, max 103), providing a good balance. High settings fall to 69 FPS, which is acceptable but not ideal for fast-paced action. Ultra settings drop to 52 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and will be noticeable to most players.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles. Low settings average 61 FPS, which is barely playable. Medium settings average 50 FPS (min 42, max 57), which is stuttery. High settings average 38 FPS, making the game feel sluggish. Ultra settings average 29 FPS, which is effectively unplayable for a smooth experience.

The data shows a clear pattern: the RTX 2070 SUPER is only capable of delivering high frame rates at 1080p. At 1440p, it can handle Low and Medium settings well, but High and Ultra require compromises. At 4K, the GPU is completely out of its depth, and even Low settings produce borderline results.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data points to 1920x1080 as the sweet spot. At this resolution, High settings (104 FPS) offer the best combination of visual quality and performance. The jump from Medium to High is a 32% drop in FPS (136 to 104), but the visual improvement is likely worth it. Ultra settings (79 FPS) are also viable, but the 24% drop from High may not justify the marginal visual gains in a game like Palworld, where the art style is colorful but not hyper-detailed.

If playing at 2560x1440, High settings are still playable at 69 FPS, but Medium settings (89 FPS) provide a more comfortable margin. The 22% FPS increase from High to Medium is significant, and the reduction in visual fidelity is likely minor. For a smoother experience, Low settings (110 FPS) are a safe fallback, but Medium is the recommended balance.

At 3840x2160, the data suggests avoiding this resolution entirely. Even Low settings (61 FPS) are marginal, and the minimum FPS data for Medium (42 FPS) indicates that frame pacing will be inconsistent. If 4K is a requirement, the only recommendation is to use Low settings and accept the 61 FPS average, but the experience will be subpar. The better choice is to drop the resolution to 1440p and use Medium or High settings, which will yield a far more stable and enjoyable experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, built on the Arrow Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. The CPU's performance is solid, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 25891 and a single-core score of 3655. Its passmark single-thread score of 4412 is particularly relevant for gaming.

In Palworld, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU. The FPS data does not show any signs of CPU bottlenecking, such as a plateau at lower resolutions. For example, going from 1080p High (104 FPS) to 1440p High (69 FPS) is a 34% drop, which is a typical GPU-bound scaling pattern. If the CPU were the limit, the 1080p and 1440p results would be closer together.

The CPU's 10 cores and 10 threads are sufficient for Palworld's threading model. The game does not appear to be heavily multithreaded, as the FPS is tied to the GPU's rendering capabilities. The CPU's high boost clock of 4.90 GHz ensures that single-threaded tasks, which are common in game logic and physics, are handled quickly.

The CPU's architecture, Arrow Lake-S, is modern and efficient, with a 3 nm process node from TSMC. This gives it a strong power-to-performance ratio, but the 65W TDP is not a factor in the gaming performance measured here. The 20 MB of shared L3 cache is ample for game data, and the DDR5 memory support, with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s, provides sufficient data throughput for the GPU.

The data indicates that the Core Ultra 5 225 is more than adequate for this GPU. It is not a weak link in the system. If a more powerful GPU were installed, the CPU would likely be able to feed it without becoming a bottleneck, given its high single-thread performance and competitive multithread scores. In this pairing, the CPU is the stronger component, and the GPU is the limiting factor for achieving higher frame rates.