Palworld

Palworld is a Survival title released on January 18, 2024, and the data here measures the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050. The benchmark results across four resolutions and four settings presets provide a clear picture of where this combination excels and where its limitations appear. The overall combo rank of 1778 out of 2944 tested combinations places this pairing in the middle of the pack, suggesting a balanced but not exceptional experience for this specific game.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a consistent and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases, with the most dramatic shifts occurring between 1080p and 1440p. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 160 FPS at 1920x1080 to 105 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 55 FPS, and then further down to 58 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a steep decline of approximately 34% from 1080p to 1440p and another 45% drop from 1440p to 4K, indicating that the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck as pixel count rises.

The scaling pattern at High settings tells a similar story with slightly lower absolute numbers. The average FPS goes from 100 at 1080p to 66 at 1440p, a reduction of 34 FPS, and then to 36 at 4K, another 30 FPS drop. The percentage decreases are consistent with the Low preset, confirming that resolution scaling is the dominant factor regardless of visual fidelity. Notably, the gap between 1080p and 1440p results is nearly identical in percentage terms across all settings, suggesting a linear relationship between pixel count and rendering load.

The Medium preset offers the most complete data set, including minimum and maximum FPS values, which allows for a deeper analysis of frame time consistency. At 1080p, the average is 130 FPS with a range from 110 to 149 FPS, giving a spread of 39 FPS. At 1440p, the average drops to 85 FPS with a range from 73 to 98 FPS, a spread of 25 FPS. At 4K, the average falls to 47 FPS with a range from 40 to 54 FPS, a spread of only 14 FPS. This narrowing range at higher resolutions indicates that frame times become more consistent as the GPU reaches its performance ceiling, reducing the variability seen at lower resolutions.

Ultra settings follow the expected pattern with the lowest frame rates across all resolutions. The average goes from 76 FPS at 1080p to 50 FPS at 1440p, a 26 FPS drop, and then to 28 FPS at 4K, another 22 FPS reduction. The 4K Ultra result of 28 FPS is notably below the 30 FPS threshold often considered the minimum for playable frame rates, making this preset impractical at that resolution. The data strongly indicates that the RTX 5050 is the limiting component at 4K across all settings, while at 1080p the CPU may still have headroom to push higher frame rates with more capable graphics hardware.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on which preset delivers the best balance of visual quality and performance for this CPU-GPU combination. At 1920x1080, the High preset achieves 100 FPS average, which is a substantial improvement over the 76 FPS of Ultra while maintaining most visual features. The Medium preset offers 130 FPS, but the jump from Medium to High costs 30 FPS, suggesting that High provides the best return on visual investment for a typical gaming experience at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the High preset delivers 66 FPS average, which remains comfortably above the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset reaches 85 FPS, but Ultra drops to 50 FPS, making High the optimal choice for players who want both visual quality and responsive frame rates. The 4K resolution presents a more challenging scenario, where High settings yield only 36 FPS, Medium produces 47 FPS, and Low reaches 58 FPS. None of these results achieve a consistently smooth 60 FPS experience, so players at this resolution must prioritize either frame rate or visual fidelity.

For players seeking the highest possible frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p delivers 160 FPS, which would benefit competitive or fast-paced gameplay scenarios. However, the jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 30 FPS, while the jump from Medium to High costs another 30 FPS, and the final step to Ultra costs 24 FPS. This diminishing returns pattern suggests that Medium or High at 1080p offers the most balanced experience for most users, with Ultra reserved for those who prioritize maximum visual quality over frame rate.

The 1440p medium preset, with its minimum FPS of 73 and maximum of 98, demonstrates the most consistent frame pacing across all measured configurations, making it a recommended target for players with variable refresh rate monitors. The 4K Low preset at 58 FPS is the only 4K configuration that approaches playable frame rates, but it sacrifices most visual enhancements. Overall, the data recommends High settings at 1080p or 1440p as the sweet spots, with Medium as a fallback for higher resolutions or when prioritizing frame rate stability.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 achieves a rank of 1778 out of 2944 tested combos in Palworld, placing it in the 60th percentile of all tested configurations. This mid-tier ranking indicates that while the pairing is capable, it does not stand out as a particularly strong match for this game's demands. The GPU's percentile ranking of 66 against all GPUs is slightly higher than the combo's overall ranking, suggesting that the graphics card is not the sole limiting factor in this pairing.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 85 against all CPUs is significantly higher than the combo rank, which points to the processor being underutilized relative to its overall capabilities. The nearest CPU rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, has an average benchmark score of 36945, which is only 0.1% higher than the Core Ultra 5 225's average score of 36938, indicating near-identical processing power. The other close rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D at 37018 and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 at 37093, all fall within 0.5% of the Core Ultra 5 225's score, confirming that this CPU competes in a tightly packed performance tier.

For the GPU, the nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT with an average score of 20713, which is 1.6% lower than the RTX 5050's score of 21035. The other rivals, including the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL at 21153 and the AMD Radeon HD 8970M at 21237, show performance differences of less than 1% in either direction. This clustering of scores suggests that the RTX 5050 sits at a performance level where small architectural differences can shift rankings, and its 66th percentile overall ranking reflects a mid-range position in the broader GPU landscape.

The disparity between the CPU's high percentile (85) and the GPU's lower percentile (66) explains why the combo rank falls below what the processor alone might suggest. In Palworld, the GPU appears to be the primary constraint on overall system performance, as evidenced by the resolution scaling data showing significant FPS drops when moving to higher resolutions. The combo's 60th percentile ranking among all tested combinations indicates that there are many pairings with stronger graphics cards that would deliver better performance in this game, even if their CPUs are less capable than the Core Ultra 5 225.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080 resolution, the measured average FPS values span from 160 at Low settings to 76 at Ultra settings. The Low preset achieves the highest frame rate, followed by Medium at 130 FPS, High at 100 FPS, and Ultra at 76 FPS. The Medium preset provides the only complete data set at this resolution, with a minimum of 110 FPS and a maximum of 149 FPS, resulting in a range of 39 FPS. This spread indicates that the system maintains relatively stable frame times, though the difference between minimum and maximum suggests some scenes place higher demands on the hardware.

At 2560x1440 resolution, the average FPS values range from 105 at Low settings to 50 at Ultra settings. The Medium preset again offers the most complete data, with an average of 85 FPS, a minimum of 73 FPS, and a maximum of 98 FPS, producing a range of 25 FPS. The High preset achieves 66 FPS average, while Ultra drops to 50 FPS. The reduction in the frame rate range compared to 1080p suggests that the GPU is becoming more consistently utilized at this resolution, with less variance between light and heavy scenes.

At 3840x2160 resolution, the average FPS values fall dramatically, ranging from 58 at Low settings to 28 at Ultra settings. The Medium preset provides the only complete data at this resolution, with an average of 47 FPS, a minimum of 40 FPS, and a maximum of 54 FPS, yielding a range of 14 FPS. This narrow range indicates that the GPU is operating at its maximum capacity throughout the benchmark, with little headroom for variation. The High preset achieves 36 FPS average, while Ultra drops to 28 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

Across all resolutions, the Low preset consistently delivers the highest frame rates, while the Ultra preset delivers the lowest. The Medium preset consistently provides the most complete data with minimum and maximum FPS values, making it the most reliable indicator of frame pacing behavior. The progression from Low to Ultra at each resolution shows a clear trade-off between visual quality and performance, with the largest absolute differences occurring at 1080p and the smallest at 4K, where the GPU is the limiting factor across all settings.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 provides the highest frame rates, with an average of 160 FPS at Low settings and 100 FPS at High settings, making it the most suitable resolution for smooth gameplay. At 2560x1440, the High preset achieves 66 FPS, which remains playable, while 3840x2160 struggles to maintain acceptable frame rates on any preset.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 5050's average benchmark score is 21035, which is 1.6% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT at 20713. It is 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL at 21153 and 1.6% lower than the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile at 21379, indicating very close performance among these cards.

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

A: The resolution scaling data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, with FPS dropping from 100 at 1080p to 36 at 4K on High settings. The CPU's percentile ranking of 85 is much higher than the GPU's 66, suggesting the processor has more headroom than the graphics card.

Q: What is the performance difference between Medium and High settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset delivers 85 FPS average with a range from 73 to 98 FPS, while the High preset achieves 66 FPS average. This represents a 19 FPS difference, or approximately 22% lower performance for High settings.

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

A: The data shows that at 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves 58 FPS, Medium reaches 47 FPS, High drops to 36 FPS, and Ultra produces 28 FPS. Only the Low preset comes close to playable frame rates, making 4K gaming challenging for this combination.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The Core Ultra 5 225 has an average benchmark score of 36938, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F at 36945, showing a 0% difference. It is 0.2% lower than the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D at 37018 and 0.4% lower than the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 at 37093.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 features 10 cores and 10 threads, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. This configuration places it in the upper tier of desktop processors, as evidenced by its 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs. The processor's architecture is Arrow Lake-S, built on a 3 nm process node from TSMC, with 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 cache per core, 3 MB of L2 cache per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache, providing 102.4 GB/s of dual-channel DDR5 memory bandwidth.

In Palworld, the CPU's high percentile ranking relative to the GPU suggests that the processor is not the primary constraint on performance. The benchmark results show that at 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 160 FPS, indicating that the CPU can feed the GPU with enough data to reach high frame rates. However, the CPU's nearest rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D, all have average benchmark scores within 0.5% of the Core Ultra 5 225, suggesting that any of these processors would deliver similar performance in this game.

The 10-core, 10-thread configuration is well-suited for modern games that can utilize multiple threads, and the 4.90 GHz boost clock provides strong single-thread performance for game logic and physics calculations. The processor's Passmark single-thread score of 4412 and multithread score of 30459 reflect its balanced capabilities, though the Cinebench R23 multicore score of 25891 and single-core score of 3655 provide more specific indications of its potential in gaming workloads. The data does not suggest that the CPU is holding back performance in Palworld, as the resolution scaling patterns point to GPU limitations at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture using a 5 nm process, with 16,900 million transistors on a 149 mm² die. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2317 MHz with a boost clock of 2572 MHz, and memory runs at 2500 MHz with 20 Gbps effective speed. The card has 2560 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, with 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores, delivering 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

The GPU's 66th percentile ranking among all GPUs places it in the mid-range of graphics cards, and its average benchmark score of 21035 is competitive with several older and mobile offerings. In Palworld, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor in this pairing, as demonstrated by the significant FPS drops when moving from 1080p to 1440p and then to 4K. The 8 GB VRAM capacity may also be a consideration at higher resolutions, though the measured data shows that even at 4K Low settings, the card can achieve 58 FPS.

The RTX 5050's performance in Palworld aligns with its benchmark scores, showing that it can handle 1080p gaming with high frame rates but struggles to maintain playable performance at 4K Ultra settings. The card's pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s and texture rate of 205.8 GTexel/s provide the raw throughput necessary for the game's rendering demands, but the 130 W TDP and 300 W suggested PSU indicate that this is a power-efficient mid-range solution. The GPU's nearest rivals, including the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT and AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, show score differences of less than 2%, confirming that the RTX 5050 occupies a specific performance tier that is well-matched to 1080p and entry-level 1440p gaming.