Palworld

Palworld pairs the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER, and the measured results place this combination in the 71st percentile of all tested combos in our database. The ranking of 2066 out of 2944 combos indicates a mid-pack performer, which aligns with the hardware mix: a modern 14-core CPU paired with a Turing-era GPU that is now end-of-life. The Core Ultra 5 235 sits at the 89th percentile among all CPUs, while the RTX 2060 SUPER sits at the 62nd percentile among GPUs, making the graphics card the clear performance bottleneck in this pairing. The data shows that this combo is capable of solid 1080p and 1440p gameplay, but it struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K beyond low settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2066 out of 2944 tested combinations places this system in the bottom third of the rankings, though the percentile calculation shows it outperforms roughly 70% of all recorded pairings. This discrepancy arises because the database includes many low-end or mismatched configurations, and this particular pairing of a strong CPU with a mid-range older GPU lands in a crowded middle tier. The CPU's average benchmark score of 46062 puts it within 0.2% of its nearest rivals, including the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, Intel Core i9-13900HX, and AMD EPYC 4364P, showing that the processor is competitive with much more recent mobile and server parts. The GPU's average benchmark score of 18093 places it just 1.6% behind the Intel Arc A770M and 1.5% behind the AMD Radeon RX 460, though those deltas are small enough to be within run-to-run variance.

What the data reveals is that this combo's ranking is almost entirely GPU-limited. The CPU is capable of far more than the RTX 2060 SUPER can deliver in Palworld, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 152 FPS, which is a strong result, but at 4K Ultra it drops to 26 FPS, a catastrophic 83% reduction. The CPU's 14 cores and 14 threads are more than sufficient for this title, and the PassMark multi-thread score of 37816 confirms strong parallel performance. The GPU's 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are the limiting factors at higher resolutions. When comparing to rival combos in the same ranking tier, the deltaPct values for the CPU's nearest rivals are all under 0.2%, indicating that swapping the CPU for a Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 or i9-13900HX would yield negligible changes in overall combo ranking. Conversely, the GPU's nearest rivals show larger deltas of up to 1.6%, suggesting that GPU choice has a more significant impact on final positioning.

FAQ

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

A: The measured data shows 2560x1440 as the sweet spot. At Medium settings, the combo produces 81 FPS average with a minimum of 69 FPS, which is smooth and responsive. At 1080p, the frame rates are higher (123 FPS Medium), but the visual fidelity improvement at 1440p is substantial, and the GPU still maintains playable frame rates.

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

A: Only at Low settings, where it averages 55 FPS. At Medium settings, the average drops to 45 FPS with a minimum of 38 FPS, which is borderline. High settings yield 35 FPS, and Ultra is unplayable at 26 FPS. The 8 GB VRAM and 7.181 TFLOPS compute are insufficient for 4K Ultra in this title.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46030) and 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i9-13900HX (46098). It is 0.2% ahead of both the AMD EPYC 4364P and EPYC 7303. These deltas are effectively negligible, meaning the CPU is performance-equivalent to those parts in synthetic benchmarks.

Q: Is the RTX 2060 SUPER a bottleneck for the Core Ultra 5 235?

A: Yes, the data strongly indicates this. The CPU ranks at the 89th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU ranks at the 62nd percentile. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 152 FPS, but at 4K Low it drops to 55 FPS, showing that the GPU cannot keep pace with the CPU's capabilities as resolution increases.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at 1440p Medium?

A: The measured data shows a minimum of 69 FPS and a maximum of 93 FPS, with an average of 81 FPS. The 24 FPS spread between min and max indicates some frame time variance, but the minimum remains above the 60 FPS threshold, so gameplay stays smooth.

Q: How does this GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER's average benchmark score is 18093, which is 0.4% behind the RTX 3060 Mobile (18159) and 0.5% behind the Radeon Pro 5700 (18189). It trails the Radeon RX 460 by 1.5% and the Arc A770M by 1.6%. These are small margins, so performance is broadly similar to those parts.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data reveals a clear scaling pattern that identifies the GPU as the limiting component. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 123 to 81, a 34% reduction. Moving from 1440p to 4K at Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 81 to 45, a 44% reduction. The total drop from 1080p Medium to 4K Medium is from 123 FPS down to 45 FPS, a 63% decrease. This scaling is steeper than what a purely CPU-limited scenario would show, because the CPU's performance headroom is not being exhausted at lower resolutions.

At Low settings, the scaling is even more revealing. The combo produces 152 FPS at 1080p, 100 FPS at 1440p, and 55 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p drop is 34%, and the 1440p to 4K drop is 45%. These percentages are consistent with a GPU that is bandwidth-limited at higher resolutions. The RTX 2060 SUPER's 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 8 GB VRAM capacity become insufficient as pixel count increases. The 256-bit memory bus is decent for 1080p, but the 4K data shows the GPU hitting compute limits, especially at Ultra settings where the average FPS collapses to 26. The CPU's role in this scaling is minimal; its 14 cores and 5.00 GHz boost clock provide ample headroom, and the PassMark single-thread score of 4516 ensures that frame pacing at high FPS is not CPU-bound. The data indicates that users should target 1440p as the primary resolution for this combo, with 4K reserved for Low settings only.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers strong performance across all settings. Low settings produce 152 FPS average, which is exceptionally high and indicates the CPU is doing most of the work at this resolution. Medium settings yield 123 FPS average with a minimum of 105 FPS and a maximum of 142 FPS, showing tight frame pacing. High settings drop to 95 FPS average, still smooth for competitive play. Ultra settings produce 72 FPS average, which is playable but shows the GPU starting to strain. The 1080p data shows a clear progression: each step up in settings reduces the frame rate by roughly 20-30 FPS, with the gap between Low and Ultra being 80 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance profile shifts. Low settings average 100 FPS, which is a 34% drop from 1080p Low, indicating the GPU is now the limiting factor. Medium settings average 81 FPS with a minimum of 69 FPS and maximum of 93 FPS, which is a solid experience for a survival game that benefits from smooth exploration. High settings average 62 FPS, which is right at the edge of the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra settings average 47 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced combat. The 1440p data shows that Medium is the recommended preset, as it maintains a minimum above 60 FPS while providing better visual quality than Low.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is overwhelmed. Low settings average 55 FPS, which is technically playable but with frequent dips possible. Medium settings average 45 FPS with a minimum of 38 FPS and maximum of 52 FPS, which is a stuttery experience. High settings average 35 FPS, and Ultra settings average 26 FPS, both of which are not suitable for active gameplay. The 4K data shows a consistent pattern: the RTX 2060 SUPER cannot handle 4K in Palworld beyond Low settings, and even then, the 55 FPS average is not a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS target. The 8 GB VRAM is likely a factor at 4K, as texture data exceeds the memory capacity at higher settings. The measured data shows that this combo is a 1080p and 1440p performer, with 4K being a bonus only at the lowest settings.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p gaming, the data supports using High settings as the best balance. The 95 FPS average is well above the 60 FPS target, and the visual upgrade from Medium is noticeable. Ultra settings at 72 FPS are also viable, but the 23 FPS drop from High to Ultra suggests diminishing returns. For competitive play, Low settings at 152 FPS provide the maximum frame rate, which can be beneficial in a game with player-versus-player elements or fast traversal. The measured data shows that 1080p High is the sweet spot for this combo.

For 1440p gaming, Medium settings are the clear recommendation. The 81 FPS average with a 69 FPS minimum ensures consistent smoothness, and the visual quality is substantially better than Low. High settings at 62 FPS are playable, but the minimum frame rate is not recorded, so there is some risk of dips below 60 FPS. Ultra settings at 47 FPS are not recommended for active gameplay, as the reduced frame rate will impact responsiveness in combat situations. The data shows that 1440p Medium is the best overall experience for this combo, offering a balance of visual fidelity and performance that the RTX 2060 SUPER can sustain.

For 4K gaming, the only viable option is Low settings at 55 FPS. Medium settings drop to 45 FPS average with a 38 FPS minimum, which is a stuttery experience in a game that requires precise timing for base building and creature catching. High and Ultra settings are not recommended, as the 35 FPS and 26 FPS averages are unplayable. The data indicates that 4K is not a practical resolution for this combo in Palworld. Users with 4K displays should either run the game at 1440p with Medium settings, which will look sharper than 1080p, or accept Low settings at native 4K. The measured frame rates clearly show that the GPU is the limiting factor at this resolution, and no settings adjustment can overcome the hardware's compute and memory limitations.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process node from TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The cache hierarchy consists of 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. These specifications place it in the upper echelon of desktop processors, and the benchmark data confirms this: the PassMark multi-thread score of 37816 and Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14769 are strong results. The single-thread performance is also solid, with a PassMark single-thread score of 4516 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2085.

In Palworld, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and handle game logic, AI, and physics. The 14 cores provide ample headroom for this title, which is not known for being particularly CPU-intensive. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 152 FPS, which is a high frame rate that would stress a weaker CPU. The fact that the frame rate drops to 55 FPS at 4K Low, while the CPU is still capable of much higher throughput, confirms that the GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU's 5.00 GHz boost clock ensures that single-threaded game logic is processed quickly, and the 24 MB L3 cache helps with data locality. The CPU's benchmark scores place it at the 89th percentile among all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 46062 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and Intel Core i9-13900HX, both of which are high-end mobile processors. The data shows that the Core Ultra 5 235 is not a limiting factor in this combo; it is the RTX 2060 SUPER that holds back performance, particularly at higher resolutions and settings.