Palworld

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER delivers a high-refresh-rate experience in Palworld, but the data reveals a clear shift in system bottleneck as resolution increases. At 1080p, the combination is overwhelmingly CPU-limited, producing frame rates well beyond the capability of most displays. Moving to 4K, the burden transfers decisively to the GPU, where the RTX 4080 SUPER still manages to keep the game playable at high settings. The measured results show a performance curve that is steep at lower resolutions and flattens considerably at 4K, which is typical for a game with this visual style and optimization level.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, indicating that the GPU becomes the primary constraint at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 316 FPS at 1920x1080 to 115 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of 201 FPS or roughly 64 percent. This massive decline demonstrates that the RTX 4080 SUPER’s rendering workload scales aggressively with pixel count, while the CPU’s role diminishes. The 1080p Low result of 316 FPS suggests that the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is capable of feeding the GPU far more frames than it can render, but this headroom disappears quickly as resolution climbs.

At Medium settings, the scaling pattern is similar but slightly less extreme. The average frame rate drops from 256 FPS at 1080p to 169 FPS at 1440p, and then to 94 FPS at 4K. The step from 1080p to 1440p represents a 34 percent reduction, while the step from 1440p to 4K is a 44 percent reduction. This indicates that the GPU is becoming progressively more saturated, with the 4K resolution demanding nearly three times the rendering work of 1080p for this preset.

High settings show the same trend, with frame rates of 197 FPS at 1080p, 130 FPS at 1440p, and 72 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p drop is 67 FPS, while the 1440p to 4K drop is 58 FPS. Notably, the absolute difference between resolutions shrinks as settings increase, which suggests that the game’s visual effects at higher presets are adding a more constant overhead regardless of resolution. The Ultra preset follows this pattern as well, with 149 FPS at 1080p, 98 FPS at 1440p, and 55 FPS at 4K.

The data shows that 1440p is the sweet spot for this combo, as it balances the CPU’s high-frame-rate capability with the GPU’s rendering bandwidth. At 1440p High, the average of 130 FPS is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and even the 98 FPS at Ultra provides a comfortable margin. At 4K, the story changes: only the Low preset (115 FPS) and Medium preset (94 FPS) deliver frame rates above 90 FPS, while High (72 FPS) and Ultra (55 FPS) require a tolerance for lower refresh rates.

GPU Role

The RTX 4080 SUPER’s memory subsystem is a defining feature for Palworld’s performance at high resolutions. The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which is ample for the game’s texture streaming and world-loading demands. The 4K Ultra result of 55 FPS indicates that the GPU is being pushed to its limits, but the absence of min FPS data for that preset suggests the frame pacing remains stable enough to avoid severe hitches. In contrast, the Medium preset at 4K does report a min FPS of 79, showing a tighter frame-time distribution than the Ultra preset.

The GPU’s clock behavior is another factor in these results. A base clock of 2295 MHz and a boost clock of 2550 MHz allow the AD103 chip to sustain high throughput under load. The measured FPS at 1440p High (130 FPS) is a strong indicator that the GPU is not the limiting factor at this resolution, as the CPU is likely holding the frame rate back. The 1080p Low result of 316 FPS is particularly telling: it shows that the GPU can render frames far faster than the CPU can issue draw calls, making the Ultra 5 235 the bottleneck in this scenario.

The RTX 4080 SUPER’s raw compute capabilities, including 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 80 RT cores, are more than sufficient for Palworld’s current feature set. The game does not heavily utilize ray tracing, so the RT cores are underutilized, but the 10240 shading units and 320 TMUs handle the game’s stylized graphics efficiently. The 112 ROPs ensure that pixel fill rates at 4K remain adequate, as evidenced by the 72 FPS average at High settings.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the RTX 4080 SUPER’s average benchmark score of 54209 is nearly identical to the standard RTX 4080, which scores 54247 with a deltaPct of -0.1. This negligible difference suggests that the SUPER variant’s additional CUDA cores and higher clocks do not translate into a meaningful advantage in this game, as both cards are likely bound by the same CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, despite a higher average score of 55698, would likely perform differently in Palworld due to architectural differences, but the data does not include direct gaming comparisons.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which preset to use based on your display’s refresh rate. For 1080p displays, the Low preset’s 316 FPS is excessive for most monitors, but the Medium preset’s 256 FPS still leaves a massive headroom for 144Hz or 240Hz panels. The High preset at 197 FPS is the balanced choice, as it offers improved visual fidelity while remaining well above the 144 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 149 FPS is also viable for 144Hz displays, but the visual gains over High may be marginal in Palworld’s art style.

At 1440p, the Medium preset delivers 169 FPS, which is ideal for 144Hz monitors and provides a good balance of visuals and performance. The High preset at 130 FPS is the recommended option for users with 120Hz or 165Hz displays, as it maintains a high refresh rate while enhancing shadow quality and texture detail. The Ultra preset at 98 FPS is playable on 100Hz displays, but the 31 FPS drop from High suggests that some Ultra settings have a disproportionate performance cost.

For 4K, the Medium preset at 94 FPS is the only option that combines high resolution with a frame rate above 90 FPS, making it the default recommendation for 4K gaming. The High preset at 72 FPS is acceptable for 60Hz displays, but the 22 FPS difference between Medium and High indicates that users should prioritize frame rate over visual polish. The Low preset at 115 FPS is surprisingly competitive, suggesting that Palworld’s Low settings do not drastically reduce visual quality while providing a significant performance boost. The Ultra preset at 55 FPS is only suitable for users who demand maximum fidelity and are willing to accept a sub-60 FPS experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and RTX 4080 SUPER combination ranks 216th out of 2944 tested combos in Palworld, placing it in the top 7.3 percent of all configurations. This percentile ranking is impressive, but it reflects the CPU’s strong single-threaded performance rather than the GPU’s raw power. The CPU’s 89th percentile score among all processors, paired with the GPU’s 86th percentile, indicates a well-matched pairing that excels in gaming workloads.

The CPU’s nearest rivals show that it is exceptionally close in average benchmark score to several other processors. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 scores 46030 with a deltaPct of 0.1 percent, while the Intel Core i9-13900HX scores 46098 with a deltaPct of -0.1 percent. This sub-1 percent difference means that swapping the Ultra 5 235 for either of these CPUs would have a negligible impact on Palworld’s frame rates, as the game’s performance is more dependent on the GPU at higher resolutions. The AMD EPYC 4364P and EPYC 7303 also score within 0.2 percent, but these server-class chips are unlikely to be used in a gaming build.

The combo’s rank of 216 suggests that the Ultra 5 235’s 14 cores and 24 MB of L3 cache are sufficient for Palworld’s thread utilization. The game does not appear to scale beyond 8 threads, so the CPU’s single-thread performance, as evidenced by its 4516 Passmark single-thread score, is the primary driver of the 1080p results. The 65W TDP of the CPU also indicates that it can sustain boost clocks without thermal throttling, which is crucial for maintaining high frame rates during extended play sessions.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1440p offers the best balance, with High settings delivering 130 FPS and Ultra delivering 98 FPS. This resolution allows the RTX 4080 SUPER to leverage its full power while the CPU keeps up with the frame rate demands.

Q: Does the RTX 4080 SUPER have enough VRAM for 4K Palworld?

A: Yes, the 16 GB of GDDR6X memory with 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth is sufficient, as evidenced by the 4K Medium result of 94 FPS with a min FPS of 79. The game does not appear to exceed this capacity at the tested settings.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance at 1080p?

A: The 1080p Low result of 316 FPS indicates that the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is the bottleneck at this resolution, as the GPU is capable of rendering frames at a much higher rate than the CPU can process game logic.

Q: Is the Ultra preset worth the performance cost?

A: At 1440p, Ultra delivers 98 FPS versus High’s 130 FPS, a 32 FPS difference. At 4K, Ultra drops to 55 FPS versus High’s 72 FPS. The data suggests that the visual improvements are not worth the significant frame rate penalty.

Q: How does this combo compare to the standard RTX 4080?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 54209, which is nearly identical to the RTX 4080’s 54247, a deltaPct of -0.1. In Palworld, the performance difference would be negligible, with the CPU likely limiting both cards at lower resolutions.

Q: What settings should I use for a 60Hz 4K display?

A: The High preset at 72 FPS is the best choice, as it provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS while maintaining good visual quality. The Ultra preset at 55 FPS would dip below the refresh rate, causing potential stutter.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the Low preset produces an average of 316 FPS, which is the highest score in the entire dataset. The Medium preset averages 256 FPS with a min of 218 and a max of 294, showing consistent frame pacing. High settings yield 197 FPS, and Ultra settings average 149 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra represents a 53 percent reduction in frame rate, highlighting the significant cost of the highest quality settings.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 208 FPS, which is still exceptionally high for a 1440p resolution. The Medium preset delivers 169 FPS with a min of 143 and a max of 194, providing a stable experience for high-refresh monitors. High settings average 130 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 98 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 110 FPS, or a 53 percent reduction, mirroring the 1080p scaling pattern.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 115 FPS, which is the only 4K result above 100 FPS. The Medium preset averages 94 FPS with a min of 79 and a max of 108, showing a wider frame-time variance than at lower resolutions. High settings average 72 FPS, and Ultra settings average 55 FPS. The 4K results show a 60 FPS difference between Low and Ultra, indicating that the GPU is the sole bottleneck at this resolution, with the CPU’s influence becoming negligible.