Palworld

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates across the three tested resolutions reveal a system that scales predictably with pixel count, but with a curve that strongly indicates a GPU-bound scenario at higher settings. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 167 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 Low drops that to 110 FPS, and at 3840x2160 Low it falls to 61 FPS. The progression from 1080p to 1440p is a 34% reduction in frame rate, while the jump from 1440p to 4K is a 45% reduction. These are substantial, but not linear, which reflects the increasing pixel fill rate demands on the AMD Radeon RX 9060.

The picture changes significantly when looking at the High preset. At 1080p High, the system produces 104 FPS. At 1440p High, it drops to 69 FPS, and at 4K High, it falls to 38 FPS. The scaling here is steeper: 34% from 1080p to 1440p, and 45% from 1440p to 4K. This pattern is consistent with the Low preset scaling, but the absolute numbers suggest that the higher settings are pushing the GPU harder, making the resolution scaling more pronounced.

The Medium preset offers the most complete data, with min and max FPS recorded. At 1080p Medium, the average is 135 FPS with a range of 115 to 156 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 89 FPS, ranging from 76 to 103 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average is 49 FPS, with a tight range of 42 to 57 FPS. The relative stability of the frame range at each resolution suggests that the GPU is the primary limiter, as the variance does not balloon when resolution increases.

Ultra settings show the steepest scaling curve. At 1080p Ultra, the system delivers 79 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, that falls to 52 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it drops to 29 FPS. The 34% drop from 1080p to 1440p and the 44% drop from 1440p to 4K mirror the scaling seen in other presets, but the absolute performance at 4K Ultra (29 FPS) is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. This indicates that the combination of 4K resolution and Ultra settings overwhelms the RX 9060, regardless of the CPU's capabilities.

The data shows that the limiting component in this pairing shifts based on resolution and settings. At 1080p Low, the 167 FPS figure suggests that the CPU, Intel Core Ultra 5 245, is keeping up well, but the GPU is still the bottleneck, as the frame rate does not exceed the monitor's likely refresh rate. At 4K Ultra, the GPU is unequivocally the limiting factor, with the frame rate falling to 29 FPS. The consistent scaling pattern across all presets indicates that the GPU is the primary constraint throughout the tested range, with the CPU providing ample headroom.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo can achieve in Palworld?

A: The highest measured average is 167 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The next highest is 135 FPS at 1080p Medium, followed by 110 FPS at 1440p Low.

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

A: At 4K, the combo produces playable results only on Low settings, averaging 61 FPS. Medium settings yield 49 FPS, High settings drop to 38 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 29 FPS, which is below the typical playable threshold.

Q: How does the frame rate compare between Medium and High settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Medium settings average 89 FPS, while High settings average 69 FPS. This represents a 22% reduction in frame rate when moving from Medium to High, indicating a significant performance cost for the visual upgrade.

Q: Is there a large difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: Yes, the difference is substantial. At 1080p, Low settings average 167 FPS, while Ultra settings average 79 FPS. This is a 53% drop in performance from Low to Ultra, which is a typical trade-off for maximum visual fidelity.

Q: What are the minimum frame rates recorded for this combo?

A: The only settings with recorded minimum frame rates are Medium. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 115 FPS; at 1440p Medium, it is 76 FPS; and at 4K Medium, it is 42 FPS. The minimum FPS values are close to the averages, suggesting consistent frame pacing.

Q: How does the combo's rank in Palworld compare to its overall performance percentile?

A: In Palworld, the combo ranks 1683 out of 2944 tested combinations, placing it in the lower half of the pack. The CPU has a percentile of 90 against all CPUs, while the GPU has a percentile of 59 against all GPUs, indicating that the GPU is the weaker component in this pairing.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the Palworld benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and the AMD Radeon RX 9060 ranks 1683 out of 2944 tested combos. This places the pairing in the 43rd percentile of all tested systems for this game, meaning it performs worse than 57% of the combinations in the database. The rank reflects the measured FPS across all resolutions and settings, which shows the system is capable but not top-tier.

The GPU's average benchmark score is 16014, which places it in the 59th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which has an average score of 16129 and a deltaPct of -0.7, meaning the RX 9060 is slightly slower. Another close rival is the AMD Radeon RX 7700, with an average score of 15852 and a deltaPct of 1, indicating the RX 9060 is 1% faster. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500 trails with a score of 15679 and a deltaPct of 2.1, making the RX 9060 2.1% faster.

The CPU's average benchmark score is 48995, which places it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, with an average score of 49196 and a deltaPct of -0.4, meaning the Core Ultra 5 245 is 0.4% slower. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900 scores 49228, with a deltaPct of -0.5, making the Intel chip 0.5% slower. On the other side, the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H scores 48698, with a deltaPct of 0.6, meaning the Core Ultra 5 245 is 0.6% faster. The Intel Core i5-14600K scores 48618, with a deltaPct of 0.8, indicating the Ultra 5 245 is 0.8% faster.

The discrepancy between the CPU's high percentile (90) and the GPU's lower percentile (59) is the primary reason for the combo's middling rank in Palworld. The data shows that the CPU is a high-end part that can deliver strong compute performance, but the GPU is only mid-range, and it is the component that dictates the frame rates in this game. The combo rank of 1683 suggests that while the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU, the GPU itself is the limiting factor for achieving higher frame rates in Palworld.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best performance. With Low settings, the average FPS is 167, which is the highest measured value in the entire dataset. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 135 FPS, with a minimum of 115 and a maximum of 156. High settings produce an average of 104 FPS, while Ultra settings bring the average down to 79 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a clear performance hierarchy, with each step up in settings costing a significant number of frames.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. Low settings yield an average of 110 FPS, which is still a very playable frame rate. Medium settings average 89 FPS, with a range of 76 to 103 FPS. High settings drop to an average of 69 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 52 FPS. The 1440p results show that the combo can handle high refresh rate gaming at lower settings, but Ultra settings may require a compromise on frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain high frame rates. Low settings average 61 FPS, which is right at the edge of playability for many gamers. Medium settings average 49 FPS, with a minimum of 42 and a maximum of 57. High settings drop to an average of 38 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 29 FPS. The 4K results demonstrate that this combo is not suited for high-fidelity 4K gaming, as even Medium settings cannot maintain a consistent 60 FPS.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset offers the most complete dataset, with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values. The spread between min and max FPS is relatively consistent: 41 FPS at 1080p, 27 FPS at 1440p, and 15 FPS at 4K. This narrowing spread at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU becomes more consistently loaded as the pixel count increases, reducing the variance in frame times.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with a Navi 44 chip, manufactured on a 4 nm process at TSMC. The GPU has a base clock of 1700 MHz, a game clock of 2400 MHz, and a boost clock of 2990 MHz. It features 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation units, along with 28 ray tracing cores. The GPU's memory configuration includes 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s.

In Palworld, the GPU's role is critical, as the measured FPS data shows that the RX 9060 is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a notable constraint, especially at 4K resolution where the game's textures and draw distances can consume significant memory. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 29, which is likely a combination of the GPU's compute limits and potential VRAM pressure.

The GPU's benchmark scores reflect its mid-range positioning. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 3322, and its Geekbench OpenCL score is 88183. The PassMark G3D score is 17631, which places it in the 59th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, has a very similar average score, indicating that the RX 9060 is competitive with that older but still popular card.

The measured FPS in Palworld aligns with the GPU's overall positioning. At 1080p, the GPU can deliver high frame rates on lower settings, but it does not have the headroom to maintain high frame rates at 4K Ultra. The boost clock of 2990 MHz is relatively high, but the 128-bit memory bus and 8 GB VRAM limit the GPU's ability to handle large data loads, which is a common bottleneck in open-world survival games like Palworld.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the resolution and the target frame rate. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 167 FPS, which is ideal for high refresh rate monitors. The Medium preset at 1080p averages 135 FPS, which is also excellent for competitive play. The High preset at 1080p averages 104 FPS, which is still smooth for most gaming scenarios. The Ultra preset at 1080p averages 79 FPS, which is playable but may not saturate a 144Hz monitor.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers 110 FPS, which is very good for 1440p gaming. The Medium preset averages 89 FPS, which is a solid balance between visual quality and performance. The High preset averages 69 FPS, which is acceptable for slower-paced games but may feel less smooth in fast action. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 52 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and may result in noticeable stuttering.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only setting that achieves an average above 60 FPS, at 61 FPS. The Medium preset averages 49 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. The High and Ultra presets, at 38 and 29 FPS respectively, are not recommended for a smooth experience. For 4K gaming, the data suggests that the Low preset is the only viable option, and even then, the margin above 60 FPS is slim.

The data shows that the Medium preset offers the best combination of visual fidelity and performance across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 135, which is high enough for smooth gameplay. At 1440p Medium, the average is 89 FPS, which is still very playable. At 4K Medium, the average is 49 FPS, which is on the edge of playability but may be acceptable for some users. Given the consistent frame ranges recorded at Medium settings, this preset appears to be the sweet spot for this combo.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process at TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. The CPU has a 24 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. It uses the Intel Socket 1851 and has a TDP of 65 W.

In Palworld, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck in this combo, as the frame rates scale consistently with resolution and settings, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU's benchmark scores support this interpretation: its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 32924, and its single-core score is 4648. The PassMark multi-thread score is 38706, and the single-thread score is 4394.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which scores slightly higher on average, and the Intel Core i5-14600K, which scores slightly lower. The Core Ultra 5 245's percentile of 90 against all CPUs indicates that it is a high-end processor, capable of handling demanding workloads. In Palworld, this means the CPU is unlikely to limit performance, even at 1080p Low where the frame rate reaches 167 FPS.

The CPU's 14 cores and 14 threads are more than sufficient for Palworld, which is a game that benefits from strong single-core performance for physics and AI, but does not heavily utilize many threads. The 5.10 GHz boost clock provides excellent single-threaded performance, which is reflected in the high single-core benchmark scores. The 24 MB L3 cache is also beneficial for game data that needs to be accessed frequently. Overall, the data indicates that the CPU is a capable partner for the RX 9060, but the GPU's performance ceiling is what ultimately determines the frame rates in this game.