Palworld

Palworld presents an interesting stress test for the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060. The measured frame rates across three resolutions and four quality presets reveal a system that is clearly capable of smooth play at standard and high refresh rates, but which hits a definitive wall when pushed to 4K. The data suggests a performance profile heavily dictated by the graphics card, with the CPU providing ample headroom until the pixel count becomes overwhelming.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The scaling pattern from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 is a textbook demonstration of GPU-bound behavior. At the Low preset, the average frame rate drops from 180 FPS at 1080p to 119 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 61 FPS, and then falls further to 66 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is a steep 63%, indicating that the rendering workload is growing faster than the GPU’s ability to process it, a clear sign that the RTX 4060 is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The High preset shows a similar but slightly less dramatic trend, moving from 112 FPS at 1080p down to 74 FPS at 1440p and finally 41 FPS at 4K. The 4K result here is particularly telling; the 41 FPS average is below the threshold for smooth gameplay on many displays, confirming that 4K is not a viable target for this combination in Palworld with High settings. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 33 FPS, which is proportionally significant and points to the GPU’s memory bandwidth and fillrate being saturated.

The data implies that at 1080p and 1440p, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is not the bottleneck. The near-linear scaling of frame rates as resolution decreases suggests the CPU is keeping up with the GPU’s output at these levels. However, the massive drop at 4K, especially on the Low preset where the CPU should be least stressed, indicates that the RTX 4060’s compute and memory resources are exhausted, not the processor’s ability to feed it data. The 180 FPS result at 1080p Low further supports this, as it shows the CPU can push frames far beyond what the GPU can render at higher resolutions.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the decisive component in this pairing, and its specifications explain the measured performance ceilings. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, the GPU has a memory bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. This is a moderate amount of bandwidth, and Palworld’s open-world environments, which stream in assets as the player moves, likely strain this resource. The 4K results, where frame rates drop to 41 FPS on High and 31 FPS on Ultra, strongly suggest that the 8 GB VRAM capacity and bandwidth are insufficient to handle the texture and geometry data required at that resolution, leading to a severe performance penalty.

The GPU’s boost clock of 2460 MHz and base clock of 1830 MHz are notable, but the core clock speed cannot compensate for the memory limitations. The 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is respectable for a mid-range card, yet the data shows that raw compute is not the primary constraint in Palworld; the memory subsystem is. The fact that the Low preset at 4K only achieves 66 FPS, while the same preset at 1080p achieves 180 FPS, demonstrates that the GPU is being forced to swap data in and out of its limited VRAM, severely impacting throughput.

The RTX 4060’s 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores are present, but Palworld does not appear to be a title that leverages ray tracing heavily in these measurements. The performance gap between presets is more indicative of traditional rasterization and memory pressure. The GPU’s 48 ROPs and 96 TMUs are also moderate, and at 4K, the pixel fill rate of 118.1 GPixel/s is simply not enough to maintain high frame rates. The data portrays a GPU that is well-suited for 1080p and capable at 1440p, but one that is out of its depth at 4K, regardless of the CPU’s capabilities.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the broader context of all tested hardware combinations for Palworld, this pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and the RTX 4060 holds a rank of 1552 out of 2944 combos. This places it in the 53rd percentile, meaning it performs better than just over half of all tested systems. This is a solid, middle-of-the-pack result, reflecting the balance between a modern mid-range CPU and a mainstream GPU. The rank suggests that while this system is not a top-tier performer, it is far from being a weak one, and it will handle the game competently at most settings.

The combo’s rank is likely held back by the GPU’s 4K performance, as the CPU is a strong performer in its own right. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 scores in the 90th percentile for all CPUs, indicating it is a high-end processor. When paired with a more powerful GPU, this CPU would likely rank much higher, as its 14 cores and 14 threads provide ample processing power. The data implies that the system’s overall rank is a direct reflection of the RTX 4060’s limits, not the CPU's.

This ranking is context for gamers. A rank of 1552 means that many other systems will achieve higher frame rates, particularly those with more powerful GPUs. However, it also means that a significant number of systems will perform worse. For a user targeting 1080p or 1440p gaming, this combo is competitively positioned. For 4K, the rank accurately reflects that this is not the right tool for the job, and users would need to look at higher-tier GPUs to climb the rankings.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best resolution to use with this CPU and GPU combo for a high refresh rate monitor?

A: The data shows that at 1920x1080, the system achieves 112 FPS on High settings and 146 FPS on Medium, making it the only resolution where the frame rate consistently exceeds 100 FPS on those presets. At 2560x1440, the frame rates drop to 74 FPS on High and 96 FPS on Medium, which is still smooth but may not fully saturate a 144Hz monitor.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 bottlenecking the RTX 4060 in Palworld?

A: No, the benchmark results indicate the CPU is not the limiting factor at standard resolutions. The frame rate scales significantly with resolution, which is a sign of GPU limitation. The CPU’s high multi-threaded performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 score of 32924, provides enough headroom that the GPU becomes the constraint before the CPU does.

Q: How does the RTX 4060’s memory configuration impact 4K performance?

A: The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory with a 128-bit bus and 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The 4K results show a severe drop in performance, with the High preset averaging 41 FPS and the Ultra preset averaging 31 FPS. This suggests that the memory capacity and bandwidth are insufficient for the large texture and geometry loads at 4K, causing a significant bottleneck.

Q: Which settings preset offers the highest frame rate at 2560x1440?

A: The Low preset at 2560x1440 achieves an average of 119 FPS. The Medium preset is close behind at 96 FPS, while the High preset drops to 74 FPS. For the highest frame rate, Low is the answer, but for a balance of quality and speed, Medium is a strong option.

Q: Is the RTX 4060 a high-performing GPU relative to all others?

A: The RTX 4060 sits in the 61st percentile for all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17639. This indicates it is a solidly mid-range performer. In Palworld, it is capable of high frame rates at 1080p but struggles at 4K, which is consistent with its position in the overall GPU hierarchy.

Q: Does this system achieve a playable frame rate at 4K Ultra settings?

A: No, the measured average at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 31 FPS, which is below the standard threshold for smooth gameplay. This is not considered a playable experience for most users, and the data suggests lowering the resolution or settings is necessary for a better experience.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, and its performance characteristics are well-matched to a mid-range GPU like the RTX 4060. With a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, it has the single-thread speed necessary for games that rely on a few cores for main logic. Its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648 is strong, ensuring that Palworld’s primary game thread is not a bottleneck.

The multi-threaded performance is equally impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924, placing it in the 90th percentile for all CPUs. While Palworld is not known for being a heavily multi-threaded title, the 14 cores provide a substantial amount of headroom for background tasks and future game updates. The CPU’s performance relative to its nearest rivals is tight, with a 0.8% delta from the Intel Core i5-14600K, meaning the two are nearly interchangeable in overall benchmark scores.

The fact that the CPU has a 65W TDP and is built on a 3nm process node suggests it is efficient, which is a benefit for system thermals. In the context of the game's results, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. The frame rates at 1080p, particularly the 180 FPS Low result, demonstrate that the CPU is not holding the system back. The system’s rank of 1552 is more attributable to the GPU’s limits than to any CPU deficiency, as the processor is clearly a high-end component in its own right.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 is the standout choice. The data shows an average of 96 FPS with a minimum of 82 FPS and a maximum of 110 FPS. This provides a smooth, responsive experience that is well above the 60 FPS threshold, while still offering a significant visual upgrade over the Low preset. The minimum FPS of 82 ensures that even in busy scenes, the game remains fluid.

At 1920x1080, the High preset is the recommended option, delivering an average of 112 FPS. This provides a high-quality visual experience with a frame rate that is suitable for 120Hz monitors. The Medium preset at 1080p offers 146 FPS for users with 144Hz or higher refresh rate displays, but the jump from High to Medium is a trade-off between visual quality and speed. The Ultra preset at 1080p provides 85 FPS, but it is not worth the performance cost when High is so close in visual quality.

For users with a 4K monitor, the data is clear that none of the presets offer an ideal experience. The Low preset at 66 FPS is the only playable option, but it sacrifices too much visual detail. The Medium preset at 53 FPS is borderline, and the High and Ultra presets are not recommended. The best course of action for 4K is to use the Low or Medium preset, or to lower the resolution to 1440p and use the Medium or High presets for a much better visual-to-performance ratio.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its peak performance. The Low preset yields an average of 180 FPS, which is exceptionally high. The Medium preset follows at 146 FPS, with a minimum of 124 FPS and a maximum of 168 FPS. The High preset produces an average of 112 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 85 FPS. This resolution is clearly where the RTX 4060 is most comfortable, offering high frame rates across all settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. The Low preset averages 119 FPS, which is still very smooth. The Medium preset averages 96 FPS, with a minimum of 82 FPS and a maximum of 110 FPS. The High preset averages 74 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 56 FPS. This resolution is a good middle ground, offering high frame rates on lower presets and still playable rates on higher ones.

At 3840x2160, the system’s limitations are exposed. The Low preset averages 66 FPS, which is the only preset to stay above 60 FPS. The Medium preset averages 53 FPS, with a minimum of 45 FPS and a maximum of 61 FPS. The High preset drops to 41 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 31 FPS. The data shows a clear and consistent degradation as resolution increases, confirming that 4K is beyond the comfortable reach of this hardware combination for Palworld.