Palworld

Palworld, a survival title released on January 18, 2024, exhibits a wide performance envelope depending on the hardware driving it. This analysis examines the specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H mobile processor paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 discrete GPU. The measured data provided offers a detailed look at how this pairing handles the game across resolutions and settings, revealing a system that is exceptionally capable but not without its bottlenecks.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance ranking of this CPU and GPU combo in Palworld?

A: The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks at 586 out of 2944 tested combos in Palworld. This places it in the top ~20% of all configurations tested on this benchmark database, indicating a strong, high-end performance tier.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H compare to its nearest rivals in general benchmark scores?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score is 32697. Its closest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600T, scores 32707, a negligible delta of 0%. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 is also a near match with a score of 32662 and a 0.1% difference. The data shows the Core Ultra 7 155H is statistically tied with these peers in overall compute performance.

Q: What is the best measured performance for the RTX 5090 in this dataset?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded for this GPU in Palworld is 261 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This indicates the GPU is capable of extremely high refresh-rate gameplay at 1080p, though such settings are typically used for competitive play rather than visual fidelity.

Q: What is the maximum memory bandwidth available to the RTX 5090?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 features a 512-bit memory bus with GDDR7 memory, providing a total bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. This immense bandwidth is a key factor in its ability to handle high-resolution textures and complex scenes in Palworld.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the combo achieve a 60 FPS average?

A: The data shows that the system achieves an average of 59 FPS at 3840x2160 (4K) with High settings, which is just below the 60 FPS target. To achieve a comfortable margin above 60 FPS at 4K, users would need to drop to Medium settings, which yields an average of 77 FPS.

Q: What are the core and thread specifications for the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H?

A: The processor has 16 cores and 22 threads. It features a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. This configuration, based on the Meteor Lake architecture, provides a mix of performance and efficiency cores suitable for a mobile platform.

How This Combo Ranks

The benchmark database places this specific pairing at rank 586 out of 2944 tested combinations for Palworld. This percentile placement is significant. It means that while the RTX 5090 is an exceptionally powerful graphics card, the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, a mobile processor, holds the combo back from the absolute top tier. The data suggests that in Palworld, a game which can be heavily CPU-dependent, the processor's mobile-class performance ceiling prevents the GPU from fully stretching its legs in every scenario.

Comparing the CPU to its nearest rivals reinforces this point. The Core Ultra 7 155H's average benchmark score of 32697 is nearly identical to the Intel Core i5-14600T and AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360, with deltas of 0% and 0.1% respectively. This cluster of scores indicates a specific performance plateau for this processor. The RTX 5090, on the other hand, sits in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, showcasing its raw power. The disparity between the CPU's solid-but-not-top-tier ranking (83rd percentile) and the GPU's near-flagship status is the primary reason the combo lands at 586th rather than higher. The system is a high-performance pairing, but the processor is the limiting factor.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H is a mobile processor built on Intel's Meteor Lake architecture. Its configuration includes 16 cores and 22 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. These specifications are crucial for Palworld, a survival game that simulates a living world with numerous AI-driven creatures and physics interactions. The game's simulation logic, entity tracking, and world state management can scale with multiple threads, making the 22 threads a valuable asset for maintaining a stable frame rate, especially in complex bases or heavily populated areas.

The CPU's benchmark scores provide context for its gaming performance. Its multi-core strength is evident in tests like Cinebench R23, where it scores 15028 points, and PassMark's multithread test, where it scores 24873. However, single-thread performance is often more critical for game logic that cannot be easily parallelized. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1743 and PassMark single-thread score of 3468 show competent but not exceptional performance in this area. In Palworld, this translates to a situation where the CPU can handle the game's broad simulation load, but its per-core speed can become a bottleneck when the game's main thread is under heavy stress, limiting the maximum achievable frame rate even when the GPU has headroom to spare. This is a classic scenario for a high-end mobile CPU paired with a top-tier desktop GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080 (1080p), the system delivers exceptionally high frame rates. With Low settings, the average FPS is 261, while Medium settings produce an average of 212 FPS (with a min of 180 and max of 243). Moving to High settings drops the average to 163 FPS, and Ultra settings still deliver a very playable 123 FPS. At 1080p, the GPU is rarely the limiting factor, and the frame rates are high enough to fully utilize a high-refresh-rate monitor.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the performance remains strong but begins to scale down. The average FPS for Low, Medium, High, and Ultra settings are 172, 139, 107, and 81, respectively. The Medium setting shows a min/max range of 118 to 160 FPS. This resolution presents a balanced load, where both the CPU and GPU are significantly engaged. The system is capable of providing a high-refresh-rate experience on High settings and a smooth 60+ FPS experience on Ultra.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the load shifts decisively to the GPU. The average FPS for Low, Medium, and High settings are 95, 77, and 59, respectively. The Ultra setting drops to an average of 45 FPS. The Medium setting shows a min/max range of 66 to 89 FPS. This data shows that 4K Ultra is not a viable option for a consistently smooth experience, while High settings are borderline for a 60 FPS target. The 4K results highlight the immense graphical demands of the game at that resolution.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a flagship graphics card, and its specifications reflect its position. It is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and features a massive 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. This memory capacity and bandwidth are more than sufficient for Palworld's textures and assets, ensuring that the GPU is not starved for data, even at 4K resolution. The card's core configuration includes 21760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 raster operation pipelines.

The GPU's benchmark scores are formidable. It achieves a PassMark G3D score of 39650 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 334370. Its performance percentile versus all GPUs is 92nd, which is a strong indicator of its raw compute capabilities. In the context of the measured FPS, the RTX 5090 demonstrates its power in the 4K results. The jump from 95 FPS on Low to 59 FPS on High at 4K shows the GPU is handling an increasing workload of pixel shading and texture work. The card's role becomes the primary driver of performance at this resolution. The data shows that while the GPU is incredibly fast, even its power is challenged by Palworld's highest settings at 4K, as evidenced by the 45 FPS average on Ultra. The GPU's massive memory pool ensures that even the highest resolution textures do not cause stuttering or loading hitches.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend on the user's target resolution and refresh rate. For 1920x1080 users with a 144Hz or 240Hz monitor, the High preset provides an excellent balance, delivering an average of 163 FPS. This is a significant jump in visual quality over Medium while maintaining a frame rate high enough to take advantage of most high-refresh displays. For those seeking the absolute maximum frame rate, the Low preset at 261 FPS is an option, but the visual compromise is substantial.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the recommended choice for a premium experience. It averages 107 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and smooth enough for fast-paced gameplay. The Ultra preset, at 81 FPS, is also viable for users who prioritize visual fidelity over maximum smoothness, as it remains comfortably above 60 FPS. The Medium preset, with an average of 139 FPS, is the best option for users with 144Hz monitors who want to stay near that refresh rate cap.

For 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the most sensible recommendation. It yields an average of 77 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS target and provides a smooth, responsive experience. The High preset, at 59 FPS, is borderline and may result in occasional drops below 60 FPS. The Ultra preset should be avoided for a consistent experience, as its 45 FPS average falls below the standard for comfortable play. In summary, the data suggests that for a 60 FPS baseline, players should use High at 1080p and 1440p, but must drop to Medium at 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the shifting bottleneck between CPU and GPU. At 1080p High, the system averages 163 FPS. Moving to 1440p High reduces this to 107 FPS, a drop of 34%. At 4K High, the average falls to 59 FPS, a further 45% drop from 1440p. This pattern is characteristic of a system where the CPU is the limiting factor at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the GPU can render frames faster than the CPU can feed it game state and draw calls, capping the frame rate. As resolution increases, the GPU's rendering workload grows, and it gradually becomes the primary bottleneck.

This trend is even more pronounced at the Low settings. The system hits 261 FPS at 1080p Low, but this drops to 172 FPS at 1440p and 95 FPS at 4K. The massive frame rate at 1080p Low suggests the CPU is the hard limit. The RTX 5090 is capable of far more than 261 FPS in a less demanding scenario, but the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H cannot issue instructions fast enough to keep up. The data from the Ultra preset tells a different story. The system averages 123 FPS at 1080p Ultra, 81 FPS at 1440p, and 45 FPS at 4K. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is a 34% drop, but the drop from 1440p to 4K is 44%, indicating that the GPU is being pushed to its absolute limits at 4K Ultra, making it the definitive bottleneck in that scenario. The analysis confirms that the Core Ultra 7 155H is the primary constraint at 1080p and 1440p, while the RTX 5090 takes over that role at 4K.