Palworld

Palworld, a survival title that blends creature collection with base building and exploration, shows a distinct performance profile when paired with the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER. The benchmark data reveals a system that scales predictably across resolutions and settings, with the CPU and GPU each taking on different roles depending on the workload. This analysis examines the measured FPS to understand where the bottlenecks lie and what the numbers suggest about the game's engine.

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

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. Its base clock is 2.40 GHz, boosting up to 5.30 GHz, which provides a substantial range for both sustained workloads and bursty single-threaded tasks. In Palworld, a game that heavily simulates world physics, creature AI, and building mechanics, the CPU's multi-core performance is crucial. The processor's 30 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB per-core L2 cache help mitigate latency when the game engine queries the state of the world, which is a common operation in survival titles.

Benchmark results for the Core Ultra 7 265 show strong synthetic performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42216 and a single-core score of 5960. This indicates a balanced design that can handle both the broad thread spread required by Palworld's simulation and the high-frequency single-thread tasks that often dominate game logic. The PassMark multi-thread score of 49682 and single-thread score of 4689 further corroborate this, placing the CPU in the 93rd percentile of all processors. When compared to its nearest rivals, the data shows a tight grouping. The AMD EPYC 4464P scores 64823, which is only 0.3% higher than the Core Ultra 7 265's average benchmark score of 64640. This suggests that within this performance tier, the CPU is not the differentiating factor in Palworld.

The measured FPS data supports this interpretation. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 316 FPS. This high frame rate indicates that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to saturate lower-resolution rendering. However, the jump from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a reduction from 316 FPS to 149 FPS, which is a 52.8% drop. This reduction is more likely attributable to the GPU's fill rate and shader complexity than CPU limitations, as the CPU's clock speeds and core count remain constant across settings. The Core Ultra 7 265's 20 threads might be underutilized at lower settings, but as the simulation complexity increases with more creatures or structures on screen, the processor's robust multi-core performance provides headroom. The lack of a multiplier unlock means overclocking is not an avenue for extra performance, but the boost clock of 5.30 GHz is sufficient for Palworld's logic thread.

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

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Palworld, and at what settings?

A: The highest average FPS is 316, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the performance drop when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 High, the average FPS is 197. At 3840x2160 High, it drops to 72 FPS, representing a 63.5% reduction in frame rate.

Q: Is the combo more CPU-bound or GPU-bound at 4K resolution?

A: The data suggests a shift toward GPU-bound behavior. At 4K, the frame rate difference between Low (115 FPS) and Ultra (55 FPS) is 52.2%, indicating the GPU's rendering load is the primary limiter, as the CPU can maintain higher frame rates at lower settings.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations for Palworld?

A: This combo ranks 216th out of 2944 tested combinations, placing it in the top 7.3% of all systems tested.

Q: Does the RTX 4080 SUPER outperform its direct predecessor in this game?

A: The data does not include a direct comparison to the RTX 4080's performance in Palworld. The nearest rival data only shows the RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 54209, which is 0.1% lower than the RTX 4080's 54247, but this is a synthetic benchmark, not a game-specific measurement.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo at 1440p Medium?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 143, with an average of 169 and a maximum of 194.

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

Analyzing the frame rate scaling across resolutions reveals a classic pattern of GPU-bound behavior as pixel count increases. At High settings, the system produces 197 FPS at 1920x1080. Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops to 130, a 34.0% reduction. At 3840x2160, the average further drops to 72 FPS, a 44.6% reduction from the 1440p figure and a 63.5% reduction from 1080p. This steep decline aligns with the increase in pixel count: 4K has roughly 2.25 times the pixels of 1440p and 4 times the pixels of 1080p. The fact that the FPS does not scale inversely with pixel count (e.g., 4K should theoretically be 4 times slower if purely pixel-bound) suggests that while the GPU is a significant limiter, the CPU is still contributing to frame time.

The Low settings data provides a clearer picture of the CPU's headroom. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 316 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 208 FPS, and at 4K Low, it yields 115 FPS. The reduction from 1080p to 1440p is 34.2%, which is nearly identical to the High settings drop of 34.0%. However, the drop from 1440p to 4K at Low settings is 44.7%, which is slightly higher than the High settings drop of 44.6%. This indicates that at lower graphics settings, the rendering pipeline becomes even more pixel-bound, and the GPU's raw throughput is the dominant factor. The RTX 4080 SUPER's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 736.3 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient to avoid memory bottlenecks, but the shading units (10240) and texture units (320) are taxed by the increased resolution.

The data implies that at 1080p and 1440p, the system is well-balanced, with neither component severely bottlenecking the other. At 4K, however, the GPU's limits are more apparent. The Ultra settings at 4K yield only 55 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold many players target. This suggests that for 4K gaming, the RTX 4080 SUPER, while powerful, is the limiting factor in Palworld, and users may need to adjust settings or use upscaling techniques to achieve higher frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER combination ranks 216th out of 2944 tested combos for Palworld. This places it in the top 7.3% of all systems, indicating that it is a high-end configuration capable of delivering excellent performance. The ranking is a composite measure that likely considers both average FPS and consistency across various settings. Given the measured FPS data, this rank is unsurprising. The combo can exceed 300 FPS at 1080p Low and maintains above 70 FPS at 4K High, which puts it ahead of the vast majority of tested systems.

However, the ranking also suggests that there are 215 other combos that perform better, likely featuring more powerful GPUs or CPUs. The nearest rivals for the CPU alone, such as the AMD EPYC 4464P and Intel Core Ultra 7 265F, show negligible performance differences (0.3% and 0.3% delta, respectively), meaning the CPU is not the reason for a higher or lower rank. The GPU's nearest rivals, including the RTX 4080 and AMD Radeon Pro W5700X, also show minimal score deltas (-0.1% and -1.1%), indicating that the GPU is also near the top of its class. The combo's rank is therefore a function of the synergy between these two high-tier components, and any improvements in rank would likely require stepping up to a more powerful GPU, such as those in the GeForce 50 series, which is listed as the successor to the RTX 4080 SUPER.

The fact that the combo ranks 216th out of 2944 confirms its overall capability, but it also highlights the competitive nature of high-end PC gaming. For Palworld specifically, the rank implies that users with this combo can expect a smooth experience at most settings, with only the most demanding 4K Ultra presets presenting a challenge.

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

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080, the system excels. With Low settings, it averages 316 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 256 FPS, with a minimum of 218 FPS and a maximum of 294 FPS. High settings yield 197 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 149 FPS. This progression shows a clear linear relationship between graphical fidelity and frame rate, with the gap between Low and Ultra being 167 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains high but scales down proportionally. Low settings average 208 FPS. Medium settings average 169 FPS, with a minimum of 143 FPS and a maximum of 194 FPS. High settings produce 130 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 98 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is now 110 FPS, indicating that the GPU's workload is increasing, but the CPU is still keeping pace.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates become more modest. Low settings average 115 FPS. Medium settings average 94 FPS, with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 108 FPS. High settings produce 72 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 55 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 60 FPS, which is a smaller absolute difference than at lower resolutions, but the relative drop is more pronounced, with Ultra being 52.2% slower than Low.

The Medium settings at each resolution provide the only data points with minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1080p, the minimum is 218 FPS, which is still very high. At 1440p, the minimum is 143 FPS, and at 4K, it is 79 FPS. These minimums indicate that even in the most demanding scenes, the combo maintains playable frame rates, with the 4K minimum of 79 FPS being above the 60 FPS threshold.

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

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal settings preset depends on the user's target resolution and refresh rate. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset yields an average of 149 FPS, which is sufficient for high-refresh monitors (144Hz or higher). The High preset at 197 FPS offers even more headroom, but the visual difference between High and Ultra may not justify the 24.4% performance drop. For competitive play or maximum fluidity, the Low preset at 316 FPS is the best choice, but it sacrifices significant visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 98 FPS, which is suitable for 100Hz monitors. The High preset at 130 FPS is a better balance, providing a comfortable margin above 120Hz refresh rates. The Medium preset at 169 FPS is ideal for high-refresh 1440p displays, as it maintains a high frame rate while offering decent visuals. The Low preset at 208 FPS is likely overkill for most 1440p monitors but could be used for extreme competitive scenarios.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. The Ultra preset averages 55 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and may result in stutter on some displays. The High preset at 72 FPS is the recommended choice for 4K, as it provides a smooth experience with good visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 94 FPS is even better for those prioritizing frame rate over graphics, and the Low preset at 115 FPS offers the highest performance but significantly reduces visual detail.

Considering the data holistically, the High preset at 1440p represents the best balance of visual quality and performance, with an average of 130 FPS. For 4K users, the High preset is the sweet spot, as it delivers 72 FPS, which is above the console standard. The Ultra preset should be avoided at 4K unless the user has a variable refresh rate monitor and can tolerate frame rates in the 50s.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is a high-end GPU based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, built on a 5 nm process. It has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory, which is ample for Palworld's textures and world data. The memory runs at 1438 MHz with 23 Gbps effective speed, providing a bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s over a 256-bit bus. This high bandwidth is crucial for 4K gaming, where large texture sets and high-resolution buffers demand rapid data transfer.

The GPU's clock speeds are set at 2295 MHz base and 2550 MHz boost, which are relatively high for a 320 W TDP card. The 10240 shading units and 320 texture mapping units handle the computational load of Palworld's environments, which include dynamic lighting, shadows, and particle effects. The 112 ROPs are responsible for the final pixel output, and at 4K, the pixel rate of 285.6 GPixel/s is a limiting factor, as evidenced by the FPS drop at Ultra settings.

The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K. The transition from 1080p to 4K at High settings results in a 63.5% FPS drop, which is consistent with the GPU's pixel throughput limit. At 4K Ultra, the GPU's compute units are fully taxed, resulting in 55 FPS. The 16 GB of VRAM is not a constraint, as Palworld is unlikely to exceed that capacity even at 4K with high-resolution textures. The GPU's percentile rank of 86 indicates that it is a top-tier card, and its nearest rivals, such as the RTX 4080 and AMD Radeon Pro W5700X, show only marginal score differences, confirming that this GPU is well-suited for Palworld.

However, the data also suggests that the GPU's performance is not the sole factor. At 1080p Low, the 316 FPS result indicates that the CPU is capable of driving the GPU to its limits, but the GPU is still the limiting factor at higher settings. The GPU's successor, the GeForce 50 series, is listed, but no performance data is provided for Palworld, so it remains unknown whether that would offer a significant improvement. For this combo, the RTX 4080 SUPER provides a robust experience, particularly at 1440p, where it balances high frame rates with visual quality.