Palworld

Palworld on the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H with the AMD Radeon 890M integrated graphics presents a challenging performance profile. The measured data shows that this combination ranks 2777 out of 2944 tested combos in the game, placing it near the bottom quartile of all systems. This is a configuration where the integrated GPU, despite its modern architecture, struggles to deliver playable frame rates at higher resolutions and settings. The data indicates a system that is fundamentally limited by its graphics solution, though the capable CPU ensures that lower settings can yield a playable experience at 1080p.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark results clearly indicate that the "Low" preset is the only reliable path to a smooth experience, particularly at 1080p. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 75 FPS, which is not only the highest frame rate recorded across all configurations but also the only one that comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS threshold for fluid gameplay. Moving to Medium settings at the same resolution drops the average to 61 FPS, which is still playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes, with the minimum recorded FPS falling to 52. For users who prioritize visual fidelity over raw frame rate, Medium at 1080p is a viable compromise, as it maintains a playable average while offering better graphical quality than Low.

The data strongly advises against using High or Ultra presets at any resolution. At 1080p High, the average FPS drops to 47, and Ultra falls to 35, both of which introduce noticeable stutter and a less responsive feel. At 1440p, even the Medium preset only manages an average of 40 FPS, which is below the ideal playability threshold. The Ultra preset at 1440p yields a dismal 23 FPS average, making it unsuitable for active gameplay. The best experience per the measured rows is unequivocally the Low preset at 1920x1080, which provides the highest average frame rate and ensures the most consistent performance. The Medium preset at 1080p is the only other configuration that maintains an average above 60 FPS, making it the choice for those who want a balance between performance and visual detail.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 890M is the primary bottleneck in this system for Palworld. This integrated GPU, built on the RDNA 3.5 architecture, features 1024 shading units and 16 ray tracing cores. Its performance, as measured by the benchmark suite, places it in the 45th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 9210. The data shows it is nearly identical in performance to the AMD Radeon Vega 8, with a negligible delta of -0.1%, and only slightly behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 by -0.7%. This comparison highlights that while the 890M is a modern integrated solution, its raw compute power is comparable to entry-level discrete graphics cards from several generations ago.

The GPU's clock speeds are a notable point. The base clock is listed at 400 MHz, with a boost clock of 2900 MHz. This wide range indicates that the GPU will aggressively boost to its maximum frequency under load, but its thermal and power constraints, given its 15 W TDP, likely prevent it from sustaining peak clocks for extended periods. The memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it uses the main system RAM, and its bandwidth is "System Dependent." In Palworld, a game that can be demanding on memory bandwidth, this shared memory setup is a significant disadvantage. The measured FPS data reflects this: at 4K Ultra, the system averages just 13 FPS, showing that the GPU is completely overwhelmed by the pixel count and graphical load. The 890M's performance in this game is fundamentally constrained by its integrated nature, limiting its ability to handle the game's rendering demands beyond low-to-medium settings at 1080p.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and clearly illustrates where the bottleneck lies. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 75 FPS at 1920x1080 to 49 FPS at 2560x1440, a drop of 26 FPS, and then to 27 FPS at 3840x2160. This scaling pattern shows a steep decline as the pixel count increases. The transition from 1080p to 1440p represents a 72% increase in pixel count, and the FPS drops by about 35%. The further jump to 4K from 1440p is an 80% increase in pixels, and the FPS drops by another 45%. This indicates that the GPU is the limiting component, as its processing power and memory bandwidth cannot keep up with the increasing rendering load.

The data also reveals that the relative performance gap between settings narrows at higher resolutions. At 1080p, there is a 40 FPS difference between Low (75 FPS) and Ultra (35 FPS). At 4K, the difference between Low (27 FPS) and Ultra (13 FPS) is only 14 FPS. This is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck: at lower resolutions, the CPU can feed the GPU enough data to see a clear difference between settings, but as the resolution increases, the GPU becomes saturated and the settings have a diminishing impact on the final frame rate. The frame rate at 4K is so low across all settings that it suggests the system is not viable for 4K gaming with this game. The scaling confirms that the AMD Radeon 890M is the limiting factor, and even dropping to the lowest settings cannot make 4K playable.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for a playable experience?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 with the Low preset provides the best experience, with an average FPS of 75. The Medium preset at 1080p is also viable, with an average of 61 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle Palworld at 1440p?

A: While the game is playable at 1440p on Low settings with an average of 49 FPS, it falls below the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 1440p yields 40 FPS, which is less smooth, and High and Ultra presets result in averages of 31 FPS and 23 FPS, respectively, which are not recommended.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H holding back the Radeon 890M in this game?

A: No, the benchmark data indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU is highly capable, ranking in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 45th percentile. The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a steep decline typical of a GPU-limited scenario.

Q: How does the Radeon 890M compare to other GPUs in the benchmark database?

A: The Radeon 890M's average benchmark score of 9210 places it in the 45th percentile. It performs nearly identically to the AMD Radeon Vega 8 (delta -0.1%) and is slightly behind the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 (delta -0.7%) and GTX 465 (delta -0.9%).

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this system?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 75, achieved at a resolution of 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: Is the Ultra preset ever a viable option?

A: No. The highest average FPS for the Ultra preset is 35 at 1080p, which is not smooth enough for a responsive experience. At higher resolutions, the Ultra preset yields average FPS in the teens or low twenties, making it unplayable.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H is a high-performance mobile processor that is not the limiting factor in this Palworld configuration. It features 16 cores and 22 threads, with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. Its benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 17984.5 and a single-core score of 1810.5. The CPU's average benchmark score of 35670 places it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, making it significantly more powerful than the GPU's 45th percentile ranking. This discrepancy is the core reason why the GPU is the bottleneck; the CPU has ample horsepower to process game logic and feed draw calls, but the GPU cannot render the frames fast enough to utilize it.

The CPU's performance relative to its rivals further underscores its capability. It is nearly identical in average score to the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 (delta -0.1%), the Intel Core 7 250H (delta -0.2%), and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 (delta -0.4%). It sits only 0.7% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X, a highly regarded desktop processor. This indicates that the Ultra 9 185H is a top-tier mobile CPU. In the measured FPS data, the CPU's role is most apparent when comparing the 1080p Low results. At 75 FPS, the CPU is able to maintain high frame rates, but this is still a modest number for a CPU of this caliber. The data suggests that the CPU could support much higher frame rates if paired with a more powerful GPU, but its potential is capped by the integrated graphics. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support contribute to a capable platform, but they cannot compensate for the GPU's throughput limitations in a graphically demanding title like Palworld.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the measured average FPS for the specified resolution and settings combinations. The data shows a clear hierarchy where lower resolutions and settings yield higher frame rates.

At 1920x1080:

• Low settings achieve an average of 75 FPS.
• Medium settings achieve an average of 61 FPS, with a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 70 FPS.
• High settings achieve an average of 47 FPS.
• Ultra settings achieve an average of 35 FPS.

At 2560x1440:

• Low settings achieve an average of 49 FPS.
• Medium settings achieve an average of 40 FPS, with a minimum of 34 FPS and a maximum of 46 FPS.
• High settings achieve an average of 31 FPS.
• Ultra settings achieve an average of 23 FPS.

At 3840x2160:

• Low settings achieve an average of 27 FPS.
• Medium settings achieve an average of 22 FPS, with a minimum of 19 FPS and a maximum of 25 FPS.
• High settings achieve an average of 17 FPS.
• Ultra settings achieve an average of 13 FPS.

This breakdown confirms that the system is only truly playable at 1080p with Low or Medium settings. The frame rates at 1440p are borderline at best, and the 4K results are not viable for gameplay. The presence of minimum and maximum FPS data for the Medium preset at each resolution shows some variance, with 1080p Medium ranging from 52 to 70 FPS, indicating a playable but not perfectly stable experience. The data across all resolutions and settings illustrates a consistent pattern of GPU-bound performance, with frame rates scaling down predictably as both resolution and graphical fidelity increase.