Palworld

Palworld, a survival game that blends creature collection with base building, places distinct demands on a system. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, interpreting the data to understand how this combination handles the game across different resolutions and settings.

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

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H is a 16-core, 22-thread mobile processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture. It operates with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with a thermal design power of 45 W. This configuration provides a substantial foundation for a game like Palworld, which often involves simulating world states, tracking numerous creatures, and managing base-building physics.

In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU demonstrates solid multi-threaded capability. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 17984.5, and its single-core score is 1810.5. The Geekbench multi-core score of 11657 and single-core score of 1794 further corroborate its balanced performance profile. The PassMark multithread score of 29376 indicates that the processor can handle concurrent workloads, which is relevant for Palworld's simulation-heavy gameplay where multiple systems (AI, resource production, environmental effects) run simultaneously.

The data suggests that the CPU is well-suited for Palworld's demands. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 250 FPS. This high frame rate at a lower resolution, where the GPU is not the primary bottleneck, implies the CPU is capable of feeding the graphics card with enough data to maintain such high output. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache and the dual-channel memory support with a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s likely contribute to the processor's ability to handle the game's data streaming and object management.

In the context of the system's overall benchmark standing, the CPU holds an 85th percentile ranking against all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 and the Intel Core 7 250H, have almost identical average benchmark scores, with a deltaPct of -0.1% and -0.2% respectively. This places the Core Ultra 9 185H at the very top of its immediate performance tier, though the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X is a close competitor at -0.7%. The implication is that this processor provides a high level of performance that is unlikely to be the limiting factor in most gaming scenarios, including Palworld.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the flagship of the GeForce 40-series, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture. This mobile GPU comes with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing a massive 1.01 TB/s of memory bandwidth. Its base clock is 2235 MHz, boosting to 2520 MHz. The sheer amount of VRAM and bandwidth is significant for Palworld, which features a large, open world with high-resolution textures and numerous objects.

The GPU's raw compute power is considerable. With 16,384 shading units and 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, it is designed to handle heavy graphical loads. In Palworld, this translates to the ability to render complex scenes with many creatures and structures at high detail. The benchmark results show that the GPU is a dominant force in the system's performance. At 4K Ultra settings, the system still manages an average of 43 FPS, which is playable for a survival title. Dropping to High settings at the same resolution yields a much more fluid 57 FPS.

The GPU's performance percentile is 88 against all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 60347 places it in the company of professional workstation cards like the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M, which has a deltaPct of -2.5%. Interestingly, the nearest rival is the Intel Arc Pro A60 with a deltaPct of 0%, though this is an outlier in terms of gaming performance. The RTX 4090's role is clearly to provide the graphical horsepower, and the data shows it does so effectively, scaling from high to low settings and from 4K to 1080p.

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

The measured FPS data offers a clear view of how different presets affect performance. The goal is to find a balance between visual fidelity and smooth gameplay. The data suggests that the "High" preset provides an excellent experience across all resolutions, but the "Medium" preset is the sweet spot for those who want a higher frame rate without a significant graphical compromise.

At 4K, the High preset delivers 57 FPS, which is generally considered the threshold for smooth play in many titles. However, the Medium preset offers 74 FPS, a substantial 29.8% increase in performance. The Ultra preset drops to 43 FPS, which might be too choppy for fast-paced action or exploration. Therefore, at 4K, Medium is the recommended preset to ensure a comfortable frame rate while retaining a good level of detail.

Moving to 1440p, the High preset achieves 102 FPS, which is excellent for a high-refresh-rate monitor. The Medium preset pushes this to 133 FPS, providing an even smoother experience. The Ultra preset at 78 FPS is still very playable. At 1440p, High is a great choice for visual quality, but Medium is better for competitive or fast-paced gameplay where high frame rates are crucial.

At 1080p, the High preset reaches 156 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most standard monitors. The Medium preset hits 202 FPS, and Low goes up to 250 FPS. The Ultra preset is still a solid 118 FPS. For 1080p, the High preset is recommended as it offers a high level of detail at a frame rate that exceeds what most displays can show. The data shows that the "Medium" preset is the most balanced option, offering a significant performance boost over "High" with a minimal visual penalty, especially at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Palworld at 4K with high settings?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the measured average FPS is 57. This indicates a playable experience for a survival game, though not at the very high refresh rates seen at lower resolutions.

Q: What is the performance difference between High and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: The data shows that at 2560x1440, the High preset averages 102 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 78 FPS. This is a performance difference of 24 FPS, making the High preset significantly smoother.

Q: How much faster is the Low preset compared to the Ultra preset at 1080p?

A: The Low preset at 1920x1080 achieves an average of 250 FPS, whereas the Ultra preset achieves 118 FPS. The Low preset is more than twice as fast in this scenario.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this system in Palworld?

A: The only minimum FPS values provided are for the Medium preset. At 1080p, the minimum is 172 FPS; at 1440p, it is 113 FPS; and at 4K, it is 63 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not a limiting factor at 1080p. With a Low preset, the system achieves 250 FPS, indicating the CPU can handle the game's logic at a very high rate, leaving the GPU as the primary determinant of performance based on settings.

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

The performance scaling across resolutions is a key indicator of the system's balance. Looking at the High preset, the average FPS drops from 156 at 1080p to 102 at 1440p, and finally to 57 at 4K. This represents a 34.6% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 44.1% drop from 1440p to 4K. This pattern shows a direct correlation between pixel count and frame rate, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario.

If the CPU were the primary bottleneck, the frame rate would remain relatively flat as resolution increases, because the CPU's workload (game logic, draw calls) stays the same while the GPU's workload (pixel shading) increases. The fact that the FPS drops significantly with each resolution increase indicates that the RTX 4090 is doing the heavy lifting, and its performance is scaling with the resolution.

This is further evidenced by the performance at the Low preset. At 1080p, the system hits 250 FPS. At 1440p, it's 164 FPS, and at 4K, it's 91 FPS. The consistent drop suggests that even with minimal graphical settings, the GPU is still the limiting factor, as the CPU is capable of delivering a high frame rate. The data implies that this is a well-balanced system, but the GPU is the component that dictates performance as resolution increases, which is expected for a high-end graphics card paired with a high-end mobile processor.

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

This section provides a detailed look at the exact average FPS figures recorded for each configuration.

At 1920x1080:

• Low: 250 FPS
• Medium: 202 FPS (minimum 172, maximum 233)
• High: 156 FPS
• Ultra: 118 FPS

At 2560x1440:

• Low: 164 FPS
• Medium: 133 FPS (minimum 113, maximum 153)
• High: 102 FPS
• Ultra: 78 FPS

At 3840x2160:

• Low: 91 FPS
• Medium: 74 FPS (minimum 63, maximum 85)
• High: 57 FPS
• Ultra: 43 FPS

The data shows a clear and consistent hierarchy. At every resolution, the Low preset offers the highest frame rate, followed by Medium, High, and finally Ultra. The gaps between presets are substantial. For instance, at 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 132 FPS. This shows that the game's settings have a massive impact on performance, and that the RTX 4090 has enough headroom to allow for significant scaling. The Medium preset is the only one with min/max data, showing a consistent frame time experience without major dips.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination is ranked 625th out of 2944 tested combos in Palworld. This places it in the top 21.2% of all systems tested. This is a strong result, but it is important to note that the ranking is relative to other systems, which may include desktop processors and graphics cards that are more powerful than this mobile pairing.

While the RTX 4090 is a flagship GPU, its mobile implementation may not perform identically to its desktop counterpart. Similarly, the Core Ultra 9 185H, while a high-end mobile CPU, may not match the performance of top-tier desktop processors. The rank of 625 indicates that this combo is competitive and offers a high level of performance, but it is not at the absolute pinnacle of the database. The data suggests that for a mobile platform, this is an exceptionally capable setup, delivering high frame rates at all resolutions and settings. The percentile rankings of the individual components (85th for CPU, 88th for GPU) support the notion that this is a top-tier mobile configuration, and its overall rank reflects a balanced and powerful system that can handle Palworld's demands with ease.