Palworld

Palworld, the survival title released on 2024-01-18, presents a demanding workload that scales significantly with both resolution and graphical preset. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 across three resolutions and four quality settings. The data indicates a system capable of high refresh rate gaming at 1080p, with performance dropping to a playable but more constrained level at 4K. The benchmark results reveal a clear hierarchy where the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU's strong single-threaded performance ensures high frame rates at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a predictable decline as resolution increases, but the rate of decline is not uniform across all settings. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 142 FPS at 1920x1080 to 94 FPS at 2560x1440, a 33.8% reduction. Moving from 1440p to 3840x2160, the average FPS falls to 52, a further 44.7% reduction. This steep drop at 4K strongly suggests the GPU is the limiting component, as the pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K, demanding significantly more from the graphics card.

The scaling pattern is even more pronounced at Ultra settings, where the average FPS drops from 108 at 1080p to 71 at 1440p (a 34.3% decrease) and then to 39 at 4K (a 45.1% decrease from 1440p). This consistent ~45% reduction from 1440p to 4K across both High and Ultra presets indicates that the RTX 4080's compute and memory bandwidth are being fully utilized at the higher resolution, with the CPU overhead becoming less relevant. Conversely, at Low settings, the drop from 1080p (228 FPS) to 1440p (150 FPS) is 34.2%, and the drop to 4K (83 FPS) is 44.7%, showing a similar pattern, though the absolute frame rates are much higher, suggesting that even at Low settings, the GPU is still the primary bottleneck at 4K.

The fact that the percentage drop from 1440p to 4K is nearly identical (~45%) regardless of preset suggests that Palworld's rendering pipeline is heavily pixel-bound. This is typical for games with complex geometry and lighting, where the fill rate and memory bandwidth of the GPU become the dominant factors. The data shows that the 2560x1440 resolution offers a balanced sweet spot, providing a 94 FPS average at High settings, which is a significant improvement over the 52 FPS at 4K, while still offering a substantial visual upgrade over 1080p.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a key component in this system's performance, and its specifications are closely aligned with the observed benchmark results. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. This substantial memory bandwidth is likely crucial for Palworld's open-world environments, which require streaming large amounts of texture data. The high bandwidth helps maintain consistent frame rates, as seen in the Medium preset where the minimum FPS at 1080p is 157, which is 84.9% of the average FPS of 185, indicating good frame pacing.

The GPU's clock speeds, with a base clock of 2205 MHz and a boost clock of 2505 MHz, contribute to its raw compute power. The card boasts 9728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 ROPs, which are the building blocks for pixel and texture processing. These specifications translate to a pixel rate of 280.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 761.5 GTexel/s. These figures help explain why the RTX 4080 can handle the demands of 4K rendering, albeit at lower frame rates, as the pixel rate is sufficient to fill the 3840x2160 frame, but the workload leaves little headroom for higher settings.

The GPU's performance is also reflected in its benchmark scores, with an average benchmark score of 54247 and a percentile ranking of 86 among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, which is only 0.1% faster, and the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X, which is 1.1% slower. This places the RTX 4080 in a strong competitive position. The 16 GB VRAM capacity is also a significant asset, ensuring that the card does not run out of memory at 4K Ultra settings, which would otherwise cause severe stuttering and frame drops. The data shows that the GPU is a capable performer, but its limits are clearly reached at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS drops to 39.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this system depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an average of 142 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate of many high-end monitors. For players with 144Hz or 165Hz displays, the High preset is an excellent choice, as it balances visual fidelity with high performance. The Medium preset at 1080p offers an even higher average of 185 FPS, making it ideal for competitive play or for users with 240Hz displays, though the visual fidelity is slightly reduced.

For 2560x1440 resolution, the High preset is the clear recommendation, as it provides an average of 94 FPS, which is smooth and playable for most single-player experiences. The Medium preset at 1440p yields 122 FPS, which is better suited for fast-paced action, but the High preset offers a more visually rich experience. The Ultra preset at this resolution drops to 71 FPS, which is playable but may not be ideal for all users, especially those sensitive to frame rate fluctuations. At 3840x2160, the High preset is the only viable option for a consistently smooth experience, with an average of 52 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K provides 67 FPS, which is a significant improvement, but the visual difference between Medium and High may be noticeable. The Ultra preset at 4K is not recommended, as the 39 FPS average is below the threshold for comfortable gameplay.

The data suggests that the Medium preset offers a particularly good balance between performance and quality. At 1080p, it achieves 185 FPS, at 1440p it achieves 122 FPS, and at 4K it achieves 67 FPS. This preset also provides measured minimum and maximum FPS values, which indicate a stable frame rate. For example, at 1440p Medium, the minimum FPS is 103 and the maximum is 140, showing a consistent performance envelope. This makes Medium a safe and reliable choice for users who prioritize frame rate stability over maximum graphical fidelity.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 142 FPS.

Q: Does the system maintain playable frame rates at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, at 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS is 52, and with Medium settings, it is 67 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 39 FPS, which is less ideal.

Q: Which resolution provides the best balance of performance and visual quality?

A: Based on the data, 2560x1440 with High settings (94 FPS) offers an excellent balance, providing a significant visual upgrade over 1080p while maintaining a smooth frame rate.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its nearest rival in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54247. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, is only 0.1% faster, while the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X is 1.1% slower.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded in the entire dataset?

A: The highest average FPS is 228, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: What is the system's overall rank among tested combinations in Palworld?

A: The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combo is ranked 910 out of 2944 tested combinations in Palworld.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Palworld, this system, featuring the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, holds a rank of 910 out of 2944 total combinations. This places it in the top 30.9% of all tested systems, indicating a solid, above-average performance level for this specific game. The rank reflects the combined capabilities of the CPU and GPU, and while the system is not at the very top, it sits comfortably in the upper echelon of configurations.

This ranking is consistent with the component's individual benchmarks. The CPU's percentile rank is 88 among all CPUs, and the GPU's percentile rank is 86 among all GPUs. When combined, these high-performing parts work together to deliver a frame rate experience that is likely to satisfy most users, particularly at 1080p and 1440p resolutions. The rank of 910 suggests that there are many systems with slightly more powerful components, but this combo still offers a highly capable gaming experience, especially when considering the balance between the CPU and GPU. The data indicates that this system is well-matched for Palworld, with neither component acting as a severe bottleneck at the most common gaming resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra X9 388H plays a crucial role in this system's performance, particularly in maintaining high frame rates at lower resolutions. This CPU features 16 cores and 16 threads with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. The high boost clock is critical for gaming performance, as many game engines, including those used in survival titles like Palworld, rely heavily on single-threaded performance for game logic, physics, and AI. The CPU's strong single-threaded capabilities are evident in its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2200.5 and a PassMark single-thread score of 4280.

The data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 228 FPS, which is a very high frame rate. This suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to maintain such high performance. The CPU's 18 MB of shared L3 cache also helps reduce memory latency, which is beneficial for game performance. The average benchmark score of 44466 for the CPU places it in the 88th percentile, with its nearest rival being the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D, which is only 0.2% slower. This indicates that the Ultra X9 388H is a top-tier mobile processor.

However, the CPU's role becomes less significant as resolution increases. At 4K, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck, and the CPU's performance has less impact on the overall frame rate. The benchmark results support this, as the drop in FPS from 1080p to 4K is primarily dictated by the GPU's rendering capabilities. The CPU's 25W TDP classifies it as a mobile processor, but its performance is comparable to desktop parts, as seen in its ranking against the Intel Core i9-13950HX, which is only 0.3% slower. This powerful CPU ensures that the system is not held back by processor limitations in most gaming scenarios.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table provides a detailed breakdown of the measured average FPS for every resolution and settings combination tested.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |

| 3840x2160 | High | 52 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 83 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 67 | 57 | 78 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 39 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | High | 94 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 150 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 122 | 103 | 140 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 71 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | High | 142 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 228 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 185 | 157 | 212 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 108 | - | - |

The data clearly shows a consistent hierarchy across all settings. The Low preset always yields the highest average FPS, followed by Medium, then High, and finally Ultra. At 1080p, the spread between Low (228 FPS) and Ultra (108 FPS) is 120 FPS, indicating a significant performance cost for maximum visual quality. At 1440p, the spread narrows to 79 FPS (150 FPS for Low vs. 71 FPS for Ultra), and at 4K, it narrows further to 44 FPS (83 FPS for Low vs. 39 FPS for Ultra). This trend suggests that as resolution increases, the GPU becomes more saturated, and the relative performance difference between settings diminishes.

The Medium preset is the only one with complete data for all resolutions, including minimum and maximum FPS values. This data shows that the system maintains a stable frame rate, with the minimum FPS at 1080p being 157, which is 84.9% of the average, and at 1440p being 103, which is 84.4% of the average. At 4K, the minimum is 57, which is 85.1% of the average of 67. This consistency indicates that the combo of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 provides a smooth experience, with no major frame time spikes occurring during the benchmark runs.