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If you’re struggling to achieve peak performance in the amoral Pal trafficking game, here’s the best CPU for Palworld to help you out. We’ve made our choices based on the performance offered, the chips’ respective power, and value for money.
A decent processor is going to be really important if you’re trying to squeeze the best performance out of modern games, especially those running on Unreal Engine 5. It’s a graphically intensive game on both the CPU and graphics card, so you’re going to want to make sure both are up to scratch. You might also consider the best GPUs for Palworld too see where you stand.
What is the best CPU for Palworld?
The best CPU for Palworld is going to enhance not only your gaming performance, but your overall productivity outside of the game too. There’s a few things you’re going to want to look out for including decent cache, consistent clock speeds, and a architecture compatible with future-proof hardware. For us, the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is best CPU for Palworld in terms of its performance and price, while the Ryzen 5 7600X and Intel i5-13400F are hot on its heels.
1. Ryzen 7 7800X3D: Overall best CPU for Palworld
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Cores
8
Threads
16
Base speed
4.2GHz
Boost speed
5GHz
Cache
96MB
Wattage
120W
- 3D V-caching
- Competitively priced
- DDR5 compatibility
- Taxing on energy
The Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the top processor to use with Palworld, partly thanks to its 3D V-Caching, making multitasking and multi-threading as efficient as possible.
It has a base clock speed of 4.2GHz, and boosts up to 5GHz. The trade-off with the X3D line of CPUs is that they’re usually a little more power intensive than their non-X3D counterparts. This is definitely something to note if you’re a budget conscious PC gamer, as the TDP is going to be a bit higher than normal.
Another of the 7800X3D’s benefits is the full compatibility with DDR5 RAM, which is really important in future-proofing the processor against incoming changes to the standard technology. While older chipsets might still yield perfectly competitive rigs, the move over to DDR5 and PCIe 5.0 technology will be responsible for a substantial amount of performance gains over the next couple of years.
2. Ryzen 7 5700X: Best budget CPU for Palworld
AMD Ryzen 7 5700X
Cores
8
Threads
16
Base Clock
3.4GHz
Boost Clock
4.6GHz
Cache
32MB
TDP
65W
- Extremely affordable
- High boost clock
- Competitive performance
- Limited to AM4
Palworld runs on Unreal Engine 5. It’s not the most intensive game engine to run, partly thanks to the optimised graphics settings and fairly low-bar system requirements, so an AMD Ryzen 7 5700X is going to do it good justice.
It’s an extremely powerful budget CPU that’s going to exceed the expectations set by a sub-$200 processor. It features clock speeds between 3.4GHz and 4.6GHzm alongside 32MB cache. Where it stands out is its TDP of 65W, nearly half of what the 7800X3D will draw. On top of that, it features eight cores and 16 threads, adequate enough for consistent gaming performance.
While I had previously been raving about the technical attraction of DDR5 RAM and PCIe 5.0 compatibility, you can also look at the 5700X’s lack-thereof as a benefit. You won’t need to upgrade your AM4 motherboard, so you can stick with the DDR4 RAM you have at the moment, alongside not worrying about the trivialities of different PCIe standards.
We’ve previously recommended the Ryzen 7 5700X as one of the best CPUs for the RX 7600 XT. Light frame generation will be possible with this processor, and you’ll be able to play Palworld between 1080p and 4K depending on your GPU.
3. Intel Core i5-14600K: Best Intel CPU for Palworld
Intel Core i5-14600K
Cores
14
Threads
20
Base Clock
3.5GHz
Boost Clock
5.3GHz
Cache
24MB
TDP
125W
- Superior RAM compatibility
- Future-Proof
- Versatile Performance
- Pricier
We’re not going to recommend an Intel CPU that’s going to cost an arm and a leg to use with Palworld. While some of the more expensive SKUs might set you back anywhere between $400-$600, you’re going to be able to run the game at a pretty decent standard with fairly mid-range hardware. Of course, using mods in Palworld will help you out here.
The 14600K is stacked with 14 cores and 20 threads. This is more than any of the other CPUs on this list, though the trade-off is that there’s slightly less cache involved. With clock speeds between 3.5GHz and 5.3GHz, it’s a fast enough CPU to handle most processes your throwing at it such as finding Wandering Merchants, or digging up stones.
Intel 14th Gen CPUs offer a solution to different RAM standard compatibilities, as chips work alongside both DDR4 and DDR5. This is a huge benefit, as it means you could upgrade your CPU without having to faff around with a whole new motherboard and RAM sticks.
Now that you’ve got your CPU sorted for Palworld, it’s probably a decent opportunity for you to check out what the best GPU and monitor are for the game, so you can build the gaming PC of your dreams.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Palworld a CPU intensive game?
Palworld’s naturally going to be a pretty CPU intensive game. There’s plenty of creatures being rendered onto the screen at once, alongside an open-world terrain.
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