Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver is not a demanding title by modern standards, but the measured frame rates for the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combination reveal a configuration that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions while still delivering exceptional headroom at 1080p. The data indicates this pairing is more than capable of maxing out high-refresh monitors in the game’s native 2D/3D hybrid presentation, though the scaling curve between presets shows diminishing returns as pixel count rises.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep but predictable, confirming that the RTX 5050 is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. At Ultra settings, the average frame rate falls from 136 FPS at 1920x1080 to 102 FPS at 2560x1440, a 25% reduction, and then plummets to 68 FPS at 3840x2160, which is exactly half the 1080p figure. This 2x performance penalty for a 4x pixel increase suggests the GPU’s 8 GB memory buffer and 128-bit interface are being saturated at 4K, though the game remains playable.

The scaling pattern is remarkably consistent across all four settings presets. Moving from 1440p to 4K, High settings drop from 116 FPS to 77 FPS (a 33.6% loss), Medium from 129 FPS to 87 FPS (a 32.6% loss), and Low from 155 FPS to 104 FPS (a 32.9% loss). This uniformity indicates that the RTX 5050’s compute throughput, rather than memory bandwidth or CPU overhead, is the consistent bottleneck when resolution increases. The CPU’s role is minimal in this equation, as the Ryzen 5 5500’s six cores and twelve threads are more than sufficient for the game’s workload at any resolution.

At 1080p, the scaling tells a different story. The gap between Low (206 FPS) and Ultra (136 FPS) is 70 FPS, or 34%, which is a much wider spread than at 4K where Low (104 FPS) and Ultra (68 FPS) differ by 36 FPS. This suggests that at 1080p, the GPU still has enough headroom to let settings changes meaningfully impact performance, whereas at 4K the GPU is so constrained that even dropping to Low only recovers 36 FPS over Ultra. For players targeting 4K, the data shows that Low settings are the only way to stay above 100 FPS, while Medium and High remain comfortably above 60 FPS.

The 1440p results represent the sweet spot for this combo. Even at Ultra, the average of 102 FPS clears the 100 FPS threshold, and High settings hit 116 FPS. The min FPS data for Medium at 1440p (110 FPS) is actually higher than the average FPS for Ultra at the same resolution, indicating that the Medium preset provides a more stable frame pacing experience. This resolution scaling analysis strongly suggests that the RTX 5050 is best utilized at 1440p, where it can deliver high refresh rates without the severe performance collapse seen at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance for this CPU-GPU pairing. At 1920x1080, Medium produces 172 FPS average with a minimum of 146 FPS, which is 36 FPS higher than High (154 FPS) and only 34 FPS lower than Low (206 FPS). The min FPS of 146 FPS ensures that even in the most demanding underwater scenes, the frame rate will not drop below the refresh rate of a standard 144 Hz monitor. Comparatively, High settings at 1080p have no recorded min FPS, but the average of 154 FPS leaves less headroom for dips.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset’s advantage becomes even clearer. With an average of 129 FPS and a minimum of 110 FPS, it is the only preset at this resolution that maintains an average above 120 FPS while also recording a minimum above 100 FPS. High settings at 1440p average 116 FPS, which is still excellent, but the lack of a recorded minimum makes it harder to guarantee consistent frame pacing. Ultra at 1440p drops to 102 FPS average, which is acceptable but leaves little room for demanding sequences.

For 4K gaming, the recommendation shifts. The Medium preset at 3840x2160 averages 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS, which is the only 4K preset with a recorded minimum. This makes it the safest choice for 4K, as it ensures the frame rate never dips below 74 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS console standard. High at 4K averages 77 FPS but has no min FPS data, so it could potentially dip lower. Low at 4K hits 104 FPS average, but the visual quality trade-off is severe. The data suggests that players should prioritize Medium at 4K for a smooth experience, or accept Low if they demand triple-digit frame rates.

The Ultra preset is only recommended at 1080p, where it achieves 136 FPS average. At 1440p it falls to 102 FPS, which is still playable but represents a 25% performance hit over Medium for marginal visual gains. At 4K, Ultra drops to 68 FPS, which is below the 70 FPS threshold that many players consider the minimum for smooth gameplay. The measured data clearly indicates that Ultra is a 1080p-only proposition for this hardware combination.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combination ranks 1725 out of 2867 tested combos in Dave The Diver, placing it in the 60th percentile of all configurations. This is a solid mid-pack result, reflecting the fact that the game is not particularly demanding and that even mid-range hardware can achieve high frame rates. The ranking is more indicative of the CPU’s position than the GPU’s, as the Ryzen 5 5500 sits in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs, while the RTX 5050 is in the 66th percentile of all GPUs.

In terms of CPU rivals, the Ryzen 5 5500’s average benchmark score of 19593 places it nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 (19617, -0.1% delta) and the Intel Core i7-10700F (19499, +0.5% delta). The Intel Core i5-12500 (19668, -0.4%) and i5-11600KF (19723, -0.7%) are also within 1% of this chip’s performance. This means that the CPU is not a differentiator in Dave The Diver, as any of these processors would yield nearly identical frame rates. The game’s modest CPU demands mean that the 5500’s six cores and twelve threads are more than adequate.

For the GPU, the RTX 5050’s average benchmark score of 21035 is closely matched by the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153, -0.6%), AMD Radeon HD 8970M (21237, -1.0%), and NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (21379, -1.6%). The AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713, +1.6%) is the only rival that scores higher. This puts the RTX 5050 in a strange position: it is a modern Blackwell architecture GPU with 2560 shading units, yet its performance in synthetic benchmarks is similar to older mobile and desktop parts. In Dave The Diver specifically, this translates to the measured frame rates, which are strong but not exceptional for the GPU’s generation.

The combo’s rank of 1725 out of 2867 means that roughly 60% of tested configurations perform better. This is expected given that the RTX 5050 is an entry-level 50-series card, but the game’s low system requirements mean that even this mid-range pairing achieves playable frame rates at all resolutions. The ranking would likely be much lower in a more demanding title, but for Dave The Diver, this combo is comfortably in the upper half of all tested systems.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full range of settings produces a spread of 70 FPS. Low settings lead with 206 FPS average, followed by Medium at 172 FPS (with a minimum of 146 FPS and maximum of 198 FPS), High at 154 FPS, and Ultra at 136 FPS. The Medium preset’s min FPS of 146 FPS is particularly notable, as it exceeds the average FPS of both High (154 FPS) and Ultra (136 FPS). This indicates that Medium provides the most consistent frame delivery at 1080p, with no recorded dips below 146 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the same pattern holds but with lower absolute numbers. Low achieves 155 FPS average, Medium 129 FPS (min 110 FPS, max 149 FPS), High 116 FPS, and Ultra 102 FPS. The Medium preset’s min FPS of 110 FPS is higher than the average FPS of Ultra (102 FPS), reinforcing that Medium is the most stable preset at 1440p. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 53 FPS, which is narrower than at 1080p, suggesting the GPU is starting to become the limiting factor.

At 3840x2160, the results show a significant drop. Low averages 104 FPS, Medium 87 FPS (min 74 FPS, max 100 FPS), High 77 FPS, and Ultra 68 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 74 FPS is the only recorded minimum at 4K, and it is just above the 72 FPS threshold that would be considered fully smooth on a 144 Hz display. The spread between Low and Ultra at 4K is 36 FPS, which is the narrowest of all three resolutions, confirming that the GPU is heavily constrained at this resolution. The maximum FPS of 100 at 4K Medium is lower than the average FPS at 1080p Ultra (136 FPS), illustrating the massive performance cost of 4K rendering.

The data shows a consistent 20-25% performance penalty for each step up in resolution, regardless of settings. For example, High settings drop from 154 FPS at 1080p to 116 FPS at 1440p (a 24.7% reduction) and then to 77 FPS at 4K (a 33.6% reduction from 1440p). This non-linear scaling indicates that the RTX 5050’s memory bandwidth (320.0 GB/s) becomes a bottleneck at 4K, as the 8 GB GDDR6 buffer is likely insufficient for high-resolution textures.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU-GPU combo in Dave The Diver?

A: The measured data shows that 2560x1440 at Medium settings provides the best balance, with 129 FPS average and a minimum of 110 FPS. At 4K, the same preset averages 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS, which is still playable but leaves less headroom.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Dave The Diver?

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. Low settings at 3840x2160 average 104 FPS, while Medium averages 87 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 68 FPS, which is below the 70 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5500 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500 has an average benchmark score of 19593, which is within 0.7% of the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 (19617), Intel Core i5-12500 (19668), Intel Core i7-10700F (19499), and Intel Core i5-11600KF (19723). This means the CPU choice has minimal impact on frame rates.

Q: Is the RTX 5050 a strong GPU for this game?

A: The RTX 5050 ranks in the 66th percentile of all GPUs and its average benchmark score of 21035 is comparable to older parts like the Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713). In Dave The Diver, it delivers over 100 FPS at 1440p with most presets, which is strong for the game’s requirements.

Q: What settings should I use for the most stable frame pacing?

A: The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum FPS values at all three resolutions: 146 FPS at 1080p, 110 FPS at 1440p, and 74 FPS at 4K. This makes it the safest choice for consistent performance.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in this game?

A: No. The Ryzen 5 5500’s six cores and twelve threads are more than sufficient, as evidenced by the fact that FPS scales consistently with resolution and settings. The GPU is the limiting factor, particularly at 4K where performance drops by roughly half compared to 1080p.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is a six-core, twelve-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, built on TSMC’s 7 nm process node. It has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz, with 16 MB of L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 16429 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2319 in single-core, with a PassMark multithread score of 19330 and a single-thread score of 3058. These numbers place it in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs, but for Dave The Diver, the relevant metric is that it provides ample headroom for the game’s modest CPU demands.

The game’s measured FPS data shows no evidence of CPU bottlenecking. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 206 FPS, which is likely near the game’s engine limit or the GPU’s maximum rasterization throughput. If the CPU were a limiting factor, we would expect to see smaller FPS differences between resolutions, as the CPU would cap performance regardless of GPU load. Instead, the 50% FPS drop from 1080p to 4K clearly indicates that the RTX 5050 is the constraining component.

The CPU’s 12 threads are more than sufficient for Dave The Diver, which is not a heavily multithreaded title. The game’s 2D sprite-based rendering with 3D elements does not utilize the CPU’s full capabilities, meaning that even a four-core processor would likely deliver similar results. The Ryzen 5 5500’s boost clock of 4.20 GHz ensures that single-threaded performance (PassMark single-thread score of 3058) is adequate for the game’s logic and physics calculations.

The CPU’s memory support of DDR4 with dual-channel configuration and 51.2 GB/s bandwidth is also not a bottleneck, as the game’s data requirements are modest. The 16 MB L3 cache is sufficient for the game’s working set, and the PCIe Gen 3 interface does not limit the RTX 5050, which uses PCIe 5.0 x8 but can operate on older standards without significant performance loss. In summary, the Ryzen 5 5500 plays a supporting role in this combo, providing stable frame delivery without ever becoming the limiting factor. The data confirms that the RTX 5050 is the component that determines performance scaling across resolutions and settings.