Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver is an Adventure title that can scale from modest hardware to very high refresh rates, and the data for the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination shows a system with substantial headroom. The measured frames per second across all resolutions and settings indicate that this pairing is rarely stressed, with the bottleneck shifting depending on the resolution and preset. The Ryzen 5 5500, a 6-core, 12-thread Zen 3 part with a 3.60 GHz base and 4.20 GHz boost clock, provides solid single-threaded performance, while the RTX 5060, with its 8 GB of GDDR7 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, handles the graphical load efficiently. This analysis breaks down how each component contributes to the final frame rates, what the resolution scaling reveals, and which settings deliver the optimal experience.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, running on the AMD Socket AM4 platform. Its base clock of 3.60 GHz can boost up to 4.20 GHz, and it features a 16 MB L3 cache. In the context of Dave The Diver, an adventure game that does not demand extreme multi-threaded workloads, the CPU’s single-threaded performance is the primary driver of frame pacing. The benchmark data shows a single-thread score of 836 on the 3dmark test and 2319 on Cinebench R23 single-core, which is modest but sufficient for this title.

The processor’s 3dmark max-thread score of 5411 and Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16429 indicate that it has more than enough compute headroom for a game like this, which typically relies on a few main threads. The Ryzen 5 5500 sits in the 79th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20875. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12500, has an average score of 20897, a delta of -0.1%, meaning the two are essentially tied in overall processing power. This near-parity suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this configuration.

When examining the frame rates at 1080p, the CPU’s influence is most apparent. At 1080p Low, the system produces 246.9 FPS, which is the highest measured value in the dataset. This high frame rate indicates that the CPU can feed the GPU with enough data to maintain very high output, and the gap between the Low and Ultra presets at this resolution shows the GPU becoming the bottleneck as graphical load increases. The Ryzen 5 5500’s performance in compression and encryption tests—245533 in PassMark data compression and 14851 in data encryption—further demonstrates its ability to handle background tasks without impacting game performance. Overall, the data shows that the CPU is not the constraint in Dave The Diver; it provides a stable foundation that allows the GPU to operate at its full potential.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is the more significant contributor to frame rates in this benchmark, as the game’s visual demands scale with resolution and settings. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its base clock is 2280 MHz, boosting to 2497 MHz, and it has 3840 shading units. The RTX 5060’s PassMark G3D score of 20891 places it in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 30109. Its closest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, which scores 30097, a delta of 0%, meaning the two cards are statistically identical in raw performance.

The GPU’s role becomes clear when comparing the 1080p and 4K results. At 1080p High, the system achieves 183.1 FPS, which drops to 91.4 FPS at 4K High. This halving of frame rate corresponds directly to the fourfold increase in pixel count, indicating that the RTX 5060 is fully engaged at higher resolutions. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for this game’s textures at all presets, as even at 4K Ultra the system maintains 83.6 FPS without hitting a memory bottleneck. The GPU’s texture rate of 299.6 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 119.9 GPixel/s are more than adequate for the adventure title’s visual complexity.

The RTX 5060’s performance in compute tasks, such as a PassMark GPU compute score of 10899, suggests it has headroom for additional effects or future updates. However, the measured data shows that the GPU is the primary scaling factor when moving from Low to Ultra settings. At 1440p, the frame rate drops from 182.5 FPS on Low to 123.5 FPS on Ultra, a 32% reduction, which is a direct result of increased shader and memory load. The GPU’s 19.18 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power supports these frame rates, but the limiting factor at higher presets is the rendering workload, not the CPU. In summary, the RTX 5060 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its capabilities are what determine the playable frame rates, especially at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling that highlights the GPU as the limiting component. At 1080p Low, the system runs at 246.9 FPS, which drops to 182.5 FPS at 1440p Low and 123.5 FPS at 4K Low. This represents a 26% reduction when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 32% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is not perfectly linear with pixel count—4K has four times the pixels of 1080p—but the frame rate only drops by half, indicating that the GPU has some headroom and is not fully saturated at the lower resolution.

At High settings, the scaling is similar: 183.1 FPS at 1080p, 136.4 FPS at 1440p, and 91.4 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is again roughly 50%, which suggests that the RTX 5060’s memory bandwidth and compute resources are being utilized efficiently. The most telling data point is the gap between Low and Ultra at each resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low (246.9 FPS) and Ultra (159.9 FPS) is 87 FPS. At 1440p, the gap narrows to 59 FPS (182.5 vs. 123.5). At 4K, the gap is just 39.9 FPS (123.5 vs. 83.6). This shrinking gap indicates that as resolution increases, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and the impact of settings is reduced.

This behavior confirms that the Ryzen 5 5500 is not the limiting factor in any scenario. If the CPU were the constraint, we would expect to see similar frame rates across resolutions, but the data shows a consistent drop as resolution increases. The fact that 4K Ultra still manages 83.6 FPS—well above the 60 FPS threshold—shows that this combination is capable of smooth gameplay at the highest settings even at 4K. The scaling also suggests that players prioritizing high refresh rates over visual fidelity can achieve over 200 FPS at 1080p Low, while those with 4K displays can still enjoy a playable experience without compromising on settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frames per second, the optimal preset depends on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 1080p, the High preset delivers 183.1 FPS, which is excellent for 144Hz or 165Hz displays, while Ultra drops slightly to 159.9 FPS—still sufficient for most high-refresh monitors. For players with a 240Hz display, Low settings at 246.9 FPS would be necessary to fully utilize the refresh rate, but the visual compromise may not be worth the extra frames. Medium at 207.2 FPS offers a balance between visual quality and performance, providing a significant boost over High without the substantial drop seen at Ultra.

At 1440p, the High preset is the sweet spot, delivering 136.4 FPS, which is ideal for 144Hz monitors. Medium at 156.8 FPS is also a strong choice, offering higher frame rates with minimal visual difference. Ultra at 123.5 FPS is still smooth, but the 13 FPS drop from High to Ultra may not be noticeable in a game like this. Low at 182.5 FPS is excessive for most 1440p displays, which typically cap at 165Hz or 240Hz, so it is not recommended unless chasing maximum frame rates.

For 4K, the High preset at 91.4 FPS is the best experience, providing a comfortable margin above 60 FPS while maintaining visual fidelity. Medium at 105.3 FPS is also viable for those who prefer higher frame rates, but the difference between Medium and High is modest. Ultra at 83.6 FPS is playable, but the drop in frame rate may be noticeable in fast-paced scenes. Low at 123.5 FPS is not recommended at 4K, as it defeats the purpose of the high resolution and does not offer a significant performance advantage over Medium. The data shows that High is the most balanced preset across all resolutions, offering a consistent 50-60% of the maximum frame rate while preserving the game’s visual quality.

FAQ

Q: Can the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 handle Dave The Diver without bottlenecking the RTX 5060?

A: Yes, the data shows no CPU bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 246.9 FPS, and the frame rate scales down consistently with resolution, indicating that the GPU is the limiting factor, not the CPU. The Ryzen 5 5500’s single-thread score of 836 and max-thread score of 5411 provide ample headroom for this adventure game.

Q: What is the best preset for a 1080p 144Hz monitor?

A: The High preset at 183.1 FPS is the best choice, as it exceeds the 144Hz refresh rate while maintaining good visual quality. Ultra at 159.9 FPS is also viable, but High offers a 14% frame rate increase with minimal visual difference.

Q: Is the RTX 5060’s 8 GB VRAM sufficient for 4K Ultra settings?

A: The data shows that 4K Ultra runs at 83.6 FPS, indicating that the 8 GB of GDDR7 memory is sufficient for this game at the highest preset. There is no evidence of a memory bottleneck, as the frame rate remains well above playable levels.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 compare to its nearest rival in raw performance?

A: The RTX 5060 has an average benchmark score of 30109, which is identical to the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT’s score of 30097, a delta of 0%. This means the two GPUs offer the same level of raw performance, though game-specific results may vary.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1440p Medium is 156.8 FPS. This provides a smooth experience on most 144Hz monitors and is a 28% improvement over High settings at the same resolution, which runs at 136.4 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU’s performance in compression tests affect gaming?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500 scores 245533 in PassMark data compression, which is a measure of its multi-threaded efficiency. This does not directly impact gaming performance, but it indicates that the CPU can handle background tasks, such as streaming or recording, without affecting frame rates in Dave The Diver.