Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver presents a fascinating case study in hardware scaling, largely because its stylized 2D/3D art style is not the typical GPU crusher found in most modern AAA titles. The benchmark data for the AMD Ryzen 7 5700 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 reveals a system that is overwhelmingly powerful for this specific title, pushing the performance ceiling so high that the frame rate becomes a story about the CPU and memory architecture as much as it is about the graphics card. The measured results show a combo that ranks 71st out of 1626 tested combinations, placing it in the top percentile of systems, yet the data also exposes the boundaries where even this hardware begins to show strain.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is remarkably shallow, which is the first major clue about this game's hardware demands. At High settings, the system delivers 312.2 FPS at 1920x1080, which only drops to 253.3 FPS at 2560x1440, and then to 169.6 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a decline of about 18.8% from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 33.1% drop from 1440p to 4K. While a 4K resolution inherently requires the GPU to render four times the pixels of 1080p, the fact that the average frame rate does not quarter indicates that the system is not purely GPU-bound at the lower resolutions.

The scaling pattern suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is the primary limiting factor. The Ryzen 7 5700, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, is working hard to feed the RTX 4090. The jump from 1080p High (312.2 FPS) to 1440p High (253.3 FPS) is a substantial 58.9 FPS loss, which is significant but not catastrophic. However, the move to 4K High (169.6 FPS) shows a more pronounced hit, indicating that the GPU is finally starting to become the bottleneck as pixel count skyrockets. The data implies that for users with high-refresh-rate 1080p monitors, the RTX 4090 is largely wasted in this title, as the CPU cannot push frames fast enough to utilize its full potential.

The trend holds across all settings presets. At Low settings, the system achieves 347.7 FPS at 1080p, 317.6 FPS at 1440p, and 230.5 FPS at 4K. The difference between 1080p and 1440p Low is only 30.1 FPS, while the gap between 1440p and 4K is 87.1 FPS. This widening delta as resolution increases is the classic signature of a system transitioning from a CPU-bound state to a GPU-bound state. The RTX 4090's immense rasterization power only becomes the definitive limiting factor at 4K, where its 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth are finally put to work.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700 is a Zen 3 architecture processor, built on a 7 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, and its benchmark results show it is a capable performer, sitting in the 84th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in the synthetic benchmark averages include the Intel Core i9-9900K and the Intel Core i7-12700H, with the Ryzen 7 5700 holding a slight edge of 0.7% and 0.8% over them, respectively. This indicates that the CPU has enough single-threaded and multi-threaded muscle to handle the game's logic and physics.

In Dave The Diver, the CPU's role is highlighted by the fact that even at 1080p Low, where graphics load is minimized, the frame rate is 347.7 FPS. This number is high, but it is not the stratospheric figure one might expect from an RTX 4090 when graphics are set to their lowest. The 3DMark single-thread score of 901 and the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2916 suggest that while the processor is quick, it is not the absolute fastest on the market, and this is reflected in the upper ceiling of the frame rates. The game appears to be sensitive to memory latency and single-thread performance, as the CPU's 16 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support are being utilized to their limits.

The multi-threaded capabilities of the 8-core, 16-thread chip are also relevant. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20655 demonstrates that the processor has substantial throughput, but the data suggests that Dave The Diver does not heavily scale with core count beyond a certain point. The difference between the 3DMark 8-thread score (5585) and the 3DMark max-threads score (6617) is relatively small, implying that the game's primary thread is the limiting factor. This means that the Ryzen 7 5700's boost clock of 4.60 GHz is more critical than its 16 threads for achieving the highest possible frame rates in this title.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is an absolute behemoth of a graphics card, based on the Ada Lovelace architecture and built on a 5 nm process. Its benchmark results place it in the 91st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 66473. Interestingly, its nearest rivals in the database are professional and workstation cards like the NVIDIA Tesla T4 and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56, which have similar average scores but entirely different performance profiles. This highlights that in synthetic tests, the RTX 4090 is in a class of its own for gaming, but its raw compute is comparable to some enterprise solutions.

In this specific game, the GPU's role is primarily to handle the high-resolution rendering and graphical effects. The card's 16384 shading units and 512 texture mapping units provide immense fill rates, but the data shows that at 1080p, this power is underutilized. The shift from 1440p to 4K at Ultra settings shows a drop from 223.3 FPS to 152.4 FPS, a 31.8% decrease. This is a more significant drop than the 1080p to 1440p transition on the same settings, which only saw a 25.7% decrease from 300.5 FPS to 223.3 FPS. The RTX 4090's 24 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for any settings at any resolution in this game, so the bottleneck is purely computational.

The GPU clocks show a base of 2235 MHz and a boost of 2520 MHz, which are extremely high for a graphics card. The memory runs at 1313 MHz, with an effective data rate of 21 Gbps. This fast memory is crucial for feeding the GPU's 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. However, the data indicates that in Dave The Diver, the GPU is not the primary constraint until 4K. The fact that the 4K Ultra setting (152.4 FPS) is still far above the 60 FPS target suggests that this combination is overkill for the game, and the user could easily enable higher graphical fidelity without worrying about performance.

FAQ

Q: Why is the frame rate difference between 1080p and 1440p so small at High settings?

A: The difference is 58.9 FPS, which shows the system is not heavily GPU-bound at 1080p. The CPU is likely the limiting factor, preventing the RTX 4090 from reaching its full potential until the resolution increases.

Q: Is the RTX 4090's 24 GB of VRAM necessary for this game?

A: No, the data suggests that the VRAM is more than sufficient. The performance drops are due to computational load, not memory capacity, as the frame rates scale consistently with resolution and settings without any signs of memory-related stuttering.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 5700 compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 5700 has an average benchmark score of 27220, which is 0.7% higher than the Intel Core i9-9900K and 0.8% higher than the Intel Core i7-12700H, indicating it is a competitive performer in its class.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain a high refresh rate?

A: At 2560x1440, the system averages 253.3 FPS on High settings and 223.3 FPS on Ultra, making it an excellent choice for high-refresh-rate monitors without sacrificing visual quality.

Q: Does the game benefit more from the CPU's single-thread or multi-thread performance?

A: The data indicates single-thread performance is more critical. The small difference between the 8-thread and max-thread 3DMark scores (5585 vs 6617) suggests the game does not scale well beyond a few cores, so the 4.60 GHz boost clock is key.

Q: Is this hardware combination overkill for Dave The Diver?

A: Based on the measured FPS, yes. Even at 4K Ultra, the system averages 152.4 FPS, far exceeding standard display refresh rates. The hardware is capable of much more demanding titles.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination ranks 71st out of 1626 tested combos in Dave The Diver. This puts it in the top 4.4% of all systems tested, which is a very strong showing. However, the rank is not higher because the game's performance ceiling is limited by the CPU's single-thread capabilities, especially at lower resolutions. The data shows that while the RTX 4090 is a top-tier GPU, its performance in this title is capped by the Ryzen 7 5700.

The ranking suggests that there are 70 other combinations that perform better, likely featuring faster CPUs with higher single-thread performance. The combo's percentile rank of 84 for the CPU and 91 for the GPU does not directly translate to a higher combo rank because the game's engine is more sensitive to the processor. The high average FPS at 1080p (312.2 FPS High) confirms the system's power, but it also reveals that the CPU is holding the GPU back from achieving even higher frame rates. This is a classic case of a high-end GPU being paired with a mid-range CPU, resulting in a system that is incredibly fast but not the absolute best for this specific workload.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Ultra preset offers the best balance for most users, but the choice depends heavily on the display's refresh rate. For a standard 60 Hz display, even the 4K Ultra setting at 152.4 FPS is overkill. For 1440p 144Hz monitors, the Ultra setting at 223.3 FPS is ideal, as it stays well above the refresh rate cap while providing the highest visual quality. The High preset at 1440p (253.3 FPS) is also excellent, but the visual difference between High and Ultra is likely worth the small performance cost.

For users with 1080p 360Hz monitors, the Low setting at 347.7 FPS is the only way to get close to that refresh rate, but the visual compromise is significant. The Medium setting at 328.8 FPS is a much better choice, as it offers a substantial graphical upgrade while still maintaining an incredibly high frame rate. The data suggests that the Medium preset is the sweet spot for competitive play at 1080p, as it provides a high frame rate without sacrificing too much image quality. At 4K, the High setting at 169.6 FPS is recommended over Ultra (152.4 FPS) if the user prefers a higher frame rate, as the performance difference of 17.2 FPS is noticeable, while the visual difference between High and Ultra is often minimal in this game's art style.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for this combo is as follows:

1920x1080:

• Low: 347.7 FPS
• Medium: 328.8 FPS
• High: 312.2 FPS
• Ultra: 300.5 FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: 317.6 FPS
• Medium: 287.9 FPS
• High: 253.3 FPS
• Ultra: 223.3 FPS

3840x2160:

• Low: 230.5 FPS
• Medium: 191.6 FPS
• High: 169.6 FPS
• Ultra: 152.4 FPS

The data reveals a consistent pattern: the frame rate decreases as both resolution and settings increase, but the rate of decrease is not linear. The transition from Low to Ultra at 1080p costs only 47.2 FPS, while the same transition at 4K costs 78.1 FPS. This indicates that the GPU's workload scales more aggressively with resolution than with settings, and that the RTX 4090's performance is more heavily taxed by pixel count than by graphical effects. The minimum FPS data is not available, but the average FPS numbers are all exceptionally high, with the lowest recorded average being 152.4 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is still far above the requirements for smooth gameplay.