Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver is an adventure title that proves surprisingly demanding on lower-end graphics hardware, and the combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT with the Intel Arc B390 produces a very specific set of performance characteristics. The data indicates that this pairing sits at the bottom of the performance spectrum for this game, ranking 2538 out of 2867 tested combos. This places the system in the bottom 11 percent of all configurations, making it a marginal candidate for a smooth experience at higher resolutions, though it manages to be playable under the right conditions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data across the four available presets reveals a clear hierarchy of performance, with the primary goal being to maintain a playable frame rate without sacrificing too much visual fidelity. For this specific combination of CPU and GPU, the optimal balance between image quality and performance is found at the Medium preset. This is the only settings tier that provides a complete set of performance data, including minimum and maximum FPS readings, which allows for a more confident assessment of frame time consistency.

At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers an average of 91 FPS, with minimum and maximum values of 77 and 104 FPS, respectively. This indicates a playable experience with a reasonable frame buffer that prevents significant hitches. While the Low preset at 1080p yields a higher average of 108 FPS, the visual downgrade is substantial for a marginal 17 FPS gain over Medium. The jump from Medium to High at 1080p results in a 10 FPS drop to 81 average FPS, which is a more significant cost to performance for the visual uplift. Ultra at 1080p is playable at 72 FPS average, but it is the least efficient setting, offering diminishing returns for the performance hit.

For users with 1440p displays, the Medium preset remains the recommended choice, delivering an average of 68 FPS. This is still within the range of smooth gameplay, though the minimum reading of 58 FPS suggests it may dip below 60 FPS during intense scenes. The Low preset at 1440p offers a comfortable 82 FPS average, but again, the Medium preset provides a better balance of visual quality for the 14 FPS cost. High at 1440p averages 61 FPS, which is technically playable but leaves very little headroom for demanding moments, and Ultra at 54 FPS falls below the ideal threshold for consistent smoothness.

At 4K resolution, the system is clearly overburdened. The Medium preset is the only one with a full data set, averaging 46 FPS with a minimum of 39 FPS, which is not an ideal experience for most players. The Low preset at 4K averages 55 FPS, which is acceptable but requires a significant compromise in visual detail. High and Ultra at 4K are not recommended, as they produce averages of 41 and 36 FPS, respectively, which are below the threshold for a fluid gaming experience. Therefore, the data strongly suggests that 1920x1080 with Medium settings is the sweet spot, with 1440p Medium being a viable alternative for those who prioritize resolution over maximum frame rates.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, manufactured on Intel's 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. The GPU's performance is fundamentally constrained by its system-shared memory configuration, where the memory size, type, bus width, and bandwidth are all listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent." This means the Arc B390 relies on the system's main memory for both storage and bandwidth, which is a significant bottleneck compared to dedicated graphics cards with their own high-speed VRAM.

The GPU's raw compute capabilities are modest, with an FP32 throughput of 7.680 TFLOPS and a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s. It features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 24 raster operation units (ROPs). The benchmark data shows that the Arc B390 scores 1482 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, which places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in this benchmark are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710, with delta percentages of 1.3, 1.5, 2.5, and 2.7, respectively, indicating it is only slightly ahead of these very old, low-end mobile and desktop parts.

These specifications directly explain the measured FPS results in Dave The Diver. The reliance on shared system memory for VRAM means that at higher resolutions, such as 3840x2160, the memory bandwidth becomes a severe limiting factor. The GPU must compete with the CPU for memory access, leading to the significant frame rate drops observed when moving from 1080p to 4K. The performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 4K is a 19 FPS swing (55 to 36 FPS), highlighting that the GPU's limited shading and texture units are quickly saturated as the rendering load increases. The fact that the boost clock of 2500 MHz cannot compensate for the memory bottleneck is evident in the consistently sub-60 FPS results at 4K, except for the Low preset.

FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT + Intel Arc B390 combination capable of running Dave The Diver at 60 FPS?

A: Yes, but only at 1920x1080 resolution. The data shows average FPS of 108, 91, and 81 for Low, Medium, and High presets, respectively. At 2560x1440, only the Low preset (82 FPS) achieves a 60+ FPS average, while Medium and High fall to 68 and 61 FPS. At 3840x2160, no preset reaches a 60 FPS average, with the highest being Low at 55 FPS.

Q: How does the Arc B390's performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 puts it slightly ahead of its nearest competitors. It is 1.3% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% faster than the GeForce 800M, 2.5% faster than the GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% faster than the GT 710. This indicates it is in the same performance class as these much older, entry-level GPUs.

Q: Why does the GPU use "System Shared" memory, and what is the impact?

A: The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated GPU (IGP), meaning it does not have dedicated VRAM. It uses the system's main memory, with the memory bus width and bandwidth being "System Dependent." This is a significant performance constraint, as the GPU must share memory bandwidth with the CPU, which is a primary reason for the large frame rate drops at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the best resolution to play at for a smooth experience?

A: According to the measured data, 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution. At this resolution, even the High preset (81 FPS average) provides a smooth experience. The Medium preset at 1080p offers the best balance, with a 91 FPS average and a minimum of 77 FPS. 1440p is also viable, but only with the Low preset for a consistently high frame rate.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck for this GPU in Dave The Diver?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in this game. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT is a high-end desktop processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, and its benchmark scores (e.g., Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23794) far exceed what the integrated GPU can utilize. The FPS limitations at higher resolutions and presets are more attributable to the Arc B390's limited compute and memory bandwidth.

Q: Are the minimum FPS readings for Medium settings indicative of stuttering?

A: The data includes minimum FPS readings only for the Medium preset at each resolution. At 1920x1080, the minimum is 77 FPS; at 2560x1440, it is 58 FPS; and at 3840x2160, it is 39 FPS. These minimums suggest that while the 1080p experience is quite stable, the 1440p and especially 4K experiences will see noticeable frame rate dips that could be perceived as stuttering during intensive scenes.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and the Intel Arc B390 ranks 2538 out of 2867 tested combos in Dave The Diver. This places the system in the bottom 11.4 percent of all configurations tested for this game. The ranking reflects the significant imbalance between the very capable CPU and the entry-level integrated GPU. While the CPU is a high performer, ranking in the 81st percentile of all CPUs and closely matching the average scores of the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H (deltaPct 0), the GPU's performance is a severe limiting factor.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 9th overall is exceptionally low, and its nearest rivals are legacy parts from over a decade ago. This massive disparity between the CPU and GPU performance potential explains why the combo's overall rank is so poor. The system is effectively held back entirely by the graphics solution. In a game like Dave The Diver, which is not typically considered a high-end graphical showcase, this combo still struggles to deliver high frame rates at higher resolutions. The rank of 2538 indicates that the vast majority of other tested hardware combinations, including those with much older or lower-tier CPUs but any form of dedicated GPU, would likely provide a better gaming experience.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT is a desktop processor from the 5000 series, based on the Zen 3 architecture (codename Vermeer) and built on a 7 nm process. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. Its cache configuration includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a shared 32 MB of L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR4 memory with a dual-channel bus and a maximum bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, and it connects via PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes.

In Dave The Diver, the CPU's role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic data. The Ryzen 7 5800XT's high single-thread and multi-thread performance, evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 959 and max-thread score of 7680, is more than sufficient for this task. The benchmark data shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this pairing. For instance, at 1080p, the frame rates are limited by the GPU's rendering capabilities, not the CPU's processing power.

The CPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks places it near its rivals. It has an average benchmark score of 29879, with the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H achieving a near-identical score (29868), resulting in a deltaPct of 0. It is also comparable to the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS and 7840HS, which are 0.3% faster, and the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, which is 0.6% faster. However, these CPU differences are negligible in this gaming scenario. The data indicates that the CPU has ample headroom, and the performance ceiling in Dave The Diver is dictated entirely by the Arc B390's limits. The 105W TDP of the 5800XT also suggests it can sustain its boost clocks under load, which helps ensure consistent frame pacing, even if the overall frame rate is low.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the average FPS, with minimum and maximum values where measured, for the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT + Intel Arc B390 combination in Dave The Diver.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Ultra: 36 FPS average.
• High: 41 FPS average.
• Medium: 46 FPS average, with a minimum of 39 and a maximum of 53 FPS.
• Low: 55 FPS average.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Ultra: 54 FPS average.
• High: 61 FPS average.
• Medium: 68 FPS average, with a minimum of 58 and a maximum of 78 FPS.
• Low: 82 FPS average.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Ultra: 72 FPS average.
• High: 81 FPS average.
• Medium: 91 FPS average, with a minimum of 77 and a maximum of 104 FPS.
• Low: 108 FPS average.

The data shows a consistent scaling pattern across all resolutions. Moving from Low to Ultra at each resolution incurs a performance penalty of roughly 33% (e.g., from 108 FPS to 72 FPS at 1080p, and from 55 to 36 FPS at 4K). The Medium preset consistently offers a balanced middle ground, with the only recorded minimum FPS values suggesting that it is the most stable preset as well. The step from Medium to High has a more pronounced negative impact on performance than the step from Low to Medium, indicating a non-linear cost for certain visual effects. At 4K, the system fails to provide a consistently playable 60 FPS experience on any setting, while at 1080p, even the most demanding Ultra preset remains playable.