Dave The Diver

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X paired with the Intel Arc B390 is a study in extremes. The CPU is a dominant force, sitting in the 86th percentile of all tested processors, while the GPU is an integrated graphics solution that lands in the 9th percentile. This combination produces a frame rate profile for Dave The Diver that is playable but requires careful settings management, ranking 2538th out of 2867 tested combos in this specific title. The data suggests a system where the processor is never the bottleneck, leaving the integrated graphics as the sole arbiter of the playable experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The comboRankInGame of 2538 out of 2867 places this configuration in the bottom tier of tested systems for Dave The Diver. This ranking is a direct reflection of the GPU's position in the hardware hierarchy. The Intel Arc B390 has an avgBenchmarkScore of 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the benchmark database are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (avg score 1463, deltaPct 1.3), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (avg score 1460, deltaPct 1.5), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (avg score 1446, deltaPct 2.5), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (avg score 1443, deltaPct 2.7). This means the Arc B390 is, at best, 2.7% faster than these entry-level mobile and OEM parts, which is not a significant margin.

In contrast, the Ryzen 7 9700X is a high-end desktop part. Its avgBenchmarkScore is 37943, placing it in the 86th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core i9-14901E (avg score 37911, deltaPct 0.1), the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (avg score 37904, deltaPct 0.1), the Intel Core 5 211E (avg score 37829, deltaPct 0.3), and the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132 (avg score 37804, deltaPct 0.4). The 9700X is essentially tied with these rivals, all within a 0.4% performance delta. The stark contrast between the CPU's high percentile ranking and the GPU's low one explains the overall combo position. This is a system where the processing brain is vastly more capable than the rendering muscle, a mismatch that defines the entire performance profile in this game.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and can boost up to 2500 MHz. Its memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the host system's DDR5 memory rather than dedicated VRAM. This is a crucial detail; the bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which implies that performance can vary based on the system's memory configuration. The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 24 raster output units (ROPs), along with 12 ray tracing cores. Its theoretical compute power is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS for FP32 and 15.36 TFLOPS for FP16 (2:1).

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark score for this GPU is 1482. In the context of Dave The Diver, these specifications suggest that the GPU will be the limiting factor at all but the lowest settings. The "System Shared" memory is particularly noteworthy; it means the GPU is competing with the CPU for the same memory bandwidth, which can impact performance in data-heavy scenes. The data shows that this GPU is not designed for high-resolution gaming, and its performance in this title aligns with its low percentile ranking. The absence of a dedicated VRAM pool and the modest number of ROPs (24) are likely contributors to the frame rates observed at higher resolutions and quality presets.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the most balanced experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset. This configuration yields an average of 91 FPS, with a minimum of 77 FPS and a maximum of 104 FPS. This is the only resolution and settings combination where the average FPS is high enough for smooth gameplay while maintaining a minimum frame rate that avoids significant stutter. The Low preset at 1080p provides a higher average of 108 FPS, but the Medium preset offers a better visual experience for a relatively small performance cost. The data indicates that the High preset at 1080p (81 FPS) is also viable, but the Medium preset provides a better balance of visual fidelity and frame rate stability, as evidenced by the 77 FPS minimum.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset yields 68 FPS average, with a minimum of 58 FPS. While playable, it is a noticeable step down from the 1080p experience. The High preset at 1440p drops to 61 FPS, which is still acceptable but leaves less headroom. The Ultra preset at 1440p falls to 54 FPS, which is on the edge of what is considered smooth. Therefore, for a consistent experience, 1080p Medium is the recommended sweet spot. The data does not support the use of 4K resolution for this title on this hardware, as the best average FPS at 3840x2160 is 55 FPS on Low settings, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. Users seeking the highest fidelity should consider the 1080p Ultra preset, which delivers an average of 72 FPS, but this sacrifices the stability seen in the Medium preset's minimum frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this combo's performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the results are: Low setting averages 108 FPS, Medium averages 91 FPS (min 77, max 104), High averages 81 FPS, and Ultra averages 72 FPS. This shows a clear and predictable performance scaling with quality settings. The 36 FPS difference between Low and Ultra is substantial, but even at Ultra, the average frame rate is above 60 FPS, indicating that 1080p is the native resolution for this GPU where playable frame rates are attainable.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. The Low setting averages 82 FPS, Medium averages 68 FPS (min 58, max 78), High averages 61 FPS, and Ultra averages 54 FPS. This represents a clear shift; the Ultra preset dips below the 60 FPS threshold, and even the High preset's average is barely above it. The Medium preset's minimum of 58 FPS suggests occasional dips that could be noticeable. At 3840x2160, the results are considerably lower. The Low setting averages 55 FPS, Medium averages 46 FPS (min 39, max 53), High averages 41 FPS, and Ultra averages 36 FPS. None of the 4K presets achieve an average of 60 FPS, and the Ultra preset's 36 FPS is not suitable for a smooth experience. The data shows a consistent pattern: this combo is only fully comfortable at 1080p, with 1440p being a compromise and 4K being largely unplayable at higher settings.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and reveals the limiting component. At the Low setting, the average FPS decreases from 108 at 1080p to 82 at 1440p (a 24% drop) and then to 55 at 4K (a 33% drop from 1440p). At the High setting, the progression is 81 FPS at 1080p, 61 FPS at 1440p (a 25% drop), and 41 FPS at 4K (a 33% drop from 1440p). This scaling is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The frame rate is being halved between 1080p and 4K at most settings, which is close to the theoretical scaling expected when the pixel count increases fourfold.

This is a clear indicator that the Intel Arc B390 is the limiting factor. A CPU-bound scenario would show less of a frame rate drop as resolution increases, because the processor's workload remains relatively constant while the GPU's workload grows. The data shows the opposite: the frame rate falls sharply with resolution, which means the GPU is saturated at even the lowest settings. The Ryzen 7 9700X's substantial processing power is not being utilized to its full potential in this game because the GPU cannot render frames fast enough to keep up. The scaling pattern strongly suggests that the CPU has significant headroom, but the GPU is unable to translate that into higher frame rates at higher resolutions. The performance is entirely dictated by the integrated graphics' rendering capabilities.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is a desktop processor from the 9000 series, built on the Zen 5 architecture (codenamed Granite Ridge) using a 4 nm process from TSMC. It has 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. It features 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus, with a maximum bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. Its 65 W TDP and unlocked multiplier make it a versatile and efficient desktop part.

In benchmark tests, the 9700X shows strong multi-threaded performance, scoring 20485 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 17906 in Geekbench multicore. Its single-thread performance is also robust, with scores of 2211 in Cinebench R23 singlecore and 3023 in Geekbench singlecore. In 3DMark, it scores 9771 with max threads and 1280 with a single thread. These scores, combined with its 86th percentile ranking, indicate that the CPU is more than capable of handling the demands of Dave The Diver. However, the game's frame rates are not limited by the CPU. The data shows that the CPU's performance headroom is not the constraint; the GPU is. The CPU's role here is to feed the GPU with data, and it does so without being a bottleneck. The fact that the 9700X has a higher avgBenchmarkScore than its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-14901E (deltaPct 0.1) and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (deltaPct 0.1), is irrelevant to the gaming performance in this specific title, as the GPU is the primary factor determining the measured FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Dave The Diver with this combo?

A: The measured data indicates that 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution. At 1080p, the Medium preset achieves 91 FPS average, while at 2560x1440, the same preset drops to 68 FPS. At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is only 55 FPS on Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 2538th out of 2867 tested combinations for Dave The Diver. This low ranking is driven by the Intel Arc B390 GPU, which is in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, while the Ryzen 7 9700X CPU is in the 86th percentile.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X the bottleneck in this system?

A: No. The CPU is a high-performance part with a 3.80 GHz base and 5.50 GHz boost clock. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a significant drop as resolution increases, which is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU has ample performance headroom.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: The difference is significant. At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 108 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 72 FPS. This is a 36 FPS difference, representing a 33% reduction in average frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest quality preset.

Q: What kind of GPU is the Intel Arc B390?

A: It is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its memory is "System Shared," meaning it uses the system's DDR5 memory instead of dedicated VRAM.

Q: Does the GPU have enough power for 4K gaming in this title?

A: No. The data shows that at 3840x2160, the best average FPS is 55 on the Low preset. The Medium preset averages 46 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages only 36 FPS. These frame rates are not suitable for a smooth 4K gaming experience.