Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver presents an interesting case study in system scaling because it is a 2D adventure title that is not traditionally demanding, yet the measured frame rates reveal a clear hierarchy between the CPU and GPU. With the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, the data shows that the combination is capable of very high frame rates at all tested resolutions, but the performance curve indicates a shift in bottleneck behavior as resolution increases. The Ryzen 9 5950X, with its 16 cores and 32 threads, provides a massive amount of processing headroom, while the RTX 4060 becomes the limiting factor as pixel count rises. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data, contextualizes the combination's rank, and provides specific settings recommendations based on the observed results.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a predictable but pronounced decline in performance as resolution scales from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average of 153 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Ultra preset drops the average to 115 FPS, which is a reduction of approximately 25%. Scaling further to 3840x2160 at Ultra yields 77 FPS, a further 33% drop from the 1440p result. This trajectory indicates that the RTX 4060 is the primary limiting component at higher resolutions, as the workload on the GPU increases significantly while the CPU has ample headroom.

The scaling pattern is particularly telling when examining the Low preset. At 1920x1080 Low, the combo reaches 231 FPS, which is exceptionally high. At 2560x1440 Low, it drops to 174 FPS, and at 3840x2160 Low, it sits at 117 FPS. The difference between the 1080p and 4K Low results is 114 FPS, or roughly 49% lower performance. This steep decline suggests that even at the lowest settings, the GPU's rendering capabilities are being stretched at 4K, while the CPU is not the limiting factor. The data indicates that at 1080p, the system is likely CPU-bound or at least has enough GPU headroom to hit very high frame rates, but at 4K, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and bandwidth constraints become more apparent.

Comparing the Medium preset across resolutions reinforces this analysis. At 1920x1080 Medium, the average is 194 FPS with a minimum of 165 FPS and maximum of 223 FPS. At 2560x1440 Medium, the average drops to 146 FPS with a range of 124 to 168 FPS. At 3840x2160 Medium, the average is 98 FPS with a range of 83 to 112 FPS. The delta between 1080p and 4K at Medium is 96 FPS, which is a 49.5% reduction. This consistent pattern across settings suggests that the RTX 4060 is the dominant factor in determining frame rates as resolution increases, with the Ryzen 9 5950X providing consistent support without becoming a bottleneck in any tested scenario.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 ranks 2003 out of 3710 tested combos in Dave The Diver. This places it squarely in the middle of the database, which is notable given the high-end nature of the CPU and the mid-range positioning of the GPU. The rank reflects the fact that the game is not particularly demanding on hardware, so even a capable GPU like the RTX 4060 does not push the combo into the top percentile. The percentile for the CPU alone is 91, indicating it outperforms 91% of all CPUs in the database, while the GPU's percentile is 61, showing it is above average but not exceptional.

The rank becomes clearer when examining the CPU's nearest rivals. The Ryzen 9 5950X has an average benchmark score of 51947, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX (52073, -0.2% delta) and the AMD EPYC 8124P (52121, -0.3% delta). It is also closely matched with the Intel Core i9-13900F (51730, 0.4% delta) and the Intel Core i7-14700 (52301, -0.7% delta). This indicates that the CPU is competitive with modern high-end parts, but its performance in this game does not translate to a top-tier ranking because the game likely does not utilize all 16 cores effectively. For the GPU, the RTX 4060's average benchmark score is 17639, with nearest rivals including the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (17666, -0.2% delta) and the AMD Radeon 780M (17588, 0.3% delta). This shows that the GPU is comparable to integrated graphics in some respects, which explains why the combo does not rank higher in a game that is not GPU-intensive.

The 2003rd rank out of 3710 combos suggests that while this pairing is competent, it does not offer the extreme performance seen with top-tier GPUs in this title. The data shows that the combo is well-balanced for general use, but in Dave The Diver, the GPU's mid-range capabilities hold back the overall ranking, as the CPU's strengths are not fully leveraged.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS is 173 at 1920x1080 with High settings, indicating a smooth experience for standard monitors.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K resolution with Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 77, which is still playable but suggests the GPU is the limiting factor.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 5950X a bottleneck in this game?

A: No, the data shows the CPU has a benchmark percentile of 91 and a multithread score of 45424 in PassMark, meaning it provides ample headroom for the RTX 4060 in this title.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 1440p monitor?

A: At 2560x1440, Medium settings deliver 146 FPS average with a minimum of 124 FPS, which is a good balance between visual quality and performance.

Q: How does the RTX 4060's VRAM affect performance?

A: The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, which is sufficient for Dave The Diver, as even at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 77, showing no severe memory-related stutters in the measured data.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 2003 out of 3710 tested combos, placing it in the middle percentile for this specific game.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience based on the measured data, the Medium preset appears to be the optimal choice across all resolutions. At 1920x1080 Medium, the combo achieves 194 FPS average with a minimum of 165 FPS, providing a high frame rate that exceeds most monitor refresh rates. At 2560x1440 Medium, the average is 146 FPS with a minimum of 124 FPS, which is excellent for smooth gameplay on high-refresh-rate displays. Even at 3840x2160 Medium, the average is 98 FPS with a minimum of 83 FPS, which is playable for most users.

The High preset offers a slight visual improvement but comes at a significant performance cost. At 1080p High, the average drops to 173 FPS, which is still high, but at 1440p High, it falls to 130 FPS, and at 4K High, it reaches 87 FPS. The Ultra preset provides the highest visual fidelity but reduces performance further, with 153 FPS at 1080p, 115 FPS at 1440p, and 77 FPS at 4K. For users with a 60 Hz display at 4K, Ultra settings are viable, but for competitive or high-refresh-rate gaming, Medium is recommended to maintain higher frame rates.

The Low preset, while delivering the highest frame rates (231 FPS at 1080p, 174 FPS at 1440p, and 117 FPS at 4K), sacrifices visual quality unnecessarily, as the Medium preset still provides frame rates well above playable thresholds. The data suggests that Medium is the sweet spot, offering a balanced experience that maximizes performance while retaining acceptable visual fidelity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers the highest frame rates. With Low settings, the average is 231 FPS. Medium settings yield an average of 194 FPS, with a minimum of 165 FPS and maximum of 223 FPS. High settings produce an average of 173 FPS, and Ultra settings drop the average to 153 FPS. This shows a clear progression where higher settings reduce performance, but even at Ultra, the frame rate is well above 144 FPS.

At 2560x1440, performance scales down noticeably. Low settings average 174 FPS. Medium settings average 146 FPS, with a minimum of 124 FPS and maximum of 168 FPS. High settings average 130 FPS, while Ultra settings average 115 FPS. This represents a roughly 20-25% reduction compared to 1080p at each settings tier, which aligns with the increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 4060 becomes more stressed. Low settings average 117 FPS. Medium settings average 98 FPS, with a minimum of 83 FPS and maximum of 112 FPS. High settings average 87 FPS, and Ultra settings average 77 FPS. The minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 83, which is still above 60 FPS, indicating that the combo maintains playable performance even at the highest resolution. The data shows a consistent pattern where the delta between settings presets is roughly 20-30 FPS, demonstrating that the GPU's performance scales predictably with visual quality.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer, and manufactured on a 7 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, with a TDP of 105 W. In benchmark tests, it scores 26017 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 1614 in single-core, indicating strong multi-threaded capabilities. Its PassMark multithread score is 45424, and its single-thread score is 3470, placing it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs.

In Dave The Diver, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with data, and the data suggests it performs this task without bottlenecking. The game is not heavily threaded, so the 16 cores are largely underutilized, but the high single-thread performance ensures that frame rates are not CPU-limited. At 1080p, where the GPU has less work, the CPU's capability allows for frame rates up to 231 FPS at Low settings, showing that it can handle high refresh rates. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-13900F and Intel Core i7-14700, have similar average benchmark scores within 0.7% delta, indicating that the Ryzen 9 5950X is competitive with modern high-end processors, though this does not translate to a top-ranking combo in this game due to the GPU's limitations.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process and features 3072 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 48 ROPs. It has a base clock of 1830 MHz and a boost clock of 2460 MHz, with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus providing 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's PassMark G3D score is 19545, placing it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 7790 and AMD Radeon 780M, with deltas of -0.2% and 0.3% respectively.

In Dave The Diver, the RTX 4060 is the primary determinant of frame rates at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, it delivers 77 FPS, which is playable but shows the GPU's limitations. The 8 GB VRAM is adequate for this game, as no stuttering or memory-related issues are evident in the measured data. The GPU's 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is sufficient for the game's 2D graphics, but the scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a 50% reduction in performance at equivalent settings, indicating that the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions. The GPU's boost clock of 2460 MHz helps maintain consistent performance, but its mid-range positioning means it cannot match the frame rates of higher-tier GPUs, which is reflected in the combo's 2003rd rank out of 3710 tested combinations.