Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver is not a typical GPU stress test, but the measured data for the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combination reveals a surprisingly scalable performance curve. The jump from 1080p to 4K shows a predictable shift in bottleneck, moving from a CPU-bound scenario at lower resolutions to a GPU-bound one at higher pixel counts. This pairing delivers playable frame rates across all tested settings, but the relationship between resolution and settings is key to understanding its capabilities.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a clear and consistent FPS drop as resolution increases, which is the expected behavior for any system. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 206 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 155 FPS, a 24.8% reduction, and then to 4K Low at 104 FPS, a further 32.9% drop from the 1440p figure. This pattern indicates that at lower resolutions, the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU more frames, but the GPU's rendering workload becomes the limiting factor as pixel count rises.

The scaling at High settings tells a similar story but with a different magnitude. At 1080p High, the average is 154 FPS. At 1440p High, it falls to 116 FPS, a 24.7% decrease. Moving to 4K High, the average drops to 77 FPS, a 33.6% decrease from 1440p. The percentage drops between resolutions are remarkably consistent, suggesting that the performance scaling is primarily tied to the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth, which are fixed at 82.30 GPixel/s and 320.0 GB/s respectively.

The Ultra preset shows the most significant absolute drop when moving to 4K. Starting at 136 FPS in 1080p Ultra, it falls to 102 FPS at 1440p Ultra, and then to 68 FPS at 4K Ultra. The 4K Ultra result is the only sub-70 FPS average in the entire dataset. This suggests that at 4K Ultra, the RTX 5050 is being pushed to its limits, and the 8 GB of GDDR6 memory might be contributing to the performance ceiling. The difference between 1440p Ultra and 4K Ultra is 34 FPS, a 33.3% drop, which is in line with the other presets.

What is notable is the minimal performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at the same resolution, relative to the resolution scaling. At 1080p, the gap between Low (206 FPS) and Ultra (136 FPS) is 70 FPS. At 4K, the gap between Low (104 FPS) and Ultra (68 FPS) is 36 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is the primary limiter at 4K, as increasing graphical fidelity has a smaller impact on FPS than it does at 1080p. The data suggests that for this game, the RTX 5050 is more capable at 1080p and 1440p, where the CPU has more headroom to push higher frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations, this pairing sits at rank 1725 out of 2867 combos for Dave The Diver. That places it in the 60th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms a majority of configurations but is not at the top of the charts. This rank is a holistic measure of the combo's performance across all tested resolutions and settings, not just a single metric.

The rank is influenced by both components. The CPU, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, has a percentileVsAllCpus of 91, meaning it is faster than 91% of all CPUs in the database. This is a high-end processor with 12 cores and 24 threads, and its nearest rivals in the CPU benchmark charts include the AMD EPYC 7313P (0.2% faster) and the Intel Core i7-14700F (0.6% slower). This CPU is clearly not the bottleneck in most scenarios.

The GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050, has a percentileVsAllGpus of 66, meaning it is faster than 66% of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (1.6% slower) and the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (1.6% faster). This is a mid-range GPU, and its performance is what drags the combo's overall rank down. The CPU is a top-tier part, but the GPU is only slightly above average, creating an imbalance that is reflected in the combo's mid-pack ranking. The data suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor in achieving a higher rank in this specific game.

FAQ

Q: Does the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X bottleneck the RTX 5050 in Dave The Diver?

A: No. The CPU's benchmark scores are exceptionally high, with a passmark_multithread score of 51406 and a geekbench_singlecore score of 2617. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 206 FPS, indicating the CPU is feeding the GPU well. The GPU's percentileVsAllGpus of 66 is lower than the CPU's percentileVsAllCpus of 91, which means the GPU is more likely to be the performance ceiling.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: For a high refresh rate experience, 1080p is the sweet spot. The data shows 136 FPS average at Ultra settings and 154 FPS at High settings. At 1440p, the High preset still delivers a smooth 116 FPS average. For 4K, you will need to use the Low preset to get above 100 FPS (104 FPS), as the High and Ultra presets drop to 77 FPS and 68 FPS respectively.

Q: How much of a performance hit is there from 1080p to 4K?

A: The hit is significant. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 154 at 1080p to 77 at 4K, a 50% reduction. At Low settings, the drop is from 206 to 104, a 49.5% reduction. This indicates that the GPU's rendering workload is the main factor limiting performance at higher resolutions.

Q: Is the RTX 5050's 8 GB of VRAM a problem in this game?

A: The data does not explicitly show VRAM usage, but the performance pattern suggests it could be a factor at 4K Ultra. The 4K Ultra preset is the only one that falls below 70 FPS average (68 FPS). The GPU has a memory bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s and a 128-bit bus, so it is not a high-bandwidth part, which likely contributes to the performance drop at the highest resolution and settings.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: According to the benchmark data, the RTX 5050's average benchmark score is 21035. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, is 0.6% faster with a score of 21153. The AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT is 1.6% slower with a score of 20713. This places the RTX 5050 in a tight performance band with these older cards.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of these components?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X had a launch MSRP of $549. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 had a launch MSRP of 249 USD.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across all settings and resolutions. The table below details the average FPS for each configuration.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|---------|---------|

| 1920x1080 | Low | 206 | N/A | N/A |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 172 | 146 | 198 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 154 | N/A | N/A |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 136 | N/A | N/A |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 155 | N/A | N/A |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 129 | 110 | 149 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 116 | N/A | N/A |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 102 | N/A | N/A |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 104 | N/A | N/A |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 87 | 74 | 100 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 77 | N/A | N/A |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 68 | N/A | N/A |

At 1080p, the system is clearly CPU-bound at Low settings, but the GPU still manages to produce excellent numbers. The Medium preset shows a minimum FPS of 146, ensuring a smooth experience. The High and Ultra presets are also well above 60 FPS, making any setting viable at this resolution.

At 1440p, the performance remains strong. The Low preset hits 155 FPS, and even the Ultra preset stays above 100 FPS at 102. The Medium preset has a minimum of 110 FPS, which is comfortable for most displays. This resolution offers a good balance between visual fidelity and frame rate.

At 4K, the GPU starts to show its limits. The Low preset is playable at 104 FPS, but the Medium preset drops to 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS. The High preset averages 77 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 68 FPS. For a demanding game like Dave The Diver, 4K Ultra is the only configuration that dips below the 70 FPS mark, making it the least desirable option for this setup.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture. It has a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. This is a high-end desktop CPU that launched in 2022 with a 170 W TDP. Its benchmark scores are impressive, with a cinebench_r23_multicore score of 29300 and a passmark_single_thread score of 4238.

In Dave The Diver, the CPU's role is to keep the GPU fed with data. The data indicates that this CPU is more than capable of doing so. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 206 FPS, which is a clear sign that the CPU is not the limiting factor. The CPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database are all within 0.6% of its average score, showing that it is a top-tier part.

The game itself, being an adventure title, is unlikely to be heavily multi-threaded. The CPU's strong single-core performance, evidenced by a geekbench_singlecore score of 2617 and a 3dmark_single_thread score of 1093, is likely more important than its high core count. The data supports this, as the performance scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent with a GPU bottleneck rather than a CPU one. The CPU has enough headroom to handle the game's logic and physics calculations without imposing a frame rate cap.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the best experience for this combo depends on the target resolution. For 1080p, which is the resolution where this combo performs best, the High preset is the recommended choice. It delivers 154 FPS, which is a significant bump from the Ultra preset's 136 FPS, and the visual difference between High and Ultra is often minor in this type of game. The Medium preset is also a solid choice if you want to maximize frame rate, hitting 172 FPS with a minimum of 146 FPS.

At 1440p, the High preset is the clear winner. It provides 116 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset at 102 FPS is also playable, but the drop to 116 FPS on High is a better trade-off for added performance headroom. If you have a 144 Hz monitor, the Low preset at 155 FPS is the only way to get close to that refresh rate.

At 4K, the data suggests you should stick to the Low preset for a playable experience. It hits 104 FPS, while the Medium preset drops to 87 FPS and the High preset to 77 FPS. The Ultra preset at 68 FPS is technically playable, but it is the only configuration that approaches the 60 FPS minimum threshold. The GPU's 8 GB of VRAM and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth are likely the limiting factors here, so a lower preset is necessary to maintain smooth performance. For the best balance of visual quality and performance at 4K, the Medium preset at 87 FPS is a reasonable compromise if you can tolerate a slightly lower frame rate.