Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver presents an interesting scaling study for the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination. The measured frame rates reveal a system that is heavily influenced by resolution, with the CPU showing its strength at lower resolutions before the GPU becomes the primary constraint. The data paints a picture of a balanced pairing that excels at high refresh rate 1080p and 1440p gaming, while still delivering a smooth 4K experience.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, but the pattern is not uniform across all settings. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 304.2 at 1920x1080 to 155.2 at 3840x2160, a reduction of 149 FPS. This 51% decrease indicates that even at lower graphical loads, the 4K resolution demands significantly more from the GPU. The gap narrows at higher settings; at Ultra, the average FPS drops from 201.5 at 1080p to 104.8 at 4K, a 96.7 FPS difference. This suggests that as the preset quality increases, the rendering workload becomes more evenly distributed, though the GPU still remains the limiting factor at 4K.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is also revealing. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 170.3 to 115.1, a 55.2 FPS reduction. This is a 32% performance hit, which is significant but not catastrophic. The data implies that the RTX 3080’s 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 1440p but begin to show strain at 4K, particularly with higher quality presets. The CPU’s role becomes less dominant as resolution increases, with the GPU’s pixel rate of 164.2 GPixel/s and texture rate of 465.1 GTexel/s becoming the bottleneck.

The most telling observation is the difference between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution. At 1080p, the gap is 102.7 FPS (304.2 vs 201.5), while at 4K, the gap shrinks to 50.4 FPS (155.2 vs 104.8). This compression of performance at higher resolutions confirms that the GPU is the primary constraint in 4K, whereas at 1080p, the CPU’s capabilities are more fully utilized.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 ranks 485th out of 1626 tested combos in Dave The Diver. This places it in the 70th percentile of all tested systems, indicating a strong but not elite performance tier. The CPU’s percentile vs all CPUs is 94, and the GPU’s percentile vs all GPUs is 80, suggesting that the processor is the stronger component in this pairing, yet the overall combo rank is dragged down by the GPU’s relative position.

The Ryzen 9 9900X’s average benchmark score of 54450 is nearly identical to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D, which scores 54681, a delta of -0.4%. The Intel Core i7-14700F scores 54097, which is 0.7% lower than the 9900X. These small deltas suggest that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this game’s performance. The RTX 3080’s average score of 35787 is similarly close to its rivals; the AMD Radeon Pro Duo scores 35860 (-0.2% delta), and the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE scores 36101 (-0.9% delta). This clustering indicates that the GPU’s performance is typical for its class, and the combo’s rank is more a function of the game’s demands than any single component’s weakness.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X features 12 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. Its Zen 5 architecture, built on a 4 nm process, delivers strong single-thread performance, as evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 1286 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6555. In Dave The Diver, an adventure game, these high single-thread capabilities are likely more critical than the multi-threaded performance, as the game’s logic and physics may not scale perfectly across all 24 threads.

The CPU’s benchmark results show a significant jump from 8 threads (3DMark score of 9114) to 16 threads (12552), but the gain from 16 to max threads (13929) is modest. This suggests that the game benefits from up to 16 threads, but beyond that, additional cores provide diminishing returns. The L3 cache of 64 MB shared could also play a role in reducing memory latency, which is beneficial for the game’s asset streaming. The CPU’s memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s is adequate for feeding the GPU, but at 1080p Low settings, where the CPU is less burdened, the frame rates of 304.2 FPS indicate that the processor is not holding back performance.

FAQ

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 9900X compare to the Ryzen 9 9900X3D in this game?

A: The 9900X has an average benchmark score of 54450, which is 0.4% lower than the 9900X3D’s 54681. This negligible difference suggests that the 3D V-Cache in the X3D variant does not provide a meaningful advantage in Dave The Diver.

Q: Is the RTX 3080’s 10 GB VRAM sufficient for 4K gaming?

A: The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 104.8, which is playable. The 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth appear to be enough to avoid severe bottlenecks in this game, though higher resolutions or future titles might stress this capacity.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve high refresh rates?

A: At 1440p High settings, the average FPS is 170.3, which is well above 144 Hz. At 1080p High, it reaches 228.1 FPS. Both are excellent for high refresh rate monitors, with 1440p offering a better balance of visual quality and performance.

Q: How does the combo’s rank in this game reflect its overall capability?

A: Ranking 485th out of 1626 combos places it in the top 30% of tested systems. This indicates that while it is not the absolute fastest, it is a very capable setup for Dave The Diver, especially considering the CPU’s 94th percentile ranking.

Q: Does the CPU’s multi-threaded performance matter for this game?

A: The Cinebench R23 multicore score is 46438, and the 3DMark max threads score is 13929. The game appears to benefit from up to 16 threads, but the marginal gain from 16 to 24 threads suggests that the 12-core/24-thread configuration is more than sufficient, and single-thread performance is likely the more relevant factor.

Q: Are the frame rates consistent across different settings at the same resolution?

A: The data shows a clear progression: at 1440p, Low yields 232.9 FPS, Medium 194.4 FPS, High 170.3 FPS, and Ultra 149.7 FPS. This consistent scaling indicates that the game responds predictably to graphical preset changes.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, based on the Ampere architecture and GA102 chip, has a base clock of 1440 MHz and a boost clock of 1710 MHz. Its 8704 shading units and 272 TMUs contribute to a texture rate of 465.1 GTexel/s, which is critical for the detailed environments in Dave The Diver. The 96 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 164.2 GPixel/s, which becomes increasingly important at higher resolutions.

The GPU’s 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s. This is a significant asset for the game’s texture streaming. The benchmark scores show a passmark G3D score of 25086 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4407, indicating solid DirectX 12 performance. The RTX 3080’s 80th percentile vs all GPUs places it behind the top-tier cards but ahead of most mid-range options. In this game, the GPU’s role becomes dominant at 4K, where the average FPS at Ultra is 104.8. The fact that the FPS at 4K Low (155.2) is still lower than at 1440p Ultra (149.7) by only 5.5 FPS suggests that the GPU is nearing its limits at 4K, regardless of settings.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data suggests that 1440p High settings strike the ideal balance. At 1440p High, the average FPS is 170.3, which is smooth for most high refresh rate displays. This setting provides a significant visual upgrade over Medium (194.4 FPS) while maintaining a high frame rate. If the user prioritizes maximum frame rates, 1080p Low settings yield 304.2 FPS, but this comes at the cost of visual fidelity.

For 4K gaming, Ultra settings are playable at 104.8 FPS, but the drop to High settings at 115.1 FPS only offers a 10.3 FPS improvement. This marginal gain suggests that the Ultra preset is not overly demanding in this game, and users can enjoy the highest quality without a major performance penalty. The Medium preset at 4K (129.9 FPS) provides a more comfortable margin above 120 FPS, making it a viable option for those with 120 Hz displays. Overall, the data recommends 1440p High as the optimal choice, with 4K High being a strong alternative for those prioritizing resolution over refresh rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 304.2 at Low settings to 201.5 at Ultra. The Medium preset delivers 255.8 FPS, and High yields 228.1 FPS. This wide spread indicates that the CPU is not a bottleneck at this resolution, allowing the GPU’s performance to scale cleanly with settings.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS ranges from 232.9 at Low to 149.7 at Ultra. Medium produces 194.4 FPS, and High achieves 170.3 FPS. The drop from 1080p is noticeable but not severe, with the High preset still exceeding 170 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 155.2 at Low to 104.8 at Ultra. Medium delivers 129.9 FPS, and High reaches 115.1 FPS. This resolution shows the GPU becoming the primary constraint, with the difference between Low and Ultra narrowing to 50.4 FPS. The data confirms that this combo can handle 4K in Dave The Diver, though users seeking higher frame rates should consider dropping to 1440p.