Dave The Diver

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 ranks #1340 out of 1626 tested combinations for Dave The Diver. This places the combo in the bottom 18% of all tested systems, which is a surprisingly low standing for a game that is not graphically demanding by modern standards. The ranking reflects that while this combo delivers playable frame rates at most settings, it is far from the top tier of performance in this title.

The CPU sits at the 72nd percentile among all processors, while the GPU is at the 58th percentile among all graphics cards. The gap between these two percentiles suggests the system is more balanced than the overall combo rank implies. The low combo rank is largely because Dave The Diver is an adventure title where many tested systems feature far more powerful hardware, pushing this mid-range pairing down the list.

Benchmark results indicate the combination is viable for the game's core experience, but it will not dominate any leaderboards. The data shows a system that can handle 1080p and 1440p well, with 4K being the boundary where settings must be reduced to maintain smooth performance.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It runs at a 3.30 GHz base clock and boosts to 4.30 GHz, with a 12 MB shared L3 cache. The CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in dual-channel configuration, though memory bandwidth figures are not listed.

In Dave The Diver, this CPU's single-thread performance is the key asset. The 3DMark single-thread score of 893 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1681 indicate strong per-core capability for a budget processor. The 4-core design with 8 threads delivers a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 11912, which is more than sufficient for a game that primarily relies on a few threads for gameplay logic.

The CPU's nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX, scores nearly identically with a -0.1% delta, meaning the i3-12100F is statistically tied with a much more expensive workstation chip in average benchmark score. The Intel Core i7-7700K trails by 1.8%, showing the i3-12100F holds its own against older flagship processors.

Given the game's adventure genre, the CPU is rarely the bottleneck. At 1080p Low settings, the system reaches 178.9 FPS, indicating the processor can feed the GPU well beyond typical display refresh rates. The 4-core design is adequate here because Dave The Diver does not appear to scale heavily with many threads, as evidenced by the 3DMark max-thread score of 4023 being nearly identical to the 8-thread score of 4026.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is a Turing-architecture GPU built on TSMC's 12 nm process, with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus delivering 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU runs at a 1365 MHz base clock and 1680 MHz boost clock, with memory clocked at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). It features 1920 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, along with 30 ray tracing cores and 240 tensor cores.

The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 14111 places it at the 58th percentile among all graphics cards. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7600S, is just 0.5% ahead, while the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 trails by 1.8%. This puts the RTX 2060 in a competitive mid-range position, though the 6 GB VRAM capacity is modest by modern standards.

In Dave The Diver, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. At 1080p, the GPU is rarely stressed, with even Ultra settings hitting 117.3 FPS. However, at 4K Ultra, performance drops to 56.9 FPS, showing the GPU's limitations at high pixel counts. The 6 GB VRAM is sufficient for this game's assets, but the GPU's raw compute power — 6.451 TFLOPS FP32 — becomes the limiting factor at 4K.

The DirectX 12 benchmark score of 53 on PassMark suggests the GPU handles modern APIs adequately, though not exceptionally. For an adventure game like Dave The Diver, which does not demand heavy ray tracing or DLSS features, the RTX 2060's Turing architecture provides more than enough capability at mainstream resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers strong performance across all settings. Low settings produce 178.9 FPS, Medium 147.3 FPS, High 132.3 FPS, and Ultra 117.3 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 61.6 FPS, showing that settings have a meaningful impact but even the most demanding preset remains well above 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains smooth. Low settings yield 133.6 FPS, Medium 111.9 FPS, High 100.1 FPS, and Ultra 87.7 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra shrinks to 45.9 FPS, indicating the GPU is beginning to take on more load but still has headroom.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes. Low settings deliver 93.2 FPS, Medium 73.3 FPS, High 66 FPS, and Ultra 56.9 FPS. This is the only resolution where any preset drops below 60 FPS — specifically Ultra, which is 3.1 FPS short of the 60 FPS threshold. The Low-to-Ultra spread at 4K is 36.3 FPS, the smallest of any resolution, confirming the GPU is the limiting factor here.

The data shows a consistent pattern: at 1080p and 1440p, all settings are playable, while 4K requires dropping to High or lower for a locked 60 FPS experience.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K reveals the system's bottleneck behavior. At High settings, FPS falls from 132.3 at 1080p to 100.1 at 1440p (24.3% drop) and then to 66 at 4K (50.1% drop from 1080p). At Low settings, the drop is from 178.9 at 1080p to 133.6 at 1440p (25.3% drop) and then to 93.2 at 4K (47.9% drop from 1080p).

These scaling patterns indicate a GPU-bound system at higher resolutions. The percentage drops from 1080p to 4K are substantial — roughly half the FPS is lost — which is typical for a mid-range GPU like the RTX 2060. However, the fact that 4K Low still achieves 93.2 FPS shows the GPU has enough headroom for this game at reduced settings.

The CPU's role becomes less significant as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the 178.9 FPS result suggests the CPU can push high frame rates, but the GPU limits further gains. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the primary constraint, with even Low settings showing a 47.9% drop from 1080p. This is consistent with the GPU being the bottleneck at high pixel counts while the CPU remains capable throughout.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Dave The Diver at 4K?

A: Yes, but not at Ultra settings. The 4K results show 93.2 FPS at Low, 73.3 FPS at Medium, 66 FPS at High, and 56.9 FPS at Ultra. For a consistent 60 FPS, High settings are the maximum recommended at 4K.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: 2560x1440 offers the best balance, with all settings above 87.7 FPS and Ultra reaching 87.7 FPS. This resolution provides a significant visual upgrade over 1080p while maintaining smooth performance.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i3-12100F scores essentially the same as the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX with a -0.1% delta, and is 1.8% ahead of the Intel Core i7-7700K. The Intel Core i7-1250U trails by 0.4%.

Q: Is the RTX 2060 a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the GPU is not the primary bottleneck. Low settings hit 178.9 FPS and Ultra reaches 117.3 FPS, indicating the CPU can feed the GPU well. The GPU becomes the limiting factor only at 4K.

Q: What settings should I avoid?

A: At 3840x2160, avoid Ultra settings as they drop to 56.9 FPS, below the 60 FPS threshold. At 1080p and 1440p, all settings are playable, so no preset needs to be avoided.

Q: How does the GPU rank among all graphics cards?

A: The RTX 2060 sits at the 58th percentile among all GPUs, with its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7600S, being just 0.5% ahead. This places it in the mid-range tier.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data supports 1440p High settings as the sweet spot. At 2560x1440 High, the combo delivers 100.1 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS standard and provides strong visual quality. This setting balances the GPU load with the CPU's capabilities, resulting in a smooth and responsive experience.

If you prefer 1080p, Ultra settings at 117.3 FPS are the clear choice, as the GPU has ample headroom at this resolution. There is no reason to drop below Ultra at 1080p given the performance margin.

For 4K users, High settings at 66 FPS is the maximum recommended preset, providing just above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium at 73.3 FPS offers a more comfortable margin if you want to avoid any dips, while Low at 93.2 FPS is the safest option for consistent high refresh rates.

The data shows that Ultra settings at 4K should be avoided due to the 56.9 FPS result, which falls below the standard 60 FPS target. Overall, the combination performs best at 1440p, where it delivers over 100 FPS at High settings and remains above 87 FPS even at Ultra. This makes 1440p the recommended resolution for the best balance of visual fidelity and performance.