Dave The Diver

# Dave The Diver Performance Analysis: Intel Core i3-12100F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050

The data shows that this combination delivers a consistently playable experience across all tested resolutions and settings, with the RTX 5050 acting as the primary performance driver while the i3-12100F keeps pace without bottlenecking. At 1080p Ultra, the combo produces 136 FPS average, while 4K Ultra still holds 68 FPS, indicating a well-balanced pairing for this adventure title. The measured results place this configuration at rank 1725 out of 2867 tested combinations, confirming it sits comfortably in the upper half of systems for Dave The Diver. The GPU's 66th percentile standing among all GPUs paired with the CPU's 68th percentile suggests both components perform near their expected tier levels, making this a predictable and reliable setup.

Resolution Scaling

Examining the FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear pattern where resolution scaling impacts performance almost linearly, though the magnitude varies by settings preset. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 154 at 1080p to 116 at 1440p and finally to 77 at 4K — a cumulative 50% reduction when moving from Full HD to Ultra HD. The Low preset shows a similar trajectory: 206 FPS at 1080p drops to 155 at 1440p and 104 at 4K, representing a 49.5% total decrease. Medium settings follow the same trend with 172, 129, and 87 FPS across the three resolutions, while Ultra yields 136, 102, and 68 FPS respectively.

The scaling behavior indicates that the RTX 5050's 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus width become increasingly relevant at higher resolutions, though the game remains entirely playable even at 4K. The pixel throughput at 4K is roughly 2.25 times that of 1080p, yet the FPS reduction is only about 50%, suggesting the GPU has sufficient headroom in its 320.0 GB/s memory bandwidth to handle the increased pixel load. The gap between Low and Ultra settings narrows slightly at higher resolutions: at 1080p, Ultra delivers 66% of Low's FPS (136 vs 206), but at 4K that ratio improves to 65.4% (68 vs 104), indicating that resolution scaling affects all presets proportionally.

The data reveals that the most significant single-step drop occurs when moving from 1440p to 4K on the Ultra preset, where FPS falls from 102 to 68 — a 33.3% reduction. In contrast, the 1080p to 1440p transition on Ultra only costs 25% of performance (136 to 102). This suggests that 4K Ultra approaches the practical limit of this configuration, but the game's stylized art style and relatively modest GPU demands keep even this demanding setting playable. The diminishing returns from High to Ultra at 4K (77 to 68 FPS, an 11.7% cost) versus the larger gap between Low and Medium at the same resolution (104 to 87, a 16.3% difference) implies that the GPU's computational resources are the limiting factor at 4K rather than memory capacity.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process from TSMC, demonstrates that its 2,560 shading units and 80 texture mapping units are well-suited to Dave The Diver's visual demands. The GPU's boost clock of 2572 MHz, paired with a base clock of 2317 MHz, provides the computational throughput needed to maintain high frame rates even at 4K resolution. The 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 performance translates directly to the measured results, where the card consistently delivers playable frame rates across all tested configurations.

The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory running at 2500 MHz (20 Gbps effective) on a 128-bit bus produces 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth — a figure that proves adequate for this game's texture and geometry requirements. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (68 FPS) suggests the memory subsystem is not severely constrained, as frame times remain consistent and the minimum FPS at 4K Medium (74 FPS) shows only modest dips from the average. The GPU's 32 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s, which aligns with the observed scaling behavior where 4K performance retains roughly 50% of 1080p performance despite 4.5 times the pixel count.

Comparing the RTX 5050 to its nearest rivals, the data shows it sits within 1.6% of the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (which scores 20713 versus the 5050's 21035 average benchmark score) and only 0.6% below the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL. This positioning explains why the GPU achieves a 66th percentile ranking among all GPUs — it delivers competitive performance that slightly edges out the RX 5600 XT by 1.6% while trailing the RTX A4000 Mobile by a similar margin (1.6%). The 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores provide additional capabilities that, while not heavily utilized in this adventure title, future-proof the system for more demanding titles.

FAQ

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Dave The Diver?

A: Yes, the measured data shows playable performance at 4K across all settings. At 4K Ultra the system delivers 68 FPS average, while 4K High reaches 77 FPS and 4K Low achieves 104 FPS. Even the most demanding configuration, 4K Ultra, remains above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the best resolution for competitive play?

A: For maximum frame rates, 1080p Low delivers 206 FPS average, which is the highest measured performance. However, 1080p Medium at 172 FPS and 1080p High at 154 FPS both provide excellent responsiveness while maintaining better visual quality, making them strong choices for players who prioritize both performance and visuals.

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

A: The RTX 5050 scores 21035 in average benchmark performance, placing it 1.6% above the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713) and 0.6% below the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153). It also trails the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile by 1.6% (21379), showing it performs competitively within its tier.

Q: Is the i3-12100F a bottleneck for the RTX 5050?

A: The benchmark data indicates the CPU's performance is well-matched to the GPU. The i3-12100F achieves an average benchmark score of 13494, which is nearly identical to its nearest rival, the Intel Core 3 N355 (13492, 0% delta). With 4 cores and 8 threads boosting to 4.30 GHz, the CPU delivers sufficient single-thread performance (893 in 3dmark single-thread) to keep the GPU fed in this title.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, the system delivers strong performance across all presets. High settings produce 116 FPS average, Medium achieves 129 FPS, Low reaches 155 FPS, and Ultra maintains 102 FPS. All configurations at this resolution remain well above 100 FPS, making 1440p an excellent choice for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Q: How much performance does Ultra settings cost compared to Low?

A: The performance cost of Ultra versus Low scales with resolution. At 1080p, Ultra delivers 136 FPS versus 206 FPS for Low — a 34% reduction. At 1440p, the gap narrows slightly with Ultra at 102 FPS versus 155 FPS (34.2% reduction). At 4K, Ultra produces 68 FPS versus 104 FPS for Low, representing a 34.6% performance penalty for maximum visual quality.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its highest performance ceiling. Low settings produce an average of 206 FPS, Medium settings achieve 172 FPS with a minimum of 146 and maximum of 198, High settings deliver 154 FPS, and Ultra settings maintain 136 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 70 FPS, giving players substantial flexibility to prioritize either visual fidelity or frame rate. The minimum FPS recorded at 1080p Medium (146 FPS) remains far above any threshold for smooth gameplay, indicating consistent frame delivery even during demanding scenes.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows expected scaling. Low settings average 155 FPS, Medium achieves 129 FPS with a minimum of 110 and maximum of 149, High delivers 116 FPS, and Ultra produces 102 FPS. The 1440p results show that the system can comfortably drive high-refresh-rate 1440p displays, with even Ultra settings maintaining triple-digit frame rates. The minimum FPS at 1440p Medium (110 FPS) confirms that frame pacing remains stable at this resolution, with only modest dips from the average.

At 3840x2160, the system enters territory where visual quality takes precedence over raw frame rates. Low settings still deliver 104 FPS average, which is remarkably playable for 4K. Medium settings achieve 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 and maximum of 100, High settings produce 77 FPS, and Ultra settings maintain 68 FPS. The 4K Medium measurements provide the only available minimum and maximum data at this resolution, showing a 26 FPS range that indicates acceptable frame consistency. The progression from 1080p to 4K across all settings demonstrates that the RTX 5050's 8 GB memory capacity and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for this title even at Ultra HD.

Settings Recommendations

For players prioritizing maximum frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p delivers 206 FPS, which is the highest measured performance in the entire dataset. However, the diminishing returns of this choice become apparent when considering that Medium settings at the same resolution still achieve 172 FPS — only 16.5% lower — while providing substantially better visual quality. The data suggests that Medium settings offer the best balance between performance and fidelity at 1080p, particularly given the 146 FPS minimum frame rate that ensures consistent gameplay.

At 1440p, the Medium preset again emerges as the optimal choice, delivering 129 FPS average with a 110 FPS minimum. This configuration provides a 12.5% performance advantage over High settings (116 FPS) while offering identical minimum frame rate stability. Players with 1440p 144Hz displays will find that Medium settings keep frame rates near the refresh rate ceiling, while Ultra at 102 FPS still provides a smooth experience for those who prioritize visual quality. For 4K gaming, the Medium preset's 87 FPS average with a 74 FPS minimum represents the best combination of visual fidelity and performance, staying comfortably above 60 FPS while providing better image quality than Low settings.

The Ultra preset, while delivering the highest visual quality, commands a significant performance cost that may not justify the visual improvement in this stylized adventure game. The gap between High and Ultra at all resolutions (12.7% at 1080p, 13.7% at 1440p, and 11.7% at 4K) suggests that High settings provide most of the visual benefits at a more moderate performance cost. For players with variable refresh rate monitors, the High preset at 1440p (116 FPS) or 1080p (154 FPS) offers a compelling balance that leverages the system's capabilities without pushing into the performance penalty zone of Ultra settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F, with its 4 cores and 8 threads, demonstrates that Dave The Diver does not heavily tax multi-core processing. The CPU's benchmark results show strong scaling from 2 threads (1659 in 3dmark) to 4 threads (2859) and 8 threads (4026), with 16 threads (4051) and max threads (4023) providing negligible additional performance — indicating that 8 threads are sufficient for this workload. The single-thread score of 893 in 3dmark underscores the importance of core performance for this game, which appears to rely more on single-core throughput than parallel processing.

The CPU's boost clock of 4.30 GHz, combined with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a 58 W TDP, provides ample computational headroom for maintaining high frame rates without becoming a limiting factor. The 12 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 cache per core ensure that frequently accessed game data remains close to the processing units, reducing latency and improving frame consistency. The Cinebench R23 scores of 1674 single-core and 11860 multi-core confirm that this processor delivers competitive performance for its class, while the Geekbench single-core score of 1932 further validates its suitability for gaming workloads.

Comparing the i3-12100F to its nearest rivals, the data shows it achieves an average benchmark score of 13494, placing it within 0.3% of the Intel Core i5-9500 (13452) and 1.1% above the Intel Core i7-1250U (13351). The processor sits 0.7% below the Intel Core 5 120UL (13594) and exactly matches the Intel Core 3 N355 (13492). This tight clustering indicates that the i3-12100F delivers performance squarely within its expected tier, and the 68th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms that it provides solid, predictable performance for this game without bottlenecking the RTX 5050. The PassMark multithread score of 14015 and single-thread score of 3444 further support the conclusion that this CPU is well-matched to the GPU for Dave The Diver's requirements.