Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver, an Adventure title released on 2023-06-27, presents an interesting case study when paired with the Intel Core i5-11400F and Intel Arc B370. This combination, ranking 2642 out of 2867 tested combos, is positioned in the lower percentile of system performance. The data reveals a configuration that is heavily constrained by its integrated graphics solution, creating a specific performance profile that demands careful settings management to achieve a playable experience. The Intel Arc B370, with a 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 score of 1184, places it at the 5th percentile of all GPUs, making it the primary bottleneck in this system.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable decline as resolution increases, but the rate of that decline reveals the limiting component. At 1080p with High settings, the combo achieves 73 FPS, which drops to 55 FPS at 1440p, and further to 37 FPS at 4K. This represents a 24.7% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 49.3% drop from 1080p to 4K. Such a steep decline indicates that the system is heavily GPU-bound; the Arc B370's rendering capabilities are being saturated as pixel count increases.

The scaling pattern becomes even more telling when examining the Low settings. At 1080p Low, the system hits 98 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low yields 74 FPS, a 24.5% reduction, and 4K Low produces 49 FPS, a 50% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This consistent halving of performance from 1080p to 4K across different quality presets strongly suggests that the integrated GPU's fillrate and shading capacity are the primary limiting factors, not the CPU. The Core i5-11400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, appears to have ample headroom to feed the GPU, as the performance drop is almost entirely attributable to the graphics workload increasing.

The data implies that 4K gaming is not a realistic target for this combination, as even the Low preset struggles to maintain 50 FPS. The transition from 1440p to 4K is particularly punishing, with a 33.8% performance hit on High settings (55 to 37 FPS). This non-linear scaling suggests the Arc B370's memory bandwidth, being "System Shared" and "System Dependent," becomes a severe constraint at higher resolutions. The 4K Medium result of 41 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS, indicates that while the game is technically playable, it sits dangerously close to the threshold where frame pacing becomes noticeable.

Settings Recommendations

For this hardware configuration, the benchmark results point decisively toward Medium settings as the optimal balance for most users. At 1080p Medium, the system delivers 82 FPS with a minimum of 70 FPS, providing a smooth experience that comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS threshold. The jump to High settings at 1080p costs 9 FPS (73 vs 82), which is a significant 11% reduction for what may be a marginal visual improvement in a pixel-art style game. The Ultra preset at 1080p further drops to 65 FPS, a 20.7% reduction from Medium, making it a less attractive option.

At 1440p, Medium settings become the only sensible choice for maintaining playability. The 62 FPS average with a 52 FPS minimum is respectable, but it is worth noting the frame time variance. High settings at 1440p drop to 55 FPS, which is still technically playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. Low settings at 1440p offer 74 FPS, which is smoother but sacrifices visual fidelity. For 4K, the data suggests that even Low settings at 49 FPS are marginal, and Medium at 41 FPS may induce noticeable stutter in busy underwater scenes, given the 35 FPS minimum.

The data implies that Medium is the "sweet spot" preset for this combo across all resolutions. It consistently provides the best balance of visual quality and performance, maintaining a 20-30% advantage over Ultra while staying within 10-15% of Low settings. The minimum FPS figures for Medium (70 at 1080p, 52 at 1440p, 35 at 4K) show that this preset provides the most stable frame delivery relative to its average, suggesting that the game's engine handles this quality level most efficiently on the Arc B370.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the dominant performance factor in this system, functioning as an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a 25 W TDP. Its specifications are modest: 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs, with a boost clock of 2400 MHz. The GPU's 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 score of 1184 places it at the 5th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, -0.2% delta) and ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, -0.5% delta). This places it firmly in the entry-level category, more than a decade behind modern discrete GPUs in raw compute power.

The most critical limitation is the memory configuration: "System Shared" memory with "System Dependent" bandwidth. Unlike dedicated graphics cards with their own VRAM, the Arc B370 must share system memory with the CPU. This is evident in the performance scaling; the GPU's FP32 compute rating of 6.144 TFLOPS is not the primary bottleneck, but rather the memory subsystem's inability to feed the shaders at higher resolutions. The pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s are theoretically sufficient for 1080p gaming, but the shared memory bandwidth stalls performance when pixel count increases.

The GPU's base clock of 300 MHz and boost of 2400 MHz indicate significant dynamic range, but the data suggests it rarely sustains high clocks under load. The RT cores (10) and DirectX 12 Ultimate support are present, but the performance numbers indicate they are not effectively utilized in Dave The Diver, which is not a graphically demanding title. The benchmark results show that this GPU can handle 1080p Medium at 82 FPS, but its lack of dedicated memory makes it ill-suited for higher resolutions, as evidenced by the 4K Ultra result of just 33 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2642 out of 2867 tested combos in Dave The Diver. This places it in the bottom 7.9% of all system configurations, which is a stark indicator of its overall performance ceiling. The rank reflects that, while the CPU is relatively capable (71st percentile among all CPUs), the GPU's 5th percentile standing drags the entire system down significantly.

This ranking disparity creates an interesting dynamic. The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7H12 (0.3% delta) and Intel Core Ultra 7 164U (0.6% delta), showing that the i5-11400F is a competent processor. However, the GPU's nearest rivals are much older parts like the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (-0.7% delta), indicating the graphics solution is the weak link. The combo's rank suggests that pairing this CPU with even a modest discrete GPU would yield substantially better results, as the CPU has headroom to drive higher frame rates.

The 2867 total combos tested provide context for how poorly this configuration performs. In a game like Dave The Diver, which is not known for demanding graphics, ranking in the bottom 8% is particularly telling. The data implies that this combo is suitable only for low-resolution, low-settings gaming, and even then, it may struggle in specific scenes. The rank is a clear warning to potential users that this is a productivity-focused or basic computing setup, not a gaming rig.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F plays a supporting role in this configuration, and its performance metrics indicate it is not the limiting factor. With 6 cores and 12 threads running at a base clock of 2.60 GHz and boost up to 4.40 GHz, this Rocket Lake processor delivers solid single-thread and multi-thread performance. Its Cinebench R23 scores of 14340 (multi-core) and 2024 (single-core) place it well above average, and its Passmark single-thread score of 2981 confirms strong per-core performance for gaming workloads.

The CPU's 3dmark scores show good scaling from 2 threads (1691) to 16 threads (5619), indicating the 12 threads are efficiently utilized. The L3 cache of 12 MB shared is adequate for most games, and the dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth provides sufficient data throughput for the CPU's needs. In Dave The Diver, which is not CPU-intensive, the i5-11400F likely sits at low utilization, waiting for the GPU to render frames.

The benchmark data supports this interpretation. The FPS differences between Low and Ultra settings at any given resolution are primarily GPU-driven, not CPU-driven. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar FPS across different quality presets, as the CPU workload remains constant. Instead, we see a 33 FPS spread at 1080p (98 Low vs 65 Ultra), confirming the GPU is the constraint. The CPU's 71st percentile ranking among all CPUs further underscores that it is capable of handling much more demanding graphics workloads than the Arc B370 can deliver.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 4K performance is marginal at best. The best 4K result is 49 FPS on Low settings, dropping to 37 FPS on High and 33 FPS on Ultra. Only Low settings approach playability, and Medium at 41 FPS with a 35 FPS minimum may experience noticeable frame drops.

Q: What is the best resolution for this hardware?

A: 1080p is clearly the sweet spot. The system achieves 82 FPS at Medium and 73 FPS at High, both comfortably above 60 FPS. 1440p is playable at Medium (62 FPS) but with less headroom, while 4K is not recommended for consistent smoothness.

Q: How does the Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B370's 3dmark score of 1184 is nearly identical to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, -0.2% delta) and ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, -0.5% delta). This indicates performance parity with graphics hardware from over a decade ago.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: The GPU is definitively the bottleneck. The CPU ranks in the 71st percentile, while the GPU is in the 5th percentile. The FPS scaling with resolution changes confirms this, as performance drops significantly with increased pixel count, a classic GPU-bound signature.

Q: What settings should I use for a smooth experience?

A: Medium settings at 1080p provides the best balance with 82 FPS average and a 70 FPS minimum. If you prefer a higher resolution, 1440p Medium at 62 FPS is acceptable, but 1080p Medium is the most stable option based on the measured data.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems?

A: This configuration ranks 2642 out of 2867 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 7.9% of all systems tested in Dave The Diver. This low ranking is primarily due to the integrated GPU's limited capabilities.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1080p (1920x1080):

• Low: 98 FPS average
• Medium: 82 FPS average, 70 FPS minimum, 94 FPS maximum
• High: 73 FPS average
• Ultra: 65 FPS average

1440p (2560x1440):

• Low: 74 FPS average
• Medium: 62 FPS average, 52 FPS minimum, 71 FPS maximum
• High: 55 FPS average
• Ultra: 49 FPS average

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: 49 FPS average
• Medium: 41 FPS average, 35 FPS minimum, 47 FPS maximum
• High: 37 FPS average
• Ultra: 33 FPS average

The progression of scores across resolutions shows a clear pattern: each resolution step up reduces performance by roughly 25-30% at the same settings. The Medium preset consistently provides the most data points with minimum and maximum FPS, making it the most predictable and stable choice. The 4K Ultra result of 33 FPS represents the absolute worst-case scenario, while 1080p Low at 98 FPS is the best-case, showing the system's full range from barely playable to smooth. The gap between Low and Ultra at each resolution is consistent (33 FPS at 1080p, 25 FPS at 1440p, 16 FPS at 4K), indicating that the GPU's fixed overhead for higher quality settings scales proportionally with resolution.