Dave The Diver

# Dave The Diver with Intel Core i5-12400 + Intel Arc B370

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the Intel Arc B370 delivers playable but modest results in Dave The Diver, a game that clearly favors CPU performance over GPU muscle at lower resolutions. Across the measured 1080p and 1440p runs, the combo holds up reasonably well for a lightweight adventure title, but 4K Ultra proves demanding for this integrated graphics solution. The data shows a system that is fundamentally CPU-capable yet GPU-limited at higher settings, with the Arc B370's 25 W TDP and system-shared memory architecture shaping the entire experience.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, revealing the GPU as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. At Low settings, average FPS falls from 98 at 1920x1080 to 74 at 2560x1440, then to 49 at 3840x2160. That is a 50% loss moving from 1080p to 4K at Low, and the pattern repeats across every preset. At High settings, the averages go 73 to 55 to 37, a 49% reduction from 1080p to 4K. The Medium preset shows 82, 62, and 41 FPS respectively, which is a 50% drop from 1080p to 4K. Ultra follows the same trajectory: 65, 49, and 33 FPS, again a 49% decline.

This consistency is telling. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 24-25% of performance at every setting, and the jump to 4K costs another 25-26%. Such uniform scaling across presets indicates that the limiting factor is raw pixel throughput, not shading complexity or memory bandwidth spikes. The Arc B370's system-shared memory and system-dependent bandwidth mean that as resolution rises, the memory subsystem is asked to feed more pixels, and the data shows it cannot keep up. The 48.00 GPixel/s pixel rate and 96.00 GTexel/s texture rate are simply insufficient for 4K demands.

At 1080p, the picture changes. The 98 FPS at Low and 82 FPS at Medium suggest that the CPU can feed the GPU adequately at this resolution, and the i5-12400's six cores and 12 threads are not the bottleneck. But at 4K, even Low settings only produce 49 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold many players target. The resolution scaling data strongly suggests that anyone wanting smooth 4K gameplay should look elsewhere, while 1080p and even 1440p are viable for this title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 brings six cores, 12 threads, and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz from a 2.50 GHz base. Its 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 per core provide adequate headroom for a game like Dave The Diver, which is not heavily threaded. The CPU's benchmark scores reinforce this: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989 and single-core score of 2257, plus a Geekbench multi-core of 8564 and single-core of 1848. The PassMark single-thread score of 3456 and multi-thread score of 18747 indicate a well-rounded desktop processor that sits in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs.

In Dave The Diver, the CPU's role becomes more apparent as resolution drops. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 98 FPS, which is nearly double the 4K Ultra score of 33 FPS. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect similar FPS across resolutions, but the wide spread shows the GPU is the limiting factor at high resolutions. However, at 1080p, the CPU's single-thread performance (910 in 3DMark single-thread, 227 in Cinebench R15 single-core) is sufficient to avoid dragging down the frame rate. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 5873 and max-thread score of 5890 show that multi-threaded workloads are not a concern for this title.

The i5-12400's nearest rivals in aggregate benchmark performance include the AMD EPYC 7643 at -0.1%, the Intel Core i7-1355U at -0.3%, and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 at -0.7%. The Intel Core i3-14100F is 0.9% behind. These deltas are tiny, meaning the i5-12400 is essentially on par with a server EPYC chip and a mobile i7 in overall CPU muscle. For Dave The Diver, this level of CPU performance is more than adequate; the game does not appear to stress the processor based on the FPS data, which shows the GPU dragging down results at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a clear picture of which settings deliver the best experience. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset averages 82 FPS with a minimum of 70 and maximum of 94. This is the sweet spot: it offers 82 FPS, which is comfortably above 60, and the minimum of 70 FPS ensures no noticeable stutter. High at 1080p averages 73 FPS, which is still good but 11% slower than Medium. Low at 1080p hits 98 FPS, but the visual quality trade-off is rarely worth it for a game like this. Ultra at 1080p drops to 65 FPS, which is playable but leaves less headroom.

At 2560x1440, Medium is again the best choice, averaging 62 FPS with a minimum of 52 and maximum of 71. The 52 FPS minimum is borderline, but for a slow-paced adventure game, it is acceptable. High at 1440p averages 55 FPS, which is playable but starts to feel less smooth. Low at 1440p achieves 74 FPS, which is the only preset at this resolution that clears 60 FPS comfortably. Ultra at 1440p averages 49 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. For 1440p gaming, Medium provides the best balance of visual fidelity and frame rate.

At 3840x2160, no preset reaches 60 FPS. Low averages 49 FPS, Medium averages 41 FPS with a minimum of 35, High averages 37 FPS, and Ultra averages 33 FPS. The Medium preset's 35 FPS minimum is particularly concerning, as it indicates frame drops below 30 in demanding scenes. For 4K, the only viable option is Low, and even then, 49 FPS is not ideal. The recommendation is clear: play at 1080p Medium for the best experience, or 1440p Medium if you can tolerate occasional dips into the 50s. 4K should be avoided unless you are willing to accept Low settings and sub-50 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of Intel Core i5-12400 and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2642 out of 2867 tested combos in Dave The Diver. That places it in the bottom 8% of all tested configurations, which is a poor showing. The rank reflects the GPU's limitations more than the CPU's capabilities. The i5-12400 is a solid processor, but the Arc B370 is an integrated graphics solution with a 5th percentile ranking among all GPUs and a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184. Its nearest GPU rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 at -0.2%, the ATI Radeon HD 5770 at -0.5%, and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M at -0.7%. The AMD FirePro M2000 is 1.4% behind. These are all legacy or low-power parts, underscoring that the Arc B370 is not a gaming powerhouse.

The combo rank of 2642 out of 2867 means that 225 other tested combinations performed worse, but the vast majority of systems will outperform this pairing in Dave The Diver. Given that the game is not graphically demanding, this rank is surprising until you consider the Arc B370's system-shared memory and 25 W TDP. The GPU is designed for power efficiency, not gaming performance. For players who already own this CPU and GPU combo, the results are usable at 1080p, but the rank suggests that even modest discrete GPUs would provide a significantly better experience.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the clear limiting factor in this combination. Its specifications are modest: 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, 20 ROPs, and 10 ray tracing cores. The boost clock of 2400 MHz and base clock of 300 MHz are typical for an integrated part, but the 6.144 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 12.29 TFLOPS FP16 performance are not competitive with even entry-level discrete GPUs. The 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 and 5th percentile ranking among all GPUs confirm this.

The memory situation is particularly challenging. The Arc B370 uses system-shared memory with system-dependent bandwidth, meaning its performance is tied to the host system's RAM and memory controller. The i5-12400 supports DDR4 and DDR5 in dual-channel mode, but the actual bandwidth available to the GPU depends on the system configuration. This architecture explains why the FPS drops so sharply at 4K: the shared memory bus is saturated by the increased pixel load, and the 48.00 GPixel/s pixel rate becomes the bottleneck.

The GPU's 25 W TDP and IGP slot width indicate it is designed for thin-and-light laptops or compact desktops, not gaming rigs. The lack of a launch MSRP and the "Portable Device Dependent" display outputs further suggest this is a mobile-oriented part. For Dave The Diver, the GPU can handle 1080p Medium at 82 FPS, which is respectable, but it struggles at higher resolutions. The 10 RT cores are present but irrelevant for this game, as Dave The Diver does not appear to use ray tracing based on the measured results.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS across settings is: Low at 98, Medium at 82 (minimum 70, maximum 94), High at 73, and Ultra at 65. The spread from Low to Ultra is 33 FPS, or 34%. The Medium preset's minimum of 70 FPS is solid, ensuring consistent frame times. The High preset's 73 FPS is 11% below Medium, while Ultra is 21% below Medium. For a game like Dave The Diver, the difference between Medium and Ultra is likely subtle, making Medium the rational choice.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low at 74, Medium at 62 (minimum 52, maximum 71), High at 55, and Ultra at 49. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is approximately 24-25% across all settings. The Medium preset's 52 FPS minimum is the lowest of any 1440p run, but it remains above 30 FPS, which is playable for this genre. Low at 74 FPS is the only 1440p setting that clears 60 FPS, but the visual compromise is significant. High at 55 FPS and Ultra at 49 FPS are both below the 60 FPS target, making them less desirable.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low at 49, Medium at 41 (minimum 35, maximum 47), High at 37, and Ultra at 33. No setting reaches 60 FPS, and the Medium preset's 35 FPS minimum is concerning. The drop from 1440p to 4K is another 24-26%, consistent with the scaling pattern. Low at 49 FPS is the only 4K setting that approaches playability, but even it falls short of a smooth experience. The 4K results confirm that this combo is not suited for ultra-high-definition gaming, at least not with playable frame rates.

The measured data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p Medium is the best experience (82 FPS), 1440p Medium is acceptable (62 FPS), and 4K is only playable at Low (49 FPS). The FPS breakdown across all 12 measured rows indicates a system that is well-matched for 1080p gaming but struggles beyond that. For players with this combo, sticking to 1080p or 1440p with Medium settings will yield the best results in Dave The Diver.