Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver is not a demanding title, yet the data for this specific combination—the Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080—reveals a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at every turn. The measured frame rates are exceptionally high across the board, but the most telling insight is the scaling pattern: as resolution increases, the frame rate drops in a way that points squarely at the graphics card as the limiting factor, while the processor has ample headroom. This combo ranks in the 71st percentile for this game, outperforming the majority of the 1,626 tested configurations, which confirms that this pairing is not just functional, but exceptionally well-suited for high-refresh-rate monitors at any resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data shows a clear and consistent decline as the resolution climbs from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, which is the expected behavior for a system where the GPU is the primary bottleneck. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 307.1 at 1080p to 230.6 at 1440p, and finally to 156.8 at 4K. This represents a 49% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K, a significant hit that is characteristic of a GPU struggling to fill the increasing number of pixels.

The scaling pattern becomes even more pronounced at higher settings. At Ultra, the 1080p result is 204 FPS, which falls to 151.3 FPS at 1440p and then to 102.7 FPS at 4K. This is a 50% drop from 1080p to 4K, nearly identical to the Low setting reduction. The consistency of this percentage drop across all settings is a strong indicator that the RTX 3080 is the sole performance limit. If the CPU were a factor, you would expect to see a smaller performance gap between 1080p and 1440p, as the lower resolution would put more strain on the processor. The data shows no such plateau, meaning the i5-12400F is never holding the system back.

The difference between 1080p and 1440p is substantial, with a 25% reduction in FPS at Low settings, but the jump to 4K is even more severe. This suggests that the 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and the 320-bit memory bus are being pushed to their limits at the highest resolution. The game is clearly playable at 4K, but the frame rate takes a noticeable hit, making 1440p the sweet spot for those seeking the absolute highest refresh rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved with this combo?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 307.1, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo rank against all other tested configurations in Dave The Diver?

A: The combo ranks 476th out of 1,626 total combos, placing it in the top 29% of all tested systems for this game.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400F a bottleneck for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 in this game?

A: No, the benchmark results indicate the GPU is the limiting factor. The consistent percentage drop in FPS as resolution increases, regardless of settings, shows the CPU has sufficient performance to feed the GPU without becoming a bottleneck.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 230.6 FPS, while Ultra settings produce 151.3 FPS. This is a 34% reduction in performance for the highest visual quality.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming?

A: Yes, the data shows it can. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 102.7, which is well above the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does this processor compare to its nearest rival in terms of overall benchmark score?

A: The i5-12400F has an average benchmark score of 19,221, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-8700K's score of 19,210, making them effectively equivalent in processing power.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 achieves a rank of 476 out of 1,626 tested combos in Dave The Diver. This places the system in the 71st percentile, meaning it outperforms 71% of all other tested configurations. This is a strong result for a game that is not graphically intensive, indicating that the system has far more power than the game requires.

The ranking confirms the balance of the pairing. The RTX 3080 is a high-end GPU, and its 80th percentile ranking among all GPUs is a good indicator of its performance. The i5-12400F, with its 77th percentile ranking among all CPUs, provides ample processing power to keep the GPU fed. The data shows that the combined score is higher than the individual percentiles might suggest, which implies there is no significant bottleneck in the system. The 71st percentile rank in this specific game is a strong endorsement of this pairing for high-refresh-rate gaming.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at performance across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional frame rates. Low settings yield 307.1 FPS, Medium settings 254.3 FPS, High settings 229.2 FPS, and Ultra settings 204 FPS. These numbers are all far beyond the refresh rate of any standard monitor, making the CPU the limiting factor at this resolution, though it is still capable of delivering over 200 FPS at the highest quality.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains outstanding. Low settings produce 230.6 FPS, Medium 193.7 FPS, High 169.7 FPS, and Ultra 151.3 FPS. This resolution is a perfect match for a 144Hz or even a 165Hz monitor, with the Ultra preset comfortably exceeding 144 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system still delivers a playable experience. Low settings hit 156.8 FPS, Medium 129.2 FPS, High 118.1 FPS, and Ultra 102.7 FPS. While the frame rate drops below the 144 FPS threshold, it remains well above 100 FPS even at the highest settings, which is a very strong result for 4K gaming.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. For a game like Dave The Diver, which is not heavily threaded, this processor is more than sufficient. The benchmark results confirm this, as the frame rates scale with resolution in a way that is typical of a GPU-bound system.

The CPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks is strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16,518 and a single-core score of 2,332. This single-core performance is crucial for gaming, and the data shows it is not a limiting factor. The processor's 77th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates it is a capable mid-range part, but its performance is more than enough for this title. The data suggests that even at 1080p, where the CPU is most likely to be a bottleneck, it is still able to push the RTX 3080 to over 300 FPS at Low settings, proving it is not holding back the system.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data suggests that the Ultra preset is the best choice for most users. At 1440p, Ultra settings deliver 151.3 FPS, which is well above the 144Hz refresh rate that is common on high-end monitors. This provides the best visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. At 4K, Ultra settings still deliver 102.7 FPS, which is an excellent experience for a 4K display.

For users with a 240Hz monitor at 1080p, the High preset is the best option, as it provides 229.2 FPS, which is close to the monitor's refresh rate. The Ultra preset at 1080p produces 204 FPS, which is still a great experience, but the High preset offers a 12% performance increase with a minimal visual difference. Dropping to Medium at 1080p yields 254.3 FPS, but the visual quality loss is not worth the extra frames when the High preset is already so fast.

At 4K, the choice is between High and Ultra. The difference is 15.4 FPS, with High delivering 118.1 FPS and Ultra 102.7 FPS. For a 60Hz 4K TV, either is overkill, but for a 120Hz 4K display, the High preset is the safer bet to ensure a more stable frame rate. The data shows that there is no scenario where Low settings are necessary, as even the most demanding preset provides a highly playable frame rate.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is the driving force behind this system's exceptional performance. With 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus, it offers a memory bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s. This high bandwidth is critical for high-resolution gaming, and the data supports this, as the GPU is able to maintain high frame rates even at 4K. The GPU's base clock is 1440 MHz, with a boost clock of 1710 MHz.

The RTX 3080's benchmark results show it is a top-tier card, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 4,407 and a Passmark G3D score of 25,086. This places it in the 80th percentile of all GPUs, which is reflected in its performance. The GPU is clearly the bottleneck in this system, but it is a very fast bottleneck. The scaling of FPS from 1080p to 4K shows the GPU's workload increasing, but it is able to handle it with ease, never dropping below 100 FPS even at the highest settings. The 28,300 million transistors on an 8nm process node deliver 29.77 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is more than enough for this title. The data confirms that the RTX 3080 is not just a capable GPU for this game, but an overqualified one, providing a massive performance buffer for future, more demanding titles.