Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver, a 2023 adventure title, presents an interesting case for hardware analysis due to its stylized visuals and the high-performance components tested here. The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER produces frame rates that are exceptionally high across all settings, indicating a system that is heavily overqualified for this specific game. The data measured shows that this pairing operates in a performance realm where the constraints of the game engine and the CPU are more relevant than the raw graphical horsepower of the GPU. This analysis will break down the measured performance metrics, scaling behavior, and component roles to provide a clear picture of what this specific combo achieves in Dave The Diver.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how the game’s performance scales as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the High settings preset, the average frame rate drops from 303 FPS at 1080p to 228 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 153 FPS at 4K. This represents a reduction of 75 FPS (24.8%) when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and another 75 FPS (32.9%) when moving from 1440p to 4K. The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings, showing a clear and expected decline in performance as the pixel count increases.

The data suggests that the limiting component shifts depending on the resolution. At 1080p, the frame rates are so high (exceeding 268 FPS even at Ultra settings) that the CPU, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is likely the primary bottleneck, preventing the GPU from reaching even higher numbers. This is a common scenario in less demanding games where the CPU's single-thread performance becomes the ceiling. At 4K, the GPU's workload increases significantly, and while the RTX 4080 SUPER is still delivering very high frame rates (135 FPS at Ultra), the scaling shows that the GPU is now a more significant factor, though still not a limiting one in the traditional sense, as the frame rates remain far above playable thresholds.

The difference between the Low and Ultra presets widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the gap between Low (369 FPS) and Ultra (268 FPS) is 101 FPS. At 1440p, this gap narrows slightly to 104 FPS (306 FPS vs 202 FPS), and at 4K, it is 70 FPS (205 FPS vs 135 FPS). This indicates that at lower resolutions, the CPU and memory bandwidth have more headroom to push more frames when settings are reduced, but at 4K, the GPU's fill rate and shading capacity become more dominant, making the settings change have a relatively smaller impact on the overall frame rate.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is a high-end graphics card based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, featuring 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s. Its boost clock is rated at 2550 MHz. In Dave The Diver, this hardware is responsible for the exceptionally high frame rates observed. The data shows that even at the most demanding preset tested (Ultra at 3840x2160), the card maintains an average of 135 FPS, which is a clear indicator that the GPU is not being fully utilized.

The memory capacity of 16 GB is more than sufficient for this game, which is not known for having high VRAM requirements. The measured results do not indicate any memory-related performance dips, as the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 4K is 146 FPS, which is still very high. The GPU's performance, as measured by its average benchmark score of 54209, places it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs. This relative strength is reflected in its ability to render the game at 4K with frame rates that rival what many systems achieve at 1080p. The card's closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, has a near-identical average score of 54247, a delta of only -0.1%, showing that the SUPER variant is essentially a marginal improvement in synthetic tests, but in-game the performance is clearly sufficient for this title.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-12400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 300th out of 3710 tested combos for Dave The Diver. This places it in the top 8.1% of all tested systems, a very strong showing that underscores the high level of performance this pairing delivers. The rank is a composite measure, suggesting that while the CPU is not a top-tier part (it is in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs), the GPU's immense power compensates, pushing the overall combo performance to a very high level.

The combo's ranking is particularly impressive given the game's nature. Since Dave The Diver is not a graphically intensive title compared to modern AAA shooters, the RTX 4080 SUPER's dominance in the benchmark data ensures that this pairing will be at the top of the leaderboard for this game. The data indicates that the frame rates are limited by the game's engine and the CPU's processing speed, rather than the GPU's capability. This means that for most users, this combo would provide a perfectly smooth experience with headroom to spare, and it would be considered an overkill configuration specifically for this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 369 on Low to 268 on Ultra. The Medium preset shows an average of 340 FPS, with a minimum of 289 and a maximum of 391. The High preset averages 303 FPS. These numbers are exceptionally high, indicating that the system is completely unconstrained at this resolution and is likely hitting a CPU or engine limit.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS still remains very high. The Low preset yields an average of 306 FPS, High drops to 228 FPS, and Ultra sits at 202 FPS. The Medium preset averages 256 FPS, with a minimum of 217 and a maximum of 294. At this resolution, the GPU begins to take on a more significant role, but the performance is still far beyond what is necessary for a smooth experience on a high refresh-rate monitor.

At 3840x2160, the performance remains impressive. The Low preset averages 205 FPS, High averages 153 FPS, and Ultra averages 135 FPS. The Medium preset averages 171 FPS, with a minimum of 146 and a maximum of 197. The data shows that even at 4K Ultra, the system maintains a frame rate that is well above the 60 FPS target, making it capable of driving high refresh rate 4K displays. The minimum FPS recorded across all tested configurations is 146 FPS (at 4K Medium), which indicates that frame pacing is stable and there are no significant drops.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the user's display and preference for frame rate versus visual fidelity. For users with a 1080p or 1440p monitor with a high refresh rate (144Hz or higher), the Ultra preset is the clear recommendation. At 1440p Ultra, the system produces an average of 202 FPS, which is more than enough to take full advantage of a 144Hz display. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 268 FPS, which would be suitable even for 240Hz panels.

For 4K resolution, the Ultra preset still delivers a very playable 135 FPS average. However, if a user has a 4K 144Hz display, the High preset might be a better choice, as it provides a 153 FPS average, which more closely matches the display's refresh rate while still offering a high level of visual quality. The Medium preset at 4K also offers a strong alternative, with a 171 FPS average and good minimum frame rates. Given the high performance, the Low preset is unnecessary for this hardware, as even the Ultra preset provides frame rates that are far above the playable threshold. The data suggests that users should prioritize the Ultra or High presets for the best balance of visual quality and performance.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Alder Lake family, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. It has a 65W TDP and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. In the context of Dave The Diver, this CPU is a critical component, as the game's performance at 1080p appears to be heavily dependent on it. The single-thread benchmark scores, such as the 909 in 3dMark_single_thread and 1680 in Cinebench R23, indicate solid performance, but the multi-thread scores show that it is a mid-range part compared to the GPU.

The data suggests that the CPU is the primary limiter at lower resolutions. For instance, at 1080p Low, the system achieves 369 FPS. When the resolution is increased to 4K Low, the frame rate drops to 205 FPS, a significant decrease that is attributed to the GPU's workload. However, the fact that the CPU is not a top-tier part is evident in its 73rd percentile ranking. In synthetic benchmarks, its average score of 19039 is nearly identical to its closest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS with a score of 19047 (0% delta) and the Intel Core i5-1335U with a score of 18982 (0.3% delta). This indicates that the CPU's performance is competitive within its class, but it is not in the same league as the RTX 4080 SUPER GPU, leading to a potential bottleneck in frame-rate-limited scenarios.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate for this combo at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured average FPS for the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER combo at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 268 FPS.

Q: How does the combo's performance rank among other tested systems for Dave The Diver?

A: This specific combination ranks 300th out of 3710 tested combos, placing it in the top 8.1% of all systems tested for this game.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the main bottleneck at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the GPU is more of a factor than at 1080p, but it is still not a limiting component. The data shows the frame rate drops from 369 FPS at 1080p Low to 205 FPS at 4K Low, indicating that the GPU's workload increases with resolution, but the system still maintains very high performance.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between the Low and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves an average of 306 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves an average of 202 FPS, resulting in a 104 FPS difference between the two settings.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo in any tested configuration?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 146 FPS, which was measured at 3840x2160 resolution with the Medium settings preset.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER's average benchmark score compare to its closest rival?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 54209, which is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080's score of 54247, showing a delta of only -0.1%.