Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver presents an interesting case for the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combination. The data shows a pairing that is heavily skewed toward GPU performance, with the processor providing ample headroom at every resolution tested. The measured frames per second (FPS) indicate that this combo sits in the 60th percentile of all tested configurations, suggesting a capable mid-range setup that excels in this specific adventure title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, which are the figures that directly influence how it handles game logic and draw calls. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 18 MB L3 cache. In the context of Dave The Diver, these specifications are more than sufficient, as the game's workload does not appear to stress the processor heavily.

Benchmark data for the i5-12400F shows a single-thread score of 909 in 3DMark, which is a strong indicator of per-core performance. Its multi-threaded scores scale well with thread count, moving from 1699 at 2 threads to 5895 at 16 threads, and peaking at 5912 at max threads. This scaling pattern suggests that the CPU can handle lightly-threaded tasks with ease, which is typical for many games. The Cinebench R23 results reinforce this, with a single-core score of 1680 and a multi-core score of 12380, placing the processor in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs.

When comparing to its nearest rivals, the i5-12400F shows a near-identical average benchmark score of 19039 against the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, which scores 19047, a delta of 0%. The Intel Core 3 201E trails slightly at 19056 with a -0.1% delta, while the Intel Core i5-1335U and AMD EPYC 7773X both sit at 18982 and 18979, respectively, showing a 0.3% delta. These minuscule differences in synthetic benchmarks translate to negligible real-world variation in Dave The Diver, where the CPU is not the bottleneck.

The processor's memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5, along with its dual-channel memory bus, provides flexibility but does not appear to be a limiting factor in the measured FPS. The PCIe Gen 5 support with 20 lanes is also more than adequate for the RTX 5050, which uses a PCIe 5.0 x8 interface. The data implies that the i5-12400F is a quiet, efficient partner in this configuration, never holding back the GPU from reaching its full potential in this title.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is the clear driver of performance in this pairing, featuring 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s. Its memory clock runs at 2500 MHz, effective 20 Gbps, while the core operates between a base of 2317 MHz and a boost of 2572 MHz. With 2560 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, the GPU is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC, containing 16,900 million transistors on a 149 mm² die.

The GPU's raw compute capabilities are reflected in its FP32 performance of 13.17 TFLOPS, alongside a pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 205.8 GTexel/s. These specifications translate directly to the frame rates observed in Dave The Diver. The RTX 5050 sits in the 66th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 21035. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153, -0.6% delta) and the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713, 1.6% delta), showing that it competes in a tight performance band.

In practical terms, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for Dave The Diver at all tested settings, as evidenced by the FPS data. The card's performance scales predictably with resolution and settings, indicating that memory capacity is not a constraint. The RTX 5050's support for DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6 ensures compatibility with modern rendering techniques, though the game's stylized art style may not fully utilize these features. The data suggests that the GPU is the primary determinant of frame rate, with its performance headroom allowing for high refresh rate gameplay at 1080p and smooth 4K experiences at medium settings.

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-12400F compare to its closest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i5-12400F has an average benchmark score of 19039, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS at 19047, showing a 0% delta. It also edges out the Intel Core 3 201E by -0.1% and trails the Intel Core i5-1335U and AMD EPYC 7773X by 0.3%, indicating essentially no performance difference among these CPUs.

Q: What is the RTX 5050's standing among all GPUs, and how does it compare to its nearest rival?

A: The RTX 5050 ranks in the 66th percentile of all GPUs with an average score of 21035. Its closest competitor is the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, which scores 21153, a -0.6% delta, meaning the RTX 5050 is slightly slower by 0.6%. It outperforms the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT by 1.6%.

Q: Does the i5-12400F bottleneck the RTX 5050 in Dave The Diver?

A: No, the data indicates no bottleneck. The CPU's single-thread performance, as shown by its 3DMark single-thread score of 909, is more than adequate for the game. The FPS scales primarily with GPU load across resolutions, suggesting the CPU is not a limiting factor.

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable at 1080p with this combo?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 206 FPS. This is the highest measured value in the dataset, demonstrating the GPU's ability to push very high frame rates when CPU and GPU loads are balanced.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 136 at 1920x1080 Ultra to 68 at 3840x2160 Ultra, representing a 50% reduction. This significant drop highlights the GPU's workload increasing with resolution, confirming the RTX 5050 as the performance limiter in this scenario.

Q: Is the RTX 5050's 8 GB VRAM sufficient for Dave The Diver?

A: The data suggests yes, as the game runs at all settings and resolutions without any indication of memory-related stuttering or frame drops. The 8 GB capacity appears to meet the game's requirements comfortably.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 achieves a rank of 1725 out of 2867 tested combos in Dave The Diver. This places it in the 60th percentile of all configurations, indicating a solid mid-tier performer. The ranking reflects the balance between the CPU's strong single-thread performance and the GPU's capable 1080p and 1440p performance, with 4K being achievable at lower settings.

The rank suggests that while this combo is not at the top of the charts, it outperforms a significant majority of systems tested. This is consistent with the GPU's 66th percentile ranking and the CPU's 73rd percentile, both of which are above average. The data implies that users with this setup can expect a smooth experience, particularly at 1080p where the combo excels, and a playable experience at higher resolutions with appropriate settings adjustments.

Given that the combo ranks in the 60th percentile, it falls short of high-end configurations but substantially above entry-level ones. The measured FPS data supports this, showing that the combo can deliver over 60 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is a respectable achievement. The ranking also indicates that the system is well-balanced, with neither component significantly dragging down the other's performance in this specific game.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear GPU-bound scenario. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 154 at 1920x1080 to 116 at 2560x1440, and further to 77 at 3840x2160. This represents a 25% decrease from 1080p to 1440p, and a 50% decrease from 1080p to 4K. The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings, indicating that the RTX 5050's workload increases proportionally with pixel count.

At Low settings, the same trend appears: 206 FPS at 1080p drops to 155 FPS at 1440p (a 25% decrease) and 104 FPS at 4K (a 50% decrease). This consistent halving of performance at 4K relative to 1080p suggests that the GPU is the limiting component, as the CPU's performance remains constant regardless of resolution. The fact that the FPS at 1080p Low (206) is nearly double the 4K Low (104) reinforces this, as the pixel count quadruples but the FPS halves, indicating a bandwidth or fill-rate limitation.

The scaling also shows diminishing returns at higher settings. At 4K, the difference between Low (104 FPS) and Ultra (68 FPS) is 36 FPS, while at 1080p, the difference is 70 FPS. This suggests that at 4K, the GPU is more constrained by resolution than by settings, as the pixel throughput becomes the primary bottleneck. The data implies that for 4K gaming, users should prioritize resolution over settings to maintain playable frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest performance. With Low settings, the average FPS is 206, which drops to 172 at Medium (with a minimum of 146 and maximum of 198), 154 at High, and 136 at Ultra. These figures show that the RTX 5050 is well-suited for high refresh rate monitors at this resolution, even with maximum settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong. Low settings produce an average of 155 FPS, Medium delivers 129 FPS (minimum 110, maximum 149), High achieves 116 FPS, and Ultra hits 102 FPS. This resolution offers a good balance between visual fidelity and frame rate, with all settings maintaining above 100 FPS on average.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to show its limits. Low settings still provide a respectable 104 FPS, Medium drops to 87 FPS (minimum 74, maximum 100), High falls to 77 FPS, and Ultra reaches only 68 FPS. While 4K Ultra is playable, it sits below the 70 FPS threshold, suggesting that users may prefer Medium settings for a smoother experience. The Medium setting at 4K, with its 74 FPS minimum, offers a more consistent frame time than High or Ultra.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo depends on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, Ultra settings are clearly the best choice, as the average FPS of 136 is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides the highest visual quality. The 154 FPS at High is also excellent, but Ultra offers more graphical fidelity without sacrificing smoothness.

For 2560x1440, Ultra settings are again recommended, with an average of 102 FPS ensuring a smooth experience. High settings at 116 FPS are also viable, but the additional detail from Ultra is worth the slight frame rate reduction. The Medium setting, with its minimum of 110 FPS, is also an option for users seeking maximum frame rate stability.

At 3840x2160, the recommendation shifts to Medium settings, which deliver an average of 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS and maximum of 100 FPS. This provides the best balance between visual quality and performance, as High and Ultra dip to 77 and 68 FPS respectively, which may introduce noticeable frame pacing issues. Low settings at 104 FPS are also acceptable, but Medium offers a significant visual upgrade for a moderate FPS cost. The data suggests that for 4K, Medium is the sweet spot for this hardware combination.