Dave The Diver

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread desktop processor built on Intel's 10 nm Alder Lake architecture. It runs at a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. Its 20 MB of shared L3 cache and support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory make it a flexible mid-range part. In this game, the CPU is not the bottleneck; the measured frame rates are consistently high across all settings, suggesting that the processor has ample headroom to feed the GPU. The CPU’s multi-threaded performance is strong, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23444 and PassMark multithread score of 27575, but Dave The Diver is an adventure title that rarely stresses all available threads. The single-thread score of 3925 in PassMark and a Geekbench single-core score of 2529 indicate that the processor's individual core performance is more than sufficient for the game's logic and physics. The data shows that even at the highest settings, the CPU is not the limiting factor; the GPU takes over that role at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is built on the Ampere architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is rated at 1725 MHz, and it offers 5888 shading units. The GPU’s 46 ray tracing cores and 184 tensor cores support modern graphical features, though Dave The Diver's art style is more reliant on raw rasterization power. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 22214 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3162 place it in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs. Benchmark results indicate that the RTX 3070 handles the game easily, with the lowest average FPS across all tested configurations being 85.6 at 4K Ultra. This suggests that the 8 GB VRAM buffer is sufficient for the game’s textures and geometry, even at high resolutions. The memory clock of 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) provides the necessary bandwidth to avoid stuttering, as evidenced by the consistent frame rates. The GPU’s performance scales predictably with settings, but the frame rates remain playable even under the heaviest load.

How This Combo Ranks

This particular combination of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 ranks 732nd out of 1626 tested combos in Dave The Diver. That places it in the 45th percentile of all system pairings, which is a solid mid-pack result. The ranking is influenced by the fact that this game is not particularly demanding, meaning that even lower-tier components can achieve playable frame rates, compressing the performance spread. The combo’s performance is more impressive when considering the individual component scores; the CPU sits in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 72nd percentile. The gap between the component percentiles and the combo rank suggests that the game is highly optimized and that the GPU is the primary driver of the final FPS numbers. In direct comparisons, the CPU’s average benchmark score of 27827 is nearly identical to the Intel Core i9-10900K at 27829, with a deltaPct of 0. The RTX 3070’s average score of 28238 is 0.9% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT’s 27985, showing that this GPU is competitive with its direct rivals. The data confirms that this pairing is well-balanced for this title, with neither component drastically holding back the other.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12600KF strong enough for Dave The Diver?

A: Yes. The CPU’s single-thread performance, as measured by a PassMark single-thread score of 3925, is more than adequate for the game’s logic. The measured frame rates at 1080p High with 197.5 FPS show that the processor is not a limiting factor.

Q: How does the RTX 3070’s 8 GB VRAM hold up at 4K?

A: The data shows that 8 GB is sufficient. At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate is 85.6 FPS, which indicates that the VRAM capacity is not causing performance degradation or texture thrashing.

Q: What is the best settings preset for this combo?

A: Based on the measured results, the High preset at 1440p offers a sweet spot. It achieves 147.4 FPS, which is a significant jump from the 131.8 FPS at Ultra, without a major visual compromise.

Q: How does this CPU compare to the Intel Core i9-10900K?

A: The average benchmark scores are nearly identical, with the i9-10900K at 27829 and the i5-12600KF at 27827, showing a deltaPct of 0. In this game, they would perform effectively the same.

Q: Is the GPU more important than the CPU for this game?

A: Yes. The frame rate drops from 262 FPS at 1080p Low to 85.6 FPS at 4K Ultra, a change that is driven by the GPU’s workload. The CPU’s performance remains constant, so the GPU is the primary determinant of FPS.

Q: Can this system achieve 4K 60 FPS?

A: Yes. At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate is 85.6 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. Even the lowest tested setting at 4K, which is Low, produces 135.8 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern across resolutions. At 1080p High, the combo produces 197.5 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, the frame rate drops to 147.4 FPS, a reduction of roughly 25%. At 4K High, the average FPS falls to 98.5, which is a 50% drop from the 1080p result. This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU’s performance headroom is evident because the frame rate does not plateau at lower resolutions; instead, it continues to climb, reaching 262 FPS at 1080p Low. This indicates that the RTX 3070 is the component that is being stressed as resolution increases. The difference between the Low and Ultra settings at each resolution also highlights the GPU’s role. At 1080p, the gap between Low (262 FPS) and Ultra (173.1 FPS) is 88.9 FPS, while at 4K, the gap narrows to 50.2 FPS (135.8 FPS vs 85.6 FPS). This narrowing gap suggests that at 4K, the GPU is so heavily loaded that the settings have a relatively smaller impact on the overall frame rate. The data confirms that this system is well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p and 1440p gaming, while still being capable of delivering smooth 4K experiences above 60 FPS. The consistent frame rates across all settings indicate that there are no significant CPU or memory bottlenecks, allowing the GPU to operate at its full potential.