Dave The Diver

# Dave The Diver — Intel Core i5-12600KF + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 represents a high-end desktop configuration, and the measured frame rates in Dave The Diver confirm that this combo delivers exceptional performance across all tested resolutions and settings. The data shows a system that comfortably exceeds 100 FPS even at 4K Ultra, with the 1080p Low preset reaching 306 FPS. This combination of a 10-core Alder Lake processor and an Ampere-generation GPU places the combo at rank 1030 out of 3710 tested configurations in this game, putting it in the top 27.8% of all tested combos. The benchmark results reveal a system where the GPU becomes the primary scaling factor as resolution increases, while the CPU's strong single-thread performance (3dmark_single_thread score of 1016, passmark_single_thread score of 3925) ensures no bottleneck at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K demonstrates classic GPU-bound scaling behavior. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 228 at 1920x1080 to 172 at 2560x1440, a 24.6% reduction, and then to 115 at 3840x2160, a 33.1% further reduction from 1440p. This pattern indicates that the RTX 3080 is the limiting component as pixel count increases, with the CPU maintaining sufficient headroom throughout.

The Low preset shows even more dramatic scaling. Starting at 306 FPS at 1080p, it drops to 230 FPS at 1440p (a 24.8% decrease) and then to 154 FPS at 4K (a 33.0% decrease from 1440p). The fact that 1080p Low exceeds 300 FPS suggests that at this resolution, the system is approaching CPU limits—the i5-12600KF's 3dmark_max_threads score of 7952 and 3dmark_16_threads score of 7956 indicate strong multi-threaded capability, but even the best processors will struggle to feed a GPU beyond 300 FPS in most games.

The Medium preset, which includes min/max FPS data, provides additional insight into scaling behavior. At 1080p Medium, the average is 256 FPS with a minimum of 218 and maximum of 294. Moving to 1440p Medium, the average drops to 193 FPS (min 164, max 221), and at 4K Medium it reaches 129 FPS (min 110, max 148). The minimum FPS values scale proportionally with averages, suggesting consistent frame pacing without sudden stutters or CPU-related hitches.

Ultra settings show the steepest relative drop from 1080p to 4K. The 202 FPS average at 1080p falls to 152 FPS at 1440p (24.8% decrease) and then to 102 FPS at 4K (32.9% decrease from 1440p). This consistent scaling pattern across all presets—roughly 25% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and another 33% from 1440p to 4K—indicates that the RTX 3080's 10 GB GDDR6X memory and 320-bit bus width are handling the increased pixel workloads efficiently, with the 760.3 GB/s bandwidth proving sufficient even at 4K Ultra.

The resolution scaling data suggests that 4K Ultra at 102 FPS is the boundary of playable performance for this combo, while 4K Medium at 129 FPS offers comfortable headroom. The 1080p results are so high that they likely exceed typical high-refresh-rate monitor capabilities, making the CPU the theoretical limiting factor only at this resolution.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, built on the Ampere architecture with a GA102 chip, is the dominant component in this configuration. Its 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus provides 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which directly correlates with the smooth performance scaling observed across resolutions. The GPU's boost clock of 1710 MHz and base clock of 1440 MHz, combined with 8704 shading units, 272 TMUs, and 96 ROPs, deliver the raw compute power necessary for the frame rates measured.

The GPU's 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 score of 4407 and passmark_g3d score of 25086 place it at the 68th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23172. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA P106-100 (avgScore 23249, deltaPct -0.3) and AMD Radeon RX 6600M (avgScore 23273, deltaPct -0.4), which are statistically equivalent in synthetic benchmarks. However, the game-specific results show the RTX 3080 performing exceptionally well in Dave The Diver, where the pixel rate of 164.2 GPixel/s and texture rate of 465.1 GTexel/s prove more than adequate for this adventure title's visual demands.

The VRAM capacity of 10 GB appears sufficient for all tested settings, as no performance anomalies or frame rate collapses occur at 4K Ultra. The 28,300 million transistors on an 8 nm Samsung process, with a die size of 628 mm², represent a large, power-hungry GPU (320 W TDP, requiring a 700 W suggested PSU), but the benchmark data shows this hardware investment translates directly into high frame rates.

The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4 API compatibility ensure modern rendering paths are available, though the game's performance at 4K Ultra (102 FPS) versus 4K High (115 FPS) suggests that the highest preset introduces effects that cost approximately 11.3% performance. The RTX 3080's 68 RT cores and 272 tensor cores are present but not necessarily exercised heavily in this title, as the frame rates remain high even at Ultra settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the 256 FPS average with a 218 FPS minimum ensures smooth gameplay even during demanding scenes, while 1440p Medium's 193 FPS average (min 164) provides excellent headroom for high-refresh-rate displays. At 4K Medium, the 129 FPS average with a 110 FPS minimum remains comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for standard displays.

The data indicates that Ultra settings provide diminishing returns relative to their performance cost. Moving from Medium to Ultra at 1080p reduces the average from 256 to 202 FPS, a 21.1% decrease, while at 1440p the drop is from 193 to 152 FPS (21.2% decrease), and at 4K from 129 to 102 FPS (20.9% decrease). This consistent ~21% penalty across all resolutions suggests Ultra adds uniform visual effects that may not be perceptually significant in a game with Dave The Diver's art style.

High settings represent a middle ground, with 228 FPS at 1080p, 172 FPS at 1440p, and 115 FPS at 4K. Compared to Medium, High offers a modest average FPS reduction of approximately 10.9% at 1080p, 10.9% at 1440p, and 10.9% at 4K. The consistency of this penalty across resolutions indicates that the visual upgrades from Medium to High are resolution-independent.

For competitive or high-refresh-rate play, the Low preset at 1080p (306 FPS) or 1440p (230 FPS) provides maximum frame rates. However, given that the game is a single-player adventure title, the Medium preset at 4K (129 FPS) offers the most compelling combination of visual fidelity and performance, with the minimum FPS of 110 ensuring no drops below playable thresholds.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured results show the full range of preset performance. Low settings average 306 FPS, Medium averages 256 FPS with a minimum of 218 and maximum of 294, High averages 228 FPS, and Ultra averages 202 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 104 FPS, representing a 34.0% reduction at the highest preset. The Medium preset's min/max range of 218-294 FPS indicates a 76 FPS variance, suggesting some scenes are significantly more demanding than others.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain exceptionally high. Low settings average 230 FPS, Medium averages 193 FPS (min 164, max 221), High averages 172 FPS, and Ultra averages 152 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 78 FPS (33.9% reduction), consistent with the 1080p scaling. The Medium preset's min/max range of 164-221 FPS shows a 57 FPS variance, confirming that the 1440p resolution reduces the relative impact of scene complexity.

At 3840x2160, the performance remains impressive for a 4K resolution. Low settings average 154 FPS, Medium averages 129 FPS (min 110, max 148), High averages 115 FPS, and Ultra averages 102 FPS. The Low to Ultra span is 52 FPS (33.8% reduction), maintaining the consistent scaling pattern. The Medium preset's min/max range of 110-148 FPS (38 FPS variance) shows that even at 4K, the RTX 3080 maintains stable frame delivery.

The complete dataset across all preset/resolution combinations reveals that the RTX 3080 delivers between 102 FPS (4K Ultra) and 306 FPS (1080p Low). The minimum recorded frame rate across all measurements is 110 FPS at 4K Medium, meaning this combo never drops below 110 FPS in the tested configurations. This floor of performance indicates a system that can handle any preset at any resolution without falling below high-refresh-rate thresholds.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Dave The Diver?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 306 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The next highest is 256 FPS at 1080p Medium, followed by 230 FPS at 1440p Low.

Q: Can this system maintain 60+ FPS at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 102, which is 70% above the 60 FPS threshold. Even the lowest recorded minimum FPS across all configurations is 110 at 4K Medium.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 3080 has an average benchmark score of 23172, with a percentile rank of 68 among all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA P106-100, scores 23249, representing a -0.3 deltaPct, while the AMD Radeon RX 6600M scores 23273 (-0.4 deltaPct). These differences are statistically negligible.

Q: What is the combo's overall rank among all tested configurations in this game?

A: The Intel Core i5-12600KF + RTX 3080 combo ranks 1030 out of 3710 tested combinations in Dave The Diver, placing it in the top 27.8% of all configurations.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from Medium to Ultra settings?

A: The consistent penalty across all resolutions is approximately 21%. At 1080p, the average drops from 256 to 202 FPS; at 1440p, from 193 to 152 FPS; and at 4K, from 129 to 102 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU limit performance at any resolution?

A: At 1080p Low, the 306 FPS average approaches CPU limits, as the i5-12600KF's 3dmark_single_thread score of 1016 and cinebench_r23_singlecore score of 3302 indicate strong but finite single-thread capability. At 1440p and above, the data shows GPU-bound scaling with consistent ~25-33% reductions per resolution step.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF, with its 10 cores and 16 threads based on Alder Lake architecture, provides the processing foundation for this combo. Its 3.70 GHz base clock and 4.90 GHz boost clock, combined with 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 per core, deliver the single-thread and multi-thread performance necessary to keep the RTX 3080 fed at high frame rates. The CPU's 3dmark_single_thread score of 1016 and passmark_single_thread score of 3925 confirm strong per-core performance, while the cinebench_r23_multicore score of 23391 and 3dmark_max_threads score of 7952 demonstrate substantial multi-threading capability.

The CPU's percentile rank of 79 among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 27799, places it near rivals like the Intel Core i9-10900K (avgScore 27872, deltaPct -0.3) and AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D (avgScore 27896, deltaPct -0.3). This near-identical synthetic performance suggests that in CPU-bound scenarios, the i5-12600KF performs on par with these higher-tier alternatives. The passmark_multithread score of 27575 and geekbench_multicore score of 12137 further corroborate the CPU's balanced performance profile.

In game-specific terms, the CPU's role becomes apparent at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the 306 FPS average is likely approaching the CPU's frame-delivery ceiling, as the GPU has ample headroom at this resolution. The 3dmark_2_threads score of 1995 and 3dmark_4_threads score of 3806 show that the CPU maintains strong performance even with fewer threads active, which is typical for games that rely on a few primary threads. The 3dmark_8_threads score of 6128 and 3dmark_16_threads score of 7956 indicate that Dave The Diver, like most adventure titles, benefits from the CPU's multi-threaded capabilities during scene loading and complex simulations.

The CPU's memory support for DDR4 and DDR5, with dual-channel configuration, provides flexible platform options, though the game's performance at 4K Ultra (102 FPS) suggests that memory bandwidth is not a limiting factor. The 125 W TDP and unlocked multiplier (multiplierUnlocked: true) indicate overclocking potential, though the measured results reflect stock performance. The CPU's release date of 2021-11-03 and launch MSRP of $264 position it as a mid-range processor that outperforms its price class in this game's benchmarks.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12600KF + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination achieves a rank of 1030 out of 3710 tested combos in Dave The Diver, placing it in the 72.2nd percentile of all configurations. This ranking reflects the strong synergy between the CPU's high single-thread performance (passmark_single_thread score of 3925) and the GPU's substantial rasterization capabilities (passmark_g3d score of 25086). The combo outperforms 72.2% of all tested configurations, which is notable given that many higher-ranked combos likely feature more expensive processors or newer GPU generations.

The CPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks—the Intel Core i9-10900K (deltaPct -0.3), AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D (deltaPct -0.3), and AMD Ryzen 7 6800U (deltaPct -0.3)—all show statistically equivalent average scores, meaning the i5-12600KF's contribution to the combo rank is comparable to what these alternatives would provide. The GPU's nearest rivals, including the NVIDIA P106-100 (deltaPct -0.3) and AMD Radeon RX 6600M (deltaPct -0.4), also show minimal synthetic differences, suggesting that the RTX 3080's specific features—such as its 10 GB GDDR6X memory and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth—may contribute to the combo's game-specific ranking.

The rank of 1030 out of 3710 indicates that while this combo is not at the absolute top of the leaderboard, it delivers performance that exceeds the majority of tested systems. The measured FPS data shows that this ranking is well-earned: the combo never drops below 102 FPS average at any resolution or preset, and at 1080p Low it reaches 306 FPS. This performance envelope places the combo in a sweet spot for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p and solid 4K performance, making it a versatile configuration for Dave The Diver's various display requirements. The combination of the i5-12600KF's 10 cores and the RTX 3080's 8704 shading units creates a balanced system where neither component consistently bottlenecks the other, as evidenced by the consistent ~25-33% scaling between resolutions.