Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver, an adventure title from June 2023, presents a unique scaling profile when paired with the Intel Core i5-12600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080. The measured frame rates across all settings and resolutions are exceptionally high, consistently exceeding 140 FPS even at 4K Ultra. This indicates that the combination is overwhelmingly capable for this title, with the GPU rarely being the limiting factor at lower resolutions. The data suggests that users can prioritize visual fidelity without sacrificing smooth gameplay, as even the most demanding preset delivers a fluid experience on high-refresh-rate displays.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a clear hierarchy of performance across the four available presets. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 283 FPS, while the High preset reaches 321 FPS. The gap between Medium (364.3 FPS) and Low (414.7 FPS) is more pronounced, but the difference between High and Ultra is a modest 38 FPS. Given that the game is an adventure title where visual atmosphere contributes significantly to the experience, the Ultra preset at 1080p is the optimal choice; the 283 FPS average is more than sufficient for any display, and the visual uplift from High to Ultra is worth the small performance cost.

Moving to 2560x1440, the pattern holds. Ultra averages 212.8 FPS, while High achieves 243.1 FPS. The delta between these two is 30.3 FPS, which is noticeable but not critical. For users with 144Hz or 165Hz monitors, the High preset at 1440p offers a perfect balance, providing a 243.1 FPS average that comfortably exceeds refresh rate ceilings while maintaining high visual quality. The Medium preset at 271.7 FPS and Low at 322.6 FPS are technically superior in frame rate but sacrifice the graphical fidelity that defines the game’s underwater environments. The data indicates that High is the sweet spot at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 5080 begins to show its limits relative to the lower resolutions, but the performance remains stellar. Ultra drops to 142 FPS, which is still above 120 FPS and ideal for high-refresh 4K panels. High settings yield 161.5 FPS, a 19.5 FPS improvement over Ultra. Given that the difference between High and Ultra in visual quality is often subtle in adventure games, the High preset at 4K is recommended for maximizing frame rate stability. The Medium preset at 184.4 FPS and Low at 219.1 FPS are viable for competitive play, but for this genre, the visual immersion of High or Ultra is preferable. The data strongly suggests that High at 4K provides the best experience per the measured rows, balancing the 161.5 FPS average with high-end graphics.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor from the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. Its benchmark scores show strong multi-threaded capability, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23444 and a Passmark multithread score of 27575. For Dave The Diver, an adventure title that is not typically CPU-intensive, the processor’s role is to feed the GPU efficiently. The data reveals that at 1080p, the frame rates are extraordinarily high (e.g., 414.7 FPS at Low settings), indicating that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this scenario. The single-thread performance, evidenced by a 3DMark single-thread score of 1016 and a Passmark single-thread score of 3925, is sufficient to handle the game’s logic and physics without limiting the GPU.

The 16 threads provided by the processor are more than adequate for modern game engines, and Dave The Diver’s relatively simple rendering workload means that the CPU’s 20 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support are not stressed. The processor’s 84th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27827, places it in a strong position. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-10900K with a negligible delta of 0%, show that the 12600KF performs at a level comparable to older flagship parts. In this game, the CPU’s role is secondary to the GPU, but its high boost clock ensures that even at 1080p, where CPU overhead is more pronounced, the system maintains frame rates well above 280 FPS on the Ultra preset. The benchmark results indicate that the CPU is never the limiting component in this combination, allowing the RTX 5080 to operate at full capacity.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset for 4K gaming with this combo?

A: The data shows the High preset at 3840x2160 delivers an average of 161.5 FPS, while Ultra drops to 142 FPS. High is recommended for 4K as it provides a 19.5 FPS advantage with minimal visual compromise.

Q: How does the RTX 5080’s performance compare to its nearest rivals in this context?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score is 59188, with its closest rival being the Intel Arc A570M at a score of 58239, a delta of 1.6%. The RTX 5080 outperforms this rival, while the Intel Arc Pro A60 trails by -1.9%, indicating the 5080 sits in a competitive mid-to-high tier.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12600KF a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average FPS is 414.7, and at Ultra it is 283 FPS. These high numbers indicate the CPU’s 10 cores and 4.90 GHz boost clock are not limiting the GPU’s output.

Q: What is the combo’s overall rank among tested systems for this game?

A: The combo ranks 66th out of 1626 tested combinations, placing it in the top 4% of all configurations measured for Dave The Diver.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in multi-threaded workloads?

A: The i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score of 27827, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core i9-10900K at 27829 (0% delta) and the Intel Core i5-12600K at 27851 (-0.1% delta). This shows parity with older high-end parts.

Q: Does the game benefit from the RTX 5080’s 16 GB of memory at 4K?

A: The data shows strong 4K performance, with the Ultra preset averaging 142 FPS. The 16 GB GDDR7 memory with 960.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient to handle the textures and assets at this resolution without frame rate collapse.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 achieves a rank of 66 out of 1626 tested combos in Dave The Diver. This placement in the top percentile of all configurations underscores the system’s exceptional capability for this title. The rank is a direct reflection of the measured FPS data, which shows no weak points across any resolution or preset. To contextualize this, the CPU’s average benchmark score of 27827 places it in the 84th percentile of all processors, while the GPU’s average score of 59188 puts it in the 89th percentile of all GPUs. The synergy between these two components is evident, as the CPU’s strong single-thread performance (3DMark single-thread score of 1016) complements the GPU’s raw throughput.

Compared to other tested combos, the 66th rank is notable because it places this system ahead of a vast majority of alternatives, likely including those with older or less balanced hardware. The data indicates that the CPU is not a drag on the system, as its nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-10900K, has an identical average score (delta of 0%), meaning the 12600KF delivers comparable CPU-level performance. The GPU, while not at the absolute top tier (its nearest rival, the Intel Arc A570M, is 1.6% slower), is still among the faster options. The combination’s rank of 66 suggests that only a handful of systems with higher-end CPUs (like top-tier 14th gen or X3D parts) and faster GPUs (like the RTX 5090) would outperform it. For a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU, this rank is excellent, demonstrating that the i5-12600KF does not hold back the RTX 5080 in this specific game.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data across resolutions reveals a classic scaling pattern that highlights the GPU’s dominance. At 1920x1080, the High preset averages 321 FPS; at 2560x1440, it drops to 243.1 FPS (a 24.3% reduction); and at 3840x2160, it falls to 161.5 FPS (a 33.6% reduction from 1440p). This progressive decline indicates that the rendering load is increasingly GPU-bound as resolution rises. The CPU’s role is constant across these resolutions, but the GPU’s work increases exponentially with pixel count. The fact that 1080p High yields over 300 FPS suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU well beyond 300 FPS, but the GPU is already at its limit for that resolution.

Looking at the Ultra preset, the scaling is similar but steeper: 283 FPS at 1080p, 212.8 FPS at 1440p (a 24.8% drop), and 142 FPS at 4K (a 33.3% drop from 1440p). This consistent ~25% drop from 1080p to 1440p and ~33% drop from 1440p to 4K indicates that the RTX 5080’s memory bandwidth (960.0 GB/s) and pixel rate (293.1 GPixel/s) are being taxed appropriately. The limiting component is clearly the GPU; if the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would plateau at 1080p and not scale down as resolution increases. The data shows a smooth, predictable decline, which is the hallmark of a GPU-limited scenario. At 4K Ultra, the 142 FPS average is still high, but the 4K Low settings at 219.1 FPS demonstrate that the GPU has headroom when graphical effects are reduced. This scaling profile confirms that for users seeking maximum frame rates, lowering resolution is effective, but for this adventure title, the GPU’s performance at 4K is already sufficient for a premium experience.