Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver is an adventure title that, on the surface, appears modest in its graphical demands, yet the measured frame rates for the Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the Intel Arc B390 reveal a configuration that is heavily constrained by the graphics processor at higher resolutions. The data indicates a playable experience at 1080p and 1440p, but the performance curve shows a steep decline as pixel count increases, positioning this combo firmly in entry-level territory. With the Arc B390 ranking in the 9th percentile among all GPUs, the system's overall capability is tethered to this integrated graphics solution, making resolution and settings management critical for a smooth experience.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combo shows a clear and predictable pattern: performance degrades significantly as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 81 FPS at 1080p to 61 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 20 FPS, and then falls further to 41 FPS at 4K. This represents a substantial 49% loss in average FPS from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the rendering load is scaling heavily with pixel count.

This scaling behavior points directly to the GPU as the limiting component. The Intel Arc B390, with its system-shared memory and a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of just 1482, does not have the raw throughput to maintain high frame rates at 4K. The gap between Low and Ultra settings at 4K is 19 FPS (55 FPS vs 36 FPS), which is a narrower relative spread than at 1080p, where the same settings gap yields 36 FPS (108 FPS vs 72 FPS). This compression at higher resolutions is a classic symptom of a GPU-bound scenario; the GPU is already saturated, so lowering settings yields diminishing returns.

At 1080p, the transition from Low to Medium settings only costs 17 FPS (108 to 91), and moving to High costs another 10 FPS (91 to 81). This suggests that at 1080p, the CPU, with its 10 cores and 16 threads, is better able to feed the GPU, allowing for a more noticeable performance difference between quality presets. The data shows that for players targeting 60 FPS, 1080p is the only resolution where all settings presets are viable, while 1440p requires dropping to Medium or Low settings to stay above that threshold. 4K, however, remains a challenge, as even the Low preset only achieves 55 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. Its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 21645 and a single-core score of 3055, indicate a solid mid-range performer. In the context of Dave The Diver, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU, as evidenced by the scaling patterns discussed earlier. The CPU is likely not the bottleneck at 4K, where the GPU is clearly saturated, but its performance headroom becomes more relevant at 1080p.

Given that the GPU is an integrated part (IGP) with system-shared memory, the CPU also handles memory management duties, which can impact performance. The i5-14400F supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, but the bandwidth is "System Dependent," meaning the shared memory pool for the GPU is also shared with the system. This architecture can introduce latency and bandwidth limitations that affect frame times, particularly at lower resolutions where the CPU is more active.

The processor's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache are ample for a game like Dave The Diver, which is not typically cache-sensitive. The CPU's performance in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32279, shows it is far more capable than the GPU in this pairing. This imbalance means that in most scenarios, the frame rate is dictated by the Arc B390, not the i5-14400F. The CPU has enough headroom to handle the game's logic and physics, but it cannot compensate for the GPU's lack of pixel-pushing power.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Dave The Diver, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-14400F and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2538 out of 2867 total combos. This places it in the bottom 11% of all tested configurations, which is a low standing that reflects the GPU's weak performance. The rank is a composite measure that considers the overall frame rate delivery across various resolutions and settings, and the Arc B390's inability to deliver high FPS at 1440p and 4K drags the combo down significantly.

When looking at the GPU's nearest rivals in the 3DMark Steel Nomad benchmark, the Arc B390's score of 1482 is only 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463) and 2.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (1443). These are very old, low-end discrete GPUs, which contextualizes the Arc B390's performance class. The combo's rank is thus not a reflection of the CPU's capability but rather a direct consequence of the GPU's position in the 9th percentile of all GPUs.

The CPU's nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (32233) and the Intel Core i9-11900 (32226), which are within 0.2% of the i5-14400F's score of 32279. This shows that the CPU is performing in line with other capable mid-range and older high-end processors. However, in a gaming context with this GPU, the CPU's strong standing is irrelevant, as the combo rank is dominated by the graphics component. The data suggests that pairing this CPU with a more powerful GPU would yield a much higher rank, but as configured, the system is held back by the Arc B390.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at the combo's performance across three resolutions and four quality settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 108 FPS, which is the highest measured frame rate for this combo. The Medium preset averages 91 FPS, with minimum and maximum readings of 77 and 104 FPS, respectively. High settings produce an average of 81 FPS, and Ultra drops to 72 FPS. All 1080p presets are comfortably above 60 FPS, making this resolution the sweet spot for smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. The Low preset averages 82 FPS, which is still above 60 FPS. Medium settings average 68 FPS, with a minimum of 58 FPS and a maximum of 78 FPS, indicating some frame time variance that could cause occasional stutter. High settings average 61 FPS, which is right at the edge of the 60 FPS target, and Ultra settings fall to 54 FPS, which is below the target. For a consistent 60+ FPS experience at 1440p, players would need to stick with Low settings, with Medium being borderline.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overwhelmed. The Low preset averages 55 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target but still playable. Medium settings average 46 FPS, with a minimum of 39 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS, showing significant dips that would be noticeable during gameplay. High settings average 41 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 36 FPS, both of which are well below the threshold for a smooth experience. The data shows that 4K gaming is not a realistic option for this combo without significant compromises, and even then, the frame rates remain sub-optimal.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the primary bottleneck in this system, and its specifications confirm its entry-level positioning. It is based on the Xe3-LPG architecture and is classified as an integrated graphics processor (IGP), meaning it shares system memory rather than having dedicated VRAM. The memory size, type, and bus width are all listed as "System Shared," with bandwidth being "System Dependent." This architecture severely limits the GPU's ability to handle high-resolution textures and large frame buffers, as it must compete with the CPU for memory bandwidth.

With a boost clock of 2500 MHz, 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, the Arc B390 has a theoretical FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS. This is a modest figure, and the 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463) and the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460), which are both ancient, low-power mobile parts. This comparison underscores how underpowered the Arc B390 is for modern gaming, even a title like Dave The Diver.

The GPU's 12 RT cores and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) are modern features, but they are of little use given the low raw performance. The pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are theoretical maximums that are rarely achieved in real-world scenarios. The 80 W TDP for an IGP is also notable, as it indicates the power is drawn from the system, potentially impacting CPU boost behavior. In this game, the GPU's role is to be the limiting factor, and the data shows that it struggles to maintain playable frame rates beyond 1080p.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for playing Dave The Diver with this combo?

A: Based on the measured FPS data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where all settings presets achieve average frame rates above 72 FPS. At 2560x1440, only the Low preset (82 FPS) and Medium preset (68 FPS) reach the 60 FPS target, while at 3840x2160, even the Low preset only averages 55 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The Arc B390 has a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (1443).

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-14400F a bottleneck for this game?

A: The data indicates that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck. The i5-14400F ranks in the 83rd percentile among CPUs with an average benchmark score of 32279, while the GPU ranks in the 9th percentile. The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K shows steep FPS drops, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario.

Q: What are the minimum FPS readings at Medium settings across resolutions?

A: At 1920x1080 Medium, the minimum FPS is 77. At 2560x1440 Medium, the minimum FPS is 58. At 3840x2160 Medium, the minimum FPS is 39. These values show a clear degradation in frame time consistency as resolution increases.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested combinations?

A: This combo ranks 2538 out of 2867 tested combinations for Dave The Diver. This places it in the lower tier of all tested systems, primarily due to the GPU's low performance, which is in the 9th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Does the Arc B390 have dedicated VRAM?

A: No, the Arc B390 uses "System Shared" memory, meaning it relies on the system's main memory for both capacity and bandwidth. The memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which can vary based on the system's RAM configuration.