Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver pairs an Intel Core i5-14400F with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER, a combination that lands in the 3291st position out of 3710 tested combos for this title. This is a mid-pack placement, and the measured frames per second data reveals a system that can handle the game comfortably at 1080p and 1440p, but struggles to maintain playable rates at 4K. The following analysis breaks down how each component contributes to these results, using only the measured benchmark data.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, and its 20 MB of shared L3 cache helps feed the game's logic. Its benchmark profile is solid for a modern mid-range chip, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645 and a single-core score of 3055. The Geekbench results follow suit, showing 11268 for multi-core and 2058 for single-core performance.

In the context of Dave The Diver, which is not a heavily threaded title, the single-core strength matters most. The chip's Passmark single-thread score of 3701 indicates it can handle the game's simulation and AI tasks without bottlenecking the GPU at lower resolutions. The processor's percentile ranking of 83 against all CPUs places it in the upper tier of available chips, and its average benchmark score of 32279 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U scores 32233, a delta of just 0.1%, while the Intel Core i9-11900 scores 32226, a 0.2% difference. The AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS is marginally faster at 32354, putting the i5-14400F 0.2% behind, and the Intel Core i7-12800H scores 32121, which the i5 leads by 0.5%. This clustering shows that the i5-14400F is right in the expected performance band for its class.

At 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to drive high frame rates. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system reaches 173 FPS on average, which is a strong indicator that the processor is not the limiting factor there. As resolution increases, the workload shifts to the GPU, and the CPU's role diminishes. The 65 W TDP and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory make it a flexible option, but the benchmark results do not indicate any CPU-related frame pacing issues in this game. The processor's performance is consistent, and its 16 threads provide ample parallel capacity for background tasks while gaming.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the graphical workhorse here, built on the Turing architecture with a 12 nm process. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's base clock is 1605 MHz, boosting to 1770 MHz, and it has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Its compute capabilities include 9.062 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 40 RT cores for ray tracing, though Dave The Diver does not heavily utilize those features. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz, translating to 14 Gbps effective.

The GPU's average benchmark score is 20282, placing it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals show how tightly contested this performance tier is. The NVIDIA Quadro M4000M scores 20480, which is 1% higher than the RTX 2070 SUPER. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile scores 20534, a 1.2% advantage, and the Intel Arc B570 scores 20556, 1.3% higher. The Intel Arc A750 leads the group at 20582, putting the RTX 2070 SUPER 1.5% behind. These small deltas mean that in practical gaming terms, the RTX 2070 SUPER is functionally equivalent to these cards, and the differences are within the margin of error for most game engines.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for Dave The Diver at 1080p and 1440p, but the data suggests it becomes a constraint at 4K. The GPU's DirectX 12 Passmark score is 67, which is low, but this is a synthetic test that does not directly translate to this game's performance. The measured FPS in the game shows the GPU scaling well from Low to High settings at 1080p and 1440p, but the drop at 4K is steep, indicating the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute power are being taxed. The 215 W TDP and dual-slot design are typical for this era, and the 550 W suggested PSU provides adequate headroom.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of diminishing returns as resolution increases, which highlights the GPU's role as the primary limiter at higher settings. Starting at 1080p, the average frame rates are high across all presets. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 173 FPS, which drops to 141 FPS at Medium, 109 FPS at High, and 81 FPS at Ultra. This scaling is nearly linear, with each step up in settings costing about 20-30 FPS, which suggests the CPU can feed the GPU fast enough at this resolution.

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates drop significantly but remain playable. At 1440p Low, the average is 109 FPS, which is identical to the 1080p High result, showing that the GPU is now the bottleneck. At 1440p Medium, the average is 90 FPS, and at High, it falls to 69 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 52 FPS, which is a noticeable drop from the 81 FPS seen at 1080p Ultra. The gap between 1080p and 1440p at the same settings is roughly 30-35% on average, which aligns with the pixel count increase of 78% — the GPU is not scaling perfectly, but it is handling the additional load.

At 4K, the performance falls off a cliff. The 3840x2160 resolution has 2.25 times the pixels of 1440p, and the data reflects this. At 4K Low, the average FPS is 57, which is about half of the 1080p Low result. At 4K Medium, it drops to 47 FPS, with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 54 FPS. The High preset at 4K averages 36 FPS, and Ultra is nearly unplayable at 27 FPS. This severe drop indicates that the RTX 2070 SUPER's 8 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for high-quality 4K rendering in this game. The system is clearly GPU-bound at 4K, as the CPU's performance headroom from 1080p is not being utilized.

The scaling analysis shows that the sweet spot for this combo is 1440p, where the GPU can maintain high frame rates without the CPU becoming a bottleneck. At 1080p, the system is likely CPU-bound at Low settings, but the GPU still has headroom. At 4K, the GPU is overwhelmed, and the frame rates fall below the 60 FPS threshold that most players consider smooth.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The full dataset of measured FPS provides a comprehensive view of how this combo performs across all resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low averages 173 FPS, Medium averages 141 FPS with a minimum of 120 FPS and a maximum of 163 FPS, High averages 109 FPS, and Ultra averages 81 FPS. This shows that the system can easily exceed 100 FPS at 1080p on most settings, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 2560x1440, the average frame rates are: Low at 109 FPS, Medium at 90 FPS with a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 103 FPS, High at 69 FPS, and Ultra at 52 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p offers a good balance, with an average above 90 FPS and a minimum above 75 FPS, which is comfortable for most displays. The High preset at 1440p is still playable, but the 69 FPS average might dip below 60 FPS in busy scenes, based on the trend seen in the Medium data.

At 3840x2160, the results are: Low at 57 FPS, Medium at 47 FPS with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 54 FPS, High at 36 FPS, and Ultra at 27 FPS. Only the Low preset at 4K approaches playable territory, but even that is below the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset at 4K has a minimum of 40 FPS, which could cause stuttering in fast action. The High and Ultra presets are not recommended at 4K, as the frame rates are too low for a smooth experience.

The data also reveals that the minimum FPS values are only recorded for the Medium preset at each resolution, which helps gauge frame consistency. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 120 FPS, which is excellent. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 76 FPS, which is still solid. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 40 FPS, which is borderline. This suggests that the Medium preset is the most stable across all resolutions, with the minimum frame rates being within 15-20% of the average.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Dave The Diver at 60 FPS on a 1440p monitor?

A: Yes, the measured data shows that at 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 109 FPS, the Medium preset averages 90 FPS, and the High preset averages 69 FPS. All three exceed the 60 FPS threshold, so players can choose a preset based on visual quality preference.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the frame rates are high across all settings, with the Low preset hitting 173 FPS. This indicates the GPU is not the primary bottleneck, and the CPU's single-core performance is sufficient to feed the GPU. The system is likely CPU-bound at 1080p Low, but the GPU becomes the limiter as settings increase.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain a consistent 60+ FPS?

A: The 1440p resolution is the sweet spot. At 2560x1440, all presets except Ultra average above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 52 FPS, so sticking to High or below is recommended for a stable 60 FPS experience.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 20282. It trails the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M by 1%, the RTX 3070 Mobile by 1.2%, the Intel Arc B570 by 1.3%, and the Intel Arc A750 by 1.5%. These differences are minimal and unlikely to cause noticeable gameplay differences.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this hardware in Dave The Diver?

A: No, 4K is not viable for a smooth experience. At 3840x2160, the High preset averages 36 FPSaine the Ultra preset averages 27 FPS. Only the Low preset at 4K reaches 57 FPS, which is still below the 60 FPS targetchers. The GPU's 8 GB VRAM and bandwidth are insufficient for high-quality 4K rendering in this title.

Q: What does the Medium preset offer in terms of frame consistency?

A: The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum FPS values. At 1080p, the minimum is 120 FPS; at 1440p, it is 76 FPS; and at 4K, it is 40 FPS. This shows excellent consistency at lower resolutions, but at 4K, the minimum can dip to unplayable levels.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combination of CPU and GPU depends heavily on the target resolution. For 1080p displays, the High preset is the best choice, averaging 109 FPS. This provides a significant visual upgrade over Medium without sacrificing frame rate, as the system still has ample headroom. The Ultra preset at 1080p averages 81 FPS, which is also playable, but the visual difference between High and Ultra is often subtle, and the 28 FPS drop may not be worth it. For players with 144Hz or higher refresh rate monitors, the Medium preset at 1080p, averaging 141 FPS, is the best option to stay above the refresh rate.

At 1440p, the High preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, averaging 69 FPS. This is just above the 60 FPS target, and the minimum FPS is likely to stay in the mid-50s based on the Medium preset's minimum of 76 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 90 FPS, which is a more comfortable margin for 60Hz displays and allows for some headroom. The Ultra preset at 1440p, averaging 52 FPS, is not recommended, as it falls below the 60 FPS threshold and could cause noticeable stuttering in busy scenes.

For 4K displays, the options are limited. The Low preset at 4K averages 57 FPS, which is close to 60 FPS but may not be consistent, as the Medium preset's minimum is 40 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K averages 47 FPS, which is playable for slower-paced games like Dave The Diver, but the minimum of 40 FPS could be jarring during fast transitions. The High and Ultra presets at 4K are not viable, with averages of 36 FPS and 27 FPS respectively. The data suggests that 4K is not the intended resolution for this hardware, and players should either lower the resolution to 1440p or accept a significant reduction in settings.

The overall recommendation is to prioritize 1440p with the High preset for the best mix of image quality and smooth gameplay. This preset delivers an average of 69 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS standard, and the system's CPU headroom ensures that frame times remain stable. If a higher frame rate is desired, the Medium preset at 1440p provides 90 FPS, which is ideal for 144Hz monitors. At 1080p, the system is overqualified, and even the Ultra preset is playable, but the High preset offers the best value in terms of performance per visual quality. The RTX 2070 SUPER's 8 GB VRAM is adequate for this game at 1080p and 1440p, and the i5-14400F's single-core performance is sufficient to avoid bottlenecks at these resolutions.