Dave The Diver

# Dave The Diver — Intel Core i5-14400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070

This combination delivers an exceptionally smooth experience across all tested resolutions, with the RTX 3070 proving capable of pushing well beyond 60 FPS even at 4K Ultra. The data shows a system that is clearly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the Core i5-14400F provides ample headroom to keep frame rates high at 1080p. The measured FPS values indicate that this pairing is well-balanced for a game like Dave The Diver, where the art style and gameplay do not demand extreme hardware but the hardware still delivers headroom for high refresh rate displays.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial but not catastrophic, revealing a clear shift in the bottleneck. At 1080p High, the system averages 196 FPS, while at 1440p High it drops to 147 FPS, and at 4K High it settles at 99 FPS. This represents a 25% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 33% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The scaling pattern suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is still contributing significantly to the frame rate, but the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor as resolution increases.

Looking at the Low preset, the scaling is even more dramatic. The system hits 262 FPS at 1080p Low, 197 FPS at 1440p Low, and 132 FPS at 4K Low. The 1080p Low result of 262 FPS is particularly telling — it shows that when the GPU load is light, the CPU can feed frames at a very high rate, but the transition to 1440p Low (197 FPS) and 4K Low (132 FPS) indicates the RTX 3070’s rendering capacity is the limiting factor. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 25%, and from 1440p to 4K is 33%, which is a consistent pattern across presets.

At Medium settings, the measured FPS values with min/max data provide additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the average is 220 FPS with a min of 187 and max of 252. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 165 FPS with a min of 140 and max of 190. At 4K Medium, the average is 111 FPS with a min of 94 and max of 127. The min-to-max spread narrows as resolution increases, suggesting that frame time variance is more controlled at higher resolutions where the GPU is consistently the bottleneck.

The Ultra preset shows the most significant resolution scaling penalty. At 1080p Ultra, the system averages 173 FPS, dropping to 130 FPS at 1440p Ultra, and further to 87 FPS at 4K Ultra. The 4K Ultra result of 87 FPS is still well above the 60 FPS threshold, meaning this combination can handle even the most demanding settings at 4K. However, the data clearly indicates that the RTX 3070’s 8 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are being taxed heavily at this resolution and preset combination, as the frame rate drops by 50% from 1080p to 4K.

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. In the context of Dave The Diver, the CPU’s role is primarily to feed the GPU with enough data to maintain high frame rates, and the benchmark results indicate it does so admirably. The processor’s 20 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support (DDR4 and DDR5) contribute to its ability to handle game logic and physics without becoming a bottleneck.

The CPU’s benchmark scores provide context for its gaming performance. In Cinebench R23, it scores 21,645 in multi-core and 3,055 in single-core. The single-core score is particularly relevant for gaming, as many game engines rely heavily on single-threaded performance. The Geekbench scores of 11,268 multi-core and 2,058 single-core reinforce this profile. The PassMark multi-thread score of 25,470 and single-thread score of 3,701 further confirm that this CPU has strong per-core performance, which is essential for maintaining high frame rates in scenarios where the GPU is not fully saturated.

The CPU’s percentile ranking of 83 among all CPUs means it outperforms 83% of tested processors, placing it in the upper tier for gaming workloads. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (avg score 32,233, delta 0.1%), Intel Core i9-11900 (avg score 32,226, delta 0.2%), AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (avg score 32,354, delta -0.2%), and Intel Core i7-12800H (avg score 32,121, delta 0.5%). These deltas are all within 0.5%, indicating that the i5-14400F performs essentially on par with these competing processors in general benchmark workloads.

In Dave The Diver specifically, the CPU’s role becomes apparent when examining the 1080p Low result of 262 FPS. This frame rate is high enough that the CPU’s thread scheduling and data delivery are being tested, yet it still delivers smooth performance. The 65 W TDP and 10 nm process node make it an efficient choice, though the benchmark data does not directly tie power consumption to frame rates. The CPU’s 16 threads ensure that any background tasks or game engine threads are handled without introducing stutter, which contributes to the consistent min FPS values seen at Medium settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is built on the Ampere architecture with an 8 nm process node, featuring 5,888 shading units, 184 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a critical factor for texture streaming and rendering at higher resolutions. The GPU’s base clock of 1500 MHz and boost clock of 1725 MHz, combined with its 20.31 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, make it a capable mid-range to upper-mid-range card for this game.

The GPU’s benchmark results place it in the 61st percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17,208. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (avg score 17,083, delta 0.7%), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (avg score 17,037, delta 1%), AMD Radeon HD 7970M (avg score 17,019, delta 1.1%), and NVIDIA Tesla K40c (avg score 17,468, delta -1.5%). The positive deltas for the first three rivals indicate the RTX 3070 scores slightly higher, while the negative delta for the Tesla K40c shows it scores slightly lower, but all differences are within 1.5%.

In Dave The Diver, the GPU’s VRAM capacity becomes a consideration at 4K Ultra. The 8 GB of VRAM is sufficient for this game, as evidenced by the 87 FPS average at 4K Ultra, but it is likely operating at near capacity given the resolution and settings. The memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s helps mitigate any potential bottlenecks, allowing the card to maintain playable frame rates. The GPU’s DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) ensures compatibility with modern rendering features, though the game’s art style does not rely heavily on ray tracing or DLSS.

The RTX 3070’s PassMark G3D score of 22,214 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3,162 provide additional context for its gaming performance. The GPU’s texture rate of 317.4 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 165.6 GPixel/s are more than adequate for Dave The Diver’s 2D-style visuals with 3D depth, which tend to be less demanding than fully 3D AAA titles. This explains why the card can push 99 FPS at 4K High, a result that would be far more difficult in a graphics-heavy first-person shooter.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the system delivers its highest frame rates across all presets. The Low preset averages 262 FPS, Medium averages 220 FPS (min 187, max 252), High averages 196 FPS, and Ultra averages 173 FPS. These results indicate that at 1080p, the CPU is capable of pushing the GPU to its limits, with no preset dropping below the 60 FPS threshold. The difference between Low and Ultra is 89 FPS, which represents a 34% reduction in performance when moving to the highest preset.

At 1440p, the frame rates remain high but begin to show the GPU’s workload increasing. Low averages 197 FPS, Medium averages 165 FPS (min 140, max 190), High averages 147 FPS, and Ultra averages 130 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across presets, with the Low preset seeing the largest percentage decrease (25%). The min FPS at 1440p Medium of 140 FPS ensures that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate stays well above the refresh rate of most monitors.

At 4K, the system still delivers playable frame rates, though the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. Low averages 132 FPS, Medium averages 111 FPS (min 94, max 127), High averages 99 FPS, and Ultra averages 87 FPS. The 4K Ultra result of 87 FPS is particularly notable because it shows that this combination can handle the most demanding settings at the highest resolution, albeit with a 50% reduction from the 1080p Ultra result of 173 FPS. The min FPS of 94 at 4K Medium indicates that even the lowest frame rates remain comfortably above 60 FPS.

The data reveals a pattern: the gap between Low and Ultra widens as resolution decreases. At 1080p, the difference is 89 FPS (262 vs 173), while at 1440p it is 67 FPS (197 vs 130), and at 4K it is 45 FPS (132 vs 87). This suggests that at higher resolutions, the GPU’s rendering capacity dominates, making the preset choice less impactful on frame rates. Conversely, at 1080p, the CPU can feed frames faster, and the preset choice has a more pronounced effect.

FAQ

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K Ultra in Dave The Diver?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 87, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. Even at 4K Medium, the min FPS is 94, ensuring smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its nearest rival, the RX 7600 XT?

A: The RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 17,208, while the RX 7600 XT scores 17,083, a delta of 0.7%. This indicates the RTX 3070 is slightly faster in general benchmarks, though the difference is minimal.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combination to maximize frame rates?

A: At 1080p, the system averages between 173 FPS (Ultra) and 262 FPS (Low). For high refresh rate displays, 1080p is ideal, while 1440p still delivers 130-197 FPS across presets, and 4K remains playable at 87-132 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any resolution?

A: At 1080p Low (262 FPS), the CPU is likely contributing to the frame rate ceiling, but at higher resolutions like 1440p and 4K, the data shows the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU’s scores (e.g., 21,645 in Cinebench R23 multi-core) indicate it can handle the game’s demands adequately.

Q: Is 8 GB of VRAM sufficient for Dave The Diver at 4K?

A: Yes. The 4K Ultra preset averages 87 FPS, indicating the 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for this game’s textures and rendering requirements. The 448.0 GB/s bandwidth helps manage memory-heavy scenes effectively.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 1,588 out of 3,710 tested combinations, placing it in the upper 43% of all systems tested for this game, indicating above-average performance.

Settings Recommendations

The data suggests that the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the system averages 220 FPS (min 187, max 252), which is more than sufficient for any display, including high refresh rate monitors. The min FPS of 187 ensures that even in busy scenes, the frame rate does not dip below the refresh rate of most gaming monitors. At 1440p Medium, the average of 165 FPS (min 140, max 190) provides a smooth experience with headroom for future game updates or additional background processes.

For users with 4K displays, the Medium preset is also recommended, as it delivers 111 FPS average (min 94, max 127). This is significantly better than the Ultra preset’s 87 FPS, and the visual difference between Medium and Ultra in Dave The Diver’s stylized art style is likely minimal. The High preset is a viable alternative for those who prioritize visual fidelity, offering 99 FPS at 4K, 147 FPS at 1440p, and 196 FPS at 1080p.

The Low preset is not recommended for most users, as it sacrifices visual quality for marginal frame rate gains. At 1080p Low, the system hits 262 FPS, but this is only 19% higher than Medium and may not be noticeable on most displays. At 4K Low, the 132 FPS result is still impressive, but the visual downgrade is not worth the 21 FPS gain over Medium. The data indicates that Medium provides the most consistent experience, with min FPS values that are well above the 60 FPS threshold at all resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination ranks 1,588 out of 3,710 tested combos in Dave The Diver, placing it in the 57th percentile of all systems tested. This ranking indicates that while this is not a top-tier combination, it performs better than the majority of tested systems. The ranking is likely influenced by the fact that Dave The Diver is not a demanding game, so even mid-range hardware can achieve high frame rates, compressing the performance differences between combos.

The CPU’s 83rd percentile ranking and the GPU’s 61st percentile ranking suggest that the CPU is relatively stronger than the GPU when compared to other components. However, in this game, the GPU’s performance is more critical due to the resolution scaling patterns observed. The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U and Intel Core i9-11900, are all within 0.5% in average benchmark scores, indicating that any of these processors would likely produce similar gaming results. The GPU’s nearest rivals, including the RX 7600 XT, are also within 1.5%, suggesting that swapping to a similar-tier GPU would not dramatically change the gaming experience.

The combo’s rank of 1,588 out of 3,710 means that 2,122 tested combinations performed worse, while 1,587 performed better. This places the system in the upper half of all tested configurations, which is a solid result for a mid-range CPU and GPU pairing. The measured FPS data confirms this ranking, as the system never drops below 87 FPS at any resolution or preset, ensuring a smooth experience even at the most demanding settings. For users with high refresh rate 1080p or 1440p displays, this combination is more than adequate, and it even holds up well at 4K for this particular game.