Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver, an adventure title released in 2023, shows remarkably scalable performance on the Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 combination. The measured data indicates this pairing is capable of delivering high frame rates across all tested resolutions, with the RTX 5050 providing the graphical muscle and the i5-14600K offering ample processing headroom. The overall combination ranks 1725 out of 2867 tested configurations in this game, placing it in the upper-middle tier of potential systems.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and features a GB207 chip manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. This GPU operates with a base clock of 2317 MHz and a boost clock of 2572 MHz, which allows it to sustain high performance in Dave The Diver's stylized underwater environments. The card is equipped with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth. For a game like Dave The Diver, which does not demand the massive texture pools of AAA shooters, this memory configuration proves sufficient to maintain smooth performance even at elevated settings.

The RTX 5050's raw throughput metrics help explain its frame rate delivery. The GPU has 2560 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs, which work together to process the game's pixel and texture workloads. It achieves a pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 205.8 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance rated at 13.17 TFLOPS. These specifications translate directly into the measured results: at 1080p Ultra, the card pushes 136 average FPS, while dropping to Low settings increases that to 206 average FPS. The performance scaling between settings is nearly linear, suggesting the GPU is the primary driver of frame rate differences when resolution stays constant.

In terms of comparative standing, the RTX 5050 sits at the 66th percentile among all GPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score of 21035 places it in a tight cluster with competitors. The AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL scores 21153, a delta of -0.6%, while the AMD Radeon HD 8970M achieves 21237, a delta of -1%. The AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT is 1.6% behind with 20713, and the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile leads the group at 21379, a delta of -1.6%. This indicates the RTX 5050 is competitive with these older or mobile-oriented parts, though it brings modern features like DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4 support to the table.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS data for Dave The Diver reveals a clear hierarchy across the four settings presets, and the optimal choice depends heavily on the target display resolution. At 1080p, all presets deliver playable performance, with Medium hitting 172 average FPS and High reaching 154 average FPS. The jump to Ultra drops performance to 136 average FPS, which is still exceptionally smooth for this adventure title. For players with standard 60 Hz or 144 Hz monitors, the High preset offers an excellent balance, providing 154 average FPS without the minor frame time inconsistencies that can appear at Ultra.

Moving to 1440p, the performance curve steepens. The High preset delivers 116 average FPS, which remains well above the threshold for smooth gameplay. Medium produces 129 average FPS, while Low reaches 155 average FPS. Ultra drops to 102 average FPS, which is still perfectly playable but represents a 12% reduction from High. For 1440p displays, the High preset is the recommended starting point, as it maintains high frame rates while likely preserving most of the visual fidelity that makes Dave The Diver's pixel-art style charming.

At 4K resolution, the RTX 5050 begins to show its limits. The High preset manages 77 average FPS, which is just enough for a smooth experience on a 60 Hz display. Medium delivers 87 average FPS with minimums of 74 and maximums of 100, indicating some frame time variance. Low reaches 104 average FPS, while Ultra falls to 68 average FPS. For 4K, the Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot, as it offers a 13% improvement over High while still maintaining visual quality above the Low preset. The data shows that Ultra at 4K is the only configuration that dips below 70 average FPS, making it the least desirable choice for this combination.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, featuring 20 threads and a base clock of 3.50 GHz that boosts up to 5.30 GHz. This processor has a 24 MB shared L3 cache and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration. For Dave The Diver, which is not traditionally considered a CPU-intensive title, this processor provides substantial headroom, as evidenced by the consistent frame rate scaling across resolutions.

The i5-14600K's benchmark performance confirms its capability. In Cinebench R23, it scores 24491 in multi-core and 2064 in single-core tests. Geekbench results show 16673 multi-core and 2491 single-core scores. The PassMark multithread score of 38682 and single thread score of 4270 further demonstrate its strength. The processor sits at the 90th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48618. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H at 48698 (-0.2% delta), the AMD EPYC 4345P at 48470 (0.3% delta), and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX at 48287 (0.7% delta).

In the context of Dave The Diver, the CPU's role becomes apparent when examining the FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p High, the system produces 154 average FPS. At 1440p High, it drops to 116 average FPS, and at 4K High, it falls to 77 average FPS. This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU becomes progressively more limiting as resolution increases, while the CPU maintains sufficient throughput to avoid becoming a bottleneck even at lower resolutions where frame rates are highest. The i5-14600K's high single-thread performance, evidenced by its 2064 Cinebench R23 single-core score, is particularly relevant for a game that may rely on a single main thread for game logic.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this CPU and GPU combination in Dave The Diver?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 206, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This demonstrates the headroom available when graphical demands are minimized.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its nearest rival in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 5050 has an average benchmark score of 21035, while its closest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, scores 21153, a delta of -0.6%. The NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile leads the rival group with 21379, a delta of -1.6% from the RTX 5050.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers 155 average FPS, while the Ultra preset delivers 102 average FPS. This represents a 53 FPS difference, or approximately a 34% reduction in performance when moving from Low to Ultra.

Q: Which resolution and settings combination provides the most consistent frame pacing?

A: The data shows that Medium settings at all three resolutions include min and max FPS values, indicating frame pacing metrics were tracked. At 1920x1080 Medium, the range is 146 to 198 FPS; at 2560x1440 Medium, it is 110 to 149 FPS; and at 3840x2160 Medium, it is 74 to 100 FPS.

Q: How does the i5-14600K's single-core performance compare to its multi-core performance in Cinebench R23?

A: The i5-14600K scores 2064 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 24491 in multi-core. The multi-core score is approximately 11.9 times higher, reflecting the processor's 14 cores and 20 threads working together.

Q: Is the RTX 5050 more or less powerful than the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT based on average scores?

A: The RTX 5050 has an average score of 21035, which is 1.6% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT's score of 20713. This indicates the RTX 5050 holds a slight performance advantage in general benchmarks.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data across resolutions provides a clear picture of where the bottleneck lies in this system. At High settings, the progression from 1080p to 1440p to 4K shows average FPS of 154, 116, and 77 respectively. This represents a 25% drop from 1080p to 1440p, followed by a 34% drop from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is not perfectly linear, which suggests the GPU is being increasingly taxed as pixel count grows.

When examining Low settings, the same trend appears but with higher absolute values: 206 average FPS at 1080p, 155 at 1440p, and 104 at 4K. The percentage drops are steeper in relative terms, with a 25% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 33% reduction from 1440p to 4K. This consistent pattern across settings indicates that the RTX 5050's rendering capabilities are the primary constraint as resolution increases.

The fact that performance drops significantly from 1080p to 4K—by roughly 50% at High settings and 50% at Low settings—points to the GPU being the limiting component at higher resolutions. The i5-14600K, with its high single-thread and multi-thread scores, does not appear to be a constraint even at 1080p where frame rates exceed 200 FPS. The CPU's benchmark percentile of 90 places it well above the GPU's 66th percentile, reinforcing the interpretation that the GPU is the bottleneck in this pairing.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The complete measured FPS data for Dave The Diver with the Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is as follows:

At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 206 average FPS. The Medium preset produces 172 average FPS with a minimum of 146 and maximum of 198. The High preset delivers 154 average FPS, and the Ultra preset reaches 136 average FPS. This resolution offers the highest overall performance, with all presets comfortably exceeding 130 FPS.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but shows the expected reduction. The Low preset delivers 155 average FPS. The Medium preset achieves 129 average FPS with a minimum of 110 and maximum of 149. The High preset produces 116 average FPS, and the Ultra preset reaches 102 average FPS. All presets at this resolution stay above 100 FPS, making 1440p a viable option for high-refresh-rate displays.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 5050 begins to show its limits. The Low preset delivers 104 average FPS. The Medium preset achieves 87 average FPS with a minimum of 74 and maximum of 100. The High preset produces 77 average FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 68 average FPS. While the Low preset remains above 100 FPS, the Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration that falls below 70 average FPS, making it the most demanding scenario in the measured data.

The Medium settings at each resolution are the only ones with complete min and max FPS data, providing insight into frame time consistency. At 1080p, the range spans 146 to 198 FPS; at 1440p, it spans 110 to 149 FPS; and at 4K, it spans 74 to 100 FPS. The narrower ranges relative to average FPS at higher resolutions suggest that frame pacing becomes more consistent as the GPU workload increases, likely due to reduced CPU-side variability.