Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver presents an interesting case study for the Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the Intel Arc B390, as the data reveals a system that is decisively GPU-bound at higher resolutions but surprisingly capable at 1080p. The benchmark results indicate that this combination ranks 2538th out of 2867 tested combos in this game, placing it in the lower percentile of systems, yet the measured frame rates show it is perfectly playable at the most common resolution. The Intel Arc B390, with its 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 and a performance percentile of just 9, is clearly the limiting factor in this pairing, as its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710, all of which are entry-level parts. The CPU, while older, holds its own with a 47th percentile ranking among all CPUs, suggesting that the processor is not the primary bottleneck in most scenarios.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly demonstrates that the Intel Arc B390 is the dominant constraint in this system. At 1080p with High settings, the system produces an average of 81 FPS, which drops to 61 FPS at 1440p and further to 41 FPS at 4K. This represents a 24.7% performance drop when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a 49.4% drop from 1080p to 4K. The scaling pattern is consistent with a GPU that is running out of pixel throughput capability, as the Arc B390 only has a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s, which are modest figures for modern resolutions.

The relationship between resolution and performance is nearly linear, which is a classic sign of a fill-rate limited scenario. At Low settings, the system achieves 108 FPS at 1080p, 82 FPS at 1440p, and 55 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 24.1%, and from 1080p to 4K is 49.1%, almost identical to the High settings percentages. This consistency across settings indicates that the resolution itself, not the graphical complexity, is the primary factor driving the FPS decline. The Arc B390's memory being "System Shared" with bandwidth that is "System Dependent" further exacerbates the situation at higher resolutions, where more memory bandwidth is required to feed the frame buffer.

At Ultra settings, the system drops to 72 FPS at 1080p, 54 FPS at 1440p, and 36 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is particularly telling, as it falls below the 40 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for a smooth experience. The data suggests that 4K gaming with this combo is only viable at Low settings, where 55 FPS is achievable, but even that is borderline. The CPU's role in this scaling is minimal, as the i5-9400's 6 cores and 6 threads are sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but the GPU simply cannot maintain high frame rates as pixel count increases.

The measured FPS data reveals a system that is fundamentally limited by its graphics solution. The 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 places the Arc B390 at just 9% percentile among all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are all legacy or entry-level parts. This is not a GPU designed for high-resolution gaming, and the resolution scaling confirms this. The 1080p to 4K drop of roughly 50% at all settings is a textbook example of a GPU that is saturated by pixel workload, not a balanced system where both CPU and GPU share the load.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Dave The Diver at 4K?

A: Yes, but with significant compromises. At 4K Low settings, the system achieves an average of 55 FPS, which is playable. However, at 4K Medium, the average drops to 46 FPS, and at 4K High it falls to 41 FPS. At 4K Ultra, the average is only 36 FPS, which is below the smoothness threshold. The data shows that 4K is only recommended at Low settings for a consistent experience.

Q: What is the best resolution for this hardware combination?

A: The benchmark results clearly indicate that 1080p is the sweet spot. At 1080p Ultra, the system maintains an average of 72 FPS, which is smooth and visually detailed. At 1080p High, the average rises to 81 FPS, and at 1080p Low it reaches 108 FPS. The 1440p results are playable but less comfortable, with the High setting averaging 61 FPS and Ultra dropping to 54 FPS.

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

A: The Arc B390 achieves a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, scores 1463, which is 1.3% lower. The GeForce 800M scores 1460 (1.5% lower), the GT 625 OEM scores 1446 (2.5% lower), and the GT 710 scores 1443 (2.7% lower). The data shows the Arc B390 is consistently ahead of these older parts, but the margin is small.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-9400 a bottleneck in this game?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not the primary bottleneck. The i5-9400 has a 47th percentile ranking among all CPUs and its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, is only 0.2% faster in average benchmark score. In Dave The Diver, the frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a consistent drop that is attributable to the GPU, not the CPU. The CPU's 6 cores and 6 threads are sufficient for this game's demands.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the system achieves 108 FPS at Low settings and 72 FPS at Ultra settings. This is a 33.3% performance drop from Low to Ultra. The Medium setting averages 91 FPS, and High averages 81 FPS. The scaling is gradual, allowing users to fine-tune the experience based on their preference for visual fidelity versus frame rate.

Q: Should I use the Medium preset for a balanced experience?

A: Based on the measured data, the Medium preset at 1080p offers a good balance, with an average of 91 FPS and a minimum frame rate of 77 FPS. This ensures smooth gameplay without the full performance cost of High or Ultra. At 1440p, Medium averages 68 FPS with a minimum of 58 FPS, which is also reasonable. The Medium preset appears to be the most versatile option across resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 brings a solid foundation to this gaming combination, though its role in Dave The Diver is secondary to the GPU. The processor features 6 cores and 6 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. This is a Coffee Lake architecture part built on Intel's 14 nm process, and it supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration with a memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 256 KB of L2 per core, and 9 MB of shared L3 cache.

The benchmark results for the i5-9400 show a processor that is adequate but not exceptional. In Cinebench R23, it scores 6629 in multi-core and 935 in single-core tests. In Geekbench, it achieves 5141 multi-core and 1389 single-core. These scores place the CPU at a 47th percentile among all CPUs, meaning it sits just below the median. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (0.2% slower), the Intel Core i7-10710U (0.3% faster), the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (0.4% faster), and the Intel Core i3-10305 (0.4% slower). The tight grouping of these scores indicates that the i5-9400 is in a competitive performance band, but it is not a standout performer.

In the context of Dave The Diver, the CPU's 6 threads are likely sufficient for the game's logic and physics, but the data does not suggest that the CPU is pushing frame rates higher. The resolution scaling analysis shows that the FPS drops are consistent with a GPU bottleneck, not a CPU one. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see smaller performance drops at higher resolutions, as the CPU workload would remain constant while the GPU workload increased. Instead, the frame rates scale almost linearly with pixel count, which is the signature of a GPU-bound system.

The CPU's boost clock of 4.10 GHz provides adequate single-thread performance for gaming, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 935. However, the 6-core, 6-thread configuration lacks hyper-threading, which could be a limitation in more CPU-intensive games. For Dave The Diver, the data shows that the i5-9400 is not the bottleneck, but it is also not providing any headroom for future titles. The CPU's 47th percentile ranking suggests that it is an average performer, and its end-of-life production status indicates that it is a mature platform.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive picture of performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system performs admirably, with the Low preset achieving an average of 108 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 91 FPS, with a minimum of 77 FPS and a maximum of 104 FPS. High settings average 81 FPS, and Ultra settings average 72 FPS. The frame rate range at 1080p Medium, from 77 to 104 FPS, indicates that the system can maintain smooth gameplay in most scenarios, with occasional dips that are still above the 60 FPS threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. Low settings average 82 FPS, which is still smooth. Medium settings average 68 FPS, with a minimum of 58 FPS and a maximum of 78 FPS. The minimum frame rate of 58 FPS at 1440p Medium is slightly below the 60 FPS target, which may cause minor stutters in fast-paced scenes. High settings average 61 FPS, which is right at the edge of playability. Ultra settings average 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and may be noticeable to sensitive users.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain high frame rates. Low settings average 55 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. Medium settings average 46 FPS, with a minimum of 39 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS. The minimum frame rate of 39 FPS is quite low and could result in noticeable hitches. High settings average 41 FPS, which is below the 40 FPS threshold for comfortable gaming. Ultra settings average 36 FPS, which is borderline unplayable for most users.

The data reveals a clear hierarchy of performance. At 1080p, the system can handle all settings with average frame rates above 70 FPS. At 1440p, the system is limited to Low and Medium settings for smooth gameplay. At 4K, only Low settings are viable, and even then, the frame rate is marginal. The minimum frame rates, where available, show that the system can dip below the average by 15-20%, which is important for users who are sensitive to frame time consistency.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the defining component in this system's gaming performance, and the data shows it is a modest performer. The GPU is based on the Xe3-LPG architecture and is built on Intel's 3 nm process node. It features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operations units. The GPU has 12 ray tracing cores and offers a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 7.680 TFLOPS, with FP16 at 15.36 TFLOPS (2:1).

The GPU's clock speeds are set at a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 2500 MHz. The memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it uses the system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM. The memory type, bus width, and bandwidth are all listed as "System Shared" or "System Dependent," which means the GPU's memory performance is tied to the system's memory speed and configuration. In this case, the i5-9400's dual-channel DDR4 with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth is the memory subsystem that the GPU must rely on.

The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark score of 1482 places the Arc B390 in a very low performance tier. The GPU's percentile ranking is just 9, meaning it outperforms only 9% of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all older or entry-level NVIDIA parts: the GeForce GT 520MX (1463, 1.3% slower), the GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% slower), the GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% slower), and the GT 710 (1443, 2.7% slower). The Arc B390 is faster than all of these, but the margins are thin, and none of these GPUs are considered gaming-capable by modern standards.

The GPU's role in Dave The Diver is to render the game's pixel output, and the data shows that it is the limiting factor at all resolutions. The 1080p results are acceptable, but the GPU cannot scale to higher resolutions without significant frame rate drops. The system shared memory is a particular concern at 4K, where the GPU needs to access more data for the larger frame buffer, and the system's memory bandwidth becomes a bottleneck. The GPU's TDP of 80 W and integrated design (IGP) suggest it is not intended for high-end gaming, which is reflected in the measured results.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this system depend heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the best choice for users who prioritize visual quality, as it still maintains an average of 72 FPS. The High preset at 81 FPS offers a good balance, but the Ultra preset's 72 FPS is still smooth and provides the best visual experience. For users who require higher frame rates for competitive play or smoother motion, the Medium preset at 91 FPS is an excellent option, with a minimum frame rate of 77 FPS that ensures consistent performance.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, as it achieves an average of 68 FPS and a minimum of 58 FPS. The High preset at 61 FPS is also viable, but the lower minimum frame rate at Medium provides a more consistent experience. The Low preset at 82 FPS is the best choice for users who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, but the Medium preset offers a better balance between image quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 54 FPS is not recommended, as it falls below the 60 FPS threshold and may cause noticeable frame pacing issues.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only viable option, with an average of 55 FPS. The Medium preset at 46 FPS is playable but may have noticeable dips, as evidenced by the minimum frame rate of 39 FPS. The High and Ultra presets at 41 FPS and 36 FPS, respectively, are not recommended for a smooth experience. Users who want to play at 4K should stick to the Low preset and accept the visual compromises, or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for a better balance.

The data shows that the Medium preset is the most versatile option across all resolutions. At 1080p, it delivers 91 FPS with a minimum of 77 FPS; at 1440p, it delivers 68 FPS with a minimum of 58 FPS; and at 4K, it delivers 46 FPS with a minimum of 39 FPS. While the 4K Medium result is below the ideal 60 FPS target, it is still playable. For the best overall experience, users should start with the Medium preset and adjust based on their resolution and frame rate preferences. The benchmark results indicate that this system is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it can handle even the Ultra preset with acceptable performance.