Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver, a 2023 adventure title, presents an interesting case study for the Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Arc B580 pairing. The benchmark data reveals a system that is surprisingly capable at high resolutions, yet the frame rate scaling suggests a complex interplay between the CPU's older architecture and the GPU's modern design. The measured results show this combo achieving a rank of 2780 out of 3710 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle tier of all systems, a position that hints at significant untapped potential depending on the workload.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is telling. At 1080p with Medium settings, the system averages 158 FPS, and at 1440p it drops to 119 FPS, a 24.7% reduction. Moving to 2160p, the average falls to 80 FPS, a further 32.8% decrease from the 1440p result. This steep decline as resolution increases suggests the rendering load is scaling heavily with pixel count, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions.

However, the story is more nuanced when examining the Low settings preset. Here, the system achieves 189 FPS at 1080p, 142 FPS at 1440p, and 95 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is a substantial 49.7%, which is a larger relative decrease than what is seen in the Medium preset (49.4% from 158 to 80). This indicates that at lower graphical fidelity, the CPU is more likely to become a limiting factor, preventing the GPU from fully stretching its legs at lower pixel counts, while at 4K the GPU workload becomes the primary bottleneck.

The data implies that the Intel Core i5-9400, with its 6 cores and 6 threads, is able to feed the Arc B580 adequately at 1440p and 4K, but the CPU's age becomes more apparent at 1080p where the demand for higher frame rates outpaces its processing capability. The fact that the 4K Ultra preset still manages 63 FPS is impressive, but the scaling pattern across all settings suggests that the system is not purely GPU-limited at the lower resolution; the CPU is leaving performance on the table, preventing the B580 from reaching its full potential in lighter scenes.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a Coffee Lake architecture chip from 2018, featuring 6 cores and 6 threads with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. Its benchmark scores are modest, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 6629 and a single-core score of 935, placing it in the 47th percentile of all CPUs. This indicates a processor that was mid-range at its launch and has since been surpassed by newer generations, yet its six physical cores are still relevant for modern gaming.

In the context of Dave The Diver, the CPU's role appears to be one of enabling rather than dominating. The 4K High preset yields 71 FPS, while the 4K Low preset yields 95 FPS, a 33.8% increase in performance. This gap is largely due to the reduced GPU load at Low settings, which allows the CPU to push more frames. However, the fact that this gap exists suggests the i5-9400 is not the absolute bottleneck, as a severely CPU-limited scenario would show a smaller difference between presets at the same resolution.

The CPU's performance is closely matched with its nearest rivals in the database, such as the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (0.2% slower) and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (0.4% faster). This places it in a performance band where its 6-core, 6-thread configuration is adequate for the game's demands, but it lacks the multi-threading headroom of more modern chips. The data suggests that while the CPU is capable of sustaining playable frame rates, it is likely the reason why the system cannot achieve the higher refresh rates that the GPU might otherwise permit at 1080p.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B580 is a significantly more modern component, built on the Xe2-HPG architecture with a 5 nm process. It features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is listed at 2670 MHz, and it has 2560 shading units. The GPU's benchmark scores are strong, with a Geekbench Vulkan score of 109672 and a Passmark G3D score of 15748, placing it in the 68th percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU's performance in Dave The Diver is impressive, particularly at higher resolutions. The 4K Medium preset achieves an average of 80 FPS, which is a very playable result, and even the 4K Ultra preset manages 63 FPS. This indicates that the B580's memory bandwidth and raw compute power are well-suited for the game's visual demands at 2160p. The GPU's closest rivals in the database, such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (0.6% faster) and the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (0.2% slower), further contextualize its performance tier.

The dual-slot card with a 190W TDP and a suggested 450W PSU demonstrates that it is a power-hungry component for its class. The data shows that the GPU is the primary driver of frame rates at 4K, as evidenced by the consistent scaling from Low to Ultra settings at that resolution. At 1080p, the GPU is less stressed, which allows the CPU's limitations to surface, but the B580 still delivers excellent results, with a 1080p Ultra average of 124 FPS. The GPU's role is clearly to provide high-fidelity visuals without sacrificing playability, a task it accomplishes admirably in this title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Arc B580 achieves a rank of 2780 out of 3710 tested combos in Dave The Diver. This places it in the 75th percentile of all systems, meaning it outperforms the majority of tested configurations, but it is far from the top tier. The ranking suggests that while the individual components are capable, the pairing is not optimized for maximum performance in this specific game.

The CPU's 47th percentile rank and the GPU's 68th percentile rank are telling. The GPU is significantly stronger than the CPU relative to their respective pools, which creates a bottleneck where the CPU is more likely to limit the system's overall performance in CPU-sensitive scenarios. The combo rank being lower than the GPU's individual rank confirms this imbalance. The data implies that a more modern CPU would likely push this combo higher in the rankings, as the GPU clearly has more headroom to offer.

When compared to the nearest rival combos, the data shows the i5-9400 is nearly identical in average score to the i7-1068NG7 (0.2% difference) and the i7-10710U (0.3% difference). This indicates that the system's performance is tightly clustered with other older 6-core CPUs. The ranking is respectable, but it is a clear indication that this system is built for solid 1440p and entry-level 4K gaming, rather than high-refresh-rate 1080p competition.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a detailed picture of the system's performance across different settings and resolutions. At 1080p, the system delivers an average of 189 FPS on Low, 158 FPS on Medium, 141 FPS on High, and 124 FPS on Ultra settings. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 134 FPS and a maximum of 182 FPS, indicating a stable experience with minor fluctuations.

Moving to 1440p, the averages drop to 142 FPS on Low, 119 FPS on Medium, 106 FPS on High, and 94 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset again provides more detail, with a minimum of 101 FPS and a maximum of 137 FPS. At 4K, the system averages 95 FPS on Low, 80 FPS on Medium, 71 FPS on High, and 63 FPS on Ultra. The 4K Medium preset shows a minimum of 68 FPS and a maximum of 92 FPS.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: each step up in settings costs roughly 10-15% performance at any given resolution. The jump from Low to Ultra at 1080p represents a 34.4% decrease in frame rate, while the same jump at 4K represents a 33.7% decrease. This consistency suggests that the game's settings scale linearly with GPU load, and the system handles all presets without any sudden drops or instability, as evidenced by the minimum frame rates staying above 60 FPS in all Medium preset tests.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal balance between visual quality and performance is achieved with the High preset at 1440p, which yields an average of 106 FPS. This provides a smooth experience on high-refresh-rate monitors while maintaining significant visual fidelity over the Medium preset. For users with 4K displays, the High preset at 71 FPS is also a strong choice, though the Medium preset at 80 FPS is more forgiving for maintaining a consistent 60+ FPS experience.

At 1080p, the Ultra preset is the clear winner, delivering 124 FPS, which is more than sufficient for most displays. The Ultra preset at 1440p also remains playable at 94 FPS, making it a viable option for those who prioritize image quality over raw speed. The data suggests avoiding the Low preset at any resolution, as the frame rate gains are marginal compared to the significant loss in visual quality, especially when the Medium preset already provides a substantial performance buffer.

For the most demanding users, the 4K Ultra preset at 63 FPS is on the edge of playability, but the 4K Medium preset at 80 FPS offers a better experience with only a minor visual downgrade. The recommendation is to prioritize Medium or High settings at 4K, and Ultra settings at 1080p and 1440p, to fully utilize the system's capabilities without sacrificing smoothness.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo achieves in Dave The Diver?

A: The highest average frame rate is 189 FPS, achieved at 1080p with Low settings.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Dave The Diver?

A: Yes, the system achieves an average of 63 FPS at 4K with Ultra settings, and 80 FPS with Medium settings.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-9400 compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7?

A: The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254, which is 0.2% lower than the i7-1068NG7's score of 2259.

Q: What is the minimum frame rate recorded for the 1440p Medium preset?

A: The minimum frame rate for the 1440p Medium preset is 101 FPS.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B580's performance closer to the RTX 2080 or the RX 580?

A: The Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021, which is 0.6% slower than the RTX 2080 and 0.2% faster than the RX 580 2048SP, placing it between the two.

Q: What is the system's overall rank among all tested combinations in this game?

A: The system ranks 2780 out of 3710 tested combos, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the performance spectrum.