Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver is not a demanding title by modern standards, and the benchmark results for the Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER reflect that, with all tested settings at 4K remaining well above the 60 FPS threshold. The data shows a performance curve that is primarily dictated by the GPU, but with a noticeable ceiling imposed by the six-core processor at lower resolutions. Across the board, this combination delivers a flawless experience for the game’s pixel-art aesthetic, though the scaling pattern reveals a system that is increasingly GPU-bound as resolution climbs.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frames per second (FPS) data shows a clear and predictable drop as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the High preset, the average FPS falls from 198 at 1080p to 180 at 1440p, and finally to 134 at 4K. This represents a 32% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K, which is a significant but expected decline for a game that relies heavily on the graphics processor for rendering. The drop from 1440p to 4K is steeper, at roughly 25%, indicating that the GPU is working progressively harder to fill the additional pixels.

When examining the Low preset, the scaling pattern changes character. At 1080p Low, the system produces 219 FPS, which drops to 199 FPS at 1440p and 174 FPS at 4K. The percentage decline from 1080p to 4K is about 20%, which is smaller than the drop seen at High settings. This suggests that at Low settings, the processor’s capability is beginning to limit the frame rate at lower resolutions, preventing the GPU from reaching its full potential. The 1080p Low result of 219 FPS is only 10% higher than the 1440p Low result, a small margin that points to a CPU bottleneck rather than a pure GPU limitation.

The Medium preset offers the most complete data, including minimum and maximum FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the average is 206 FPS with a minimum of 175 and a maximum of 237. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 187 FPS, with a minimum of 159 and a maximum of 215. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 150 FPS, with a minimum of 127 and a maximum of 172. The spread between minimum and maximum FPS widens slightly at 4K, which indicates that frame pacing becomes less consistent under heavier GPU load, but the minimums remain far above any playability concern.

The Ultra preset shows the largest resolution penalty, with average FPS falling from 189 at 1080p to 172 at 1440p and 118 at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is 37% lower than the 1080p Ultra result, which is the steepest decline across all presets. This indicates that the Ultra preset introduces effects that are particularly demanding at high pixel counts, making the GPU the sole limiting factor. Overall, the resolution scaling data suggests that the RTX 4070 SUPER is the primary performance driver, but the i5-9400 begins to show its age at 1080p, where the frame rate gains from reducing resolution are muted compared to what a more modern processor would allow.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications explain the high frame rates observed. The GPU features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s, which is more than sufficient for a game like Dave The Diver, which does not feature large, high-resolution textures typical of AAA titles. The memory clock runs at 1313 MHz, or 21 Gbps effective, and the GPU’s boost clock of 2475 MHz provides ample compute throughput for the game’s 2D-style rendering.

The GPU’s compute capabilities are substantial, with 7168 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output units. The FP32 performance is rated at 35.48 TFLOPS, and the pixel rate is 198.0 GPixel/s, which explains why even at 4K Ultra the game maintains an average of 118 FPS. The RTX 4070 SUPER’s 56 ray tracing cores and 224 tensor cores are largely irrelevant for this title, as Dave The Diver does not utilize ray tracing or DLSS-based upscaling in the measured data, but they do not detract from the raw rasterization performance.

The GPU’s benchmark scores corroborate its strong standing. Its Passmark G3D score is 29995, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 4627, placing it in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 172795 and Vulkan score of 205624 further confirm its compute prowess. Compared to its nearest rivals, the RTX 4070 SUPER is essentially tied with the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB, showing a deltaPct of -0.1, and it is 1% ahead of the GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile. This level of performance is far beyond what Dave The Diver requires, meaning the GPU is never the bottleneck at any resolution tested, except for the most extreme 4K Ultra settings where it still delivers a playable frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Dave The Diver, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-9400 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER ranks 1217 out of 3710 total combinations. This places it in the 67th percentile of all tested combos, which is a solid result given that the processor is a relatively older six-core part. The rank is likely boosted by the GPU’s high performance, but it is held back by the CPU’s lower average benchmark score relative to other processors paired with similar graphics cards.

The CPU’s average benchmark score is 2254, which places it in the 47th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals show a tight cluster of performance: the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259 (0.2% higher), the Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248 (0.3% lower), the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246 (0.4% lower), and the Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264 (0.4% higher). This indicates that the i5-9400 is a mid-pack processor, and in a game like Dave The Diver, which is not heavily threaded, its six cores and six threads are adequate but not exceptional.

The combo rank of 1217 out of 3710 suggests that there are many other combinations that deliver higher frame rates in this game, likely featuring newer processors with higher single-thread performance. However, the actual measured FPS shows that this combo rarely dips below 118 FPS even at 4K Ultra, so the rank is more indicative of relative performance against other hardware than of any practical deficiency. In practical terms, the combo is overkill for the game, and the rank reflects that the GPU is carrying the load while the CPU holds back the absolute maximum frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The average FPS is 198, which is well above the refresh rate of most monitors and indicates a smooth experience.

Q: How much does the average FPS drop from 1440p to 4K at the Ultra preset?

A: The average FPS drops from 172 at 1440p to 118 at 4K, a reduction of 54 FPS or about 31%.

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

A: The data suggests the CPU is the limiting factor, as the average FPS of 219 at 1080p Low is only 10% higher than the 199 FPS at 1440p Low, indicating a bottleneck that prevents the GPU from scaling with lower resolution.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 4K Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS is 127, which ensures that frame drops are rare and never reach a level that would cause stutter.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-9400 compare to its closest rival, the Intel Core i3-10305?

A: The i3-10305 has an average benchmark score of 2264, which is 0.4% higher than the i5-9400’s score of 2254, indicating nearly identical performance.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested combinations for Dave The Diver?

A: It ranks 1217 out of 3710 combinations, placing it in the top third of all tested systems.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture, built on Intel’s 14 nm process. Its base clock is 2.90 GHz, and it boosts to 4.10 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The processor has 9 MB of shared L3 cache, and it supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration, providing a memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. For a game like Dave The Diver, which is not demanding on multi-threaded workloads, this configuration is adequate, but the lack of hyper-threading means that the processor’s six threads are all that is available.

The CPU’s benchmark scores show its capability. In Cinebench R23, it scores 6629 in multi-core and 935 in single-core. The Geekbench multi-core score is 5141, and single-core is 1389. These scores place the processor in the 47th percentile of all CPUs, which is a mid-range position. The nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, has a nearly identical average score of 2259, which is 0.2% higher, confirming that the i5-9400 is competitive with other older desktop and mobile parts.

In the context of Dave The Diver, the CPU’s single-core performance is the most relevant metric, as the game’s logic and physics are likely not heavily threaded. The single-core Geekbench score of 1389 is modest by modern standards, and this is reflected in the 1080p Low results, where the frame rate caps at 219 FPS. At higher resolutions, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and the CPU’s limitations are masked. The data shows that the CPU does not prevent the game from being highly playable, but it does prevent the system from achieving the extremely high frame rates that a newer processor might allow at 1080p.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal balance of visual quality and performance is achieved at the High preset. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 198, which is only 21 FPS lower than the Low preset but offers significantly better visual fidelity. At 1440p High, the average FPS is 180, which is still above the 144 Hz refresh rate of many gaming monitors, providing a fluid experience. Even at 4K High, the average FPS of 134 is well above the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay.

The Medium preset offers a slight performance increase over High, with an average FPS of 206 at 1080p, 187 at 1440p, and 150 at 4K. The minimum FPS values at Medium are also solid, with 175 at 1080p, 159 at 1440p, and 127 at 4K. However, the visual difference between Medium and High is likely to be more noticeable in a game with detailed pixel art, making High the better choice for most users. The Ultra preset does provide the highest visual quality, but the performance cost is significant, especially at 4K, where the average FPS drops to 118.

For users with a 1080p or 1440p monitor, the High preset is the recommended setting, as it delivers frame rates that exceed 180 FPS and leaves headroom for any potential frame drops. For 4K users, the High preset is also recommended, as the 134 FPS average is more than sufficient, and the drop to Ultra is not worth the 16 FPS loss. The Low preset is only advisable for users seeking the absolute maximum frame rate, likely for competitive play or use with a very high refresh rate display, but the gains over High are marginal, ranging from 21 FPS at 1080p to 40 FPS at 4K. Overall, the data indicates that High settings provide the best experience, balancing visual quality with the high performance that this hardware combo is capable of delivering.