Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver, an Adventure title released on 2023-06-27, presents a fascinating case study when paired with the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER. The measured data reveals a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at lower resolutions, but the CPU begins to assert its influence as the resolution drops. This combination, ranking 542 out of 1626 tested combos, offers a clear window into how a dated processor interacts with a modern, high-end graphics card.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS deltas across resolutions tell a clear story about where the bottleneck resides. At 1080p High, the combo delivers 197.1 FPS, which climbs to 181.3 FPS at 1440p High, and then falls to 155.3 FPS at 4K High. The scaling from 1440p to 4K shows a 14.3% performance drop, which is substantial but not catastrophic. Interestingly, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is only 8.0%, which is surprisingly small for a resolution increase that requires rendering 1.78 times the pixels. This suggests that at 1080p, the system is already hitting a ceiling that isn't purely GPU-related, as the expected load increase from higher pixel counts is being partially absorbed elsewhere.

The data implies that the RTX 4080 SUPER is not being fully utilized at 1080p. The difference between 1080p and 1440p scores is minor, indicating that the CPU is likely limiting the frame rate at the lower resolution. At 4K, the GPU's workload becomes the dominant factor, and the frame rate scales more predictably with the increased graphical load. This pattern is consistent across all settings presets, where the gap between 1080p and 1440p is consistently tighter than the gap between 1440p and 4K, pointing to a system that transitions from a CPU-limited state to a GPU-limited state as resolution increases.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread processor from the Coffee Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. Its benchmark scores place it in the 50th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 2305. In the context of this game, the CPU's role is most evident in the 1080p results, where the frame rates across different settings are relatively close. For instance, at 1080p, the difference between Low (219.8 FPS) and Ultra (189.1 FPS) is only 30.7 FPS, suggesting that the CPU is preventing the GPU from stretching its legs even at the lowest settings.

The processor's 6 threads are adequate for modern gaming, but the lack of hyper-threading is a limiting factor. When comparing to its nearest rivals, the i5-9400 sits very close to the Intel Core i3-10305, which has an average score of 2300 (a 0.2% difference), and the Intel Core i7-8809G, which scores 2319 (a -0.6% difference). This indicates that the i5-9400 is performing exactly as expected for its class, but it is not a high-end part. The data suggests that in Dave The Diver, the CPU's single-thread performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1125, is sufficient to maintain high frame rates, but the overall ceiling at 1080p is capped by the processor's multi-threaded capabilities.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the star of this show, featuring 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s. Its boost clock is 2550 MHz, and it carries 10240 shading units. The GPU's benchmark performance is strong, sitting in the 88th percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 53610. In Dave The Diver, the GPU's dominance is clear at 4K, where it still manages to push 134.3 FPS at Ultra settings, a figure that would be considered high for many other titles.

The GPU's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, has an average score of 53489, which is only 0.2% lower, indicating that the RTX 4080 SUPER is at the top of its class. The 16 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for this game, even at 4K Ultra, as the data does not show any signs of memory-related performance drops. The GPU's role is to provide the headroom that the CPU cannot, and the 4K results demonstrate this perfectly, where the frame rates scale more dramatically with settings changes, showing that the GPU is the primary determinant of performance at that resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the best experience depends heavily on the target resolution. At 4K, the High preset at 155.3 FPS is the sweet spot, as it offers a 21.0 FPS improvement over Ultra (134.3 FPS) while only sacrificing a small amount of visual fidelity compared to the 172.2 FPS Low preset. The jump from High to Ultra costs 21.0 FPS, which is a significant penalty for what is likely a marginal visual gain. At 1440p, the Medium preset at 185.7 FPS provides a balanced experience, but the High preset at 181.3 FPS is nearly as fast and likely looks better. The data shows that Ultra at 1440p (170 FPS) is still very playable, but the 15.7 FPS difference between High and Ultra is not worth it for most users.

At 1080p, the story changes. The Low preset hits 219.8 FPS, but the High preset at 197.1 FPS is only 22.7 FPS slower and offers much better visuals. The Ultra preset at 189.1 FPS is also viable, but the 8.0 FPS difference between High and Ultra is minimal, making High the recommended choice for a smooth experience without unnecessary GPU load. Across all resolutions, the Low preset is never the best choice unless the user has a 240 Hz monitor and is desperate for every last frame, as the gains over High are relatively small.

FAQ

Q: Why does the frame rate difference between 1080p and 1440p shrink at higher settings?

A: At 1080p High, the system achieves 197.1 FPS, while at 1440p High it drops to 181.3 FPS, a 15.8 FPS difference. At Ultra, the gap narrows to 19.1 FPS (189.1 vs 170), but the percentage drop is similar. This indicates that the CPU is the limiting factor at lower resolutions, as the GPU has enough headroom to render more pixels without a proportional FPS loss.

Q: Is the RTX 4080 SUPER overkill for this game?

A: The data shows that even at 4K Ultra, the combo achieves 134.3 FPS, which is very high. The GPU's 88th percentile ranking and its proximity to the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (0.2% difference) suggest it is a top-tier card. However, in this game, it is clearly not being fully utilized at 1080p, where the CPU limits performance.

Q: How does the CPU affect 4K performance?

A: At 4K, the CPU's influence is minimized, as the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The 4K High score of 155.3 FPS is much lower than the 1080p High score of 197.1 FPS, showing that the GPU's workload is the primary driver of frame rate at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the best setting for a 144 Hz monitor at 1440p?

A: The High preset at 1440p delivers 181.3 FPS, which comfortably exceeds a 144 Hz refresh rate. The Ultra preset at 170 FPS also works, but the 11.3 FPS difference is not worth the extra graphical load, so High is recommended.

Q: Does the 16 GB VRAM ever become a problem?

A: The measured data shows no signs of VRAM-related performance drops, even at 4K Ultra (134.3 FPS). The 16 GB capacity is more than adequate for this adventure title.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to others?

A: This combination ranks 542 out of 1626 tested combos, placing it in the top third of all tested systems. This rank reflects the strong GPU performance being partially held back by the mid-range CPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the frame rates are consistently high, starting with Low at 219.8 FPS, Medium at 207.3 FPS, High at 197.1 FPS, and Ultra at 189.1 FPS. The scaling is smooth, with a 30.7 FPS spread between the lowest and highest settings. Moving to 2560x1440, the results are still impressive: Low hits 200.5 FPS, Medium 185.7 FPS, High 181.3 FPS, and Ultra 170 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent, but the system remains well above 60 FPS at all times.

At 3840x2160, the GPU truly takes over. Low achieves 172.2 FPS, Medium 164.5 FPS, High 155.3 FPS, and Ultra 134.3 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra widens to 37.9 FPS, showing that the GPU is now the limiting factor, and the CPU's role has diminished. The data shows that this system is capable of 4K gaming at high refresh rates, with even the most demanding preset staying above 130 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra at each resolution shows a consistent pattern, but the absolute frame rates at 4K indicate that the GPU is the primary driver of performance there.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-9400 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER combination ranks 542 out of 1626 tested combos in Dave The Diver, placing it in the 66.7th percentile of all systems tested. This rank is surprisingly high for a CPU that is only in the 50th percentile of all processors, highlighting the GPU's dominance in this title. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i3-10305 (0.2% faster) and the Intel Xeon E-2134 (0.4% faster), show that the processor is not a standout, but it doesn't need to be for this game.

The GPU's ranking, in the 88th percentile, is the primary driver of this combo's success. Its closest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, is only 0.2% slower, which means the RTX 4080 SUPER is near the top of the GPU hierarchy. The high rank of 542 out of 1626 suggests that this system is well above average, but it's not in the top tier. This is likely due to the CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions, which prevents the system from achieving the highest possible frame rates. The data implies that if the CPU were upgraded to a more modern part, this combo could easily move into the top 200, as the GPU has the headroom to push much higher frame rates.