Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver is far from a demanding title, but the benchmark data for the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 pairing reveals a configuration that is heavily skewed toward GPU dominance at every turn. The measured results show a system that delivers exceptionally high frame rates across all resolutions, yet the performance scaling between settings and resolutions indicates that the RTX 5080 is rarely, if ever, the bottleneck. The data suggests that this is a case of massive overkill for the game's engine, where the CPU and memory architecture of the i5-9400 cap the potential of the flagship GPU, particularly at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is surprisingly modest, which is the primary indicator of where the performance limit lies. At High settings, the average FPS only falls from 198.8 at 1920x1080 to 179.9 at 2560x1440, and then to 158.9 at 3840x2160. This represents a roughly 10% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a further 12% drop from 1440p to 4K. In a GPU-bound scenario, the difference between 1080p and 4K is typically much more pronounced, often exceeding 40-50%. The relatively small delta here strongly suggests that at 1080p and 1440p, the Intel Core i5-9400 is the limiting factor, preventing the RTX 5080 from reaching its full potential.

The scaling pattern across all settings confirms this. At Low settings, the average FPS moves from 218.6 at 1080p to 197.2 at 1440p and finally to 176.6 at 4K. The 4K result is 19% lower than the 1080p result, which still shows a degree of GPU involvement, but the absolute numbers are so high that the game's frame rate is likely constrained by the CPU's single-thread performance in less demanding scenes. The story changes slightly at Ultra settings, where the 4K average of 144 FPS is 23% lower than the 1080p average of 188.1. This larger delta at Ultra indicates that the increased graphical load is finally starting to engage the RTX 5080 more fully, but even then, the 4K result remains far above the 60 FPS threshold, showing that the GPU has ample headroom.

The data points to a system where the RTX 5080 is effectively idle in many scenarios. The fact that 4K High (158.9 FPS) is only slightly slower than 1080p High (198.8 FPS) means that the resolution is not the primary variable affecting performance. Instead, the game's logic and draw-call processing, which are heavily dependent on the CPU, are setting the ceiling. The benchmark results indicate that for this specific game, the RTX 5080's immense power is being held back by the six-core, six-thread i5-9400, which was released years earlier.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 achieves a rank of 539 out of 1626 tested combos for Dave The Diver. This places it in the 33rd percentile of all tested pairings, which is a surprisingly low position for a system containing one of the most powerful consumer GPUs available. The ranking suggests that while the frame rates are high, many other combinations—likely those with newer, faster CPUs—are able to achieve even higher average FPS in this title.

The discrepancy between the top-tier GPU and the mid-pack ranking is a direct consequence of the CPU bottleneck. The combo rank is not a measure of raw GPU capability but of the synergy between the processor and graphics card. In a game like Dave The Diver, which is not graphically intensive, the CPU's ability to feed the GPU becomes the deciding factor in overall performance. The i5-9400's position in the 50th percentile of all CPUs, based on its average benchmark score of 2305, reinforces this finding. It is a capable processor, but it is not in the same class as the RTX 5080, which sits in the 89th percentile of all GPUs.

This mismatch is evident when looking at the GPU's rivals. The RTX 5080's average benchmark score of 59188 is 1.6% higher than the Intel Arc A570M and 2.5% higher than the Intel Arc A580. These are significant performance gaps in synthetic tests, yet in Dave The Diver, the CPU limitation likely negates these advantages. The data suggests that pairing this GPU with a more modern, higher-core-count processor would yield a much higher combo rank, potentially moving the system from the 33rd percentile into the top tier of results.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is a behemoth of a graphics card, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process node. It features 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a massive 960.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The card's 10752 shading units and boost clock of 2617 MHz contribute to a peak FP32 performance of 56.28 TFLOPS, making it an absolute powerhouse for any modern title. In Dave The Diver, however, the GPU's role is diminished by the game's relatively simple visuals.

The measured FPS data shows that the RTX 5080 is never pushed to its limits. Even at 4K Ultra, the average frame rate of 144 FPS is far below what the card is capable of in more demanding games. The 16 GB VRAM is completely underutilized, as Dave The Diver's textures and geometry do not require a large frame buffer. The high memory bandwidth and core count are simply not stressed by this workload. The GPU's 89th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 59188, indicates its immense raw power, but the game itself does not provide the workload to harness it.

The GPU's performance is so high that it operates well within its comfort zone at all times. The difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p is only 30 FPS (218.6 vs. 188.1), which is a relatively small margin for a GPU of this class. This indicates that even at the highest settings, the RTX 5080 is not becoming the limiting factor. The GPU is capable of rendering the scene at far higher frame rates, but it is forced to wait for the CPU to provide the necessary instructions. The data clearly shows that the RTX 5080 is not the component dictating the final performance numbers in this pairing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark results provide a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 218.6 at Low settings to 188.1 at Ultra. The Medium preset delivers 207.4 FPS, while High nets 198.8 FPS. The spread of 30 FPS between the lowest and highest presets is notable, but the absolute values are all exceptionally high, ensuring a smooth experience on any 1080p display with a high refresh rate.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain remarkably high. Low settings produce an average of 197.2 FPS, Medium follows at 185.8 FPS, and High drops to 179.9 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p yields an average of 171 FPS. The performance degradation from 1080p to 1440p is relatively consistent across all presets, averaging around 10%, which again points to a stable CPU-related bottleneck rather than a GPU-related one.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 5080 begins to show a bit more of its influence. The Low preset averages 176.6 FPS, Medium is slightly lower at 167 FPS, and High comes in at 158.9 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is the most demanding configuration tested, producing an average of 144 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 32.6 FPS, which is larger than at 1080p, suggesting that the GPU's workload is becoming more significant. However, even the lowest 4K result is more than double the standard 60 FPS target, ensuring a highly fluid visual experience. The data shows that all presets at all resolutions are perfectly playable, with the only meaningful differences being the slight trade-off between visual fidelity and the highest possible refresh rates.

FAQ

Q: Is the frame rate higher at 1080p or 4K in this game?

A: The 1080p results are consistently higher, with the Low preset hitting 218.6 FPS compared to 176.6 FPS at 4K. However, the difference is surprisingly small for such a large resolution jump.

Q: Which graphics preset provides the largest performance drop?

A: The Ultra preset is the most demanding, producing an average of 188.1 FPS at 1080p and 144 FPS at 4K. This represents a 23% reduction from 1080p to 4K, which is the largest proportional drop among all presets.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-9400 compare to its nearest rivals in terms of CPU benchmark score?

A: The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2305, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i3-10305 and 0.4% higher than the Intel Xeon E-2134. It is 0.6% behind the Intel Core i7-8809G.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the RTX 5080?

A: The RTX 5080 features a 256-bit memory bus and GDDR7 memory, resulting in a total bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s.

Q: Does the RTX 5080 have more shading units than its rivals?

A: The RTX 5080 has 10752 shading units. The data does not provide shading unit counts for its nearest rivals, but its average 3DMark benchmark score of 8637 is higher than the scores of the Intel Arc A570M and Arc A580.

Q: What is the performance rank of this CPU and GPU combination in Dave The Diver?

A: The combo ranks 539th out of 1626 tested combinations, placing it in the 33rd percentile of all results for this game.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this configuration depend entirely on the user's display refresh rate. For a 1080p panel with a 240 Hz refresh rate, the Low preset at 218.6 FPS is the only way to get close to maxing out the display. However, the Medium preset at 207.4 FPS is a better choice, as it offers a significant visual upgrade over Low with a minimal performance penalty of just over 5%.

For 1440p users with a 165 Hz or 180 Hz monitor, the Medium preset at 185.8 FPS is the sweet spot. It provides an excellent balance of visual quality and performance, staying well above the 165 FPS threshold. The High preset at 179.9 FPS is also viable, but the incremental visual gains over Medium are less important than the 6 FPS difference. At 4K, the recommendation is clear: the High preset at 158.9 FPS is the best choice. It offers superior graphical fidelity over Medium (167 FPS) at a cost of only 8 FPS, and it is far smoother than the visually demanding Ultra preset at 144 FPS. The High preset at 4K provides a premium experience that remains comfortably above 144 Hz on most high-refresh displays.

The Ultra preset is not recommended for any resolution. While the 144 FPS at 4K is still high, it represents a 10% drop from the High preset (158.9 FPS) for what is typically a marginal improvement in visual quality in a game with this art style. The data shows that the High or Medium presets are the most efficient ways to enjoy the game, as they deliver near-maximum frame rates without the performance cost of Ultra.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-thread processor from the Coffee Lake Refresh generation, based on a 14 nm process node. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, with a 9 MB shared L3 cache. In terms of synthetic benchmarks, it scores 7969 points in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1125 points in single-core, placing it in the 50th percentile of all CPUs. Despite being a capable processor for its time, it is clearly the bottleneck in this configuration for Dave The Diver.

The game's performance scaling, or lack thereof, is the primary evidence of the CPU's limiting role. The fact that the RTX 5080 cannot push the frame rate much higher than 218 FPS at 1080p Low, despite its immense power, points directly to the CPU's single-thread performance ceiling. The i5-9400's 4.10 GHz boost clock is decent, but the game's logic is likely bound by the instruction throughput of the six physical cores. The processor's average benchmark score of 2305 is only 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i3-10305 and 0.6% lower than the Intel Core i7-8809G, showing that it is a mid-range part.

The CPU's memory support for DDR4 with dual-channel configuration and a bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s is another potential limiting factor, though the game likely does not stress memory bandwidth significantly. However, the combination of a 2018-era CPU with a 2025-era GPU creates a significant generational gap. The benchmark data shows that the i5-9400 is not able to feed the RTX 5080 enough data to keep it fully occupied, leading to the modest frame rate differences between resolutions. The CPU's role is to be the limiting component, and its performance, while adequate for a smooth experience, is preventing the system from reaching the exceptionally high frame rates that the GPU could theoretically deliver in less CPU-intensive scenarios.