Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver is not a typical GPU stress test, but the measured frame rates for this Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination reveal a system with massive headroom at every resolution. The data shows a pairing where the RTX 5090 D is rarely challenged, with average frame rates ranging from 164 FPS at 4K Ultra to 423 FPS at 1080p Low. This is a configuration built for extreme refresh rates, and the benchmark results consistently reflect that the GPU is the dominant performance driver, while the 12th-gen Intel processor provides more than enough throughput to avoid becoming a bottleneck in this particular adventure title.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. The chip features 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, and 25 MB of shared L3 cache. Its 3DMark scores show strong scaling from single-thread to multi-thread performance: 1,043 in single-thread, 2,065 in 2-thread, 4,011 in 4-thread, 7,202 in 8-thread, 9,276 in 16-thread, and 9,979 in max-thread tests. This scaling pattern indicates a well-balanced design for both lightly threaded and heavily threaded workloads.

In the context of Dave The Diver, the CPU's role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The benchmark results suggest that the i7-12700K is more than sufficient for this task. At 1080p, the lowest resolution tested, the average FPS reaches 423 on Low settings, which is the highest frame rate recorded in the entire dataset. This is a clear indicator that the CPU is not limiting performance at this resolution; if it were, the frame rates would plateau regardless of GPU headroom. The processor's 20 threads and high boost clock of 5.00 GHz ensure that even the most demanding single-threaded game logic can be processed quickly.

The CPU's average benchmark score is 35,287, placing it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in terms of average score are the Intel Core i5-13600T at 35,305 (-0.1% delta), the Intel Core i7-12700KF at 35,365 (-0.2% delta), the Intel Core i7-13700T at 35,403 (-0.3% delta), and the Intel Core 5 213PE at 35,428 (-0.4% delta). These deltas are all within a fraction of a percent, meaning the i7-12700K is effectively performance-equivalent to those chips in synthetic benchmarks. For a game like Dave The Diver, which is not known for heavy CPU simulation, this level of performance is far beyond what is required to maintain high frame rates.

The measured FPS data further supports the conclusion that the CPU is not a bottleneck. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops by a relatively small margin for each settings tier. For example, at High settings, the average FPS goes from 368 at 1080p to 277 at 1440p, a decline of 91 FPS. This drop is consistent with the GPU becoming more involved as resolution increases, but the CPU's ability to maintain high frame rates at 1080p (where CPU load is typically highest relative to GPU load) proves it has ample headroom. The i7-12700K's 12 cores and 20 threads, combined with its 5.00 GHz boost clock, make it a non-issue for this game's performance profile.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a flagship GPU based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, with a GB202 chip built on TSMC's 5 nm process. It has 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing 1.79 TB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU's base clock is 2017 MHz with a boost clock of 2407 MHz, and its memory clock is 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). It features 21,760 shading units, 680 TMUs, 176 ROPs, 170 RT cores, and 680 tensor cores. The GPU has a TDP of 575 W and requires a 950 W suggested PSU. Its FP32 performance is rated at 104.8 TFLOPS.

The RTX 5090 D's role in Dave The Diver is to render the game's 2D pixel-art style with ease. The benchmark results show that the GPU is massively overqualified for this title. Even at 4K Ultra, the most demanding setting tested, the average FPS is 164. This is far above the 60 FPS threshold that most games target, and it demonstrates that the GPU's 32 GB of VRAM and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are not being utilized anywhere near their limits. The game's art style likely does not require large texture pools or complex shaders, so the RTX 5090 D operates at a fraction of its capacity.

The GPU's benchmark scores reflect its position in the market. It has an average benchmark score of 77,712, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals show it is competitive with high-end mobile parts: the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT scores 76,904 (1.1% delta), the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78,940 (-1.6% delta), the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 79,396 (-2.1% delta), and the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores 79,605 (-2.4% delta). These deltas are small, but they indicate that the RTX 5090 D sits in a performance tier that is only slightly above or below these other cards in synthetic tests.

In the context of Dave The Diver, the GPU's performance is best understood by looking at the scaling across settings. At 4K, the average FPS ranges from 248 on Low to 164 on Ultra. This 84 FPS spread shows that the GPU is responsive to settings changes, but even the lowest frame rate is exceptionally high. The fact that the GPU can push 186 FPS at 4K High without breaking a sweat suggests that the primary limiter in this game is not the GPU's raw compute power, but rather the game's own engine or the CPU's ability to feed it. However, as noted earlier, the CPU is also not a bottleneck, so the results are simply a reflection of the game's low graphical demands.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The resolution scaling data reveals a clear pattern of diminishing returns as resolution increases, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 423 at 1080p to 371 at 1440p and further to 248 at 4K. This represents a 175 FPS drop from 1080p to 4K, or a 41.4% reduction. At High settings, the averages are 368 at 1080p, 277 at 1440p, and 186 at 4K, a 182 FPS drop (49.5% reduction). At Medium settings, the averages are 397 at 1080p, 310 at 1440p, and 208 at 4K, with a 189 FPS drop (47.6% reduction). At Ultra settings, the averages are 325 at 1080p, 245 at 1440p, and 164 at 4K, a 161 FPS drop (49.5% reduction).

These percentage drops are relatively consistent across settings, hovering around 41-50% from 1080p to 4K. This consistency suggests that the GPU is the primary limiting component at higher resolutions. As resolution increases, the GPU must render more pixels, which directly impacts its fill rate and memory bandwidth usage. The RTX 5090 D's 176 ROPs and 423.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are substantial, but the game's demands at 4K still cause a measurable performance hit compared to 1080p.

The fact that the frame rates remain above 160 FPS even at 4K Ultra indicates that the GPU is never truly stressed. The limiting component in this combination is clearly the GPU, but only in the sense that it is the component whose performance scales with resolution. The CPU's contribution is essentially constant across all resolutions, as evidenced by the fact that the FPS drops are proportional to the pixel count increase. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the FPS to remain flat or drop much less significantly from 1080p to 4K, since the CPU workload would not change with resolution. The data shows the opposite, confirming that the RTX 5090 D is the component driving the resolution scaling behavior.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the Intel Core i7-12700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks 26th out of 2,867 tested combos in Dave The Diver. This ranking places it in the top 0.9% of all tested combinations, which is an exceptional result. The rank reflects the overall performance of the combo across all measured settings and resolutions, and it indicates that this pairing is among the fastest configurations available for this game.

The high rank is somewhat surprising given that the i7-12700K is a 12th-gen processor that has been succeeded by newer generations. However, the benchmark data shows that the CPU's performance is more than adequate for this game, and the RTX 5090 D's immense GPU power more than compensates for any potential CPU limitations. The combo's rank of 26 out of 2,867 suggests that only a handful of other combinations deliver higher average FPS across the tested scenarios, likely those pairing even newer top-tier CPUs with the same or similar GPUs.

It is important to note that the combo's rank is a holistic measure, not a per-setting or per-resolution metric. The measured FPS data shows that this combo achieves its lowest average FPS of 164 at 4K Ultra, which is still higher than what most systems can achieve at 1080p. The combo's rank confirms the RTX 5090 D's dominance, as the GPU's 92nd percentile standing among all GPUs clearly outweighs the CPU's 84th percentile standing. For a game like Dave The Diver, where the GPU is the primary performance driver, this combo is a top-tier choice.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience depends on the user's display resolution and refresh rate. At 1080p, all settings presets deliver extremely high frame rates, but the Medium preset offers a compelling balance. The average FPS at 1080p Medium is 397, with a minimum of 338 and a maximum of 457. This is only 26 FPS lower than Low settings (423 FPS) but provides better visual fidelity. The High preset at 1080p gives 368 FPS, which is also excellent, but Medium's higher minimum FPS of 338 (compared to no min recorded for High) suggests it may have more consistent frame pacing. For users with a 144 Hz or 165 Hz monitor, Medium or High at 1080p is more than sufficient.

At 1440p, the Medium preset again stands out. It delivers an average of 310 FPS, with a minimum of 264 and a maximum of 357. This is a 61 FPS drop from Low settings (371 FPS) but provides a noticeable visual upgrade. The High preset at 1440p gives 277 FPS, which is still well above any refresh rate threshold, but Medium's higher average and minimum FPS make it the safer choice for maintaining smooth gameplay. For 1440p users with high refresh rate monitors (240 Hz or above), Medium is the recommended preset.

At 4K, the Medium preset provides an average of 208 FPS, with a minimum of 177 and a maximum of 239. This is the only 4K settings row that includes min and max FPS data, which indicates it is a well-characterized setting. The Ultra preset at 4K gives 164 FPS, which is still very high, but Medium offers 44 more FPS on average. For 4K users, Medium is the sweet spot, delivering frame rates that are more than double the standard 60 FPS target while maintaining good visual quality. The Low preset at 4K gives 248 FPS, but the visual compromise is likely not worth the extra 40 FPS over Medium. The data suggests that Medium at 4K provides the best balance of performance and quality, especially for users with 120 Hz or 144 Hz 4K displays.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the average FPS values are as follows: Low settings produce 423 FPS, Medium settings produce 397 FPS with a minimum of 338 and maximum of 457, High settings produce 368 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 325 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 98 FPS, showing that each settings tier has a measurable impact on performance. The Medium preset's min FPS of 338 is notable because it is the only 1080p row with min/max data, and it suggests that even the lowest frame rate is far above any playability threshold.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS values are: Low settings produce 371 FPS, Medium settings produce 310 FPS with a minimum of 264 and maximum of 357, High settings produce 277 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 245 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 126 FPS, which is wider than at 1080p. This indicates that the GPU's performance scaling is more pronounced at higher resolutions. The Medium preset's min FPS of 264 is still exceptionally high, ensuring smooth gameplay even in the most demanding scenes.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS values are: Low settings produce 248 FPS, Medium settings produce 208 FPS with a minimum of 177 and maximum of 239, High settings produce 186 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 164 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 84 FPS, which is the narrowest of the three resolutions. This suggests that at 4K, the GPU is beginning to approach its limits, but those limits are still far above what is needed for a comfortable gaming experience. The Medium preset's min FPS of 177 is the lowest recorded in the entire dataset, but it is still more than double the 60 FPS standard. Overall, this combo delivers playable frame rates at every resolution and settings combination, with the 4K Medium preset offering the best balance of visual quality and performance.