Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver is an adventure title that rarely stresses high-end hardware, but the measured results for this particular combination of an Intel Core i7-12700KF and an Intel Arc B370 tell a story of significant GPU limitation. The data shows that even at 1080p High settings, the system delivers only 73 FPS on average, and performance degrades sharply as resolution increases. This is a configuration where the processor is effectively idle, waiting on the integrated graphics solution to catch up, making the Arc B370 the definitive bottleneck in every scenario tested.

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

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a 12-core, 20-thread Alder Lake-S processor with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. It carries 25 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus. For a game like Dave The Diver, this processor is overwhelmingly powerful. Its benchmark data supports this: the Cinebench R23 multicore score sits at 28838, and the single-core score is 4071. The PassMark multithread score of 34092 and the Geekbench multicore score of 14367 further reinforce that this CPU is not the limiting factor in this pairing.

The data indicates that the CPU is operating well within its comfort zone. In the 3DMark 16-thread test, the processor scores 9282, while the max-thread score reaches 9983. The single-thread score of 1043 in the same suite shows strong per-core performance, which is what Dave The Diver would rely on for its game logic and physics calculations. This game is not a CPU-heavy workload; it is a side-scrolling adventure with moderate simulation elements. The i7-12700KF's performance percentile of 85 versus all CPUs means it outperforms the vast majority of desktop processors on the market.

Comparing the i7-12700KF to its nearest rivals, the data shows it is essentially tied with the Intel Core i7-13700T, which has an average score of 35403 and a delta of -0.1%. It is also within 0.2% of the Intel Core i5-13600T and the Intel Core i7-12700K, with scores of 35305 and 35287 respectively. The average benchmark score for this chip is 35365. In the context of Dave The Diver, all these CPUs would produce identical frame rates because the game is not drawing enough CPU resources to differentiate them. The bottleneck is elsewhere.

The processor's 125W TDP and Socket 1700 compatibility are notable, but its actual workload here is minimal. The measured FPS data shows that the processor is never the constraint; the frame rates are dictated entirely by the GPU. Even in the most CPU-favorable scenario—1080p Low settings, which yields 98 FPS—the CPU is still likely not at full utilization. The data strongly suggests that the i7-12700KF is a high-performance part being held back by a graphics solution that cannot keep pace. This is a classic case of a CPU that has far more headroom than the game requires, making its architectural strengths irrelevant to the final FPS numbers in this specific configuration.

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

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with a Panther Lake chip on a 3 nm process node. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. Critically, its memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it uses a portion of the system's main RAM rather than dedicated VRAM. The memory bandwidth is "System Dependent," and the bus width is also shared. This is the fundamental architectural constraint that explains the performance levels seen in the measured FPS data.

The GPU's benchmark performance is extremely low. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, it scores only 1184. This places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, meaning 95% of graphics cards on the market outperform it. Its nearest rivals are all legacy or low-end parts: the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186 (-0.2%), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190 (-0.5%), and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192 (-0.7%). The AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168, which is 1.4% slower. The Arc B370's average benchmark score is 1184, placing it on par with graphics hardware from over a decade ago.

For Dave The Diver, this GPU is the sole determinant of performance. The shading units (1280), TMUs (40), and ROPs (20) are simply too few to push high frame rates at modern resolutions. The FP32 compute of 6.144 TFLOPS is modest, and while the GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, these API features cannot compensate for the raw hardware deficit. The shared system memory architecture means that the GPU is also competing with the CPU for memory bandwidth, further hampering performance in a game that requires consistent texture streaming.

The measured FPS data confirms this. At 1080p High, the average is 73 FPS. This is playable but not exceptional. When moving to 1440p High, the average drops to 55 FPS, and at 4K High, it falls to 37 FPS. These numbers are consistent with a GPU that is limited by its memory bandwidth and raw compute. The Arc B370 has a TDP of 25W and is designated as an IGP with no power connectors, which reinforces its position as a low-power, low-performance solution. The data shows that its 2400 MHz boost clock is irrelevant because the execution resources are too sparse to leverage that clock speed effectively in a demanding rendering scenario.

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

The resolution scaling data provides a clear diagnostic of the system's bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 98 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 74 FPS, a reduction of 24 FPS. At 4K Low, the average is 49 FPS, a further drop of 25 FPS. This linear decline is characteristic of a GPU that is bandwidth-limited. As the resolution increases, the amount of data that needs to be processed grows, and the shared system memory of the Arc B370 cannot keep up.

Looking at the High settings across the three resolutions, the pattern is similar but with lower absolute values: 73 FPS at 1080p, 55 FPS at 1440p, and 37 FPS at 4K. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is a 24.7% drop, and from 1440p to 4K is a 32.7% drop. These percentages indicate that the GPU is under increasing stress as pixel count rises. The CPU is not involved in this scaling; the i7-12700KF can easily handle the draw calls and game logic at all these resolutions. The data proves that the GPU is the limiting component.

The Medium settings show the same story, with 82 FPS at 1080p, 62 FPS at 1440p, and 41 FPS at 4K. The Ultra settings are the most demanding, yielding 65 FPS at 1080p, 49 FPS at 1440p, and 33 FPS at 4K. The fact that all settings presets follow the same downward trajectory with resolution is a definitive sign that the bottleneck is the GPU's rendering throughput, not the CPU's processing speed. If the CPU were the limitation, the frame rates would remain relatively flat across resolutions because the CPU workload does not scale with pixel count.

The data suggests that the Arc B370 is only comfortable at 1080p, and even then, only at Low or Medium settings for a smooth experience. At 1440p, the system is playable but requires compromises, and at 4K, it is barely functional for this game, with averages in the 30s and 40s. This scaling behavior is exactly what an experienced builder would expect from an integrated GPU with system-shared memory. The i7-12700KF is sitting idle, and its high core count and clock speeds do nothing to mitigate the GPU's inability to render frames at higher resolutions.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and the user's tolerance for frame rate dips. For the best overall experience, the data suggests that Medium settings at 1080p is the sweet spot. It delivers an average of 82 FPS with a minimum of 70 FPS and a maximum of 94 FPS. This preset provides a 12.3% higher average FPS than High settings (73 FPS) while likely offering similar visual quality, as the jump from Medium to High only costs 9 FPS on average.

At 1440p, Medium settings also appear to be the most balanced choice. The average FPS is 62, with a minimum of 52 FPS and a maximum of 71 FPS. This is the only 1440p preset that maintains a minimum above 60 FPS, which is crucial for a smooth experience in an adventure game. High settings at 1440p drop to 55 FPS average, which is still playable but may experience noticeable stutter. The data shows that Low settings at 1440p (74 FPS) are faster, but the visual fidelity loss is likely not worth the 12 FPS gain over Medium.

At 4K, the data indicates that no preset provides a truly comfortable experience. Low settings yield 49 FPS, Medium yields 41 FPS, High yields 37 FPS, and Ultra yields 33 FPS. For a game like Dave The Diver, which is not a fast-paced shooter, 4K Low might be acceptable for a casual playthrough, but the 49 FPS average is below the 60 FPS target. Users with a 4K display should consider running the game at 1440p with Medium settings to get a better frame rate, as the visual difference in this art style may be minimal.

The Ultra preset is the worst choice at every resolution. It delivers the lowest frame rates (65 FPS at 1080p, 49 FPS at 1440p, 33 FPS at 4K) and offers only marginal visual improvements over High. The data shows that the performance cost of Ultra is significant, and it should be avoided in favor of High or Medium. The recommendation is to use Medium settings as the default for this configuration, as it provides the best balance of frame rate and visual quality across all tested resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-12700KF a bottleneck for the Intel Arc B370 in this game?

A: No. The CPU is far more powerful than the GPU. The i7-12700KF has a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28838 and a percentile of 85 versus all CPUs. The measured FPS data shows that performance scales directly with resolution and settings, which is a hallmark of a GPU bottleneck. The Arc B370 is the limiting component.

Q: Can this system run Dave The Diver at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at low frame rates. The data shows the system averages 37 FPS at 4K High, 41 FPS at Medium, and 49 FPS at Low. It is playable but not smooth, and users with a 4K display may prefer to run the game at a lower resolution for a better experience.

Q: What is the best settings preset for this system at 1080p?

A: Medium settings. The measured data shows an average of 82 FPS with a minimum of 70 FPS. This is a 12.3% improvement over High settings (73 FPS) and a 19.5% improvement over Ultra (65 FPS), with minimal visual difference compared to High.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B370 has an average benchmark score of 1184 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad test. It is 0.2% slower than the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186), 0.5% slower than the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190), and 0.7% slower than the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192). It is 1.4% faster than the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168).

Q: Is there a significant performance drop from 1080p to 1440p?

A: Yes, the data shows a consistent drop across all settings. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 73 at 1080p to 55 at 1440p, a 24.7% decrease. At Low settings, it falls from 98 to 74, a 24.5% decrease. This indicates the GPU is heavily stressed by the higher resolution.

Q: Should I use the Ultra preset with this hardware?

A: No. The Ultra preset provides the worst performance-to-quality ratio in the data. It yields the lowest average FPS at every resolution (65 at 1080p, 49 at 1440p, 33 at 4K) and offers only minor visual benefits over High settings. High or Medium presets are more efficient choices.

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

The measured FPS data for Dave The Diver with the Intel Core i7-12700KF and Intel Arc B370 is as follows:

At 1080p resolution, the system delivers its best performance. On Low settings, the average FPS is 98. On Medium settings, the average FPS is 82, with a minimum of 70 and a maximum of 94. On High settings, the average FPS is 73. On Ultra settings, the average FPS is 65. This shows a clear progression from 98 FPS at Low down to 65 FPS at Ultra, with each preset step costing approximately 8-9 FPS.

At 1440p resolution, the performance drops noticeably. On Low settings, the average FPS is 74. On Medium settings, the average FPS is 62, with a minimum of 52 and a maximum of 71. On High settings, the average FPS is 55. On Ultra settings, the average FPS is 49. The gap between Low and Ultra is 25 FPS at this resolution, which is a 33.8% reduction from the Low preset's performance.

At 4K resolution, the system is clearly struggling. On Low settings, the average FPS is 49. On Medium settings, the average FPS is 41, with a minimum of 35 and a maximum of 47. On High settings, the average FPS is 37. On Ultra settings, the average FPS is 33. The performance range from Low to Ultra is only 16 FPS, indicating that the GPU is so constrained that even reducing settings has diminishing returns.

The system's overall rank in the game is 2642 out of 2867 combinations, placing it in the bottom 8% of tested configurations. The data confirms that this is a GPU-limited scenario, as the CPU's strong benchmark scores (Cinebench R23 multicore of 28838, PassMark multithread of 34092) have no bearing on the frame rates. The measured FPS numbers are entirely dictated by the Arc B370's limited compute resources and system-shared memory architecture.