Dave The Diver

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers an exceptional experience in Dave The Diver, a game that is far more demanding on raw frame generation than its casual aesthetic suggests. The measured data shows this combination is capable of obliterating even 4K Ultra settings, making it a prime candidate for high-refresh-rate displays at any resolution. The following analysis breaks down the performance characteristics, scaling behavior, and optimal settings based strictly on the measured FPS data.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is significant but not catastrophic, revealing a system that remains GPU-bound at the highest resolutions while showing signs of CPU headroom at lower ones. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 241.1 FPS at 1920x1080 to 180.7 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 60.4 FPS. Pushing to 3840x2160 sees the average drop further to 122.4 FPS, which represents a 49.2% decrease from the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern indicates that while the RTX 4070 is the primary limiter at 4K, the i7-12700KF’s strong single-thread performance helps maintain high minimums even when pixel count quadruples.

The scaling is even more pronounced at Low settings, where the 1080p average of 321.5 FPS falls to 237.4 FPS at 1440p and then to 161.5 FPS at 4K. The fact that Low settings at 4K still produce over 160 FPS underscores that this game is not particularly punishing on the GPU, but the 50% performance hit from 1080p to 4K at Low settings suggests a shift from CPU-bound to GPU-bound behavior. At 1080p Low, the system is clearly CPU-limited, as the 321.5 FPS figure is likely near the practical ceiling for the i7-12700KF’s architecture in this title.

Ultra settings tell a similar story but with lower absolute numbers. The 207.7 FPS at 1080p drops to 159.1 FPS at 1440p and finally to 104.7 FPS at 4K. This 49.6% reduction from 1080p to 4K is consistent across all settings presets, indicating that the RTX 4070’s memory bandwidth and shading power scale linearly with resolution. The data suggests that for 4K gaming, the GPU is the definitive bottleneck, while at 1080p, the CPU’s 12 cores and 20 threads are more than sufficient to feed the GPU.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo handle 4K Ultra settings in Dave The Diver?

A: Yes, but with a caveat. The measured average at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 104.7 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay. However, for players targeting 120+ FPS on high-refresh 4K displays, dropping to High settings yields 122.4 FPS.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No, the data indicates the CPU becomes the limiting factor at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 321.5 FPS, and at 1080p High it reaches 241.1 FPS, suggesting that the i7-12700KF’s boost clock of 5.00 GHz is the ceiling before the GPU can stretch its legs.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p?

A: The gap is substantial. Low settings produce 237.4 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 159.1 FPS. This 78.3 FPS difference (or 33.0% reduction) is the cost of enabling the highest visual fidelity.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4070 has an average benchmark score of 37283. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, scores 37507, which is 0.6% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile scores 38135, which is 2.2% higher, while the AMD Radeon RX 5300M is 2.5% lower at 36371.

Q: Is the i7-12700KF’s multi-threaded performance competitive?

A: Yes. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 28979, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. It is essentially tied with the Intel Core i5-14400 (35336 vs 35355 avg score, a 0.1% delta) and the Intel Core i9-12900HX (35289, 0.2% delta).

Q: What is the best resolution to use for a 144Hz monitor?

A: At 2560x1440, every settings preset exceeds 144 FPS, with High hitting 180.7 FPS and Ultra at 159.1 FPS. Even at 4K, High settings maintain 122.4 FPS, so a 144Hz 1440p monitor is fully saturated without compromises.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF’s role in Dave The Diver is to provide a high-frequency foundation that prevents any frame rate ceiling from emerging. With 12 cores and 20 threads, the CPU has ample parallel resources, but the game’s performance at 1080p Low (321.5 FPS) indicates that single-thread speed is the dominant factor. The 5.00 GHz boost clock is critical here, as it allows the CPU to process game logic and draw calls faster than the GPU can render at low resolutions.

Synthetic benchmarks reinforce this: the 3DMark single-thread score is 1043, while the 2-thread score is 2065, showing excellent scaling for lightly-threaded workloads. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4091 is strong, and the PassMark single-thread score of 3984 places it firmly in high-performance territory. These numbers explain why the CPU does not bottleneck the GPU even at 1440p High, where the system still manages 180.7 FPS.

The CPU’s 25 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 per core help with the game’s asset streaming and entity management. The data shows that at 1080p, the performance gap between Low (321.5 FPS) and Ultra (207.7 FPS) is 113.8 FPS, which is purely GPU-driven. This implies the CPU is never the primary constraint, even at the highest frame rates. The 89th percentile ranking against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35355, confirms that this processor is a top-tier partner for the RTX 4070 in this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 4070 and i7-12700KF produce staggering numbers across all presets. Low settings deliver an average of 321.5 FPS, which is the highest measured value in the entire dataset. Medium settings drop to 269.9 FPS, High settles at 241.1 FPS, and Ultra maintains a very playable 207.7 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra is 113.8 FPS, showing that even the most demanding preset at 1080p leaves significant headroom for high-refresh monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains exceptional. Low settings yield 237.4 FPS, Medium produces 199.3 FPS, High achieves 180.7 FPS, and Ultra hits 159.1 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Ultra is a 48.6 FPS drop (from 207.7 to 159.1), which is a 23.4% reduction. This is a manageable cost for the increased resolution, and every preset still clears the 144 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to show its limits but remains highly capable. Low settings average 161.5 FPS, Medium drops to 137.7 FPS, High reaches 122.4 FPS, and Ultra falls to 104.7 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 56.8 FPS, which is proportionally similar to the 1080p spread. Notably, even the lowest 4K result (104.7 FPS at Ultra) is well above the standard 60 FPS target, making this combo a genuine 4K-capable solution for this game.

How This Combo Ranks

Among the 1626 tested combinations in the database, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 369th. This places it in the top 22.7% of all combos tested, which is a strong showing given the sheer number of possible configurations. The rank is influenced by the CPU’s 89th percentile standing and the GPU’s 81st percentile standing, but the in-game results are more impressive than either synthetic score alone might suggest.

The RTX 4070’s average benchmark score of 37283 is close to its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, which scores 37507. The 0.6% delta is negligible in real-world gaming, but the RTX 4070’s 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth provide better scaling at 4K. The CPU’s nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14400, has an almost identical average score (35336 vs 35355, a 0.1% delta), meaning the i7-12700KF offers no meaningful synthetic advantage over that chip, but its higher boost clock of 5.00 GHz may contribute to the strong 1080p numbers seen here.

The rank of 369 out of 1626 confirms the balance of this combo. It is not the absolute fastest pairing available, but it outperforms the majority of systems, particularly in a game like Dave The Diver that favors high clock speeds and robust single-thread performance.

Settings Recommendations

For players with a 1080p 240Hz monitor, the data supports using High settings as the sweet spot. The 241.1 FPS average at High is only 80.4 FPS lower than Low but provides substantially better visual quality. Ultra at 1080p still delivers 207.7 FPS, so those who prioritize image fidelity over maximum frame rate can safely enable Ultra without dropping below 200 FPS.

At 1440p, High settings are the clear recommendation for high-refresh displays. The 180.7 FPS average is 21.6 FPS higher than Ultra’s 159.1 FPS, and the visual difference between High and Ultra is often minimal. For players with a 144Hz monitor, Medium settings (199.3 FPS) offer even more headroom, but High is the best balance of quality and performance.

For 4K gaming, High settings at 122.4 FPS is the optimal choice for a 120Hz display. Ultra drops to 104.7 FPS, which is still playable but leaves less room for frame time spikes. Low settings at 4K produce 161.5 FPS, but the visual compromise is likely too severe for a game with this art style. The measured data shows that Medium at 4K (137.7 FPS) is a viable alternative for those who want smoother motion without the visual hit of Low. Overall, High settings across all resolutions provide the most consistent experience, never dipping below 122.4 FPS while maintaining strong visual fidelity.