Dave The Diver

The Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 delivers an overwhelmingly fluid experience in Dave the Diver, a game that clearly favors the GPU’s raw horsepower at higher resolutions while leaving the CPU largely untaxed. The measured frame rates are exceptionally high across all tested configurations, with the combo ranking in the 94th percentile among 3710 tested system combinations, placing it firmly in elite territory for this title.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a system that is entirely GPU-limited at every resolution, but the degree of that limitation changes predictably. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combo produces 269 FPS, a figure so high that the CPU is almost certainly idling between frames. Moving to 2560x1440 Ultra drops the average to 203 FPS, a 24.5% reduction that corresponds directly to the increased pixel count. At 3840x2160 Ultra, the average falls further to 136 FPS, which is 49.4% lower than the 1080p Ultra result. This steep drop at 4K confirms that the RTX 4080’s shading units and memory bandwidth are the primary bottlenecks, as the Core i7-14700F’s 28 threads and 5.40 GHz boost clock have no trouble feeding frames even at the lowest resolution.

The gap between settings at a given resolution further illustrates this point. At 4K, the spread from Low (206 FPS) to Ultra (136 FPS) is 70 FPS, a 34% performance penalty for maxing out every graphical option. At 1080p, the same Low-to-Ultra spread is 139 FPS (408 FPS down to 269 FPS), a 34.1% penalty. The percentage loss is nearly identical across resolutions, which is a hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario where the same rendering workload scales linearly with pixel count. The CPU is never the limiting factor; even at 1080p Low, the 408 FPS average is far below what the i7-14700F could theoretically push if the GPU were not the constraint.

The 1440p Medium result (257 FPS) and 4K Medium result (172 FPS) show a 33% drop, again consistent with the pixel-count increase. The only data point that includes a recorded minimum frame rate is the Medium preset at each resolution: 146 FPS at 4K, 219 FPS at 1440p, and 290 FPS at 1080p. These minimums are still well above the refresh rate of any common monitor, indicating that frame time consistency is excellent even under load. The 4K Ultra result has no recorded minimum, but the 136 FPS average suggests that the 1% lows would likely remain above 100 FPS, given the game’s undemanding nature.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700F a bottleneck for the RTX 4080 in Dave the Diver?

A: No. The benchmark results show the CPU is never the limiting component. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 408 FPS, and the i7-14700F’s 28 threads and 5.40 GHz boost clock are more than sufficient to keep the GPU fed. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K follows the pixel-count increase, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario.

Q: How does this combo compare to the RTX 4080 SUPER in average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 4080 scores an average of 54247 in benchmark tests, while the nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, scores 54209. The delta is just 0.1%, meaning the two cards are effectively identical in raw compute performance. The RTX 4080 is slightly ahead in this specific comparison.

Q: What is the best resolution to play Dave the Diver with this hardware?

A: 3840x2160 with Ultra settings delivers 136 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay and still exceeds 120 FPS for high-refresh-rate 4K monitors. If maximizing frame rate is the priority, 2560x1440 Ultra provides 203 FPS, and 1920x1080 Ultra reaches 269 FPS. All tested resolutions provide a buttery experience.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 4080 have, and is it sufficient for Dave the Diver?

A: The RTX 4080 is equipped with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth. This is far more than Dave the Diver requires, even at 4K Ultra settings. The game’s texture and geometry demands are modest, so VRAM capacity is not a concern.

Q: Does the game benefit from the CPU’s high core count?

A: Dave the Diver is not a heavily multithreaded title, and the i7-14700F’s 20 cores (8 performance cores and 12 efficiency cores) are largely underutilized. The CPU’s single-core performance, reflected in its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4958, is more relevant for this game. The high core count does not hinder performance, but it also does not provide a measurable advantage.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested system configurations for this game?

A: This pairing ranks 215th out of 3710 tested combos, placing it in the top 5.8% of all systems benchmarked in Dave the Diver. This is an exceptionally strong showing, consistent with the high frame rates observed.

How This Combo Ranks

Among the 3710 system configurations tested in Dave the Diver, the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination secures the 215th position. This places it in the 94th percentile, meaning it outperforms 94% of all recorded combos. Given the game’s relatively low system requirements, the ranking is driven almost entirely by the GPU’s ability to push high frame rates at 4K, where the RTX 4080’s 48.74 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 716.8 GB/s memory bandwidth come into play. The CPU’s contribution is minimal, as the i7-14700F’s 91st percentile ranking among all CPUs (average benchmark score of 53620) is already overkill for this title. The combo’s rank reflects the RTX 4080’s prowess in a game that does not stress the CPU, making it one of the most capable configurations available for achieving ultra-high refresh rates at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the frame rates are almost absurdly high. The Low preset averages 408 FPS, while Medium drops to 342 FPS, High to 305 FPS, and Ultra to 269 FPS. The Medium preset includes a recorded minimum of 290 FPS and a maximum of 393 FPS, showing that even the lowest frame in the test remains above 288 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 139 FPS, a 34.1% reduction that reflects the increased graphical workload.

At 2560x1440, the results scale down proportionally. Low averages 307 FPS, Medium 257 FPS, High 230 FPS, and Ultra 203 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 219 FPS and maximum of 296 FPS indicate that the frame time distribution remains tight. The 4K results are the most relevant for users with high-resolution displays. Low averages 206 FPS, Medium 172 FPS, High 154 FPS, and Ultra 136 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K shows a minimum of 146 FPS and a maximum of 198 FPS, meaning the system never dips below 144 FPS even in the most demanding scenes captured during testing. The Ultra preset at 4K, at 136 FPS, is still comfortably above 120 FPS, making it ideal for 120 Hz or 144 Hz 4K monitors.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the dominant component in this pairing. Built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process at TSMC, the AD103 chip contains 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die. Its 9728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 ROPs work together to deliver the frame rates observed. The boost clock of 2505 MHz and the memory clock of 1400 MHz (22.4 Gbps effective) feed the 16 GB of GDDR6X memory across a 256-bit bus, yielding 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth. This bandwidth is critical for 4K performance, as the game’s textures and frame buffer require high throughput.

The RTX 4080’s 76 RT cores and 304 Tensor cores are present but largely irrelevant for Dave the Diver, which does not use ray tracing or DLSS in any meaningful way. The GPU’s raw rasterization power is what matters here. Its 48.74 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 761.5 GTexel/s texture rate ensure that even the Ultra preset at 4K is handled with ease. The 1x 16-pin power connector and 320 W TDP are typical for this class of card, and the triple-slot cooler (310 mm length, 140 mm height, 61 mm width) is necessary to dissipate heat under sustained load. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 54247 places it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, is only 0.1% behind, confirming that this card is at the very top of the performance stack for this game.

Settings Recommendations

For users with a 4K 120 Hz or 144 Hz display, the Ultra preset at 3840x2160 is the clear recommendation. The 136 FPS average exceeds the refresh rate of most high-refresh 4K monitors, and the visual fidelity is maximized. If the display supports 240 Hz, dropping to High at 4K (154 FPS) or Medium at 1440p (257 FPS) would be necessary to match the refresh rate, but the visual trade-off is minimal in a game with a stylized, low-poly art style. The Low preset should be avoided entirely, as the 206 FPS at 4K offers no real advantage over Ultra on a 120 Hz monitor, and the graphical downgrade is noticeable.

For 1440p 240 Hz displays, the High preset at 2560x1440 (230 FPS) is the best balance, as it is close to the 240 FPS target and provides better image quality than Medium. The Ultra preset at 1440p (203 FPS) is also viable, as the 37 FPS difference from High is imperceptible to most users. At 1080p, the Ultra preset (269 FPS) is the only sensible choice, as the lower settings provide no tangible benefit on a 240 Hz or 360 Hz monitor, and the game’s visuals are improved. The Medium preset at 1080p (342 FPS) could be used for 360 Hz displays, but the gain over Ultra is marginal. In all cases, the RTX 4080’s 16 GB of VRAM and the i7-14700F’s processing power ensure that any preset at any resolution delivers a smooth, stutter-free experience.