Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver presents an interesting case for hardware analysis, as its stylized 2D/3D hybrid art style and simulation mechanics create a workload that differs significantly from typical AAA first-person shooters. The measured data for the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 combination reveals a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet shows surprising CPU sensitivity at the lowest settings. This analysis breaks down the pairing's performance across the three tested resolutions, examining the distinct roles of the processor and graphics card, and providing actionable settings recommendations based solely on the empirical data.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly demonstrates where the bottleneck lies within this system. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combo produces an average of 279 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same quality preset, the average drops to 210 FPS, representing a 24.7% performance reduction. The transition to 3840x2160 is even more pronounced, with the average falling to 141 FPS, a further 32.9% decrease from the 1440p figure. This pattern of diminishing returns as resolution increases is textbook evidence of a GPU-bound scenario at the highest settings.

However, the Low settings preset tells a different and more revealing story about the CPU's capabilities. At 1080p Low, the system achieves a staggering 423 FPS average. At 1440p Low, it still manages 318 FPS, and even at 4K Low, the average remains high at 213 FPS. The scaling here is more linear and less punitive, which suggests that at Low settings, the game's visual demands are low enough that the CPU's ability to feed the GPU becomes a more significant factor. The fact that 4K Low (213 FPS) is still substantially faster than 1080p Ultra (279 FPS) indicates that the graphics preset has a more profound impact on performance than the resolution itself in this game.

The Medium preset, which is the only one with complete min/max data, offers additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the average is 354 FPS with a minimum of 301 FPS and a maximum of 407 FPS. At 1440p Medium, these figures shift to 266 FPS average (227 min, 306 max), and at 4K Medium, they settle at 179 FPS average (152 min, 205 max). The minimum frame rates scale in proportion to the averages, indicating stable performance without any anomalous stuttering or hitches. The data suggests that for this specific title, players seeking the highest possible frame rates at 1080p are limited by the CPU, while those at 4K are clearly limited by the GPU.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. Its benchmark results are formidable, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35,122 and a single-core score of 4,958. The Geekbench scores of 19,620 (multi-core) and 2,429 (single-core) further establish this as a high-end desktop part. The processor's percentile versus all CPUs is 91, meaning it outperforms 91% of all tested processors in the database.

In the context of Dave The Diver, the CPU's role is most clearly exposed at 1080p Low, where the 423 FPS average represents a 34% increase over the 1080p High result of 316 FPS. This massive jump from merely lowering graphics settings strongly implies that at Low settings, the game is hitting a CPU-imposed limit, allowing the RTX 5080 to stretch its legs. The single-thread performance, indicated by the 4,958 Cinebench R23 score, is crucial for this game's simulation and entity update logic, which often cannot be fully parallelized.

The 14700F's 33 MB of shared L3 cache likely plays a significant role in maintaining high minimum frame rates, as evidenced by the 301 FPS floor at 1080p Medium. Comparatively, the processor sits near its nearest rivals in the database. It scores 0.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and 0.8% higher than the AMD EPYC 7313P, while trailing the Intel Xeon 6505P by a negligible 0.2%. This positioning confirms that the 14700F is a top-tier consumer processor, and its performance in this game's low-resolution scenarios reflects that, as it is able to drive frame rates well beyond what most displays can even show.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU with 10,752 shading units and 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is rated at 2617 MHz. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 36,565 in Passmark G3D and 8,637 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it in the 87th percentile of all GPUs. The GPU's compute capabilities are substantial, with 56.28 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

The GPU's dominance in this pairing is most evident at 4K Ultra, where it produces 141 FPS. This is a demanding workload, and the fact that it maintains this level of performance shows the RTX 5080's raw power. However, the scaling from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings (from 279 to 141 FPS) shows a 49.5% drop, which is a substantial decline but still results in a very playable frame rate. The GPU's 16 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for this game, as even the highest settings at 4K do not appear to cause any memory-related performance cliffs, based on the stable average frame rates.

Interestingly, the GPU's performance relative to its rivals is somewhat anomalous in the database. It scores 0.6% higher than the AMD Radeon 8060S and 0.7% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, but it is 2.2% slower than the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE. This close grouping in average benchmark scores suggests that in certain synthetic tests, the RTX 5080 does not fully separate itself from the competition. However, in this game's measured FPS, the GPU is clearly performing at a high level, especially considering that at 4K Ultra, it still delivers over 140 FPS. The data indicates that the RTX 5080 is the primary driver of performance at 1440p and 4K, where its memory bandwidth and shading power are fully utilized.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate achieved by this combo at 1080p?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 423 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Is the system more CPU-limited or GPU-limited in Dave The Diver?

A: The data suggests it is heavily GPU-limited at 4K and 1440p, but CPU-limited at 1080p, particularly with Low settings where the CPU's capacity becomes the primary constraint.

Q: How does the RTX 5080 compare to the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE in this system?

A: The RTX 5080 has an average benchmark score that is 2.2% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE, according to the nearestRivals data.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers an average of 238 FPS, while Ultra drops to 210 FPS, a 13.3% reduction in average frame rate.

Q: Does the game require more than 16 GB of VRAM at 4K?

A: No, the 16 GB VRAM on the RTX 5080 appears sufficient. The 4K Ultra settings produce a stable 141 FPS average with no indication of memory-related performance degradation.

Q: What are the minimum frame rates recorded at 4K Medium?

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS recorded is 152, with an average of 179 FPS and a maximum of 205 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database for Dave The Diver, this specific combination of the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 ranks 170th out of 3,710 tested combos. This places it in the top 4.6% of all configurations tested for this game, which is a very strong showing. The rank is likely buoyed by the exceptional high-refresh-rate performance at 1080p and 1440p, where the CPU's strength is exposed, and the GPU's power ensures high frame rates even at 4K.

The ranking becomes more impressive when considering the entire spectrum of possible hardware pairings. Being in the 170th position means there are only 169 other combinations that perform better, which would likely consist of the absolute top-tier enthusiast parts. This ranking reflects a balanced system that does not hold the other component back in this specific workload. The gap to the top is likely small, and the data suggests that for most users, this combo would provide an exceptionally smooth experience in Dave The Diver, particularly on high refresh rate monitors at 1440p or even 4K. The system's ability to push past 200 FPS at 1440p High places it in an elite category, making the 170th rank a logical outcome of the measured data.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is the complete set of measured FPS data for the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 in Dave The Diver.

1920x1080

• Low: 423 FPS average.
• Medium: 354 FPS average, with a minimum of 301 FPS and a maximum of 407 FPS.
• High: 316 FPS average.
• Ultra: 279 FPS average.

2560x1440

• Low: 318 FPS average.
• Medium: 266 FPS average, with a minimum of 227 FPS and a maximum of 306 FPS.
• High: 238 FPS average.
• Ultra: 210 FPS average.

3840x2160

• Low: 213 FPS average.
• Medium: 179 FPS average, with a minimum of 152 FPS and a maximum of 205 FPS.
• High: 159 FPS average.
• Ultra: 141 FPS average.

The data shows a consistent pattern where each step from Low to Ultra reduces the frame rate by a similar magnitude across all resolutions. The jump from Low to Medium is the most significant, with an average reduction of approximately 50-60 FPS at each resolution. The difference between High and Ultra is smaller, around 15-20 FPS, suggesting diminishing returns in visual fidelity for the performance cost at the highest settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target display's refresh rate. For users with a 1080p 240Hz monitor, the High preset (316 FPS) is the most appropriate choice, as it provides a substantial visual upgrade over Medium (354 FPS) while still exceeding the display's maximum refresh rate. The Ultra preset at 279 FPS would also be viable, but the 12% performance hit over High for potentially marginal visual gains makes High the more efficient choice.

For 1440p users, the High preset is the sweet spot. The 238 FPS average is perfectly suited for 240Hz panels, and it is only 13.3% slower than the Medium preset while offering better image quality. The Ultra preset at 210 FPS is also suitable for 144Hz or 165Hz displays, providing a higher fidelity experience without sacrificing the ability to hit the higher refresh rates. The data indicates that Ultra at 1440p is the best balance of visual quality and performance for high-refresh-rate gaming.

At 4K, the recommendation is more nuanced. The High preset (159 FPS) is ideal for 160Hz displays, offering a near-perfect match for the refresh rate. The Ultra preset (141 FPS) is still exceptionally smooth for a 144Hz display and offers the best image quality. The Medium preset (179 FPS) is the best option for those with a 180Hz or higher refresh rate 4K monitor. Given the small performance delta between High and Ultra at 4K (11.3%), the Ultra preset is the recommended choice for most 4K users, as the system has sufficient headroom to maintain a high frame rate while pushing the game's visual quality to its maximum. For players prioritizing absolute frame rate over fidelity, the Medium preset provides a 13% improvement over High.