Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver, a 2023 adventure title, presents an interesting case for high-end hardware. This analysis examines the Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D, a combination that ranks 20th out of 2867 tested combos for this game. The data reveals a title that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions but becomes increasingly CPU-sensitive at 1080p, where frame rates exceed what most displays can handle.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p with High settings, the combo delivers 368 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops the average to 277 FPS, a 24.7% reduction. Jumping to 4K (3840x2160) further reduces the average to 186 FPS, which is 49.5% lower than the 1080p result. This scaling is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering workload per pixel increases substantially with resolution, directly impacting the frame rate.

However, the scaling pattern is not linear across all settings, which reveals the limiting component. With Low settings, the frame rate at 1080p is 450 FPS, while at 4K it is 248 FPS, a 44.9% decrease. The difference between High and Low settings at 4K is 62 FPS (248 vs 186), while at 1080p it is 82 FPS (450 vs 368). This suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is beginning to become a bottleneck, as the graphics workload is lighter and the processor's ability to feed the GPU becomes more critical. The RTX 5090 D, with its 32 GB GDDR7 memory and 512-bit bus, has ample bandwidth to handle the pixel throughput, so the FPS drop is primarily due to the increased shader and rasterization workload.

The data shows the most significant relative drop occurs between 1440p and 4K. For Ultra settings, the drop from 1440p (245 FPS) to 4K (164 FPS) is 33.1%. This indicates that the GPU's compute resources, not just memory bandwidth, are the primary constraint at 4K. The RTX 5090 D’s 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance is substantial, but the pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s is finite. The game’s art style and effects at Ultra preset clearly demand significant pixel processing, making 4K a more demanding target for this otherwise very fast card.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, it achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35122 and a single-core score of 4958. Its Passmark multithread score of 41317 and single-thread score of 4257 place it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs.

In Dave The Diver, the CPU’s role is most evident at 1080p. The gap between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p is 125 FPS (450 vs 325). At 4K, this same gap is 84 FPS (248 vs 164). This narrowing gap at higher resolutions confirms that the CPU is not the primary limiter at 4K; the GPU is. The i7-14700F’s high boost clock and strong single-thread performance are sufficient to drive very high frame rates in this game, which is not particularly known for heavy physics or simulation workloads. The data shows that even at 1080p Ultra, the combo achieves 325 FPS, indicating the CPU can keep up with the GPU’s output.

The processor’s 33 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support (DDR4 or DDR5) are adequate for the game's data streaming needs. While the CPU is not the bottleneck at 4K, its performance at 1080p and 1440p ensures that the GPU is fully utilized. The benchmark results indicate that the i7-14700F provides a solid foundation, but the overall frame rate ceiling in this game is dictated by the GPU, especially as resolution increases.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D achieves a rank of 20 out of 2867 tested combinations for Dave The Diver. This places it in the top 1% of all tested systems, indicating that this is an exceptionally high-performing setup for this title.

This ranking is supported by the measured FPS, which are consistently high across all tested settings. The lowest average FPS recorded is 164 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is still well above the threshold for smooth gameplay. The combo’s high rank is a result of the GPU’s raw power and the CPU’s ability to support it. While the RTX 5090 D is a top-tier card, its performance in this game is not the absolute highest among all GPUs. The GPU's average benchmark score of 77712 places it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, with its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, having an average score of 79605, a 2.4% difference.

The CPU's performance is competitive, with an average benchmark score of 53620, placing it above the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (53288) by 0.6%. This balanced performance ensures that neither component is severely bottlenecking the other, allowing the system to achieve its high rank. The rank of 20th out of 2867 combos is a strong indicator that this configuration delivers top-tier results, but it is not the absolute peak, suggesting that other combinations, likely with more powerful CPUs or GPUs, can produce higher frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1080p, the average frame rates are as follows: Low 450 FPS, Medium 412 FPS (min 351, max 474), High 368 FPS, and Ultra 325 FPS. These figures show that the game is highly playable at all settings, with even the most demanding Ultra preset exceeding 300 FPS.

At 1440p, performance remains very strong. The average frame rates are: Low 371 FPS, Medium 310 FPS (min 264, max 357), High 277 FPS, and Ultra 245 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across settings, with an average reduction of about 25%. This resolution is well within the capabilities of the RTX 5090 D, and the frame rates are high enough for any high-refresh-rate monitor.

At 4K, the performance is still impressive but shows the GPU's limits. The average frame rates are: Low 248 FPS, Medium 208 FPS (min 177, max 239), High 186 FPS, and Ultra 164 FPS. The step from Medium to High results in a 22 FPS drop (208 to 186), and moving to Ultra costs another 22 FPS (186 to 164). This demonstrates that the Ultra preset at 4K is the most demanding configuration tested, but it still maintains an average of 164 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate common on many gaming monitors.

The data also shows a clear pattern in the performance scaling. The difference between Low and Ultra settings is 125 FPS at 1080p, 126 FPS at 1440p, and 84 FPS at 4K. This indicates that the performance cost of higher quality settings is relatively consistent at lower resolutions, but the GPU becomes the limiting factor at 4K, reducing the absolute impact of the settings changes.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the dominant component in this configuration for Dave The Diver. It is based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and features 21760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 ROPs. The card has a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz. Its memory subsystem is particularly impressive, with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s.

In this game, the GPU's role is most critical at 4K resolution. The high pixel count requires significant fill rate, and the RTX 5090 D’s 423.6 GPixel/s pixel rate is a key factor in achieving the high frame rates seen in the data. The GPU’s 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance ensures that the complex shaders and effects used in the game are processed efficiently. The 32 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for this title, as it is unlikely to run into memory capacity limits at any resolution or settings. The memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s helps to ensure that textures and geometry are loaded quickly, avoiding potential stutters.

The benchmark results show that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K. The scaling from 1440p to 4K results in a significant frame rate drop, which is expected given the increased pixel workload. The GPU's performance is in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average score of 77712. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, scores 78940, which is 1.6% higher. While this is a close comparison in synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 5090 D’s performance in Dave The Diver is clearly excellent, as evidenced by the high measured FPS. The GPU is the main reason this combo achieves a rank of 20th, as its raw power is sufficient to handle the game's demands at all tested settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings balance is heavily dependent on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 1080p, all presets offer extremely high frame rates, from 325 FPS on Ultra to 450 FPS on Low. For a 144 Hz monitor, the Ultra preset at 1080p provides a significant performance headroom of 181 FPS, making it the recommended choice for maximum visual quality without any concern for performance.

At 1440p, the High preset delivers an average of 277 FPS, which is more than sufficient for a 240 Hz monitor. The Ultra preset at 245 FPS is also viable, but the High preset offers a 32 FPS advantage while likely providing minimal visual difference in this game’s art style. For users with a 144 Hz monitor, the Ultra preset at 1440p is a good choice, as it provides a comfortable 101 FPS headroom over the refresh rate.

At 4K, the choice becomes more nuanced. The High preset delivers 186 FPS, which is excellent for a 144 Hz monitor. The Ultra preset drops to 164 FPS, which is still above 144 Hz but leaves less headroom. The Medium preset at 208 FPS is the best option for those seeking the highest frame rates at 4K, but the visual quality reduction may be noticeable. For the best overall experience at 4K, the High preset is recommended, as it provides a strong balance between visual fidelity and performance, ensuring a smooth experience on high-refresh-rate displays. The Low preset at 4K (248 FPS) is not recommended, as the visual quality reduction is too significant for the performance gain. The data shows that the High preset is the sweet spot for this combo at 4K.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this combo in Dave The Diver?

A: The highest average frame rate is 450 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested combinations in the game?

A: It ranks 20th out of 2867 tested combos, placing it in the top 1% of all systems.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck at 4K resolution?

A: The GPU is the main bottleneck at 4K, as the frame rate drops are more significant when moving from 1440p to 4K, and the difference between Low and Ultra settings narrows.

Q: At 1440p, what is the average frame rate on the High preset?

A: The average frame rate at 2560x1440 on High settings is 277 FPS.

Q: What is the minimum frame rate recorded in the measured data?

A: The minimum frame rate recorded is 177 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Medium settings.

Q: Does the RTX 5090 D have enough VRAM for this game?

A: The RTX 5090 D has 32 GB of GDDR7 memory. The data does not indicate any memory-related performance limitations at the tested settings and resolutions.