Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver is an adventure title that, on the surface, does not appear to be a demanding showcase for high-end hardware. However, the measured data for the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination reveals a nuanced performance profile that shifts dramatically based on resolution and graphical presets. This analysis walks through the benchmark results step by step, interpreting what the frame rates indicate about the balance between the CPU and GPU in this specific pairing.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination is placed at rank 2922 out of 3710 tested combos for Dave The Diver. This position, sitting in the lower-mid range of the database, might seem counterintuitive given the high-end nature of the processor paired with a now last-generation graphics card. The ranking reflects the total system capability as measured by the game's engine, and in this instance, it is heavily constrained by the GPU. The percentile data for the components helps contextualize this rank. The CPU sits in the 94th percentile against all processors, indicating it is a top-tier part. Conversely, the GPU is in the 58th percentile against all graphics cards, marking it as a decidedly mid-range performer. When a top-percentile CPU is paired with a mid-percentile GPU, the overall combo rank is dragged down to reflect the weakest link in the chain, which is precisely what the rank of 2922 indicates.

The disparity between the components is stark. The CPU's average benchmark score is 70163, which is remarkably close to its nearest rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F with a score of 69996 (a delta of 0.2%) and the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X with a score of 69515 (a delta of 0.9%). This shows the i7-14700KF is performing in the expected high-performance bracket. On the other hand, the GPU's average benchmark score is 15290, placing it in a tier with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 (score 15283) and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 (score 15171). This confirms that while the CPU is a heavyweight, the GPU is a middleweight. The overall combo rank is a direct consequence of this mismatch; the system is essentially a high-performance CPU being held back by a GPU that limits the final frame output in this game.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is the primary determinant of the frame rates observed in Dave The Diver. Its specifications, while dated, are sufficient to produce playable results, but they are the ceiling for this system. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1365 MHz and a boost clock of 1680 MHz. It is equipped with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 336.0 GB/s. In the context of this game, the VRAM capacity is a crucial factor. As resolution and texture quality settings increase, the demand on the 6 GB frame buffer grows.

The benchmark results show a clear pattern: the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the GPU can push frame rates high enough to keep up with the CPU's ability to feed it data. However, at 4K, the GPU's processing power and memory bandwidth become saturated. The data suggests that the 6 GB VRAM is not a bottleneck at 1080p, but the overall GPU architecture is. The RTX 2060's performance is what it is; the data shows it scores 14111 in the Passmark G3D test and 1242 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. These synthetic scores corroborate the in-game performance, suggesting that the GPU is being utilized to its full potential, and the frame rates are a direct reflection of its capabilities rather than any system inefficiency.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data illustrates a classic scaling pattern that identifies the system's bottleneck. When moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440, and then to 3840x2160, the average FPS drops consistently across all settings. For example, on High settings, the average frame rate drops from 133 FPS at 1080p to 100 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 67 FPS at 4K. This is a 25% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 33% drop from 1440p to 4K. This steep decline is a textbook indicator of a GPU-bound scenario.

If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates would remain relatively flat as resolution increases, because the CPU's workload (draw calls, physics) stays largely the same. Instead, the significant FPS reduction at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is struggling to render the additional pixels. The gap between the low and high settings also widens at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low (178 FPS) and Ultra (117 FPS) is 61 FPS. At 4K, the difference between Low (90 FPS) and Ultra (59 FPS) is 31 FPS. This compression of the settings range at 4K further confirms that the GPU is the primary constraint, as it has less headroom to spare for quality improvements when it is already saturated with pixel output.

Measured FPS Breakdown

A detailed look at the measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the system's performance envelope.

At 1920x1080, the system is firmly CPU-bound, with the GPU having ample headroom. The frame rates are exceptionally high across all settings. On Low settings, the average FPS is 178. Moving to Medium, the average is 149 FPS, with a minimum of 127 and a maximum of 171. High settings yield an average of 133 FPS. Even at Ultra, the average is a very smooth 117 FPS. These numbers indicate that at 1080p, this combination is overkill for Dave The Diver, providing a high-refresh-rate experience on any preset.

At 2560x1440, the GPU begins to assert its influence, but performance remains strong. Low settings produce an average of 134 FPS. Medium settings average 112 FPS (min 95, max 129). High settings average 100 FPS. Ultra settings bring the average down to 88 FPS. The transition to 1440p shows a clear performance cost, but all settings remain comfortably playable, with even the most demanding preset staying above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is the definitive bottleneck. The frame rates become more moderate. Low settings average 90 FPS. Medium settings average 75 FPS (min 64, max 86). High settings average 67 FPS. Ultra settings drop to an average of 59 FPS. The minimum frame rate recorded on Medium settings at 4K is 64 FPS, which is close to the 60 FPS target. This data shows that 4K gaming with this combo is possible but requires a trade-off between visual quality and frame rate, with Ultra settings failing to maintain a consistent 60 FPS average.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700KF a bottleneck for the RTX 2060 in this game?

A: No. The data indicates the opposite. The CPU's benchmark scores place it in the 94th percentile, and the frame rates drop significantly as resolution increases. This pattern is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck, meaning the RTX 2060 is the limiting component.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve high refresh rates?

A: At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 117 FPS even on Ultra settings. For a 144Hz monitor, 1080p is the ideal target, as it allows the GPU to output frames fast enough to fully utilize a high-refresh-rate display.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming with Dave The Diver?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 3840x2160, the average frame rate is 67 FPS on High settings. On Ultra, the average drops to 59 FPS. It is playable at 4K, but users must be willing to lower settings from the maximum to maintain a stable 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 compare to its nearest rivals based on the data?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 15290. This is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon RX 7600, which has a score of 15171 and a deltaPct of 0.8%. This indicates the RTX 2060 is performing on par with that modern competitor in synthetic benchmarks.

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

A: The frame rate drops from an average of 134 FPS on Low to 88 FPS on Ultra at 2560x1440. This represents a 46 FPS difference, showing that the visual quality settings have a substantial impact on performance at this resolution.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the system fail to hit 60 FPS?

A: The only configuration in the data where the average FPS falls below 60 is at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, where the average is 59 FPS. All other tested combinations maintain an average above the 60 FPS threshold.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the user's display and performance targets. For users with a 1080p high-refresh-rate monitor, the Ultra preset is the clear choice. The system achieves an average of 117 FPS, which is more than sufficient for smooth gameplay and provides the best visual fidelity without any risk of dropping below 60 FPS.

For 1440p users, the High settings provide the best balance. It delivers an average of 100 FPS, which is an excellent experience for most displays. While Ultra at 1440p runs at 88 FPS, the jump in visual quality may not justify the 12% performance loss for some. If a user has a 144Hz monitor, the Medium preset, with an average of 112 FPS, is a better choice than High, as it gets closer to saturating the refresh rate.

At 4K, the priority shifts to maintaining a stable 60 FPS. The Medium settings preset is the safest recommendation, as it averages 75 FPS with a recorded minimum of 64 FPS. This provides a small buffer above the 60 FPS target. High settings average 67 FPS, which is close to the limit and may occasionally dip below 60 FPS in more demanding scenes, although the data does not specify a minimum frame rate for this setting. Ultra settings at 4K should be avoided, as the average of 59 FPS indicates a consistent inability to hit the 60 FPS target.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF plays a supporting role in this combo for Dave The Diver, but it provides a massive performance ceiling that ensures it is never the cause of a frame rate drop. With 20 cores and 28 threads, a base clock of 3.40 GHz, and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, the CPU has an immense amount of processing power. Its benchmark results, such as a multi-core score of 44167 in Cinebench R23 and a single-core score of 6235, place it firmly in the top tier of processors.

In this game, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls, and to feed the GPU with rendering instructions. The data shows that at 1080p, the CPU is capable of preparing frames faster than the GPU can render them. The high frame rates at this resolution are a signal of the CPU's strength. However, as the resolution increases, the GPU's render time becomes the dominant factor, and the CPU's utilization likely decreases. The performance data shows that the CPU is not a limiting factor at any resolution tested. Its 94th percentile ranking and close benchmark scores to rivals like the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K (70879 score) and AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (69996 score) confirm that it is performing exactly as expected. This CPU provides a future-proof foundation, but for this specific game, the RTX 2060 is the component that determines the final frame rate.