Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver is an adventure title that rarely stresses a modern desktop platform, and the combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 demonstrates how frame rates scale with settings and resolution when the workload is moderate. The measured data shows this pairing producing playable results even at 4K Ultra, though the relationship between CPU capability, GPU memory, and rendering resolution reveals where the bottleneck shifts across the tested configurations.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a 20-core, 28-thread processor built on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. It carries 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB of L2 cache per core, alongside 80 KB of L1 per core. This processor ranks in the 94th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 70163. Its nearest rivals in aggregate performance include the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F, which scores 69996 (0.2% behind), and the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX at 69875 (0.4% behind), while the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K leads slightly at 70879 (1% ahead). In single-threaded tests, this CPU achieves a Geekbench score of 2578 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6235, while multi-threaded results reach 21462 in Geekbench and 44167 in Cinebench R23.

For Dave The Diver, these CPU specs are far beyond what the game demands. The measured FPS data shows no scenario where the processor becomes the limiting factor, as even the lowest average frame rate recorded—68 FPS at 4K Ultra—is well above typical playability thresholds. The high boost clock of 5.60 GHz ensures that any single-threaded game logic or physics calculations are handled with minimal latency, but the real story is that this CPU provides massive headroom. The 20 cores and 28 threads are largely idle during gameplay, as the game's adventure genre mechanics do not scale with core count. The PassMark multithread score of 52425 and the floating point math score of 134393 further confirm that this processor is overqualified for the task, yet that headroom means frame pacing remains consistent across all settings. The data shows no measurable difference in FPS between CPU-bound and GPU-bound scenarios, which indicates the i7-14700KF never becomes a constraint in this title.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process node from TSMC, featuring 2560 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. It operates at a base clock of 2317 MHz and a boost clock of 2572 MHz, with memory running at 2500 MHz (20 Gbps effective) across a 128-bit bus. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory provides 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a key specification for this game. The GPU also includes 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores, though ray tracing is not a factor in Dave The Diver’s measured results. Its synthetic benchmark scores include a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2502 and a PassMark G3D score of 17326, placing it in the 66th percentile against all GPUs.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in aggregate benchmarks include the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153, 0.6% higher), the AMD Radeon HD 8970M (21237, 1% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713, 1.6% lower), and the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (21379, 1.6% higher). In Dave The Diver, the RTX 5050’s 8 GB VRAM is adequate for the game’s art style, which does not demand large texture pools. The measured FPS shows that raising settings from Low to Ultra at any resolution reduces performance, but the GPU still manages 68 FPS at 4K Ultra—a result that suggests the game is not heavily VRAM-limited. The 320.0 GB/s bandwidth and 82.30 GPixel/s pixel rate are sufficient to feed the render pipeline at 4K, though the data indicates that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions and settings. The FP32 throughput of 13.17 TFLOPS is modest, but for this title it delivers smooth frame rates across the board. The GPU’s percentile rank of 66 means it sits in the mid-range, yet in this specific game, its performance exceeds what the numbers alone might suggest.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of resolution scaling for this combo. At 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS is 206, which drops to 155 at 1440p and 104 at 4K. For Medium settings, the progression is 172 FPS at 1080p, 129 at 1440p, and 87 at 4K. High settings yield 154 FPS at 1080p, 116 at 1440p, and 77 at 4K. Ultra settings produce 136 FPS at 1080p, 102 at 1440p, and 68 at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K varies by settings: Low settings fall by 49.5% (from 206 to 104), Medium by 49.4% (172 to 87), High by 50.0% (154 to 77), and Ultra by 50.0% (136 to 68). This consistency across settings—roughly a halving of frame rate when pixel count quadruples—indicates that the limiting component scales predictably with resolution.

The pattern reveals that the RTX 5050 is the dominant constraint at higher resolutions. At 1080p, frame rates exceed 200 FPS on Low, which suggests that neither the CPU nor GPU is fully taxed, but as resolution increases, the GPU’s shading and memory bandwidth become the deciding factors. The 4K results, ranging from 68 to 104 FPS, show that the GPU still delivers playable performance, but the drop from 1080p to 4K is nearly linear with pixel count. This behavior is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where the CPU’s high single-thread performance (Geekbench single-core 2578) ensures that it never introduces a ceiling. The data shows no anomaly where the CPU causes a disproportionate drop at lower resolutions, which would indicate a CPU limitation. Instead, the smooth scaling from 1080p to 4K confirms that the i7-14700KF provides ample headroom, and the RTX 5050’s 8 GB VRAM and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth are the practical limits in this title.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 206 at 1080p with Low settings. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 68 FPS, which remains playable.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its nearest GPU rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5050 has an average benchmark score of 21035, while its closest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, scores 21153—a difference of 0.6% in the rival’s favor. The AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT scores 20713, which is 1.6% lower.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700KF a limiting factor at any resolution or setting in this game?

A: No. The data shows that FPS scales consistently with resolution and settings, with no sudden drop that would indicate a CPU bottleneck. The CPU’s 94th percentile ranking and high boost clock of 5.60 GHz provide far more performance than this game requires.

Q: What is the rank of this CPU+GPU combination among all tested combos in Dave The Diver?

A: The combo ranks 2279 out of 3710 tested combinations, placing it in the middle of the distribution. This rank reflects the RTX 5050’s mid-range GPU position rather than the CPU’s capability.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 5050 have, and does it affect performance in this game?

A: The RTX 5050 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 320.0 GB/s bandwidth. In Dave The Diver, this capacity is sufficient, as even 4K Ultra produces 68 FPS, indicating no memory-related stuttering or frame drops.

Q: Which settings preset provides the highest minimum FPS recorded?

A: The only settings with recorded minimum FPS values are Medium presets. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 146 FPS; at 1440p Medium, it is 110 FPS; and at 4K Medium, it is 74 FPS. These are the lowest recorded frame rates across all tested configs.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 ranks 2279 out of 3710 tested combos in Dave The Diver, placing it in the 61.4th percentile of all pairings. This rank is influenced more by the GPU than the CPU, given that the i7-14700KF sits in the 94th percentile among all CPUs while the RTX 5050 sits in the 66th percentile among all GPUs. The CPU’s nearest rivals—such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X with a 0.9% higher average score—do not appear in the game’s measured results, because the game is not CPU-sensitive. The GPU’s nearest rivals, including the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, which scores 1.6% lower in synthetic benchmarks, would likely produce similar FPS in this title, but the measured data only covers this specific combo.

The rank of 2279 out of 3710 suggests that many other GPU configurations deliver higher frame rates in this game, likely due to more powerful graphics cards. However, the absolute FPS numbers—ranging from 68 at 4K Ultra to 206 at 1080p Low—indicate that this combo is far from inadequate. The rank is relative to all tested combos, which includes high-end GPUs that would push frame rates well beyond 200 FPS at 1080p. The data shows that this combo’s performance is sufficient for smooth gameplay at 4K with High settings (77 FPS) and excellent at 1440p (116 FPS on High). The CPU’s high benchmark scores (Cinebench R23 multicore 44167) do not translate into a better game rank, confirming that the GPU is the determining factor in this adventure title.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1080p, all presets deliver high frame rates: Low averages 206 FPS, Medium 172 FPS, High 154 FPS, and Ultra 136 FPS. The differences between presets are noticeable but not critical, as even Ultra exceeds 130 FPS, making it the recommended choice for 1080p users who want maximum visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. At 1440p, the data shows High settings at 116 FPS and Ultra at 102 FPS, both of which are excellent for most displays. Medium at 129 FPS offers a slight boost, but the visual trade-off may not be worth it unless the display has a high refresh rate. For 4K, the recommendation is High settings at 77 FPS, which balances visual fidelity with playability. Ultra drops to 68 FPS, which is still playable but leaves less headroom for dips, while Medium at 87 FPS and Low at 104 FPS improve frame rates but reduce image quality. The measured minimum FPS values for Medium presets—74 FPS at 4K, 110 FPS at 1440p, and 146 FPS at 1080p—suggest that Medium provides stable performance, but High is the sweet spot for most users because it offers a 9 FPS improvement over Ultra at 4K while maintaining better visuals than Medium.

The data indicates that the RTX 5050’s 8 GB VRAM does not force users to drop to Low settings at any resolution, so the choice between presets is purely about frame rate targets. For a 60 FPS cap, 4K Ultra is viable, but for 120 FPS displays, 1440p High or 1080p Ultra are the best matches. The consistency of the FPS scaling—roughly 50% drop from 1080p to 4K across all presets—means that users can predict performance based on resolution without worrying about sudden bottlenecks. The recommended approach is to use High settings for 4K, High or Ultra for 1440p, and Ultra for 1080p, as these configurations provide the best balance of visual quality and measured frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values are as follows: Low settings produce 206 FPS, Medium produces 172 FPS with a minimum of 146 and maximum of 198, High produces 154 FPS, and Ultra produces 136 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 70 FPS, representing a 34% reduction from the lowest to highest preset. The Medium preset’s minimum of 146 FPS indicates that even in demanding scenes, frame rates remain well above 144 FPS, making 1080p gaming exceptionally smooth.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS values are 155 for Low, 129 for Medium (with a minimum of 110 and maximum of 149), 116 for High, and 102 for Ultra. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent: Low falls by 24.8%, Medium by 25.0%, High by 24.7%, and Ultra by 25.0%. This uniform reduction confirms that the GPU scales predictably with resolution. The Medium preset’s minimum of 110 FPS still exceeds typical 60 Hz refresh rates, while Ultra at 102 FPS remains playable.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS values are 104 for Low, 87 for Medium (with a minimum of 74 and maximum of 100), 77 for High, and 68 for Ultra. The reduction from 1440p to 4K is also consistent: Low falls by 32.9%, Medium by 32.6%, High by 33.6%, and Ultra by 33.3%. The 4K Medium minimum of 74 FPS is the lowest recorded frame rate across all tested configurations, yet it still clears the 60 FPS threshold. The RTX 5050’s 8 GB VRAM and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth handle the 4K workload without major dips, as evidenced by the maximum FPS of 100 on Medium. The overall pattern shows that this combo delivers playable frame rates at every resolution and preset, with the only caveat being that 4K Ultra (68 FPS) leaves less headroom for frame time spikes, though no minimum FPS data is available for that preset to confirm potential stutters. The measured data is comprehensive across all nine resolution/preset combinations, providing a complete picture of performance for this hardware pairing in Dave The Diver.