Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver, a deceptively simple-looking adventure title, provides a fascinating stress test for the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination. The measured frame rates reveal a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet shows surprising CPU headroom at 1080p. The data suggests this pairing is capable of obliterating the game's demands, but the way performance scales with settings and resolution tells a nuanced story about where the bottleneck shifts.

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

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 reveals a classic resolution scaling curve, but the magnitude of the drop is telling. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 257.1 FPS at 1080p to 192.7 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 128.7 FPS at 4K. This represents a 50% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K, which is a substantial hit but not as severe as seen in more graphically intensive titles. The data indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at 4K, but the RTX 5070 handles the load with considerable authority.

The scaling pattern shifts when examining Low settings. At 1920x1080 Low, the system achieves 346.8 FPS, which drops to 261.2 FPS at 1440p and 175.4 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is roughly 49%, nearly identical to the High preset. This consistency suggests the game's rendering pipeline does not exhibit anomalous scaling behavior; the load is distributed uniformly across resolution increases. However, the absolute frame rates at 1080p Low approach the realm where CPU limitations could begin to surface, even with the i9-14900K's formidable 24 cores and 32 threads.

Interesting to note is the relationship between resolution and the performance gap between presets. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 121.4 FPS (346.8 vs 225.4). At 4K, this gap narrows to 62.2 FPS (175.4 vs 113.2). This compression of the performance delta at higher resolutions is a textbook indicator of GPU-bound behavior; as pixel count increases, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and the relative cost of higher graphical fidelity diminishes in percentage terms. The implication is that players with 4K displays can enable Ultra settings with a smaller relative performance penalty than those on 1080p panels.

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

The RTX 5070's 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth, is more than sufficient for Dave The Diver's art style and scene complexity. The game does not appear to be memory-bandwidth constrained based on the measured results; the performance scaling from Medium to High to Ultra is smooth and predictable. At 4K Ultra, the average of 113.2 FPS indicates the GPU's 80 ROPs and 192 TMUs are processing the scene efficiently without hitting a memory wall.

The GPU's clock behavior is also relevant. With a base clock of 2325 MHz and a boost of 2512 MHz, the RTX 5070 operates at a high frequency, contributing to its impressive 30.87 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The data shows that the card is not thermally or power throttling in a way that would cause erratic frame pacing, as the average FPS figures are consistent across the resolution and settings matrix. The 250 W TDP and dual-slot cooler appear adequate for maintaining boost clocks during sustained gaming sessions.

The GPU's benchmark percentile of 83 places it above the majority of tested graphics cards, and its average benchmark score of 41687 sits very close to rivals like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, which scores 41441 (a delta of 0.6%). This proximity in synthetic benchmarks is reflected in real-world gaming, where the card demonstrates it can push Dave The Diver well beyond the 60 FPS threshold even at the most demanding 4K Ultra preset. The 31,100 million transistors on a 5 nm process deliver a high transistor density of 118.3M per mm², which translates to the raw compute capability needed for high refresh rate gaming.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the i9-14900K and RTX 5070 achieves a rank of 309 out of 1626 tested combinations in this game. This places the pair in the top 19% of all configurations, which is a strong showing but not the absolute top tier. The ranking indicates that while this setup is exceptionally fast, there are other combos that deliver higher frame rates, likely pairing the RTX 5070 with even faster CPUs or using higher-end GPUs from the same generation.

The rank of 309 is particularly interesting because Dave The Diver is not a CPU-intensive game. The fact that this combo does not crack the top 100 suggests that the RTX 5070 is the limiting factor for the highest possible scores, and that other configurations with more powerful GPUs (with higher benchmark scores) outperform it. However, the i9-14900K itself is a top-tier CPU, ranking in the 97th percentile versus all CPUs, so the bottleneck is clearly on the graphics side. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-14900KF with an average score of 79245 (a delta of 0.7%), are nearly identical in performance, meaning the choice of CPU variant is unlikely to affect the combo's ranking in this game.

The data implies that for this specific title, the combo's rank is driven almost entirely by the GPU's 83rd percentile standing. Players with this setup should expect performance that is competitive with the majority of systems, but those seeking the absolute top frame rates in Dave The Diver would need to look at GPUs with higher average benchmark scores, such as those in the 90th percentile or above.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured data provides a comprehensive matrix of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers outstanding results. The Low preset achieves 346.8 FPS, which is exceptionally high and likely beyond the refresh rate of most monitors. Medium settings yield 288.2 FPS, High settings produce 257.1 FPS, and the Ultra preset still manages a very smooth 225.4 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 121.4 FPS, which is substantial and suggests that players on 1080p displays can choose their preferred visual quality without worrying about dropping below 200 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains stellar. Low settings hit 261.2 FPS, while Medium, High, and Ultra deliver 214.6, 192.7, and 173.3 FPS, respectively. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 87.9 FPS, showing the increased GPU load at this resolution. Even at Ultra, the frame rate is high enough to fully utilize a 144Hz or even a 165Hz monitor, making this resolution a sweet spot for high-refresh-rate gaming with maximum visual fidelity.

At 3840x2160, the performance is still impressive but shows the expected decline. Low settings average 175.4 FPS, Medium hits 146.1 FPS, High drops to 128.7 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 113.2 FPS. The 62.2 FPS difference between Low and Ultra is the smallest of the three resolutions, confirming the GPU-bound nature of 4K gameplay. All presets remain comfortably above 100 FPS, which confirms the RTX 5070's power. This data indicates that 4K Ultra is entirely playable and even suitable for high-refresh-rate 4K monitors, which is a rare feat for a game with this art style.

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

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a powerhouse with 24 cores (8 performance and 16 efficiency) and 32 threads, operating at a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz. For a game like Dave The Diver, which is not known for heavy multithreaded workloads, this CPU is massively overprovisioned. The data supports this; the frame rates are consistently high across all presets, with no indication of CPU bottlenecking except potentially at the extreme 1080p Low setting.

The CPU's multi-core performance is exceptional, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 49872 and Passmark multithread score of 58674. However, the game's single-threaded performance is more relevant for frame pacing. The CPU's single-core Cinebench R23 score of 7040 is among the best available, which helps ensure that the game's primary game thread is never starved for processing power. This is crucial for maintaining high average FPS, even if the game does not use all 32 threads.

The 36 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample fast storage for game data, reducing latency and improving frame consistency. The CPU's high clock speeds and robust cache hierarchy ensure that it can feed the RTX 5070 with enough draw calls and game logic updates to keep the GPU busy. In this context, the CPU is not a limiting factor; it is a supporting component that enables the GPU to operate at its full potential. The 97th percentile ranking versus all CPUs confirms that this is one of the fastest processors available, and its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7413, has a nearly identical average score of 80041 (a delta of -0.3%), showing how competitive the top tier of processors has become.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this combo?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 346.8 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

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

A: Yes, the data shows that at 3840x2160 resolution, even the Ultra preset delivers an average of 113.2 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the i9-14900K compare to its closest CPU rival?

A: The i9-14900K's average benchmark score is 79824, which is 0.7% higher than the Intel Core i9-14900KF's score of 79245. It is also 0.3% lower than the AMD EPYC 7413's score of 80041.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 261.2 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 173.3 FPS, representing a difference of 87.9 FPS.

Q: Is the RTX 5070 a high-performing GPU relative to others?

A: The RTX 5070 ranks in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41687. It is 0.6% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, which scores 41441.

Q: Does the game's performance scale linearly with resolution?

A: No, the data shows that the frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is approximately 50% at both High and Low settings, but the absolute drop in FPS is larger at 1080p (121.4 FPS from Low to Ultra) than at 4K (62.2 FPS from Low to Ultra), indicating a GPU bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target refresh rate and resolution. For players with a 1080p monitor running at 240Hz or higher, the Ultra preset at 225.4 FPS is the best choice, as it provides the highest visual quality while still exceeding the refresh rate of most displays. For those on 1440p monitors with a 165Hz refresh rate, the High preset at 192.7 FPS is recommended, as it balances visual fidelity with a frame rate that can fully utilize the display's capabilities. The Ultra preset at 1440p (173.3 FPS) is also viable for 144Hz monitors.

For 4K gaming, the Ultra preset at 113.2 FPS is the clear recommendation for players with a 120Hz or higher 4K display, as it delivers the best image quality without sacrificing playability. If a player has a 144Hz 4K monitor, dropping to High settings (128.7 FPS) will provide a closer match to the refresh rate, though the difference between High and Ultra in this game may be visually subtle. The Low preset is generally not recommended for any resolution, as the performance gains (e.g., 121.4 FPS boost at 1080p) are not worth the substantial visual downgrade, especially when the Ultra preset already delivers excellent frame rates. The Medium preset serves as a fallback for players who want a performance boost but are sensitive to visual quality reductions, but the data shows that the step from Medium to High is relatively small at 4K (17.4 FPS), making High the better value.