Dave The Diver

# Dave The Diver — Intel Core Ultra 5 235 + Intel Arc B570

Dave The Diver pairs a modest adventure-game workload with a mid-range desktop combination, and the measured results show a system that can comfortably handle the game at high frame rates across all tested resolutions. The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and Intel Arc B570 deliver their strongest performance at 1080p, where even the most demanding Ultra preset averages 110 FPS, while the 4K Ultra setting drops to 55 FPS, indicating a clear graphics-bound ceiling at higher resolutions. The data set includes 12 measured FPS points spanning four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) at three resolutions (1080p, 1440p, 4K), providing a complete picture of how this combo scales under different loads.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows show that Medium settings offer the best balance between visual fidelity and performance headroom across all resolutions. At 1080p, Medium averages 139 FPS with a minimum of 118 FPS and maximum of 160 FPS, which is 29 FPS below the Low preset’s 167 FPS average but 29 FPS above the High preset’s 124 FPS average. The Medium preset’s minimum of 118 FPS ensures that even the most demanding scenes stay well above typical display refresh rates, making it the safest choice for consistent gameplay without sacrificing too much visual quality.

At 1440p, Medium again provides the strongest compromise, averaging 105 FPS with a minimum of 89 FPS and maximum of 121 FPS. The 89 FPS minimum is still comfortably playable, while the 105 FPS average represents a 11 FPS improvement over High’s 94 FPS and a 22 FPS improvement over Ultra’s 83 FPS. For 4K, Medium averages 70 FPS with a minimum of 60 FPS and maximum of 81 FPS, which is the only 4K preset where the minimum FPS stays at or above 60 FPS — Low averages 84 FPS but lacks the minimum/maximum data, while High averages 63 FPS and Ultra drops to 55 FPS.

For users prioritizing frame rate stability over maximum graphical detail, Medium is the recommended preset at every resolution. The data shows that the step from Medium to High costs roughly 15 FPS at 1080p (139 to 124), 11 FPS at 1440p (105 to 94), and 7 FPS at 4K (70 to 63), while the step from Low to Medium gains only 28 FPS at 1080p, 20 FPS at 1440p, and 14 FPS at 4K — a diminishing return that suggests Medium captures most of the visual benefit without the performance penalty of High or Ultra. Ultra, by contrast, delivers the lowest FPS at every resolution, with the 4K Ultra average of 55 FPS falling below the 60 FPS threshold that many users consider the minimum for smooth gameplay.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process node from TSMC. It operates at a base clock of 3.40 GHz and boosts up to 5.00 GHz, with 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB of L2 cache per core. In Dave The Diver, which is not a heavily threaded title, the CPU’s single-core performance is the primary factor, and the data indicates that the processor’s 5.00 GHz boost clock is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the GPU at lower resolutions.

The CPU’s benchmark results place it in the 89th percentile among all tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 46062. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (avg score 46030, deltaPct 0.1%), Intel Core i9-13900HX (avg score 46098, deltaPct -0.1%), AMD EPYC 4364P (avg score 45970, deltaPct 0.2%), and AMD EPYC 7303 (avg score 45960, deltaPct 0.2%). These deltas are all within 0.2% of the Core Ultra 5 235, indicating that the processor sits in a tightly packed performance tier where no single rival holds a meaningful advantage in general-purpose workloads.

In Dave The Diver specifically, the CPU’s role becomes more apparent when examining the 1080p results. At 1080p Low, the average FPS of 167 suggests that the game is not CPU-limited at this preset, as the frame rate is high enough to indicate headroom. However, the 1080p Ultra average of 110 FPS, compared to the 1440p Ultra average of 83 FPS and 4K Ultra average of 55 FPS, shows that the CPU can maintain playable frame rates even at the highest settings, with the GPU becoming the limiting factor as resolution increases. The 14 cores and 14 threads (with no hyperthreading) are more than adequate for Dave The Diver’s single-threaded nature, and the 3 nm process node contributes to efficient power delivery with a 65W TDP, though the game itself does not stress the CPU to its thermal limits.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is based on the Xe2-HPG architecture (Battlemage generation) and features 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, delivering 380.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU operates at a fixed 2500 MHz base and boost clock, with 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output units. The 10 GB VRAM capacity is adequate for Dave The Diver’s art style, which does not appear to require excessive memory at any tested resolution, as the frame rates scale predictably with resolution rather than showing sudden drops that would indicate VRAM exhaustion.

The GPU’s benchmark results place it in the 65th percentile among all tested GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (avg score 20534, deltaPct 0.1%), Intel Arc A750 (avg score 20582, deltaPct -0.1%), NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (avg score 20480, deltaPct 0.4%), and AMD Radeon R9 M390X (avg score 20662, deltaPct -0.5%). These deltas are all within 0.5% of the Arc B570, showing that the GPU is competitively positioned against these alternatives in synthetic benchmarks, though Dave The Diver’s actual performance may differ due to the game’s specific rendering requirements.

In Dave The Diver, the GPU’s role is clearly dominant at higher resolutions. The 4K results show a spread from 55 FPS (Ultra) to 84 FPS (Low), while the 1080p results range from 110 FPS (Ultra) to 167 FPS (Low). This scaling pattern — where the 4K-to-1080p ratio at each preset is roughly 0.5 (e.g., 55/110 = 0.5 for Ultra, 84/167 = 0.5 for Low) — indicates that the GPU is the limiting component at all tested resolutions. The 150W TDP and PCIe 4.0 x8 interface are sufficient for this workload, and the 10 GB VRAM does not appear to be a bottleneck, as the frame rate drops are consistent with pixel-count scaling rather than memory capacity limits.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2282 out of 2867 tested combos in Dave The Diver, placing it in the bottom 20% of all combinations tested for this game. This ranking is notably lower than what the individual component benchmarks might suggest — the CPU sits in the 89th percentile and the GPU in the 65th percentile — indicating that Dave The Diver’s performance profile does not favor this particular pairing as strongly as it does other combinations.

The rank of 2282 out of 2867 means that 585 combos (approximately 20.4%) perform worse than this setup, while 2281 combos perform better. This relatively low ranking can be attributed to the fact that Dave The Diver is a lighter title that does not heavily stress high-end hardware, meaning that combinations with lower-tier CPUs or GPUs may achieve similar frame rates, while higher-tier combos push the game to much higher FPS values. The data shows that this combo is capable of delivering playable performance across all tested settings and resolutions, but it does not excel in a game that is not graphically demanding.

The ranking also reflects that the Arc B570’s 65th percentile GPU score is the weaker link in this pairing. The CPU’s 89th percentile score suggests that it can feed the GPU effectively, but the GPU’s mid-range position limits the overall combo’s standing. In a game like Dave The Diver, where the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, the Arc B570’s performance tier becomes the determining factor, and the 4K Ultra average of 55 FPS is a clear indication that this combo is not designed for maximum settings at 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a consistent scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 167 at 1080p to 125 at 1440p (a 25.1% decrease) and then to 84 at 4K (a 32.8% decrease from 1440p). At Medium settings, the averages drop from 139 at 1080p to 105 at 1440p (24.5% decrease) and then to 70 at 4K (33.3% decrease). At High settings, the averages drop from 124 at 1080p to 94 at 1440p (24.2% decrease) and then to 63 at 4K (33.0% decrease). At Ultra settings, the averages drop from 110 at 1080p to 83 at 1440p (24.5% decrease) and then to 55 at 4K (33.7% decrease).

The consistency of these percentage drops across all four settings presets is notable. The 1080p-to-1440p reduction of approximately 24-25% and the 1440p-to-4K reduction of approximately 33% are nearly identical regardless of which settings preset is used, which strongly indicates that the GPU is the limiting component at every resolution and settings combination. The pixel count increases by 1.78x from 1080p to 1440p and by 2.25x from 1440p to 4K, and the frame rate drops track this scaling almost perfectly — a hallmark of GPU-bound performance.

This scaling behavior means that the CPU is not a limiting factor in Dave The Diver, even at 1080p Low where the 167 FPS average could theoretically expose a CPU bottleneck. The fact that the frame rate drops proportionally with pixel count, rather than plateauing at a CPU-determined ceiling, confirms that the Arc B570 is the performance limiter across the entire test matrix. Users who want higher frame rates at 4K would need a more powerful GPU, while users who prioritize frame rate over resolution can achieve 167 FPS at 1080p Low or 139 FPS at 1080p Medium.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured results show a clear progression across settings. Low settings deliver the highest average FPS at 167, followed by Medium at 139 (with a minimum of 118 and maximum of 160), High at 124, and Ultra at 110. The spread from Low to Ultra is 57 FPS, with each step up in settings costing between 14 and 28 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 118 FPS is the only 1080p measurement with min/max data, and it shows that even the lowest frame rate remains well above 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 125 FPS for Low, 105 FPS for Medium (with a minimum of 89 and maximum of 121), 94 FPS for High, and 83 FPS for Ultra. The spread from Low to Ultra is 42 FPS, narrower than at 1080p due to the GPU becoming more constrained. The Medium preset’s minimum of 89 FPS is still above 60 FPS, but the margin is smaller than at 1080p. The step from Medium to High costs 11 FPS, while the step from High to Ultra costs another 11 FPS, showing diminishing returns as settings increase.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 84 FPS for Low, 70 FPS for Medium (with a minimum of 60 and maximum of 81), 63 FPS for High, and 55 FPS for Ultra. The spread from Low to Ultra is 29 FPS, the narrowest of all resolutions. The Medium preset’s minimum of 60 FPS is exactly at the threshold commonly considered the minimum for smooth gameplay, while the Ultra average of 55 FPS falls below this threshold. The data shows that 4K Ultra is the only tested configuration that averages below 60 FPS, making it the least playable option in the entire measurement set.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset consistently provides the best balance of average FPS and minimum FPS stability. The maximum FPS values at Medium (160 at 1080p, 121 at 1440p, 81 at 4K) indicate that the GPU has headroom to burst above the average, which is beneficial for scenes with variable complexity. The minimum FPS values at Medium (118 at 1080p, 89 at 1440p, 60 at 4K) show that the GPU maintains acceptable performance even in demanding moments, making Medium the most reliable preset for consistent playability.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for this CPU-GPU combo in Dave The Diver?

A: Medium settings provide the best experience at all resolutions. At 1080p, Medium averages 139 FPS with a minimum of 118 FPS; at 1440p, it averages 105 FPS with a minimum of 89 FPS; at 4K, it averages 70 FPS with a minimum of 60 FPS. Medium offers higher average FPS than High and Ultra while maintaining a minimum FPS that stays at or above 60 FPS even at 4K.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The Core Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46062, placing it in the 89th percentile. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, scores 46030 (0.1% lower), while the Intel Core i9-13900HX scores 46098 (0.1% higher). The AMD EPYC 4364P scores 45970 (0.2% lower) and the AMD EPYC 7303 scores 45960 (0.2% lower). All rivals are within 0.2% of this CPU’s performance.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556, placing it in the 65th percentile. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, scores 20534 (0.1% lower), while the Intel Arc A750 scores 20582 (0.1% higher). The NVIDIA Quadro M4000M scores 20480 (0.4% lower) and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X scores 20662 (0.5% higher). All rivals are within 0.5% of this GPU’s performance.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in Dave The Diver?

A: The GPU is the limiting component at all tested resolutions and settings. The frame rate drops from 1080p to 1440p by approximately 24-25% and from 1440p to 4K by approximately 33%, regardless of settings preset. This consistent scaling with pixel count confirms that the Intel Arc B570 is the bottleneck, not the Intel Core Ultra 5 235.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 4K with this combo?

A: At 4K, the measured averages are 84 FPS for Low, 70 FPS for Medium (with a minimum of 60 and maximum of 81), 63 FPS for High, and 55 FPS for Ultra. The Medium preset is the only 4K setting where the minimum FPS reaches 60, making it the recommended choice for 4K gameplay.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested combinations in Dave The Diver?

A: This combo ranks 2282 out of 2867 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 20% of all tested combos for this game. Despite the CPU being in the 89th percentile and the GPU in the 65th percentile, the game’s relatively light graphical demands mean that many other combinations achieve similar or better performance, pushing this combo’s ranking lower than component benchmarks might suggest.