Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver, an adventure title from 2023, presents a unique scaling profile on the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination. The measured data reveals that this pairing is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at lower resolutions, with performance scaling that shifts towards a balanced load at 4K. The benchmark results show a system capable of delivering exceptionally high frame rates across all presets, making it a top-tier performer for this title, ranking 215th out of 3710 tested combos.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial, but the pattern is not uniform across all settings. At the Low preset, the average frame rate falls from 408 FPS at 1920x1080 to 206 FPS at 3840x2160, representing a 49.5% reduction in performance. This steep decline indicates that at lower settings, the GPU is working harder to fill the increased pixel count, but the absolute frame rates remain so high that the game is likely still limited by the CPU's ability to feed the graphics card at 1080p. The jump from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings shows a drop from 408 to 307 FPS, a 24.8% decrease, while the jump from 1440p to 4K shows a further 32.9% decrease, from 307 to 206 FPS.

The scaling pattern changes significantly at the Medium preset, where the frame rate drops from 342 FPS at 1080p to 257 FPS at 1440p (a 24.9% decrease) and then to 172 FPS at 4K (a 33.1% decrease from 1440p). This consistent ~25% and ~33% reduction suggests that the load is becoming more evenly distributed between the CPU and GPU as resolution increases. At High settings, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 24.6% (305 to 230 FPS), and from 1440p to 4K is 33.0% (230 to 154 FPS). The Ultra preset shows the most linear scaling, with a 24.6% drop from 1080p to 1440p (269 to 203 FPS) and a 33.0% drop from 1440p to 4K (203 to 136 FPS).

The data indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is the primary limiting factor, as the frame rates exceed 300 FPS even at High settings. The RTX 4080's immense rendering power is being bottlenecked by the processor's ability to process game logic and draw calls. As resolution increases to 1440p and then 4K, the GPU becomes the dominant constraint, with the consistent percentage drops between resolutions reflecting the increased pixel workload. The most significant finding is that even at 4K Ultra, the system maintains an average of 136 FPS, showcasing that this combination is not challenged by Dave The Diver under any tested configuration.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the undisputed workhorse in this configuration, and its capabilities are clearly reflected in the measured results. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. This ample memory capacity and bandwidth are more than sufficient for Dave The Diver's demands, even at 4K resolution with Ultra settings, where the game data suggests no memory-related performance dips. The GPU's boost clock of 2505 MHz and base clock of 2205 MHz, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, deliver a raw compute performance of 48.74 TFLOPS FP32, which is more than adequate for this title's visual fidelity.

The RTX 4080's performance percentile of 86% against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54247, places it in the upper echelon of graphics cards. Its nearest rival in the database is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, which scores a nearly identical 54209, a mere 0.1% difference. This close proximity in synthetic benchmarks is reflected in real-world gaming, where the 4080's performance is consistently high. The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6567 further underscores its DirectX 12 capabilities, which are relevant for a modern title like Dave The Diver.

In the context of these measured FPS results, the GPU's role is clear: it provides the raw pixel-pushing power to achieve frame rates well above 100 FPS at 4K across all presets. The fact that the average FPS at 4K Ultra is 136, and at 1080p Low is 408, demonstrates that the GPU is not a bottleneck in any scenario tested. Instead, the data suggests that the RTX 4080's headroom is so vast that the system's performance ceiling is often dictated by the CPU, particularly at lower resolutions. The GPU's 76 RT cores and 304 Tensor cores are also present, though their specific impact in this non-competitive adventure game is not directly measured, but they contribute to the overall feature set and future-proofing.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 408 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its closest rival in the benchmark database?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54247, which is only 0.1% lower than the RTX 4080 SUPER's score of 54209, indicating they are statistically tied in performance.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the system dip below 150 FPS?

A: The only configuration that falls below the 150 FPS mark is at 3840x2160 (4K) resolution with the Ultra preset, where the average frame rate is 136 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU become the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU becomes the primary limiting factor at 1080p, as frame rates exceed 300 FPS on High settings, and the GPU's potential is not fully utilized due to the high pixel throughput demands.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at 1440p Medium?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the system averages 257 FPS, with a minimum of 219 FPS and a maximum of 296 FPS, showing a variance of 77 FPS across the measured span.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations for this game?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination ranks 215th out of 3710 tested combos for Dave The Diver, placing it in the top 5.8% of all systems.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal experience depends on the user's display and preference for visual fidelity versus raw speed. For users with a 1080p or 1440p monitor, the Ultra preset is easily achievable, with average frame rates of 269 FPS and 203 FPS respectively. These frame rates are so high that they would only be fully utilized on high-refresh-rate displays, and the visual benefits of Ultra settings are substantial. The data shows no reason to compromise on quality at these resolutions, as even at Ultra, the performance exceeds any standard 144Hz or 165Hz monitor's refresh rate.

At 4K resolution, the choice becomes more nuanced. The High preset delivers an average of 154 FPS, which is excellent for a 4K display, providing a smooth and responsive experience. The Medium preset offers a slight performance boost to 172 FPS, but the visual downgrade from High may not be worth the 18 FPS difference for most users. The Ultra preset at 4K still maintains a playable 136 FPS, but this is the only configuration where the system's performance starts to approach the lower bounds of high-refresh-rate gaming. For a game like Dave The Diver, which is not a fast-paced competitive shooter, the High preset at 4K appears to be the sweet spot, balancing visual quality with a comfortable performance margin. The Low preset at any resolution is not recommended, as it provides no tangible performance benefit that would be noticeable given the already high frame rates, and it sacrifices significant visual detail.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured frame rates for the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is detailed below. The data includes average frame rates for all resolution and settings combinations, with additional minimum and maximum values recorded for the Medium preset at each resolution.

1920x1080:

• Low: 408 FPS average
• Medium: 342 FPS average, with a minimum of 290 FPS and a maximum of 393 FPS
• High: 305 FPS average
• Ultra: 269 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Low: 307 FPS average
• Medium: 257 FPS average, with a minimum of 219 FPS and a maximum of 296 FPS
• High: 230 FPS average
• Ultra: 203 FPS average

3840x2160:

• Low: 206 FPS average
• Medium: 172 FPS average, with a minimum of 146 FPS and a maximum of 198 FPS
• High: 154 FPS average
• Ultra: 136 FPS average

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 plays a critical, though secondary, role in this system's performance, particularly at lower resolutions. The CPU features 20 cores and 20 threads with a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. This high boost clock is essential for maintaining high frame rates in game logic and draw call processing, which becomes the bottleneck at 1080p. The processor's benchmark scores support this, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42216 and a single-core score of 5960, indicating strong performance in both multi-threaded and single-threaded workloads. The PassMark single-thread score of 4689 and the data compression score of 522983 highlight its capabilities in tasks that rely on quick, sequential processing.

The CPU's percentile rank of 93% against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 64640, places it in the top tier of processors. Its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 4464P, scores a nearly identical 64823, a mere 0.3% difference, showing that the Core Ultra 7 265 is competitive with server-class silicon in synthetic tests. The processor's 30 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB per core L2 cache contribute to its ability to handle large data sets and maintain high instruction throughput. The architecture is built on a 3 nm process from TSMC, which contributes to its efficiency, though the TDP is rated at 65 W.

In the context of Dave The Diver, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with enough data to maintain the high frame rates observed. At 1080p, the data shows that the CPU is the limiting factor, as the GPU is clearly capable of rendering more frames than the processor can issue. This is evident from the 408 FPS at Low settings, where the GPU load is minimal, yet the frame rate is still finite. As resolution increases, the CPU's workload per frame stays relatively constant, while the GPU's workload increases, shifting the bottleneck to the graphics card. The CPU's robust single-core performance ensures that it does not cause any stuttering or frame drops, as evidenced by the consistent average frame rates across all settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 215th out of 3710 tested combinations for Dave The Diver. This places the system in the top 5.8% of all configurations tested, a remarkable achievement that underscores the high level of performance this pairing delivers. The rank is a holistic measure that takes into account the system's ability to maintain high frame rates across various resolutions and settings, and it reflects the balanced nature of this CPU-GPU pairing.

The high rank is primarily driven by the GPU's exceptional performance in this title, as the RTX 4080's raw power is sufficient to maintain high frame rates even at 4K Ultra. The CPU's strong performance also contributes, as it avoids becoming a bottleneck at lower resolutions, ensuring that the system's potential is fully realized. The combination's performance is so strong that it leaves little room for improvement without moving to a higher-tier GPU, and it significantly outperforms the vast majority of systems in the database. This rank confirms that for users seeking a high-refresh-rate experience in Dave The Diver, this specific hardware combination is an excellent choice, providing a smooth and visually rich gameplay experience at any resolution.