Dave The Diver

Dave The Diver is an Adventure title that, on the surface, appears modest in its graphical demands, yet the measured data for the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus paired with the Intel Arc B580 reveals a configuration that scales from high-refresh 1080p to playable 4K. The CPU, a 24-core, 24-thread Arrow Lake Refresh part with a 3.70 GHz base and 5.50 GHz boost clock, provides a massive foundational ceiling. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44253 and single-core score of 2439 place it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, indicating that it is unlikely to be the limiting factor in any of the measured scenarios. The GPU, an Intel Arc B580 based on the Xe2-HPG architecture, offers 2560 shading units, 80 ROPs, and 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, with a boost clock of 2670 MHz. The benchmark results show a system that delivers 189 FPS at 1080p Low but drops to 63 FPS at 4K Ultra, a trajectory that clearly charts the GPU as the primary performance governor as resolution increases.

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

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC with 17,800 million transistors. Its base clock of 3.70 GHz can boost up to 5.50 GHz, and it supports DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus with a bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44253 and a single-core score of 2439, alongside a Passmark single-thread score of 5068 and a multithread score of 68574. These figures place the chip in the 96th percentile versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 93785.

The data indicates that for Dave The Diver, the CPU's role is to provide an unencumbered data pipeline. At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces 189 FPS, which is the absolute ceiling of the measured results. This high frame rate at a CPU-favorable resolution suggests that the processor can feed the GPU far more frames than the graphics card can render at higher resolutions. The processor's nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score include the Intel Xeon 6520P with a delta of 0%, the AMD EPYC 4564P at -1.5%, the AMD EPYC 9175F at -1.9%, and the AMD EPYC 4565P at -2.1%. None of these rivals are gaming-specific parts, which reinforces that the 270K Plus is a workstation-class chip whose gaming performance is more than sufficient for this title.

The fact that the 1080p Low result is the highest measured frame rate, and that the gap between Low and Ultra settings at any given resolution is consistent, points to the CPU maintaining a stable throughput. For instance, at 1080p, the difference between Low (189 FPS) and Ultra (124 FPS) is 65 FPS, which is a GPU-side scaling effect. The CPU's 36 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB per-core L2 cache are more than adequate for the game's data sets, and its 125 W TDP is modest for a chip of this capability. The processor's Passmark data compression score of 804322 and encryption score of 59097 further demonstrate its ability to handle background tasks without impacting frame pacing, though the game itself does not heavily stress these areas.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and the Intel Arc B580 ranks 2132 out of 2867 tested combos for Dave The Diver. This places the configuration in the lower-middle tier of all recorded hardware pairings, which is a curious result given the individual component strengths. The rank indicates that while this combo is fully playable, there are 735 other configurations that deliver higher average frame rates across the tested scenarios. The ranking is relative to all combos, which includes those with more powerful GPUs that can push higher 4K frame rates.

To contextualize this rank, consider the GPU's performance profile. The Intel Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021, which puts it in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in synthetic tests are the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP with a delta of -0.2%, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 at 0.6%, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 at -0.7%, and the NVIDIA P106-100 at -1%. The fact that the B580 trades blows with the RTX 2080 and RTX 3080 in raw compute benchmarks but ranks 2132nd in this game suggests that Dave The Diver's engine may favor certain architectures or have specific driver optimizations that do not fully align with Intel's Xe2-HPG design.

The combo's rank is likely dragged down by the 4K Ultra result of 63 FPS, which is lower than what higher-end GPUs achieve. At 1080p Low, the 189 FPS result is competitive, but the ranking aggregates all resolutions and settings. The data shows that the combo performs best at lower resolutions where the CPU's strength can shine, but it loses ground to combos with more powerful GPUs at 1440p and 4K. This is not a reflection of CPU inadequacy; rather, it is a measure of the GPU's absolute rasterization limits. In the context of the 2867 combos, a rank of 2132 is still within the playable range, but it signals that users seeking the absolute highest frame rates at 4K Ultra would need to look at configurations with a stronger GPU.

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

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern across resolutions. At 1080p, the average frame rates are 189 FPS on Low, 158 FPS on Medium, 141 FPS on High, and 124 FPS on Ultra. Moving to 1440p, the averages drop to 142 FPS on Low, 119 FPS on Medium, 106 FPS on High, and 94 FPS on Ultra. At 4K, the averages fall further to 95 FPS on Low, 80 FPS on Medium, 71 FPS on High, and 63 FPS on Ultra.

The percentage drops from 1080p to 4K are substantial. For Low settings, the drop from 189 FPS to 95 FPS represents a 49.7% reduction. For Medium, it drops from 158 FPS to 80 FPS, a 49.4% reduction. High settings drop from 141 FPS to 71 FPS, a 49.6% reduction, and Ultra drops from 124 FPS to 63 FPS, a 49.2% reduction. The consistency of these drops—hovering around 49-50%—is a strong indicator that the GPU is the limiting component at all settings. The CPU is capable of delivering more frames, but the Arc B580's rendering throughput is halved when the pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

This scaling behavior is typical of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU's single-core performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R15 single-core score of 354 and R20 score of 3453, is more than sufficient to maintain frame pacing even at 1080p Low where the GPU is least stressed. The fact that the frame rate does not plateau at 1080p Low (189 FPS could be higher if the GPU were stronger) confirms that the bottleneck shifts from the CPU to the GPU as resolution increases. The 1440p results sit neatly between the two extremes, with the Low setting at 142 FPS still showing headroom, while the Ultra setting at 94 FPS begins to approach the GPU's limits. The data suggests that for a 60 FPS target, this combo can handle 4K Ultra with a marginal 3 FPS to spare, but for high-refresh monitors, 1080p or 1440p is the more appropriate domain.

FAQ

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

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 189 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Can this system run the game at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, it can run at 3840x2160. The lowest measured 4K average is 63 FPS on Ultra settings, while Low settings yield 95 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B580 compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP, scores 23061, which is a -0.2% delta. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 scores 22895, a 0.6% delta.

Q: What is the CPU's percentile ranking among all processors?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is in the 96th percentile versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 93785.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p and 1440p on High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the average FPS is 141. At 1440p High, the average FPS is 106, representing a 35 FPS drop.

Q: Is the combo rank affected by the GPU or the CPU?

A: The combo rank of 2132 out of 2867 is primarily influenced by the GPU. The CPU's benchmark scores place it in the 96th percentile, while the GPU is in the 68th percentile, indicating that the GPU is the performance limiter.

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

The Intel Arc B580 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture using TSMC's 5 nm process, with 19,600 million transistors on a 272 mm² die. It operates at a base clock of 2670 MHz and a boost clock of 2670 MHz, with memory clocked at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The GPU features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s. Its 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 80 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 213.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 427.2 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 13.67 TFLOPS, and it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

In the context of Dave The Diver, the GPU's 12 GB VRAM is more than ample for the game's assets at any resolution, as the measured results show no signs of memory throttling. The 456.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient to feed the 80 ROPs for the pixel fill rates required at 4K, though the frame rate drops to 63 FPS at Ultra indicate that raw shader throughput is the bottleneck. The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 15748 and DirectX 12 score of 76 place it in the 68th percentile, which is modest compared to the CPU's 96th percentile. This disparity is the core reason why the combo ranks 2132nd in the game.

The synthetic benchmarks show the B580's nearest rivals are all older or different-class cards. The AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP has an average score of 23061, which is 0.2% higher, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 scores 22895, which is 0.6% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 scores 23172, 0.7% higher, and the NVIDIA P106-100 scores 23249, 1% higher. These deltas are tiny, meaning the B580 performs on par with these cards in compute tasks. In actual game measurements, the B580's performance at 1080p Ultra (124 FPS) and 4K Ultra (63 FPS) reflects its position as a solid 1080p and entry-level 1440p card, with 4K being possible only at lower settings or with a tolerance for sub-60 FPS at Ultra.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured data provides four settings presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—across three resolutions. The choice of the best preset depends on the target frame rate and resolution. At 1080p, all presets deliver well above 60 FPS, with Low at 189 FPS, Medium at 158 FPS, High at 141 FPS, and Ultra at 124 FPS. The Medium preset with a measured min FPS of 134 and max FPS of 182 offers a strong balance, but for a 144 Hz monitor, High at 141 FPS is the sweet spot, as it stays above the refresh rate with minimal visual compromise over Ultra.

At 1440p, the frame rates are 142 FPS on Low, 119 FPS on Medium, 106 FPS on High, and 94 FPS on Ultra. For a 60 FPS target, Ultra is viable, but the Medium preset at 119 FPS with a min of 101 FPS and max of 137 FPS is preferable for smoothness on higher refresh displays. The High preset at 106 FPS is also excellent, offering a 12 FPS reduction from Medium but with improved visual fidelity. For 4K, the situation is tighter. Low settings produce 95 FPS, Medium produces 80 FPS with a min of 68 FPS and max of 92 FPS, High produces 71 FPS, and Ultra produces 63 FPS. For strict 60 FPS, Ultra is the only preset that dips below 60 FPS on average, but the Medium preset provides a comfortable margin with 80 FPS, which is the recommended choice for 4K to avoid any potential frame drops below 60 FPS.

The data suggests that the Medium preset is often the best balance of performance and visual quality, as it consistently offers a min FPS that is higher than the average FPS of the next preset up. For example, at 1440p, Medium's min of 101 FPS is higher than High's average of 106 FPS, meaning Medium never drops below what High typically delivers. The same pattern holds at 1080p and 4K. Therefore, for a effortless experience, Medium is the recommended preset across all resolutions, with High being a viable alternative for those prioritizing visuals over a few frames per second.

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

The following is the complete measured FPS data for the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and Intel Arc B580 in Dave The Diver:

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: Average 189 FPS, no min/max recorded.
• Medium: Average 158 FPS, min 134 FPS, max 182 FPS.
• High: Average 141 FPS, no min/max recorded.
• Ultra: Average 124 FPS, no min/max recorded.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: Average 142 FPS, no min/max recorded.
• Medium: Average 119 FPS, min 101 FPS, max 137 FPS.
• High: Average 106 FPS, no min/max recorded.
• Ultra: Average 94 FPS, no min/max recorded.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: Average 95 FPS, no min/max recorded.
• Medium: Average 80 FPS, min 68 FPS, max 92 FPS.
• High: Average 71 FPS, no min/max recorded.
• Ultra: Average 63 FPS, no min/max recorded.

The data reveals a consistent hierarchy: Low settings always yield the highest frame rates, followed by Medium, High, and Ultra in descending order. The Medium preset is the only one that provides min and max FPS data, which is useful for understanding frame pacing. At 1080p Medium, the range from 134 to 182 FPS indicates a variance of 48 FPS, which is a 30% fluctuation from the average. At 1440p Medium, the range is 101 to 137 FPS, a 36 FPS variance. At 4K Medium, the range is 68 to 92 FPS, a 24 FPS variance. This narrowing of the variance at higher resolutions further confirms that the GPU is the limiting factor, as its workload becomes more consistent when it is fully saturated. The absence of min/max data for other presets does not preclude their use, but the Medium preset's complete data set makes it the most predictable for ensuring a stable experience.