Thief

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a highly unusual balance of components for running Thief. The CPU is a solid 6-core, 12-thread desktop part based on Zen 3, while the GPU is an integrated graphics solution from Intel's mobile Arc lineup, built on the Xe3-LPG architecture. The recorded data shows this combination is severely bottlenecked by the graphics side, resulting in a system that can only handle the game at lower resolutions and presets. The database places this specific combination at rank 3307 out of 3720 tested combos for Thief, indicating a very low overall performance tier.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and consistent pattern: the integrated GPU struggles significantly as resolution and settings increase. At 1920x1080, the system shows its best performance. With Low settings, the average FPS is 86, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold. Moving to Medium settings at the same resolution, the average drops to 66 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 56 FPS and a maximum of 75 FPS. High settings at 1080p produce an average of 50 FPS, and Ultra settings drop further to an average of 48 FPS. None of the higher presets at 1080p manage to stay consistently at or above the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the performance takes a significant hit across the board. Low settings produce an average of 59 FPS, which is just one frame short of the 60 FPS target. Medium settings at this resolution yield an average of 45 FPS, with minimum and maximum figures of 38 and 52 FPS respectively. High settings average 34 FPS, and Ultra settings average 33 FPS. The data shows that no settings preset at 1440p manages to reach the playable threshold, with even the lowest preset falling just short.

The 3840x2160 results are the weakest of the set. Low settings average 35 FPS, Medium settings average 26 FPS with a minimum of 22 and a maximum of 30 FPS. High settings average 20 FPS, and Ultra settings average 19 FPS. These numbers indicate that 4K resolution is not a viable option for this hardware configuration in Thief, as every preset falls far below the 60 FPS target. The gap between the lowest and highest settings at 4K is only 16 FPS, showing that the GPU is so saturated that even reducing quality does not provide a meaningful performance boost.

The overall picture from the recorded data is that the system scales poorly with resolution. The difference between 1080p Low and 4K Low is 51 FPS, which is a massive drop that confirms the GPU is the limiting factor. The lack of min/max data for several presets suggests that some runs were not fully recorded, but the averages alone tell a consistent story of a GPU that is overwhelmed by higher workloads.

CPU and GPU Roles

In this configuration, the GPU is overwhelmingly the dominant factor in determining performance. The Intel Arc B390, with its 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, is an integrated part with a 3 nm process and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its FP32 throughput is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS. Despite these specifications, its benchmark score is only 1482 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. This is an extremely low score, and it explains why the measured FPS figures are so modest.

The CPU, by contrast, is a much more capable part. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 has a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16429 and a single-core score of 2319. Its average benchmark score across all tests is 19593, placing it in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs. This means the processor has ample headroom to feed the GPU, and the bottleneck is clearly on the graphics side.

The scaling between resolutions confirms this. When moving from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings, the average FPS drops from 86 to 59, a 27 FPS reduction. Moving from 1440p to 4K at Low settings drops the average from 59 to 35, another 24 FPS reduction. These large drops are characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering workload increases faster than the GPU can handle. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS would remain relatively flat across resolutions, which is not the case here.

The settings scaling also points to the GPU as the primary constraint. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 38 FPS. At 1440p, the difference between the same two presets is 26 FPS. At 4K, it is only 16 FPS. As resolution increases, the gap between settings narrows, which is a classic sign of a GPU that is already at its limit. The CPU is not the issue; it is the graphics pipeline that cannot keep up.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the GPU, the Intel Arc B390 sits in a very low performance tier. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 is only 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which scores 1463. It is 1.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M at 1460, 2.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM at 1446, and 2.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 at 1443. These are all very old, low-end graphics solutions, which puts the Arc B390's performance into perspective. Systems with these GPUs would behave similarly in Thief, meaning they would likely struggle at 1080p High and above, and would be limited to Low or Medium settings at best.

On the CPU side, the AMD Ryzen 5 5500 has much stronger competition. Its average benchmark score of 19593 is within 0.1% of the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430, which scores 19617. It is 0.4% behind the Intel Core i5-12500 at 19668, 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i7-10700F at 19499, and 0.7% behind the Intel Core i5-11600KF at 19723. These deltas are all negligible, meaning any of these CPUs would provide essentially the same level of performance in this system. Since the GPU is the bottleneck, swapping the CPU for any of these rivals would not change the measured FPS in Thief in any meaningful way.

The takeaway is that this system's performance is defined almost entirely by the GPU. A user looking for more FPS in Thief would need to address the graphics side of the equation, as the CPU has plenty of headroom and is not the limiting factor.

The Verdict

The question of whether this PC can run Thief depends entirely on the resolution and settings. The verdict data from the database is clear: at 3840x2160, there are no playable settings, meaning no preset reaches the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, the same is true, with no playable settings recorded. At 1920x1080, the system can run the game, with Low and Medium settings both classified as playable. The best playable setting at 1080p is Medium, which achieves an average FPS of 66.

So yes, this PC can run Thief, but only at 1080p and only with the lower presets. The 60 FPS threshold is cleared at 1080p Low with 86 FPS and at 1080p Medium with 66 FPS. Every other combination of resolution and settings falls short. At 1440p, the closest is Low at 59 FPS, which is a single frame below the target. At 4K, even Low settings only manage 35 FPS, which is far from playable.

The system is not a capable gaming machine for this title beyond basic 1080p play. The GPU's low percentile rank of 9 among all GPUs is a strong indicator of its limitations. The CPU, on the other hand, is in the 73rd percentile, showing that it is a much stronger part. For a user with this specific combination, the practical conclusion is to stick to 1080p and avoid pushing settings above Medium.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that remains at or above 60 FPS is Medium, with an average of 66 FPS. The minimum recorded FPS for this preset is 56, which dips slightly below the threshold, but the average is solidly above it. Low settings at the same resolution produce 86 FPS, which is higher, but Medium offers a better visual quality while still maintaining an average above 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, no preset meets the 60 FPS requirement. The best option is Low, which produces an average of 59 FPS, just one frame short of the target. Since the playable threshold is defined as 60 FPS, Low at 1440p is not classified as playable, and there is no recommended setting for this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the situation is worse. Low settings produce 35 FPS, Medium produces 26 FPS, High produces 20 FPS, and Ultra produces 19 FPS. None of these are close to the threshold, and there is no playable setting at this resolution. The database records no best settings for 1440p or 4K, confirming that 1080p Medium is the peak experience for this hardware.

For users who prioritize a stable frame rate, 1080p Low is the safest choice with its 86 FPS average. For those who want better visuals, 1080p Medium at 66 FPS is the highest playable preset. Anything beyond that sacrifices the playable frame rate.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Thief at 60 FPS on a 1440p monitor?

A: No. The measured data shows no playable settings at 2560x1440. The closest is Low settings with an average of 59 FPS, which falls one frame short of the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the highest settings preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS?

A: The highest is Medium at 1920x1080, with an average of 66 FPS. The minimum for this preset is 56 FPS, but the average stays above the threshold.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad, which is 1.3% higher than the GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M, 2.5% higher than the GeForce GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% higher than the GeForce GT 710.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 5500 the reason for the low performance in Thief?

A: No. The CPU is in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 19593. The GPU is in the 9th percentile, and the FPS scaling between resolutions indicates the graphics unit is the limiting factor.

Q: What happens to FPS when moving from 1080p to 4K at Low settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 86 at 1920x1080 to 35 at 3840x2160, a reduction of 51 FPS. This large drop is a clear sign of GPU saturation.

Q: Are there any playable settings at 4K resolution?

A: No. The verdict data lists no playable settings for 3840x2160. All presets, from Low to Ultra, produce average FPS below 60, with the best being Low at 35 FPS.