Thief

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for this combination shows a clear performance ceiling dictated primarily by the integrated graphics solution. Across all resolutions and presets, the average frame rates indicate that this system is only comfortable at the lowest resolution tier. The measurements are complete for average FPS across every setting, with minimum and maximum figures only recorded for the Medium preset at each resolution.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates under any setting. The High preset averages 20 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold by a significant margin. Dropping to Medium improves the average to 26 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 22 FPS and maximum of 30 FPS. The Low preset reaches 35 FPS on average, but this still falls well short of acceptable performance. The Ultra preset yields the lowest result at 19 FPS average. The data indicates that 4K resolution is entirely out of reach for this hardware combination, regardless of graphical compromises.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance improves but remains below the playable threshold across all settings. The High preset averages 34 FPS, while Ultra averages 33 FPS. Medium produces 45 FPS on average, with a minimum of 38 FPS and maximum of 52 FPS. The Low preset comes closest to the target, averaging 59 FPS, which is just one frame shy of the 60 FPS threshold. This near-miss at Low settings demonstrates that 1440p is tantalizingly close but ultimately unplayable according to the strict criteria used in this database.

At 1920x1080, the picture changes considerably. The Low preset averages 86 FPS, comfortably exceeding the 60 FPS target. Medium settings average 66 FPS, with a minimum of 56 FPS and maximum of 75 FPS, also clearing the threshold. The High preset drops to 50 FPS average, and Ultra falls to 48 FPS, both below the playable threshold. This resolution is the only one where the combination delivers a consistently playable experience, and only at the two lighter presets.

The scaling between resolutions is steep. From 1080p Low to 1440p Low, the average drops from 86 to 59 FPS, a reduction of 27 FPS. From 1440p Low to 4K Low, the average falls from 59 to 35 FPS. The pattern repeats across all presets, confirming that resolution scaling places enormous strain on this particular GPU configuration.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Thief at 1920x1080 with High settings?

A: No. The recorded average FPS at 1080p High is 50, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The playable settings at this resolution are limited to Low and Medium.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 1920x1080?

A: The Medium preset is the most demanding configuration that stays at or above 60 FPS. It averages 66 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 56 FPS and maximum of 75 FPS.

Q: Is 2560x1440 playable at any setting?

A: No. The closest result is at Low settings, which averages 59 FPS, just one frame below the 60 FPS threshold. All other presets at this resolution fall further behind, with Medium averaging 45 FPS.

Q: How does the system perform at 3840x2160?

A: The verdict data shows no playable settings at 4K. The best average FPS at this resolution is 35 FPS on Low settings, while High, Medium, and Ultra average 20, 26, and 19 FPS respectively.

Q: What are the frame time consistency figures for the Medium preset?

A: At 1080p Medium, the recorded range spans from 56 FPS minimum to 75 FPS maximum. At 1440p Medium, the range is 38 to 52 FPS. At 4K Medium, the range narrows to 22 to 30 FPS.

Q: Where does this combination rank among all tested configurations for Thief?

A: The database ranks this combo at position 3307 out of 3720 tested combinations, placing it in the lower percentile of all recorded systems.

Best Settings per Resolution

3840x2160: No preset achieves the 60 FPS threshold. The best recorded average is 35 FPS at Low settings, but this is not classified as playable. The database lists no playable settings for this resolution.

2560x1440: No preset achieves the 60 FPS threshold. The closest result is Low settings at 59 FPS average, but this still falls below the required minimum. The database lists no playable settings for this resolution.

1920x1080: The Medium preset is the most demanding setting that maintains playable performance. It averages 66 FPS, with a minimum of 56 FPS and maximum of 75 FPS. The Low preset also qualifies with an average of 86 FPS, but Medium offers better visual quality while remaining above the threshold. The database confirms Medium as the best settings choice at this resolution.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU component, an AMD Ryzen 5 7600X, sits near several comparable processors in aggregate benchmark scores. The closest rival is the AMD Ryzen 7 5800, which scores 27535 against 27636 for the 7600X, a delta of 0.4 percent. The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and Intel Core i5-12600K both score 27578, placing them 0.2 percent behind the 7600X. The AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE scores 27712, which is 0.3 percent ahead. These deltas are all within a fraction of a percent, meaning any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in this game when paired with the same GPU.

The GPU component, an Intel Arc B390, has far more consequential rival comparisons. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which scores 1463 against the Arc's 1482, a delta of 1.3 percent. The NVIDIA GeForce 800M scores 1460, a 1.5 percent gap. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, a 2.5 percent gap, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, a 2.7 percent gap. These are all extremely low-end graphics solutions, and the performance differences between them are small enough that gameplay experience would be nearly indistinguishable across this group. The Arc B390's 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs underscores its position at the very bottom of the performance spectrum.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals that the GPU is the dominant performance limiter in this configuration, with CPU headroom going largely unused. The evidence lies in the steep scaling between resolutions and the relatively flat scaling between presets. When resolution increases from 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS at Low settings drops from 86 to 59, a 31 percent reduction. The same resolution increase at Medium settings drops from 66 to 45, a 32 percent reduction. These large drops are characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios, where additional pixel work directly translates to lower frame rates.

Preset scaling within a fixed resolution tells a similar story. At 1080p, moving from Low to Medium reduces the average from 86 to 66 FPS. Moving from Medium to High drops it to 50 FPS, and High to Ultra drops it further to 48 FPS. The consistent decline across preset tiers, combined with the severe resolution penalties, points to the graphics solution as the bottleneck. A CPU-bound scenario would show smaller differences between Low and Ultra presets, since lower settings reduce GPU load but keep CPU work relatively constant.

At 4K resolution, the GPU is so overwhelmed that even the lowest preset produces only 35 FPS. The CPU, which ranks in the 79th percentile among all processors, has far more compute capability than the GPU can utilize at this resolution. The integrated nature of the Arc B390, with system-shared memory and a 80 W TDP, explains why it cannot keep pace with the CPU's output. For this game, the recorded data indicates that upgrading the GPU would yield substantial frame rate improvements, while a CPU change would produce negligible gains.

The Verdict

This combination can run Thief, but only under specific conditions. The verdict by resolution confirms that 1920x1080 is the sole playable resolution, and only at Low or Medium presets. The Medium preset averages 66 FPS, clearing the 60 FPS threshold with a reasonable margin, though the 56 FPS minimum shows that dips below the target can occur. The Low preset at 1080p averages 86 FPS, providing a more comfortable buffer.

At 2560x1440, the system cannot maintain 60 FPS at any setting. The Low preset nearly reaches the target at 59 FPS average, but the database classifies this as unplayable. All other 1440p presets fall further behind, with Medium at 45 FPS, High at 34 FPS, and Ultra at 33 FPS. At 3840x2160, the situation is worse, with the best average being 35 FPS at Low settings and the worst being 19 FPS at Ultra.

The practical summary is straightforward: this system is suited for 1080p gaming in Thief with medium or lower graphical details. Users seeking higher resolutions or higher presets would need a more capable graphics solution. The CPU is not the limiting factor in this configuration.

How This Combo Ranks

The database places this combination at rank 3307 out of 3720 tested configurations, positioning it in the lowest tier of systems evaluated for Thief. The rank reflects the severe GPU limitation, as the CPU alone would rank much higher based on its 79th percentile standing among all processors. The GPU's 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs drags the overall combination down substantially.

The gap between this combo and higher-ranked systems is largely attributable to the GPU. Systems with discrete graphics solutions, even older ones, would outperform this integrated configuration by significant margins. The CPU's near-tie with rivals like the Ryzen 7 5700X and Core i5-12600K suggests that pairing any of those processors with a stronger GPU would yield dramatically better results in Thief. Conversely, pairing this GPU with a weaker CPU would not meaningfully change the outcome, since the GPU is already the binding constraint at every resolution and preset tested.