Thief

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 delivers a consistently high-performance experience in Thief, with benchmark results showing that every tested resolution and preset combination clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. The data indicates a system that scales predictably across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions, with the most demanding Ultra preset at 4K still maintaining an average of 72 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination produces its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 169 FPS, while Medium reaches 153 FPS with a minimum of 130 FPS and a maximum of 175 FPS. High settings drop slightly to 138 FPS average, and Ultra maintains 136 FPS average. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 33 FPS, indicating that the GPU has ample headroom even when pushing the most demanding graphical settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains exceptionally strong. Low settings average 149 FPS, while Medium delivers 135 FPS with a minimum of 114 FPS and a maximum of 155 FPS. High settings achieve 122 FPS average, and Ultra stays at 120 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra narrows to 29 FPS, showing that resolution scaling affects performance more than preset selection at this tier.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates show the expected impact of higher pixel counts. Low settings average 125 FPS, Medium drops to 100 FPS with a minimum of 85 FPS and a maximum of 114 FPS. High settings average 76 FPS, and Ultra settles at 72 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra expands to 53 FPS at 4K, demonstrating that Ultra settings at this resolution place the most significant load on the system.

The minimum FPS values are only recorded for the Medium preset across all three resolutions. At 1080p, the minimum of 130 FPS remains well above the playable threshold. At 1440p, the 114 FPS minimum holds comfortably. At 4K, the 85 FPS minimum still provides a smooth experience, indicating that frame pacing remains consistent even under the heaviest tested load.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling between resolutions reveals that the RTX 4080 is the primary driver of frame rates in Thief. At 1080p, the average FPS across presets ranges from 136 to 169, while at 1440p it ranges from 120 to 149. The drop from 1080p to 1440p averages around 12-16% depending on the preset, which aligns with the GPU handling the increased pixel workload.

The transition from 1440p to 4K shows a more substantial performance reduction. High settings fall from 122 FPS to 76 FPS, a 38% decrease. Ultra settings drop from 120 FPS to 72 FPS, a 40% reduction. Low settings decline from 149 FPS to 125 FPS, a 16% decrease. This pattern indicates that at 4K, the GPU becomes increasingly saturated, while the i3-12100F maintains enough CPU throughput to avoid becoming a bottleneck.

The Core i3-12100F, with its 4 cores and 8 threads, provides sufficient single-thread performance to keep up with the RTX 4080 at lower resolutions. The 3dmark single-thread score of 893 and the geekbench singlecore score of 1932 suggest that the CPU can feed the GPU adequately at 1080p and 1440p. However, the minimal FPS differences between High and Ultra presets at 1440p (122 vs 120 FPS) and 1080p (138 vs 136 FPS) indicate that the GPU is not fully stretched at these settings, leaving CPU performance as the limiting factor in some scenarios.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Thief at 4K with Ultra settings above 60 FPS?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 72 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold by 12 FPS.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this combo?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 169 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Does the Medium preset provide consistent frame times across resolutions?

A: The Medium preset includes recorded minimum and maximum values. At 1080p, the range is 130 to 175 FPS. At 1440p, the range is 114 to 155 FPS. At 4K, the range is 85 to 114 FPS.

Q: How does the i3-12100F compare to its nearest CPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494. The Intel Core 3 N355 scores 13492 with a 0% delta, the Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13452 with a 0.3% delta, the Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13594 with a -0.7% delta, and the Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13351 with a 1.1% delta.

Q: Is the RTX 4080 significantly faster than its nearest GPU rivals in average benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54247. The RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54209 with a 0.1% delta, the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828 with a -1.1% delta, the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698 with a -2.6% delta, and the AMD Radeon 8060S scores 55757 with a -2.7% delta.

Q: What percentile does this CPU and GPU combination rank in overall performance?

A: The i3-12100F ranks in the 68th percentile among all CPUs, while the RTX 4080 ranks in the 86th percentile among all GPUs.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals based on average benchmark scores include the Intel Core 3 N355, which scores 13492 and is effectively identical with a 0% delta. The Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13452, just 0.3% behind. The Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13594, which is 0.7% ahead, and the Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13351, 1.1% behind. These processors would provide near-identical CPU-bound performance in Thief, meaning the frame rates at lower resolutions would likely fall within the same range.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54209, just 0.1% behind the RTX 4080. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828, 1.1% ahead. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698, 2.6% ahead, and the AMD Radeon 8060S scores 55757, 2.7% ahead. These GPUs would produce very similar frame rates in Thief, with the differences likely being within a few FPS at each resolution and preset.

How This Combo Ranks

In Thief, this specific combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 576th out of 3720 tested combos. This places it in the top 15.5% of all tested systems for this game. The relatively low CPU tier combined with a high-end GPU creates an asymmetric pairing, but the game's performance metrics indicate that the GPU dominates the workload, allowing the combo to achieve top-tier results despite the modest processor.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Thief. The verdict by resolution confirms that all four settings presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — are playable at every tested resolution. At 3840x2160, the highest playable setting is Ultra with an average of 72 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra averages 120 FPS. At 1920x1080, Ultra averages 136 FPS. Since the playable threshold is 60 FPS, every configuration exceeds this requirement, with the lowest recorded average being 72 FPS at 4K Ultra.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which delivers an average of 72 FPS. This allows players to experience the game at maximum graphical fidelity while maintaining a comfortable margin above the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, Ultra settings also provide the best balance, achieving an average of 120 FPS. This is double the playable threshold, leaving significant headroom for demanding scenes or background tasks.

At 1920x1080, Ultra settings reach an average of 136 FPS. This is the highest preset available, and the system handles it with ease, making 1080p Ultra the most visually impressive configuration while still delivering over double the playable frame rate.