Thief

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for this combination of an Intel Core i5-10400F and Intel Arc B390 in Thief shows a clear performance ceiling that scales predictably with resolution and preset level. At 3840x2160, the highest resolution tested, the system is heavily constrained. The High preset delivers an average of 20 FPS, while Low reaches 35 FPS, Medium sits at 26 FPS, and Ultra drops to 19 FPS. The only setting with min/max data at this resolution is Medium, which ranges from 22 FPS minimum to 30 FPS maximum, indicating that even the lowest dips remain below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates improve but remain insufficient for smooth gameplay. High averages 34 FPS, Low reaches 59 FPS, Medium produces 45 FPS, and Ultra drops to 33 FPS. The Medium preset at this resolution records a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS, showing that even the best-case scenario falls short of the playable threshold. The 59 FPS average at Low is the closest approach to 60 FPS, but it still misses the mark.

At 1920x1080, the system finally finds traction. The Low preset averages 86 FPS, Medium averages 66 FPS with a minimum of 56 FPS and a maximum of 75 FPS, High averages 50 FPS, and Ultra averages 48 FPS. The data indicates that only Low and Medium presets clear the 60 FPS playable threshold at this resolution. The Medium preset is the most demanding setting that maintains an average above 60 FPS, with its minimum recorded at 56 FPS, which is below the threshold but the average remains acceptable.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-10400F, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Xeon 6756E with an average score of 14163 and a delta of 0.2%, the Intel Core 7 160UL at 14232 with a delta of -0.3%, the AMD EPYC 7552 at 14115 with a delta of 0.5%, and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C at 14277 with a delta of -0.6%. These deltas are all within a fraction of a percent, meaning any of these CPUs would deliver effectively identical CPU-bound performance in Thief. The Core i5-10400F sits at the 68th percentile among all CPUs, so these rivals represent the immediate performance neighborhood.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc B390 has a much lower standing, sitting at the 9th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX with an average score of 1463 and a delta of 1.3%, the NVIDIA GeForce 800M at 1460 with a delta of 1.5%, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM at 1446 with a delta of 2.5%, and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 at 1443 with a delta of 2.7%. These are all older or entry-level parts, and the small deltas mean the Arc B390 would trade blows with them in GPU-bound scenarios. In Thief, this GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, so swapping the Arc B390 for any of these rivals would produce nearly identical frame rates.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the recorded data shows no playable settings, as every preset averages below 60 FPS. The best-case scenario is Low at 35 FPS, but this is still far from the playable threshold. Therefore, no recommended preset exists for 4K.

At 2560x1440, the situation is similar. No preset reaches the 60 FPS average threshold, with Low at 59 FPS being the closest. Since the verdict data lists no playable settings for this resolution, the recommendation is to avoid 1440p with this configuration if smooth gameplay is required.

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, which averages 66 FPS. The Low preset also clears the threshold with 86 FPS, but Medium offers higher visual fidelity while still maintaining a playable average. The recorded minimum for Medium is 56 FPS, which dips below 60 FPS, but the average is solidly above. For users who prioritize consistency over visual quality, Low at 86 FPS provides a larger margin, but Medium is the recommended balance.

The Verdict

The verdict data is unambiguous. This combination cannot run Thief at 60 FPS or above at either 3840x2160 or 2560x1440, regardless of preset. At 3840x2160, the best average is 35 FPS on Low, and at 2560x1440, the best average is 59 FPS on Low, both short of the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 1920x1080, the system clears the threshold with two settings: Low at 86 FPS and Medium at 66 FPS. The best settings at 1080p are Medium, with an average of 66 FPS, making this the only resolution where the game is playable. The data shows that 1080p is the practical ceiling for this hardware, and even then, only the lower two presets are viable.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the Intel Core i5-10400F and the Intel Arc B390 in Thief becomes apparent when comparing performance scaling across resolutions and presets. At 3840x2160, the frame rates are uniformly low across all presets, with only a 15 FPS difference between Low (35 FPS) and Ultra (19 FPS). This narrow spread indicates that the GPU is the dominant bottleneck, as even dropping to Low presets cannot unlock higher frame rates. The Arc B390, with its 9th percentile ranking, simply lacks the raw throughput needed for 4K rendering.

At 2560x1440, the pattern shifts slightly. The Low preset reaches 59 FPS, which is close to the threshold, while Ultra sits at 33 FPS. The 26 FPS difference between Low and Ultra shows that preset changes have a larger impact than at 4K, but the overall levels are still GPU-limited. The CPU, with its 68th percentile ranking, has enough headroom to feed the GPU at these settings, but the GPU cannot push beyond the mid-50s even on Low.

At 1920x1080, the CPU begins to matter more. The Low preset hits 86 FPS, and Medium drops to 66 FPS, with High at 50 FPS and Ultra at 48 FPS. The scaling from Low to Medium is a 20 FPS drop, and from Medium to High is a 16 FPS drop, but High to Ultra is only 2 FPS. This plateau at the higher presets suggests that the GPU is still the primary constraint, but the CPU is now capable of driving higher frame rates when the GPU load is reduced. The Core i5-10400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is sufficient for 1080p gaming in Thief, but the Arc B390's low performance ceiling caps the experience.

How This Combo Ranks

Among all tested combinations in the database, this pairing of Intel Core i5-10400F and Intel Arc B390 ranks 3307 out of 3720 for Thief. This places it in the lower 11% of all tested configurations, which aligns with the measured frame rates showing only 1080p Low and Medium as playable. The CPU's respectable standing at the 68th percentile is undermined by the GPU's 9th percentile ranking, resulting in an overall combination that is heavily constrained by graphics performance. The data suggests that this combo would be outclassed by most modern systems, but it remains functional for 1080p gaming at medium settings in Thief.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Thief at 4K resolution?

A: No. The recorded data shows no playable settings at 3840x2160, with the best average being 35 FPS on Low, which is below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 2560x1440?

A: There is no playable setting at 2560x1440. The closest is Low at 59 FPS average, but this still falls short of the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Which presets are playable at 1920x1080?

A: Low and Medium are playable at 1920x1080. Low averages 86 FPS, and Medium averages 66 FPS, both above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS?

A: At 1920x1080, the Medium preset is the most demanding that maintains an average of 66 FPS, which is above the threshold.

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

A: The Intel Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482, which is within 2.7% of its nearest rivals, including the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (1443), NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446), NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460), and NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463).

Q: How does this combination rank among all tested systems for Thief?

A: This combination ranks 3307 out of 3720 tested combinations, placing it in the lower portion of the database for this game.