Thief

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 delivers a wide range of performance in Thief, with results that scale predictably across resolutions and presets. The recorded data shows a system that is clearly capable of high refresh rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K performance depends heavily on the selected quality preset. The combination ranks 1896th out of 3720 tested configurations in the database, placing it in the 51st percentile of all recorded combos for this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo posts its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 126.1 FPS, which is the peak recorded performance for the entire test suite. Moving to Medium brings the average down to 110.5 FPS, while High sits at 100.6 FPS. Interestingly, Ultra at 1080p averages 101.9 FPS, which is slightly higher than the High preset result, a reversal that suggests the Ultra preset may engage different rendering paths or that High is not strictly a linear step below Ultra in this title.

At 2560x1440, the averages remain comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold across all settings. Low leads with 112.4 FPS, followed by Medium at 99.7 FPS. High drops to 91 FPS, and Ultra closes the gap at 88.2 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 24.2 FPS, indicating that the GPU has enough headroom at this resolution to absorb the extra load from higher quality settings without collapsing into unplayable territory.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes. Low averages 89.8 FPS, Medium averages 73.2 FPS, and High averages 60.1 FPS, which lands exactly on the playable threshold. Ultra falls below it, averaging 53.6 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at 4K is 36.2 FPS, a much larger spread than at lower resolutions, which confirms that 4K is where the RTX 3080 begins to feel the pressure of the game's more demanding settings.

No minimum or maximum frame time data was recorded for any resolution, so the analysis relies entirely on average FPS. The absence of min and max values means stutter behavior and frame pacing cannot be assessed from the database, but the averages themselves are consistent and high enough to suggest a smooth experience in most scenarios.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling pattern across resolutions reveals which component carries the load. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is only 24.2 FPS (126.1 down to 101.9), a relatively modest drop that indicates the CPU is keeping pace and the GPU is not yet saturated. The fact that Ultra at 1080p (101.9 FPS) outpaces High at 1080p (100.6 FPS) is curious; it hints that the game's High preset may impose a specific bottleneck that Ultra does not, or that the measurements include some run-to-run variance.

At 1440p, the spread between Low and Ultra grows to 24.2 FPS (112.4 down to 88.2), nearly identical to the 1080p spread. This consistency suggests that between 1080p and 1440p, the GPU is still the dominant factor, but the CPU is not limiting the system, since the frame rates remain high and the relative cost of each preset stays stable.

At 4K, the spread between Low and Ultra jumps to 36.2 FPS (89.8 down to 53.6). This larger gap is a clear sign that the GPU becomes the sole bottleneck at this resolution. The CPU's role diminishes as pixel throughput takes over, and the RTX 3080's raw geometry and shading capacity dictate the outcome. The i5-10400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, has enough single-thread performance to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, as evidenced by the 126.1 FPS result at 1080p Low, but at 4K the GPU's limits are exposed first.

The data implies a balanced pairing for 1080p and 1440p, with the CPU capable of supporting the GPU's output. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, and the CPU's contribution becomes secondary.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The database places the i5-10400F near several other processors in terms of aggregate benchmark score. The Intel Xeon 6756E scores 14163, which is 0.2% lower than the i5-10400F's average of 14185. The AMD EPYC 7552 scores 14115, 0.5% lower. On the other side, the Intel Core 7 160UL scores 14232, 0.3% higher, and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C scores 14277, 0.6% higher. These four CPUs are all within a single percentage point of the i5-10400F in overall compute performance, so any of them would likely produce very similar frame rates in Thief when paired with the same GPU.

For the GPU side, the RTX 3080's nearest rivals in the database are all within a fraction of a percent of its average benchmark score of 23172. The NVIDIA P106-100 scores 23249, 0.3% higher. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 scores 23250, 0.3% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 6600M scores 23273, 0.4% higher, and the AMD Radeon R9 M290X scores 23276, 0.4% higher. These four GPUs are essentially tied with the RTX 3080 in aggregate benchmarks, meaning a system built with any of them alongside the i5-10400F would likely deliver nearly identical performance in Thief.

It is worth remembering the nearest rivals for the GPU include a mix of professional and mobile parts, which underscores how the aggregate benchmark score does not necessarily reflect gaming-specific behavior. Still, the delta values are so small that the practical difference in Thief would be minimal.

How This Combo Ranks

The i5-10400F and RTX 3080 combination ranks 1896th out of 3720 tested combos in Thief. That places it just past the midpoint of the database, which is a surprising result for a GPU as capable as the RTX 3080. The explanation lies in the game's age and the nature of the tested pool: Thief is a 2014 title with a modest thread requirement, so newer CPUs with higher single-thread scores and GPUs with better driver optimization for modern APIs may push many combos ahead.

The rank is not a reflection of absolute performance, since the measured FPS at 1080p and 1440p is excellent. Instead, it reflects the competitive landscape of the database, where thousands of other CPU-GPU pairs have been measured. A rank of 1896 out of 3720 means the combo outperforms roughly 51% of all tested configurations, a solid but not dominant position. The RTX 3080's percentile rank against all GPUs is 68, and the i5-10400F's percentile rank against all CPUs is also 68, so both components sit comfortably above average in their respective categories, even if the combined rank in this specific game is more modest.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Thief, and it can do so at high frame rates across most of the tested configurations. The database's playable threshold is 60 FPS, and the verdict by resolution confirms that the combo clears that bar in multiple presets.

At 3840x2160, the playable settings are High, Low, and Medium. High averages 60.1 FPS, which just clears the threshold. Medium averages 73.2 FPS, and Low averages 89.8 FPS. Ultra is not playable at 4K, averaging 53.6 FPS, which falls short of the 60 FPS mark.

At 2560x1440, all four presets are playable: Low at 112.4 FPS, Medium at 99.7 FPS, High at 91 FPS, and Ultra at 88.2 FPS. The best settings at 1440p are Ultra, with an average of 88.2 FPS, which provides the highest visual quality while staying well above the threshold.

At 1920x1080, all four presets are also playable: Low at 126.1 FPS, Medium at 110.5 FPS, High at 100.6 FPS, and Ultra at 101.9 FPS. The best settings at 1080p are Ultra, with an average of 101.9 FPS, which is the optimal choice for players who want maximum quality without sacrificing smoothness.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, with an average of 60.1 FPS. This is a marginal pass, so players who want a safety buffer might prefer Medium at 73.2 FPS, but High is technically playable.

For 2560x1440, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 88.2 FPS. This leaves substantial headroom above the threshold, so the GPU is not being pushed to its limit at this resolution.

For 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is also Ultra, with an average of 101.9 FPS. This is the best overall experience in terms of quality and frame rate, with nearly 42 FPS of headroom above the playable threshold.

The takeaway is straightforward: at 1080p and 1440p, the combo can run the game at maximum settings with excellent frame rates. At 4K, players must step down from Ultra to High, and even then the margin above 60 FPS is razor-thin.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Thief at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, the average FPS is 53.6, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The highest playable preset at 4K is High, which averages 60.1 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset at 2560x1440?

A: Ultra is the best settings preset at 1440p, with an average of 88.2 FPS. All four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable at this resolution.

Q: How much performance drops when going from 1080p to 4K?

A: At the Low preset, the average drops from 126.1 FPS at 1920x1080 to 89.8 FPS at 3840x2160. At the Ultra preset, the average drops from 101.9 FPS at 1080p to 53.6 FPS at 4K.

Q: Which component limits performance at 4K?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor at 3840x2160. The FPS spread between Low and Ultra at 4K is 36.2 FPS, a much larger gap than at 1080p or 1440p, which indicates the RTX 3080 is saturated while the CPU has remaining headroom.

Q: Is the i5-10400F a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No. At 1920x1080, the combo reaches 126.1 FPS on Low and 101.9 FPS on Ultra, which indicates the CPU can feed the GPU effectively at this resolution. The modest FPS spread between presets suggests balanced performance.

Q: What CPUs perform similarly to the i5-10400F in aggregate benchmarks?

A: The Intel Xeon 6756E is 0.2% lower, the AMD EPYC 7552 is 0.5% lower, the Intel Core 7 160UL is 0.3% higher, and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C is 0.6% higher in average benchmark score. All four are within one percentage point of the i5-10400F.