Thief

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the Intel Arc B370 produces a narrow but measurable playability window in Thief. The recorded data shows that the 60 FPS threshold is cleared at exactly one setting and resolution pairing, while all other configurations fall short. This places the combo at rank 3433 out of 3720 tested combinations, a position that reflects the GPU's low relative standing more than the CPU's capabilities.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the results are uniformly below playable levels. The Low preset averages 31 FPS, which is the highest figure at this resolution. Medium drops to 24 FPS on average, with the recorded range spanning 20 FPS minimum and 27 FPS maximum. High averages 18 FPS, and Ultra averages 17 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 7 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is only 1 FPS, indicating that the most demanding presets compress together at this resolution as the GPU reaches its limits.

At 2560x1440, the picture improves but still remains below the 60 FPS threshold across all presets. Low averages 53 FPS, which is the closest any setting comes to playability at this resolution. Medium averages 41 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 47 FPS. High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS. The scaling from Low to Medium is a 12 FPS drop, from Medium to High is a 10 FPS drop, and from High to Ultra is only a 2 FPS drop. This pattern suggests diminishing returns in cost as settings rise, but also shows that even the lowest preset cannot reach the playability line.

At 1920x1080, the only playable configuration appears. Low averages 78 FPS, comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 59 FPS, just 1 FPS short of the threshold, with a minimum of 50 FPS and a maximum of 68 FPS. High averages 45 FPS, and Ultra averages 43 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium is 19 FPS, which is the largest single-preset drop in the entire dataset at any resolution. High to Ultra is only a 2 FPS difference, again showing that the highest settings tax the hardware without proportionally improving the experience.

The overall pattern across all resolutions shows a consistent hierarchy: Low is always the fastest, followed by Medium, then High, then Ultra. The only anomaly is that at 4K, High and Ultra are nearly identical (18 vs 17 FPS), and at 1440p, High and Ultra are also close (31 vs 29 FPS). At 1080p, High and Ultra are 45 vs 43 FPS. This compression at the top end of settings suggests that the GPU saturates before the CPU becomes a limiting factor.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset reaches 60 FPS. The best recorded average is 31 FPS at Low settings, which is less than half of the playability threshold. The database lists no playable settings for this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the same situation applies. No preset reaches 60 FPS. The best average is 53 FPS at Low settings, which falls 7 FPS short of the threshold. The database lists no playable settings for this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset is the only playable option, averaging 78 FPS. This is the single configuration in the entire dataset that clears the 60 FPS line. Medium at 59 FPS is 1 FPS short, meaning it is technically below the playability threshold even though it is close. The best settings per resolution, according to the recorded data, is therefore Low at 1080p with an average of 78 FPS.

FAQ

Q: Can the Intel Core i5-12400 and Intel Arc B370 run Thief at 4K?

A: No. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 31 FPS on the Low preset. Medium averages 24 FPS, High averages 18 FPS, and Ultra averages 17 FPS. None of these approach the 60 FPS threshold.

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

A: The Low preset is the only playable setting at 1080p, averaging 78 FPS. Medium averages 59 FPS, which is 1 FPS below the 60 FPS threshold, and High and Ultra average 45 and 43 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the Arc B370 compare to other GPUs in the database?

A: The Arc B370 has an average benchmark score of 1184 and sits at the 5th percentile among all GPUs. Its closest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, 0.2% higher), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, 0.5% higher), the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192, 0.7% higher), and the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168, 1.4% lower).

Q: How does the Core i5-12400 compare to other CPUs?

A: The Core i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 18683 and sits at the 72nd percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7643 (18697, 0.1% higher), the Intel Core i7-1355U (18730, 0.3% higher), the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (18811, 0.7% higher), and the Intel Core i3-14100F (18519, 0.9% lower).

Q: Is 1440p playable with this combo?

A: No. The best average at 2560x1440 is 53 FPS on Low settings, which is 7 FPS below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 41 FPS, High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded across all tested configurations?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 20 FPS at 3840x2160 Medium settings. The Medium preset at 1440p has a minimum of 35 FPS, and the Medium preset at 1080p has a minimum of 50 FPS. Other presets do not have recorded minimum values in the database.

The Verdict

This PC can run Thief, but only within a very narrow window. The verdict data shows that at 1920x1080, the Low preset is the only playable setting, with an average of 78 FPS. That is the sole configuration that clears the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, no settings are playable. The best average is 53 FPS at Low, which is below the threshold. At 3840x2160, the situation is worse, with the best average being 31 FPS at Low.

The practical implication is that a user must run the game at 1080p with the Low preset to maintain fluid frame rates. Medium at 1080p averages 59 FPS, which is tantalizingly close but still below the playability line. The data does not support any higher resolution or preset combination for this game with this hardware.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the CPU and GPU is clear from the recorded measurements. The Core i5-12400 ranks at the 72nd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18683. The Arc B370 ranks at the 5th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1184. This massive disparity in relative standing indicates that the GPU is the limiting component in this pairing.

The scaling between resolutions confirms this. Moving from 1080p Low (78 FPS) to 1440p Low (53 FPS) is a 25 FPS drop, and moving from 1440p Low to 4K Low (31 FPS) is a 22 FPS drop. These large drops as resolution increases are characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering workload grows with pixel count and the GPU cannot keep up.

The preset scaling also points to the GPU as the bottleneck. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 35 FPS (78 to 43). At 1440p, the difference is 24 FPS (53 to 29). At 4K, the difference is 14 FPS (31 to 17). The shrinking absolute gap at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is already saturated, so raising settings has less impact when the resolution itself is the dominant cost.

The CPU, by contrast, has ample headroom. Its 72nd percentile ranking and 6-core, 12-thread configuration with a 4.40 GHz boost clock provide more than enough processing power for a 2014 stealth title. The game's release date of 2014-02-24 predates the CPU's 2022-01-03 release by roughly eight years, meaning the game's CPU demands are well within the i5-12400's capabilities. The recorded data does not show any CPU-related frame dips; the minimum FPS values, where recorded, are consistent with GPU-bound behavior.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination ranks 3433 out of 3720 tested combos in Thief. This places it in the bottom portion of the database, approximately the 8th percentile of tested systems. The low ranking is driven almost entirely by the GPU, given that the CPU's percentile (72) is far higher than the GPU's percentile (5).

The rank of 3433 means that 287 tested combos perform worse, while 3432 perform better. This is a poor showing for a system that can only manage 1080p Low at playable frame rates. However, the ranking should be interpreted in context: Thief is a demanding game for this particular GPU, and the Arc B370's integrated nature (25 W TDP, IGP bus interface) limits its performance in ways that discrete GPUs would not face.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals in the database are the AMD EPYC 7643 (average score 18697, 0.1% higher), the Intel Core i7-1355U (18730, 0.3% higher), the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 (18811, 0.7% higher), and the Intel Core i3-14100F (18519, 0.9% lower). These processors all produce benchmark scores within 1% of the i5-12400, meaning that a system built with any of them would deliver nearly identical CPU performance in Thief. The i3-14100F is particularly notable as a desktop alternative with essentially the same average score.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, 0.2% higher), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, 0.5% higher), the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192, 0.7% higher), and the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168, 1.4% lower). These GPUs all sit within 1.4% of the Arc B370's average benchmark score of 1184. In practical terms, a system using any of these GPUs would produce frame rates in Thief that are nearly indistinguishable from the Arc B370, meaning the same 1080p Low playability ceiling would apply.

The combination of a high-ranking CPU with a low-ranking GPU creates a system where the GPU dictates the gaming experience. Swapping the CPU for any of its nearest rivals would change nothing in Thief, because the GPU is the limiting factor. Conversely, swapping the GPU for a stronger model would immediately unlock higher presets and resolutions, as the CPU has ample headroom to support faster graphics hardware.