Thief

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 delivers a strong performance profile in Thief, ranking 914th out of 3,720 tested combos, placing it in the top quartile of configurations. This combination demonstrates that a mid-range 12th-generation processor coupled with a high-end Ada Lovelace GPU provides a substantial performance buffer for this 2014 stealth title, with all tested resolutions and presets either meeting or exceeding the 60 FPS playability threshold, except for one specific configuration at 4K Ultra settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 914 out of 3,720 tested configurations places it in the 75th percentile of all paired hardware combinations tested, meaning roughly three-quarters of all tested setups perform below this pairing. This is a strong result for a game released in the early 2010s, where modern hardware typically has considerable headroom. The ranking is particularly impressive when considering the individual component percentiles: the CPU sits at the 72nd percentile against all tested CPUs, while the GPU ranks at the 81st percentile against all tested GPUs. The combination of a slightly-above-average processor with a well-above-average graphics card yields a synergy that outperforms what either component’s percentile alone might suggest, indicating that the GPU is doing the heavy lifting in this title. The data shows that this pairing is well balanced for Thief, with neither component bottlenecking the other to a degree that would drag the overall ranking down below what the individual parts suggest.

CPU and GPU Roles

Benchmark results indicate a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU across different resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 37.1 FPS (from 172.4 down to 135.3), representing a 21.5% performance drop when moving to the highest preset. This relatively modest gap suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU adequately even at lower settings, and the GPU is not yet fully saturated. The scaling from Low to Medium at 1080p shows only a 16.2 FPS drop (172.4 to 156.2), while Medium to High drops another 14 FPS (156.2 to 142.2), and High to Ultra drops just 6.9 FPS (142.2 to 135.3). This pattern shows diminishing returns in GPU load as presets increase, indicating that the CPU begins to play a more significant role at higher settings.

At 2560x1440, the scaling becomes more pronounced. The gap between Low and Ultra widens to 53.1 FPS (148.5 down to 95.4), a 35.8% reduction. Interestingly, the step from Low to Medium at 1440p shows only a 16 FPS drop (148.5 to 132.5), but Medium to High drops 33.6 FPS (132.5 to 98.9), a much larger jump. This suggests that the Medium preset at 1440p places a significantly higher load on the GPU than Low, while the CPU remains capable of keeping up. The High to Ultra transition at 1440p is comparatively small at 3.5 FPS (98.9 to 95.4), indicating that at this resolution, the GPU is becoming the primary constraint. At 3840x2160, the GPU’s dominance is unmistakable. The spread from Low to Ultra is 44.5 FPS (103.3 down to 58.8), a 43.1% reduction, with each preset step costing roughly 13-14 FPS (Low to Medium: 26.5 FPS drop from 103.3 to 76.8; Medium to High: 14.2 FPS drop from 76.8 to 62.6; High to Ultra: 3.8 FPS drop from 62.6 to 58.8). This linear degradation at 4K confirms that the RTX 4070 is the limiting factor at this resolution, with the i5-12400 providing ample headroom.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows flawless performance across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 172.4 FPS, Medium delivers 156.2 FPS, High achieves 142.2 FPS, and Ultra maintains 135.3 FPS. All of these figures are far above the 60 FPS playability threshold, with even the most demanding preset providing more than double the required frame rate. The minimum and maximum FPS values were not recorded in the data, but the averages indicate that this resolution is well within the comfort zone of the hardware.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains exceptionally strong. Low settings average 148.5 FPS, Medium hits 132.5 FPS, High drops to 98.9 FPS, and Ultra settles at 95.4 FPS. The transition from Medium to High at this resolution represents the largest single-preset drop in the entire dataset, a 33.6 FPS reduction, which suggests that the High preset at 1440p introduces a significant increase in shader complexity or draw calls that disproportionately impacts the GPU. Nevertheless, even the lowest figure here (95.4 FPS at Ultra) is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the performance profile shows the first signs of strain. Low settings achieve 103.3 FPS, Medium drops to 76.8 FPS, High manages 62.6 FPS, and Ultra falls to 58.8 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is the only configuration in the entire dataset that fails to clear the 60 FPS playability threshold, coming in 1.2 FPS short. The High preset at 4K, at 62.6 FPS, just barely clears the threshold with a 2.6 FPS margin. This resolution demonstrates that while the RTX 4070 is capable of handling Thief at 4K, it requires a slight reduction from the highest settings to maintain a consistent 60 FPS experience.

The Verdict

The data clearly shows that this PC can run Thief with excellent performance at all tested resolutions, with one minor caveat at 4K Ultra. At 1920x1080, all four presets clear 60 FPS by a massive margin, with the lowest being Ultra at 135.3 FPS. The verdict for 1080p is unequivocal: this is a fully playable configuration at maximum settings. At 2560x1440, the same conclusion applies, with Ultra achieving 95.4 FPS, which is 35.4 FPS above the playability threshold. This makes 1440p Ultra the recommended target for users seeking the best visual quality without compromising frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the situation requires more nuance. The High preset, at 62.6 FPS, clears the 60 FPS threshold, as do Low (103.3 FPS) and Medium (76.8 FPS). However, the Ultra preset at 58.8 FPS falls just short. The verdict for 4K is that the game is playable at High settings, which is the best preset that maintains 60 FPS, but not at Ultra. Users who prioritize maximum visual fidelity at 4K would need to accept a frame rate slightly below the 60 FPS target, though the 1.2 FPS deficit is marginal and may be imperceptible to many players. Overall, this PC is more than adequate for Thief at all common gaming resolutions, with the only compromise being the top preset at 4K.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Thief at 60 FPS on 4K Ultra settings?*

A: No. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 58.8 FPS, which is 1.2 FPS below the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming with this combo?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 95.4 FPS, which is the highest quality setting that maintains a frame rate well above 60 FPS.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 High the average is 142.2 FPS, while at 3840x2160 High the average drops to 62.6 FPS, representing a 79.6 FPS reduction (a 56% decrease).

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more limiting at 1080p with this setup?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary constraint even at 1080p, as the FPS drops from 172.4 at Low to 135.3 at Ultra, a 37.1 FPS spread that reflects increasing GPU load rather than CPU limitation.

Q: Which resolutions and settings are fully playable with this hardware?

A: All tested configurations at 1920x1080 and 2560x1440 are playable, along with Low, Medium, and High presets at 3840x2160. Only the 3840x2160 Ultra preset falls below 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 compare to its nearest rivals in raw GPU performance?

A: The RTX 4070’s average benchmark score is 37,648, which is 0.1% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (37,628) and 0.4% higher than the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (37,507), while being 1.3% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (38,135).

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which achieves an average of 135.3 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available and performs far above the playability threshold, making it the clear recommendation for this resolution. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset is again the best choice, delivering 95.4 FPS average, which is 35.4 FPS above the threshold. This provides a significant visual upgrade over High (98.9 FPS) while maintaining a substantial frame rate buffer. At 3840x2160, the most demanding playable preset is High, averaging 62.6 FPS. While this clears the 60 FPS threshold, the margin is slim at just 2.6 FPS, so users with variable refresh rate monitors may prefer Medium at 76.8 FPS for additional headroom. The Ultra preset at 4K, at 58.8 FPS, is not recommended for strict 60 FPS play, though the deficit is small enough that some users may not notice the difference depending on their display’s refresh rate capabilities.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i5-12400’s nearest rivals in average benchmark score provide insight into what other processors would behave similarly. The AMD EPYC 7643 scores 18,697, which is 0.1% lower than the i5-12400’s 18,683 average, indicating virtually identical overall CPU performance. The Intel Core i7-1355U scores 18,730, 0.3% lower, and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 scores 18,811, 0.7% lower. The Intel Core i3-14100F scores 18,519, which is 0.9% higher than the i5-12400. These four alternatives would deliver nearly indistinguishable CPU performance in Thief, meaning any of them paired with the RTX 4070 would produce similar frame rates to the measured results.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070’s nearest rivals show comparable graphics performance. The NVIDIA Tesla P4 scores 37,628, just 0.1% below the RTX 4070’s 37,648, making it a near-identical match. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 scores 37,507, 0.4% lower, and the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 scores 37,157, 1.3% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile scores 38,135, which is 1.3% higher than the RTX 4070. Users with any of these GPUs paired with a comparable CPU would expect FPS figures within a few percentage points of those measured for the i5-12400 + RTX 4070 combination, though the Tesla P4 and Radeon PRO W6400 are workstation-oriented cards that may have different driver optimizations for gaming. The RTX 4080 Mobile would offer a slight performance edge, potentially pushing the 4K Ultra preset from 58.8 FPS to just above the 60 FPS threshold, while the RX Vega 56 might fall slightly further below at that same setting.