Thief

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the Intel Arc B390 ranks 3307 out of 3720 tested combinations in Thief. That places this combo in the bottom 11% of all systems in the database, a low position driven almost entirely by the graphics side of the pairing. The CPU itself sits in the 73rd percentile against all processors, meaning it outperforms most of the field on compute tasks. The GPU, however, lands in the 9th percentile against all GPUs, which pulls the entire gaming experience down sharply. In practical terms, this system is positioned well below the median for playability in Thief, and the recorded frame rates confirm that only at 1080p with reduced settings does the combo approach a comfortable experience.

The rank is not a statement about CPU capability. The i5-12400F produces a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 12380 and a single-core score of 1680, both solid numbers for a desktop part from the Alder Lake generation. The bottleneck sits in the Arc B390, whose only recorded 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1482. That is a very low result, and the database's percentile ranking reflects how far behind the GPU sits relative to the broader hardware pool. When a system's rank in a specific game is this low, the cause is usually a GPU that cannot keep pace with even modest rendering demands, and Thief is no exception.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows a clear GPU-bound scenario across all resolutions. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo reaches 86 FPS average, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this system. Dropping to Medium at the same resolution yields 66 FPS, and High drops to 50 FPS. The pattern across resolution changes reinforces that the GPU is the limiting factor: moving from 1080p Low to 1440p Low reduces the average from 86 to 59 FPS, a 31% drop. Moving from 1440p Low to 4K Low reduces the average from 59 to 35 FPS, a 41% drop. These scaling losses are far steeper than what a CPU-limited scenario would show, where resolution changes typically have a smaller impact on frame rate.

The CPU's role becomes more visible in the lower resolution and lower preset cases, where the frame rate ceiling is higher. At 1080p Low, the i5-12400F's six cores and twelve threads are sufficient to feed the Arc B390 at 86 FPS, but even at that point the GPU is still the primary constraint. At Ultra settings across all resolutions, the frame rates collapse to 48 FPS at 1080p, 33 FPS at 1440p, and 19 FPS at 4K, which shows that the GPU simply does not have the shading or texture throughput to handle the highest quality presets. The CPU never becomes the decisive factor in this game with this GPU; every preset and resolution combination points to the Arc B390 as the binding constraint.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Thief at 60 FPS at 1920x1080?

A: Yes, but only at Low and Medium presets. Low averages 86 FPS, and Medium averages 66 FPS. High and Ultra fall below 60 FPS at 50 and 48 FPS respectively.

Q: What is the best settings preset at 1920x1080 that stays above 60 FPS?

A: Medium is the most demanding preset that clears the 60 FPS threshold at 1080p, with an average of 66 FPS, a minimum of 56 FPS, and a maximum of 75 FPS.

Q: Is 2560x1440 playable with this hardware?

A: No. The verdict data lists no playable settings at 1440p. The highest average at that resolution is 59 FPS on Low, which still misses the 60 FPS threshold.

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

A: The Arc B390's average benchmark score is 1482. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, scores 1463, which is 1.3% lower. The GeForce 800M scores 1460 (1.5% lower), the GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446 (2.5% lower), and the GeForce GT 710 scores 1443 (2.7% lower).

Q: How does the i5-12400F compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i5-12400F has an average benchmark score of 19039. The AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS scores 19047 (0% difference), the Intel Core 3 201E scores 19056 (0.1% lower), the Intel Core i5-1335U scores 18982 (0.3% higher), and the AMD EPYC 7773X scores 18979 (0.3% higher).

Q: What is the lowest recorded average FPS for this combo?

A: The lowest recorded average is 19 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. The next lowest is 20 FPS at 4K High, and 26 FPS at 4K Medium.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU side, the i5-12400F's nearest rivals in the database are all within a fraction of a percent in average benchmark score. The AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS matches it almost exactly at 19047 versus 19039, making it a direct substitute for compute-heavy workloads. The Intel Core 3 201E scores 19056, the Intel Core i5-1335U scores 18982, and the AMD EPYC 7773X scores 18979. These differences are negligible in real-world gaming terms, so any of these processors would behave similarly to the i5-12400F in Thief when paired with the same GPU. The practical takeaway is that the CPU is not the differentiator in this system; swapping among these chips would not meaningfully change the frame rates recorded here.

For the GPU side, the Arc B390's nearest rivals are all older NVIDIA parts with very low scores. The GeForce GT 520MX at 1463 is 1.3% slower, the GeForce 800M at 1460 is 1.5% slower, the GeForce GT 625 OEM at 1446 is 2.5% slower, and the GeForce GT 710 at 1443 is 2.7% slower. These deltas are small enough that all four GPUs would produce nearly identical performance in Thief. A system built around any of these GPUs would face the same fundamental limitation: none of them can sustain 60 FPS above 1080p Medium, and none can handle Ultra settings at any resolution. The Arc B390 is not an outlier among its peers; it sits in a cluster of very low-end graphics hardware.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset reaches 60 FPS. The highest average is 35 FPS on Low, followed by 26 FPS on Medium, 20 FPS on High, and 19 FPS on Ultra. The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS does not exist at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, no preset reaches 60 FPS either. Low averages 59 FPS, just one frame short of the threshold. Medium averages 45 FPS, High averages 34 FPS, and Ultra averages 33 FPS. The best achievable result is 59 FPS on Low, but that still falls below the playability line.

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, with an average of 66 FPS. Low runs at 86 FPS, High drops to 50 FPS, and Ultra drops to 48 FPS. The database's verdict confirms Medium as the best playable setting at 1080p, with an average FPS of 66 at that preset.

The Verdict

This PC can run Thief, but only at 1920x1080 with Low or Medium settings. The verdict by resolution is unambiguous: at 3840x2160 there are no playable settings, at 2560x1440 there are no playable settings, and at 1920x1080 the playable settings are Low and Medium, with Medium being the best choice at 66 FPS average. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 86 FPS, which gives comfortable headroom above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1080p Medium, the 66 FPS average still clears the bar, though the minimum of 56 FPS shows occasional dips below the target.

For anyone considering this combo for Thief, the conclusion is straightforward: stick to 1080p and keep the preset at Medium or lower. Higher resolutions are not viable, and the Ultra preset is not viable at any resolution. The CPU is more than capable for this game, but the GPU's low compute and memory throughput (the Arc B390 uses system shared memory, making bandwidth system dependent) prevents any higher-quality experience. This is a system for low-detail 1080p gaming in Thief, nothing more.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the recorded averages are as follows: Low averages 35 FPS, Medium averages 26 FPS with a minimum of 22 FPS and a maximum of 30 FPS, High averages 20 FPS, and Ultra averages 19 FPS. There are no recorded minimum or maximum values for Low, High, or Ultra at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, Low averages 59 FPS, Medium averages 45 FPS with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS, High averages 34 FPS, and Ultra averages 33 FPS. As with 4K, the min and max fields are only populated for Medium.

At 1920x1080, Low 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. Again, only the Medium preset has recorded min and max values.

The pattern across the entire dataset is consistent: the Arc B390 performs best at the lowest resolution and lowest preset, and performance degrades steeply as both resolution and quality increase. The 1080p Medium result is the only preset with a full min/max range that stays mostly above the 60 FPS threshold, and even that preset dips to 56 FPS at the low end. The 1440p Low result is the closest miss, averaging 59 FPS but never being confirmed as playable because the average does not reach 60. For users who prioritize smoothness, 1080p Low is the safest choice, while 1080p Medium offers better visuals at the cost of occasional frame dips.