Thief

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the Intel Arc B580 delivers a performance profile in Thief that is highly dependent on resolution and graphical presets. At 1080p and 1440p, this combination provides smooth, playable frame rates across most settings, while 4K remains a challenge except at the lowest preset. The data indicates a system that is well-balanced for mainstream gaming, with the CPU’s strong single-threaded and multi-threaded scores complementing the GPU’s capable rasterization performance.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on aggregate benchmark scores, the Intel Core i5-12400F sits in a tight cluster of processors with nearly identical average scores. The nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, posts an average score of 19047, a delta of 0% compared to the i5-12400F’s 19039 average. This means that in CPU-heavy scenarios, users could expect virtually indistinguishable frame pacing from these two chips. The Intel Core 3 201E is also within 0.1% (average score 19056), while the Intel Core i5-1335U and AMD EPYC 7773X are each just 0.3% apart (scores of 18982 and 18979, respectively). For Thief, which is not a heavily threaded title, the single-thread performance of the i5-12400F (3dmark_single_thread score of 909, Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1680) suggests it will behave very similarly to these rivals, none of which would create a bottleneck at the frame rates observed.

On the graphics side, the Intel Arc B580’s average benchmark score of 23021 places it directly alongside a set of familiar GPUs. The AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP scores 23061, a delta of -0.2%, meaning the Arc B580 is effectively a peer of that card in raw compute terms. More notably, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 is just 0.6% behind with an average score of 22895, and the RTX 3080 is only 0.7% ahead with a score of 23172. For Thief, this suggests that the Arc B580 will deliver frame rates within a narrow band of these high-end predecessors. The practical implication for a user is that if they have experience with an RTX 2080 or RTX 3080 in this title, the Arc B580’s performance envelope will feel familiar, particularly at 1440p and 1080p where the measured FPS data shows strong scaling.

The percentile rankings reinforce this positioning. The i5-12400F is in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs, while the Arc B580 sits in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. This indicates a system where the CPU is relatively stronger than the GPU, which aligns with the observed FPS data where frame rates drop more significantly with increasing resolution and preset complexity.

Best Settings per Resolution

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on the most demanding preset that maintains at least 60 FPS at each resolution. At 1920x1080, the system achieves its highest playable quality at the Ultra preset, where the average frame rate is 85.1 FPS. This is a significant margin above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating headroom for demanding scenes. The High preset at this resolution yields 86.9 FPS, which is nearly identical, suggesting that the Ultra preset is not substantially more taxing than High for this hardware combination.

At 2560x1440, the best playable setting is High, which produces an average of 61.9 FPS. This is just barely above the 60 FPS playability threshold, meaning users should expect occasional dips below 60 FPS in busy environments. The Medium preset offers more comfort at 80.4 FPS, but if visual fidelity is the priority, High is technically playable per the data. The Ultra preset at this resolution falls to 53.7 FPS, which is below the playable threshold and thus not recommended.

For 3840x2160, no preset achieves the 60 FPS target. The highest average frame rate at 4K comes from the Low preset at 59.5 FPS, which is just shy of the threshold. Medium drops to 43.6 FPS, High to 33.1 FPS, and Ultra to 33.0 FPS. The data indicates that 4K gaming is not viable for this system in Thief, even at the lowest settings, as the frame rate is marginally below the playable mark.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling of frame rates across resolutions and presets reveals how the CPU and GPU share the workload in Thief. At 1920x1080, the performance delta between Low and Ultra is substantial: 146.9 FPS versus 85.1 FPS, a difference of 61.8 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is the primary limiter, as increasing the preset’s graphical load directly reduces frame output. The CPU’s role is less apparent at this resolution because even at Ultra settings, the frame rate remains far above 60 FPS, suggesting the i5-12400F has ample headroom.

Moving to 2560x1440, the pattern continues with a similar spread: Low at 103.3 FPS, Medium at 80.4 FPS, High at 61.9 FPS, and Ultra at 53.7 FPS. The consistent degradation as settings increase points to the GPU being the binding constraint. The CPU’s workload does not scale significantly with resolution, so the frame rate drop from 1080p to 1440p at the same preset (e.g., High going from 86.9 FPS to 61.9 FPS) is entirely attributable to the GPU’s pixel throughput capabilities.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is overwhelmingly the dominant factor. Even at Low settings, the average frame rate collapses to 59.5 FPS, compared to 146.9 FPS at 1080p Low. This 87.4 FPS drop demonstrates that the Arc B580’s fill rate and memory bandwidth (456.0 GB/s) are insufficient for 4K rendering in this title, regardless of the CPU’s capabilities. The CPU benchmarks confirm it is not the bottleneck: the i5-12400F’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 12380 and 3dmark_16_threads score of 5895 show strong processing power that would not constrain frame rates at these levels. In summary, the data shows the GPU is the limiting factor at all resolutions, with the CPU providing sufficient performance to avoid becoming a bottleneck even at high frame rates.

The Verdict

This PC can run Thief, but its capability is strictly limited by resolution and preset. The verdict by resolution is clear: at 1920x1080, the system is fully playable at all four presets, with the best quality setting (Ultra) delivering an average of 85.1 FPS, well above the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, the system is playable at High, Low, and Medium presets, with High being the best visual option at 61.9 FPS. Users who prioritize frame rate stability over visuals could opt for Medium at 80.4 FPS, but the data confirms High is the highest quality playable setting.

At 3840x2160, the system fails to meet the playability threshold at any preset. The best result is Low at 59.5 FPS, which is 0.5 FPS below the 60 FPS mark, making it technically unplayable by the defined standard. The data shows a clear cliff: 4K is not a viable option for this configuration in Thief. For users with a 1080p or 1440p monitor, this system offers a strong experience with high to ultra settings. For 4K displays, the recommendation is to either lower resolution or accept sub-60 FPS performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for the Intel Core i5-12400F with Intel Arc B580 in Thief is as follows:

3840x2160

• Low: 59.5 FPS average
• Medium: 43.6 FPS average
• High: 33.1 FPS average
• Ultra: 33.0 FPS average

2560x1440

• Low: 103.3 FPS average
• Medium: 80.4 FPS average
• High: 61.9 FPS average
• Ultra: 53.7 FPS average

1920x1080

• Low: 146.9 FPS average
• Medium: 113.3 FPS average
• High: 86.9 FPS average
• Ultra: 85.1 FPS average

The data reveals a consistent pattern: at each resolution, the difference between Low and Medium is significant, while the gap between High and Ultra is much smaller. For example, at 1080p, the drop from Low to Medium is 33.6 FPS, but from High to Ultra is only 1.8 FPS. This suggests that the Ultra preset in Thief offers diminishing visual returns relative to its performance cost. Similarly, at 1440p, the High to Ultra drop is 8.2 FPS, while at 4K, the High to Ultra difference is negligible at 0.1 FPS. The minimum and maximum FPS values were not recorded in the data, so the analysis relies solely on average frame rates.

FAQ

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

A: No. At 3840x2160, the best average frame rate is 59.5 FPS on Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. All other presets at 4K fall further behind, with Medium at 43.6 FPS and High/Ultra at 33.1 and 33.0 FPS respectively.

Q: What is the highest quality setting that maintains 60 FPS at 2560x1440?

A: The High preset is the highest quality playable setting at 1440p, achieving an average of 61.9 FPS. The Medium preset runs faster at 80.4 FPS, while Ultra falls below the threshold at 53.7 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in benchmark performance?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400F has an average benchmark score of 19039, placing it within 0.3% of the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (19047), Intel Core 3 201E (19056), Intel Core i5-1335U (18982), and AMD EPYC 7773X (18979). These differences are negligible for gaming performance.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the bottleneck in Thief?

A: The data shows the GPU is the limiting factor at all resolutions. Frame rates drop consistently as resolution and preset increase, while the CPU’s strong benchmark scores (e.g., Cinebench R23 multi-core of 12380) indicate it is not constraining performance, even at lower resolutions where frame rates exceed 100 FPS.

Q: What is the performance difference between the High and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: The average frame rate at 1080p High is 86.9 FPS, while Ultra is 85.1 FPS, a difference of just 1.8 FPS. This suggests Ultra provides minimal visual benefit over High for this hardware combination at this resolution.

Q: How does the Arc B580’s GPU benchmark score compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021. The AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP is 0.2% behind at 23061, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 is 0.6% behind at 22895, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is 0.7% ahead at 23172. This places the Arc B580 squarely between these cards in raw performance.