Thief

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers exceptional performance in Thief, with every tested resolution and preset combination exceeding the 60 FPS playability threshold. The data shows a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet still capable of producing extremely high frame rates even at 4K Ultra settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the CPU benchmark data, the Intel Core i5-12400F scores an average of 19039 across all tests, placing it in the 73rd percentile among all CPUs. The nearest rivals are remarkably close in aggregate performance: the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS matches with a score of 19047 (0% delta), the Intel Core 3 201E trails by just 0.1% at 19056, the Intel Core i5-1335U comes in at 18982 (0.3% ahead of the i5-12400F), and the AMD EPYC 7773X scores 18979, also 0.3% behind. These four alternatives would produce nearly identical CPU-bound behavior in Thief, meaning any of them paired with the same RTX 4090 would yield frame rates within a fraction of a percent of each other.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4090 achieves an average benchmark score of 60347, ranking in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals show similarly tight clustering: the Intel Arc Pro A60 scores 60326 (0% delta), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 reaches 60140 (0.3% behind), the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M is 2.5% faster at 61896, and the AMD Radeon PRO V710 sits 2.9% behind at 58657. For Thief specifically, the W6600M would be the closest competitor that might edge out the RTX 4090 slightly, while the other three would essentially match its performance. The practical takeaway is that this CPU-GPU combination sits in a performance tier where small benchmark deltas translate to single-digit FPS differences in actual gameplay.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results reveal a clear shift in workload balance depending on resolution. At 1920x1080, the system produces an average of 172.8 FPS on Low settings, which represents the highest frame rate in the entire dataset. This suggests the CPU is able to feed the GPU sufficiently at lower resolutions, but the scaling pattern tells a more nuanced story. Moving from 1080p Low to 1440p Low drops performance to 149.9 FPS, a decrease of 22.9 FPS or roughly 13%. At 4K Low, the average falls further to 129.5 FPS, another 20.4 FPS reduction. This consistent drop as resolution increases indicates that the RTX 4090 is the limiting factor even at Low settings, since a purely CPU-limited scenario would maintain similar FPS across resolutions.

The gap between settings widens significantly at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the spread from Low to Ultra is 33 FPS (172.8 to 139.8), while at 4K the spread grows to 51 FPS (129.5 to 78.5). This behavior confirms that the GPU becomes progressively more dominant as pixel count increases. The CPU's role is most pronounced at 1080p where it can push the GPU to its limits, but even there, the RTX 4090 remains the primary performance driver. The i5-12400F's six cores and twelve threads, with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, provide sufficient throughput for Thief's stealth gameplay, but the data indicates that upgrading the CPU would yield negligible gains compared to the GPU's influence at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings presets, with average frame rates reported for each combination. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 172.8 FPS on Low, 153.1 FPS on Medium, 141.3 FPS on High, and 139.8 FPS on Ultra. The step from Low to Medium costs 19.7 FPS, while the step from Medium to High costs 11.8 FPS, and High to Ultra only 1.5 FPS. This diminishing returns pattern suggests that the High preset offers nearly all of the visual fidelity of Ultra at a modest performance cost.

At 2560x1440, the results show 149.9 FPS on Low, 136.9 FPS on Medium, 126.7 FPS on High, and 123.8 FPS on Ultra. The performance gap between Low and Ultra here is 26.1 FPS, smaller than at 1080p but still substantial. The Medium to High transition costs 10.2 FPS, while High to Ultra costs only 2.9 FPS. At 3840x2160, the system delivers 129.5 FPS on Low, 109.6 FPS on Medium, 82.2 FPS on High, and 78.5 FPS on Ultra. The largest single drop occurs between Medium and High at 27.4 FPS, indicating that the High preset introduces significantly more rendering work at 4K. The Low to Medium transition costs 19.9 FPS, while High to Ultra costs just 3.7 FPS.

Across all resolutions, the Ultra preset consistently delivers the lowest frame rates, but the margin over High shrinks as resolution increases. At 1080p, Ultra is 1.1% slower than High; at 1440p, it is 2.3% slower; at 4K, it is 4.5% slower. This suggests that Ultra settings add relatively more geometric or texture complexity that scales with pixel count, but the absolute differences remain small enough that Ultra is always viable for this hardware.

The Verdict

The verdict data is unambiguous: this system can run Thief at playable frame rates in every configuration tested. The playable threshold is 60 FPS, and the worst-case scenario—4K Ultra—still produces an average of 78.5 FPS, which is 18.5 FPS above the threshold. At 2560x1440, the lowest result is 123.8 FPS on Ultra, more than double the playable threshold. At 1920x1080, even the most demanding preset yields 139.8 FPS, representing a 133% margin over the 60 FPS minimum.

The data shows that every resolution and preset combination clears 60 FPS, making this system overqualified for Thief on any display. The RTX 4090's 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth ensure that even the most texture-heavy scenes at 4K Ultra do not cause stuttering or frame drops below the threshold. The i5-12400F's single-thread performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1680 and a Passmark single-thread score of 3481, provides adequate responsiveness for the game's stealth mechanics, which often require precise timing.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the best settings are defined as the most demanding preset that maintains an average FPS at or above 60. Since all presets exceed this threshold, the highest quality option is always recommended. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset delivers 78.5 FPS, which is both the best visual quality and comfortably playable. At 2560x1440, Ultra achieves 123.8 FPS, providing a high refresh rate experience on 1440p monitors. At 1920x1080, Ultra produces 139.8 FPS, which is sufficient for fast-paced gameplay on high refresh rate displays.

The performance margins at each resolution allow for headroom. At 4K Ultra, the 18.5 FPS buffer above the threshold means that even during demanding scenes with multiple enemies or complex lighting, the frame rate is unlikely to dip below 60. At 1440p Ultra, the 63.8 FPS buffer provides even greater safety, while at 1080p Ultra, the 79.8 FPS buffer ensures that the game runs smoothly on any hardware configuration. The data indicates that players should always select Ultra settings at any resolution, as the performance cost compared to High is minimal—typically under 5%—while the visual benefits are significant.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination ranks 445th out of 3720 tested combos for Thief, placing it in the top 12% of all configurations in the database. This ranking reflects the overall balance of CPU and GPU performance, where the RTX 4090's raw power compensates for the i5-12400F's mid-range positioning. The CPU's 73rd percentile ranking among all CPUs and the GPU's 88th percentile ranking combine to produce a system that outperforms the vast majority of tested configurations.

The rank of 445 out of 3720 means that 3275 other combos perform worse in Thief, while only 444 perform better. Those higher-ranked configurations likely feature more powerful CPUs, such as flagship Core i9 or Ryzen 9 models, which can extract slightly higher frame rates at 1080p where CPU load is more significant. However, the practical difference is minimal, as the data shows that even the best-performing combos would only achieve a small percentage improvement over this setup. The rank also indicates that this combo is well-suited for Thief specifically, as the game's engine appears to favor the RTX 4090's strengths without being bottlenecked by the i5-12400F.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, the data shows an average FPS of 78.5 at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Thief?

A: All three tested resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) produce playable frame rates at all settings. The highest average FPS is 172.8 at 1080p Low settings.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from High to Ultra?

A: The difference is minimal: 1.5 FPS at 1080p, 2.9 FPS at 1440p, and 3.7 FPS at 4K. Ultra is always recommended since the cost is negligible.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-12400F a bottleneck for the RTX 4090?

A: The data shows that the CPU is not a significant bottleneck. The frame rates scale consistently with resolution, indicating the GPU is the primary limiting factor, especially at 4K.

Q: What settings should I use for a 144Hz monitor?

A: At 2560x1440, Ultra settings produce 123.8 FPS, which is below 144 Hz. To reach higher frame rates, use Medium settings at 136.9 FPS or Low at 149.9 FPS. At 1920x1080, Ultra delivers 139.8 FPS, close to 144 Hz.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested systems?

A: It ranks 445th out of 3720 tested combos, placing it in the top 12% of configurations for Thief. The RTX 4090's high percentile ranking (88th) drives this strong performance.