Thief

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for this combination of Intel Core i5-12600KF and Intel Arc B370 shows a steep performance curve across resolutions and presets. At 3840x2160, the game struggles to stay fluid under any setting. High preset averages 18 FPS, Medium averages 24 FPS with a minimum of 20 FPS and a maximum of 27 FPS, Low averages 31 FPS, and Ultra drops to 17 FPS. None of these numbers come close to the 60 FPS playable threshold, and even the best case at 4K, Low at 31 FPS, is less than half of what would be considered smooth.

Dropping to 2560x1440 improves things noticeably, but the pattern remains the same. High preset averages 31 FPS, Medium averages 41 FPS with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 47 FPS, Low averages 53 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 24 FPS, which shows how much headroom the graphics card loses when pushed to higher quality settings. Medium at 1440p is the only preset here with recorded minimum and maximum values, indicating a frame window of 35 to 47 FPS, which is consistent and narrow but still well below 60 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the picture becomes more usable. Low preset averages 78 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold with room to spare. Medium averages 59 FPS with a minimum of 50 FPS and a maximum of 68 FPS, meaning it sits just one frame short of the playable mark on average but dips to 50 FPS in heavier scenes. High averages 45 FPS, and Ultra averages 43 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 35 FPS, with Low being the only preset that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS.

The data shows that the Arc B370, with its 25 W TDP and system-shared memory, is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The CPU side, a 10-core Alder Lake part with a 4.90 GHz boost clock, is more than capable for a 2014 stealth title, but the GPU cannot keep pace when pixel count and settings rise. The recorded average FPS values at each resolution and preset combination tell a consistent story: this combo is usable at 1080p Low, marginal at 1080p Medium, and falls short everywhere else.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves 60 FPS. The verdict data confirms this by listing no playable settings at 4K. The best average FPS recorded at this resolution is 31 FPS on Low, but that is still far from the playable threshold. Since none of the presets stay at or above 60 FPS, there is no recommended setting for 4K.

At 2560x1440, the same situation applies. No preset reaches 60 FPS, and the verdict data lists no playable settings. The highest average FPS at this resolution is 53 FPS on Low, which is close but still 7 FPS short of the threshold. Medium at 41 FPS and High at 31 FPS are progressively worse, and Ultra at 29 FPS is the weakest option.

At 1920x1080, the situation changes. The verdict data identifies Low as the best playable setting, with an average FPS of 78. This is the only preset at any resolution that clears the 60 FPS threshold. Medium comes close at 59 FPS, but since it averages below 60, it cannot be recommended as a playable setting under the database's criteria. High at 45 FPS and Ultra at 43 FPS are both too slow for smooth gameplay.

The practical takeaway from the data is simple: if you want to play Thief with this hardware, 1080p Low is the only configuration that delivers a consistent 60 FPS experience. Pushing to Medium at 1080p costs 19 FPS on average compared to Low, and the frame dips to 50 FPS, which will be noticeable in tense stealth sequences. Higher resolutions are not viable for a 60 FPS target.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the dominant constraint in this pairing. The Intel Arc B370 has a percentile rank of 5 among all GPUs, and its nearest rivals in the database include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and the ATI Radeon HD 5770, both of which are very old parts. The GPU's single recorded benchmark, 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 at a score of 1184, places it just below the ATI Radeon HD 5770 by 0.5 percent and just above the AMD FirePro M2000 by 1.4 percent. This is a very low-end part, and the FPS data reflects that.

The CPU, by contrast, is a strong mid-range desktop processor. The Intel Core i5-12600KF has a percentile rank of 79 among all CPUs, and its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-10900K at a 0.3 percent lower average score, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D at a 0.3 percent lower average score, and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U at a 0.3 percent lower average score. In multi-threaded workloads like Cinebench R23, it scores 23391, and in single-threaded tests it scores 3302. This CPU is not the bottleneck in Thief.

The scaling between resolutions and presets confirms this. When moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 on Low settings, the average FPS drops from 78 to 53, a reduction of 25 FPS or roughly 32 percent. Moving from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 on Low drops the average from 53 to 31, another 22 FPS reduction. These large drops are exactly what you would expect when a weak GPU is asked to render more pixels. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the resolution scaling would be much flatter.

Preset scaling tells the same story. At 1080p, Low averages 78 FPS while Ultra averages 43 FPS, a 35 FPS swing driven entirely by GPU workload. At 1440p, Low averages 53 FPS and Ultra averages 29 FPS, a 24 FPS swing. At 4K, Low averages 31 FPS and Ultra averages 17 FPS, a 14 FPS swing. The diminishing gap at higher resolutions is typical of a GPU that is already saturated: when the baseline is very low, additional settings have less room to degrade performance further.

For Thief specifically, a 2014 stealth title, the CPU has no trouble feeding the GPU. Even at 1080p Low, where the frame rate is highest, the CPU's single-thread performance of 3925 in Passmark is far more than the game requires. The conclusion from the data is clear: upgrading the GPU would yield large FPS gains at every resolution, while upgrading the CPU would yield almost nothing in this title.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Thief at 1080p?

A: Yes, but only on Low settings. The recorded average FPS at 1920x1080 Low is 78 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 59 FPS, which is just below the playable mark, and High and Ultra average 45 and 43 FPS respectively.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 1440p?

A: There is no playable setting at 2560x1440. The highest average FPS recorded at this resolution is 53 FPS on Low, which is 7 FPS short of the 60 FPS threshold. Medium, High, and Ultra average 41, 31, and 29 FPS respectively.

Q: Is 4K possible with this hardware?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the best average FPS is 31 FPS on Low. Medium averages 24 FPS, High averages 18 FPS, and Ultra averages 17 FPS. The verdict data lists no playable settings at 4K.

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

A: The Arc B370 has a percentile rank of 5 and an average benchmark score of 1184. Its nearest rival, the ATI Radeon HD 5770, scores 1190, which is 0.5 percent higher. The AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168, which is 1.4 percent lower.

Q: Is the CPU holding back performance in Thief?

A: No. The Intel Core i5-12600KF ranks in the 79th percentile among all CPUs and scores within 0.3 percent of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and the Intel Core i9-10900K. The large FPS drops when moving from 1080p to 1440p to 4K indicate the GPU is the limiting factor.

Q: What average FPS does Medium settings produce at 1080p?

A: Medium at 1920x1080 averages 59 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 50 FPS and a maximum of 68 FPS. This is just one frame short of the 60 FPS playable threshold, so it will feel close to smooth but with occasional dips.

The Verdict

The data shows a clear answer: this PC can run Thief, but only at 1920x1080 on Low settings. The verdict by resolution lists 1080p Low as the sole playable configuration, with an average FPS of 78. That clears the 60 FPS threshold by 18 FPS, providing enough headroom for most scenes.

At 1920x1080 Medium, the average FPS is 59, which is technically below the playable threshold. The minimum recorded frame rate is 50 FPS, so there will be noticeable hitches during busy moments. If you are willing to tolerate occasional dips below 60, Medium is close enough to be usable, but the database does not classify it as playable.

At 2560x1440 and 3840x2160, there are no playable settings. The best 1440p result is 53 FPS on Low, and the best 4K result is 31 FPS on Low. Neither comes close to the 60 FPS standard. The Arc B370 simply does not have the rendering power for those resolutions in this title.

The CPU is not a concern. The Core i5-12600KF is a capable desktop processor with a 79th percentile rank, and its performance is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and Intel Core i9-10900K in the database's average scores. If you were to pair this CPU with a stronger GPU, Thief would run far better at higher settings and resolutions.

The practical verdict: if you own this combo and want to play Thief, set the resolution to 1920x1080 and the preset to Low. That gives you a smooth 78 FPS average. Anything higher in quality or resolution will drop you below 60 FPS, and at 4K the game will be nearly unplayable.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of Intel Core i5-12600KF and Intel Arc B370 ranks 3433 out of 3720 tested combos in the database for Thief. That places it in the bottom 8 percent of all tested systems, which is consistent with the FPS data showing only one playable configuration at 1080p Low.

The rank reflects the GPU's low standing more than the CPU's. The Arc B370 sits at the 5th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1184 that puts it in the company of the ATI Radeon HD 5770 and the AMD FirePro M2000. The CPU, by contrast, sits at the 79th percentile, with an average benchmark score of 27799 that puts it near the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and the Intel Core i9-10900K.

A combo ranked 3433 out of 3720 means that the vast majority of tested systems deliver higher frame rates in Thief. Most of those systems likely pair a similarly strong CPU with a much stronger GPU, which is exactly what this game needs. The 3,720 tested configurations cover a wide range of hardware, and landing in the bottom 8 percent is a clear signal that the graphics card is the weak link.

For context, the Arc B370's nearest GPU rivals in the database, the ATI Radeon HD 5770 and the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, are parts from previous hardware generations. The fact that the Arc B370 trades blows with them in benchmark scores explains why Thief, even as a 2014 title, cannot run at higher settings. The game is not particularly demanding by modern standards, but it still requires more graphics throughput than this IGP-class part can deliver at 60 FPS beyond 1080p Low.

If you are evaluating this combo for other games, the rank in Thief is a useful indicator of general performance. A system in the bottom 8 percent for a last-generation stealth game will struggle with most modern titles at high settings. The CPU has plenty of headroom, but the GPU will need to be upgraded to move this combo up the rankings.