Thief

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for Thief with the Intel Core i5-13400F and Intel Arc B370 shows a system that is heavily constrained by the graphics solution. At 3840x2160, the game is nearly unplayable across all presets. High settings produce an average of 18 FPS, while Ultra drops to 17 FPS. Medium settings yield 24 FPS with a minimum of 20 FPS and a maximum of 27 FPS. The only viable option at 4K is Low, which still only reaches an average of 31 FPS, far below the playable threshold of 60 FPS. The gap between Low and High at this resolution is 13 FPS, indicating that the GPU cannot handle the pixel throughput demands of 4K regardless of the graphical load.

Moving to 2560x1440, the situation improves but remains below the 60 FPS target. Low settings average 53 FPS, which is the best result at this resolution. Medium averages 41 FPS with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 47 FPS. High settings fall to 31 FPS, and Ultra drops further to 29 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1440p shows a 24 FPS difference, demonstrating that each preset step costs a significant amount of performance. Even at the lowest settings, the system falls 7 FPS short of the playable threshold, meaning gamers must either lower resolution or accept frame rates below 60.

At 1920x1080, the data shows the only playable configuration for this combo. Low settings deliver an average of 78 FPS, comfortably clearing the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings average 59 FPS with a minimum of 50 FPS and a maximum of 68 FPS, which is borderline playable but dips below 60 on average. High settings average 45 FPS, and Ultra averages 43 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 35 FPS, the widest of any resolution, which suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at this resolution but the GPU still lacks the raw power for high-end presets.

The pattern across all resolutions is consistent: the Arc B370 is the limiting factor. The i5-13400F has a strong multithreaded score of 22604 in Cinebench R23 and a single-core score of 3191, but the GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. This is a system where even a 2014 title like Thief, which is not particularly demanding by modern standards, cannot reach high refresh rates at higher resolutions.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves 60 FPS. The best available option is Low, which averages 31 FPS. This is the highest average recorded at 4K, but it falls 29 FPS short of the playable threshold. Medium settings at 24 FPS, High at 18 FPS, and Ultra at 17 FPS are all worse. For anyone attempting 4K with this hardware, Low is the only reasonable choice, but the experience will be stuttery and far from smooth.

At 2560x1440, the best setting is also Low, with an average of 53 FPS. This is the closest the system comes to 60 FPS outside of 1080p, but it still misses the mark by 7 FPS. Medium settings at 41 FPS, High at 31 FPS, and Ultra at 29 FPS are progressively worse. The data indicates that no preset at 1440p can sustain a consistent 60 FPS experience, so users must either downscale to 1080p or tolerate sub-60 performance.

At 1920x1080, Low is the only preset that clears the 60 FPS threshold, averaging 78 FPS. Medium is close at 59 FPS, but the average falls just below the target, and the minimum of 50 FPS means there will be noticeable dips. High and Ultra average 45 FPS and 43 FPS respectively, which are playable in a casual sense but not smooth. The recommended setting for this resolution is Low, with Medium as a secondary option if the user is willing to accept occasional frame drops below 60.

The verdict data confirms this: for 3840x2160 and 2560x1440, there are no playable settings, while 1920x1080 has exactly one playable setting, Low, at 78 FPS. This is a clear indication that the system is only suitable for 1080p gaming with this title, and only at the lowest graphical preset.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU, Intel Core i5-13400F, sits in the 77th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 25292. Its nearest rivals are all extremely close in performance. The AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS scores 25284, a delta of 0%. The Intel Core 5 120 scores 25362, which is 0.3% higher. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D scores 25365, also 0.3% higher. The AMD Ryzen 7 6800H scores 25201, which is 0.4% lower. In practical terms, these four processors are interchangeable for Thief. A user with any of these CPUs would see nearly identical frame rates when paired with the same GPU, as the game is not CPU-bound at any resolution in this dataset.

The GPU, Intel Arc B370, is a different story. Its average benchmark score of 1184 places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rivals are all legacy parts with similar scores. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186, which is 0.2% higher. The ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190, which is 0.5% higher. The AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192, which is 0.7% higher. The AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168, which is 1.4% lower. This means the Arc B370 performs in the same range as graphics cards from over a decade ago. For Thief, this explains the sub-60 FPS results at 1440p and above. The GPU is simply not in the same performance class as the CPU.

The combination rank of 3433 out of 3720 combos places this pairing in the bottom 8% of all tested configurations. This is primarily due to the GPU dragging down an otherwise capable CPU. The CPU alone would be a strong performer for this title, but the GPU cannot deliver the frames.

The Verdict

Can this PC run Thief? The answer depends entirely on the resolution and settings. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, yes, it runs at an average of 78 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 59 FPS, which is technically below the playable threshold, though some users may find it acceptable. At 1080p High and Ultra, the averages of 45 FPS and 43 FPS respectively are not smooth enough for a stealth game where precise timing matters.

At 2560x1440, the answer is no. Even at Low settings, the average is 53 FPS, which is 7 FPS below the 60 FPS target. Medium, High, and Ultra are all worse, with averages of 41 FPS, 31 FPS, and 29 FPS respectively. The minimum frame rates for Medium at 35 FPS indicate that there will be noticeable stutter during gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the answer is a definitive no. The best average is 31 FPS at Low settings, and Ultra drops to 17 FPS. This resolution is not viable for this title with this hardware.

The verdict by resolution is clear: only 1920x1080 with Low settings is playable, and even then, it only clears the threshold by 18 FPS. For a game released in 2014, this is a disappointing result. The system is functionally limited to 1080p gaming for Thief, and only at the lowest preset. Users seeking higher quality settings or higher resolutions would need a significantly more powerful GPU.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU in Thief. The Intel Core i5-13400F is a strong processor with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 22604 and a single-core score of 3191. Its 10 cores and 16 threads are more than sufficient for a game from 2014. The CPU's percentile rank of 77 indicates it is well above average for all CPUs.

The GPU, however, is the bottleneck. The Arc B370 has a TDP of just 25 W and is designed as an integrated graphics solution for mobile platforms. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rivals, such as the ATI Radeon HD 5770 with a score of 1190, are parts that were low-end even a decade ago.

The scaling between resolutions confirms this. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 78 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 53 FPS, a 32% reduction. At 4K Low, it drops to 31 FPS, a 60% reduction from 1080p. This resolution scaling is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates would be more consistent across resolutions, as the CPU's workload does not scale with resolution.

The scaling between presets also points to the GPU. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 35 FPS. At 1440p, it is 24 FPS. At 4K, it is 14 FPS. As resolution increases, the preset scaling shrinks, which means the GPU is already saturated at higher resolutions and cannot benefit from lower settings. This is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck.

At 1080p, the CPU has more headroom, which is why Low settings can reach 78 FPS. The CPU is feeding the GPU as fast as it can, but the GPU cannot render faster than its hardware limits. At 1440p and above, the GPU is overwhelmed, and even reducing settings to Low does not bring the frame rate up to 60 FPS.

In summary, the CPU is more than capable for Thief, but the GPU is the limiting factor at every resolution. For this game, the GPU matters far more than the CPU, and the Arc B370 is simply not powerful enough for anything beyond 1080p Low.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Thief at 60 FPS?

A: Only at 1920x1080 with Low settings, which averages 78 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the average is 59 FPS, just below the 60 FPS threshold. At 1440p and 4K, no preset reaches 60 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: The only playable resolution is 1920x1080. The verdict data shows playable settings only at 1080p, with Low being the best setting at 78 FPS. Both 1440p and 4K have no playable settings.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186, the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190, and the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192. The AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168. All are within 1.4% of the Arc B370.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for Thief with this setup?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU, Intel Core i5-13400F, scores in the 77th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU scores in the 5th percentile. The frame rate drops significantly as resolution increases, which indicates a GPU bottleneck.

Q: What is the frame rate at 1440p Medium?

A: The average is 41 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 47 FPS. This is below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the frame rate at 4K Ultra?

A: The average is 17 FPS. This is the lowest recorded average in the dataset and is not playable. The best 4K result is Low at 31 FPS.