Thief

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-13400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 lands at rank 2862 out of 3720 tested combinations in Thief. That places this build in the lower third of all recorded configs, which is a surprising outcome given the components involved. The data suggests that for this particular stealth title, the combination is held back more than its individual parts would imply.

The CPU sits at the 77th percentile among all processors in the database, while the GPU rests at the 58th percentile among all graphics cards. Yet the combined system ranking falls well below those individual standings. This disconnect indicates that Thief's engine does not scale favorably with this pairing, or that the game's demands are skewed heavily toward one component in a way that leaves the other underutilized. The i5-13400F's strong multi-threaded scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core result of 22604, do not translate into proportionally high frame rates here. Meanwhile, the RTX 2060's Passmark G3D score of 14111 sits near the middle of the GPU pack, which aligns more closely with the overall system position.

A rank of 2862 out of 3720 means roughly 77% of tested combinations outperform this setup in Thief. That is a sobering statistic. The measured frame rates show why: at 4K with High settings, the average drops to 32.2 FPS, and even at 1440p with High settings the average is 55.8 FPS, just under the 60 FPS threshold. The combo only truly shines at 1080p, where it clears 60 FPS on every preset. The database's verdict system confirms this pattern, listing no playable settings at 4K, only Low and Medium at 1440p, and all four presets at 1080p.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU across resolutions. At 1080p, the frame rates scale dramatically with graphics settings, from 143.9 FPS at Low to 79.6 FPS at Ultra. That 64.3 FPS gap between Low and Ultra indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck at this resolution, as lowering graphical load produces massive gains. The CPU, with its 10 cores and 16 threads, has ample headroom at 1080p to feed the GPU without becoming a limiting factor.

Moving to 1440p, the pattern shifts. Low settings produce 99.6 FPS, Medium delivers 76.3 FPS, and High drops to 55.8 FPS. The differences between presets compress compared to 1080p, suggesting the GPU is starting to saturate. At 4K, the GPU becomes the dominant constraint. Low settings yield only 55.6 FPS, Medium falls to 44.7 FPS, and High/Ultra hover around 32-33 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at 4K is just 23.4 FPS, far narrower than the 64.3 FPS spread at 1080p. This compression indicates that at 4K, even the lowest settings tax the RTX 2060 near its limits, leaving little room for settings-based performance variation.

The CPU's role is most visible at lower resolutions. The i5-13400F's single-thread performance, measured at 3191 in Cinebench R23 single-core, is sufficient to keep up with the GPU at 1080p. At higher resolutions, the GPU's raw throughput, characterized by its 6.451 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 336.0 GB/s memory bandwidth, becomes the limiting factor. The data implies that for Thief, this system is CPU-balanced at 1080p and GPU-bound at 1440p and above. Players targeting higher resolutions would need a stronger GPU, not a faster CPU, to see meaningful gains.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The database's nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide context for what other hardware might behave similarly in this game. For the Intel Core i5-13400F, the closest matches are the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS with an average score of 25284 (0% delta), the Intel Core 5 120 at 25362 (-0.3% delta), the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D at 25365 (-0.3% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H at 25201 (0.4% delta). These processors all sit within a fraction of a percent of the i5-13400F's average benchmark score of 25292. In Thief, any of these CPUs would likely produce nearly identical frame rates when paired with the RTX 2060, since the game does not appear to stress the processor heavily at most settings.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 with an average score of 15283 (0% delta), the AMD Radeon 680M at 15270 (0.1% delta), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM at 15199 (0.6% delta), and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 at 15171 (0.8% delta). The RTX 2060's average score of 15290 is nearly identical to these alternatives. In practical terms, swapping the RTX 2060 for any of these GPUs would yield almost indistinguishable performance in Thief at the same settings and resolution. The RTX 3050 OEM and RX 7600, despite being newer architectures, land within 1% of the RTX 2060 in the database's aggregate scoring, suggesting that Thief's engine does not heavily favor newer feature sets.

This clustering of scores around the same value indicates a performance plateau. The RTX 2060 sits at a point where several very different GPUs, from a 2010-era GTX 580 to a modern RX 7600, all deliver comparable average results. For Thief specifically, this means the game is not particularly demanding on modern GPU features like ray tracing or tensor cores, both of which the RTX 2060 possesses (30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores) but which Thief likely does not utilize given its 2014 release date.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Thief at 60 FPS on Ultra settings?

A: Yes, but only at 1920x1080. The measured average at 1080p Ultra is 79.6 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra drops to 54.3 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

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

A: The database lists Medium as the best playable setting at 2560x1440, with an average of 76.3 FPS. High settings at this resolution average 55.8 FPS, missing the 60 FPS target.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this combo?

A: No playable settings are recorded at 3840x2160. Even Low settings only reach 55.6 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-13400F has an average benchmark score of 25292. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS, scores 25284, a 0% difference. The Intel Core 5 120 is 0.3% higher at 25362.

Q: Does the GPU outperform its nearest competitors?

A: The RTX 2060's average score of 15290 is virtually tied with the GTX 580's 15283 (0% delta). The AMD Radeon RX 7600 scores 15171, which is 0.8% lower.

Q: What performance can be expected at 1080p Medium settings?

A: The measured average is 107.1 FPS, which provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the recorded data shows a steep performance cliff. Low settings average 55.6 FPS, which is the best 4K result but still below playable. Medium drops to 44.7 FPS, High falls further to 32.2 FPS, and Ultra matches the High result closely at 33.4 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra represents a 22.2 FPS loss, but even the lowest settings cannot sustain 60 FPS at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the picture improves considerably. Low settings deliver 99.6 FPS, a strong result that clears the threshold by nearly 40 frames. Medium maintains 76.3 FPS, still comfortably above 60. High falls to 55.8 FPS, just missing the target, while Ultra drops to 54.3 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra here is 45.3 FPS, showing that settings choices have a substantial impact at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, every preset is playable. Low averages 143.9 FPS, Medium reaches 107.1 FPS, High holds at 82.7 FPS, and Ultra stays above 60 at 79.6 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is smooth, with each settings tier costing roughly 20-25 FPS. This resolution is clearly the sweet spot for this hardware combination, with even the most demanding preset leaving a 19.6 FPS buffer above the playable threshold.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no settings preset achieves the 60 FPS threshold. The highest recorded average is 55.6 FPS at Low, which is 4.4 FPS short of playable. The database marks all 4K settings as unplayable for this combo.

At 2560x1440, the best playable settings are Medium, which averages 76.3 FPS. This provides a 16.3 FPS margin above the threshold. Low also qualifies at 99.6 FPS, but Medium offers better visual quality while maintaining a safe buffer. High and Ultra both fall below 60 FPS and are not recommended at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, Ultra is the best playable setting, averaging 79.6 FPS. This is the highest quality preset available in the game and it still clears the threshold by 19.6 FPS. All four presets are playable at this resolution, but Ultra provides the maximum visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness.

The Verdict

The data confirms that this system can run Thief, but the experience depends heavily on resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the combo is fully capable, clearing 60 FPS on every preset including Ultra at 79.6 FPS. This is the definitive way to play with this hardware, offering both high frame rates and maximum visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the system remains playable but with restrictions. Medium settings at 76.3 FPS is the best option, while Low also works at 99.6 FPS. Pushing to High or Ultra results in averages below 60 FPS, at 55.8 and 54.3 FPS respectively. Players wanting higher visual fidelity at this resolution would need a more powerful GPU.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is clear: this combo cannot run Thief at a playable level. Low settings average only 55.6 FPS, and no preset reaches the 60 FPS threshold. The RTX 2060's 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for 4K in this title, regardless of CPU performance.

The overall picture is that this is a solid 1080p gaming system for Thief, a passable 1440p system with settings compromises, and an unsuitable 4K system. The i5-13400F provides ample processing headroom, but the RTX 2060 defines the performance ceiling. Users who prioritize high resolutions should consider a GPU upgrade, while those content with 1080p gaming will find this combination fully adequate.