Thief

The Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination presents a clear picture for Thief: at 1080p and 1440p, this system is entirely capable of running the game at maximum settings with a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold, while 4K remains a challenge that requires a significant drop in visual fidelity. The data indicates a system where the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor as resolution increases, but the CPU provides a strong enough foundation to avoid bottlenecking at lower resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The benchmark data places this specific CPU and GPU pairing in a well-populated performance neighborhood. The Intel Core i5-13400F, with an average benchmark score of 25,292, sits within a fraction of a percent of several alternative processors. The AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS is the closest match with an average score of 25,284, showing a delta of 0%. The Intel Core 5 120 (25,362, -0.3%) and AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D (25,365, -0.3%) are also essentially tied, while the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H (25,201, 0.4%) trails by a negligible margin. In practical terms for Thief, any of these CPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates, meaning the choice between them would hinge on platform features rather than gaming performance.

On the graphics side, the RTX 4060's average benchmark score of 17,639 places it in a curious group. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon HD 7790, scores 17,666 (-0.2%), suggesting that in raw compute terms, the performance delta is negligible. The AMD Radeon 780M integrated graphics (17,588, 0.3%), AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17,551, 0.5%), and AMD Radeon Pro 460 (17,509, 0.7%) are all within a single percentage point. This is a fascinating result, as it implies that for a game like Thief — which launched in 2014 and is not particularly demanding by modern standards — the RTX 4060's more advanced features (like ray tracing or DLSS) may not be the differentiators; instead, raw rasterization performance is what matters, and that is closely matched by these older or lower-tier alternatives. The data suggests that if you were to swap the RTX 4060 for any of these rivals, the measured FPS in Thief would likely change by only a frame or two.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Thief at 4K resolution with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings. The measured data shows an average of 74 FPS at 3840x2160 on Low. At Medium settings, the average drops to 56 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. High and Ultra settings average 43 FPS and 41 FPS respectively.

Q: What is the highest quality preset that maintains 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset is playable at 2560x1440, with an average frame rate of 70 FPS. This is the best-looking setting that stays above the playable threshold. For comparison, High averages 73 FPS, Medium averages 96 FPS, and Low averages 126 FPS at this resolution.

Q: How does the CPU's single-threaded performance compare to its multi-threaded performance?

A: The Core i5-13400F shows strong single-threaded capability with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3,191. Its multi-core score in the same test is 22,604, which is roughly 7 times higher. This suggests a balanced design where individual core performance is solid, which is beneficial for games like Thief that may not fully utilize all 16 threads.

Q: Is the RTX 4060's memory bandwidth a potential concern for this game?

A: The RTX 4060 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth. For a 2014 title like Thief, the data does not indicate any memory-related bottlenecks, as even at 4K Ultra the game averages 41 FPS, which is more likely a compute limitation than a bandwidth issue. The game's textures and geometry are well within the card's 8 GB capacity.

Q: What is the frame time consistency like at Medium settings?

A: The measured data provides minimum and maximum FPS for Medium settings. At 1920x1080, the range is 119 to 161 FPS with an average of 140, showing a fairly tight spread. At 2560x1440, the range is 82 to 110 FPS (average 96). At 3840x2160, the range is 48 to 65 FPS (average 56), which exhibits more variance and explains why this resolution dips below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested PC configurations for Thief?

A: This specific combination of CPU and GPU ranks at 1,905 out of 3,720 tested combos. This places it just past the midpoint of all tested systems, which is a reasonable position given that the game is older and many high-end modern systems will outperform it. The rank suggests it is a solidly mid-pack performer.

Best Settings per Resolution

The most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS varies significantly by resolution.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is fully playable, delivering an average of 101 FPS. This is the ideal configuration, offering the highest visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. The data shows a large performance headroom, as even the most demanding settings leave over 40 FPS of margin above the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset also clears the 60 FPS bar, with an average of 70 FPS. This is the recommended choice for this resolution, though the margin is slimmer than at 1080p. The High preset averages 73 FPS, which is nearly identical, suggesting that the Ultra preset is the better pick since the performance cost is minimal.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes dramatically. No preset above Low maintains 60 FPS. The Low preset averages 74 FPS, which is playable, but the Medium preset drops to 56 FPS. Therefore, Low is the only viable option for 4K gaming at 60 FPS, and it represents a substantial visual downgrade from the higher presets.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Thief, and the experience depends heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the system is overkill; the Ultra preset averages 101 FPS, which is more than 40 FPS above the playable threshold. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset still delivers 70 FPS, maintaining a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. However, at 3840x2160, the system struggles; only the Low preset averages above 60 FPS (74 FPS), while Medium (56 FPS), High (43 FPS), and Ultra (41 FPS) all fall short. The verdict is clear: for 1080p and 1440p gaming, this is a high-performance setup that allows maximum settings; for 4K, the user must compromise significantly on visual quality to achieve smooth gameplay.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a detailed view of performance scaling across presets and resolutions.

At 1920x1080, the frame rates are consistently high. Low settings produce an average of 178 FPS. Medium settings average 140 FPS, with a minimum of 119 and a maximum of 161 FPS. High settings average 107 FPS. Ultra settings average 101 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline, but even the lowest Ultra result is far above the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down predictably. Low averages 126 FPS. Medium averages 96 FPS, with a range of 82 to 110 FPS. High averages 73 FPS. Ultra averages 70 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra is only 3 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset is not significantly more demanding than High at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates drop sharply. Low averages 74 FPS. Medium averages 56 FPS, with a minimum of 48 and a maximum of 65 FPS. High averages 43 FPS. Ultra averages 41 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra is negligible (2 FPS), suggesting that the GPU is saturated at this resolution and the additional visual features of Ultra have little impact on the already low frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-13400F and RTX 4060 combination ranks 1,905 out of 3,720 tested combos for Thief. This places it in the 51st percentile of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms slightly more than half of the configurations in the database. This is a noteworthy position for a mid-range 2023 CPU and GPU pairing, given that the game is from 2014. The rank suggests that many older, high-end systems or newer, top-tier components can outperform this combo, but it also indicates that the i5-13400F and RTX 4060 are more than sufficient for the game's demands. The ranking is consistent with the measured FPS data — the system is not a top performer, but it delivers playable frame rates at all but the most demanding 4K settings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear shift in component importance as resolution changes. At 1920x1080, the CPU plays a more significant role. The frame rates at Low (178 FPS) and Medium (140 FPS) are high enough that the GPU is likely not the limiting factor; instead, the CPU's single-threaded performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3,191) is what drives these high numbers. The scaling from Medium to Ultra (140 to 101 FPS) shows a 28% reduction, which is typical of GPU-bound scenarios, but the absolute values suggest the CPU is still keeping pace.

At 2560x1440, the GPU begins to take precedence. The frame rates at Low (126 FPS) are still high, but the drop from Low to Ultra (126 to 70 FPS, a 44% reduction) is more pronounced than at 1080p. This indicates that the GPU's pixel processing capabilities are becoming the bottleneck. The RTX 4060's 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 118.1 GPixel/s pixel rate are the relevant specs here, and they are sufficient to maintain 70 FPS at Ultra, but the margin is thinner.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is almost entirely the limiting factor. The frame rates at Low (74 FPS) are nearly half of what they are at 1080p, and the High and Ultra presets both hover around 41-43 FPS. This is a classic GPU-bound scenario where the CPU's performance is largely irrelevant. The RTX 4060's 8 GB of memory and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are also potential contributors, but the consistent performance across High and Ultra suggests a compute limitation. The data implies that for 4K gaming, upgrading the GPU would yield significant gains, while a CPU upgrade would have a negligible impact. Conversely, at 1080p, the CPU's strong single-threaded performance (3,191 in Cinebench R23) is what allows the system to reach frame rates above 170 FPS, meaning a weaker processor could bottleneck the RTX 4060 in this scenario.