Thief

The Intel Core i5-13400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 delivers a remarkably consistent performance profile across all tested resolutions in Thief, with every preset configuration at every resolution clearing the 60 FPS playable threshold. Benchmark results indicate a system that is not merely playable but offers substantial headroom, particularly at lower resolutions where the average frame rates exceed 140 FPS even under maximum graphical load.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the combo produces an average of 66.6 FPS on High settings, which sits comfortably above the playable threshold. Dropping to Medium yields 86.7 FPS, while Low settings push the average to 111.6 FPS. The most demanding preset, Ultra, still maintains an average of 60.9 FPS, showing that 4K gaming is viable across the entire settings spectrum. The scaling from Medium to High represents a 23.2% performance reduction, while the jump from High to Ultra costs only 8.6% of average frame rate.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance envelope expands significantly. Ultra settings produce 103.1 FPS average, which is a 69.3% improvement over the 4K Ultra result. High settings reach 109.9 FPS, Medium delivers 141.5 FPS, and Low peaks at 161.1 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 58 FPS, indicating that the graphical preset has a substantial impact on performance, but even the heaviest load remains far above the 60 FPS target.

At 1920x1080, the system operates in a performance-rich environment. Ultra settings yield 142.7 FPS average, High reaches 148.5 FPS, Medium hits 162.2 FPS, and Low tops out at 177 FPS. The difference between the lowest and highest presets here is 34.3 FPS, a narrower spread than at 1440p. Notably, the 1080p Ultra result is 134.3% higher than the 4K Ultra result, demonstrating how resolution scaling dramatically affects the workload.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data suggests that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution increases, while the CPU maintains sufficient headroom to feed the graphics card at lower resolutions. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Ultra settings shows a 27.8% performance drop (from 142.7 to 103.1 FPS), and the further drop to 4K Ultra is 40.9% (from 103.1 to 60.9 FPS). This progressive decline aligns with the GPU's pixel throughput limitations rather than CPU constraints, as the i5-13400F's benchmark scores — including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22604 and a single-core score of 3191 — suggest ample processing power for a 2014 title like Thief.

The CPU's 3DMark scores reinforce this interpretation. The 16-thread score of 7314 and max-thread score of 7307 indicate strong multi-threaded performance, while the single-thread score of 960 suggests the game's primary thread workload is well within the processor's capabilities. At 1080p, where GPU load is lighter, the system achieves 142.7 FPS on Ultra, implying that the CPU can sustain high frame rates without becoming the limiting factor. The pattern across resolutions — with performance dropping as resolution increases — points to the GPU being the dominant determinant of final frame rates.

Interestingly, the gap between Low and Ultra settings narrows as resolution decreases. At 4K, the difference is 50.7 FPS (111.6 vs 60.9); at 1440p it is 58 FPS (161.1 vs 103.1); at 1080p it is 34.3 FPS (177 vs 142.7). This non-linear behavior suggests that at lower resolutions, the GPU has spare capacity that can absorb the additional graphical demands of higher presets without proportional frame rate penalties.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which achieves exactly 60.9 FPS average. This is a marginal clearance of the threshold, but the data confirms that the full graphical experience is available at 4K. High settings provide additional headroom at 66.6 FPS, while Medium and Low offer progressively higher performance margins.

For 2560x1440, Ultra settings are again the best choice, delivering 103.1 FPS average. This represents a 69.3% improvement over the 4K Ultra result and provides a substantial buffer above the 60 FPS threshold. Even with the most demanding settings, the system operates at nearly double the minimum playable frame rate, making 1440p the sweet spot for this combination.

At 1920x1080, Ultra settings reach 142.7 FPS average, which is more than double the playable threshold. The data shows that every preset at 1080p exceeds 140 FPS, meaning users can select the highest quality settings without any performance concerns. The 1080p Ultra result is 41.8% higher than the 1440p Ultra result and 134.3% higher than the 4K Ultra result.

FAQ

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K with maximum settings?

A: Yes, the measured average at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 60.9 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold by a narrow margin of 0.9 FPS.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 4K at Ultra settings?

A: The average frame rate drops from 142.7 FPS at 1920x1080 to 60.9 FPS at 3840x2160, representing a 134.3% decrease in performance.

Q: Which resolution provides the best balance of quality and performance?

A: At 2560x1440 with Ultra settings, the system achieves 103.1 FPS, which is 69.3% higher than the 4K Ultra result while still delivering the maximum graphical preset.

Q: How does the Low preset compare to Ultra at 1440p?

A: Low settings produce 161.1 FPS average versus 103.1 FPS on Ultra, a difference of 58 FPS. Both are far above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to limit performance in Thief?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary limiting factor, as frame rates decrease consistently with resolution increases while the CPU maintains strong benchmark scores such as 22604 in Cinebench R23 multi-core.

Q: Are all settings playable at every resolution?

A: Yes, the measured data shows that Low, Medium, High, and Ultra presets all exceed 60 FPS at 1920x1080, 2560x1440, and 3840x2160.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores provide context for expected behavior. The AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS has an average score of 25284, which is essentially identical to the i5-13400F's 25292, showing a 0% delta. The Intel Core 5 120 scores 25362, placing it 0.3% higher, while the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D also reaches 25365, another 0.3% advantage. The AMD Ryzen 7 6800H sits at 25201, which is 0.4% lower. These close scores suggest that any of these processors would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Thief, with differences likely below measurable thresholds.

On the GPU side, the RTX 5070's nearest rivals show more variance. The AMD Radeon Pro 580 has an average score of 40318, which is 0.1% lower than the RTX 5070's 40377. The AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 scores 40063, a 0.8% deficit. The AMD Radeon Pro 5300 reaches 40870, which is 1.2% higher, while the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile scores 39568, a 2% shortfall. These deltas are small enough that in-game performance in Thief would likely be within a few frames per second of the measured results, though the RTX A500 Mobile's 2% deficit could translate to roughly 1-2 FPS lower at 4K Ultra.

How This Combo Ranks

Among all tested combinations in this benchmark database, this pairing ranks 646th out of 3720 combos. This places the system in the top 17.4% of all tested configurations, indicating that the i5-13400F and RTX 5070 constitute a high-performing pair for Thief. The percentile rankings support this position: the CPU sits at the 77th percentile against all processors, while the GPU ranks at the 82nd percentile against all graphics cards. The combination of two components that each outperform roughly three-quarters of their peers results in a system that delivers exceptional frame rates across all resolution and settings combinations.

The rank of 646 suggests that while there are many faster configurations, the vast majority of tested systems — 3074 of them — produce lower performance in this game. For a title released in 2014, this modern hardware combination provides performance that far exceeds the requirements implied by the game's era, with even the most demanding settings at 4K clearing the playable threshold.

The Verdict

This PC can definitively run Thief at all tested resolutions and settings. At 3840x2160, the system achieves 60.9 FPS average on Ultra, 66.6 FPS on High, 86.7 FPS on Medium, and 111.6 FPS on Low — every preset clears the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, performance ranges from 103.1 FPS on Ultra to 161.1 FPS on Low, all comfortably above the playable mark. At 1920x1080, the results are even more impressive, with Ultra averaging 142.7 FPS and Low reaching 177 FPS.

The verdict is unambiguous: users can enable maximum graphical settings at any resolution without dropping below the playable threshold. The narrowest margin is at 4K Ultra, where the 60.9 FPS average provides only a 0.9 FPS buffer, but the margin widens substantially at lower resolutions. For users prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity, the Low preset at 1080p delivers 177 FPS, which is more than three times the playable minimum. This hardware combination offers exceptional flexibility for Thief, allowing users to choose between high-fidelity 4K gaming and high-refresh-rate 1080p or 1440p experiences.