Thief

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the Intel Arc B570 presents a compelling mid-range combination for playing Thief, a 2014 stealth classic. Benchmark data shows this system is highly capable at 1080p, comfortably clearing the 60 FPS threshold even at the highest Ultra settings. However, performance degrades significantly as resolution increases, making 4K a challenge and 1440p a compromise between visual fidelity and frame rate. This analysis breaks down the measured performance data, explores the roles of the CPU and GPU, and provides clear guidance on the best settings for each resolution.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Thief at 4K resolution?*

A: No, not at a playable 60 FPS. The data shows the system achieves an average of 31 FPS at High settings and 41 FPS at Medium settings at 3840x2160. Only the Low preset reaches 54 FPS, which is still below the 60 FPS playable threshold, and the verdict confirms there are no playable settings at this resolution.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The Medium preset is the best playable option at 2560x1440. It delivers an average of 69 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. While the Low preset runs faster at 91 FPS, the Ultra and High presets fall below 60 FPS, making Medium the highest quality setting that maintains smooth gameplay.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset produces an average of 73 FPS. This is comfortably above the 60 FPS playable threshold, and the verdict confirms that all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable at this resolution.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-14400F compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The CPU’s average benchmark score is 32279, placing it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs. Its closest rival is the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U with a score of 32233, a negligible 0.1% difference. Other near peers include the Intel Core i9-11900 and AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS, all within a 0.5% margin, indicating essentially equivalent CPU performance.

Q: What is the performance gap between the Intel Arc B570 and its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556, placing it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile with a score of 20534, a 0.1% difference. Other comparable GPUs include the Intel Arc A750 and AMD Radeon R9 M390X, all within a 0.5% delta, showing nearly identical raw performance.

Q: Does the system have a minimum FPS recorded for all settings?

A: No, the data only includes minimum and maximum FPS values for the Medium preset. At 3840x2160, the minimum is 35 FPS and the maximum is 47 FPS. At 2560x1440, the range is 59 to 79 FPS, and at 1920x1080, it is 86 to 116 FPS.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear shift in system bottleneck behavior across different resolutions and presets. The Intel Core i5-14400F is a strong 10-core, 16-thread processor with a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, and its benchmark scores (e.g., 21645 in Cinebench R23 multicore) suggest it is more than capable of feeding the Arc B570. However, the game’s performance scaling indicates that the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases.

At 1920x1080, the difference between the Low and Ultra presets is substantial, with average FPS dropping from 133 to 73. This 45% performance reduction is driven by the increasing graphical workload on the GPU, while the CPU is likely not the primary constraint at this resolution. The fact that the Ultra preset still yields 73 FPS demonstrates that the CPU has ample headroom to handle the game’s logic and draw calls even at the highest settings.

When moving to 2560x1440, the pattern continues but with a steeper drop. The Low preset averages 91 FPS, while the Ultra preset falls to 50 FPS, a 45% decrease. The Medium preset at 69 FPS and High at 53 FPS show a linear scaling that points directly at the GPU’s fill-rate and shading capabilities. The Arc B570, with its 10 GB of GDDR6 memory and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth, is being tasked with rendering more pixels, and the data suggests the GPU is the dominant factor here.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unequivocally the bottleneck. The average FPS across all presets is below the 60 FPS threshold, with the Ultra preset producing only 29 FPS and the Low preset reaching 54 FPS. The 4K resolution demands 2.25 times the pixel count of 1440p, and the Arc B570’s performance collapses, regardless of the CPU’s potential. The CPU’s role is diminished, as the system is clearly limited by the GPU’s raw throughput at this resolution, reflected in its passmark G3D score of 14195 which is modest for 4K workloads.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable frame rates. The Low preset achieves an average of 54 FPS, which is the highest at this resolution but still below the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset averages 41 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 47 FPS. The High preset drops to an average of 31 FPS, and the Ultra preset is the slowest at 29 FPS. No preset at this resolution meets the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the system finds a playable balance. The Low preset runs at an average of 91 FPS, providing a very smooth experience. The Medium preset is the best high-quality option, averaging 69 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 79 FPS. The High preset averages 53 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, and the Ultra preset averages 50 FPS. The data shows that only Low and Medium are viable for consistent 60 FPS gameplay.

At 1920x1080, the system excels across all presets. The Low preset delivers an exceptional average of 133 FPS, ideal for high refresh rate monitors. The Medium preset averages 101 FPS, with a minimum of 86 FPS and a maximum of 116 FPS. The High preset averages 77 FPS, and the Ultra preset maintains a solid 73 FPS. Every preset at this resolution clears the 60 FPS playable threshold, making 1080p the sweet spot for this hardware combination.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i5-14400F’s average benchmark score of 32279 is virtually indistinguishable from its nearest rivals. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (score 32233, delta 0.1%) and the Intel Core i9-11900 (score 32226, delta 0.2%) would offer nearly identical performance in Thief. The AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (score 32354, delta -0.2%) is also a close match, being just 0.2% slower. Any of these processors would provide a similar gameplay experience, meaning the system’s in-game performance is not uniquely tied to the specific i5-14400F model.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc B570’s average benchmark score of 20556 is closely matched by several alternatives. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (score 20534, delta 0.1%) would be a direct performance equivalent. The Intel Arc A750 (score 20582, delta -0.1%) is also a near-identical match, suggesting that users with either of these GPUs would see comparable frame rates in Thief. Other close performers include the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (score 20480, delta 0.4%) and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X (score 20662, delta -0.5%), though these are less common in modern gaming systems. The data indicates that swapping the Arc B570 for any of these GPUs would not significantly alter the measured FPS results.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, there is no playable preset. The data shows that the Low preset achieves 54 FPS, but this still misses the 60 FPS target, and the verdict confirms that no settings at this resolution are playable.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the most demanding option that stays at or above 60 FPS. It delivers an average of 69 FPS, providing a smooth experience with higher visual quality than the Low preset. The High and Ultra presets are not viable, as they fall to 53 FPS and 50 FPS respectively.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the best choice, averaging 73 FPS. Since all presets are playable at this resolution, selecting Ultra gives the highest visual fidelity while still maintaining a frame rate well above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The data shows a comfortable margin, with the Ultra preset’s 73 FPS being 13 FPS higher than the minimum requirement.

The Verdict

Based on the measured data, this PC can run Thief effectively, but the experience is heavily dependent on the chosen resolution. At 1920x1080, the system is fully capable, with all presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—clearing the 60 FPS playable threshold. The Ultra preset at 73 FPS is the recommended choice for the best balance of visuals and performance.

At 2560x1440, the system is partially capable. The verdict confirms that only the Low and Medium presets are playable, with Medium at 69 FPS being the best option. Users wanting to play at this resolution must accept a reduction in graphical settings to maintain smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the system is not capable of hitting the 60 FPS target. No preset is playable, and the highest average FPS is 54 on the Low preset. This resolution is not recommended for this hardware combination. In summary, the system is a solid 1080p performer, a decent 1440p machine with settings adjustments, and unsuitable for 4K gaming in Thief.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14400F + Intel Arc B570 combination ranks 2994th out of 3720 tested combos for Thief. This places the system in the lower-middle portion of the database, indicating that while it is far from the top-performing configurations, it is also not among the weakest. Given that the game is from 2014, this ranking reflects the hardware’s capability against a wide range of modern and older components.

The ranking suggests that many other CPU-GPU pairings deliver higher frame rates, particularly at higher resolutions. However, the data shows that this combo still provides a solid 1080p experience, which is likely the target for most users of this mid-range hardware. The 83rd percentile CPU performance and 65th percentile GPU performance do not translate into a top-tier gaming ranking, primarily due to the GPU’s limitations at 1440p and 4K. For a user focused on 1080p gaming, this combo is more than adequate, but for those seeking higher resolutions, the data indicates that other combinations in the database would offer a better experience.