Thief

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 delivers a performance profile that is heavily dictated by resolution and preset selection in Thief. The recorded data shows a clear scaling pattern: 1080p is thoroughly playable across all tested settings, 1440p requires dropping to Medium for a comfortable margin, and 4K struggles to maintain fluid frame rates even at Low. The RTX 2060, which holds a 58th percentile ranking among all GPUs and an average benchmark score of 15290, is the primary constraint in this pairing, while the i5-14400F, sitting at the 83rd CPU percentile with an average score of 32279, provides ample headroom for the game's logic and physics. The combination of a strong modern CPU with a mid-range older GPU is the defining characteristic of this system.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination delivers its most convincing results. With Low settings, the average frame rate reaches 144.7 FPS, which is more than double the 60 FPS playability threshold. Moving up to Medium, the average drops to 107.9 FPS, still a very fluid experience. High settings yield 82.8 FPS on average, and even the most demanding Ultra preset maintains an average of 75.7 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is substantial, roughly 69 FPS, which indicates that the GPU is the scaling factor, but every preset clears the playability bar with considerable room to spare.

At 2560x1440, the performance curve steepens. Low settings produce an average of 99.5 FPS, which remains excellent for a higher pixel count. Medium settings hold up well with an average of 74.7 FPS, still above the 60 FPS threshold. High settings, however, drop to an average of 54.1 FPS, which falls below the playability line. Ultra settings average 52.5 FPS, which is surprisingly close to the High result, suggesting that the GPU is hitting a similar bottleneck at these higher loads. The transition from Medium to High at 1440p is the critical inflection point for this hardware.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 2060 cannot sustain playable performance. Low settings average 58.2 FPS, just shy of the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings fall to 44.6 FPS, High drops further to 34.9 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 29.4 FPS. The 4K results show a consistent and steep decline with each preset increase, confirming that the 6 GB GDDR6 memory and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth of the RTX 2060 are insufficient for the pixel throughput demanded at this resolution. No min or max frame rate data was recorded for any configuration, so the analysis relies on average FPS alone.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 1920x1080, the best playable preset is Ultra, which achieves an average of 75.7 FPS. This is the most demanding setting that still clears the 60 FPS threshold, and it does so with a 15.7 FPS margin. The system has enough GPU headroom at 1080p to enable full visual quality without sacrificing fluidity.

For 2560x1440, the best playable preset is Medium, with an average of 74.7 FPS. High settings fall to 54.1 FPS, which is below the playable threshold, so Medium is the ceiling for a smooth experience at this resolution. The 14.7 FPS margin above the threshold is adequate, though it leaves less room for demanding scenes compared to the 1080p result.

For 3840x2160, there is no playable setting. The closest option is Low, which averages 58.2 FPS, a 1.8 FPS shortfall from the 60 FPS target. The verdict data confirms that no settings are classified as playable at this resolution, so users targeting 4K would need to lower the resolution or accept sub-60 FPS performance.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Thief at 1920x1080 with maximum settings?

A: Yes. The Ultra preset at 1920x1080 achieves an average of 75.7 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. All four tested presets, Low, Medium, High, and Ultra, are classified as playable at this resolution.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 2560x1440?

A: Medium is the best playable setting at 2560x1440, producing an average of 74.7 FPS. High settings drop to 54.1 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, so it is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this hardware?

A: No playable settings exist at 3840x2160. The closest result is Low with an average of 58.2 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS requirement. Higher presets at 4K, including Medium, High, and Ultra, average 44.6, 34.9, and 29.4 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the CPU benchmark compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F has an average benchmark score of 32279. It is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i9-11900, 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i7-12800H, and 0.2% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS. These deltas are all within a single percentage point, indicating near-identical CPU performance among this group.

Q: How does the GPU benchmark compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 has an average benchmark score of 15290. It is essentially tied with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580, which has a delta of 0%. It is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon 680M, 0.6% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM, and 0.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7600.

Q: What is the performance gap between Low and Ultra settings at 1920x1080?

A: The average frame rate at Low is 144.7 FPS, while Ultra averages 75.7 FPS. This represents a difference of 69 FPS, or roughly a 48% reduction in average frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest preset.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the recorded data places the Intel Core i5-14400F in a tight cluster of rivals. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, with an average score of 32233, is virtually identical at a 0.1% delta. The Intel Core i9-11900 scores 32226, a 0.2% delta, and the Intel Core i7-12800H scores 32121, a 0.5% delta. These chips would all behave similarly in CPU-bound scenarios, meaning any of them paired with the RTX 2060 would yield nearly the same frame rates in Thief. The AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS is the only rival that edges ahead, scoring 32354, a 0.2% lead, but this difference is negligible for gaming.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is matched closely by several other graphics cards. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 has the same average score of 15283, a 0% delta, so it would deliver essentially identical frame rates in this game. The AMD Radeon 680M scores 15270, a 0.1% delta, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM scores 15199, a 0.6% delta. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 scores 15171, a 0.8% delta, which is the lowest of the group but still within a single percentage point. None of these alternatives would meaningfully change the playability verdicts at any resolution; they would all hit the same walls at 1440p High and 4K.

The Verdict

The data confirms that this system can run Thief, but the experience depends entirely on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the verdict is unambiguous: all four presets, Low, Medium, High, and Ultra, are classified as playable. The best setting, Ultra, averages 75.7 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold by a comfortable margin. This is the resolution where the i5-14400F and RTX 2060 combination shows its full capability.

At 2560x1440, the system remains playable but with restrictions. The playable settings are Low and Medium, with Medium as the best option at 74.7 FPS. High and Ultra both fall below the threshold, averaging 54.1 and 52.5 FPS respectively. Users with 1440p monitors should stick to Medium for a smooth experience and avoid the temptation to push higher presets.

At 3840x2160, the system is not playable under any tested setting. The verdict lists no playable settings, and the closest result, Low at 58.2 FPS, misses the 60 FPS target. The RTX 2060, with its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 192-bit bus, is the limiting factor here. For 4K play, this GPU is insufficient, and the overall verdict is that 1080p and 1440p Medium are the viable paths forward.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination ranks 2887 out of 3720 tested combos in Thief, placing it in the lower portion of the database. This ranking reflects the GPU's mid-range standing, as the RTX 2060 sits at the 58th percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU is much stronger at the 83rd percentile. The pairing works well enough for 1080p Ultra and 1440p Medium, but the GPU prevents the system from climbing higher in the rankings. Out of 3720 total combinations, the 2887th position means a majority of tested systems outperform it, which aligns with the measured FPS results: strong 1080p performance, acceptable 1440p performance with reduced settings, and no viable 4K option.