Thief

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers a benchmark profile that is decisively overqualified for Thief, a 2014 stealth title. The measured data shows that this combination produces average frame rates that are consistently far above the 60 FPS playable threshold across every tested resolution and preset, from 1920x1080 Low at 184.7 FPS to 3840x2160 Ultra at 79.5 FPS. This analysis examines the measured FPS data, the combo's ranking against other tested configurations, its performance alternatives, and the specific roles the CPU and GPU play at different resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU in this configuration each have near-neighbor alternatives that would produce broadly similar benchmark outcomes, based on average benchmark scores. For the Intel Core i5-14400F, which holds an 83rd percentile ranking against all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 32279, the closest rivals in average score are all within a narrow band. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U scores 32233, a delta of 0.1% from the i5-14400F, making it statistically indistinguishable in aggregate CPU performance. The Intel Core i9-11900 is nearly identical with a score of 32226 and a delta of 0.2%, while the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS scores 32354, which is 0.2% higher. The Intel Core i7-12800H trails slightly at 32121, a 0.5% delta. For gaming workloads like Thief, which are not heavily multithreaded, any of these CPUs would likely produce very similar frame rates, as the i5-14400F’s 10 cores and 16 threads are far beyond what a 2014 title can exploit.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 sits at the 88th percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 60347. Its nearest rivals are surprising in their diversity, but the deltaPct values indicate that the RTX 4090 is not uniquely faster than these alternatives in aggregate benchmarks. The Intel Arc Pro A60 matches almost exactly with a score of 60326 and a delta of 0%. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 scores 60140, which is 0.3% lower, while the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M scores 61896, a 2.5% higher average. The AMD Radeon PRO V710 scores 58657, which is 2.9% lower. For Thief specifically, any of these GPUs would likely provide playable performance at most resolutions, though the RTX 4090’s raw 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 1.01 TB/s memory bandwidth give it a substantial edge in pixel throughput, which shows in the measured FPS data at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The benchmark database places this specific CPU-GPU combination at rank 324 out of 3720 tested combos for Thief, which puts it in the top 8.7% of all configurations. This rank is somewhat surprising given the hardware’s raw power, but it reflects the fact that Thief is an older title with a 2014 release date, meaning the game’s engine is likely bound by single-threaded CPU performance and specific GPU features that do not scale linearly with modern hardware. The data shows that the i5-14400F’s single-core performance, as measured by Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3055, is strong enough to avoid being a bottleneck at any resolution, but the game’s engine may not fully utilize the RTX 4090’s capabilities. The rank of 324 indicates that a large number of combinations—over 3000 of them—score lower in Thief, but it also suggests that some other high-end configurations achieve higher frame rates, possibly due to better single-threaded CPU performance or more favorable memory configurations.

The percentile rankings provide context: the CPU’s 83rd percentile and the GPU’s 88th percentile do not translate to a top-100 combo rank in this specific game, which highlights how game-specific bottlenecks can override aggregate hardware performance. The measured FPS data confirms that the combo is never below 79.5 FPS even at the most demanding setting, so the rank of 324 is not a reflection of poor playability but rather of relative standing among other high-end combos that may achieve even higher frame rates in a title that is not demanding by modern standards.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how this combo scales across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the lowest tested resolution, the frame rates are exceptionally high across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 184.7 FPS, Medium drops to 162.7 FPS, High is at 149.7 FPS, and Ultra is only slightly lower at 148.9 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at 1080p is just 0.8 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset’s additional graphical effects are nearly free for the RTX 4090 at this resolution. The spread from Low to Ultra is 35.8 FPS, which is large in absolute terms but small as a percentage of the baseline, suggesting the GPU is not the limiting factor at 1080p.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain very high but show a more pronounced scaling with settings. Low produces 159.1 FPS, Medium 142.8 FPS, High 130.5 FPS, and Ultra 128.2 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 30.9 FPS, slightly less than at 1080p in absolute terms but proportionally similar. The gap between High and Ultra narrows to 2.3 FPS, again showing that Ultra is not much more demanding than High at this resolution. Comparing 1440p to 1080p, the average FPS drops by approximately 13-14% across all settings, with Low going from 184.7 to 159.1 and Ultra going from 148.9 to 128.2. This indicates a moderate GPU load increase as pixel count rises.

At 3840x2160, the resolution scaling becomes more pronounced. Low settings still deliver 133.7 FPS, which is comfortably above 60 FPS, but Medium drops to 113.4 FPS, High to 84.7 FPS, and Ultra to 79.5 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at 4K is 5.2 FPS, and the drop from Low to Ultra is 54.2 FPS, which is a much larger absolute reduction than at lower resolutions. This shows that the RTX 4090 is finally being stressed at 4K Ultra, though it still remains well above the playable threshold. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is significant: Low drops from 159.1 to 133.7 (a 16% reduction), Medium from 142.8 to 113.4 (a 21% reduction), High from 130.5 to 84.7 (a 35% reduction), and Ultra from 128.2 to 79.5 (a 38% reduction). The larger percentage drops at higher settings indicate that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and pixel fill rate, which are 1.01 TB/s and 443.5 GPixel/s respectively, become more critical as resolution and settings increase.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of running Thief at 60 FPS in all tested scenarios?

A: Yes. The measured FPS data shows that the lowest average frame rate across all resolution and settings combinations is 79.5 FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra. Every other configuration exceeds 60 FPS, with 1920x1080 Low reaching 184.7 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset to use at 3840x2160 to stay above 60 FPS?

A: The verdict data indicates that all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable at 4K. The best settings, meaning the most demanding preset that remains at or above 60 FPS, is Ultra with an average of 79.5 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in aggregate performance?

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F has an average benchmark score of 32279, which is within 0.5% of its nearest rivals. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U scores 32233 (0.1% lower), the Intel Core i9-11900 scores 32226 (0.2% lower), the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS scores 32354 (0.2% higher), and the Intel Core i7-12800H scores 32121 (0.5% lower).

Q: What is the performance gap between the RTX 4090 and its closest rivals?

A: The RTX 4090 has an average benchmark score of 60347. The Intel Arc Pro A60 is 0% different at 60326, the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 is 0.3% lower at 60140, the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M is 2.5% higher at 61896, and the AMD Radeon PRO V710 is 2.9% lower at 58657.

Q: How does the frame rate scale from 1080p to 4K for this combo?

A: At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 148.9 at 1920x1080 to 128.2 at 2560x1440, then to 79.5 at 3840x2160. This represents a 46.6% reduction from the lowest to highest resolution tested. At Low settings, the drop is from 184.7 to 133.7, a 27.6% reduction, showing that higher settings amplify the resolution scaling effect.

Q: What rank does this combo hold among all tested combinations for Thief?

A: The combo is ranked 324 out of 3720 tested combinations, placing it in the top 8.7% of all configurations. This rank is based on measured FPS data specific to Thief, not aggregate hardware benchmarks.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results indicate that the GPU becomes the dominant factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s role is more significant at lower resolutions where the frame rate is less constrained by pixel throughput. At 1920x1080, the frame rates range from 148.9 FPS at Ultra to 184.7 FPS at Low, a difference of 35.8 FPS. This relatively large spread suggests that the GPU is still doing meaningful work even at 1080p, but the high absolute values indicate that the i5-14400F is capable of feeding the RTX 4090 without bottlenecking. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21645 and single-core score of 3055 provide ample headroom for a game from 2014, which likely uses fewer than 8 threads.

As resolution increases to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop moderately, with the spread between Low and Ultra shrinking to 30.9 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is starting to become more of a limiting factor, but the CPU still has enough single-threaded performance to keep up. At 3840x2160, the picture changes more dramatically. The spread between Low and Ultra expands to 54.2 FPS, and the percentage drop from 1440p to 4K is much larger at High and Ultra (35% and 38% respectively) compared to Low (16%). This is a clear signal that the GPU’s 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth are being taxed at 4K, especially with the Ultra preset’s likely use of higher-resolution textures and more complex shading.

The data shows that the CPU’s impact diminishes as resolution rises. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 35.8 FPS, which could be partly attributed to CPU-driven physics or draw calls. At 4K, the same comparison yields a 54.2 FPS gap, but the absolute frame rates are lower, meaning the GPU is doing more of the heavy lifting. The RTX 4090’s 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 1,290.2 GTexel/s texture rate are the primary drivers of the high frame rates at 4K, while the CPU’s 10 cores and 16 threads ensure that the game logic never becomes a bottleneck. For a title like Thief, which is not known for extreme CPU demands, the i5-14400F is more than sufficient, and the GPU is the component that determines whether the Ultra preset is playable at each resolution.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each tested resolution, the best settings are defined as the most demanding preset that still maintains an average frame rate at or above the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 148.9 FPS, which is more than double the threshold, so Ultra is the recommended setting. The data shows that even at this high frame rate, there is no risk of dropping below 60 FPS, as the average is so far above the line. At 2560x1440, Ultra also achieves the best settings designation with an average of 128.2 FPS, again far exceeding the 60 FPS threshold. The gap between Ultra and High at this resolution is only 2.3 FPS, so choosing Ultra over High costs almost nothing in performance while providing the maximum visual fidelity.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more nuanced. The Ultra preset produces an average of 79.5 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold by a margin of 19.5 FPS. This means that even at 4K, the most demanding preset is playable. However, the margin is thinner than at lower resolutions, and the data shows that High settings drop to 84.7 FPS, which is only 5.2 FPS higher than Ultra. Given that the average FPS at Ultra is 79.5, there is a possibility of occasional dips below 60 FPS in heavy scenes, though the measured average suggests that the experience would remain smooth overall. The verdict data confirms that all four presets are playable at 4K, so users can choose Ultra without concern, but those who prioritize a larger frame rate buffer might select High for a modest 5.2 FPS increase. For all resolutions, the recommendation is to use Ultra, as it provides the highest visual quality while staying comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold.

The Verdict

The benchmark data answers the question definitively: yes, the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 can run Thief, and they can run it exceptionally well at every tested resolution and preset. The verdict by resolution shows that at 3840x2160, all four settings—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable, with Ultra achieving 79.5 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra is also the best setting, delivering 128.2 FPS, and at 1920x1080, Ultra reaches 148.9 FPS. In every case, the average frame rate is above the 60 FPS playable threshold, and in most cases it is more than double that threshold.

The combo’s rank of 324 out of 3720 tested combinations places it in the top 8.7% of all configurations for Thief, which is strong but not the absolute top. This is likely because the game’s 2014 engine benefits more from high single-threaded CPU performance than from the RTX 4090’s massive parallel compute capabilities. The CPU’s single-core score of 3055 in Cinebench R23 is solid, but some processors may score higher and thus achieve marginally better frame rates in this specific title. Nevertheless, the measured FPS data shows that this combo never drops below 79.5 FPS, making it more than capable of delivering a smooth, high-fidelity experience at 4K Ultra. For gamers who want maximum visual quality without compromising frame rate, this hardware combination is unequivocally recommended for Thief.