Thief

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 delivers overwhelming performance in Thief, a 2014 stealth title. Across all tested resolutions, this combination not only meets but vastly exceeds the 60 FPS playability threshold, making it a prime example of modern high-end hardware easily overpowering an older game engine. The data indicates that even at the most demanding settings and at 4K resolution, the system maintains a significant frame rate cushion, allowing players to prioritize visual fidelity without compromise.

Best Settings per Resolution

The benchmark data reveals that this CPU-GPU combo can run Thief at its absolute maximum visual quality at every resolution, with all four available presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—remaining playable.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, achieving an average of 82.9 FPS. This is a substantial margin above the playability threshold, indicating that the system has ample headroom even at 4K with every setting maxed out. The jump from High to Ultra costs only 4.4 FPS (from 87.3 to 82.9), which is a minor penalty for the visual upgrade.

Moving down to 2560x1440 (1440p), the best settings are again Ultra, delivering an average of 126.7 FPS. This represents a 52.8% performance increase over the 4K Ultra result, showing how resolution scaling dramatically reduces GPU load. At this resolution, the frame rate is so high that it would fully utilize a 120Hz or even 144Hz display.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the system reaches its peak performance with Ultra settings at an average of 148.7 FPS. This is nearly 2.5 times the playability threshold, making the experience exceptionally fluid. Interestingly, the frame rate at 1080p Ultra is only 22 FPS higher than at 1440p Ultra, suggesting that the game becomes increasingly CPU-bound at lower resolutions.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals a clear division of labor between the Intel Core i5-14400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090. As resolution decreases, the GPU has less work per frame, and the CPU's role becomes more prominent.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The difference between Low and Ultra settings is 55.3 FPS (from 138.2 down to 82.9), indicating that pixel throughput and shading complexity dominate performance. The RTX 5090's massive compute resources are fully engaged, and the CPU has enough headroom to feed it without becoming a limiting factor.

At 2560x1440, the balance shifts. The gap between Low (160.6 FPS) and Ultra (126.7 FPS) narrows to 33.9 FPS, suggesting that the GPU still matters but the CPU's ability to issue draw calls becomes more relevant. The i5-14400F's 10 cores and 16 threads are sufficient to keep frame rates high, but the scaling pattern shows diminishing returns from GPU optimization as resolution drops.

At 1920x1080, the CPU's influence becomes most apparent. The spread between Low (184.6 FPS) and Ultra (148.7 FPS) is only 35.9 FPS, and the absolute frame rates are remarkably close to the 1440p results. The i5-14400F's single-thread performance, reflected in its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3055, becomes the limiting factor. The GPU is so powerful that it can render frames faster than the CPU can prepare them, capping performance around the 150-185 FPS range regardless of settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset provides a detailed picture of performance across all combinations of resolution and settings.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: Average 138.2 FPS
• Medium: Average 116.3 FPS
• High: Average 87.3 FPS
• Ultra: Average 82.9 FPS

The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline, with the steepest drop occurring between Medium and High (29 FPS). This suggests that the High preset introduces significant graphical effects that heavily tax the GPU.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: Average 160.6 FPS
• Medium: Average 143.9 FPS
• High: Average 129.6 FPS
• Ultra: Average 126.7 FPS

At 1440p, the performance envelope is tighter. The difference between High and Ultra is just 2.9 FPS, meaning players can enable Ultra without sacrificing meaningful frame rate. The Low preset remains the fastest option, but even Ultra exceeds 120 FPS.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: Average 184.6 FPS
• Medium: Average 166.6 FPS
• High: Average 147 FPS
• Ultra: Average 148.7 FPS

Notably, the High preset at 1080p (147 FPS) is slightly slower than Ultra (148.7 FPS), a statistical anomaly that suggests measurement variance or that certain Ultra settings optimize rendering paths. Regardless, all presets deliver well over 140 FPS, making 1080p the resolution where the CPU's limits are most visible.

Similar Performance Alternatives

According to the benchmark database, the Intel Core i5-14400F has several rivals with nearly identical average benchmark scores. These alternatives would produce similar CPU-bound behavior in Thief.

The closest match is the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, with an average score of 32233 versus the i5-14400F's 32279, a negligible 0.1% difference. This mobile chip would likely deliver comparable frame rates, though its power characteristics differ. The Intel Core i9-11900 scores 32226 (0.2% slower), representing an older but still capable desktop alternative. The AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS is slightly faster with a score of 32354 (-0.2% delta, meaning it is 0.2% ahead), while the Intel Core i7-12800H trails at 32121 (0.5% behind).

For the GPU, the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB is the nearest rival with an average score of 79605 versus the RTX 5090's 79842, a 0.3% difference. The Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 79396 (0.6% behind), and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT trails at 78940 (1.1% behind). Interestingly, the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X is actually 1.4% faster with a score of 80959. These alternatives would produce nearly identical GPU-bound performance in Thief, though the Tesla cards lack consumer-oriented display outputs.

How This Combo Ranks

In the context of all tested combinations for Thief, this pairing ranks 300th out of 3720 total combinations. This places it in the top 8.1% of all systems tested, a strong showing that confirms its high-end status.

The rank of 300 might seem modest given the hardware's flagship nature, but it reflects the fact that Thief is an older title where many mid-range GPUs can achieve high frame rates. The RTX 5090's raw power, while dominating in modern games, is partially wasted on this engine's limitations. The CPU's 83rd percentile ranking among all processors and the GPU's 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs indicate that this combo sits near the top of the hardware hierarchy, but the game's age means that even lower-tier components can perform well.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Thief at 4K with all settings maxed out?*

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the system achieves an average of 82.9 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: What is the highest frame rate this combo can achieve?

A: The maximum measured average is 184.6 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Is there a significant performance difference between 1440p and 1080p?

A: The difference is modest. At Ultra settings, 1440p yields 126.7 FPS while 1080p yields 148.7 FPS, a 22 FPS gap. This indicates the CPU becomes a limiting factor at lower resolutions.

Q: Which component is more important for this game?

A: At 4K, the GPU dominates performance, with a 55.3 FPS spread between Low and Ultra. At 1080p, the CPU becomes more relevant, as the spread narrows to 35.9 FPS and absolute frame rates plateau.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 compare to its nearest rival in this game?

A: The RTX 5090's average benchmark score of 79842 is just 0.3% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB's 79605, suggesting nearly identical performance in GPU-bound scenarios.

Q: Is the 60 FPS threshold easily met at all resolutions?

A: Yes. Even the most demanding preset (Ultra at 4K) delivers 82.9 FPS, which is 38.2% above the 60 FPS threshold. All other configurations exceed it by even larger margins.