Thief

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a highly unusual performance profile in Thief. The data shows a system that is decisively constrained by its graphics component, with playable performance only appearing at the lowest tested resolutions and presets. The recorded benchmarks across the three resolutions and four quality settings paint a clear picture of a combo that struggles to keep pace with modern gaming demands.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for this combination reveal a steep performance cliff as resolution and graphical fidelity increase. At 3840x2160, the highest resolution tested, the system fails to deliver anything close to a smooth experience. With High settings, the average frame rate is just 20 FPS. Dropping to Medium settings yields a slightly higher 26 FPS average, with a recorded minimum of 22 FPS and a maximum of 30 FPS. Low settings improve the average to 35 FPS, but this is still far below the 60 FPS threshold for playability. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, producing an average of only 19 FPS. None of these 4K configurations approach a playable level.

At 2560x1440, the situation improves but remains firmly in unplayable territory for the more demanding presets. High settings produce an average of 34 FPS. Medium settings bring the average up to 45 FPS, with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS. Ultra settings are essentially tied with the High preset at 33 FPS average. The only configuration that comes close to the target is Low, which achieves an average of 59 FPS, just one frame shy of the 60 FPS playability threshold. This makes the 1440p Low preset the single most promising result at this resolution, but it still technically falls below the benchmark's playable standard.

The 1920x1080 results finally show configurations that cross the playability line. At High settings, the average is 50 FPS, which is an improvement but still short of 60 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 48 FPS, a similar result. However, Low settings deliver a robust 86 FPS average, far exceeding the requirement. Medium settings also clear the hurdle, averaging 66 FPS with a recorded minimum of 56 FPS and a maximum of 75 FPS. This makes Medium the highest-quality preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS at 1080p, even though its minimum dips slightly below that mark.

The overall pattern in the data is consistent: this combo is heavily limited by the GPU. The jump from 1080p Medium at 66 FPS to 1440p Low at 59 FPS represents a significant drop in both visual quality and frame rate, while the progression from 1440p Low to 4K Low falls from 59 FPS to 35 FPS. The performance scaling suggests that the Arc B390, with its low GPU benchmark percentile, simply cannot handle the rendering load at higher resolutions.

FAQ

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

A: No. The recorded data shows that at 3840x2160, the highest average frame rate achieved is 35 FPS on Low settings, with High, Medium, and Ultra averaging 20, 26, and 19 FPS respectively. All of these results are far below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this PC?

A: According to the verdict data, the only playable settings are at 1920x1080 with Low or Medium presets. The best playable configuration is 1080p Medium, which delivers an average of 66 FPS.

Q: How does the Arc B390 perform relative to other GPUs in the database?

A: The Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which scores 1463, and the GeForce 800M, which scores 1460. The differences are small, meaning the B390 is in the same performance tier as these older entry-level parts.

Q: Is the 1440p Low preset a viable option for this game?

A: The measurements show 2560x1440 Low averaging 59 FPS, which is just under the 60 FPS playable threshold. The verdict data lists no playable settings for 1440p, so despite being close, it does not qualify as a playable configuration.

Q: What is the frame rate consistency like at the playable settings?

A: At 1080p Medium, the recorded minimum is 56 FPS and the maximum is 75 FPS, with an average of 66 FPS. This shows a relatively wide variance, with the minimum dipping below the average and the maximum exceeding it by a significant margin.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest competitors?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600K has an average benchmark score of 48618, placing it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. It is closely matched with the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, which scores 48698, a 0.2% difference, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245, which scores 48995, a 0.8% difference. The CPU is clearly not the limiting factor in this gaming combo.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14600K and Intel Arc B390 is ranked 3307 out of 3720 tested combos in the database for this game. This places it in the bottom portion of all configurations, approximately in the 11th percentile of tested systems. This low ranking is directly attributable to the GPU's performance ceiling, as the CPU itself is a high-end part.

In more concrete terms, the CPU is a top-10% processor by average benchmark score, while the GPU sits in the bottom 9% of all graphics cards. The stark contrast between these two components explains the overall ranking: the system is bottlenecked by the Arc B390 in nearly every scenario. The CPU's performance is effectively wasted in this pairing, as the GPU cannot translate its processing power into high frame rates at demanding settings.

The rank of 3307 out of 3720 indicates that the vast majority of other combinations in the database, even those with less capable CPUs, outperform this setup in Thief. This is a clear case where the graphics solution is the dominant factor in determining the gaming experience, and the results show that the Arc B390 is not suited for this title beyond modest settings.

The Verdict

Based on the recorded measurements, this PC cannot run Thief at a consistently playable level at 4K or 1440p. The verdict data lists no playable settings for either 3840x2160 or 2560x1440, as every preset at these resolutions fails to reach the 60 FPS average threshold. At 4K, even Low settings only manage 35 FPS, and at 1440p, the best result is 59 FPS on Low, which is still below the target.

The system does clear the 60 FPS bar at 1920x1080, but only with the Low and Medium presets. The verdict confirms that 1080p Medium is the best playable setting, with an average of 66 FPS. This means the user must significantly reduce both resolution and graphical quality to achieve a smooth experience. The High and Ultra presets at 1080p, averaging 50 FPS and 48 FPS respectively, are not viable options under the 60 FPS standard.

In summary, this combo is only suitable for playing Thief at 1080p with reduced settings. Anyone seeking to play at higher resolutions or with maximum visual fidelity would need a more powerful graphics card, as the CPU has ample headroom.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the Intel Core i5-14600K and the Intel Arc B390 in this game is extremely one-sided. The CPU is a high-performance part with 14 cores and 20 threads, and its benchmark scores place it in the 90th percentile. The GPU, on the other hand, is in the 9th percentile, which strongly indicates that it is the limiting factor at every resolution.

The scaling of frame rates across resolutions confirms this. When moving from 1080p Medium (66 FPS) to 1440p Medium (45 FPS), the frame rate drops by 21 FPS, a 32% reduction. Moving from 1440p Medium to 4K Medium (26 FPS) results in a further 19 FPS drop, a 42% reduction. This pattern of steep declines with increasing pixel count is typical of a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would remain relatively flat as resolution changes, since the CPU work would be similar. The data shows the opposite: performance collapses as the GPU is asked to render more pixels.

The CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic, and its high single-thread and multi-thread scores suggest it can do so easily. The GPU's 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 24 ROPs are simply insufficient for the demands of Thief at higher resolutions. The difference between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution also points to the GPU being the constraint. At 1080p, the jump from Low (86 FPS) to Ultra (48 FPS) is a 38 FPS penalty, a direct result of increased pixel shading and texture work that falls on the GPU. The CPU is effectively idle in comparison.

At 4K, the GPU is so overwhelmed that even the Low preset (35 FPS) cannot reach a playable level. This reinforces the conclusion that the Arc B390 is the sole determinant of playability, and the i5-14600K's considerable power is largely untapped in this title.

Best Settings per Resolution

For users targeting 60 FPS, the data offers a very limited set of viable options. At 3840x2160, no preset is playable. The closest result is Low with an average of 35 FPS, but this is far below the threshold, so there is no recommended setting for 4K.

At 2560x1440, the situation is nearly identical. The Low preset achieves 59 FPS, which is the highest average at this resolution, but it still misses the 60 FPS mark. The verdict data confirms that no settings are playable at 1440p, so there is no recommended configuration here either.

The only resolution with a playable recommendation is 1920x1080. The database identifies Medium as the best setting, with an average of 66 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS. While the Low preset offers a higher average of 86 FPS, Medium provides a better visual experience while still clearing the playability bar. The Medium preset's minimum of 56 FPS does dip below 60, but the average is sufficient for a playable classification. Users should avoid High and Ultra at 1080p, as both fall short of the target. The final recommended configuration is 1080p Medium, the only preset in the entire test matrix that combines an above-60 FPS average with a reasonable level of graphical fidelity.