Thief

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is a high-end desktop combination that handles Thief with substantial headroom. Benchmark data shows this PC delivers playable frame rates across all tested resolutions, with the only compromise appearing at 4K when pushing the highest preset. At 1440p and 1080p, the combo exceeds 60 FPS on every setting, making it a strong choice for smooth stealth gameplay.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the data identifies the most demanding preset that still maintains an average of at least 60 FPS.

• 3840x2160 (4K): The best playable setting is Medium, which delivers an average of 80.3 FPS. High settings average 59.4 FPS, just below the 60 FPS playable threshold, while Ultra drops to 58.3 FPS. Low settings run at 103.2 FPS but sacrifice visual quality unnecessarily when Medium provides a comfortable margin.
• 2560x1440 (1440p): The best playable setting is Ultra, achieving an average of 97.9 FPS. This is the highest preset available, and it clears the 60 FPS target by a wide margin. High settings average 104 FPS, Medium 134.1 FPS, and Low 176.1 FPS, but Ultra is the optimal choice for maximum visual fidelity without frame rate concerns.
• 1920x1080 (1080p): The best playable setting is also Ultra, with an average of 142.6 FPS. Every preset—Low at 211.5 FPS, Medium at 186.9 FPS, and High at 148.5 FPS—far exceeds the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra provides the best image quality while leaving significant performance headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors.

The pattern is clear: the RTX 4070 has enough power for Ultra settings at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K you must step down to Medium to stay comfortably above 60 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

Among all tested CPU-GPU combinations in Thief, this pair ranks 549th out of 3720 combos. That places it in the top 14.8% of all systems tested, indicating a well-above-average configuration for this title. The rank reflects the combined capability of the i5-14600K and RTX 4070, which together produce frame rates that most other systems cannot match.

The GPU alone sits in the 81st percentile of all GPUs based on its average benchmark score, while the CPU is in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. This suggests the processor is slightly stronger relative to its peers than the graphics card, but both are firmly in the upper tier. The combo’s overall rank of 549 is consistent with a high-end pairing that excels in CPU-light or GPU-bound scenarios like Thief.

Compared to its nearest GPU rivals, the RTX 4070’s average score of 37648 is within 0.1% of the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (37628), 0.4% above the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (37507), and 1.3% below the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (38135). These are marginal differences, meaning the 4070 delivers performance on par with those alternatives in synthetic benchmarks, though real-world Thief results depend on the full system.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates show a consistent scaling pattern across resolutions and presets. All figures are average FPS, as minimum and maximum values are not provided in the dataset.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 103.2 FPS
• Medium: 80.3 FPS
• High: 59.4 FPS
• Ultra: 58.3 FPS

At 4K, the step from Low to Medium costs 22.9 FPS (a 22% drop), while moving from Medium to High costs 20.9 FPS (a 26% drop). High to Ultra is a smaller 1.1 FPS penalty, indicating that the High and Ultra presets are nearly identical in cost on this hardware.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 176.1 FPS
• Medium: 134.1 FPS
• High: 104 FPS
• Ultra: 97.9 FPS

The 1440p results show a steeper drop from Low to Medium (42 FPS, or 24%) than from Medium to High (30.1 FPS, or 22%). High to Ultra costs only 6.1 FPS (6%), suggesting diminishing returns on the highest preset.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 211.5 FPS
• Medium: 186.9 FPS
• High: 148.5 FPS
• Ultra: 142.6 FPS

At 1080p, the Low-to-Medium gap is 24.6 FPS (12%), Medium-to-High is 38.4 FPS (21%), and High-to-Ultra is 5.9 FPS (4%). The system is clearly CPU-limited at lower resolutions, as even Low settings exceed 200 FPS.

Comparing resolutions at the same preset, Ultra at 1440p (97.9 FPS) is nearly identical to High at 4K (59.4 FPS is much lower, but 1440p Ultra is 65% faster). The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Ultra is a 31% reduction (142.6 to 97.9), while 1440p to 4K at Ultra is a 40% reduction (97.9 to 58.3).

FAQ

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

A: No. Ultra settings at 3840x2160 average 58.3 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The best 4K setting is Medium at 80.3 FPS.

Q: What is the highest preset that stays above 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: Ultra settings at 2560x1440 average 97.9 FPS, so you can run the game at maximum quality with a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How much performance drops when going from 1080p to 1440p at Ultra?

A: At Ultra settings, the average FPS goes from 142.6 at 1920x1080 to 97.9 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 44.7 FPS or approximately 31%.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 strong enough for high refresh rates at 1080p?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080, even the Ultra preset averages 142.6 FPS, which exceeds 120 FPS and approaches 144 Hz. Lower presets go well above 200 FPS.

*Q: Which component is more important for Thief at 4K?*

A: The data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K. The CPU’s single-thread performance is high, but the RTX 4070’s raw throughput determines whether High or Ultra can hit 60 FPS. The CPU still matters, as its 90th-percentile ranking ensures no bottleneck.

Q: How does this combo compare to other systems in the database?

A: It ranks 549th out of 3720 tested combos, placing it in the top ~15% of all configurations. This is a strong result for a mainstream high-end pairing.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the Intel Core i5-14600K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 shifts with resolution. At 1080p, the frame rates are extremely high—Low settings reach 211.5 FPS—which indicates the CPU is doing the heavy lifting. The i5-14600K’s 14 cores and 20 threads, combined with a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, provide ample single-thread performance to feed the GPU. The small performance gap between High (148.5 FPS) and Ultra (142.6 FPS) at 1080p suggests the GPU is not the primary constraint at this resolution.

As resolution increases to 1440p, the GPU begins to take over. The drop from 1080p Ultra (142.6 FPS) to 1440p Ultra (97.9 FPS) is a 31% reduction, which is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario where pixel count drives performance. The CPU still has headroom, as evidenced by the High-to-Ultra gap of only 6.1 FPS at 1440p.

At 4K, the RTX 4070 is clearly the limiting factor. The gap between Medium (80.3 FPS) and High (59.4 FPS) is 20.9 FPS, a 26% penalty, while High to Ultra costs just 1.1 FPS. This nonlinear scaling shows that the GPU’s memory bandwidth (504.2 GB/s) and shading power (29.15 TFLOPS) are maxed out at this resolution. The CPU’s role diminishes further, as even the most demanding preset cannot push beyond 58.3 FPS at Ultra.

Benchmark results indicate that the i5-14600K is never a bottleneck in Thief, as its 90th-percentile ranking among CPUs ensures it can keep up with the GPU at every resolution. The RTX 4070, while in the 81st percentile of GPUs, determines the playable settings at 4K—and it is the reason Medium is the top playable preset there.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Thief, and it does so with excellent performance at most settings. According to the verdict data, the playable thresholds (at least 60 FPS average) are as follows:

• 3840x2160: Playable on Low (103.2 FPS) and Medium (80.3 FPS). High (59.4 FPS) and Ultra (58.3 FPS) fall just short of 60 FPS. The best playable setting is Medium at 80.3 FPS.
• 2560x1440: Playable on all four presets—Low (176.1 FPS), Medium (134.1 FPS), High (104 FPS), and Ultra (97.9 FPS). The best setting is Ultra at 97.9 FPS.
• 1920x1080: Playable on all four presets—Low (211.5 FPS), Medium (186.9 FPS), High (148.5 FPS), and Ultra (142.6 FPS). The best setting is Ultra at 142.6 FPS.

The verdict is straightforward: if you own a 1080p or 1440p monitor, run Thief at Ultra and enjoy frame rates well above 60 FPS. At 4K, you must lower the preset to Medium for a smooth experience, but the game remains very playable. This combo ranks in the top 15% of all tested systems, so it is a capable and well-balanced pairing for this title. For 4K enthusiasts, the data suggests a stronger GPU would be needed to max out every setting, but the RTX 4070 delivers a solid experience with minor visual compromises.