Thief

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for this Intel Core i5-9400 and Intel Arc B570 combination in Thief shows a clear scaling pattern across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers its strongest performance, with the Low preset averaging 119 FPS, Medium averaging 101 FPS with a minimum of 86 FPS and a maximum of 116 FPS, High averaging 77 FPS, and Ultra averaging 73 FPS. Every 1080p preset clears the 60 FPS playability threshold, and the Ultra preset maintains a 73 FPS average, which is 21.7% above the playable threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops predictably. The Low preset averages 91 FPS, Medium averages 69 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 79 FPS, High averages 53 FPS, and Ultra averages 50 FPS. The Medium preset sits just above the 60 FPS threshold at 69 FPS, while High and Ultra fall below it. The minimum of 59 FPS on Medium indicates occasional dips just under the target, but the average remains playable.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to maintain playable framerates across all presets. Low averages 54 FPS, Medium averages 41 FPS with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 47 FPS, High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS. No preset reaches the 60 FPS threshold at 4K resolution. The gap between Low and Medium at 4K is 13 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 10 FPS, showing a steep performance cost for each settings increase at this resolution.

The scaling between resolutions shows a consistent pattern. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops by approximately 23.5% at Low, 31.7% at Medium, 31.2% at High, and 31.5% at Ultra. From 1440p to 4K, the drops are more severe: 40.7% at Low, 40.6% at Medium, 41.5% at High, and 42% at Ultra. This indicates that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution increases, with the framerate penalty growing at each step.

FAQ

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 1920x1080 with maximum settings?

A: Yes. The Ultra preset at 1920x1080 averages 73 FPS, which is 21.7% above the 60 FPS playability threshold. All four presets at this resolution (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) exceed the threshold, with the lowest average being 73 FPS on Ultra.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 2560x1440?

A: The Medium preset is the best playable option at 1440p, averaging 69 FPS. The Low preset also clears the threshold at 91 FPS, but Medium provides higher visual quality while remaining above 60 FPS on average. The minimum FPS on Medium is 59, so brief dips below the target are possible.

Q: Is 4K resolution playable with this hardware?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest average framerate is 54 FPS on the Low preset, which is 10% below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 41 FPS, High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS. No preset at 4K reaches the playable threshold.

Q: How large is the performance gap between Low and Ultra at each resolution?

A: At 1080p, the gap between Low (119 FPS) and Ultra (73 FPS) is 46 FPS, a 38.7% reduction. At 1440p, the gap is 41 FPS (91 FPS to 50 FPS), a 45.1% reduction. At 4K, the gap is 25 FPS (54 FPS to 29 FPS), a 46.3% reduction. The percentage penalty for enabling Ultra grows slightly as resolution increases.

Q: Does the Medium preset at 1440p provide a stable experience?

A: The data shows an average of 69 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 79 FPS. The minimum is 1 FPS below the 60 FPS threshold, so the experience is mostly smooth with occasional minor dips. The 20 FPS spread between minimum and maximum indicates moderate variance.

Q: What is the highest preset that stays above 60 FPS at 1080p?

A: The Ultra preset averages 73 FPS and is the most demanding preset that clears the threshold. High averages 77 FPS, Medium averages 101 FPS, and Low averages 119 FPS. All are above 60 FPS, so users can choose based on visual preference versus headroom.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-9400 with Intel Arc B570 combination ranks 3055 out of 3720 tested combos in the database for Thief. This places the system in the lower 18th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning roughly 82% of tested combos deliver higher performance in this game. The rank reflects the system's inability to maintain 60 FPS at 4K resolution and its limited playability at 1440p, where only two of four presets clear the threshold.

The ranking is influenced by both components. The CPU sits at the 47th percentile among all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 2254. The GPU performs better, sitting at the 65th percentile among all tested GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556. The combination of a mid-range CPU and a mid-to-upper-range GPU results in a system that is capable at lower resolutions but falls short at higher ones.

The measured FPS data aligns with this ranking. At 1080p, the system performs well, with all presets exceeding 60 FPS. At 1440p, only Low and Medium clear the threshold. At 4K, no preset reaches playable levels. This progression explains why the combo ranks in the bottom 18%: while it handles 1080p comfortably, the game's demands at higher resolutions push the system beyond its limits, and many other combos in the database achieve better 4K results.

The rank also reflects the game's release date and rendering requirements. Thief is a 2014 title, and the database includes many newer, more powerful configurations. Against those, this combo's performance is modest, particularly at higher resolutions where the GPU's 10 GB memory and 160-bit bus limit its ability to sustain high framerates.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database provide context for its performance. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 is 0.2% slower than the i5-9400, with an average score of 2259 versus 2254. The Intel Core i7-10710U is 0.3% faster, with a score of 2248. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 is 0.4% faster, scoring 2246. The Intel Core i3-10305 is 0.4% slower, scoring 2264. These deltas are negligible in real-world gaming, so any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical FPS results in Thief when paired with the Arc B570.

The GPU's nearest rivals show a similar pattern. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile is 0.1% faster than the Arc B570, with an average score of 20534 versus 20556. The Intel Arc A750 is 0.1% slower, scoring 20582. The NVIDIA Quadro M4000M is 0.4% faster, scoring 20480. The AMD Radeon R9 M390X is 0.5% slower, scoring 20662. These differences are within measurement noise, meaning any of these GPUs would deliver essentially the same framerates in Thief.

For users looking at alternative configurations, pairing the i5-9400 with the Arc A750 would yield nearly identical performance, since the A750 is only 0.1% slower in average benchmark score. Similarly, pairing the RTX 3070 Mobile with the i5-9400 would produce results within 0.1% of the measured data. The CPU alternatives listed above, such as the i7-10710U or Ryzen 5 PRO 1500, would not meaningfully change the outcome in Thief, as the game is more dependent on GPU throughput at higher resolutions.

The data suggests that if the user were to swap either component for a close rival, the measured FPS values would shift by less than 1% in most cases. The system's overall behavior in Thief, including its inability to reach 60 FPS at 4K and its solid 1080p performance, would remain unchanged.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured data reveals how the CPU and GPU each contribute to performance in Thief across resolutions. At 1080p, the system achieves high framerates on all presets, with the Low preset hitting 119 FPS and Ultra hitting 73 FPS. The CPU's six cores and six threads, with a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, are sufficient to feed the GPU at this resolution. The 47th percentile CPU ranking indicates it is not a bottleneck at 1080p, as the GPU can deliver 119 FPS on Low without being held back.

As resolution increases to 1440p, the GPU becomes more dominant. The framerate drops by roughly 30% across all presets compared to 1080p, which is consistent with the GPU handling more pixels. The CPU's workload does not scale significantly with resolution, so the i5-9400 continues to provide adequate instructions. The fact that Medium still reaches 69 FPS at 1440p indicates the CPU is not limiting the system at this resolution either.

At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The framerate drops to 54 FPS on Low and 29 FPS on Ultra, a pattern that shows the Arc B570 cannot sustain high pixel throughput at this resolution. The CPU, which is unchanged across all resolutions, cannot compensate for the GPU's bandwidth limitations. The 10 GB of GDDR6 memory and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for 4K rendering in this game, given the measured results.

Comparing presets at a fixed resolution shows the GPU's sensitivity to settings. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 46 FPS. At 4K, the same comparison yields a 25 FPS difference. This narrowing gap at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is already saturated, so reducing settings has less impact. The CPU's role remains constant, as it is not affected by resolution changes.

The data indicates that the CPU matters more at lower resolutions, where higher framerates require faster instruction processing. At 1080p Low, the system hits 119 FPS, which approaches the limit of what a 6-core, 6-thread processor can sustain. At 4K, the GPU is the bottleneck, and the CPU's performance is largely irrelevant to the final framerate. Users upgrading this system for better 4K performance should focus on the GPU, while users seeking maximum 1080p framerates might benefit from a stronger CPU.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i5-9400 with Intel Arc B570 can run Thief, but the playable experience depends heavily on resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, all four presets clear the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset averages 73 FPS, High averages 77 FPS, Medium averages 101 FPS, and Low averages 119 FPS. This resolution is fully playable with headroom for any settings combination.

At 2560x1440, the system is partially playable. The Low preset averages 91 FPS and the Medium preset averages 69 FPS, both above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset averages 53 FPS and the Ultra preset averages 50 FPS, both below the threshold. Users at 1440p should select Medium or Low for a smooth experience, with Medium being the highest quality option that maintains playability.

At 3840x2160, the system is not playable at any preset. The highest average framerate is 54 FPS on Low, which is 10% below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 41 FPS, High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS. The database's verdictByResolution confirms that no playable settings exist at 4K for this combination.

The overall verdict is that this system is suitable for 1080p gaming in Thief with maximum settings, and for 1440p gaming with medium settings. It is not suitable for 4K gaming in this title. Users with a 1080p or 1440p display will have a satisfactory experience, while those with a 4K display will need to lower resolution or consider a more powerful GPU.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which averages 73 FPS. This provides the highest visual quality while maintaining a 21.7% margin above the playability threshold. The recorded data shows a minimum FPS of 86 on Medium, and while the Ultra minimum is not recorded, the average of 73 FPS suggests manageable dips.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, which averages 69 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 79 FPS. The minimum falls 1 FPS below the threshold, but the average is 15% above it. Low is also playable at 91 FPS, but Medium offers higher visual quality while remaining playable on average.

At 3840x2160, no preset stays at or above 60 FPS. The closest is Low at 54 FPS, which is 10% below the threshold. The database lists no best settings for 4K, as every preset fails to meet the playability standard. Users at this resolution should run the game at 1440p or lower for a playable experience.

The recommended settings are Ultra at 1080p for maximum visual fidelity, Medium at 1440p for a balanced experience, and no playable setting at 4K. These recommendations align with the measured FPS data and the playability threshold of 60 FPS defined in the database.