Thief

# Can Intel Core i5-9400 + Intel Arc B580 Run Thief?

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the Intel Arc B580 delivers a playable experience across all three tested resolutions in Thief, though the margin of comfort varies sharply depending on the target display. At 1080p, the combination clears the 60 FPS threshold at every preset, including Ultra. At 1440p, the system remains fluid through Medium settings, but High and Ultra dip below the playable line. At 4K, only Low settings hold above 60 FPS, with the other presets falling into sub-60 territory. The recorded data shows a system that scales predictably with resolution increases, with the GPU becoming the dominant factor as pixel count rises. The benchmark results indicate a capable mid-range pairing for a 2014 stealth title, one that rewards users who are willing to adjust settings to match their display.

Best Settings per Resolution

3840x2160 (4K): The only preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low, which records an average of 61.5 FPS. This is a narrow margin, sitting just 1.5 FPS above the playable threshold. Medium drops to 44.1 FPS, High falls to 37.1 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 31.9 FPS. For 4K users, Low is the definitive choice if the goal is a smooth frame rate, but the gap between Low and the next tier is substantial, suggesting that the GPU is heavily taxed at this resolution.

2560x1440 (1440p): Medium is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS, delivering an average of 76.4 FPS. Low is even faster at 104.9 FPS, but Medium provides a better visual balance while retaining a comfortable margin above the threshold. High comes close at 57.7 FPS, just 2.3 FPS short of playable, and Ultra is further behind at 53.6 FPS. The data indicates that 1440p users should stick with Medium for a locked 60 FPS experience, though High is tantalizingly close.

1920x1080 (1080p): Every preset clears 60 FPS, so the best setting is Ultra, which averages 82.9 FPS. High follows at 85.5 FPS, Medium at 105.6 FPS, and Low at 118.3 FPS. This is the only resolution where the system has enough headroom to run the game at its maximum visual quality without concerns about frame pacing. The 1080p results show a system that is not bottlenecked by either component, allowing the GPU to push high frame rates across the board.

CPU and GPU Roles

The balance between the Intel Core i5-9400 and the Intel Arc B580 shifts as resolution increases. At 1080p, the CPU plays a more significant role, as the GPU is not fully saturated. The frame rate differences between presets are relatively modest: Low runs at 118.3 FPS, while Ultra is 82.9 FPS, a 35.4 FPS spread. This suggests the CPU can feed frames quickly enough that the GPU becomes the limiting factor, but not so much that the CPU bottlenecks the lower presets. The 6-core, 6-thread processor with a boost clock of 4.10 GHz provides adequate headroom for Thief’s stealth gameplay, which is not particularly demanding on multi-threaded workloads.

At 1440p, the GPU starts to assert dominance. The drop from Low (104.9 FPS) to Ultra (53.6 FPS) is 51.3 FPS, a wider gap than at 1080p. This indicates that the Arc B580 is now the primary constraint, as increasing pixel count directly impacts the GPU’s fill rate and shading throughput. The CPU’s role diminishes, as evidenced by the fact that Medium (76.4 FPS) still feels responsive, but High (57.7 FPS) and Ultra (53.6 FPS) show the GPU struggling to maintain pace. The scaling between 1080p and 1440p at the same preset is telling: for Medium, the frame rate drops from 105.6 FPS to 76.4 FPS, a 27.7% reduction, which aligns with the 78% increase in pixel count from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440.

At 4K, the GPU is the unequivocal bottleneck. The pixel count jumps another 78% from 1440p to 2160p, and the frame rates collapse accordingly. Low drops from 104.9 FPS to 61.5 FPS, a 41.4% reduction, while High falls from 57.7 FPS to 37.1 FPS, a 35.7% reduction. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 6 threads, is no longer a meaningful contributor at this resolution; the Arc B580’s 2560 shading units and 456.0 GB/s memory bandwidth are stretched to their limits. The data shows that users with 4K displays should expect the GPU to dictate the experience, with CPU choice having minimal impact on the final frame rate.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the database’s nearest rivals for the Intel Core i5-9400, the processor sits in the 47th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 2254. Its closest competitor is the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, which scores 2259, a delta of -0.2%, meaning the i5-9400 is effectively identical in performance. The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, a delta of 0.3%, while the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, a delta of 0.4%. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, a delta of -0.4%. For Thief, any of these CPUs would deliver nearly the same frame rates, as the game is not heavily threaded and the i5-9400’s 6-core, 6-thread layout is sufficient. Users upgrading from the i5-9400 to one of these alternatives would see no measurable difference in this title.

For the Intel Arc B580, the GPU sits in the 68th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23021. Its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP, which scores 23061, a delta of -0.2%. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 scores 22895, a delta of 0.6%, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 scores 23172, a delta of -0.7%. The NVIDIA P106-100 scores 23249, a delta of -1%. In Thief, these GPUs would produce similar frame rates at each resolution and preset, though the Arc B580’s 12 GB of GDDR6 memory and 192-bit bus provide a slight edge in texture-heavy scenes. The RTX 3080, despite its higher average score, would not meaningfully outperform the Arc B580 in this game, as the title’s rendering demands are modest by modern standards.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i5-9400 with the Intel Arc B580 can run Thief at playable frame rates, but the definition of "playable" depends heavily on the resolution. At 1920x1080, the system clears 60 FPS at every preset, with Ultra averaging 82.9 FPS, making it the best choice for 1080p displays. At 2560x1440, the system is playable at Low and Medium, with Medium averaging 76.4 FPS, but High (57.7 FPS) and Ultra (53.6 FPS) fall short of the 60 FPS threshold. At 3840x2160, only Low settings achieve playable performance, averaging 61.5 FPS, while Medium (44.1 FPS), High (37.1 FPS), and Ultra (31.9 FPS) are all well below the line. The verdict is clear: this is a 1080p Ultra-capable system, a 1440p Medium system, and a 4K Low system. The data indicates that users with 1440p or 4K displays should adjust their settings accordingly to maintain smooth gameplay, while 1080p users can enjoy the game at its highest quality without compromise.

Measured FPS Breakdown

3840x2160: At Low settings, the average frame rate is 61.5 FPS, narrowly above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 44.1 FPS, a significant drop that reflects the GPU’s increasing workload. High averages 37.1 FPS, and Ultra averages 31.9 FPS, the lowest recorded result in the dataset. The scaling from Low to Ultra is steep, with a 29.6 FPS difference between the two extremes.

2560x1440: Low settings provide the highest average at 104.9 FPS, offering a comfortable margin for fast-paced scenes. Medium averages 76.4 FPS, still well above the threshold. High averages 57.7 FPS, just below playable, and Ultra averages 53.6 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 51.3 FPS, showing that the GPU’s performance degrades noticeably as visual quality increases.

1920x1080: Low averages 118.3 FPS, the fastest result in the entire dataset. Medium averages 105.6 FPS, High averages 85.5 FPS, and Ultra averages 82.9 FPS. All presets stay above 60 FPS, with the gap between Low and Ultra being 35.4 FPS. The 1080p results demonstrate that the system has ample headroom for this title, even at maximum settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset for 4K gaming in Thief with this hardware?

A: The only preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at 3840x2160 is Low, which averages 61.5 FPS. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below the threshold, with averages of 44.1, 37.1, and 31.9 FPS respectively.

Q: Can this system run Thief at 1440p with High settings?

A: No. At 2560x1440, High settings average 57.7 FPS, which is 2.3 FPS below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Medium settings are the highest playable option, averaging 76.4 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-9400 compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i5-9400 scores 2254 on average, which is within 0.4% of the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (2259), Intel Core i7-10710U (2248), AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (2246), and Intel Core i3-10305 (2264). Performance differences are negligible for Thief.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B580 stronger or weaker than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080?

A: The Arc B580 scores 23021 on average, while the RTX 2080 scores 22895, a delta of 0.6%. This means the Arc B580 is slightly ahead, though the difference is minor and unlikely to affect frame rates in Thief.

Q: What is the maximum FPS recorded for this system at 1080p?

A: The highest average frame rate at 1920x1080 is 118.3 FPS, achieved at Low settings. Medium, High, and Ultra average 105.6, 85.5, and 82.9 FPS respectively.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU bottleneck at 4K in Thief?

A: At 3840x2160, the Intel Arc B580 is the limiting component. The frame rate drops from 61.5 FPS at Low to 31.9 FPS at Ultra, showing that the GPU’s 2560 shading units and 456.0 GB/s memory bandwidth are saturated, while the CPU’s 6 cores and 6 threads have ample headroom.