Thief

The Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination is a pairing of a mid-range 2018 CPU with a high-end 2020 GPU. The recorded data for Thief shows that this system is heavily capable at mainstream resolutions, though the CPU's age does create a bottleneck at 4K Ultra settings. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data, compares the components to their nearest rivals, and provides a clear verdict on what this system can achieve in Thief.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU in this system each have specific performance profiles that place them near other well-known hardware. In the database, the Intel Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254, which places it in the 47th percentile of all CPUs. This score is remarkably close to several other processors. The nearest rival is the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, which scores 2259, a difference of only 0.2 percent. The Intel Core i3-10305 is similarly close, scoring 2264, which is 0.4 percent higher than the i5-9400. On the other side, the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, which is 0.4 percent lower, and the Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, which is 0.3 percent lower. What this means for Thief is that any of these CPUs would deliver nearly identical frame pacing and physics processing, so the game would feel the same on the i5-9400 as it would on those rivals. The i5-9400 has 6 cores and 6 threads, but the benchmark data shows that its performance class is essentially interchangeable with these other chips.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 holds an average benchmark score of 17208, placing it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, which scores 17083, a margin of 0.7 percent in favor of the RTX 3070. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 scores 17037, which is 1 percent lower, and the AMD Radeon HD 7970M scores 17019, which is 1.1 percent lower. Interestingly, the NVIDIA Tesla K40c scores higher at 17468, putting it 1.5 percent above the RTX 3070. For Thief, the RTX 3070's nearest rivals would produce very similar frame rates, meaning if a user swapped in an RX 7600 XT, they would barely notice a difference in the game's performance. The RTX 3070 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, but the benchmark scores show that at this performance tier, the competition is dense, with several cards all within a 1.5 percent spread.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data for Thief reveals a clear pattern in how the CPU and GPU share the workload across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system achieves an average of 120 FPS on Low settings, 108.6 FPS on Medium, 95.1 FPS on High, and 93.3 FPS on Ultra. The difference between Low and Ultra is 26.7 FPS, which shows that the GPU has plenty of headroom at this resolution. The CPU is likely the limiting factor here, as the frame rates plateau around the 93 to 120 FPS range regardless of how much graphical load is added. This suggests that the i5-9400's 6 cores are being fully utilized, and the RTX 3070 cannot push much beyond 120 FPS because the CPU is feeding it frames as fast as it can.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS dips slightly: 107.1 on Low, 96.2 on Medium, 84.4 on High, and 81.2 on Ultra. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows that the GPU is now taking on more responsibility, as the frame rate drops by roughly 13 to 15 percent across most settings. The RTX 3070 is still well ahead of the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that the GPU is doing the heavy lifting, but the CPU is no longer the sole bottleneck. At 4K, 3840x2160, the CPU's role diminishes further. The average FPS is 83.3 on Low, 64.5 on Medium, 47.5 on High, and 46.3 on Ultra. Here, the GPU is clearly the dominant component, as the frame rate scales almost entirely with the graphics settings. The CPU has more than enough processing power to handle the game's logic at these resolutions, and the RTX 3070's limits are exposed at High and Ultra presets.

The data shows that at 1080p, a faster CPU would likely increase the frame rates, while at 4K, the GPU alone determines performance. At 1440p, both components are balanced, with the system offering a good mix of CPU and GPU utilization. The verdict data confirms this, listing 4K High as not playable while 1440p Ultra and 1080p Ultra both clear 60 FPS comfortably.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded measurements for Thief provide a complete picture of this system's performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset produces an average of 120 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this combination. Medium settings drop to 108.6 FPS, High settings to 95.1 FPS, and Ultra to 93.3 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 26.7 FPS, but even the lowest of these numbers is well above the playable threshold of 60 FPS. Every setting at 1080p is fully playable, with Ultra still maintaining a comfortable 55 percent margin above the threshold.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 107.1 FPS, Medium averages 96.2 FPS, High averages 84.4 FPS, and Ultra averages 81.2 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 25.9 FPS, similar to the 1080p scaling. All settings at this resolution exceed 60 FPS, with Ultra at 81.2 FPS representing a 35 percent margin. The system is clearly GPU-bound at this resolution, but the RTX 3070 has enough headroom to handle the extra pixel count without dropping below playable levels.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes significantly. The Low preset averages 83.3 FPS, which is still very playable. Medium settings average 64.5 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. High settings drop to 47.5 FPS, and Ultra to 46.3 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 37 FPS, showing a much steeper performance curve at 4K. Only Low and Medium are playable at this resolution, and even Medium is within 7.5 percent of the 60 FPS threshold, meaning any heavy scene could cause dips below playable levels. The data shows clear limits for this combo at 4K.

The Verdict

The recorded data shows that this system can run Thief, but the playable settings vary by resolution. At 1920x1080, all four presets clear 60 FPS, with the best setting being Ultra at an average of 93.3 FPS. This is a fully playable experience with no compromises needed. At 2560x1440, all four presets also clear 60 FPS, with Ultra being the best setting at 81.2 FPS. This resolution offers a strong balance of visual quality and performance.

At 3840x2160, the system can only maintain 60 FPS on Low and Medium presets. The best setting is Medium, which averages 64.5 FPS. High and Ultra presets fall below the playable threshold, with 47.5 and 46.3 FPS respectively. For a 4K display, users would need to stick with Medium settings to avoid frame drops. The verdict data explicitly lists 4K High and Ultra as not playable, which is consistent with the measured numbers. Overall, this combo is a strong performer for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but it is not a 4K Ultra-capable system for Thief.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is ranked 2177 out of 3720 total tested combinations for Thief. This places the system in the top 58.5 percent of all tested combos, meaning it performs better than a majority of systems in the database. The rank is likely held back by the CPU, which sits in the 47th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 61st percentile. The pairing of a mid-tier CPU with a high-tier GPU creates a system that is competent but not exceptional in the overall ranking.

Given that the GPU is significantly more powerful than the CPU, the rank could be improved by pairing the RTX 3070 with a stronger processor. However, for the target resolutions of 1080p and 1440p, the system's rank is more than adequate. The data shows that the combo clears 60 FPS on all settings at both resolutions, which is the primary metric for playability. The rank of 2177 out of 3720 indicates that there are many faster systems, but also a substantial number of slower ones, placing this combo in a solidly middle-to-upper tier.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Thief at 60 FPS on 1920x1080 Ultra settings?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 1080p Ultra is 93.3, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold. All presets at 1080p, including Low, Medium, High, and Ultra, clear 60 FPS.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 3840x2160?

A: Medium is the best playable setting at 4K, with an average FPS of 64.5. Low settings also work at 83.3 FPS, but High and Ultra fall below the threshold with 47.5 and 46.3 FPS respectively.

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

A: The i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, scores 2259, which is 0.2 percent higher. The difference is negligible for gaming performance.

Q: Is the RTX 3070 or the i5-9400 the limiting factor at 2560x1440?

A: At 1440p, the GPU is the primary factor, but the CPU still matters. The frame rates range from 81.2 FPS on Ultra to 107.1 FPS on Low, indicating that the GPU is scaling with settings while the CPU keeps up without bottlenecking.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested systems for Thief?

A: The combo is ranked 2177 out of 3720 tested combinations, placing it in the top 58.5 percent of all systems in the database.

Q: Which GPU rival is closest in performance to the RTX 3070?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is the closest rival, with an average score of 17083 compared to the RTX 3070's 17208. The RTX 3070 is 0.7 percent faster, which is a marginal difference.