Thief

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for the Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 in Thief shows a clear performance curve across resolutions and presets. All figures represent average frame rates, as min and max values were not captured in this dataset.

At 1920x1080, the combination delivers its strongest results. Low settings produce an average of 118.9 FPS, while Medium raises the visual load slightly and still holds 105.9 FPS. High settings drop to 95.5 FPS, and Ultra, the most demanding preset, remains comfortably playable at 96.2 FPS. Interestingly, Ultra scores higher than High at this resolution, which suggests the preset scaling is not perfectly linear or that the workload shifts in a way that favors the GPU's architecture.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain robust. Low settings average 103.8 FPS, Medium follows at 97.8 FPS, and High comes in at 79 FPS. Ultra again outperforms High, landing at 73.7 FPS. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is noticeable but not severe: the Low preset loses about 15 FPS when moving from 1080p to 1440p, while Ultra loses roughly 23 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes considerably. Low settings still produce a playable 79.9 FPS, and Medium dips to 61.4 FPS, just above the 60 FPS threshold. High drops to 46.3 FPS, and Ultra falls further to 43.8 FPS. The 4K results show a steep scaling penalty, with High and Ultra both failing to maintain 60 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database's tested combinations, this CPU and GPU pairing ranks 2225 out of 3720 combos for Thief. That places it in the upper-middle portion of all tested configurations, roughly the 60th percentile of the tested pool. The rank reflects the balance between the i5-9400's mid-range compute performance and the RTX 5060's strong rasterization capabilities.

The GPU sits at the 72nd percentile among all tested graphics cards, while the CPU sits at the 47th percentile among all tested processors. This disparity is important: the system is clearly GPU-leaning in overall capability, but the CPU's lower percentile means it can become a limiting factor in scenarios that demand heavy processor work. In Thief, which is not an exceptionally CPU-intensive title by modern standards, the GPU carries most of the load, but the rank shows the combo is not near the top of the charts.

The gap between the CPU and GPU percentiles also explains why the 4K results are weaker relative to lower resolutions. At 4K, the GPU is pushed harder, and while the RTX 5060 is capable, the i5-9400's older architecture and six-thread configuration cannot fully compensate when the GPU is stressed.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals in the database, the Intel Core i5-9400 is closely matched by several other processors. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259 in the average benchmark, a mere 0.2% difference. The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, 0.3% behind. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, 0.4% behind. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, 0.4% ahead. These four CPUs all fall within a narrow band around the i5-9400's average score of 2254, meaning any of them would produce nearly identical frame rates in Thief when paired with the same GPU.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 has an average benchmark score of 26331. The AMD Radeon 860M scores 26401, 0.3% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce MX550 scores 26421, also 0.3% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary scores 26553, 0.8% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT scores 26011, 1.2% lower. These deltas are all within a couple of percentage points, so a system using any of these GPUs with a similar CPU would produce almost indistinguishable performance in Thief.

For a user considering an upgrade or a sidegrade, the data suggests that swapping the i5-9400 for an i3-10305 would yield a negligible improvement, while moving to an i7-1068NG7 would be essentially a lateral move. Similarly, the RTX 5060's nearest GPU rivals would not meaningfully change the gaming experience in this title.

The Verdict

The data answers the core question directly: yes, this PC can run Thief, and it can do so at 60 FPS in most configurations. At 1920x1080, all four presets clear the 60 FPS threshold. The best setting at this resolution is Ultra, which averages 96.2 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets also clear 60 FPS, with Ultra again the best choice at 73.7 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more limited. The playable settings are Low and Medium, with Medium being the best playable option at 61.4 FPS. High and Ultra fall short of the 60 FPS target, averaging 46.3 FPS and 43.8 FPS respectively.

In short, the combo is fully capable at 1080p and 1440p with maximum settings, and at 4K it can manage medium settings with a slim margin above 60 FPS. Users who prioritize 4K with high or ultra settings would need a more powerful GPU, as the current configuration cannot sustain the required frame rate in those scenarios.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals how the balance of responsibility shifts across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the CPU's influence is more apparent. The i5-9400, with its six cores and six threads, has enough compute throughput to feed the RTX 5060 in most scenes, but the frame rate differences between presets are modest. Low to Ultra spans only about 23 FPS at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is not fully saturated at the lower presets and the CPU is doing relatively more work.

At 2560x1440, the GPU begins to take on a larger share of the workload. The spread between Low and Ultra grows to about 30 FPS, and the absolute numbers drop across the board. This is consistent with the GPU becoming the primary bottleneck as pixel count increases. The CPU's role diminishes, though it still has enough headroom to avoid severe stuttering or frame hitches.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the dominant factor. The drop from Low to Medium is about 18 FPS, and from Medium to High another 15 FPS. The Ultra preset barely differs from High, suggesting that at 4K the GPU is saturated and additional graphical features have diminishing returns. The CPU's performance becomes secondary, as the GPU is no longer able to render frames fast enough to be limited by processor throughput.

The scaling between resolutions further clarifies the split. Moving from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 15 to 23 FPS depending on the preset. Moving from 1440p to 4K costs much more: about 24 FPS on Low, 36 FPS on Medium, 33 FPS on High, and 30 FPS on Ultra. The larger penalties at 4K confirm that the GPU is the limiting factor at that resolution, while the CPU's contribution is largely fixed regardless of resolution.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 96.2 FPS. This is the optimal choice for visual quality at this resolution, as it provides the highest fidelity while still maintaining a substantial margin above the playability threshold.

At 2560x1440, Ultra is also the best choice, averaging 73.7 FPS. This leaves roughly 14 FPS of headroom above the 60 FPS target, which is comfortable for most gameplay scenarios. High, Medium, and Low are all playable as well, but Ultra offers the best balance of image quality and performance.

At 3840x2160, the best playable setting is Medium, averaging 61.4 FPS. This is just 1.4 FPS above the threshold, so users who want a safety margin might consider Low, which averages 79.9 FPS. However, for those willing to accept a slim buffer, Medium provides noticeably better visuals while still technically clearing 60 FPS.

FAQ

Q: Can the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 run Thief at 1080p?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080, all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) exceed 60 FPS, with Ultra averaging 96.2 FPS.

Q: What is the best setting for 1440p in Thief with this combo?

A: Ultra is the best setting at 2560x1440, averaging 73.7 FPS. All other presets also clear 60 FPS at this resolution.

Q: Is 4K playable with this hardware?

A: Yes, but only with Low or Medium settings. Medium averages 61.4 FPS, while High and Ultra fall below the 60 FPS threshold at 46.3 FPS and 43.8 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the RTX 5060 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 5060 scores 26331 on average. The AMD Radeon 860M is 0.3% higher, the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 is 0.3% higher, the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary is 0.8% higher, and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is 1.2% lower.

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

A: The i5-9400 scores 2254 on average. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 is 0.2% higher, the Intel Core i7-10710U is 0.3% lower, the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 is 0.4% lower, and the Intel Core i3-10305 is 0.4% higher.

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

A: The GPU is the dominant factor at 3840x2160. The frame rate drops sharply between Medium and High presets, and the CPU's performance becomes secondary once the GPU is saturated at this resolution.