Thief

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the Intel Arc B370 presents a starkly imbalanced configuration for Thief. The CPU is a high-end desktop part with substantial multi-threaded capability, while the GPU is an integrated-class mobile part with a very low benchmark standing. The recorded frame rates in the database reflect this bottleneck clearly, with playable performance only appearing at the lowest settings and resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The database contains measured frame rates for this combination across three resolutions and four quality presets. The data shows a clear pattern: performance degrades sharply as resolution and settings increase, with the GPU becoming the limiting factor.

At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the combination achieves its best results. With Low settings, the average frame rate is 78 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold by a comfortable margin. Moving to Medium settings drops the average to 59 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 50 FPS and a maximum of 68 FPS. This places the average just below the playable threshold. High settings reduce the average further to 45 FPS. Ultra settings yield an average of 43 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at this resolution represents a drop of 35 FPS, or roughly 45% of the Low-setting performance.

At 2560x1440, performance falls below playable levels across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 53 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold but the closest result at this resolution. Medium settings average 41 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 47 FPS. High settings average 31 FPS, and Ultra settings average 29 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra here is 24 FPS. No preset at this resolution reaches the playable threshold.

At 3840x2160, the results are the weakest in the dataset. Low settings average 31 FPS. Medium settings average 24 FPS, with a minimum of 20 FPS and a maximum of 27 FPS. High settings average 18 FPS. Ultra settings average 17 FPS. The difference between the best and worst preset at this resolution is 14 FPS. None of these averages approach the 60 FPS threshold.

The Medium preset is the only one with complete min and max data across all three resolutions. At 1920x1080 Medium, the spread between minimum and maximum is 18 FPS. At 2560x1440 Medium, the spread is 12 FPS. At 3840x2160 Medium, the spread is 7 FPS. This narrowing range at higher resolutions suggests the frame time variance becomes more constrained as the GPU approaches its limits.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals in the database for the Intel Core i7-12700K are all close in average benchmark score. The Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35305, which is 0.1% lower than the i7-12700K. The Intel Core i7-12700KF scores 35365, 0.2% lower. The Intel Core i7-13700T scores 35403, 0.3% lower. The Intel Core 5 213PE scores 35428, 0.4% lower. These deltas are all within a fraction of a percent, meaning any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical CPU-bound behavior in Thief when paired with the same GPU.

The GPU side tells a different story. The Intel Arc B370 has an average benchmark score of 1184. Its nearest rivals are all older discrete and mobile parts. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186, which is 0.2% higher. The ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190, 0.5% higher. The AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192, 0.7% higher. The AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168, which is 1.4% lower. These four GPUs are effectively in the same performance class as the Arc B370. A system using any of these GPUs with a similarly strong CPU would be expected to produce frame rates very close to those recorded for this combination.

The CPU sits in the 84th percentile among all CPUs in the database, while the GPU sits in the 5th percentile among all GPUs. This extreme gap between component tiers is the defining characteristic of this pairing. The CPU is far more capable than the GPU, and the measured FPS reflects GPU limitations rather than CPU potential.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded data indicates that the Intel Arc B370 is the dominant constraint in this configuration. The evidence appears in the scaling between resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080 Low, the average is 78 FPS. At 2560x1440 Low, it drops to 53 FPS. At 3840x2160 Low, it falls to 31 FPS. This progression shows that raising resolution alone, while holding settings constant, reduces performance by roughly one-third at each step. That behavior is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the render load scales with pixel count.

The same pattern holds for the Medium preset. The average goes from 59 FPS at 1920x1080, to 41 FPS at 2560x1440, to 24 FPS at 3840x2160. The High preset goes from 45 FPS at 1920x1080, to 31 FPS at 2560x1440, to 18 FPS at 3840x2160. The Ultra preset goes from 43 FPS at 1920x1080, to 29 FPS at 2560x1440, to 17 FPS at 3840x2160. In every preset, the resolution scaling is steep and consistent.

Settings scaling within a fixed resolution also points to GPU limits. At 1920x1080, moving from Low to Ultra reduces the average from 78 FPS to 43 FPS, a 35 FPS loss. At 2560x1440, the same settings change reduces the average from 53 FPS to 29 FPS, a 24 FPS loss. At 3840x2160, it reduces from 31 FPS to 17 FPS, a 14 FPS loss. The absolute drop is smaller at higher resolutions because the GPU is already heavily loaded at Low settings. A CPU-bound scenario would not show this kind of consistent, resolution-sensitive degradation.

The CPU's role is therefore minimal at the resolutions and settings tested. The i7-12700K has 12 cores, 20 threads, and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with multi-threaded benchmark scores such as 19784 in Cinebench R23 and 34404 in Passmark multithread. These figures place it far above what Thief requires for this GPU. The recorded frame rates are never high enough to expose CPU limitations. Even the peak average of 78 FPS at 1920x1080 Low is modest for a processor of this class.

The conclusion from the data is that upgrading the GPU would be the only meaningful path to higher frame rates. The CPU would not need to be changed for any of the performance levels recorded here.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Thief at 1920x1080 with Medium settings?

A: No. The average frame rate at 1920x1080 Medium is 59 FPS, which is 1 FPS below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The recorded minimum is 50 FPS and the maximum is 68 FPS.

Q: What is the best performance this combination can achieve?

A: The highest average frame rate in the dataset is 78 FPS, recorded at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only preset and resolution combination that clears the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does this GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B370 has an average benchmark score of 1184. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186 (0.2% higher), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190 (0.5% higher), the AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192 (0.7% higher), and the AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168 (1.4% lower). All are within a narrow band of performance.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this configuration?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The Intel Core i7-12700K ranks in the 84th percentile among CPUs, while the Intel Arc B370 ranks in the 5th percentile among GPUs. Frame rates drop steeply with both resolution and settings increases, which is characteristic of GPU-bound performance.

Q: Are there any playable settings at 2560x1440?

A: No. The best average at 2560x1440 is 53 FPS with Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. All other presets at this resolution are lower.

Q: What frame rate range can be expected at 3840x2160 Medium?

A: The database records an average of 24 FPS at 3840x2160 Medium, with a minimum of 20 FPS and a maximum of 27 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination ranks 3433 out of 3720 tested combos in the database for Thief. That places it in the lower portion of all recorded configurations, approximately in the 8th percentile of tested combos. The rank reflects the GPU's poor showing relative to other hardware. The CPU's high individual standing does little to lift the combined result, since the measured FPS is governed by the GPU.

The ranking is consistent with the GPU's 5th percentile standing among all GPUs. Combos ranked below this one would typically feature even weaker graphics hardware or a more constrained CPU. Combos ranked above it would have either a stronger GPU or a more balanced pairing. Given the CPU's 84th percentile ranking, the low combo rank is almost entirely attributable to the Arc B370.

The practical implication is that this combo performs like a low-end GPU system despite having a high-end CPU installed. Users looking at the combo rank should interpret it as a measure of gaming capability for Thief specifically, not as a reflection of the CPU's overall processing power.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the best setting that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low, with an average of 78 FPS. Medium settings fall to 59 FPS, which is below the threshold, so Low is the only qualifying preset at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, no preset reaches 60 FPS. The closest is Low with an average of 53 FPS. Medium averages 41 FPS, High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS. There is no qualifying preset.

At 3840x2160, no preset reaches 60 FPS. Low averages 31 FPS, Medium averages 24 FPS, High averages 18 FPS, and Ultra averages 17 FPS. There is no qualifying preset.

The verdict data in the database confirms this: the only playable settings entry is 1920x1080 Low, with a best average of 78 FPS. All other resolutions list no playable settings.

The Verdict

This PC can run Thief, but only under narrow conditions. The database verdict lists 1920x1080 Low as the sole playable configuration, with an average of 78 FPS. At 1920x1080 Medium, the average drops to 59 FPS, just below the 60 FPS threshold, so it is not classified as playable despite being close.

At 2560x1440, the system cannot reach 60 FPS at any preset. The best result is 53 FPS on Low. At 3840x2160, all presets fall well short of playable, with the highest average being 31 FPS on Low.

For a game released in 2014, these results are weak. The Intel Core i7-12700K provides ample processing headroom, but the Intel Arc B370 does not have the rendering capacity to translate that into smooth gameplay at higher settings. The data shows that the GPU is the decisive factor in every recorded frame rate. Users with this combination should run Thief at 1920x1080 Low to maintain 60 FPS. Any increase in resolution or settings will result in averages below the playable threshold.