Thief

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 delivers a strong showing in Thief, a 2014 stealth title, with measured frame rates that scale predictably across resolutions and presets. At 1080p and 1440p, the combination maintains comfortably playable performance at every settings level, while 4K requires a slight reduction from the maximum preset to stay above the 60 FPS threshold. The data indicates a system that is well-balanced for this game, with the GPU becoming the primary constraint only at the highest resolution and settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combination covers three resolutions and four quality presets, providing a clear picture of performance scaling. At 1920x1080, the system is never challenged. The Low preset yields an average of 192.3 FPS, which is the highest figure recorded across all tests. Moving to Medium reduces the average to 176 FPS, a drop of 16.3 FPS. The High preset produces 140.4 FPS on average, while the Ultra preset still maintains a robust 132.3 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 60 FPS, indicating that even the most demanding settings leave substantial headroom.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but shows a more pronounced impact from settings changes. The Low preset averages 164.4 FPS, a 27.9 FPS reduction compared to the same preset at 1080p. Medium follows at 127.7 FPS, while High drops to 96.7 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p records an average of 91.2 FPS, which is still well above the playable threshold. The scaling from Low to Ultra at this resolution is a 73.2 FPS difference, showing that higher settings exact a larger toll than at 1080p.

The 3840x2160 results reveal the first signs of strain. The Low preset averages 98.9 FPS, which is a significant 65.5 FPS drop from the 1080p Low figure. Medium averages 77 FPS, and High drops to 58.2 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K falls to 51.5 FPS, which is the only measured configuration that dips below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 47.4 FPS, a narrower range than at lower resolutions, suggesting that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor at this pixel count.

Notably, the data for min and max FPS is not provided in the measurements, so the analysis relies solely on average frame rates. The progression across resolutions is consistent: each step from 1080p to 1440p to 4K reduces performance, with the most dramatic single-step drop occurring between 1440p and 4K at the Low preset, where the average falls by 65.5 FPS.

CPU and GPU Roles

The relative roles of the CPU and GPU in this pairing become apparent when examining how frame rates scale with resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the system produces very high frame rates across all presets, with the Low preset hitting 192.3 FPS. Such high output suggests that neither component is saturated; the workload is light enough that both the Intel Core i7-12700KF and the RTX 3080 have ample capacity. The 60 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p indicates that the GPU is doing more work as settings increase, but the CPU is not a bottleneck at these frame rates.

As resolution increases to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop across the board, but the pattern is telling. The Low preset falls from 192.3 to 164.4 FPS, a 14.5% reduction, while the Ultra preset falls from 132.3 to 91.2 FPS, a 31.1% reduction. The larger percentage drop at Ultra settings points to the GPU becoming more heavily loaded, as higher settings and higher resolution both increase the pixel and shading workload. The CPU, with its high single-thread performance as evidenced by a 3dmark_single_thread score of 1043, still keeps pace.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's role becomes dominant. The Low preset at 4K averages 98.9 FPS, which is still high, but the Ultra preset plummets to 51.5 FPS. This 47.4 FPS gap between Low and Ultra at 4K, compared to a 60 FPS gap at 1080p, shows that the GPU is running out of headroom at the highest settings. The CPU, however, continues to deliver the necessary data, as even the 4K Low result of 98.9 FPS demonstrates that the processor is not the limiting factor. The scaling between resolutions at the same preset reinforces this: from 1080p to 4K at Low, the drop is 93.4 FPS, which is primarily attributable to the GPU rendering four times as many pixels.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the recommended setting is the most demanding preset that maintains an average at or above 60 FPS, based on the measured data.

At 1920x1080, all four presets clear the 60 FPS threshold easily. The Ultra preset delivers an average of 132.3 FPS, making it the best choice for visual quality without any performance concerns. There is ample margin, as even the most demanding settings are more than double the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset also qualifies, with an average of 91.2 FPS. This is comfortably above 60 FPS, and the visual fidelity gains from Ultra settings are worthwhile. The High preset at 96.7 FPS and Medium at 127.7 FPS also remain viable, but Ultra offers the highest quality while still maintaining a 31.2 FPS buffer over the threshold.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes. The Ultra preset averages 51.5 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold, and the High preset at 58.2 FPS also misses the mark. The Medium preset, however, averages 77 FPS, which clears the threshold by a solid margin. The Low preset at 98.9 FPS also qualifies, but Medium is the best settings choice for 4K, as it provides a superior visual experience while still delivering an average of 77 FPS. This is the only resolution where the maximum preset is not recommended.

The Verdict

The data indicates that this PC can run Thief effectively across most configurations, but the verdict varies by resolution. At 1920x1080, the system is fully playable at all presets, including Ultra, with an average of 132.3 FPS. At 2560x1440, the same holds true: all presets, including Ultra, clear the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra averaging 91.2 FPS. At 3840x2160, the system is playable at Low and Medium presets, with Medium being the best settings choice at 77 FPS. The High and Ultra presets at 4K, with averages of 58.2 FPS and 51.5 FPS respectively, do not meet the 60 FPS playable threshold.

The CPU and GPU combination demonstrates strong performance for this game. The RTX 3080, with its 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth, handles the game's demands well at lower resolutions. The Core i7-12700KF, with 12 cores and 20 threads, provides ample processing power, as evidenced by its high multi-threaded scores, including a cinebench_r23_multicore score of 28838. For a game released in 2014, this modern hardware proves more than sufficient at 1080p and 1440p, and only at 4K with the highest settings does it require a preset reduction.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for both components provides context for how other hardware might behave in this system. For the Intel Core i7-12700KF, the closest alternatives are the Intel Core i7-13700T, with an average score of 35403 and a delta of -0.1%, and the Intel Core i5-13600T, with an average score of 35305 and a delta of 0.2%. These processors would yield nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Thief, meaning the frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, where the CPU is less stressed, would be virtually unchanged. The Intel Core i7-12700K, with an average score of 35287 and a delta of 0.2%, is also effectively equivalent, so users with that chip would see the same results.

On the GPU side, the nearest rivals to the RTX 3080 are the NVIDIA P106-100, the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16, the AMD Radeon RX 6600M, and the AMD Radeon R9 M290X. Their average scores range from 23249 to 23276, with deltas of -0.3% to -0.4% compared to the RTX 3080's average benchmark score of 23172. These GPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Thief. However, the measured FPS data is specific to the RTX 3080, so the exact figures would not apply to these alternatives, but the relative performance would be very close, indicating that they would also struggle at 4K Ultra (51.5 FPS) and succeed at 1440p Ultra (91.2 FPS).

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 ranks 852 out of 3720 tested combos in Thief. This places it in the top 23% of all tested configurations, which is a strong showing given the large number of possible hardware combinations. The ranking reflects the system's ability to maintain high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, as well as its capability to handle 4K with reduced settings. The RTX 3080's percentile of 68 among all GPUs and the CPU's percentile of 85 among all CPUs both contribute to this solid overall position. In practical terms, this means the system outperforms the majority of tested combos in this game, particularly at lower resolutions where the CPU's strong single-thread performance and the GPU's ample bandwidth shine.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest settings preset that maintains 60 FPS at 4K for this system?

A: The Medium preset is the best choice at 3840x2160, delivering an average of 77 FPS. The High preset averages 58.2 FPS and the Ultra preset averages 51.5 FPS, both below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Can this PC run Thief at 1440p with Ultra settings?

A: Yes, the Ultra preset at 2560x1440 averages 91.2 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to limit performance at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the frame rates are high across all presets, from 192.3 FPS at Low to 132.3 FPS at Ultra. This suggests neither component is a bottleneck, as the workload is light enough for both to operate without constraint.

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with the High preset?

A: The High preset at 1920x1080 produces an average of 140.4 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 compare to its nearest rival, the NVIDIA P106-100, in terms of benchmark score?

A: The RTX 3080 has an average benchmark score of 23172, while the NVIDIA P106-100 has an average score of 23249, a delta of -0.3%. This indicates nearly identical performance.

Q: What is the lowest measured average FPS for this system?

A: The lowest measured average is 51.5 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset.