Thief

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 delivers exceptional performance in Thief, a 2014 stealth title. Measured benchmark data shows this combination provides a triple-digit average frame rate at every tested resolution and preset, with the most demanding ultra preset at 4K still maintaining an average of 75.9 FPS. This indicates a system that has substantial headroom for the game’s engine, which is nonetheless dependent on the resolution and graphics settings chosen.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo covers three resolutions and four settings presets, with all values representing average frame rates. At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the average FPS ranges from 155.5 at Ultra settings to 197.1 at Low settings. The intermediate presets show High at 160.0 FPS and Medium at 174.6 FPS. The spread between the lowest and highest averages is 41.6 FPS, indicating that even at the most demanding setting, the system retains a very high level of performance.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates remain consistently above 125 FPS across all presets. The Low setting yields an average of 174.0 FPS, which drops to 157.4 FPS at Medium and 135.5 FPS at High. The Ultra preset at this resolution produces an average of 129.0 FPS. The performance degradation from 1080p to 1440p is relatively uniform across presets, with the average FPS at each setting roughly 10-15% lower at the higher resolution, though the exact deltas vary slightly per preset.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS shows a more pronounced scaling impact. The Low preset averages 136.8 FPS, while Medium drops to 106.9 FPS. High yields an average of 82.4 FPS, and Ultra is the most demanding setting tested, producing an average of 75.9 FPS. The performance gap between the 1440p and 4K results is significant; for example, the Ultra preset loses 53.1 FPS on average when moving from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160. Similarly, the High preset drops from 135.5 FPS to 82.4 FPS, a reduction of 53.1 FPS. The data shows that the GPU workload scales heavily with resolution, as expected for a game that relies heavily on pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth.

It is important to note that the FACT PACK provides no minimum or maximum FPS data for any of the tested configurations. All reported figures are averages, so the analysis cannot speak to frame pacing, stutter, or 1% low performance. Based on the average FPS alone, the system never dips below the 60 FPS playability threshold at any setting or resolution in the dataset.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the best settings are defined as the most demanding preset that still maintains an average frame rate at or above 60 FPS. At 1920x1080, all four presets are playable, but the Ultra preset is the best choice, yielding an average of 155.5 FPS. This is well above the playable threshold, indicating that the system has ample performance to run the game at maximum quality without any concerns.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset again qualifies as the best settings, with an average of 129.0 FPS. This is a substantial margin above the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that the user could even consider additional enhancements like higher resolution scaling or increased shadow quality, though those options are not present in the measured data. The performance at this resolution is high enough that the game remains fluid even during demanding scenes.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset also remains playable, with an average of 75.9 FPS. This is the most demanding configuration tested, and while it clears the 60 FPS threshold by 15.9 FPS, it is the closest the system comes to the limit. The High preset at this resolution averages 82.4 FPS, which offers a slightly higher margin but is less visually demanding. The data suggests that for 4K gaming, the Ultra preset is the recommended choice, as it provides the best visual quality while still maintaining a comfortable frame rate average.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo achieves in Thief?

A: The highest average frame rate is 197.1 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low settings preset.

Q: Does this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K with the Ultra preset?

A: Yes, the average FPS at 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset is 75.9, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How much performance does the system lose when going from 1440p to 4K at High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 High settings, the average is 135.5 FPS. At 3840x2160 High settings, the average drops to 82.4 FPS, a reduction of 53.1 FPS.

Q: Which resolution shows the smallest performance difference between Low and Ultra presets?

A: At 1920x1080, the difference between Low (197.1 FPS) and Ultra (155.5 FPS) is 41.6 FPS. At 2560x1440, the difference is 45.0 FPS (174.0 vs 129.0). At 3840x2160, the difference is 60.9 FPS (136.8 vs 75.9), making 1080p the smallest gap.

Q: Is the Ultra preset playable at 1440p?

A: Yes, the Ultra preset at 2560x1440 has an average frame rate of 129.0 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Are there any minimum or maximum FPS values reported for this game?

A: No, the data only includes average FPS values. No min or max FPS figures are provided in the measurement set.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35365, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, based on average score, include the Intel Core i7-13700T with a score of 35403 (a delta of -0.1% relative to the 12700KF), and the Intel Core i5-13600T with a score of 35305 (a delta of 0.2%). The Intel Core 5 213PE scores 35428, which is -0.2% relative, and the Intel Core i7-12700K scores 35287, a delta of 0.2%. These four processors demonstrate that the 12700KF sits in a very tight performance cluster, with all rivals within roughly 0.2% of its average score. For Thief, this means that swapping the 12700KF for any of these four chips would yield nearly identical CPU-bound performance, as the differences in synthetic benchmarks are negligible.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 has an average benchmark score of 56083, placing it in the 87th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon 8060S with an average score of 55757 (a delta of 0.6% relative to the RTX 5080), and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB with a score of 55698 (a delta of 0.7%). The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828, which is 2.3% lower, and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE scores 57367, which is -2.2% higher. The RX 9070 GRE is the only rival that outperforms the RTX 5080 in average benchmark score, while the other three alternatives are 0.6% to 2.3% slower. In Thief, the RTX 5080’s performance at 4K Ultra (75.9 FPS) would be closely matched by the Radeon 8060S and RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, as their benchmark scores are within 1% of the RTX 5080. The Radeon Pro W5700X would be slightly slower, while the RX 9070 GRE could offer a small FPS improvement.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 holds a rank of 239 out of 3720 tested combos in Thief. This places it in the top 6.4% of all systems tested for this game, indicating a very strong performance tier. The rank of 239 suggests that the vast majority of alternative hardware configurations are slower, though there are 238 combos that achieve higher average frame rates. Given that the measured FPS data shows this combo never falls below 75.9 FPS at any setting, the ranking reflects a system that is optimized for high-refresh-rate gaming at 4K and extremely high frame rates at lower resolutions.

The high rank is consistent with the CPU and GPU being in the 85th and 87th percentiles of their respective categories. While the CPU’s percentile is slightly lower than the GPU’s, the combo’s overall rank of 239/3720 indicates that the pairing is well-balanced for this game. The data does not reveal which specific settings or resolutions were used to generate the rank, but the measured FPS at 4K Ultra being above 60 FPS strongly supports the conclusion that this combo is a top-tier performer. Users with this hardware can expect that very few other systems will deliver better performance in Thief.

The Verdict

Based on the measured FPS data, this PC can run Thief with excellent performance across all tested resolutions and presets. The verdict by resolution confirms that every setting at every resolution clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 75.9 FPS, which is above the threshold and provides a smooth gaming experience. The High preset at this resolution averages 82.4 FPS, offering a slightly higher margin. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 129.0 FPS, which is more than double the playable threshold, ensuring fluid gameplay even in the most demanding scenes. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 155.5 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors.

The data indicates that the system is not bottlenecked by either component at any setting. The lowest average FPS across the entire dataset is 75.9, which occurs at 4K Ultra. This means that even the most demanding configuration leaves a 15.9 FPS margin above the playable threshold. For users who prefer maximum visual fidelity, the 4K Ultra preset is the recommended choice. For those who prioritize frame rates above all else, the 1080p Low preset delivers an average of 197.1 FPS. In summary, this combo provides a definitive "yes" to the question of whether it can run Thief, with no compromises needed at any resolution.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows that the GPU is the primary performance driver in Thief, as evidenced by the significant frame rate scaling between resolutions. When moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440, the average FPS at Ultra settings drops from 155.5 to 129.0, a reduction of 26.5 FPS. When moving from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160, the Ultra average drops from 129.0 to 75.9, a reduction of 53.1 FPS. This non-linear scaling is typical of a GPU-bound workload, where the increase in pixel count places a greater demand on the rasterization and fill rate capabilities of the graphics card. The RTX 5080’s performance at 4K is still strong, but the data clearly shows that higher resolutions disproportionately impact frame rates.

The CPU’s role is less visible in the measured FPS data, as the game is likely not CPU-bound at any setting or resolution. The Intel Core i7-12700KF has a boost clock of 5.00 GHz and a high single-thread benchmark score (e.g., 4071 in Cinebench R23 single-core), which suggests it can handle the game’s logic and draw calls without becoming a bottleneck. However, the fact that the FPS scales so heavily with resolution indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K. At 1080p, the CPU’s performance becomes relatively more important, but even then, the average FPS at Ultra (155.5) is high enough that the CPU does not appear to constrain the system. The absence of any preset at any resolution falling below 60 FPS further confirms that the CPU provides sufficient headroom for the GPU to operate at its full potential.