Thief

The Intel Core i7-14700F and Intel Arc B370 combination presents a heavily GPU-bound scenario in Thief, a 2014 stealth title. The recorded data shows that the discrete-class CPU is far more capable than the integrated-class graphics solution, and the measurable performance ceiling is dictated almost entirely by the Arc B370 across all tested settings. The benchmark results indicate that only the lowest preset at 1080p reaches the 60 FPS playability threshold, while higher resolutions and more demanding presets fall short of a smooth experience.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no settings preset achieves the 60 FPS threshold. The most demanding preset that comes closest to playability is Low, which records an average of 31 FPS. Medium averages 24 FPS, High averages 18 FPS, and Ultra averages 17 FPS. None of these are viable for a 60 FPS target, so the database recommends no settings for 4K play.

At 2560x1440, the situation improves slightly, but the threshold is still not met. Low is the only preset that approaches a usable frame rate, with an average of 53 FPS. Medium averages 41 FPS, High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS. The verdict for 1440p is also no playable settings, as every preset remains below 60 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset is the only configuration that clears the 60 FPS bar, delivering an average of 78 FPS. Medium comes very close at 59 FPS, but it does not satisfy the playable threshold. High averages 45 FPS, and Ultra averages 43 FPS. The best settings for 1080p are therefore Low, with a recorded average of 78 FPS.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions and presets makes it clear that the Intel Arc B370 is the limiting component. The CPU, a 20-core, 28-thread Raptor Lake part with a 5.40 GHz boost clock, is not the bottleneck in any scenario. The GPU, an integrated Panther Lake solution with 1280 shading units and a 25 W TDP, caps the frame rate regardless of the processor's headroom.

The data shows a steep decline in average FPS as resolution increases. At Low settings, the average drops from 78 FPS at 1920x1080 to 53 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 25 FPS, and then further to 31 FPS at 3840x2160. This pattern is consistent with a GPU that is overwhelmed by pixel count. The same trend appears at Medium settings: 59 FPS at 1080p, 41 FPS at 1440p, and 24 FPS at 4K. The Arc B370's system-shared memory and system-dependent bandwidth mean that higher resolutions increase the memory pressure, further reducing throughput.

The CPU's role is negligible in this pairing. The i7-14700F ranks in the 91st percentile against all CPUs, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35122 and a single-core score of 4958. In contrast, the Arc B370 ranks in the 5th percentile against all GPUs, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184. The delta between the two components is enormous. When the preset shifts from Low to Ultra at the same resolution, the FPS change is driven by GPU shading load, not CPU work. At 1080p, Ultra averages 43 FPS versus 78 FPS at Low, a 35 FPS gap that the CPU cannot influence because it is not the constraint.

The role of the CPU becomes even less relevant at higher resolutions. At 4K, the gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 14 FPS (31 to 17), which indicates that the GPU is saturated even at Low settings. The processor is effectively idle in comparison, waiting on the graphics solution to deliver frames. In this configuration, the i7-14700F is a high-end desktop part paired with an integrated mobile-class GPU, and the recorded data confirms that the GPU governs every measurable outcome.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Thief at 1080p with the Low preset?

A: Yes. The measured data shows an average of 78 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings, which clears the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: Does the Medium preset at 1080p reach 60 FPS?

A: No. Medium at 1920x1080 averages 59 FPS, with a minimum of 50 FPS and a maximum of 68 FPS, so it falls just short of the 60 FPS target.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700F or the Intel Arc B370 the limiting factor?

A: The Arc B370 is the limiting factor. It ranks in the 5th percentile among GPUs with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184, while the CPU ranks in the 91st percentile among CPUs. The FPS scaling across resolutions and presets is consistent with a GPU bottleneck.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 2560x1440?

A: There is no playable setting at 2560x1440. The Low preset averages 53 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, and all other presets are lower.

Q: How does the Arc B370 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B370 has an average benchmark score of 1184. It is 0.2% behind the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186), 0.5% behind the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190), 0.7% behind the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192), and 1.4% ahead of the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168).

Q: Does the CPU's benchmark performance help in Thief?

A: No, the recorded FPS data shows no evidence of CPU influence. The i7-14700F has strong synthetic scores, such as 35122 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 19620 in Geekbench multi-core, but the GPU saturates before the CPU can matter.

The Verdict

The data indicates that this PC can run Thief, but only under a narrow set of conditions. The verdict by resolution is clear: at 3840x2160, there are no playable settings, as the highest average FPS is 31 at Low. At 2560x1440, there are also no playable settings, with Low averaging 53 FPS. At 1920x1080, the Low preset is playable with an average of 78 FPS, and it is the only setting that clears the 60 FPS threshold. Medium at 1080p misses the mark by a single FPS, averaging 59, while High and Ultra average 45 and 43 FPS respectively. The Arc B370's 5th percentile GPU ranking and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 explain this ceiling. The i7-14700F is not the issue; it is a 91st percentile CPU that has ample headroom. The bottleneck is entirely the integrated graphics solution, which limits the user to 1080p Low for a smooth experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table lists every recorded measurement for this combination in Thief.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 31 FPS with no minimum or maximum recorded. Medium averages 24 FPS, with a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 27. High averages 18 FPS with no range data. Ultra averages 17 FPS with no range data.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 53 FPS with no range data. Medium averages 41 FPS, with a minimum of 35 and a maximum of 47. High averages 31 FPS with no range data. Ultra averages 29 FPS with no range data.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 78 FPS with no range data. Medium averages 59 FPS, with a minimum of 50 and a maximum of 68. High averages 45 FPS with no range data. Ultra averages 43 FPS with no range data.

The only preset where the minimum and maximum values were captured is Medium across all three resolutions. At 4K Medium, the frame rate fluctuates between 20 and 27, a narrow 7 FPS range. At 1440p Medium, the range is 35 to 47, a 12 FPS spread. At 1080p Medium, the range is 50 to 68, an 18 FPS spread. This pattern suggests that the GPU's frame pacing becomes more consistent as resolution drops, but the average FPS still remains below the threshold at 4K and 1440p.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database's tested combinations for Thief, this pairing of the Intel Core i7-14700F and the Intel Arc B370 ranks 3433 out of 3720 tested combos. That places it in the bottom 8% of all configurations, which aligns with the GPU's low performance percentile. The Arc B370's nearest GPU rivals in the database are all older or lower-end parts, including the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, the ATI Radeon HD 5770, the AMD Radeon HD 7650M, and the AMD FirePro M2000. The Arc B370 is 0.2% behind the HD 5570, 0.5% behind the HD 5770, 0.7% behind the HD 7650M, and 1.4% ahead of the FirePro M2000. These are all sub-1200 score GPUs, and the Arc B370's 1184 score is competitive with them, but none of these parts are designed for demanding gaming at high settings.

The CPU, by contrast, ranks near the top of the database. The i7-14700F is 0.2% behind the Intel Xeon 6505P, 0.3% ahead of the Intel Xeon Phi 7290, 0.6% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, and 0.8% ahead of the AMD EPYC 7313P. Its average benchmark score of 53620 places it in the 91st percentile, a stark contrast to the GPU's 5th percentile. The combination rank of 3433 out of 3720 reflects this mismatch: a high-end processor paired with a low-end graphics solution produces a result that is dominated by the weakest link. The measured FPS data confirms that the GPU is the sole constraint, and the overall ranking is a direct consequence of that imbalance.