Thief

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Intel Core i7-14700F sits in a tightly contested performance band according to the database. Its average benchmark score of 53,620 places it within a fraction of a percent of several workstation and desktop processors. The closest match is the Intel Xeon 6505P, which scores 53,701, a mere 0.2% difference. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X trails by 0.6% with a score of 53,288, while the AMD EPYC 7313P is 0.8% behind at 53,206. The Intel Xeon Phi 7290 rounds out the group, scoring 53,469, putting it 0.3% ahead of the Core i7-14700F. In practical terms, any of these processors would deliver nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Thief, though the Core i7-14700F's 20 cores and 28 threads give it a strong multithreading profile for background tasks while gaming.

The Intel Arc B390 is a different story entirely. This integrated graphics solution, built on the Xe3-LPG architecture with a 3 nm process, scores a meager 1,482 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. Its nearest rivals are all legacy NVIDIA parts: the GeForce GT 520MX scores 1,463 (1.3% behind), the GeForce 800M scores 1,460 (1.5% behind), the GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1,446 (2.5% behind), and the GeForce GT 710 scores 1,443 (2.7% behind). The Arc B390's 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs makes clear that this is an entry-level graphics solution, not a gaming part. With 1,536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operation pipelines, it has the architectural building blocks of a modern GPU, but the system-shared memory and integrated design cap its real-world throughput severely.

For users considering this combo for Thief, the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution. The Arc B390, however, will be the determining factor for playability. The database shows that at 1080p, this pairing achieves playable framerates only on Low and Medium presets. At 1440p and 4K, no preset reaches the 60 FPS threshold. The GPU's nearest rivals being decade-old discrete parts underscores its position: this is a solution for light workloads and older or less demanding titles, not for modern stealth action at high resolutions.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data for Thief reveals a pronounced GPU bottleneck across all tested resolutions. The Arc B390's performance degrades sharply as resolution increases, while the Core i7-14700F's substantial compute headroom goes largely unused in this title.

At 1920x1080, the scaling from Low to Ultra tells a clear story. Low settings produce 86 FPS average, Medium drops to 66 FPS, High falls to 50 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 48 FPS. The 38 FPS gap between Low and Ultra represents a 44% performance loss, which is entirely attributable to the GPU's limited fill rate and shading capacity. The CPU, with its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 35,122 and single-core score of 4,958, has ample horsepower to feed the GPU at 1080p; the frame rate ceiling is set by the Arc B390, not the processor.

Moving to 2560x1440, the GPU pressure intensifies. Low settings yield 59 FPS, just under the playability threshold. Medium drops to 45 FPS, High to 34 FPS, and Ultra to 33 FPS. The drop from 1080p Low (86 FPS) to 1440p Low (59 FPS) is a 31% reduction, consistent with the increased pixel count requiring more vertex and fragment work. The CPU's role at this resolution remains secondary; even the most demanding preset at 1440p would not strain a processor that scores in the 91st percentile among all CPUs.

At 3840x2160, the Arc B390 is overwhelmed. Low settings manage 35 FPS, Medium 26 FPS, High 20 FPS, and Ultra 19 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to just 16 FPS, indicating that even the lowest preset is pushing the GPU to its absolute limits. At 4K, the GPU is saturated regardless of settings, and the CPU's contribution is negligible. The verdict data confirms this: no preset at 4K achieves playable framerates, and the best settings field is null for both 4K and 1440p.

The preset scaling data shows that Thief is more sensitive to resolution than to quality settings on this hardware. From Medium at 1080p (66 FPS) to Medium at 1440p (45 FPS) is a 32% drop, while from Medium at 1440p to Medium at 4K (26 FPS) is a 42% drop. The GPU's memory bandwidth, labeled "System Dependent," becomes a critical constraint at higher resolutions, as the shared memory architecture competes with the CPU for bandwidth.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Thief at 1080p with playable framerates?

A: Yes, at 1920x1080, the combination of Intel Core i7-14700F and Intel Arc B390 achieves playable framerates on Low and Medium settings. Low averages 86 FPS, and Medium averages 66 FPS, both above the 60 FPS playability threshold. High (50 FPS) and Ultra (48 FPS) fall short of 60 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset at 1080p for this system?

A: The database identifies Medium as the best playable preset at 1920x1080, with an average of 66 FPS. This preset also recorded minimum and maximum framerates of 56 and 75 FPS, respectively, indicating consistent performance within the playable range.

Q: Is 1440p playable with this CPU and GPU combination?

A: No. At 2560x1440, the highest average framerate recorded is 59 FPS on Low settings, which falls just below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium (45 FPS), High (34 FPS), and Ultra (33 FPS) are all well below playable levels. The verdict data lists no playable settings for 1440p.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1,482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1,463), 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M (1,460), 2.5% higher than the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1,446), and 2.7% higher than the GeForce GT 710 (1,443). These are all legacy entry-level parts, and the Arc B390's 9th percentile GPU ranking reflects its limited gaming capability.

Q: What is the CPU's performance percentile and how does it compare to rivals?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700F ranks in the 91st percentile among all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 53,620 is within 0.8% of its nearest rivals: the Intel Xeon 6505P (53,701, 0.2% ahead), Intel Xeon Phi 7290 (53,469, 0.3% behind), AMD Ryzen 9 7900X (53,288, 0.6% behind), and AMD EPYC 7313P (53,206, 0.8% behind). The CPU is not the limiting factor in Thief.

Q: Does the game run at 4K on this system?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the best recorded average framerate is 35 FPS on Low settings. Medium averages 26 FPS, High 20 FPS, and Ultra 19 FPS. None of these approach the 60 FPS playability threshold, and the verdict data confirms no playable settings at this resolution.

The Verdict

This system can run Thief, but only under specific conditions. The data is unambiguous: at 1920x1080, the Intel Core i7-14700F and Intel Arc B390 combination delivers playable framerates on Low and Medium presets. Low averages 86 FPS, comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold, while Medium averages 66 FPS with a recorded minimum of 56 FPS. The best playable preset at 1080p is Medium, which balances visual quality with a 66 FPS average.

At 2560x1440 and 3840x2160, the answer is no. The verdict data lists no playable settings for either resolution. The highest framerate at 1440p is 59 FPS on Low, just missing the 60 FPS mark. At 4K, even Low settings only manage 35 FPS. The Arc B390, with its system-shared memory and integrated design, simply lacks the raw throughput to handle Thief at higher resolutions.

The CPU is not a concern. The Core i7-14700F's 91st percentile ranking and benchmark scores far exceeding what Thief requires mean that the processor will not bottleneck this game. The GPU is the sole determinant of playability, and its 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs tells the story. This is a system for 1080p gaming at medium quality settings, nothing more demanding.

For users who own this combination, the practical takeaway is straightforward: stick to 1080p, keep settings at Medium or below, and the game will run smoothly. Attempting 1440p or 4K will result in sub-60 FPS performance across all presets, with the experience degrading significantly as resolution increases.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is Medium. The recorded average is 66 FPS, with a minimum of 56 FPS and a maximum of 75 FPS. This preset delivers the best visual quality while staying above the playability threshold. Low settings are also playable at 86 FPS, but Medium offers a meaningful visual improvement for only a 20 FPS cost.

At 2560x1440, no preset achieves 60 FPS. The closest is Low at 59 FPS, which falls just short of the playability threshold. Medium averages 45 FPS, High 34 FPS, and Ultra 33 FPS. Since the verdict data lists no playable settings for this resolution, there is no recommended preset. Users should either drop to 1080p or accept sub-60 FPS performance.

At 3840x2160, the situation is worse. Low averages 35 FPS, Medium 26 FPS, High 20 FPS, and Ultra 19 FPS. No preset comes within striking distance of 60 FPS. The best settings field is null in the verdict data, confirming that this resolution is not viable for this hardware combination in Thief.

The pattern is consistent across all resolutions: the Arc B390's performance degrades predictably as pixel count increases, and no setting change can compensate for the GPU's fundamental throughput limitations at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700F and Intel Arc B390 combination ranks 3,307 out of 3,720 tested combos in Thief, placing it in the bottom 11% of all configurations in the database. This ranking reflects the GPU's severe limitation rather than the CPU's capability. The Core i7-14700F is a high-end desktop processor, but the Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution with a 9th percentile GPU ranking.

The gap between the CPU and GPU performance tiers is striking. The processor sits in the 91st percentile among CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 9th percentile among GPUs. This mismatch means the system's gaming performance is almost entirely dictated by the weakest link, and in this case, that is the graphics subsystem.

Among the 3,720 combos tested in Thief, this pairing's rank of 3,307 indicates that the vast majority of other configurations, including those with older discrete GPUs, outperform it. The Arc B390's nearest rivals, the GeForce GT 520MX and GeForce 800M, are legacy parts from an earlier era, and their scores are within 2.7% of the Arc B390. This positions the Arc B390 as roughly equivalent to a low-end discrete GPU from years ago, which is insufficient for modern gaming at higher resolutions.

The data suggests that users seeking better Thief performance with this CPU should pair it with a dedicated graphics card. The Core i7-14700F has ample headroom to support a much faster GPU, but as configured with the Arc B390, the system is limited to 1080p medium-quality gaming in this title. The 3,307th rank out of 3,720 combos serves as a clear indicator that this is a low-performing configuration for Thief, despite the strong CPU.