Thief

The Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a high-end desktop combination that delivers exceptionally high frame rates in Thief, a 2014 stealth title. Benchmark results show this system maintains average frame rates well above the 60 FPS playability threshold at every tested resolution, even at the highest Ultra preset. The data indicates this combo ranks in the top 5% of all tested configurations, making it a very strong performer for this game.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160 (4K), the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, producing an average of 72 FPS. This is the highest quality setting available, and it still clears the 60 FPS line with a comfortable margin of 12 frames. Lower presets at this resolution deliver even higher averages: High reaches 76 FPS, Medium hits 100 FPS, and Low achieves 131 FPS.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the Ultra preset is again the best choice, with an average of 123 FPS. This is a substantial jump from the 4K result, showing how resolution scaling benefits this hardware. The High preset averages 129 FPS, Medium reaches 167 FPS, and Low produces 184 FPS. All presets here are far beyond the 60 FPS threshold, so users can freely select Ultra for the best visual quality.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the Ultra preset delivers an average of 168 FPS. This is the highest achievable quality setting, and the performance headroom is enormous. High averages 171 FPS, Medium reaches 189 FPS, and Low produces 209 FPS. The data shows that at 1080p, even the most demanding settings leave massive performance reserves, indicating the GPU is not the primary constraint at this resolution.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results reveal a clear pattern of GPU-bound performance at higher resolutions, transitioning to a more CPU-influenced regime at 1080p. At 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra presets is substantial: 131 FPS versus 72 FPS, a drop of 45% when moving to the highest quality settings. This large spread indicates that pixel throughput and shading workload dominate, placing the RTX 4080 under significant load.

At 1440p, the gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 184 FPS versus 123 FPS, a 33% reduction. The absolute numbers are higher than at 4K, suggesting that the GPU has more headroom as pixel count decreases. The scaling from 4K to 1440p at the same preset is notable: Ultra improves from 72 FPS to 123 FPS, a 71% increase, which strongly indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K.

At 1080p, the Low-to-Ultra spread compresses further: 209 FPS versus 168 FPS, only a 20% reduction. The absolute frame rates are extremely high, and the diminishing returns from lowering settings suggest that the CPU, with its 20 cores and 28 threads, begins to play a more significant role in maintaining frame delivery. The scaling from 1440p to 1080p at Ultra is 123 FPS to 168 FPS, a 37% gain, which is less dramatic than the 4K-to-1440p jump, reinforcing that CPU limitations start to surface at lower resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the measured average frame rates are as follows: High averages 76 FPS with no min/max recorded; Low averages 131 FPS with no min/max; Medium averages 100 FPS with a minimum of 85 FPS and a maximum of 114 FPS; Ultra averages 72 FPS with no min/max. The Medium preset is the only one with complete frame time data, showing a 29 FPS spread between minimum and maximum.

At 2560x1440, the results are: High averages 129 FPS; Low averages 184 FPS; Medium averages 167 FPS with a minimum of 142 FPS and a maximum of 192 FPS; Ultra averages 123 FPS. The Medium preset shows a 50 FPS range, indicating more variance at this resolution than at 4K.

At 1920x1080, the data shows: High averages 171 FPS; Low averages 209 FPS; Medium averages 189 FPS with a minimum of 161 FPS and a maximum of 217 FPS; Ultra averages 168 FPS. The Medium preset exhibits a 56 FPS spread, the widest among all recorded Medium settings, suggesting that at 1080p, frame delivery becomes more variable as the CPU takes on a greater workload.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 185th out of 3720 tested combos in Thief. This places the system in the top 5% of all configurations tested, which is a strong result given the game's age and the hardware's modern performance characteristics. The percentile ranking for the CPU alone is 91, indicating it outperforms 91% of all CPUs in the database, while the GPU sits at the 86th percentile. The combined rank of 185 suggests that the pairing is well-balanced for this title, with neither component dragging down the overall score.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals, the Intel Xeon 6505P scores nearly identically, with a deltaPct of -0.2% relative to the i7-14700F. The Intel Xeon Phi 7290 is marginally ahead at 0.3%, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is 0.6% ahead. The AMD EPYC 7313P leads this group at 0.8% ahead. These small deltas mean that swapping the i7-14700F for any of these processors would result in virtually identical performance in Thief, assuming the GPU remains constant.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the closest match, with a deltaPct of 0.1% ahead of the RTX 4080. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X trails by -1.1%, the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB is -2.6% behind, and the AMD Radeon 8060S is -2.7% behind. These differences are minor in practice, meaning a user with any of these GPUs paired with the i7-14700F would experience nearly the same frame rates in Thief.

The Verdict

This PC can run Thief exceptionally well at all tested resolutions. At 3840x2160, the verdict confirms that High, Low, Medium, and Ultra settings are all playable, with the best setting being Ultra at an average of 72 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets are also playable, with Ultra delivering 123 FPS as the best option. At 1920x1080, every preset is playable, and Ultra achieves 168 FPS average. In every case, the system exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold, even at the most demanding settings, making this a definitive "yes" for 60 FPS gaming at 4K, 1440p, and 1080p.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC achieve 60 FPS at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: Yes, at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the system averages 72 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best settings preset at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset provides the highest visual quality while maintaining an average of 123 FPS, making it the recommended choice.

Q: How much faster is 1080p compared to 4K at Ultra settings?

A: At Ultra settings, the average frame rate increases from 72 FPS at 3840x2160 to 168 FPS at 1920x1080, a 133% improvement.

Q: Which component is more important at 4K resolution?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary constraint at 4K, as the difference between Low (131 FPS) and Ultra (72 FPS) is substantial, showing heavy dependence on pixel throughput.

Q: Does the CPU limit performance at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the gap between Low (209 FPS) and Ultra (168 FPS) narrows to 20%, suggesting the CPU's 20 cores and 28 threads begin to influence frame delivery more significantly at lower resolutions.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems?

A: This combination ranks 185th out of 3720 tested combos in Thief, placing it in the top 5% of all configurations.