Thief

The Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is a top-tier combination for running Thief, a 2014 stealth title. Benchmark data from the database shows this combo achieves exceptionally high frame rates across all tested resolutions and presets, firmly placing it in the upper echelon of tested hardware configurations for this game. The data indicates that this system does not merely meet the 60 FPS playable threshold; it vastly exceeds it, delivering a smooth experience even at maximum settings on a 4K display.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest graphical preset this combo can run at 4K while staying above 60 FPS?

A: At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset is playable, with an average FPS of 78.5. This is the most demanding preset tested, and it clears the 60 FPS threshold with a significant margin.

Q: How does the combo's performance at 1080p compare to its performance at 4K?

A: The average frame rate at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 170.3 FPS, while at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings it drops to 78.5 FPS. This represents a substantial scaling cost of moving to 4K, but the performance remains well above the playable threshold.

Q: Is the RTX 4090's performance bottlenecked by the Core i7-14700F in this game?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not a limiting factor. At 1080p, the GPU is likely the primary driver of performance, but the combination still produces very high frame rates (206.4 FPS on Low). The scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent with GPU-bound rendering, where higher resolutions increase the load on the graphics card.

*Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested PC configurations for Thief?*

A: The combo ranks 119th out of 3720 tested combos, placing it in the top 3.2% of all systems in the database for this specific game.

Q: What is the average FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 182 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 136.8 FPS. The difference is 45.2 FPS, showing that Ultra settings still deliver a very high frame rate.

Q: Does the RTX 4090 have a clear performance lead over its nearest rivals in the database?

A: According to the average benchmark scores, the RTX 4090 scores 60347, which is essentially tied with the Intel Arc Pro A60 (60326, 0% delta) and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (60140, 0.3% delta). The performance difference is negligible in these aggregate benchmarks.

How This Combo Ranks

The database ranks this specific combination of the Intel Core i7-14700F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 at 119th place out of 3720 tested combos for Thief. This places the system in the top 3.2% of all configurations tested, indicating that it is a very high-performing setup for this title. The rank is a composite measure, reflecting the system's ability to maintain high frame rates across all tested settings and resolutions. Given the game's release date in 2014, this modern hardware is far more powerful than what was available at launch, which explains its dominant position in the rankings. The data shows that this combo is not just playable but exceptionally overqualified for the game's demands, delivering performance that is likely to be limited only by the display's refresh rate rather than the hardware's capabilities.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound performance for Thief. The frame rates scale significantly with resolution changes, which is a hallmark of a graphics card bottleneck. For instance, at the High preset, the average FPS drops from 173.7 at 1920x1080 to 83.2 at 3840x2160. This 52% reduction in frame rate when moving to 4K indicates that the rendering workload is heavily on the GPU. The CPU, with its 20 cores and 28 threads, has ample headroom to feed the GPU at all resolutions, as evidenced by the fact that even at 1080p Low settings, the system reaches 206.4 FPS without appearing to be CPU-limited.

The scaling between presets further confirms this. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 36.1 FPS (206.4 to 170.3). At 4K, the same preset comparison shows a larger drop of 66.2 FPS (144.7 to 78.5). This larger absolute difference at higher resolutions underscores that the GPU is the primary constraint, as the increased pixel count and detail level demand more from the graphics card. The Core i7-14700F, with its high single-thread performance (4958 in Cinebench R23), ensures that the GPU is never starved of data, making it an ideal partner for the RTX 4090 in this game. In summary, for Thief, the RTX 4090 is the dominant component, with the i7-14700F providing a stable and powerful foundation.

The Verdict

The data unequivocally shows that this PC can run Thief with outstanding performance. According to the verdict by resolution, the system achieves playable frame rates (above 60 FPS) at every tested preset across all three resolutions: 1920x1080, 2560x1440, and 3840x2160. The best playable settings at each resolution are the highest tested (Ultra), with average FPS of 170.3, 136.8, and 78.5 respectively. This means users can max out the game's graphical options and still enjoy a smooth experience, even at 4K. The minimum frame rates are not listed in the data, but the high averages suggest a stable performance profile. This system is not just capable of running the game; it is overkill, delivering frame rates that are more than sufficient for high-refresh-rate monitors at 1440p and fully playable 4K performance.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i7-14700F's nearest rivals in aggregate benchmark scores are the Intel Xeon 6505P, Intel Xeon Phi 7290, AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, and AMD EPYC 7313P. The data shows these processors have nearly identical average scores, with deltas ranging from -0.2% to 0.8% compared to the i7-14700F. This indicates that swapping the CPU for any of these models would result in virtually identical performance in Thief, as the game is not heavily CPU-dependent. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, with a delta of 0.6%, is a particularly close match and would behave nearly the same in this scenario.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090's nearest rivals are the Intel Arc Pro A60, AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48, AMD Radeon Pro W6600M, and AMD Radeon PRO V710. Interestingly, the RTX 4090's average benchmark score of 60347 is very close to the Intel Arc Pro A60 (60326, 0% delta) and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (60140, 0.3% delta). This suggests that, in aggregate compute tasks, these GPUs perform similarly. However, for a gaming workload like Thief, the RTX 4090's specific architecture and drivers may yield different results. The data does not provide game-specific scores for these rival GPUs, so it is not possible to state definitively that they would deliver identical frame rates in Thief. The Radeon Pro W6600M is 2.5% slower, and the Radeon PRO V710 is 2.9% faster in the aggregate benchmark, but their actual in-game performance for this title is unknown. For a guaranteed match, the RTX 4090 remains the top choice, but the Arc Pro A60 is the closest statistical alternative.

Best Settings per Resolution

For users seeking the highest visual quality while maintaining a 60 FPS frame rate, the data recommends the following settings:

• 3840x2160 (4K): The Ultra preset is the most demanding setting that stays above the playable threshold, with an average FPS of 78.5. This offers the best visual fidelity at this resolution.
• 2560x1440 (1440p): The Ultra preset is also the best choice here, delivering an average FPS of 136.8. This provides a large performance buffer, ensuring smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes.
• 1920x1080 (1080p): The Ultra preset is again the top pick, with an average FPS of 170.3. This frame rate is exceptionally high, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate displays.

In all cases, the system has enough performance headroom to run the game at its maximum settings without dropping below the 60 FPS target. The data shows that the Ultra preset is not only playable but also provides a superior experience, making it the recommended choice for every resolution.