Thief

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the Intel Arc B570 presents a peculiar case for the 2014 stealth classic Thief. The data shows a system with immense CPU headroom that is consistently constrained by the GPU at higher resolutions, yet at 1080p, the combination delivers a surprisingly robust experience. The benchmark results reveal a clear story of scaling, where the Arc B570's capabilities are fully exposed at 4K, but the pairing proves highly effective for the majority of gamers targeting 1440p or 1080p.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the data shows no playable settings, as even the lowest preset fails to reach the 60 FPS threshold. The best achievable average frame rate at this resolution is 54 FPS with the Low preset, which falls short of the 60 FPS playability target. Medium settings at 4K produce an average of 41 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 47 FPS, while High and Ultra presets dip to 31 FPS and 29 FPS respectively. The verdict data confirms this, listing no playable settings for 4K.

For 2560x1440, the most demanding preset that maintains an average at or above 60 FPS is Medium, achieving an average of 69 FPS. This preset also shows a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 79 FPS, indicating that while the average clears the threshold, the minimum dips slightly below it. The Low preset at 1440p achieves a much higher 91 FPS average, but the Medium preset represents the highest visual quality that sustains a playable average frame rate.

At 1920x1080, the system can handle the highest possible settings. The Ultra preset delivers an average of 73 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold with headroom. This is the most demanding preset that remains playable at this resolution. The High and Medium presets also perform well, with averages of 77 FPS and 101 FPS respectively, but Ultra is the highest quality option that stays above the 60 FPS mark, as indicated by the verdict listing all four presets as playable.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Intel Core i7-14700KF has an average benchmark score of 70163, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival is the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K, which posts an average score of 70879, making it 1% faster. The data also shows the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F with a score of 69996, just 0.2% slower, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX at 69875, 0.4% slower. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X scores 69515, which is 0.9% behind the i7-14700KF. These rivals are all within a 1% performance delta, meaning any of these CPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates in CPU-bound scenarios.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc B570 averages 20556 in benchmark scores, sitting in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. The closest alternative is the Intel Arc A750, which scores 20582, a marginal 0.1% difference. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile is 0.1% faster with a score of 20534, while the AMD Radeon R9 M390X posts 20662, which is 0.5% ahead. The NVIDIA Quadro M4000M scores 20480, trailing by 0.4%. Given these tiny deltas, gamers with any of these GPUs would experience virtually identical performance levels in Thief, particularly at 4K where the GPU is the primary bottleneck.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the benchmark results show a wide range of performance across presets. The Low preset achieves the highest average of 133 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 101 FPS, with a minimum of 86 FPS and a maximum of 116 FPS. High settings average 77 FPS, while Ultra settings deliver 73 FPS. All presets at 1080p remain comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold, with even the most demanding Ultra preset maintaining a 13 FPS margin.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down significantly. Low settings average 91 FPS, which is still well above the target. Medium settings average 69 FPS, with the minimum recorded at 59 FPS and maximum at 79 FPS. High settings drop to a 53 FPS average, and Ultra settings fall to 50 FPS. The data indicates a substantial gap between Medium and High presets at this resolution, with the High preset losing 16 FPS compared to Medium and falling below the playability threshold.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the limiting factor. Low settings average 54 FPS, just below the 60 FPS target. Medium settings average 41 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 47 FPS. High settings average 31 FPS, and Ultra settings produce just 29 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is steep, with the Arc B570 losing roughly half its performance at the higher resolution across all presets.

The Verdict

The benchmark data clearly answers whether this PC can run Thief: it depends entirely on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the answer is an unqualified yes. The verdict data lists High, Low, Medium, and Ultra as playable settings, with the best average of 73 FPS achieved on the Ultra preset. Every preset at this resolution exceeds the 60 FPS threshold, making 1080p the ideal environment for this hardware combination.

At 2560x1440, the system remains playable but with restrictions. The verdict lists Low and Medium as playable settings, with Medium being the best option at an average of 69 FPS. However, this is a borderline result, as the minimum FPS of 59 dips just below the 60 FPS target. High and Ultra presets at 1440p fall short, with averages of 53 FPS and 50 FPS respectively, meaning players seeking maximum visual fidelity at this resolution would experience stutter.

The 3840x2160 verdict is definitive: no playable settings exist. Even the Low preset, which achieves the highest average of 54 FPS, fails to reach the 60 FPS requirement. The data shows that 4K gaming with this combination is not viable for a smooth experience, as the GPU simply lacks the throughput to render the game at that pixel count while maintaining playability.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear division of labor between the Intel Core i7-14700KF and the Intel Arc B570. At 1920x1080, the CPU's strength is evident, as the system achieves 133 FPS on Low settings and 101 FPS on Medium. The i7-14700KF, with its 20 cores and 28 threads, has ample headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, allowing the Arc B570 to work at its full potential.

At 2560x1440, the balance shifts. The performance drop from Medium to High presets is notable, with averages falling from 69 FPS to 53 FPS. This suggests that the GPU is starting to become the limiting factor at this resolution, as the additional pixel workload overwhelms the Arc B570's 10 GB of GDDR6 memory and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth. The CPU's role diminishes, as the frame rate is increasingly dictated by the GPU's rendering capabilities.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limitations are fully exposed. The performance scales down to 31 FPS on High and 29 FPS on Ultra, which is a dramatic reduction from the 1080p results. The Arc B570's 160-bit memory bus and 2304 shading units are insufficient for the 4K workload, making the GPU the unequivocal bottleneck. The CPU's performance becomes almost irrelevant at this resolution, as the frame rates are capped by the GPU's pixel throughput.

FAQ

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

A: The Medium preset is the highest quality option that maintains a playable average frame rate of 69 FPS at 1440p. The minimum FPS for this preset is 59, which dips just below the 60 FPS target, but the average remains above the threshold.

*Q: Can this system run Thief at 4K resolution?*

A: No, the data shows no playable settings at 3840x2160. The best average frame rate at 4K is 54 FPS on the Low preset, which falls short of the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Q: How does the Arc B570 compare to the Arc A750 in benchmark scores?

A: The Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556, while the Arc A750 scores 20582. This puts the Arc A750 0.1% ahead, making the two GPUs nearly identical in raw performance.

Q: What is the highest FPS achieved by this combination?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 133 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset. This represents the maximum performance the system can deliver in Thief.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700KF a top-tier CPU for gaming?

A: The CPU sits in the 94th percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 70163. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K, is only 1% faster, indicating the i7-14700KF is among the strongest gaming CPUs available.

Q: Which component limits performance at 1440p?

A: The data shows a significant drop from Medium to High presets at 1440p, with averages falling from 69 FPS to 53 FPS. This indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck at this resolution, as the CPU has sufficient headroom based on its high benchmark percentile.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700KF and Intel Arc B570 combination ranks 2994 out of 3720 tested combos for Thief, placing it in the lower portion of the database. This ranking reflects the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions, as the system performs admirably at 1080p but falls apart at 4K. The CPU's high percentile ranking of 94% is offset by the GPU's 65th percentile standing, creating a system that is well-balanced for 1080p gaming but underpowered for 4K. The data suggests that while the CPU is overqualified for this game, the GPU is the deciding factor in the overall ranking, particularly given that Thief is a 2014 title with modest graphical demands that the Arc B570 can handle at lower resolutions but not at the highest pixel counts.