Thief

The data for the Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 in Thief shows a system with substantial headroom at every tested configuration. The measured frames per second (FPS) indicate that this combination is not merely capable of running the game, but does so with significant performance to spare, even at the highest settings and resolutions. The benchmark results provide a clear picture of a high-end pairing that consistently delivers well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the performance is exceptionally high across all presets. With Low settings, the average FPS reaches 222.2. Moving to Medium settings, the average FPS is 198.9, while High settings produce an average of 180.7 FPS. The most demanding Ultra preset still yields a robust average of 175 FPS. This shows a smooth scaling curve where the cost of each step up in visual fidelity is relatively modest, with a difference of only about 47 FPS between the lowest and highest presets.

Stepping up to 2560x1440, the performance remains impressive but shows a more pronounced impact from the increased pixel count. At Low settings, the average FPS is 191.4. The Medium preset records an average of 178.1 FPS, which is a surprisingly small drop from Low. High settings maintain a strong 136 FPS average, and Ultra settings still clear the 60 FPS threshold with an average of 131.2 FPS. The data suggests that at this resolution, the GPU is still far from being the bottleneck, as the difference between Low and Ultra is only about 60 FPS.

At the demanding 4K resolution of 3840x2160, the performance landscape shifts significantly. Low settings average 141.6 FPS, which is still very high. The Medium preset drops to an average of 104.7 FPS. High settings produce an average of 78.9 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 76.7 FPS. Even at this resolution, the system never approaches the 60 FPS playable threshold, with the lowest recorded average still being nearly 17 FPS above it. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K is more dramatic, with a 64.9 FPS difference, indicating that the GPU workload is becoming more significant.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear shift in system bottleneck between the CPU and GPU as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the high frame rates across all settings—even at Low where the GPU load is minimized—suggest that the Intel Core i7-14700KF is the primary driver, with its strong single-threaded performance ensuring that frames are delivered as fast as the GPU can render them. The difference between the Low and Ultra presets is relatively small, implying that the CPU is keeping up with the GPU's output.

As resolution increases to 2560x1440 and then to 3840x2160, the GPU begins to play a more dominant role. The data shows a larger performance gap between Low and Ultra presets at 4K, where the GPU is tasked with rendering significantly more pixels. At 1440p, the difference between Low and Medium is only 13.3 FPS, but the jump from Medium to High is 42.1 FPS, indicating that the GPU is starting to feel the load of higher-quality effects. This trend is even more pronounced at 4K, where the gap between each preset level is more consistent, pointing to the RTX 5080 as the limiting factor. The CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with data, and at all tested resolutions, it appears to do so without becoming a constraining element.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Thief at 4K with the highest settings?*

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, the system achieves an average FPS of 76.7, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. All other settings at this resolution also perform above this threshold.

Q: What is the performance difference between High and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 136 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 131.2 FPS. This represents a performance drop of only 4.8 FPS for the highest visual quality.

Q: Is the RTX 5080 the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU is more of a factor at 1920x1080. The maximum average FPS is 222.2 at Low settings, and the scaling between presets shows a relatively small performance cost for higher visual fidelity, indicating the GPU is not being fully taxed.

Q: How does the system perform at 4K if I prefer a higher frame rate over visual quality?

A: If you prioritize frame rate at 3840x2160, the Low preset delivers an average of 141.6 FPS. This is a significant increase over the 76.7 FPS seen at Ultra, offering a substantial performance boost for competitive or high-refresh-rate play.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combination?

A: The lowest average FPS in the measured data is 76.7 FPS, which was recorded at 3840x2160 resolution with the Ultra settings preset. This is still well above the playable threshold.

Q: Is there any resolution where the system fails to maintain 60 FPS?

A: No. Across all tested resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, and 3840x2160) and all settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra), the average FPS never falls below 60. The lowest recorded average is 76.7 FPS.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the nearest rivals for the CPU, the Intel Core i7-14700KF’s average benchmark score is 70163. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is the closest competitor, with an average score of 69996, a negligible 0.2% difference. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX and AMD Ryzen 9 7950X are also very close, with scores of 69875 and 69515, representing 0.4% and 0.9% differences, respectively. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K has a slightly higher average score of 70879, putting it 1% ahead. In gaming, these processors would be expected to deliver very similar performance, with no significant frame rate differences.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 has an average benchmark score of 56083. The AMD Radeon 8060S is the nearest rival with a score of 55757, a 0.6% difference. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB and AMD Radeon Pro W5700X are also close, with scores of 55698 and 54828, representing 0.7% and 2.3% differences, respectively. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE is slightly ahead, with a score of 57367, putting it 2.2% ahead. This suggests that in Thief, these GPUs would produce similar frame rates, with the RTX 5080 and RX 9070 GRE being the top performers among the group.

The Verdict

The benchmark data conclusively shows that this system can run Thief with excellent performance. The verdict by resolution confirms that all three tested resolutions—1920x1080, 2560x1440, and 3840x2160—are playable at every settings preset. The system clears the 60 FPS threshold with a substantial margin in all cases. At 1080p, the average FPS ranges from 175 at Ultra to 222.2 at Low. At 1440p, it ranges from 131.2 at Ultra to 191.4 at Low. Even at the demanding 4K resolution, the average FPS stays between 76.7 at Ultra and 141.6 at Low. This means a user can select any combination of resolution and settings and expect a fluid, responsive experience.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Thief, this pairing of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 ranks at position 88 out of 3720 total combos. This places it in the top 2.4% of all tested systems, indicating it is a very high-performing configuration. The high ranking is consistent with the measured FPS data, which shows the system delivering frame rates that are in the upper echelon for the game. The combination of a top-tier CPU and a high-end GPU ensures that this system is among the best performers in the database.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that maintains an average FPS at or above 60 is Ultra, which achieves an average of 175 FPS. This allows for the maximum visual quality at this resolution with a frame rate nearly three times the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset also remains the best choice, with an average of 131.2 FPS. This provides the highest visual fidelity while still offering a very high frame rate that is more than double the playable minimum.

For 3840x2160, the Ultra preset is again the most demanding that stays above 60 FPS, with an average of 76.7 FPS. While this is the lowest average FPS recorded, it still offers a smooth experience and allows users to enjoy the game at its highest graphical settings in 4K.