Thief

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 paired with the Intel Arc B570 presents a clear performance picture in Thief, with playability heavily dependent on resolution. At 1080p, the combination delivers smooth frame rates across all tested presets, while 1440p requires a reduction in graphical fidelity to maintain a consistent 60 FPS. At 4K, the hardware falls short of the playability threshold even at the lowest settings, making it unsuitable for that resolution. The data indicates a system that is well-balanced for mainstream 1080p and capable at 1440p with adjustments, but not designed for 4K gaming in this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and Intel Arc B570 combination in Thief show a predictable decline as resolution increases and settings are raised.

At 1920x1080, the combo performs strongly across the board. The High preset yields an average of 77 FPS. The Medium preset is notably faster, delivering an average of 101 FPS, with a minimum of 86 FPS and a maximum of 116 FPS. The Low preset reaches an average of 133 FPS, the highest recorded for this system. The Ultra preset, while the most demanding, still averages 73 FPS. All four presets at this resolution clear the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance takes a significant step down. The Low preset produces an average of 91 FPS. The Medium preset averages 69 FPS, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 79 FPS. The High preset drops to an average of 53 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset averages 50 FPS. At 1440p, only the Low and Medium presets maintain an average above the playability standard.

At 3840x2160, the hardware is under considerable strain. The Low preset averages 54 FPS, which is still below the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset averages 41 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 47 FPS. The High preset averages 31 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 29 FPS. No preset at 4K achieves a playable average frame rate, indicating a fundamental performance ceiling at this resolution.

The data shows a clear scaling pattern: the gap between Low and Ultra settings is substantial, particularly at 1080p where the difference is 60 FPS (133 vs. 73). As resolution increases, the absolute frame rates compress downward, but the relative performance hierarchy remains consistent across all settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Based on the benchmark database, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 has synthetic scores that place it close to several other processors. The average benchmark score for the CPU is 64,640. The AMD EPYC 4464P scores 64,823, which is 0.3% lower. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265F scores 64,438, a 0.3% difference. The AMD EPYC 7343 scores 64,202, a 0.7% difference. The AMD EPYC 9124 scores 65,104, which is 0.7% higher. In gaming, these differences would translate to nearly identical frame rates with the same GPU, as the CPU is unlikely to be the limiting factor in Thief at the tested resolutions.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20,556. Its nearest rivals are extremely close in aggregate performance. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile scores 20,534, a 0.1% difference. The Intel Arc A750 scores 20,582, a 0.1% difference. The NVIDIA Quadro M4000M scores 20,480, a 0.4% difference. The AMD Radeon R9 M390X scores 20,662, a 0.5% difference. In practice, a system with the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and any of these GPUs would produce very similar frame rates in Thief, with the Arc B570's performance being effectively interchangeable with these alternatives at the same settings.

The percentile rankings reinforce this picture. The CPU sits in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, indicating strong overall compute performance. The GPU sits in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, showing it is a mid-range part. The combination of a high-percentile CPU with a mid-range GPU means the graphics card will be the primary determinant of gaming performance in most scenarios.

Best Settings per Resolution

To maintain an average frame rate at or above 60 FPS, the most demanding preset varies by resolution.

At 3840x2160, no preset meets the playable threshold. The Low preset achieves 54 FPS on average, which is below 60 FPS. Therefore, there is no recommended setting for 4K.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the highest quality option that stays playable. It produces an average of 69 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS target and provides a comfortable margin. The Low preset also clears the threshold at 91 FPS, but Medium offers a better visual balance.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the most demanding option that remains playable. It averages 73 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. This allows users to run the game at maximum graphical fidelity without sacrificing smoothness. The High preset at 77 FPS is also viable, but Ultra provides the highest quality within the playable range.

The Verdict

The question of whether this PC can run Thief has a nuanced answer based on the resolution. The verdict data shows the system is fully capable at 1080p, partially capable at 1440p, and not capable at 4K.

At 1920x1080, the system is fully playable on all four tested presets. The Ultra preset averages 73 FPS, the High preset averages 77 FPS, the Medium preset averages 101 FPS, and the Low preset averages 133 FPS. All of these exceed the 60 FPS playable threshold, making this resolution the clear target for this hardware.

At 2560x1440, the system is playable on the Low and Medium presets. The Medium preset is the best choice, averaging 69 FPS. The High and Ultra presets fall short, with averages of 53 FPS and 50 FPS respectively. Users at this resolution must compromise on graphical settings to maintain smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the system is not playable on any preset. The Low preset comes closest at 54 FPS, but it still misses the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset averages 41 FPS, and the High and Ultra presets average 31 FPS and 29 FPS respectively. The hardware lacks the graphical horsepower for 4K in this title.

The overall verdict is that this combo is a strong 1080p machine for Thief, a solid 1440p machine with settings adjustments, and unsuitable for 4K.

FAQ

*Q: Can the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and Intel Arc B570 run Thief at 4K?*

A: No. The highest average frame rate at 3840x2160 is 54 FPS on the Low preset, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The Ultra preset averages only 29 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The Medium preset is the best option at 2560x1440, as it provides an average of 69 FPS while remaining above the 60 FPS threshold. The Low preset also works at 91 FPS, but Medium offers better visual quality.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 has an average benchmark score of 64,640. Its closest competitor, the AMD EPYC 4464P, scores 64,823, which is a 0.3% difference. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265F scores 64,438, also a 0.3% difference.

Q: What GPU is most similar in performance to the Intel Arc B570?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile has an average score of 20,534, which is a 0.1% difference from the Arc B570's 20,556. The Intel Arc A750 scores 20,582, also a 0.1% difference.

Q: At 1080p, which preset should I use for the best experience?

A: The Ultra preset averages 73 FPS, making it the most demanding setting that still clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. This provides the highest visual quality at a smooth frame rate.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the limiting factor at higher resolutions?

A: The data shows the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution increases. The CPU scores in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU scores in the 65th percentile. At 4K, the GPU cannot maintain playable frame rates on any preset.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2,994 out of 3,720 tested combos for Thief. This places it in the lower-mid portion of the overall ranking, indicating that while it is not a top-tier gaming system, it occupies a functional niche for 1080p and moderate 1440p play.

The ranking reflects the GPU's mid-range standing. The Arc B570's 65th percentile performance among all GPUs is the dominant factor, as the CPU's 93rd percentile standing provides ample headroom. Systems ranked above this combo likely feature higher-performing GPUs that can handle 4K or higher refresh rates at 1440p. Systems ranked below it would struggle more significantly at the tested resolutions.

The rank of 2,994 out of 3,720 suggests that roughly 20% of tested combos perform worse in Thief. This is consistent with the measured frame rates, which show playable performance at 1080p across all presets and at 1440p on lower presets. The system is not a high-end performer, but it delivers acceptable results for mainstream gaming scenarios.

CPU and GPU Roles

The relative contribution of the CPU and GPU changes with resolution and settings, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling in Thief.

At 1920x1080, the CPU's high performance is more relevant. The Core Ultra 7 265, with its 93rd percentile ranking, ensures that the system is not CPU-bound at this resolution. The GPU still does the heavy lifting, but the frame rates are high enough across all presets (73-133 FPS) that the CPU's strength provides a stable foundation.

At 2560x1440, the GPU begins to assert dominance. The frame rates drop significantly compared to 1080p, with the High preset falling from 77 FPS to 53 FPS and the Ultra preset from 73 FPS to 50 FPS. This reduction is attributable to the increased pixel count, which taxes the GPU's 10 GB of GDDR6 memory and 11.52 TFLOPS of compute. The CPU remains capable, but the GPU's limitations become apparent at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is the sole limiting factor. The frame rates collapse to a narrow band between 29 FPS and 54 FPS across all presets. The lack of variation between Low (54 FPS) and Ultra (29 FPS) at 4K, compared to the wider spread at 1080p (133 FPS vs. 73 FPS), indicates that the GPU is overwhelmed by the sheer pixel workload. The CPU's performance is irrelevant at this point, as the GPU cannot render frames fast enough to utilize it.

The scaling between presets also highlights the GPU's role. At 1080p, dropping from Ultra to Low yields a 60 FPS improvement (73 to 133 FPS), showing that the GPU has headroom at lower settings. At 4K, the same drop yields only a 25 FPS improvement (29 to 54 FPS), demonstrating that the GPU is near its limits even at the lowest settings. The data clearly shows that for this game, the GPU is the primary determinant of playability, especially as resolution increases.