Thief

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor built on the Zen 4 architecture, with a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. Its benchmark profile places it in the 82nd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25064. This positions it 0.3% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F and essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, which scores 25057 with a deltaPct of 0. In a title like Thief, which is largely single-thread bound due to its 2014 release, the processor's single-core performance is critical. The 3dmark single-thread score of 951 and the Cinebench R15 single-core score of 296 indicate strong per-core throughput, while the 3dmark 2-thread score of 1874 shows good scaling for games that utilize a few threads.

The CPU's 16 MB of shared L3 cache and 83.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth provide sufficient data throughput for the game's level streaming and AI routines. While the multi-threaded scores are respectable—a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 20851 and a Passmark multithread score of 24530—the game's engine likely does not fully exploit all 12 threads. Instead, the boost clock of 4.70 GHz becomes the defining factor for maintaining high frame rates. The data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the combination achieves 178.6 FPS, suggesting that the CPU is not a bottleneck even at lower resolutions where draw calls are more demanding. The processor's 65W TDP and active production status indicate it is a modern, efficient part that pairs well with a high-end GPU without thermal throttling concerns in most chassis.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a massive GPU, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. Its memory clock runs at 1750 MHz, translating to 28 Gbps effective. The GPU's 94th percentile ranking among all GPUs is reflected in its average benchmark score of 84306, which places it 0.1% ahead of the RTX 5090 D and 1.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon PRO W6600. In Thief, the GPU's raw rasterization power dominates, as evidenced by the measured frame rates. At 4K Ultra settings, the combination produces 86.1 FPS, dropping from 84.7 FPS at 4K High—a negligible difference that shows the GPU is already near its limit at this resolution with this engine.

The 32 GB VRAM is far beyond the requirements of a 2014 title, ensuring that no texture or geometry data ever spills to system memory. The 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 1,636.8 GTexel/s texture rate are more than sufficient to saturate the game's draw calls and post-processing effects. The GPU's 575W TDP and suggested 950W PSU are high, but the card's dual-slot design and 1x 16-pin connector make it manageable in a full tower. At 1440p, the RTX 5090 delivers 160.7 FPS on Low settings and 131.9 FPS on Ultra, while at 1080p, the spread narrows to 178.6 FPS on Low and 145.7 FPS on Ultra. This indicates that the GPU is the primary driver of performance across all tested settings, with the CPU providing adequate support.

FAQ

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 8400F compare to its closest rival in CPU-centric benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 5 8400F has an average benchmark score of 25064, which is 0.3% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F (24993) and essentially identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X (25057, deltaPct 0). This places it in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs, showing it is a mid-to-upper tier part.

Q: What is the performance difference between the RTX 5090 and the RTX 5090 D?

A: The RTX 5090's average benchmark score is 84306, which is 0.1% higher than the RTX 5090 D's score of 84241. This is a negligible performance gap, indicating the two GPUs are effectively interchangeable in real-world gaming.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at 1080p in Thief?

A: No, the data shows the combination reaches 178.6 FPS at 1080p Low settings and 145.7 FPS at 1080p Ultra. The CPU's single-thread score of 951 in 3dmark and boost clock of 4.70 GHz are sufficient to keep up with the GPU's frame output at this resolution.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1440p to 4K at Ultra settings?

A: At 2560x1440 Ultra, the average FPS is 131.9, while at 3840x2160 Ultra, it drops to 86.1. This represents a 34.7% reduction in frame rate, which is typical for the increased pixel count and memory bandwidth demands of 4K.

Q: Which settings preset provides the highest frame rate at 4K?

A: The Low preset at 4K yields 134.3 FPS, which is the highest of all 4K presets. This is followed by Medium at 115.1 FPS, Ultra at 86.1 FPS, and High at 84.7 FPS.

Q: Is the RTX 5090's performance consistent across the game's presets?

A: The data shows a clear hierarchy: at 4K, Low delivers 134.3 FPS, Medium 115.1 FPS, Ultra 86.1 FPS, and High 84.7 FPS. The High and Ultra presets are within 1.6% of each other, suggesting the game's High preset includes similar GPU-intensive effects to Ultra.

Settings Recommendations

The measured frame rates reveal a clear pattern across all three resolutions: the Low preset always yields the highest average FPS, followed by Medium, then Ultra, and finally High. At 1920x1080, the spread is 178.6 FPS on Low down to 145.7 FPS on Ultra, with High at 151.1 FPS and Medium at 165.1 FPS. At 2560x1440, the same ordering holds: Low at 160.7 FPS, Medium at 146.9 FPS, High at 128.9 FPS, and Ultra at 131.9 FPS. Notably, at 1440p, the Ultra preset outperforms High by 3 FPS, which is unusual but consistent with the data. At 3840x2160, Low delivers 134.3 FPS, Medium 115.1 FPS, Ultra 86.1 FPS, and High 84.7 FPS.

For the best experience, the data suggests that the Ultra preset at 1440p is the sweet spot for visual fidelity and performance, offering 131.9 FPS. This is because the jump from Medium to Ultra at 1440p costs only 15 FPS (from 146.9 to 131.9), while providing the maximum visual quality the game can offer. At 4K, the High preset (84.7 FPS) is nearly identical to Ultra (86.1 FPS), making High the better choice if the user prioritizes a smoother experience, as it sits within 1.6% of Ultra's frame rate. However, if the user has a 144Hz or 165Hz display, the Medium preset at 4K (115.1 FPS) is the only 4K option that approaches high-refresh-rate territory. Overall, the Ultra preset at 1440p provides the best balance of image quality and frame pacing, while the Low preset at 1080p (178.6 FPS) is the optimal choice for competitive play or maximizing frame rate on a high-refresh 1080p monitor.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 holds a combo rank of 120 out of 1642 tested combinations in Thief, placing it in the top 7.3% of all systems tested. This high ranking is driven primarily by the GPU's overwhelming performance, as the RTX 5090 sits in the 94th percentile of all GPUs. The CPU, while not a top-tier part, provides sufficient single-threaded performance to avoid becoming a limiting factor in this game. The data supports this: at 1080p, the frame rates range from 178.6 (Low) to 145.7 (Ultra), and at 4K, they range from 134.3 (Low) to 84.7 (High). These figures are consistently high, indicating that the combo is well-balanced for this title, with the GPU's massive memory bandwidth and shading power being the primary contributors to the frame rates.

The rank of 120 suggests that a small number of other combinations—119 to be exact—deliver higher average FPS in Thief. These are likely systems with even stronger CPUs, such as high-core-count processors with higher single-thread scores, which can push the frame rate slightly higher in CPU-limited scenarios at lower resolutions. However, the delta is small, as the RTX 5090's dominance ensures that the GPU is almost always the bottleneck. In practical terms, this combo is among the most capable for Thief, offering playable frame rates even at 4K Ultra (86.1 FPS) and exceeding 130 FPS at 1440p Ultra. The combination's percentile rank of 82 for the CPU and 94 for the GPU confirms that both components are well above average, making this a high-end pairing that excels in this stealth title.