Thief

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a highly specific performance profile in Thief. The data reveals a configuration that is severely constrained by its graphics solution, with the CPU demonstrating significant headroom even at lower resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and presets to show exactly where the bottleneck lies and what users can realistically expect from this setup.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Thief shows a steep and linear decline as resolution increases, clearly indicating that the Intel Arc B390 is the limiting component in this pairing. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces an average of 50 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at High settings drops the average to 34 FPS, a 32% reduction. At 3840x2160 High, the average falls further to 20 FPS, which is a 60% drop compared to the 1080p result. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario; the rendering load on the Arc B390 increases dramatically with pixel count, and its performance craters accordingly.

The pattern holds across all settings presets. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 86 at 1920x1080, to 59 at 2560x1440, and down to 35 at 3840x2160. This consistent halving of performance at each major resolution step (from 1080p to 1440p to 4K) is a textbook sign that the Intel Arc B390's compute and memory resources are saturated. The CPU, clocked at a boost of 4.30 GHz across its 4 cores, is not the primary factor in these drops, as its workload does not scale with resolution in the same way.

The min and max FPS data for Medium settings reinforces this. At 1920x1080 Medium, the frame times range from 56 to 75 FPS, a spread of 19 FPS. At 2560x1440 Medium, the range tightens to 38 to 52 FPS. At 3840x2160 Medium, it narrows further to 22 to 30 FPS. As the resolution increases, the frame rate variance shrinks, which suggests that the GPU is working at near-constant maximum capacity, leaving little room for fluctuation. This is the opposite of a CPU bottleneck, where you would expect to see more significant frame time spikes and inconsistency.

The data suggests that 1080p is the only viable resolution for a consistently playable experience. The transition from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at any preset results in a substantial performance penalty that pushes average FPS below 60 in all but the Low preset. The 3840x2160 results, with averages ranging from 19 to 35 FPS, are largely unplayable for a stealth title that requires smooth, responsive control. The scaling behavior shows that the Intel Core i3-12100F is not the limiting factor; even at 1080p, the FPS does not reach the high levels that this CPU's benchmark scores would suggest it is capable of supporting.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations for Thief, this pairing sits near the bottom. The combo ranks 2534 out of 2851 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 11% of all configurations. This low ranking is almost entirely attributable to the Intel Arc B390's performance, which its own benchmark data shows to be minimal. The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, indicating that it is one of the weakest graphics processors in the database.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database are all legacy, low-end parts. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, which is 1.3% lower than the Arc B390. The NVIDIA GeForce 800M scores 1460 (1.5% lower), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446 (2.5% lower), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 scores 1443 (2.7% lower). While the Arc B390 technically outperforms these older components, the margin is incredibly slim. The deltas are all under 3%, meaning the Arc B390 is essentially in the same performance class as a decade-old entry-level GPU. This explains why the combo's ranking in Thief is so poor; it is competing with, and only barely beating, hardware that is not designed for modern gaming at higher resolutions.

It is also important to consider the CPU's standing. The Intel Core i3-12100F is in the 68th percentile of all CPUs, which is a respectable mid-range position. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core 3 N355 (deltaPct 0%), the Intel Core i5-9500 (0.3% ahead), the Intel Core 5 120UL (0.7% behind), and the Intel Core i7-1250U (1.1% ahead). These very small percentage differences show that the i3-12100F is a solidly performing processor, comparable to a mid-generation Core i5. The massive disparity between the CPU's ranking (68th percentile) and the GPU's ranking (9th percentile) confirms that the Arc B390 is dragging the entire combo down, preventing the processor from ever being the performance boundary.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. In the context of Thief, these specifications are more than sufficient to handle the game's logic, as the benchmark results show the CPU is never the primary bottleneck. The processor's benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 11860 and a single-core score of 1674, indicate a capable part. The Passmark single-thread score of 3444 further confirms its strength in tasks that rely on fewer cores.

The game's performance scaling suggests that the CPU is waiting on the GPU for most of the frame. At 1920x1080 Low, the combo achieves 86 FPS. While this is a decent frame rate, it is not exceptionally high, and it is likely that the Arc B390 is still limiting the output. A more powerful GPU paired with this CPU would likely produce significantly higher frame rates at 1080p Low, given the CPU's strong single-threaded performance. The data implies that the i3-12100F has significant untapped potential in this system, as it is being held back by the graphics card.

The CPU's 12 MB of shared L3 cache also plays a role in maintaining consistent frame pacing. While the GPU struggles with higher resolutions, the CPU is able to feed it data without introducing stutter, as evidenced by the relatively stable min and max FPS figures at 1440p Medium (38 to 52 FPS). If the CPU were the weak link, we would expect to see more dramatic frame drops and a less predictable scaling pattern across resolutions. Instead, the smooth, linear degradation of FPS points to a CPU that is doing its job efficiently, leaving the GPU as the sole performance bottleneck.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i3-12100F bottlenecking the Intel Arc B390 in Thief?

A: No. The performance data shows the opposite. The FPS drops dramatically as resolution increases (e.g., from 50 FPS at 1080p High to 20 FPS at 4K High), which is a characteristic of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU's benchmark scores, like a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 11860, indicate it has ample headroom that the Arc B390 cannot utilize.

Q: What is the best resolution to play Thief with this hardware?

A: The data indicates that 1920x1080 is the only resolution that provides a consistently playable experience. At 1080p, the average FPS ranges from 48 to 86 depending on the preset. Moving to 2560x1440 drops the average FPS below 60 in most presets, and 3840x2160 results in averages below 35 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to other GPUs in the database?

A: The Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, which is 1.3% slower, and the NVIDIA GeForce 800M, which is 1.5% slower. It is only slightly faster than these legacy components.

Q: Is this system good for playing Thief on Ultra settings?

A: The data suggests not. At 1920x1080 Ultra, the combo produces an average of 48 FPS. While this is playable, it is below the 60 FPS target many players prefer. At 1440p and 4K Ultra, the averages drop to 33 and 19 FPS, respectively, which would be a poor experience for a stealth game.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the average FPS at Low settings is 86, while at Ultra settings it is 48. This represents a significant 38 FPS difference. The data shows that reducing settings from Ultra to Low can nearly double the frame rate at this resolution.

Q: Does the Intel Core i3-12100F have good single-threaded performance?

A: Yes. Its benchmark scores are strong, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 893, a Geekbench single-core score of 1932, and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1674. This robust single-thread performance is part of why the CPU is not a limiting factor in Thief.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the decisive component in this system's Thief performance, and its specifications explain the low frame rates. It is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. Its boost clock is 2500 MHz, and it relies on System Shared memory, meaning its performance is heavily dependent on the system's RAM bandwidth. The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units. Its compute capabilities are limited to 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

These specifications align with its benchmark standing as a 9th-percentile GPU. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 is the only GPU benchmark data available, and it is a very low score. This is reflected in Thief where, even at the lowest resolution and settings, the GPU cannot push the frame rate to high triple digits. At 1920x1080 Low, the average FPS is 86, which is likely close to the maximum output this GPU can achieve. The fact that increasing the resolution to 1440p and 4K causes such massive performance drops shows the GPU lacks the raw pixel throughput and memory bandwidth for higher resolutions.

The GPU's 24 ROPs and 48 TMUs are insufficient for the demands of modern resolutions. The texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s are low figures, resulting in the poor scaling we see in the measured data. The Arc B390's nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, is a mobile GPU from an older generation, underscoring the performance tier this part occupies. In essence, the Arc B390 is the sole reason for this combo's low ranking, and its limitations are the primary obstacle to a smooth gaming experience in Thief at any resolution above 1080p.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the recommended approach for playing Thief with this hardware is to prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, and to stay at 1920x1080. The Low preset at 1080p yields an average of 86 FPS, which provides the smoothest and most responsive experience. This is the only preset and resolution combination that comes close to high-refresh-rate territory, and it offers a significant 20 FPS advantage over the next best option.

For a balance between visual quality and performance, the Medium preset at 1920x1080 is a solid choice. It produces an average of 66 FPS, which remains comfortably playable. The min and max FPS data for this setting (56 to 75) indicates good frame pacing without major stutters. This is the highest preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS.

The High and Ultra presets at 1080p are only marginally playable, with averages of 50 and 48 FPS, respectively. While these are technically playable, the drop below 60 FPS will be noticeable in a game that requires precision. At 2560x1440, only the Low preset (59 FPS) is playable, but it is only marginally better than the 1080p High preset in terms of frame rate while offering a lower visual quality setting. The 3840x2160 resolution should be avoided entirely, as all presets deliver an average of 35 FPS or less, making the game feel sluggish. For the best experience, the data strongly supports using the Low or Medium preset at 1920x1080.