Thief

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers a surprisingly balanced experience in Thief, a 2014 stealth title from February 24, 2014. Despite the stark contrast between a budget quad-core CPU and a flagship GPU, the measured frame rates show the game leans heavily on the graphics card, with the CPU rarely becoming a bottleneck at higher resolutions. This combo ranks 485th out of 3720 tested combinations, placing it solidly in the top 13.2% of all configurations in the database. The data indicates a system that excels at high resolutions and high settings, but also reveals where the older CPU begins to show its age in this specific title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a four-core, eight-thread processor from Intel's Core 12th Gen series, built on the Alder Lake architecture and Alder Lake-S codename. It operates at a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, with a TDP of 58 watts. In terms of raw compute, its single-thread performance is a strong point, as evidenced by a 3DMark single-thread score of 893 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1674. This single-thread strength matters for Thief, a game that relies on CPU-bound calculations for AI and physics in certain scenes.

The CPU's multi-threaded capability is less impressive by comparison, with Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11,860 and a 3DMark 16-thread score of 4051, which is nearly identical to its 8-thread score of 4026 and max-thread score of 4023. This indicates the four physical cores with Hyper-Threading are fully saturated around 8 threads, and the extra threads add minimal performance. For a game like Thief, which is not heavily multi-threaded, this is acceptable. The Geekbench multi-core score of 7252 and Passmark multithread score of 14,015 place the CPU in the 68th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a mid-tier performer overall.

When compared to its nearest rivals, the i3-12100F is effectively tied with the Intel Core 3 N355, showing a 0% difference in average benchmark score. It sits 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core i5-9500 and 1.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-1250U, while trailing the Intel Core 5 120UL by 0.7%. These tiny margins mean the CPU's benchmark standing is neutral; its real-world impact in Thief is determined by the game's ability to leverage its single-thread strength.

In practice, the CPU's 4.30 GHz boost clock and high single-thread score are sufficient to feed the RTX 4090 at 1080p, where the frame rate is highest, but as resolution increases, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck. The data shows the CPU does not cause frame drops at 1440p or 4K, where the GPU's load dominates.

GPU.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the flagship of the GeForce 40-series, based on the Ada Lovelace architecture and the AD102 chip. It has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, with a memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s, and its clock runs at 2520 MHz boost. The GPU's raw compute is massive, with FP32 performance of 82.58 TFLOPS and a pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s, making it one of the most powerful consumer cards available.

In Thief, the RTX 4090's performance is overwhelming. At 1080p with High settings, it averages 138 FPS, and at 4K High it still manages 84 FPS, demonstrating its ability to push high resolutions. The card's 24 GB VRAM is more than enough for Thief's textures, which are modest by modern standards, so there is no VRAM pressure at any setting. The GPU's 88th percentile ranking and average benchmark score of 60,347 place it among the top graphics cards tested, and its nearest rivals—the Intel Arc Pro A60 (0% difference), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (0.3% ahead), and AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (2.5% behind)—pale in comparison to its sheer gaming performance, though those are workstation cards and not direct competitors.

The RTX 4090's performance in Thief is not limited by its own capabilities; the data shows the bottleneck shifts to the CPU at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the card is capable of producing, but the CPU can't keep up, resulting in a ceiling of around 169 FPS at Low settings. This is a clear sign of CPU-limited performance, as the GPU is not the limiting factor. At 4K, the GPU's workload increases, and it still delivers 125 FPS at Low and 80 FPS at Ultra, showing it is the primary driver of frame rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Core i3-12100F and RTX 4090 is ranked 485th out of 3,720 tested combinations in Thief. This places it in the top 13.2% of all combos, a strong position that reflects the GPU's dominance. The rank, however, is determined by the average FPS across all settings and resolutions, and the CPU's lower multi-thread performance compared to other combos with higher-end processors likely keeps the combo from ranking higher.

In the context of the database, the RTX 4090 is powerful, but when paired with a mid-range CPU, the combo's overall score is lower than when the GPU is paired with a top-tier CPU, as the CPU can create a bottleneck at high frame rates. The data shows that at 1080p, the combo's average FPS is 149, which is much lower than the 169 FPS at Low, indicating the CPU is the limiting factor at that resolution. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU takes over, and the average FPS is 122 and 84, respectively, which are more representative of the GPU's capability.

The rank of 485 out of 3,720 is a strong result, but it is not the top rank, which would be reserved for combos with the RTX 4090 and a higher-end CPU. The CPU's 68th percentile ranking and the GPU's 88th percentile ranking together create a combo that is better than the CPU alone, but not as high as the GPU alone, due to the CPU's limitation in CPU-bound scenarios.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum FPS this combo can achieve in Thief?

A: The maximum average FPS is 169 at 1080p Low settings. At 1080p Medium, the average is 153 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra, it is 136 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the RTX 4090 at any resolution?

A: Yes, the data shows CPU bottleneck at 1080p. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 169, but at 1440p Low is 149 FPS, and 4K Low is 125 FPS, indicating the CPU is the limiting factor at 1080p, as the GPU is not fully utilized. At 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes the bottleneck.

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The average FPS at 4K Ultra is 80 FPS, with no minimum or maximum recorded. At 4K High, the average is 84 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it is 110 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4090's memory size affect Thief performance?

A: The RTX 4090 has 24 GB of GDDR6X memory, which is far more than Thief requires. The game does not stress VRAM, so there is no performance impact due to memory capacity.

Q: Is the CPU's 4-core configuration a problem for Thief?

A: The CPU's 4 cores and 8 threads are adequate for Thief, which is not heavily multi-threaded. The CPU's single-thread performance is strong, as shown by the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1674, so it can handle the game's CPU-bound tasks. The bottleneck at 1080p is the CPU clock speed, not the core count.

Q: What is the combo's rank relative to all tested combos?

A: The combo is ranked 485th out of 3,720 tested combinations, placing it in the top 13.2% of all combos. This is a strong ranking, but not the highest, due to the CPU's performance compared to higher-end processors.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows how the combo scales from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 138. At 1440p High, it drops to 122 FPS, a reduction of 11.6%. At 4K High, it drops further to 84 FPS, a reduction of 39.1% from 1080p. This pattern indicates a GPU bottleneck at higher resolutions, which is expected.

However, examining the Low preset, the FPS drops less. At 1080p Low, the average is 169 FPS. At 1440p Low, it is 149 FPS, a drop of 11.8%. At 4K Low, it is 125 FPS, a drop of 26.0% from 1080p. The smaller drop from 1440p to 4K (26.0%) compared to the drop from 1080p to 1440p (11.8%) is notable. This suggests that at 1080p Low, the CPU is the limiting factor, as the FPS is the highest, and the GPU is not fully utilized. At 4K Low, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and the CPU is less of a factor.

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K at High settings is 54 FPS (from 138 to 84), which is a substantial reduction. This indicates the GPU is heavily loaded at 4K, but it still delivers a playable frame rate. The data shows that the combo can handle 4K High with an average of 84 FPS, which is a smooth experience. The lowest frame rate in the measured data is 80 FPS at 4K Ultra, which is still acceptable.

The scaling pattern confirms that the RTX 4090 is the primary component in this system for 4K gaming, while the CPU is the bottleneck at 1080p. For users who want higher frame rates at 1080p, the CPU would need to be upgraded, but for 1440p and 4K, the current combo is sufficient.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the best setting for this combo is the Ultra preset at 1440p, which averages 120 FPS. This provides a smooth experience with high visual quality. The Ultra preset at 1440p has no minimum or maximum FPS recorded, but the average of 120 FPS is above the 60 FPS threshold for a good experience.

At 4K, the Ultra preset averages 80 FPS, which is still playable but may be less smooth for some users. The High preset at 4K averages 84 FPS, which is a better option for those who prioritize frame rate over visual quality. The Medium preset at 4K averages 110 FPS, which is a significant improvement over Ultra and High, and it is recommended for users who want a high frame rate at 4K.

At 1080p, the Ultra preset averages 136 FPS, which is the highest frame rate at this resolution. The Low preset at 1080p is 169 FPS, but this is CPU-bound, and the visual quality is lower. The High preset at 1080p averages 138 FPS, which is a balanced choice.

For the best overall experience, the Medium preset at 1440p is the sweet spot, with an average of 135 FPS. This combines good visual quality with high frame rates. The data shows that the Medium preset has a minimum FPS of 114 and a maximum of 155, indicating a consistent performance without significant drops. In contrast, the Low preset has higher averages but lower visual quality. The Ultra preset at 4K has the lowest average FPS of 80, which is still playable but not ideal for competitive or fast-paced scenes.

The recommendation is to use the Medium preset at 1440p for a smooth and visually pleasing experience, or the High preset at 4K for a more immersive experience with a still-strong frame rate. The data does not show any frame drops or stuttering, so users can trust the averages. The combo is best utilized at 1440p, where it delivers high frame rates without the CPU bottleneck seen at 1080p.