Thief

The Intel Core i5-10400F and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT combination delivers a playable experience in Thief, but the data clearly shows that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The combo ranks 1296th out of 1642 tested configurations, placing it in the lower half of the database, which is consistent with a mid-range pairing from distinct hardware generations. Benchmark results indicate that while the CPU has enough headroom to push high frame rates at 1080p, the graphics card’s limitations become apparent as resolution increases, making settings management crucial for a smooth experience.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with High settings, the combo averages 86.4 FPS, which drops to 59.2 FPS at 1440p and further to 34 FPS at 4K. This represents a 61% performance loss from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the RX 5700 XT is struggling to fill the additional pixels. The scaling is nearly linear: moving from 1440p to 4K (a 2.25x pixel increase) yields a 43% FPS reduction, which aligns with the GPU’s memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s being a limiting factor.

At Low settings, the trend is similar but with higher absolute numbers. The 1080p Low result of 126.9 FPS falls to 104.8 FPS at 1440p and 64.1 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 49%, slightly less severe than at High, suggesting that the CPU begins to play a more significant role when the GPU is less burdened. However, the 4K Low result still falls well below the 60 FPS threshold, confirming that the GPU is the definitive bottleneck at this resolution regardless of settings.

The data shows that the most efficient resolution-to-settings combination is 1440p Medium, which delivers 79.1 FPS. This is only 8% slower than the 1440p Low result of 104.8 FPS, yet offers substantially better visual fidelity. In contrast, the jump from 1440p Medium to 1440p High costs 25% performance (79.1 to 59.2 FPS), making Medium the sweet spot for this resolution. At 4K, even Low settings cannot reach 60 FPS, so users must accept a sub-60 experience or drop to a lower resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F provides a solid foundation for Thief, with 6 cores and 12 threads operating at a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. The CPU’s benchmark scores indicate strong single-threaded performance, with a 3dmark single-thread score of 688 and a Geekbench single-core score of 1454. This is relevant because Thief, a 2014 title, relies heavily on single-thread performance for game logic and AI, and the CPU’s 73rd percentile ranking among all CPUs suggests it is more than adequate for this workload.

The multi-threaded results further support this conclusion. The CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 10297 and a Passmark multithread score of 12115, placing it in the upper echelon of processors. However, the benchmark data from the game itself shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 126.9 FPS, which is likely near the CPU’s maximum frame output for this game engine. When the resolution increases, the FPS drops proportionally, indicating that the GPU is the constraint, not the processor.

The CPU’s 12 MB of shared L3 cache and 42.7 GB/s memory bandwidth are adequate for Thief’s requirements. The data shows that the CPU can feed the GPU enough data to achieve over 100 FPS at 1080p, but the GPU’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 256-bit bus cannot sustain that throughput at higher resolutions. In essence, the i5-10400F is a capable partner, but it is not the component that determines the frame rate in this pairing.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Thief?

A: The data shows that 1440p Medium provides the best balance, delivering 79.1 FPS with visually improved settings compared to Low. At 1080p, all settings exceed 86 FPS, but 1440p offers a better use of the GPU’s capabilities.

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 4K?

A: No. Even at Low settings, the 4K result is 64.1 FPS, which is above 60, but at Medium it drops to 47 FPS and at Ultra it falls to 36.2 FPS. The only 4K setting that exceeds 60 FPS is Low, which may not be visually acceptable.

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

A: The i5-10400F has an average benchmark score of 14168, which is 0.4% higher than the AMD EPYC 7552 and 0.8% lower than the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C. It also trails the Intel Core i5-8500 by 1.1% and the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 by 1.2%, indicating it is competitive with these processors.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU more important for this game?

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 126.9 FPS, but at 4K Low it drops to 64.1 FPS. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck, as the CPU’s performance remains constant across resolutions.

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

A: At 1080p, High and Ultra are nearly identical, with 86.4 FPS and 86.6 FPS respectively. At 1440p, Ultra is slightly slower at 58.1 FPS compared to High’s 59.2 FPS. The difference becomes more pronounced at 4K, where High averages 34 FPS and Ultra averages 36.2 FPS, a negligible variance.

Q: How does the GPU rank among all tested graphics cards?

A: The RX 5700 XT has an average benchmark score of 24731, placing it in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. It is 0.1% slower than the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile and 0.3% faster than the Intel Arc A350M, showing it is a mid-range performer.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the combo delivers consistently high frame rates across all settings. Low settings average 126.9 FPS, Medium averages 115.5 FPS, and both High and Ultra hover around 86.5 FPS. The small gap between High and Ultra (86.4 vs 86.6 FPS) suggests that Ultra adds little performance cost at this resolution, making it a viable choice for users with 1080p monitors.

Moving to 1440p, the performance scales down as expected. Low settings produce 104.8 FPS, Medium drops to 79.1 FPS, High falls to 59.2 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 58.1 FPS. The 1440p results show a more pronounced difference between settings, with Low being 32% faster than Medium and Medium being 25% faster than High. This indicates that the GPU’s fill rate is becoming a limiting factor at this resolution.

At 4K, the frame rates drop significantly. Low settings average 64.1 FPS, which is the only setting above 60. Medium averages 47 FPS, High averages 34 FPS, and Ultra averages 36.2 FPS. Interestingly, Ultra outperforms High at 4K by a small margin, which may be due to driver optimizations or measurement variance. The 4K results clearly show that this combo is not suited for high-fidelity gaming at this resolution, as even Medium falls below 50 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1296th out of 1642 tested combinations in Thief, placing it in the 21st percentile. This is a low ranking, but it must be interpreted in context: the database includes many high-end configurations with newer hardware. The RX 5700 XT, with its 68th percentile GPU ranking, is the weaker link in this pairing. The i5-10400F, ranked in the 73rd percentile of CPUs, is comparatively stronger.

The ranking suggests that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, where it can achieve high frame rates. At 1440p, it is still capable of delivering playable results with Medium settings, but it falls behind more modern GPUs. The data shows that the combo’s performance is consistent with its component rankings: neither the CPU nor the GPU is a standout performer, but together they form a balanced mid-range setup.

For users considering this combo, the benchmark results indicate that it is a viable option for 1080p gaming with high settings, but it will struggle at 4K. The 1296th rank reflects the GPU’s age and the CPU’s mid-range positioning, but the measured FPS data shows that it can still provide a smooth experience in Thief at lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The best experience for this combo is achieved at 1440p with Medium settings, which delivers 79.1 FPS. This provides a 25% performance improvement over High settings (59.2 FPS) while maintaining visual quality that is noticeably better than Low (104.8 FPS). The Medium preset at 1440p is the optimal balance of frame rate and fidelity, as it stays well above 60 FPS and does not require the visual compromises of Low.

For users with 1080p monitors, the Ultra preset is recommended, as it delivers 86.6 FPS with only a marginal difference from High (86.4 FPS). The data shows no performance penalty for choosing Ultra over High at 1080p, making it the best choice for maximum visual quality. At 1440p, users should avoid Ultra, as it drops to 58.1 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold.

At 4K, the only viable option is Low settings, which averages 64.1 FPS. However, this sacrifices significant visual quality. Users who prioritize frame rate over fidelity may consider this option, but the data suggests that 1440p Medium is the superior choice, offering a 19% higher frame rate (79.1 vs 64.1 FPS) with better graphics than 4K Low. Overall, the settings recommendations are clear: 1440p Medium for the best balance, 1080p Ultra for maximum quality, and 4K Low only if resolution is the primary concern.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is the dominant factor in this combo’s performance, and the data shows its limitations clearly. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, the GPU has a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, which is insufficient for 4K gaming at high settings. The GPU’s base clock of 1605 MHz and boost clock of 1905 MHz, combined with 2560 shading units, provide decent compute power, but the 4K results reveal that the memory interface is the bottleneck.

The GPU’s benchmark scores support this analysis. Its Passmark G3D score of 16277 places it in the 68th percentile, and its nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile, is only 0.1% faster. The GPU’s 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2134 is a modern benchmark, but Thief is an older title that may not fully utilize the GPU’s architectural features. The RDNA 1.0 architecture, with its 7 nm process and 10,300 million transistors, is capable, but the data shows that it cannot sustain high frame rates at 4K.

The GPU’s role is also evident in the settings scaling. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is only 32% (126.9 to 86.6 FPS), but at 4K, the difference narrows to 43% (64.1 to 36.2 FPS). This suggests that the GPU is becoming saturated at higher resolutions, and the CPU’s influence diminishes. The 9.754 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is adequate for 1080p, but the 4K results indicate that the GPU is the clear limiting factor in this pairing.