Thief

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the Intel Arc B390 lands at rank 2534 out of 2851 tested combos in Thief, placing it in the bottom 11% of all systems measured. This is a low-tier result, but the data reveals a configuration that is strictly playable only at the most modest settings, with a clear GPU-bound bottleneck that dominates performance scaling across resolutions. The combo’s ranking reflects a severe hardware mismatch for this 2014 stealth title, where the GPU’s integrated-class performance caps frame rates well below what the CPU can otherwise deliver.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 2534 out of 2851 combos places it in the lower percentile of all tested systems for Thief. This is a bottom-decile performance tier, meaning the vast majority of hardware combinations deliver higher frame rates. The data suggests that this pairing is only viable for users who prioritize resolution fidelity over smoothness, and even then, only at the lowest settings. The ranking is driven almost entirely by the GPU, which sits at the 9th percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU sits at the 68th percentile among all CPUs—a stark imbalance that the benchmark results consistently reflect.

In practical terms, this rank means the system will struggle to maintain 60 FPS at any resolution above 1080p with medium or higher settings. The nearest rival comparisons for the GPU reinforce this: the Arc B390’s average benchmark score of 1482 is just 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, a legacy entry-level part, and only 2.7% ahead of the GeForce GT 710. These are not gaming-class GPUs, and the measured FPS in Thief aligns with that classification, placing the combo firmly in the "playable at low settings only" category.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the primary constraint in this combo. Its architecture, Xe3-LPG on a 3 nm process, is designed for integrated graphics within the Panther Lake mobile platform, and the benchmark data confirms its limits. The GPU’s base clock is 300 MHz with a boost of 2500 MHz, but raw clock speed does not compensate for its modest execution resources: 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs. The memory configuration is "System Shared," with bandwidth listed as "System Dependent," which means the GPU relies on the CPU’s dual-channel DDR4 memory subsystem, capped at 42.7 GB/s for the i5-10400F.

In Thief, this translates to a hard ceiling on performance. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 86 FPS, but this drops sharply as settings increase, falling to 66 FPS at Medium and 50 FPS at High. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 is a useful proxy for its compute capability, but the in-game data shows that the GPU’s fill rate and texture throughput—rated at 60.00 GPixel/s and 120.0 GTexel/s respectively—are insufficient for higher presets. The GPU’s 9th percentile ranking versus all GPUs is corroborated by the measured FPS, which never exceeds 86 FPS even at the lowest settings at 1080p. The 12 RT cores and 12 Ultimate API support are effectively irrelevant here, as Thief’s workload is rasterization-bound, and the shared memory bandwidth becomes a severe limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and reveals a purely GPU-limited scenario. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 86 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, it drops to 59 FPS, a 31% reduction. At 4K Low, it falls to 35 FPS, which is a 59% reduction from 1080p. This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU that is overwhelmed by pixel count, and it confirms that the CPU is not the bottleneck—the i5-10400F’s 12 threads and 4.30 GHz boost clock are more than capable of feeding the GPU at these frame rates.

For Medium settings, the trend is similar but with lower absolute values: 66 FPS at 1080p, 45 FPS at 1440p, and 26 FPS at 4K. The gap between Low and Medium settings narrows at higher resolutions, suggesting that the GPU’s memory bandwidth is saturated. At 4K Medium, the minimum FPS is 22 and the maximum is 30, indicating significant frame time variance that would be noticeable as stutter. The Ultra preset is nearly unplayable at all resolutions above 1080p: 48 FPS at 1080p Ultra, 33 FPS at 1440p Ultra, and 19 FPS at 4K Ultra. The data shows that the GPU’s ROP count of 24 is insufficient for 4K rasterization, and the shared memory bandwidth further cripples performance at high pixel densities.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the best experience is at 1080p with Low settings, which yields 86 FPS average. This is the only configuration that approaches a smooth 60+ FPS experience with headroom. At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 66 FPS with a minimum of 56 FPS, which is still playable but with occasional dips below the 60 FPS threshold. For users who prefer visual fidelity over raw frame rate, 1080p High at 50 FPS is the highest preset that maintains playable frames, but it is a compromise.

At 1440p, the data suggests Low settings (59 FPS) are the only viable option for a near-60 FPS experience. Medium at 1440p drops to 45 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a stealth game where quick reactions matter. 4K is not recommended at any setting, as the highest average FPS is 35 at Low, and the minimum FPS at Medium is 22, which falls below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset is consistently 48 FPS or lower across all resolutions, making it unsuitable for this combo. The sweet spot is 1080p Low, with 1080p Medium as a secondary option if the user can tolerate occasional frame dips.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. Low settings produce an average of 86 FPS, which is the highest measured frame rate across all configurations. Medium settings average 66 FPS, with a minimum of 56 FPS and a maximum of 75 FPS, indicating a playable but variable experience. High settings average 50 FPS, which is a 42% drop from Low. Ultra settings average 48 FPS, showing that the jump from High to Ultra costs only 2 FPS, suggesting a CPU-side limit at this resolution and preset, or that the GPU is already saturated.

At 2560x1440, the performance degrades predictably. Low settings average 59 FPS, which is a 31% drop from 1080p Low. Medium settings average 45 FPS, with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS, showing a wider frame time variance than at 1080p. High settings average 34 FPS, and Ultra averages 33 FPS, both of which are below the 40 FPS threshold for acceptable playability in a stealth title. The drop from High to Ultra at 1440p is only 1 FPS, again indicating that the GPU is fully saturated.

At 3840x2160, the combo is severely underpowered. Low settings average 35 FPS, which is a 59% drop from 1080p Low. Medium settings average 26 FPS, with a minimum of 22 FPS and a maximum of 30 FPS, showing significant stutter. High settings average 20 FPS, and Ultra averages 19 FPS, both of which are unplayable. The data shows that the GPU’s shared memory bandwidth is the primary bottleneck, as the FPS does not scale linearly with resolution—the drop from 1440p to 4K at Low settings is 24 FPS, while the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 27 FPS, indicating that the GPU is hitting a memory bandwidth wall.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of running Thief at 60 FPS?

A: Only at 1080p with Low settings, where the average FPS is 86. At 1080p Medium, the average is 66 FPS with a minimum of 56 FPS, which is close but not guaranteed. At 1440p Low, the average is 59 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS mark.

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution, as it is the only resolution where the combo can exceed 60 FPS (at Low settings) and maintain playable frame rates at Medium (66 FPS average). At 1440p, only Low settings (59 FPS) are viable, and 4K is not recommended at any setting.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals in terms of benchmark score?

A: The Intel Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% higher than the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% higher than the GeForce GT 710 (1443). These are all entry-level GPUs, and the in-game performance reflects this.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this combo?

A: The GPU is the clear limiting factor. The CPU’s percentile ranking is 68, while the GPU’s is 9. The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a 59% drop at Low settings, which is characteristic of a GPU bottleneck, not a CPU bottleneck. The CPU’s 12 threads and 4.30 GHz boost clock are sufficient for Thief’s workload.

Q: What is the lowest FPS recorded at any settings?

A: The lowest average FPS is 19 at 4K Ultra settings. The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 22 at 4K Medium settings, with an average of 26 FPS and a maximum of 30 FPS, indicating significant frame time spikes.

Q: Does the Ultra preset provide any benefit over High settings?

A: The data shows marginal differences. At 1080p, High averages 50 FPS and Ultra averages 48 FPS, a 2 FPS difference. At 1440p, High averages 34 FPS and Ultra averages 33 FPS, a 1 FPS difference. At 4K, High averages 20 FPS and Ultra averages 19 FPS, also a 1 FPS difference. The Ultra preset does not provide a playable experience at any resolution, so High is preferred if visual quality is desired.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F provides a solid foundation for this combo, but its capabilities are largely wasted in Thief due to the GPU’s limitations. The CPU features 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its benchmark scores are respectable: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 10283 and a single-core score of 1451, with a Geekbench multi-core score of 6257. The CPU’s 68th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates it is a mid-range performer, but its 12 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support (42.7 GB/s bandwidth) are more than adequate for Thief’s requirements.

The data shows no evidence of CPU bottlenecking. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 86 FPS, which is a frame rate that the CPU can easily sustain given its single-thread performance. The 3DMark 2-thread score of 1350 suggests strong single-threaded capability, which is relevant for older game engines like Thief’s that often rely on a few primary threads. The CPU’s passmark single-thread score of 2541 further confirms its ability to handle the game’s logic and physics without limiting the GPU. However, the CPU’s potential is never fully realized because the GPU cannot push frame rates high enough to stress the CPU’s 12 threads. The result is a system where the CPU idles relative to its capacity, and the user would see no benefit from a more powerful CPU without a corresponding GPU upgrade. The CPU’s 65 W TDP and 14 nm process node are irrelevant to gaming performance here, but the data indicates that the i5-10400F is not the weak link—it is the Arc B390 that drags this combo to its rank of 2534.