Thief

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti delivers a strong, playable experience in Thief, though the path to optimal performance depends heavily on resolution. Benchmark data shows that the Ultra preset is only viable at 1080p, where it averages 84.2 FPS. At 1440p, the Ultra preset dips to 58.6 FPS, which is borderline for smooth gameplay, while the High preset offers a more comfortable 65 FPS. At 4K, the Ultra preset falls to 37.6 FPS, which is not fluid, and even the High preset struggles at 38 FPS. The data suggests that for a consistent 60+ FPS experience, the High preset is the recommended choice for 1440p, while the Medium preset, which averages 78.9 FPS at 1440p, provides a better balance of visual quality and performance headroom. At 4K, the Low preset is the only option that maintains acceptable fluidity, averaging 62.2 FPS, but it comes with significant visual compromises. For most users, the High preset at 1440p represents the best balance of image quality and frame rate, as it keeps the average FPS above 60 without requiring a drop to lower graphical fidelity.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Thief, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-10400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti ranks at 1281 out of 1642 tested combos. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the performance spectrum for this title, indicating that while it is far from the top-tier setups, it is also not among the weakest. The combo's ranking is influenced by both components, but the data suggests the GPU is the more significant factor in this game's performance. The RTX 3060 Ti itself sits at the 69th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25120. Its nearest rivals in the GPU benchmark list include the AMD Radeon RX 6700M, which scores 25180, a delta of -0.2%, and the AMD Radeon RX 6600, which scores 25235, a delta of -0.5%. This indicates the RTX 3060 Ti is essentially performance-equivalent to those cards in general compute tasks, but in Thief, its specific strengths and the CPU's capabilities combine to produce the observed frame rates.

The CPU, the Intel Core i5-10400F, sits at the 73rd percentile among all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 14168. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7552, which scores 14115, a delta of 0.4%, and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C, which scores 14277, a delta of -0.8%. These small deltas suggest that the CPU is well-matched with its direct competitors in synthetic tests. However, the combo's overall rank in Thief suggests that the game is likely more GPU-bound at the higher resolution settings where the frame rates drop significantly, while at 1080p, the CPU's six cores and 12 threads are sufficient to keep the GPU fed, allowing it to reach its maximum potential as seen in the 126.5 FPS Low preset score. The relatively low ranking of 1281 out of 1642 indicates that many other combinations, likely with higher-end CPUs or GPUs, achieve better performance, but this setup remains a capable mid-range option.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 1080p monitor?

A: The data indicates that the High preset is the best choice for 1080p, delivering an average of 88.2 FPS. The Ultra preset is also playable at 84.2 FPS, but the High preset offers a better balance of performance and visual quality, as the jump to Ultra provides diminishing returns for the slight loss in frame rate.

Q: Can this combo handle 1440p gaming in Thief?

A: Yes, it can handle 1440p effectively. The High preset at 2560x1440 averages 65 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset also performs well at 78.9 FPS, offering a smoother experience if you prefer higher frame rates over maximum visual detail.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this setup?

A: 4K gaming is possible but requires significant compromises. The only preset that achieves a playable average frame rate is Low, which scores 62.2 FPS. The High preset drops to 38 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 37.6 FPS, both of which are too low for a fluid experience.

Q: How does the RTX 3060 Ti compare to its nearest rivals in general performance?

A: In the GPU benchmark data, the RTX 3060 Ti has an average score of 25120. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6700M, scores 25180, which is a delta of -0.2%. The AMD Radeon RX 6600 scores 25235, a delta of -0.5%. This suggests the RTX 3060 Ti is essentially on par with these cards in overall compute performance.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in this game?

A: The data suggests that at lower resolutions like 1080p, the combo achieves high frame rates, such as 126.5 FPS on Low settings, indicating the CPU is not a significant bottleneck. However, at higher resolutions like 4K, the frame rates drop dramatically, suggesting the GPU becomes the limiting factor as the resolution increases.

Q: What is the performance difference between the High and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 65 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 58.6 FPS. This represents a drop of 6.4 FPS when moving from High to Ultra, which is a notable decrease that could impact smoothness on a 60Hz display.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for this combo in Thief show a clear pattern across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the performance is strong across the board. The Low preset achieves the highest average at 126.5 FPS, followed by Medium at 111.4 FPS. High settings produce an average of 88.2 FPS, while the Ultra preset brings the frame rate down to 84.2 FPS. This range indicates that even at the highest settings, the combo maintains a solid experience at 1080p, with all presets well above the 60 FPS threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates predictably decrease. The Low preset still delivers a very high average of 105.1 FPS, showing the combo's capability at this resolution. The Medium preset follows with 78.9 FPS, which remains smooth. The High preset averages 65 FPS, which is still acceptable for most gamers. The Ultra preset, however, drops to 58.6 FPS, which is below the ideal 60 FPS mark and may be noticeable to users with high refresh rate monitors.

At 3840x2160, the performance takes a significant hit, reflecting the increased GPU load. The Low preset is the only one that remains playable, with an average of 62.2 FPS. The Medium preset falls to 48 FPS, which is choppy. The High preset averages 38 FPS, and the Ultra preset is the lowest at 37.6 FPS. These numbers indicate that 4K gaming is not a viable option for this combo without sacrificing visual quality to the Low preset.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals important insights about the limiting component in this system. At 1080p with the High preset, the average FPS is 88.2. When moving to 1440p, the frame rate drops to 65 FPS, a decrease of 23.2 FPS, or roughly 26%. At 4K, the High preset drops to 38 FPS, which is a further decrease of 27 FPS from the 1440p result, and a total drop of 50.2 FPS from 1080p. This pattern of significant frame rate reductions as resolution increases points to the GPU as the primary bottleneck.

The data for the Low preset shows a similar trend. At 1080p, the average is 126.5 FPS. At 1440p, it drops to 105.1 FPS, a decrease of 21.4 FPS. At 4K, it falls to 62.2 FPS, a substantial drop of 42.9 FPS from the 1440p result. The steep decline between 1440p and 4K, where the frame rate nearly halves, is a strong indicator that the RTX 3060 Ti is being pushed to its limits at 4K resolution. The CPU, with its six cores and 12 threads, appears to be sufficient to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions, as evidenced by the 126.5 FPS score at 1080p Low, but the GPU's rendering capabilities are the limiting factor when the pixel count increases dramatically.

This analysis is further supported by the GPU's position in the benchmark data. The RTX 3060 Ti has a percentile rank of 69 among all GPUs, placing it in the mid-to-upper range but not at the top. The significant frame rate drops at 4K across all settings suggest that the GPU is unable to maintain high throughput at that resolution, while the CPU's performance, which ranks at the 73rd percentile, is less of a constraint. Therefore, the data indicates that for users seeking higher resolutions, the GPU is the component that would need to be upgraded to achieve better performance in Thief.