Thief

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 achieves a combo rank of 760 out of 1,642 tested combinations in Thief. This places the pairing in the upper-middle tier of all tested systems, meaning roughly 54% of tested combos deliver higher average frame rates. The ranking reflects a significant asymmetry: the RTX 4090 sits at the 91st percentile among all GPUs, while the Core i5-10400F holds a 73rd percentile position among CPUs. This gap suggests the processor is the limiting factor in many scenes, preventing the graphics card from reaching its full potential.

The CPU's benchmark profile reinforces this interpretation. In 3DMark threaded tests, the i5-10400F scores 4,748 with 16 threads and 4,735 with max threads, showing strong scaling from its 6 cores and 12 threads. However, single-thread performance is comparatively modest at 688 in 3DMark, and Cinebench R23 single-core results of 1,453 indicate that older game engines like Thief's, which often rely heavily on single-thread performance, may not fully exploit the CPU's multi-threaded capabilities. The average benchmark score of 14,168 places it within 1.2% of rivals like the AMD EPYC 7552 (14,115) and AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (14,277), confirming it is a competent but not exceptional processor.

# GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 brings overwhelming graphics horsepower to this pairing. Its 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus delivers 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth, which is far more than Thief's 2014-era engine can utilize at any resolution. The GPU's 16,384 shading units, 512 TMUs, and 176 ROPs provide raw compute that dwarfs the demands of this title. Clock speeds are also high: a base of 2,235 MHz and boost of 2,520 MHz, with memory running at 21 Gbps effective.

In benchmark terms, the RTX 4090 scores 38,194 in Passmark G3D and 31,7684 in Geekbench OpenCL, placing it at the 91st percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla T4 (66,733 average score, 0.4% higher) and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 (67,097, 0.9% higher), though these comparisons are based on aggregate benchmarks rather than Thief-specific performance. The GPU's Passmark DirectX 11 score of 326 and DirectX 12 score of 150 suggest it handles modern APIs well, but Thief was released before DirectX 12's widespread adoption, meaning the engine likely runs through compatibility paths that underutilize the architecture.

The data indicates the RTX 4090 is never the bottleneck in this combo. Even at 4K Ultra, where average FPS drops to 71.9, the GPU has ample headroom. The limiting factor is the CPU, as evidenced by the relatively small FPS differences between settings presets at each resolution.

# Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how the system scales across resolutions. Moving from 1080p to 1440p to 4K shows diminishing frame rates that reflect increasing GPU load, but the pattern is unusual for a GPU as powerful as the RTX 4090. At High settings, average FPS goes from 104.3 at 1920x1080 to 89.6 at 2560x1440 (a 14.1% drop), then to 76.2 at 3840x2160 (a 15.0% drop from 1440p). This gentle decline suggests the CPU is constraining performance at lower resolutions, where the GPU could otherwise produce much higher frame rates.

The Low settings preset shows a similar trend: 126.7 FPS at 1080p, 110.2 at 1440p, and 90 at 4K. The percentage drops are 13.0% and 18.3% respectively, with the larger 4K drop indicating the GPU begins to matter more at higher pixel counts. At Ultra settings, the pattern continues: 99.1 FPS at 1080p, 88.6 at 1440p, and 71.9 at 4K, representing 10.6% and 18.8% drops.

The relatively modest FPS differences between Low and Ultra at the same resolution confirm the CPU limitation. At 1080p, the spread from Low to Ultra is only 27.6 FPS (126.7 down to 99.1), which is small for a GPU capable of far higher output. This indicates that even at Low settings, the CPU cannot feed frames fast enough to fully utilize the RTX 4090. The component limiting performance shifts gradually toward the GPU as resolution increases, but even at 4K Ultra, the system does not appear to be purely GPU-bound.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce 126.7 FPS average, Medium reaches 115.0, High hits 104.3, and Ultra drops to 99.1. The difference between Low and Ultra is 27.6 FPS, or 21.8% lower at Ultra. This tight grouping suggests the CPU is the primary constraint, as a GPU-bound scenario would show a much wider gap between presets. The 1080p results are all above 60 FPS, making this resolution comfortable for high-refresh displays.

At 2560x1440, average FPS decreases across all presets. Low runs at 110.2, Medium at 99.0, High at 89.6, and Ultra at 88.6. The Low-to-Ultra gap narrows to 21.6 FPS (19.6% lower at Ultra). Notably, the jump from High to Ultra is minimal at just 1.0 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset adds graphical features that are handled efficiently by the RTX 4090 without taxing the CPU further.

At 3840x2160, the system still maintains playable frame rates. Low averages 90.0 FPS, Medium 81.8, High 76.2, and Ultra 71.9. The Low-to-Ultra spread is 18.1 FPS (20.1% lower at Ultra). Here, the GPU's workload increases substantially, but the RTX 4090's 24 GB VRAM and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth keep frame rates well above 60 FPS even at Ultra. The smallest absolute difference between presets occurs at 4K, indicating that the GPU is becoming a more significant factor, though the CPU still limits peak performance.

Across all resolutions, the pattern is consistent: Low and Medium presets offer the highest frame rates, while Ultra provides the most visually demanding experience with only modest FPS penalties. The system never dips below 71.9 FPS average in any measured configuration.

# Settings Recommendations

For players prioritizing smoothness, the Low preset at 1080p delivers the highest measured average at 126.7 FPS. This configuration maximizes frame rate headroom for high-refresh monitors. However, the difference between Low and High at 1080p is only 22.4 FPS, meaning players can enjoy better visuals without sacrificing much performance.

At 1440p, the Medium preset at 99.0 FPS offers the best balance. It is 11.2 FPS faster than High (89.6) and 10.4 FPS faster than Ultra (88.6), while providing superior visual quality compared to Low (110.2). The High-to-Ultra gap of just 1.0 FPS at this resolution makes Ultra an attractive option for those wanting maximum detail with negligible cost.

At 4K, the High preset at 76.2 FPS is the recommended choice. It sits 5.6 FPS above Ultra (71.9) and 4.3 FPS below Medium (81.8). Given that Thief is a stealth game where consistent frame pacing matters more than peak rates, High offers a comfortable margin above 60 FPS while retaining meaningful visual enhancements over Medium. Ultra remains viable at 71.9 FPS for players with G-SYNC or FreeSync displays who prioritize image quality.

Across all resolutions, Ultra presets are playable, but the data suggests diminishing returns: at 1080p, Ultra costs 21.8% performance versus Low; at 1440p, it costs 19.6%; at 4K, it costs 20.1%. For competitive stealth gameplay, Medium or High provides the best experience per frame.

# FAQ

Q: Does the RTX 4090 bottleneck the system in Thief?

A: No. The data shows the CPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is only 27.6 FPS (126.7 to 99.1), which is narrow for a GPU of this caliber. The RTX 4090's 91st percentile GPU ranking far exceeds the CPU's 73rd percentile, and frame rates remain high even at 4K Ultra (71.9 FPS).

Q: Is 4K Ultra playable with this combo?

A: Yes, with an average of 71.9 FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra. This is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The RTX 4090's 24 GB VRAM and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth handle the resolution easily, though the CPU still prevents higher frame rates.

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

A: The Core i5-10400F averages 14,168 in benchmarks, placing it 0.4% above the AMD EPYC 7552 (14,115) and 1.1% above the Intel Core i5-8500 (14,332). It is 0.8% below the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (14,277) and 1.2% below the AMD Ryzen Embedded V2546 (14,336). These differences are minimal in practical terms.

Q: What is the best resolution for maximum frame rate?

A: 1920x1080 with Low settings produces the highest measured average at 126.7 FPS. Even at 4K Low, the system maintains 90.0 FPS, so players have flexibility depending on their display's native resolution.

Q: How much performance is lost moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: At Ultra settings, the drop is from 99.1 FPS at 1080p to 71.9 FPS at 4K, a 27.5% reduction. At Low settings, the drop is from 126.7 to 90.0 FPS, a 29.0% reduction. The consistent percentage loss indicates the system scales predictably with resolution.

Q: Does the Ultra preset provide a meaningful visual improvement?

A: The performance cost is moderate: at 1440p, Ultra is only 1.0 FPS slower than High (88.6 vs 89.6), making it nearly free. At 1080p and 4K, Ultra costs 5.2 FPS and 4.3 FPS respectively compared to High. Given these small penalties, Ultra is viable if the visual enhancements matter to the player.