Thief

The Intel Core i5-11400F and Intel Arc B570 combination delivers a playable but demanding experience in Thief, ranking 2994 out of 3720 tested combos. This places the pairing in the lower half of the database, indicating that while it can handle the game, users will need to make deliberate settings and resolution choices to achieve smooth performance. The data shows a system that is capable at 1080p but struggles to maintain high frame rates as resolution increases, with the GPU acting as the primary bottleneck in most scenarios.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 2994 out of 3720 tested configurations places it in the 20th percentile of all tested pairings for this title. This is a modest result, reflecting a CPU that sits at the 71st percentile against all CPUs and a GPU at the 65th percentile against all GPUs. The pairing is not at the bottom, but it is far from the top, and the measured frame rates confirm that this is a mid-range setup for Thief.

Looking at the individual components, the CPU's average benchmark score of 17177 puts it in close competition with several other processors. It is 0.3% ahead of the AMD EPYC 7H12, 0.6% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U, and 0.4% behind the Intel Core i5-12450H. The GPU, with an average benchmark score of 20556, is similarly well-matched with its rivals, sitting 0.1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile and 0.1% behind the Intel Arc A750. These tight deltas suggest that the performance of this combo is very much in line with other mid-range options, offering no significant surprises.

The rank in-game is a direct consequence of the measured FPS data. The combo achieves a 133 FPS average at 1080p Low, which is excellent, but this drops to a 73 FPS average at 1080p Ultra. This indicates that the system has the raw capability for high frame rates but that the GPU is quickly saturated by higher graphical loads. The ranking reflects this balance, showing a setup that is more suited to competitive or high-refresh-rate play at lower settings than to maxing out the game's visuals at high resolutions.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Thief at 4K resolution?*

A: The data shows it is possible but not ideal. At 4K with Low settings, the average FPS is 54, which is playable. However, at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 29 FPS, which is below the smoothness threshold for most players. Medium settings at 4K yield a 41 FPS average with a minimum of 35 FPS, indicating a playable but not perfectly smooth experience.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve high frame rates?

A: The measured data clearly favors 1080p. At 1080p Low, the combo averages 133 FPS, and even at 1080p High, it maintains a 77 FPS average. At 1440p, the average FPS at High settings drops to 53, so 1080p is the resolution where the hardware can consistently deliver high frame rates.

Q: How does the CPU's core count affect performance in this game?

A: The Intel Core i5-11400F has 6 cores and 12 threads. The benchmark results, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14340 and a single-core score of 2024, indicate a balanced processor. In Thief, this is sufficient to feed the GPU at 1080p, as evidenced by the high frame rates, but it is not the limiting factor at higher resolutions where the GPU becomes the bottleneck.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B570 more powerful than its direct competitors?

A: The average benchmark scores show a near-tie. The Arc B570 scores 20556, which is 0.1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile and 0.4% higher than the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M. It is 0.1% lower than the Intel Arc A750. In practical terms, performance is nearly identical to these rivals.

Q: What settings provide the best balance of visual quality and performance at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, the Medium preset provides a 69 FPS average with a minimum of 59 FPS. This is the only preset at this resolution that stays above 60 FPS on average. High and Ultra settings drop to 53 and 50 FPS averages, respectively, which may be less desirable for smooth gameplay.

Q: Does the combo scale well when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: The scaling is significant. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 77 at 1080p to 53 at 1440p and then to 31 at 4K. This performance drop is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the Arc B570's 10 GB of memory and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient to maintain frame rates at higher pixel counts.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Rocket Lake architecture, built on a 14 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a shared 12 MB L3 cache. This configuration is typical for a mid-range desktop processor from its generation, and its benchmark scores reflect a solid performance level for gaming.

In Thief, the CPU's role is to ensure the GPU is fed with enough data. The benchmark results show that this is not a problem at 1080p. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14340 and single-core score of 2024 are more than adequate for a game released in 2014. The 3DMark results, such as a max threads score of 5652, further confirm that the CPU can handle multiple tasks simultaneously.

The evidence that the CPU is not the bottleneck comes from the FPS scaling with resolution. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 133 FPS, which is a high frame rate. If the CPU were the limiting factor, this number would be much lower and would not change much with resolution. However, we see a clear drop when moving to 1440p and 4K, which indicates the GPU is being saturated. The CPU's performance, as measured by its 71st percentile ranking against all CPUs, is sufficient for this game, and the 12 threads help maintain smooth frame pacing even in busy scenes.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the combo's capabilities. Starting at 1920x1080, the results are strong. At Low settings, the average FPS is 133, providing a very smooth experience. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 101 FPS with a minimum of 86 and a maximum of 116. High settings yield a 77 FPS average, and Ultra settings bring the average down to 73 FPS. These numbers show that at 1080p, the combo is capable of high-refresh-rate gaming on lower presets and remains playable even on Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the performance takes a significant hit. The Low preset manages a 91 FPS average, which is still good. The Medium preset averages 69 FPS with a minimum of 59 and a maximum of 79. High settings drop to a 53 FPS average, and Ultra falls to 50 FPS. The jump from 1080p to 1440p represents a substantial increase in pixel count, and the GPU begins to struggle with the higher load. The data shows that 1440p is only viable for smooth gameplay when using the Low or Medium presets.

At 3840x2160, the performance is the weakest. The Low preset averages 54 FPS, which is borderline playable. Medium settings average 41 FPS with a minimum of 35 and a maximum of 47. High settings average 31 FPS, and Ultra averages just 29 FPS. These numbers indicate that 4K is not a practical resolution for this combo in Thief unless the user is willing to accept low frame rates and significant visual compromises. The 10 GB VRAM and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth are not enough to maintain a smooth experience at this resolution.

The data also shows that the difference between High and Ultra presets is relatively small. At 1080p, the difference is only 4 FPS (77 vs 73), and at 1440p, it is 3 FPS (53 vs 50). This suggests that the Ultra preset offers little performance benefit over High, making High the more efficient choice for those seeking a balance between visual fidelity and frame rate.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and reveals a clear GPU bottleneck. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 77 at 1080p to 53 at 1440p, a 31% drop, and then to 31 at 4K, a 60% drop from the 1080p figure. This scaling is typical of a system where the GPU is the primary limiting factor. The CPU's performance, which is constant across resolutions, is not the issue; the Arc B570's rendering capabilities are.

The data for Low settings shows the same trend. At 1080p, the average is 133 FPS. At 1440p, it is 91 FPS, and at 4K, it is 54 FPS. The percentage drops are similar, further confirming that the GPU's workload is what determines the frame rate. The GPU's pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s are fixed, and as the resolution increases, the number of pixels and textures to process grows, directly impacting performance.

This behavior is expected for a GPU with a 160-bit memory bus and 10 GB of GDDR6 memory. The memory bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s becomes a limiting factor at higher resolutions. The data suggests that for the best experience, users should stick to 1080p. At this resolution, the combo can deliver high frame rates without being constrained by the GPU's memory subsystem. At 1440p, the system is playable but requires lower settings to maintain a 60 FPS average. At 4K, the system is only suitable for Low settings and even then, the average FPS is below the ideal 60 FPS mark.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For users with a 1080p display, the Medium preset offers an excellent balance, providing a 101 FPS average with a minimum of 86 FPS. This ensures smooth gameplay with better visual quality than Low. The High preset is also a viable option, with a 77 FPS average, but the Ultra preset's 73 FPS average offers little benefit for the performance cost.

At 1440p, the recommendation is to use the Medium preset. The data shows a 69 FPS average with a minimum of 59 FPS, which is just on the edge of a smooth 60 FPS experience. The Low preset, with a 91 FPS average, is the choice for those who prioritize high frame rates over visual fidelity. The High and Ultra presets, with 53 and 50 FPS averages respectively, are not recommended for a consistently smooth experience, as they will likely cause noticeable frame drops in demanding scenes.

For 4K, the data suggests that the game is not well-suited to this combo. The only preset that achieves a playable frame rate is Low, with a 54 FPS average. The Medium preset, at 41 FPS, and the High and Ultra presets, at 31 and 29 FPS, are below the threshold for comfortable gameplay. Users with a 4K display should strongly consider lowering the resolution to 1440p or 1080p for a significantly better experience.

In summary, the Intel Core i5-11400F and Intel Arc B570 combo is a solid 1080p gaming solution for Thief. The data indicates that the best experience is achieved at 1080p with Medium or High settings, offering a good balance of visual quality and frame rate. At 1440p, Medium is the only preset that maintains a playable average, while 4K is only viable on Low settings. The performance scaling clearly shows that the GPU is the limiting factor, and users should tailor their settings accordingly to get the most out of this hardware.