Thief

The pairing of the Intel Core i5-11400F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 in Thief demonstrates a classic balance between a capable mid-range processor and a high-end graphics card. The benchmark data, measured directly from the game, shows that this combination ranks in the 64th percentile of all tested combos, indicating solid performance but also revealing where the system’s limitations lie. Across the three primary resolutions tested, the data shows a clear trend: frame rates scale predictably with resolution, but the GPU becomes the definitive bottleneck at 4K, while the CPU provides ample headroom at 1080p.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combo reveals a stark and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average frame rate is 120 FPS. Moving up to 2560x1440 at the same High settings, the average drops to 101 FPS. This represents a 15.8% decrease in performance when moving from 1080p to 1440p, a significant but manageable hit that suggests the graphics card is still operating within its comfort zone. However, the jump to 3840x2160 is far more punishing. At 4K with High settings, the average frame rate plummets to 59 FPS, a 41.6% drop from the 1440p result and a 50.8% drop from the 1080p result.

This steep decline at 4K is the key indicator of the limiting component. The RTX 4070, with its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth, is clearly being pushed to its limits at this resolution. The data shows that the frame rate at 4K High (59 FPS) is nearly identical to the 1080p Ultra frame rate (118 FPS) being cut in half, which is a classic sign of the GPU running out of pixel throughput. The RTX 4070’s 64 ROPs and 158.4 GPixel/s pixel rate are simply not enough to maintain the same level of performance seen at lower resolutions.

Interestingly, the scaling from Low to Ultra settings at each resolution shows a similar pattern. At 1080p, the range from Low (146 FPS) to Ultra (118 FPS) spans 28 FPS, a 19.2% performance variance. At 1440p, the range is from 129 FPS (Low) to 96 FPS (Ultra), a variance of 25.6%. However, at 4K, the variance becomes more pronounced: from 103 FPS (Low) to 56 FPS (Ultra), a 45.6% difference. This widening gap at 4K further confirms that the GPU is the primary constraint. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 12 threads running at up to 4.40 GHz boost clock, is more than capable of feeding the GPU at 1080p, but as resolution increases, the GPU’s workload grows exponentially, leaving the processor with little to do. The data suggests that for this game, the RTX 4070 is the definitive performance ceiling at 4K, while the i5-11400F provides a stable foundation that does not hold the system back until the resolution is significantly reduced.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 2560x1440 with Ultra settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with Ultra settings is 96 FPS. This is the lowest average among the 1440p settings, but it remains comfortably above the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay.

Q: How much faster is the 1080p Low setting compared to the 4K Ultra setting?

A: The data shows a substantial gap. At 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS is 146, while at 4K with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 56. This represents a 61.6% performance decrease, highlighting the massive impact of resolution and settings on the GPU.

Q: Does the RTX 4070’s 12 GB VRAM become a limiting factor in this game?

A: The benchmark data does not indicate a VRAM capacity issue. While the RTX 4070 has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory, the frame rate drops at 4K are more attributable to the GPU’s computing and pixel throughput limits rather than memory exhaustion. The game was released in 2014, and its memory demands are likely well within the 12 GB capacity.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the High setting yields an average of 101 FPS, while the Ultra setting yields 96 FPS. This is a 4.9% reduction in performance, indicating that the visual fidelity gain from Ultra comes at a relatively modest cost at this resolution.

*Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations in Thief?*

A: According to the data, this combo ranks 1334 out of 3720 tested combos. This places it in the 64th percentile, meaning it outperforms the majority of other system configurations tested in this game.

Q: Is the Core i5-11400F a bottleneck for the RTX 4070 at 1920x1080?

A: The data suggests it is not a significant bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS reaches 146. This high frame rate indicates the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU efficiently. The CPU’s 6 cores and 12 threads, with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, provide sufficient single-thread performance for this title.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations for Thief, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-11400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 holds a position of 1334 out of 3720 total combos. This rank places the setup in the 64th percentile, meaning it performs better than roughly two-thirds of the other configurations tested. This is a solid result, indicating that the system is well above average for this title, though not at the very top tier.

The CPU itself, the i5-11400F, has an average benchmark score of 17177 and sits in the 71st percentile when compared to all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7H12, which scores 17120 (a delta of 0.3%), and the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U, which scores 17074 (a delta of 0.6%). This indicates that the i5-11400F’s processing power is competitive with a wide range of other chips. The GPU, the RTX 4070, has an average benchmark score of 37648 and is in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (37628, delta 0.1%) and the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (37507, delta 0.4%). The GPU’s high percentile ranking is a strong indicator of its overall capability.

The discrepancy between the GPU’s high percentile (81st) and the combo’s percentile (64th) suggests that the CPU is holding the system back from reaching its full potential in Thief. While the i5-11400F is a capable processor, its performance is not in the same upper echelon as the RTX 4070. This is a classic example of a system where the graphics card is the star, but the processor prevents it from achieving the absolute maximum frame rates possible. The combo rank of 1334 reflects this dynamic, showing a system that is powerful but not perfectly balanced. The data indicates that a more powerful CPU could potentially push this combo higher in the rankings, but the current configuration remains a strong performer for this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at the performance across three resolutions and four settings levels.

At 1920x1080, the system exhibits its highest frame rates. The Low setting produces an average of 146 FPS, which is the highest measured result for this combo. The Medium setting yields an average of 132 FPS, with a minimum of 112 and a maximum of 152 FPS. The High setting delivers an average of 120 FPS, and the Ultra setting produces 118 FPS. The range from Low to Ultra is 28 FPS, showing that the game is quite playable at all settings at this resolution, with even the most demanding preset remaining well above the 100 FPS mark.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but begins to show the GPU’s workload. The Low setting averages 129 FPS. The Medium setting yields 117 FPS, with a minimum of 99 and a maximum of 134 FPS. High settings drop to an average of 101 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 96 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra here is 33 FPS, a larger difference than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is starting to feel the pressure. The minimum FPS of 99 at Medium settings shows that the system can still maintain near-triple-digit frame rates even during demanding scenes.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. The Low setting produces an average of 103 FPS, which is still respectable. However, the Medium setting drops to 78 FPS, with a minimum of 66 and a maximum of 89 FPS. The High setting yields 59 FPS, and the Ultra setting drops to 56 FPS. The variance between Low and Ultra at 4K is 47 FPS, a massive difference that underscores the GPU’s struggle. The data shows that only the Low setting can maintain a frame rate above 100 FPS at 4K, while Ultra settings can only manage an average of 56 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the dominant component in this system, and its role is most evident in the resolution scaling. Based on the benchmark data, the GPU’s performance dictates the frame rate at higher resolutions. The RTX 4070 has a base clock of 1920 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz, which allows it to process the graphical load of Thief efficiently at lower resolutions. However, the data shows that at 4K, the GPU’s capabilities are taxed heavily. The drop from 103 FPS at Low settings to 59 FPS at High settings at 4K is a direct result of the GPU’s rendering workload.

The 12 GB of GDDR6X memory is a critical specification for this game. While the game is from 2014 and likely does not require a massive frame buffer, the 504.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth ensures that textures and assets can be loaded quickly. The GPU’s 5888 shading units and 184 texture mapping units are responsible for the raw computational power. The passmark DirectX 11 score of 244 and DirectX 12 score of 103 indicate that the GPU handles different API levels with varying efficiency. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 37648 places it in the 81st percentile, which is a strong indicator of its overall performance relative to other graphics cards.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score are the NVIDIA Tesla P4 (37628, 0.1% delta) and the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (37507, 0.4% delta). These scores are very close, but the RTX 4070 edges them out. In the context of Thief, the GPU’s role is to deliver high pixel throughput. The 158.4 GPixel/s pixel rate and 455.4 GTexel/s texture rate are the key metrics that determine how fast the GPU can fill the screen. The data shows that at 1080p, the GPU has ample headroom, but at 4K, the fixed pixel rate becomes a bottleneck, capping the maximum FPS at 103 even on Low settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F serves as the system’s foundation, and its role is most apparent at lower resolutions. With 6 cores and 12 threads, this processor provides solid multi-threaded performance, but its single-thread performance is what matters most for Thief. The CPU’s boost clock of 4.40 GHz is high enough to prevent it from becoming a major bottleneck at 1080p. The benchmark data supports this: the system achieves 146 FPS at 1080p Low, which is a very high frame rate that relies heavily on the CPU’s ability to process game logic and draw calls. If the CPU were severely limited, this frame rate would be much lower.

The CPU’s architecture is Rocket Lake, built on a 14 nm process. Its cache configuration includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a shared 12 MB L3 cache. This cache hierarchy is sufficient for the game’s data demands. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 17177 places it in the 71st percentile, and its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7H12 and the Intel Core i5-12450H, which have very similar scores (17120 and 17239, respectively). This indicates that the i5-11400F is a mid-range performer, not a top-tier processor.

The CPU’s role in this combo becomes less significant as resolution increases. At 4K, the GPU is so heavily loaded that the CPU’s frame generation speed has little impact on the final FPS. The data shows that the frame rate difference between 1080p and 4K is substantial, which is a direct result of the GPU’s workload. However, at 1080p, the CPU’s single-thread performance is crucial for achieving the high frame rates seen in the data. The 3dmark single-thread score of 868 and the passmark single-thread score of 2981 are strong indicators of its ability to handle the game’s primary thread. The CPU’s 12 threads (6 cores with hyper-threading) also help with background tasks and any multi-threaded aspects of the game engine, ensuring that the GPU is not starved for data. Overall, the CPU is a capable partner for the RTX 4070, providing enough performance to avoid holding the GPU back at lower resolutions, while the GPU takes the lead at higher resolutions.