Thief

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the Intel Arc B390 produces a very specific performance profile in Thief, one that is heavily dictated by the integrated graphics solution. The data shows a system that is fundamentally constrained by its GPU, with the CPU’s substantial processing power largely left untapped at most settings. This combination ranks 2534th out of 2851 tested combos in this game, placing it in the bottom 11% of all systems, a position that aligns with the Arc B390’s own low standing among GPUs.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU demonstrates strong multi-threaded capability, scoring 15,989 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 18,747 in Passmark multithread. Its single-thread performance is also respectable, with a Geekbench single-core score of 1,848 and a Passmark single-thread score of 3,456. These figures place the CPU in the 72nd percentile of all processors, indicating that it is a capable mid-range part.

However, in the context of Thief, the CPU’s role appears to be secondary. Even at 1080p with Low settings, where the CPU would typically be the bottleneck in a well-balanced system, the average FPS is 86. This is far from the processor’s potential ceiling. The i5-12400’s 3DMark scores, such as 5,873 for 16 threads and 910 for single-thread, suggest it could push far higher frame rates if the graphics subsystem were not the limiting factor. The fact that the CPU is barely stressed is evident when comparing the 1080p Low result to the 4K Low result: the drop from 86 FPS to 35 FPS is a massive 59% reduction, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation, not CPU limitation.

The nearest rivals to the i5-12400 in average benchmark score include the AMD EPYC 7643 (deltaPct -0.1) and the Intel Core i7-1355U (deltaPct -0.3), showing that the 12400 is numerically on par with these parts. Yet, in this game, the performance is dictated by the GPU. The CPU’s 18 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support are irrelevant when the frame rate is capped by the graphics processor. The data implies that the i5-12400 is effectively idle, waiting for the Arc B390 to deliver frames. This is not a scenario where the CPU’s boost clock or core count matters; it is a scenario where the GPU is the sole arbiter of performance.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Arc B390 is the definitive bottleneck in this configuration. It is an integrated GPU (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. Its specs are modest: 1,536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, with a boost clock of 2500 MHz. It features 12 ray tracing cores and supports DirectX 12 Ultimate. Critically, its memory is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system’s main RAM, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This is a fundamental weakness for a game like Thief, which can be demanding on memory bandwidth.

The GPU’s benchmark results are poor. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, it scores 1,482, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all older, low-end NVIDIA parts: the GeForce GT 520MX (1.3% faster), the GeForce 800M (1.5% faster), and the GeForce GT 625 OEM (2.5% faster). The fact that this modern Intel IGP is competing with decade-old entry-level discrete GPUs is telling. The Arc B390’s FP32 compute throughput is 7.680 TFLOPS, which sounds decent on paper, but its shared memory architecture and low ROP count (24) severely limit its actual rendering capabilities.

In Thief, the GPU’s limitations are stark. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 86 FPS, which seems playable. However, the frame rate craters as resolution and settings increase. The GPU’s texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s are insufficient for higher loads. The data shows a clear pattern: every increase in resolution or quality setting results in a disproportionate drop in FPS. The Arc B390 is simply not built for this workload, and its low percentile ranking (9th) confirms that it is one of the weakest GPUs in the database.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The resolution scaling data reveals a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound. Moving from 1080p to 1440p to 4K has a severe impact on frame rates, which is entirely attributable to the Arc B390’s limited fill rate and memory bandwidth. The drop from 1080p Low (86 FPS) to 1440p Low (59 FPS) is a 31% reduction. The subsequent drop to 4K Low (35 FPS) is another 41% reduction from the 1440p figure. These are massive losses, far larger than what a CPU-bound system would exhibit.

At High settings, the scaling is even more punishing. The system goes from 50 FPS at 1080p to 34 FPS at 1440p (a 32% drop) and then to 20 FPS at 4K (a 41% drop from 1440p). This suggests that the GPU is running out of resources, likely due to the shared memory bottleneck and the low ROP count. The 4K High result of 20 FPS is borderline unplayable, and the 4K Ultra result of 19 FPS is essentially a slideshow.

The pattern is consistent across all settings. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is roughly the same regardless of quality preset, indicating that the GPU is the limiting factor at all times. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a smaller delta between resolutions, especially at lower settings. The data shows the opposite: the gap widens as resolution increases, confirming that the Arc B390 is the sole constraint. The system’s inability to maintain playable frame rates at 4K under any setting is a direct consequence of the GPU’s design.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution to play Thief with this hardware?*

A: The data indicates that 1080p is the only viable resolution for acceptable performance. The system achieves 86 FPS at Low settings and 50 FPS at High settings at 1920x1080. At 1440p, the frame rates drop to 59 FPS (Low) and 34 FPS (High), which is a significant reduction. At 4K, the best result is 35 FPS at Low settings, which is below playable thresholds.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, the Arc B390 scores 1,482. It is 1.3% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% slower than the GeForce 800M, and 2.5% slower than the GeForce GT 625 OEM. These are all very old, low-end parts, indicating the Arc B390 is at the bottom of the GPU performance spectrum.

Q: Is the CPU holding back the GPU in this game?

A: No. The CPU, an Intel Core i5-12400, is highly capable, ranking in the 72nd percentile of all processors. The massive frame rate drops when increasing resolution (e.g., 86 FPS at 1080p Low to 35 FPS at 4K Low) are a classic sign of GPU limitation. The CPU is not the bottleneck.

Q: What is the impact of changing settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, going from Low to High settings reduces the average FPS from 86 to 50, a 42% drop. Moving from High to Ultra reduces it further to 48 FPS. The Medium setting provides a middle ground at 66 FPS. The scaling suggests the GPU struggles with the increased shader and fill-rate demands of higher presets.

*Q: Does the Arc B390 have enough memory for Thief?*

A: The GPU uses "System Shared" memory, meaning it has no dedicated VRAM. Its bandwidth is "System Dependent," which is a significant disadvantage. The dramatic performance drops at higher resolutions and settings are likely exacerbated by this memory architecture, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for system memory bandwidth.

Q: What is the overall ranking of this combo in the database?

A: This combo (Intel Core i5-12400 + Intel Arc B390) ranks 2534th out of 2851 tested combinations for Thief. This places it in the bottom 11% of all systems, which is consistent with the GPU’s low 9th percentile ranking.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this system is at 1080p with the Low preset. This yields an average of 86 FPS, which is smooth and responsive. The Medium preset at 1080p offers 66 FPS, which is still playable but represents a 23% performance cut. The High preset drops to 50 FPS, which is borderline, and Ultra falls to 48 FPS. Given the game’s stealth genre, where smooth camera movement is crucial, the Low preset at 1080p is the only setting that provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

At 1440p, the situation is more challenging. The Low preset delivers 59 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset provides 45 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. At 4K, no preset is recommended, as even the Low preset only manages 35 FPS. The data suggests that users should prioritize resolution over visual fidelity, as the GPU’s performance degrades so rapidly with increased settings.

The Medium preset at 1080p could be considered a viable alternative for those who want better visuals, as the 66 FPS average is still within a reasonable range. However, the min FPS of 56 at this setting (as measured) indicates potential stuttering in demanding scenes. The Low preset has no reported min FPS data, likely meaning it was consistently smooth. For a game that relies on stealth and precision, frame pacing is more important than shadows or textures.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a consistent pattern of GPU-bound performance across all resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system achieves its best results: 86 FPS on Low, 66 FPS on Medium (with min/max of 56/75), 50 FPS on High, and 48 FPS on Ultra. The gap between Low and Medium is 20 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 16 FPS, showing a steep curve as settings increase.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates drop significantly. The Low preset yields 59 FPS, which is a 31% decrease from 1080p Low. Medium delivers 45 FPS (min 38, max 52), High falls to 34 FPS, and Ultra drops to 33 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p is the only setting that maintains an average above 40 FPS, but it is still far from ideal.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to remain playable. The Low preset manages 35 FPS, but Medium drops to 26 FPS (min 22, max 30). High falls to 20 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 19 FPS. These numbers are all well below the 30 FPS threshold for playability, making 4K a non-starter for this hardware. The data across all resolutions shows that the Arc B390 is unable to handle the increased pixel count, with the 4K results being roughly 60% lower than the 1080p results at the same settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400 + Intel Arc B390 combination ranks 2534th out of 2851 tested combos in Thief, placing it in the bottom 11% of all systems. This low ranking is almost entirely due to the GPU, which sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. The CPU, by contrast, is in the 72nd percentile of all processors, representing a massive imbalance in this pairing.

The nearest rivals for the GPU include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1.3% faster), the GeForce 800M (1.5% faster), and the GeForce GT 625 OEM (2.5% faster). These are all ancient, low-end parts, and the fact that the Arc B390 is comparable to them in synthetic benchmarks explains its poor in-game performance. The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD EPYC 7643 (-0.1% delta) and the Intel Core i7-1355U (-0.3% delta), are irrelevant in this context, as the GPU is the limiting factor.

The data implies that this combo is fundamentally mismatched. A high-performing CPU is paired with a GPU that is among the weakest in the database. In Thief, this results in a system that can only achieve smooth frame rates at 1080p with the lowest settings. The ranking of 2534 out of 2851 is a clear indicator that this is not a gaming configuration. The system’s performance is dictated entirely by the integrated GPU, and no amount of CPU headroom can compensate for the Arc B390’s lack of raw rendering power.