Thief

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER delivers a compelling 1080p experience in Thief, but the data reveals a system that transitions from CPU-bound at lower resolutions to firmly GPU-bound at 4K. This combination ranks 942nd out of 1642 tested combos in this title, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database, yet its measured frame rates tell a story of consistent playability that depends heavily on the chosen resolution and quality preset.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, but the magnitude of that drop varies significantly depending on the graphics settings. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 171.1 FPS at 1920x1080 to 116.7 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of approximately 32%. Pushing further to 3840x2160 brings the average down to 70.7 FPS, which represents a 59% drop from the 1080p baseline. This scaling curve suggests that at Low settings, the system is not purely GPU-limited even at 1440p, as the frame rate remains exceptionally high.

The story changes dramatically at Ultra settings. The average FPS at 1920x1080 is 96.0, dropping to 66.8 at 2560x1440 and then to 41.0 at 3840x2160. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K here is roughly 57%, similar to the Low setting drop, but the absolute numbers are far lower, indicating the GPU is working near its limits. The High preset mirrors this trend: 96.9 FPS at 1080p, 70.4 FPS at 1440p, and 43.1 FPS at 4K.

What the scaling data implies is that the limiting component shifts based on the workload. At 1080p Low, the i5-12400’s six cores and twelve threads are likely the bottleneck, as the frame rate exceeds what many games can sustain. At 4K Ultra, the RTX 2070 SUPER’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and its 256-bit bus are clearly the constraining factor, with the frame rate falling to just above 40 FPS. The 1440p results sit in a balanced zone where both components contribute meaningfully to overall throughput.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Thief?*

A: The data shows 2560x1440 as the sweet spot. At High settings, the combo achieves 70.4 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, while 4K High drops to 43.1 FPS, which is noticeably less fluid.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 1440p at Ultra settings?

A: At Ultra, the average FPS falls from 96.0 at 1920x1080 to 66.8 at 2560x1440, representing a reduction of approximately 30%. This is a significant but acceptable trade-off for the increased pixel density.

Q: Is the RTX 2070 SUPER capable of 4K gaming in this title?

A: Only at Low settings, where it averages 70.7 FPS. At Medium, the average drops to 54.4 FPS, and at High and Ultra, it falls to 43.1 and 41.0 FPS respectively, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor at this resolution.

Q: Does the CPU hold back performance at any resolution?

A: At 1080p Low, the average FPS of 171.1 suggests the i5-12400 is the primary limiter, as this frame rate exceeds what the GPU can typically render at higher settings. The CPU’s 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient to drive high frame rates, but the GPU becomes the bottleneck as resolution and settings increase.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested configurations in the database?

A: The combo ranks 942nd out of 1642 tested combos in Thief, placing it in the lower-middle tier. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 22206 puts it slightly below the NVIDIA RTX A400 (22307) and above the GTX TITAN Z (22006), while the CPU’s average score of 19850 is nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-9700 (19831).

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 1440p across all settings?

A: Yes, at High (70.4 FPS), Medium (87.4 FPS), and Low (116.7 FPS). At Ultra, the average falls to 66.8 FPS, which still exceeds 60 FPS, making 1440p a fully playable resolution for this combination.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER achieves a rank of 942 out of 1642 tested combinations in Thief. This places it in the 57th percentile of tested systems, meaning roughly 57% of all recorded combos perform better in this game. The ranking reflects a balanced mid-range pairing rather than a high-end enthusiast setup.

The CPU component, with an average benchmark score of 19850, sits at the 77th percentile among all CPUs, placing it above the Intel Core i7-9700 (19831, deltaPct 0.1) and the Intel Core i5-11600K (19771, deltaPct 0.4), while trailing the Intel Core i7-8700 (19894, deltaPct -0.2) by a negligible margin. The GPU, with an average score of 22206, ranks at the 65th percentile among all GPUs, performing slightly below the NVIDIA RTX A400 (22307, deltaPct -0.5) and the RTX 4060 Mobile (22729, deltaPct -2.3), while outperforming the GTX TITAN Z (22006, deltaPct 0.9) and the AMD Radeon RX 5700 (21670, deltaPct 2.5).

The disparity between the CPU’s 77th percentile and the GPU’s 65th percentile suggests that the processor has more headroom than the graphics card in this configuration. In Thief, a title from 2014, this means the GPU is likely the primary determinant of overall performance, especially at higher resolutions and quality settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 171.1 FPS, Medium drops to 132.4 FPS, High falls to 96.9 FPS, and Ultra yields 96.0 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra is minimal at just 0.9 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset adds little visual benefit relative to its performance cost at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 116.7 FPS for Low, 87.4 FPS for Medium, 70.4 FPS for High, and 66.8 FPS for Ultra. The gap between High and Ultra narrows further to 3.6 FPS, indicating that Thief’s Ultra settings place additional strain on the GPU without a proportional increase in performance. The step from Low to Medium represents a 25% reduction in frame rate, while Medium to High is a 19% reduction.

At 3840x2160, performance drops significantly. Low settings average 70.7 FPS, Medium falls to 54.4 FPS, High drops to 43.1 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 41.0 FPS. The scaling from Medium to High at 4K is a 21% reduction, while High to Ultra is only a 5% reduction, indicating diminishing returns at the highest quality tier. The 4K Low result remains playable, but anything above Medium falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with a TU104 chip fabricated on a 12 nm process at TSMC. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz, which translates to 14 Gbps effective, while the GPU core operates at a base clock of 1605 MHz and a boost clock of 1770 MHz.

In Thief, the GPU’s role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution and settings rise. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS of 41.0 indicates that the card is fully saturated, with the 8 GB VRAM and memory bandwidth likely being the limiting factors. The pixel rate of 113.3 GPixel/s and texture rate of 283.2 GTexel/s are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the 4K workload exceeds what the card can comfortably handle at high quality settings.

The GPU’s average benchmark score of 22206 places it at the 65th percentile, and its nearest rivals show tight competition. The RTX A400 scores 22307 (deltaPct -0.5), while the GTX TITAN Z scores 22006 (deltaPct 0.9). The performance in Thief aligns with these aggregate scores, as the card delivers solid 1440p performance but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K with demanding presets.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Alder Lake-S architecture, manufactured on Intel’s 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, with 18 MB of shared L3 cache. The processor supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus, and its 65 W TDP indicates efficient power consumption.

In this game, the CPU’s role is most apparent at 1080p with Low settings, where the average FPS of 171.1 far exceeds what the GPU can typically render at higher quality settings. The 6 cores and 12 threads provide sufficient parallelism for Thief’s engine, and the 4.40 GHz boost clock ensures strong single-threaded performance, as evidenced by the single-thread benchmark score of 3456 in Passmark.

The CPU’s average benchmark score of 19850 places it at the 77th percentile, with its nearest rivals showing near-identical performance. The Intel Core i7-9700 scores 19831 (deltaPct 0.1), while the i7-8700 scores 19894 (deltaPct -0.2). In Thief, the CPU is unlikely to be the bottleneck at resolutions above 1080p, as the GPU’s workload scales more aggressively with resolution. However, at 1080p with Low settings, the processor’s limits are exposed, and frame rates above 170 FPS suggest that a more powerful GPU could potentially push even higher.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the High preset at 2560x1440 is the recommended configuration. The measured average of 70.4 FPS provides a smooth experience that exceeds the 60 FPS threshold, while the visual upgrade over Medium (87.4 FPS) is substantial. At 1920x1080, High yields 96.9 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors, and the Ultra preset’s 96.0 FPS is nearly identical, making Ultra a viable choice for those seeking maximum quality without sacrificing frame rate.

At 4K, the data suggests that only Low settings (70.7 FPS) are suitable for consistent playability. Medium drops to 54.4 FPS, which may be acceptable for some players, but High (43.1 FPS) and Ultra (41.0 FPS) fall below acceptable thresholds for fast-paced stealth gameplay. For users prioritizing frame rate over resolution, 1080p with Ultra settings provides the highest quality experience without compromising performance, as the difference between High and Ultra is negligible. The 1440p Medium preset (87.4 FPS) offers a strong middle ground for those who want higher resolution without the performance penalty of Ultra settings.