Thief

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 from the Alder Lake generation, built on Intel's 10nm process node. It runs at a base clock of 2.50 GHz and boosts up to 4.40 GHz. This CPU features a 18 MB shared L3 cache, with 80 KB of L1 and 1.25 MB of L2 per core. In the context of Thief, a stealth title released on 2014-02-24, the CPU's role is substantial but not dominant at higher resolutions.

The benchmark data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 172.1 FPS, while at 4K with Low settings, it drops to 101.4 FPS. This 41% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings suggests that even at the lowest graphics preset, the GPU is increasingly the limiting factor as resolution climbs. However, the CPU's single-thread performance—measured by a 3dmark single-thread score of 910 and a Passmark single-thread score of 3456—is strong enough to avoid becoming a bottleneck at 1080p, where the frame rates are highest.

The i5-12400 sits in the 77th percentile among all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 19850. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-9700, scores 19831, which is a 0.1% difference. This places the i5-12400 in a tightly contested performance band. For a game like Thief, which relies on CPU-driven game logic and AI for stealth mechanics, the i5-12400's 12 threads provide ample headroom. The 3dmark 16-thread score of 5873 and the 3dmark max-threads score of 5890 indicate that the processor scales well with multi-threaded workloads, though Thief likely benefits more from the strong single-core performance given its 2014-era engine.

The CPU's TDP of 65 W and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory mean it can be paired with a variety of platforms. The measured data shows that at 1080p Ultra, the combo achieves 138.6 FPS, which is 80% of the Low preset's 172.1 FPS. This indicates that the CPU can maintain high frame rates even when the GPU is pushed with more demanding settings, though the GPU still takes on the primary load at higher resolutions.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is a high-end Ampere-generation GPU with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 912.4 GB/s. Its base clock is 1365 MHz, boosting up to 1665 MHz, with memory running at 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The GPU has 10240 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, along with 80 RT cores and 320 tensor cores. This hardware configuration provides substantial compute power, reflected in its 34.10 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

In Thief, the RTX 3080 Ti's performance scales predictably with resolution. At 1080p High, the combo hits 140.6 FPS; at 1440p High, it drops to 99 FPS; and at 4K High, it falls to 61.4 FPS. This represents a 56% reduction from 1080p to 4K at High settings. The GPU's 12 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for a 2014 title, even at 4K with Ultra settings, where the combo still manages 57.4 FPS. The memory bandwidth of 912.4 GB/s ensures that texture streaming and geometry loads at 4K do not become a constraint.

The RTX 3080 Ti ranks in the 83rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41224. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, scores 41441, a 0.5% difference. The AMD Radeon Pro 5300 is 0.9% higher, and the RTX 5070 is 1.1% higher. These small deltas indicate that the 3080 Ti is positioned at the upper edge of GPU performance, though it is 1.6% behind the NVIDIA Tesla M40. For Thief, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases; the data shows that at 4K, the gap between Low and Ultra settings is 44 FPS (101.4 vs 57.4), whereas at 1080p, the gap is only 33.5 FPS (172.1 vs 138.6). This suggests that the GPU is the primary driver of frame rate variance at higher resolutions, while the CPU maintains a more consistent baseline.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti ranks 419th out of 1642 tested combos in Thief, placing it in the top 25% of all configurations in the database. This ranking reflects the balanced nature of the pairing: the CPU's strong single-thread performance (3dmark single-thread score of 910) complements the GPU's high compute throughput, resulting in frame rates that are competitive across all tested settings.

At 1080p, the combo's performance is exceptional, with the Low preset delivering 172.1 FPS and the Ultra preset delivering 138.6 FPS. These numbers indicate that the combo is capable of running Thief at high refresh rates even on the most demanding settings. At 1440p, the frame rates remain robust: Low settings yield 151.5 FPS, Medium 130.6 FPS, High 99 FPS, and Ultra 94.4 FPS. The transition to 4K shows a more significant drop, with Ultra settings falling to 57.4 FPS and High settings to 61.4 FPS, though Medium still achieves 79 FPS and Low reaches 101.4 FPS.

The ranking of 419 out of 1642 combos suggests that while this pairing is not at the absolute top of the database, it outperforms the majority of tested configurations. The GPU's percentile ranking of 83 and the CPU's percentile ranking of 77 both contribute to this solid position. The data indicates that the combo is well-suited for 1440p gaming, where it maintains frame rates above 90 FPS across all settings, and is still viable at 4K for those willing to adjust settings.

FAQ

Q: What average frame rate does this combo achieve at 1080p with High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 140.6 FPS, based on the measured data.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-9700?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 19850, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-9700's score of 19831.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all tested GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti ranks in the 83rd percentile among all GPUs in the database.

Q: What frame rate does the combo achieve at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average of 57.4 FPS.

Q: How much does the frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the frame rate drops from 156.4 FPS at 1080p to 79 FPS at 4K, a reduction of 77.4 FPS.

*Q: What is the combo's overall rank in the database for Thief?*

A: The combo ranks 419th out of 1642 tested combinations in Thief.

Resolution Scaling

The measured data shows a clear pattern of frame rate reduction as resolution increases. At Low settings, the combo delivers 172.1 FPS at 1080p, 151.5 FPS at 1440p, and 101.4 FPS at 4K. This represents a 13% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 33% drop from 1440p to 4K. At Medium settings, the frame rates are 156.4 FPS, 130.6 FPS, and 79 FPS respectively, with a 16% drop to 1440p and a 40% drop to 4K.

High settings show a steeper decline: 140.6 FPS at 1080p, 99 FPS at 1440p, and 61.4 FPS at 4K. This translates to a 30% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and a 38% reduction from 1440p to 4K. Ultra settings follow a similar trend, with 138.6 FPS at 1080p, 94.4 FPS at 1440p, and 57.4 FPS at 4K—a 32% drop to 1440p and a 39% drop to 4K.

The scaling pattern indicates that the GPU becomes the limiting component as resolution increases. At 1080p, the CPU's single-thread performance (3dmark single-thread score of 910) is sufficient to keep frame rates high, and the GPU's 12 GB VRAM and 912.4 GB/s bandwidth handle the load. However, at 4K, the GPU's compute resources are stretched, as evidenced by the larger absolute frame rate differences between settings. The data shows that at 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra is 44 FPS, while at 1080p, it is 33.5 FPS. This suggests that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, and the CPU's performance remains relatively constant.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired performance. At 1080p, all settings are playable, with Low achieving 172.1 FPS, Medium 156.4 FPS, High 140.6 FPS, and Ultra 138.6 FPS. For a smooth experience at high refresh rates, Medium or High settings are recommended, as they offer a balance between visual quality and performance. Ultra provides a marginal improvement over High (138.6 vs 140.6 FPS) but is virtually identical in performance, so High is the better choice for 1080p.

At 1440p, the data shows that Low settings deliver 151.5 FPS, Medium 130.6 FPS, High 99 FPS, and Ultra 94.4 FPS. For 1440p gaming, Medium settings provide an excellent balance, with 130.6 FPS offering smooth gameplay without sacrificing too much visual detail. High settings are also viable at 99 FPS, but Ultra drops below 100 FPS, making Medium the recommended preset for this resolution.

At 4K, the frame rates are more constrained: Low achieves 101.4 FPS, Medium 79 FPS, High 61.4 FPS, and Ultra 57.4 FPS. For 4K, Medium settings are the best option, delivering 79 FPS while maintaining a reasonable visual fidelity. High settings are playable at 61.4 FPS, but the drop to 57.4 FPS at Ultra is noticeable. Low settings at 4K offer the highest frame rate of 101.4 FPS, but the visual trade-off may not be worth it for a stealth game where atmosphere and detail matter. Medium is the recommended preset for 4K, as it provides the best balance between performance and image quality, with the GPU's 12 GB VRAM ensuring that texture quality remains consistent.