Thief

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 delivers a solid 1080p experience in Thief, but the data reveals a steep performance cliff as resolution climbs. This pairing ranks 1327th out of 1642 tested combos, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database, yet its behavior across settings and resolutions tells a nuanced story about where the bottleneck shifts.

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

The Intel Core i5-12400F brings 6 cores and 12 threads to the table, running at a base clock of 2.50 GHz and boosting up to 4.40 GHz. This Alder Lake-S chip uses a 10 nm process and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory through a dual-channel interface. Its benchmark profile shows strong multi-threaded capability: the 3dmark 16-thread score reaches 5895, while the max-thread score is 5912, indicating that scaling nearly flatlines beyond 8 threads. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16518 and single-core score of 2332 reveal a processor that handles both lightly-threaded and heavily-threaded workloads competently.

In Thief, a 2014 stealth title, the CPU’s single-thread performance often dictates frame pacing in crowded scenes. The PassMark single-thread score of 3481 and Geekbench single-core score of 2221 suggest the i5-12400F has enough headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions. However, the data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS hits 141.2, which is far beyond the 60 FPS threshold — indicating the CPU is not the limiting factor even in the most GPU-light scenario. The processor’s percentile ranking of 77 against all CPUs means it outperforms roughly three-quarters of the tested processors, and its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-8700K, scores nearly identically with a deltaPct of 0.1 percent, confirming that the i5-12400F is a modern mid-range workhorse.

The CPU’s 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 per core help maintain consistent frame delivery, but the benchmark results imply that in this game, the processor’s role is secondary. At 1440p and 4K, the FPS drops are substantial across all settings, which points to the GPU taking over as the primary constraint. The CPU’s 3dmark 2-thread score of 1699 and 4-thread score of 3067 indicate that even older game engines, which often rely on fewer threads, should be well-served by this chip’s architecture.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture using a 7 nm process from TSMC, with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus. Its memory bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s and boost clock of 2491 MHz provide the raw throughput needed for modern textures. The GPU’s 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output pipelines are modest by current standards, but they deliver a PassMark G3D score of 15096 and a 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1492. The pixel rate of 159.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 279.0 GTexel/s show that the card is balanced for 1080p and light 1440p workloads.

In Thief, the GPU’s VRAM allocation becomes critical at higher resolutions and settings. The measured data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS falls to 32.2, which is barely playable, while at 4K Low, it rises to 57.4. This 25.2 FPS gap between Ultra and Low at 4K highlights how much the RX 6600 relies on lowering graphical loads to maintain fluidity. The GPU’s 69th percentile ranking against all GPUs places it just ahead of the AMD Radeon 890M (deltaPct 0) and slightly behind the RX 580 2048SP (deltaPct -0.2), meaning it sits in a crowded mid-range segment.

The card’s 8 GB frame buffer is sufficient for Thief’s 2014-era assets, but the data suggests that at 4K, the memory bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s becomes a limiting factor. The transition from 1440p High (57.5 FPS) to 4K High (34 FPS) represents a 40.9 percent drop, which is steeper than the resolution scaling would predict if the GPU were purely compute-bound. This indicates that the RX 6600’s memory subsystem and pixel throughput are stretched at 4K, making it a 1080p-centric card in this title.

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

The measured FPS data across resolutions reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 85, which drops to 57.5 at 1440p High (a 32.4 percent reduction) and then to 34 at 4K High (a 60 percent reduction from 1080p). This scaling pattern is consistent with a GPU that has limited compute and memory bandwidth, as the pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K but the FPS does not quarter — instead, it falls by roughly 60 percent, suggesting that other factors like VRAM capacity or memory latency come into play.

Looking at Low settings, the story is similar but with higher absolute numbers. At 1080p Low, the RX 6600 pushes 141.2 FPS, which drops to 97.6 at 1440p Low (a 30.9 percent drop) and 57.4 at 4K Low (a 59.4 percent drop from 1080p). The fact that even at Low settings, 4K cannot reach 60 FPS indicates that the GPU’s raw fill rate is the bottleneck, not the game’s visual complexity. At 1080p, the CPU is capable of driving frame rates above 140 FPS, so the limiting component at lower resolutions is clearly the GPU’s ability to render frames quickly.

The data implies that this combo is optimized for 1080p gaming, where even Ultra settings yield 79.6 FPS. At 1440p, the user must choose between High (57.5 FPS) and Medium (75 FPS) to stay above 60 FPS, while 4K is only viable at Low settings (57.4 FPS) or with a tolerance for sub-60 performance. The steep drop from Medium to High at 4K (42.4 to 34 FPS) and from High to Ultra (34 to 32.2 FPS) shows diminishing returns at the top end, reinforcing that the RX 6600 lacks the headroom for high-fidelity 4K gaming.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Thief at 60 FPS in 4K?

A: No. The highest 4K average is 57.4 FPS at Low settings, which falls short of 60 FPS. Medium settings drop to 42.4 FPS, and High/Ultra are below 35 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for a smooth experience?

A: 1080p is the sweet spot. Even at Ultra settings, the average FPS is 79.6, and at Medium it reaches 110.4 FPS, providing comfortable headroom above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 6600 compare to its closest rivals?

A: The RX 6600’s average benchmark score of 25235 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon 890M (25246, deltaPct 0) and the RX 580 2048SP (25287, deltaPct -0.2). It is 0.5 percent ahead of the RTX 3060 Ti (25120), indicating they are in the same performance tier.

Q: Is the i5-12400F a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No. At 1080p Low, the average FPS hits 141.2, which is far above what the GPU can sustain at higher settings, indicating the CPU is not limiting frame rates in this title.

Q: What setting should I use at 1440p to stay above 60 FPS?

A: Medium settings provide 75 FPS on average at 1440p, while High drops to 57.5 FPS. Low settings give 97.6 FPS, so Medium offers the best balance of visual quality and performance.

Q: How much of a drop occurs from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: The average FPS falls from 85 at 1080p High to 57.5 at 1440p High, and then to 34 at 4K High, representing a 60 percent reduction from 1080p to 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1327th out of 1642 tested combinations in Thief, placing it in the 19th percentile of all systems. This low ranking is surprising given the individual component scores: the CPU sits in the 77th percentile, and the GPU in the 69th percentile. The discrepancy suggests that Thief’s engine is particularly demanding on the GPU’s memory bandwidth and pixel throughput, which are the RX 6600’s weaker areas.

The ranking implies that while this combo is competent for 1080p, it falls behind many other pairings at higher resolutions. The CPU’s nearest rival, the i7-8700K, scores nearly identically (deltaPct 0.1), but the GPU’s rivals like the RX 6700M (deltaPct 0.2) and RTX 3060 Ti (deltaPct 0.5) are only marginally ahead in synthetic benchmarks, yet may offer better memory bandwidth for real-world gaming. The data suggests that the RX 6600’s 128-bit memory bus is a limiting factor in this game, causing the combo to rank lower than its component percentiles would imply.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience depends on the target resolution. At 1080p, Ultra settings are viable with an average of 79.6 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold and offers the highest visual fidelity. For users who prefer smoother motion, Medium settings at 1080p provide 110.4 FPS, a 38.7 percent increase over Ultra, making it the best choice for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 1440p, Medium settings are the recommended choice, delivering 75 FPS on average. High settings drop to 57.5 FPS, which is below 60 FPS, and Low settings (97.6 FPS) sacrifice too much visual quality for the modest gains. For 4K, the only playable option is Low settings at 57.4 FPS, which is marginally below 60 FPS but still smooth enough for most players. Medium settings at 4K (42.4 FPS) are borderline, while High and Ultra are not recommended due to sub-35 FPS averages.

The data indicates that the best experience-per-setting trade-off occurs at 1080p Medium or 1440p Medium, where the FPS remains well above 60 while retaining reasonable visual quality. At 4K, users must accept Low settings or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for a better balance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RX 6600 delivers its strongest results. Low settings average 141.2 FPS, Medium 110.4 FPS, High 85 FPS, and Ultra 79.6 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 61.6 FPS, showing that the GPU’s performance scales well with settings reductions.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 97.6 FPS (Low), 75 FPS (Medium), 57.5 FPS (High), and 52.1 FPS (Ultra). The drop from Low to Ultra is 45.5 FPS, and the High to Ultra gap narrows to 5.4 FPS, indicating diminishing returns at the top settings.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 57.4 FPS (Low), 42.4 FPS (Medium), 34 FPS (High), and 32.2 FPS (Ultra). The difference between High and Ultra is only 1.8 FPS, making Ultra a pointless choice at 4K. The Low to Medium drop is 15 FPS, while the Medium to High drop is 8.4 FPS, showing that the GPU struggles most when moving from Low to Medium at this resolution. Overall, the data confirms that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p Medium as a viable alternative, and 4K only for users who prioritize resolution over frame rate.