Thief

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the Intel Arc B570 delivers a playable experience in Thief at 1080p, with performance scaling predictably across resolutions and settings. The data shows a clear trade-off between visual fidelity and frame rate, where the Ultra preset remains viable at 1080p but becomes demanding at higher resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, component roles, and ranking of this specific configuration.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data reveals a consistent hierarchy across all three resolutions: Low delivers the highest frame rates, followed by Medium, High, and Ultra in descending order. For a 60 FPS target at 1080p, the Medium preset is the optimal choice, averaging 101 FPS with a minimum of 86 FPS and a maximum of 116 FPS. This setting provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold, ensuring smooth gameplay even during demanding scenes. The High preset at 1080p also achieves playability with an average of 77 FPS, but the tighter margin to 60 FPS makes Medium the safer recommendation for consistent performance.

At 1440p, the situation changes dramatically. The Medium preset averages 69 FPS (minimum 59, maximum 79), which hovers right at the edge of the 60 FPS target. While the average is above 60, the minimum dipping to 59 FPS suggests occasional stutter. The High preset at 1440p averages 53 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold for fast-paced stealth action. For 1440p, Medium is the only preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS, but users prioritizing smoothness over fidelity might consider Low (91 FPS average) as a more robust option.

At 4K, no preset achieves 60 FPS. The Low preset averages 54 FPS, which is the highest score at this resolution, followed by Medium at 41 FPS, High at 31 FPS, and Ultra at 29 FPS. The data indicates that 4K gaming with this combo requires compromising on settings significantly. Low at 4K offers a borderline playable experience, but the 54 FPS average is still below the standard 60 FPS target. Users targeting 4K should expect to operate within the Low to Medium range, with the understanding that frame rates will fluctuate.

The Ultra preset, while visually demanding, only delivers 73 FPS at 1080p, 50 FPS at 1440p, and 29 FPS at 4K. This suggests that Ultra is only practical at 1080p, where it still manages an average above 60 FPS. For users prioritizing frame rate over maximum visual detail, Medium at 1080p provides the best balance of performance and quality, as it nearly doubles the 4K Ultra frame rate while maintaining a solid minimum of 86 FPS.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570’s memory configuration plays a significant role in Thief’s performance across resolutions. The GPU features 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s. This memory subsystem is sufficient for the game’s demands, as evidenced by the smooth scaling from 1080p to 4K. The GPU’s clocks are locked at a base and boost frequency of 2500 MHz, which is relatively modest but consistent, contributing to stable performance without thermal throttling concerns.

The Arc B570’s architectural specifications include 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units. The pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s indicate a balanced design that handles both fill-rate and texture-heavy scenes. In Thief, which is a stealth game with detailed environments, these characteristics translate to measurable differences between presets. The GPU’s FP32 performance of 11.52 TFLOPS provides the raw compute power necessary for the game’s lighting and shadow effects.

Benchmark results place the Arc B570 in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (0.1% faster), Intel Arc A750 (0.1% slower), and NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (0.4% slower). This positioning explains why the GPU handles 1080p Ultra at 73 FPS but struggles at 4K, where the demands on memory bandwidth and pixel throughput increase exponentially. The GPU’s DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) ensures compatibility with modern rendering techniques, though Thief’s 2014 release date means it likely relies on earlier DirectX versions.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-12400F and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2296 out of 2851 tested combos in Thief. This places it in the lower-middle tier, with approximately 20% of tested configurations performing worse. The ranking reflects the GPU’s mid-range positioning (65th percentile) rather than the CPU’s stronger standing (73rd percentile among all CPUs). The data suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor for this combo, as the CPU has more headroom than the GPU relative to their respective benchmarks.

The combo’s rank in Thief is consistent with the measured FPS results. At 1080p, the combo achieves competitive frame rates with mid-range settings, but the 4K results (29-54 FPS) pull the overall ranking down. The ranking also accounts for the fact that many competing combos feature higher-end GPUs that excel at higher resolutions. This combo’s strength lies in 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it delivers playable frame rates without requiring the highest-end hardware. The rank of 2296 out of 2851 indicates that while this is not a top-tier configuration, it is far from the bottom, offering a reasonable balance for users with modest performance expectations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured FPS values show a wide range across presets. Low settings produce an average of 133 FPS, which is the highest score in the entire dataset. Medium averages 101 FPS with a minimum of 86 and maximum of 116, providing a solid gaming experience. High averages 77 FPS, while Ultra averages 73 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at 1080p is only 4 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset’s additional visual effects have minimal performance impact at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, all frame rates decrease proportionally. Low averages 91 FPS, Medium averages 69 FPS (minimum 59, maximum 79), High averages 53 FPS, and Ultra averages 50 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra narrows further to 3 FPS, indicating that the GPU is becoming the bottleneck regardless of preset. The Medium preset’s minimum of 59 FPS is notable, as it barely misses the 60 FPS threshold, making it a borderline choice for users sensitive to frame drops.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly. Low averages 54 FPS, Medium averages 41 FPS (minimum 35, maximum 47), High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at 4K is only 2 FPS, confirming that the GPU is fully saturated at this resolution. The Medium preset’s minimum of 35 FPS indicates that even mid-range settings can produce stutter in demanding scenes. The data shows a clear pattern: each resolution step down halves the available performance headroom, making 4K only viable on Low settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset for 1080p gaming with this combo?

A: The Medium preset at 1920x1080 averages 101 FPS with a minimum of 86 FPS, providing the best balance of performance and visual quality. The High preset also works at 77 FPS, but Medium’s higher minimum ensures smoother gameplay.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming?

A: Yes, but only on Low settings, which average 54 FPS. Medium averages 41 FPS, High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS. None of these reach the standard 60 FPS target, so 4K gaming requires accepting lower frame rates.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556, which is 0.1% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, 0.1% lower than the Intel Arc A750, and 0.4% higher than the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M. This places it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: What is the CPU’s benchmark standing?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400F has an average benchmark score of 19039, placing it in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, scores 19047, a 0% difference, while the Intel Core 3 201E is 0.1% slower.

Q: Does the Ultra preset offer any advantage over High?

A: At 1080p, Ultra averages 73 FPS versus High’s 77 FPS, a 4 FPS difference. At 1440p, Ultra averages 50 FPS versus High’s 53 FPS. At 4K, Ultra averages 29 FPS versus High’s 31 FPS. The visual upgrade comes at a small but consistent performance cost.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 2296 out of 2851 tested combos in Thief, placing it in the lower-middle tier. The ranking reflects the GPU’s mid-range performance, which limits higher resolution playability.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F features 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This Alder Lake-S architecture, built on Intel’s 10 nm process, provides a solid foundation for gaming. The CPU’s cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache, which supports efficient data access for game logic and physics. The CPU’s TDP of 65 W indicates efficient power consumption, allowing for sustained performance without excessive heat.

Benchmark results show strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 12380 and a single-core score of 1680. The Geekbench multicore score of 9472 and single-core score of 1964 further confirm this CPU’s capability. In Thief, a stealth game that likely benefits from single-threaded performance for AI and game logic, the CPU’s single-core score of 1680 in Cinebench R23 suggests it is not a bottleneck at lower resolutions. This is supported by the FPS data, where 1080p Low achieves 133 FPS, indicating the GPU can run freely without CPU limitations.

The CPU’s percentile standing of 73rd among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19039, places it slightly above the midpoint of tested processors. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (0% difference), Intel Core 3 201E (0.1% slower), and Intel Core i5-1335U (0.3% faster). This positioning means the CPU provides ample headroom for the Arc B570, ensuring that the GPU becomes the primary performance limiter as resolution increases. The CPU’s 12 threads handle background tasks efficiently, maintaining consistent frame times even during complex stealth sequences.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data shows a clear scaling pattern from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 133 FPS, dropping to 91 FPS at 1440p Low (a 31.6% decrease) and 54 FPS at 4K Low (a 59.4% decrease from 1080p). This scaling pattern is consistent across all presets. For Medium, the values are 101 FPS at 1080p, 69 FPS at 1440p (31.7% drop), and 41 FPS at 4K (59.4% drop). High shows 77 FPS at 1080p, 53 FPS at 1440p (31.2% drop), and 31 FPS at 4K (59.7% drop). Ultra follows the same trend: 73 FPS, 50 FPS (31.5% drop), and 29 FPS (60.3% drop).

The nearly identical percentage drops across all presets indicate that the GPU is the primary limiting factor. The Arc B570’s memory bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s and pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s determine how quickly it can process the increased pixel count at higher resolutions. The consistent ~31% drop from 1080p to 1440p and ~60% drop from 1080p to 4K suggests that the GPU’s resources are being fully utilized at each step.

This scaling behavior also reveals that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution. If the CPU were limiting, the frame rate would plateau at higher resolutions as the GPU became less stressed. Instead, the linear scaling pattern confirms that the GPU’s performance ceiling is being reached. The fact that 4K Low (54 FPS) is nearly double 4K Ultra (29 FPS) further highlights the GPU’s sensitivity to rendering load, making resolution and settings adjustments the primary levers for achieving playable frame rates.