Thief

Thief, a 2014 stealth title, exhibits a performance profile for the Intel Core i5-12600KF and AMD Radeon RX 580 combination that is heavily dictated by resolution and graphics settings. The measured FPS data reveals a system where the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s strong single-threaded performance ensures smooth operation at lower settings. This analysis explores the scaling behavior, component roles, and actionable recommendations based strictly on the provided benchmark data.

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

The measured FPS data for this combo shows a clear and predictable pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 83 at 1080p to 57 at 1440p, and then to 33 at 4K. This represents a 31% decrease from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 42% decrease from 1440p to 4K. The trend is even more pronounced at High settings, where the average FPS falls from 48 at 1080p to 33 at 1440p, and finally to 19 at 4K. This steep decline strongly indicates that the AMD Radeon RX 580’s rendering capabilities are the limiting factor as pixel count increases.

The scaling behavior across settings presets reveals the nature of this bottleneck. At 1080p, the difference between Low (83 FPS) and Ultra (46 FPS) is 37 FPS, showing that the GPU is still managing the load reasonably well at the lower resolution. However, at 4K, the spread between Low (33 FPS) and Ultra (18 FPS) narrows to just 15 FPS. This compression of performance at 4K suggests that the GPU is saturated even at Low settings, and the additional work required for higher presets yields diminishing returns. The data implies that the RX 580’s pixel fillrate and memory bandwidth are insufficient for 4K gaming in this title, regardless of the CPU’s capability.

Interestingly, the resolution scaling at Medium settings shows the most complete data, with min and max FPS values recorded. At 1080p Medium, the average is 63 FPS with a range of 54 to 72 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 43 FPS with a range of 37 to 50 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 25 FPS with a range of 22 to 29 FPS. The relatively consistent frame times at each resolution suggest that the game is not experiencing CPU-related stuttering, reinforcing that the GPU is the sole performance limiter in this scenario. The 10-core Intel Core i5-12600KF with its 4.90 GHz boost clock appears to have ample headroom to feed the GPU in Thief.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this CPU-GPU combo in Thief?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 83, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only configuration in the measured data that exceeds 60 FPS on average, indicating that high-refresh-rate play is only possible at the lowest graphical preset.

Q: How does the performance at 1440p compare to 1080p for this combo?

A: At 1440p, the average FPS is significantly lower than at 1080p across all settings. For example, at High settings, the average drops from 48 FPS at 1080p to 33 FPS at 1440p, a 31% reduction. At Low settings, the drop is from 83 FPS to 57 FPS, a 31% reduction as well.

Q: Is the Ultra preset playable at any resolution with this combo?

A: The measured data shows that the Ultra preset yields average FPS of 46 at 1080p, 31 at 1440p, and 18 at 4K. While 46 FPS at 1080p may be considered borderline playable, the 31 FPS at 1440p and 18 FPS at 4K are below typical playability thresholds. The data suggests Ultra is only viable at 1080p for a playable experience.

Q: What is the FPS range at Medium settings across all resolutions?

A: At Medium settings, the measured FPS ranges are as follows: 54-72 FPS at 1080p (average 63), 37-50 FPS at 1440p (average 43), and 22-29 FPS at 4K (average 25). These ranges show that the game maintains relatively stable frame pacing, with no extreme dips indicated.

Q: How does the combo’s performance in Thief compare to other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 3397 out of 3720 tested combinations for this game. This places it in the lower percentile of all tested combos, indicating that while it can run the game, many other CPU-GPU pairings deliver higher frame rates in this title.

Q: What does the data suggest about the CPU’s role in limiting performance?

A: The CPU’s benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3302 and a multi-core score of 23391, are robust. The FPS scaling pattern, where performance drops uniformly with resolution, indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor in Thief; the GPU is. The CPU is likely providing frames faster than the GPU can render them.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is a Polaris 20 chip built on a 14 nm process, featuring 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus. Its memory clock is listed as 2000 MHz, which translates to 8 Gbps effective, providing a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. The GPU’s base clock is 1257 MHz with a boost clock of 1340 MHz. These specifications are critical for understanding its performance in Thief, a game that can be demanding on memory bandwidth and fill rate. The 256.0 GB/s bandwidth appears to be a significant constraint at higher resolutions, as the FPS drops sharply when moving from 1080p to 1440p and 4K.

The GPU’s compute capabilities include 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 32 raster output units. The pixel rate is 42.88 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 193.0 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 6.175 TFLOPS. These numbers, while solid for a mid-range GPU from its generation, are modest by modern standards. In Thief, the 4K Ultra setting yields only 18 FPS on average, which is a clear indication that the GPU is overwhelmed by the pixel and texture workload at that resolution. The low pixel rate and texture rate are likely the primary reasons for this poor performance.

The GPU’s benchmark scores provide additional context. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 1005, and in Geekbench Vulkan, it scores 45173. Its Passmark G3D score is 8813, and its percentile versus all GPUs is 53. This means it performs better than approximately 53% of all GPUs in the database, placing it in the mid-range tier. The nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER with an average score of 12986 and a deltaPct of -0.4, show that the RX 580 is very closely matched with that card. This relative positioning explains why the FPS numbers in Thief are moderate but not exceptional, particularly at higher resolutions where its 8 GB VRAM capacity is less of a concern than its raw processing power.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and the AMD Radeon RX 580 holds a rank of 3397 out of 3720 tested combos in Thief. This ranking places it in the bottom 10% of all tested configurations, a position that might initially seem surprising given the relatively modern CPU. However, this low rank is almost certainly attributable to the GPU’s limitations. The CPU, which has a percentile of 79 versus all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 27799, is a high-performing part. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-10900K with a deltaPct of -0.3 and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D with a deltaPct of -0.3, indicating the i5-12600KF is essentially on par with these top-tier CPUs.

The GPU, on the other hand, has a percentile of 53 versus all GPUs and an average benchmark score of 12928. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile, has a deltaPct of -0.1, showing near-identical performance. This juxtaposition of a top-tier CPU with a mid-tier GPU creates an unbalanced system where the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The combo rank of 3397 out of 3720 suggests that most other tested combos are either more balanced or have a stronger GPU. For a game like Thief, which benefits from high frame rates, this combination is not optimal, as the CPU’s power is largely wasted at higher resolutions where the GPU cannot keep up.

The data implies that if the goal is to maximize performance in Thief, pairing this CPU with a more capable GPU would yield significantly better results. The rank is not a reflection of the CPU’s capability but rather a measure of the entire system’s performance in this specific workload. The fact that the combo ranks so low despite the CPU’s high standing underscores the importance of GPU selection for gaming, particularly for titles that are graphically demanding.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the performance is the strongest, with all settings yielding playable average frame rates. At Low settings, the average FPS is 83, which is the highest measured value for this combo. Medium settings produce an average of 63 FPS, with a minimum of 54 and a maximum of 72 FPS. High settings yield an average of 48 FPS, and Ultra settings result in an average of 46 FPS. This data shows a clear progression where lowering settings increases performance, but even at Ultra, the game is playable at 1080p.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops significantly across the board. Low settings yield 57 FPS on average, which is still playable but a 31% decrease from 1080p. Medium settings produce an average of 43 FPS, with a range of 37 to 50 FPS. High settings average 33 FPS, and Ultra settings average 31 FPS. The data shows that at 1440p, only Low and Medium settings provide average frame rates above 30 FPS, indicating that this resolution is pushing the GPU to its limits for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the performance is severely limited. Low settings yield an average of 33 FPS, which is the only setting at this resolution to exceed 30 FPS. Medium settings average 25 FPS, with a range of 22 to 29 FPS. High settings average 19 FPS, and Ultra settings average 18 FPS. These numbers are largely unplayable for a smooth experience, suggesting that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combo in Thief. The data indicates that the GPU’s capabilities are exhausted at this resolution, regardless of the settings chosen.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience at 1080p is achieved with the Low preset, which delivers an average of 83 FPS. This is the only preset that allows for high-refresh-rate gaming, providing a smooth and responsive experience. However, for players who prefer higher visual fidelity, the Medium preset at 63 FPS is also an excellent choice, as it maintains an average frame rate well above 60 FPS while offering better graphics than Low. The High and Ultra presets, at 48 and 46 FPS respectively, are also playable but do not provide the same level of smoothness.

At 1440p, the Low preset (57 FPS) is the only option that provides a consistently smooth experience, as it stays above 60 FPS for the most part. The Medium preset at 43 FPS is acceptable for games that don’t require twitch reflexes, but the frame rate is noticeably lower. The High and Ultra presets at 33 and 31 FPS respectively are on the edge of playability and may result in a less enjoyable experience. For 1440p, the data suggests that Low is the recommended setting for optimal performance.

At 4K, none of the presets deliver a truly playable experience. The Low preset at 33 FPS is the only one that approaches playability, but it is still below the 60 FPS target that many players prefer. The Medium, High, and Ultra presets at 25, 19, and 18 FPS respectively are not recommended. Given this data, the best overall experience is to play at 1080p with Medium settings, which balances visual quality and performance, or at 1080p with Low settings if maximum frame rate is the priority. The data clearly shows that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming in Thief, with 1440p being a stretch and 4K being out of reach.

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

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. It has a TDP of 125 W and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. Its benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23391 and a single-core score of 3302. The Geekbench multi-core score is 12137, and the single-core score is 2157. These numbers indicate a very capable CPU that should not bottleneck in most gaming scenarios.

In the context of Thief, the CPU’s role appears to be secondary to the GPU. The measured FPS data shows that performance scales almost entirely with resolution and settings, which are GPU-bound factors. The CPU’s strong single-thread performance, as evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 1016 and Passmark single-thread score of 3925, is likely sufficient to handle the game’s logic and physics without issue. The 16 threads provide ample multithreading capability, though Thief’s age suggests it may not fully utilize all of them.

The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-10900K and AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, have average benchmark scores within 0.3% of the i5-12600KF. This shows that the CPU is performing at the level of top-tier processors from the previous generation. However, in this combo, the CPU’s potential is not fully realized because the RX 580 cannot render frames fast enough to benefit from the CPU’s speed. The data suggests that if the CPU were paired with a more powerful GPU, the FPS in Thief would be significantly higher, as the CPU would not be the limiting factor. The CPU’s high clock speed and core count ensure that it can handle any frame rate the GPU can produce, making it a future-proof component for this game.