Thief

The Intel Core i5-13400F paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a stark picture in Thief: a capable modern CPU shackled by an entry-level integrated GPU. The data indicates a system where the graphics solution is the definitive bottleneck at every turn, transforming a classic stealth title into a test of resolution and settings discipline. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, ranking, and the specific hardware characteristics that define this combination.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and clearly demonstrates that the Intel Arc B390 is the limiting component. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 86 FPS at 1920x1080 to 59 FPS at 2560x1440, a 31.4% reduction, and then plummets to 35 FPS at 3840x2160, a 59.3% drop from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline is the classic signature of a GPU that is running out of pixel-pushing capacity.

The trend continues across all quality presets but becomes even more pronounced as the workload intensifies. At High settings, the average FPS sequence is 50 (1080p), 34 (1440p), and 20 (4K). The scaling from 1440p to 4K here is a 41.2% loss, indicating that the GPU is saturated and cannot maintain its performance as the pixel count increases. The 4K High result is essentially unplayable, while the 1080p High result is merely adequate.

The frame time data for Medium settings provides additional insight into this bottleneck. At 1920x1080, the average FPS of 66 comes with a minimum of 56 and a maximum of 75. At 2560x1440, the average drops to 45, but the minimum and maximum are 38 and 52, respectively. At 3840x2160, the average falls to 26, with a minimum of 22 and a maximum of 30. The narrowing gap between the minimum and maximum FPS at higher resolutions suggests the GPU is consistently maxed out, leaving little headroom for variance. The CPU, an Intel Core i5-13400F with 10 cores and 16 threads, is clearly not the constraint; its high multithreaded benchmark scores (e.g., 22604 in Cinebench R23 multicore) are far beyond what this game requires at these frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of all tested hardware combinations for Thief, this pairing sits near the very bottom. The combo rank is 2534 out of 2851 tested combos, placing it in the 11.1% percentile of all systems. This ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's position in the market; the Intel Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482 and resides in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. The data suggests that while the CPU is powerful, it is effectively wasted in this configuration, as the GPU cannot translate its potential into high frame rates.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database paint a clear picture of its performance class. The Arc B390 is less than 3% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710, which has an average score of 1443 and a deltaPct of 2.7. It is also closely matched with the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (score 1446, deltaPct 2.5) and the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (score 1460, deltaPct 1.5). These are all legacy, entry-level graphics solutions. The Arc B390's performance in Thief aligns with this classification, as its frame rates are consistent with a GPU that is several generations behind modern standards.

The CPU, by contrast, is a formidable component. The Intel Core i5-13400F holds the 77th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25292. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS (score 25284, deltaPct 0) and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D (score 25365, deltaPct -0.3). This indicates that the processor is more than capable of handling the game's logic and physics, but its performance is entirely untapped because the GPU is the bottleneck. The 2534th place ranking out of 2851 combos is a direct result of this massive imbalance.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the sole determinant of this system's gaming performance, and its specifications reveal why it struggles. It is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. Its memory configuration is listed as "System Shared," meaning it uses a portion of the system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM. This shared memory setup is a fundamental limitation, as it relies on system memory bandwidth, which is "System Dependent" and typically far slower than dedicated GDDR6 or GDDR6X.

The GPU's clock speeds are a point of interest. The base clock is a low 300 MHz, but the boost clock can reach 2500 MHz. This wide range suggests aggressive power management, likely to keep the 80 W TDP in check. While the boost clock is respectable, the GPU's raw compute resources are limited. It features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units (TMUs), and only 24 render output units (ROPs). The low ROP count is particularly detrimental at high resolutions, as it limits the rate at which pixels can be written to the framebuffer. This is a primary reason why the 4K results are so poor, with average frame rates of 20 FPS at High and 19 FPS at Ultra.

The GPU's performance data corroborates its position. It has a single benchmark score of 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad (DX12), which places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals, as previously mentioned, are all older, low-end NVIDIA parts. The architecture supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, but the hardware is not powerful enough to leverage these APIs for high-end gaming. The 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 performance sounds substantial on paper, but it is clearly not being effectively utilized in this game, likely due to the memory bandwidth bottleneck and the low ROP count.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the optimal settings for this combination are a trade-off between playability and visual fidelity. At 1080p, the Low preset is the only setting that provides a consistently smooth experience, with an average FPS of 86. The Medium preset, with an average of 66 FPS and a minimum of 56, is also viable for players who prefer a bit more visual detail and have a 60 Hz monitor. High and Ultra presets at 1080p, with averages of 50 and 48 FPS respectively, are playable but may feel less fluid during fast-paced action.

For 1440p, the choices become more constrained. The Low preset is the only one that achieves a playable average frame rate of 59 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 45 FPS, which is borderline, and the High and Ultra presets fall below 34 FPS, making them difficult to recommend for a game that requires precise movement. At 4K, the situation is dire. All presets fail to reach 35 FPS, with Ultra dipping to 19 FPS. Based on the data, 4K is not a viable resolution for this combination in Thief, regardless of settings.

The recommendation is clear: to achieve a smooth experience, the resolution must be 1080p with the Low or Medium preset. The data shows that the jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 20 FPS (from 86 to 66), which is a significant sacrifice. However, the Medium preset's minimum FPS of 56 ensures that the game remains above a 50 FPS floor, providing a more stable feel than the High preset, which averages 50 but has an unknown minimum. For players who prioritize frame rate above all else, 1080p Low is the only choice that offers significant headroom. There is no reason to attempt higher resolutions with this GPU, as the performance penalty is too steep.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data is derived directly from the measured performance rows.

1920x1080:

• Low: Average 86 FPS.
• Medium: Average 66 FPS, with a minimum of 56 and a maximum of 75.
• High: Average 50 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 48 FPS.

2560x1440:

• Low: Average 59 FPS.
• Medium: Average 45 FPS, with a minimum of 38 and a maximum of 52.
• High: Average 34 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 33 FPS.

3840x2160:

• Low: Average 35 FPS.
• Medium: Average 26 FPS, with a minimum of 22 and a maximum of 30.
• High: Average 20 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 19 FPS.

The pattern is consistent across all resolutions: the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 38 FPS (86 to 48). At 1440p, it shrinks to 26 FPS (59 to 33). At 4K, it narrows further to 16 FPS (35 to 19). This demonstrates that at higher resolutions, the GPU is so overwhelmed that the choice of quality preset has a diminished impact on the average frame rate. The system is bound by the GPU's pixel throughput, not the settings. The 4K Medium data, with its tight 22-30 FPS range, is the clearest indicator of this hard limit.

FAQ

Q: Is this CPU-GPU combo capable of running Thief at a consistent 60 FPS?

A: No. The data shows that 60 FPS is only achieved at 1080p with the Low preset, which averages 86 FPS. All other settings and resolutions result in an average frame rate below 66 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution to play at for this combination?

A: The measured data indicates that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where any preset achieves a playable frame rate. At 2560x1440, only the Low preset reaches an average of 59 FPS, and at 3840x2160, all presets fall below 35 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in terms of raw benchmark score?

A: The Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482. It is 2.7% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (score 1443), 2.5% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (score 1446), and 1.5% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (score 1460).

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-13400F the reason for the low frame rates in Thief?

A: No. The CPU has an average benchmark score of 25292 and holds the 77th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is very powerful. The bottleneck is the Intel Arc B390, which is in the 9th percentile of GPUs, as evidenced by the severe FPS drops at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 4K?

A: The difference is minimal. The Low preset averages 35 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 19 FPS, a difference of only 16 FPS. This suggests the GPU is the limiting factor, and changing settings has little effect at this resolution.

Q: What is the combo's overall rank among all tested systems in Thief?

A: This specific combination ranks 2534 out of 2851 tested combos. This places it near the bottom of the list, consistent with the GPU's low performance percentile.

Q: Does the GPU have dedicated video memory?

A: No. The memory configuration is listed as "System Shared," meaning it uses the system's main memory instead of dedicated VRAM. The bandwidth is described as "System Dependent," which is a significant performance limitation.