Thief

The Intel Core i5-13400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is a combination that sits near the bottom of the performance ladder for Thief, ranking 1555 out of 1642 tested combos. The data shows this is a pairing where the GPU is the clear limiting factor, particularly at higher resolutions, but the CPU has enough headroom to avoid being a bottleneck at playable settings. This analysis breaks down exactly where this combo stands, what each component contributes, and how to get the best experience from the measured results.

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

The Intel Core i5-13400F provides a robust foundation with 10 cores and 16 threads, running at a base clock of 2.50 GHz and boosting up to 4.60 GHz. This is a Raptor Lake-S architecture part on the Intel Socket 1700 platform, built on a 10 nm process. The processor has a 20 MB shared L3 cache, which is ample for a 2014 stealth title like Thief. It also supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory, though the game's performance is not heavily dependent on memory bandwidth in the measured data.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i5-13400F scores 21279 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 3004 in single-core, placing it in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-13620H, has an average score of 25201, which is only 0.1% different, indicating that this desktop chip is essentially on par with that mobile part. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D scores 25365, which is 0.5% higher, while the AMD EPYC 9474F and AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340 are both 0.5% lower at 25103 and 25099, respectively. These deltas are negligible in real-world gaming.

For Thief specifically, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 73.9 FPS, which suggests the CPU is not holding back the GTX 1650 at this resolution. However, at 3840x2160 with High settings, the frame rate drops to 17.2 FPS, which is far below the CPU's capability. The bottleneck here is clearly the GPU, not the processor. The i5-13400F's single-thread performance, evidenced by a 3dmark single-thread score of 960 and Cinebench R15 single-core of 302, is more than sufficient for a game from 2014. The 10-core, 16-thread configuration is overkill for Thief, but it ensures that frame pacing remains stable, even if the average FPS is low due to the GPU.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is the limiting component in this pairing. It features 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 128.1 GB/s. The GPU runs at a base clock of 1485 MHz and boosts to 1665 MHz, with memory clocked at 2001 MHz. It is built on the Turing architecture using a 12 nm process at TSMC, with 896 shading units, 56 TMUs, and 32 ROPs. The card's pixel rate is 53.28 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 93.24 GTexel/s, with an FP32 throughput of 2.984 TFLOPS.

In the benchmark data, the GTX 1650 scores 7880 in Passmark G3D and 35 in Passmark DirectX 12, placing it in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all within 0.5% of its average score of 8713: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile is 0.4% higher at 8746, the AMD Radeon 550X is 0.4% higher at 8749, and the NVIDIA Quadro P2200 is 0.5% lower at 8671. The AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 is 0.5% lower at 8761. This tells us the GTX 1650 is a mid-to-low tier card, and its performance in Thief reflects that.

The 4 GB VRAM is a critical constraint at higher resolutions. At 3840x2160, even Low settings only yield 29.5 FPS, which is likely due to the memory bandwidth and capacity being overwhelmed. At 2560x1440, the card manages 50.8 FPS on Low, which is playable, but at High it drops to 29.6 FPS. The pattern is clear: the GTX 1650 is designed for 1080p gaming, and the measured data confirms this. At 1920x1080, it delivers 73.9 FPS on Low and 45.8 FPS on High, which are respectable numbers for a game of Thief's era. The GPU's 128.1 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for 1080p, but it becomes a wall at higher pixel counts.

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

Q: Can this combo run Thief at 1920x1080 with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, the measured data shows 73.9 FPS on Low settings and 45.8 FPS on High settings at 1920x1080. Medium settings yield 56.9 FPS, and Ultra drops to 43.8 FPS, all of which are above the 30 FPS threshold typically considered minimum for playability.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Thief?

A: The data clearly favors 1920x1080, as it is the only resolution where all settings presets exceed 40 FPS. At 2560x1440, only Low settings (50.8 FPS) and Medium settings (40.3 FPS) are playable, while at 3840x2160, no preset reaches 30 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this pairing?

A: The GPU is the bottleneck. The i5-13400F ranks in the 82nd percentile of CPUs, while the GTX 1650 ranks in the 43rd percentile of GPUs. The frame rate drops from 73.9 FPS at 1080p Low to 17.2 FPS at 4K High, which is a GPU limitation, not a CPU one.

Q: How does the GTX 1650 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The GTX 1650 has an average benchmark score of 8713. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile is 0.4% higher, the AMD Radeon 550X is 0.4% higher, and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 is 0.5% higher. The NVIDIA Quadro P2200 is the only one lower, at 0.5% below.

Q: Does the i5-13400F's 10-core configuration matter for Thief?

A: Not directly, as Thief is a 2014 title that predates multi-core scaling. The CPU's strength is in single-thread performance, scoring 3004 in Cinebench R23 single-core. The extra cores are irrelevant for this game, but they do not hurt performance.

Q: What is the worst-case scenario for this combo in Thief?

A: The worst measured result is at 3840x2160 with High settings, where the average FPS drops to 17.2. Ultra at 4K is only marginally better at 19 FPS, making 4K completely unplayable for this combination.

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

The measured FPS data provides a clear hierarchy of settings for this combo. At 1920x1080, the lowest preset delivers 73.9 FPS, which is smooth and well above the 60 FPS target. However, dropping to Low sacrifices visual quality. The Medium preset at 56.9 FPS is a strong middle ground, offering better visuals while still maintaining a comfortable frame rate. High at 45.8 FPS and Ultra at 43.8 FPS are both playable, but they approach the lower edge of what is comfortable for fast-paced stealth action.

For the best experience, the data suggests using Medium settings at 1920x1080. This preset provides a 56.9 FPS average, which is a 24% improvement over High and only 17 FPS less than Low. The jump from Medium to High costs 11.1 FPS, which is a noticeable drop, while the visual difference is often minimal in a game from 2014. If the player prioritizes frame rate above all else, Low at 73.9 FPS is the choice, but Medium offers the best balance of fidelity and performance.

At 2560x1440, the situation is different. Low settings yield 50.8 FPS, which is playable, but Medium drops to 40.3 FPS, and High falls to 29.6 FPS. The recommendation here is to stick with Low if 1440p is required, as it is the only preset that consistently stays above 45 FPS. At 3840x2160, no preset is viable, with the highest being Low at 29.5 FPS. The data indicates that 4K resolution is not an option for this hardware, and users should avoid it entirely.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 combination ranks 1555 out of 1642 tested combos in Thief. This places it in the bottom 5% of all configurations tested, which is consistent with the GPU's 43rd percentile ranking. The CPU's high percentile (82nd) does little to boost the combo's standing because the GTX 1650 is the limiting factor.

This rank means that 87 other combinations performed worse, but the vast majority of systems tested were faster. For context, the GPU's nearest rivals are all within 0.5% of its average score, so swapping to an RTX 3050 A Mobile or Radeon 550X would not meaningfully change the ranking. The bottleneck is the GPU tier itself, not a specific model. The combo rank of 1555 reflects a system that is suited for 1080p gaming at medium-to-high settings in older titles, but it will struggle with modern games or higher resolutions. The data shows that this is a legacy configuration, and its ranking in Thief is a direct consequence of the GPU's modest 2.984 TFLOPS FP32 throughput and 4 GB VRAM.

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

The measured FPS data for Thief with this combo is as follows:

At 3840x2160, the results are consistently poor. Low settings achieve 29.5 FPS, Medium drops to 23.4 FPS, High falls to 17.2 FPS, and Ultra is at 19 FPS. None of these are playable, and the pattern shows that the GPU cannot handle 4K rendering even at the lowest quality preset.

At 2560x1440, the results improve but remain limited. Low settings deliver 50.8 FPS, which is the only preset above 45 FPS. Medium provides 40.3 FPS, which is borderline playable. High drops to 29.6 FPS, and Ultra falls to 28.9 FPS, both of which are below the 30 FPS threshold for comfortable gameplay. The delta between Low and Medium is 10.5 FPS, indicating a steep cost for the increased detail.

At 1920x1080, the combo performs as expected for a 1080p-oriented card. Low settings yield 73.9 FPS, which is the highest measured value across all resolutions and settings. Medium produces 56.9 FPS, High gives 45.8 FPS, and Ultra is at 43.8 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 30.1 FPS, which is a significant range but one that offers flexibility. The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where all presets exceed 40 FPS, making it the definitive choice for this hardware combination.