Thief

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 580 produces a combination that ranks near the bottom of the database for Thief, placing 3397th out of 3720 tested combos. The CPU is a modern, capable 10-core processor, but the RX 580, despite its 8GB of VRAM, is a legacy GPU from 2017. Benchmark results show that this pairing is heavily bottlenecked by the graphics card, especially at higher resolutions. The data indicates that while the CPU is well-equipped to handle the game's logic, the GPU's age limits performance to playable levels only at 1080p, with significant frame rate drops as resolution increases.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall ranking of this CPU and GPU combo for Thief?

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F + AMD Radeon RX 580 combination ranks 3397th out of 3,720 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 9% of all configurations tested for Thief.

Q: What kind of performance can I expect at 1920x1080 resolution?

A: At 1080p, the combo delivers an average of 83 FPS on Low, 63 FPS on Medium, 48 FPS on High, and 46 FPS on Ultra settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 1440p resolution?

A: At 2560x1440, the frame rate drops to an average of 57 FPS on Low, 43 FPS on Medium, 33 FPS on High, and 31 FPS on Ultra settings.

Q: What is the performance like at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the average frame rate falls to 33 FPS on Low, 25 FPS on Medium, 19 FPS on High, and just 18 FPS on Ultra.

Q: How does the RX 580's benchmark score compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RX 580's GPUs have an average benchmark score of 12,928, which is roughly on par with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile (score of 12,940, a 0.1% difference), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER (score of 12,986, a 0.4% difference). It slightly outperforms the AMD Radeon 740M by 0.5%.

Q: How does the i5-14400F's compute performance compare to its rivals?

A: The i5-14400F's average benchmark score is 32,279. This is very close to the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (32,233, a 0.1% difference) and the Intel Core i9-11900 (32,226, a 0.2% difference). It is slightly behind the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (32,354, a -0.2% difference) and ahead of the Intel Core i7-12800H (32,121, a 0.5% difference).

How This Combo Ranks

The Core i5-14400F and Radeon RX 580 combination ranks 3397th out of 3720 tested combos in Thief. This is a poor result, positioning the duo in the 9th percentile of tested configurations. The benchmark data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor here; the i5-14400F has a high average benchmark score of 32,279, placing it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs. This score is essentially tied with a group of strong rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, Intel Core i9-11900, AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS, and Intel Core i7-12800H, all within a 1% margin of each other.

The GPU, however, is an older part. Its average benchmark score is 12,928, placing it in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs. This score is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile, which has a score of 12,940 (a 0.1% difference), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER, which has a score of 12,986 (a 0.4% difference). The fact that the CPU is so much more powerful than the GPU in synthetic tests explains the low ranking. The system is heavily imbalanced for Thief, with the GPU unable to keep pace with the CPU's capabilities. The ranking reflects a scenario where the graphics card is the primary constraint, preventing the combination from achieving frame rates comparable to systems with more balanced or more modern GPUs.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a classic GPU-limited scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p on High settings, the combo delivers 54 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings, the average drops to 33 FPS, a 39% reduction. At 4K, the frame rate plummets to 19 FPS, a further 42% decrease from 1440p. This pattern indicates that the RX 580 is the limiting factor, as its fill rate and memory bandwidth are insufficient to handle the increasing pixel count.

This trend is consistent across other settings. On Medium, the average FPS drops from 63 at 1080p to 43 at 1440p and then to 25 at 4K. The frame rate scaling is nearly linear with the number of pixels, which is the hallmark of a GPU-limited scenario. The CPU, with its powerful 10-core architecture and high benchmark scores, is not the constraint. Even at the lowest resolution of 1080p, the CPU is likely not the bottleneck, as the GPU's performance is the primary factor determining the frame rate.

The limiting component is definitively the GPU. The Radeon RX 580's compute capabilities and memory bandwidth are simply not sufficient to keep up with the demands of modern gaming at higher resolutions. The high-resolution data points (1440p and 4K) result in frame rates that are below the threshold for smooth gameplay, often dipping below 30 FPS. The only playable experience is at 1080p with lower settings, where the GPU can maintain a reasonable frame rate.

Resolution Scaling

The scaling of FPS across resolutions is a critical indicator of where the bottleneck lies. The measured data shows that the average FPS decreases roughly proportionally as resolution increases. For instance, at High settings, the average FPS at 1080p is 48. At 1440p, it drops to 33, a 31% decrease. At 4K, it falls to 19, a 42% decrease from 1440p. This steep decline points directly at the GPU as the limiting factor.

The pattern is similar for Low settings. The average at 1080p is 83 FPS. At 1440p, it's 57, a 31% drop. At 4K, it's 33, a 42% drop from 1440p. This consistent scaling across different presets confirms that the GPU is the primary constraint. The CPU, which has a high benchmark score, is not the cause of the performance drops.

The RX 580, with its 256-bit memory interface and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth, is a mid-range GPU from 2017. Its 8GB of VRAM is sufficient for the game's textures, but its raw compute power and fill rates are not enough to handle the increasing pixel count. The data shows that the limiting component is the GPU, and the CPU is more than capable of keeping up with the game's logical demands.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080:

• Low: Average 83 FPS.
• Medium: Average 63 FPS, with a min of 54 and max of 72 FPS.
• High: Average 48 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 46 FPS.

2560x1440:

• Low: Average 57 FPS.
• Medium: Average 43 FPS, with a min of 37 and max of 50 FPS.
• High: Average 33 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 31 FPS.

3840x2160:

• Low: Average 33 FPS.
• Medium: Average 25 FPS, with a min of 22 and max of 29 FPS.
• High: Average 19 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 18 FPS.

The data shows that the jump from 1080p to 1440p is significant, and the jump to 4K is even more severe. At 4K, even the Low preset only yields an average of 33 FPS, which is not ideal for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 1440p provides a playable experience with an average of 43 FPS, but the High and Ultra presets at that resolution result in averages below 35 FPS.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is a critical component in this combo's performance. Its 8GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a memory bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. The GPU base clock is set to 1257 MHz with a boost clock of 1340 MHz. These specifications, while once respectable, are now dated. The GPU's overall benchmark score is 12,928, placing it in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU's role in Thief is the primary determinant of frame rate. The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the most significant bottleneck. At 1080p, the frame rate is decent, but the GPU's performance is the reason for the frame rate scaling. The GPU's memory bandwidth is a key factor in this. The 256.0 GB/s bandwidth is not enough to keep up with the demands of higher resolutions.

The GPU's compute performance is also a factor. Its FP32 performance is 6.175 TFLOPS, and it has 2304 shading units. These numbers, while not terrible, are not enough to handle the game's higher resolutions. The RX 580's performance is the reason why the combo ranks so low. The GPU is the limiting factor, and its age and performance level are the primary reason for the low frame rates.

The GPU's VRAM of 8GB is a double-edged sword. It is enough to handle the textures in Thief, even at 4K, but the GPU's compute power and fill rates are not. The game's performance is limited by the GPU's ability to process the frame, not by the memory capacity. The data suggests that the RX 580 is the bottleneck, and its performance is the reason for the low ranking.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combination is at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset. The average FPS is 63, with a min of 54 and a max of 72. This provides a smooth, playable experience with the frame rate well above the 40 FPS threshold. At 1080p, the High and Ultra presets also offer playable frame rates, but they are lower and may not be as smooth. The Low preset at 1080p yields an average of 83 FPS, but the visual quality is significantly reduced.

At 1440p, the Medium preset manages an average of 43 FPS. This is still playable, but the frame rate drops are more noticeable. The Low preset at 1440p yields an average of 57 FPS, which is also good. The High and Ultra presets at 1440p are not recommended, as they drop below 40 FPS.

At 4K, no settings are playable. The average FPS is below 35, even on Low. The GPU is not capable of handling 4K, and the user would need to reduce the resolution to get a playable experience.

The data indicates that the sweet spot for this combo is 1080p with Medium settings. This provides a balance of visual quality and performance. If the user prefers higher settings, they can use the High preset at 1080p, but they will get an average of 48 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p is also a viable option for those with a 1440p monitor, offering an average of 43 FPS. In summary, the RX 580 is the limiting factor, and the best experience is achieved at 1080p with Medium settings.