Thief

The Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination delivers a robust performance profile in Thief, a 2014 stealth title. The data indicates a pairing that is well-balanced for high-refresh-rate 1080p and 1440p gaming, while still managing to push 4K Ultra to playable levels. This analysis breaks down the benchmark results, focusing on the individual roles of the CPU and GPU, the combo's overall ranking, and the specific frame rates measured across various settings.

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

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It operates with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU demonstrates strong multi-threaded capability with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21914 and a single-core score of 3093. Its average benchmark score of 32508 places it in the 88th percentile of all CPUs tested, indicating a high-performing chip.

Looking at its nearest rivals, the performance is tightly clustered. The data shows a 0% deltaPct compared to the Intel Core i7-12800H, a 0.2% advantage over the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645, and a -0.2% deficit against both the AMD Ryzen 7 250 and the Intel Core i7-13705H. This means that while the i5-14400F is a powerful chip, its performance is virtually identical to several other high-end processors in this comparison set.

For a game like Thief, which is not heavily CPU-bound at higher resolutions, the i5-14400F's high single-thread performance is more than sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the GPU. The 10 cores and 16 threads provide ample headroom for game logic and background processes. The benchmark results show that at 1080p, the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU enough data to achieve frame rates above 140 FPS on Ultra settings, suggesting that the CPU is not the primary limiting factor in this configuration.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1920 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz. With a PassMark G3D score of 26927, it ranks in the 81st percentile of all GPUs, demonstrating its high-end positioning.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the RTX 4070 shows a -0.6% deltaPct against the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56, a -1.9% deltaPct against the NVIDIA GeForce MX570 A, a -2.2% deltaPct against the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile, and a 2.5% advantage over the AMD Radeon RX 5300M. This indicates that while it is a strong performer, it sits in a competitive tier where slight performance variations exist among peers.

The 12 GB VRAM capacity is a significant asset for Thief, especially at 4K resolution where texture memory demand is highest. The high boost clock of 2475 MHz ensures that the GPU can process the game's graphics pipeline efficiently. The data shows that the GPU is the dominant component in this pairing; as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, the frame rates drop significantly, indicating that the GPU's rendering workload is the primary constraint on overall performance.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 achieves a rank of 341 out of 1642 tested combos in Thief. This places the pairing in the top 21% of all system configurations tested for this game. This rank is a strong indicator that the combination is well-suited for delivering a high-quality gaming experience.

This ranking suggests that the i5-14400F and RTX 4070 are a well-matched pair for Thief. The system is able to leverage the strengths of both components effectively. The high rank is more attributable to the GPU's raw rendering power than the CPU, as the game is largely graphics-intensive. The CPU's strong single-core performance ensures it does not hold back the GPU, allowing the system to achieve a position in the upper echelon of tested combinations.

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

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance across different resolutions and quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system excels, delivering an average of 181.4 FPS on Low settings, 166 FPS on Medium, 147.5 FPS on High, and 143.2 FPS on Ultra. These numbers indicate that the system is capable of driving high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p with all settings maxed out.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains very strong. The average frame rates are 160.3 FPS on Low, 133.5 FPS on Medium, 100.7 FPS on High, and 94.5 FPS on Ultra. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is noticeable but still leaves the system comfortably in high-refresh-rate territory for most settings, with only Ultra dipping below 100 FPS. At 3840x2160, the system shows its limits. The average frame rates are 106.2 FPS on Low, 77.3 FPS on Medium, 58.2 FPS on High, and 60.1 FPS on Ultra. While 4K Ultra is just at the threshold of playability at 60 FPS, the Low and Medium settings offer much smoother experiences at this resolution.

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

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. At Ultra settings, the frame rate drops from 143.2 FPS at 1080p to 94.5 FPS at 1440p, a decrease of 34%, and then to 60.1 FPS at 4K, a further decrease of 36% from 1440p. This consistent and significant drop with each resolution increase is a hallmark of a system where the GPU's rendering capabilities are the primary bottleneck.

This pattern is consistent across all settings. For instance, on High settings, the frame rate goes from 147.5 FPS at 1080p to 100.7 FPS at 1440p and finally to 58.2 FPS at 4K. The CPU's performance remains constant across these resolutions, but the GPU's workload increases dramatically with pixel count. The data indicates that the RTX 4070 is the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, which is not the case. The CPU is sufficiently powerful to feed the GPU at all tested resolutions, but the GPU cannot maintain high frame rates as the resolution increases.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo achieves in Thief?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 181.4 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Thief?

A: Yes, it can. At 3840x2160 resolution, the system achieves an average of 60.1 FPS on Ultra settings and 58.2 FPS on High settings, making both presets playable at 4K.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor for this system in Thief?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary limiting factor. This is evident from the significant frame rate drops when moving from 1080p to 1440p and 4K, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound workload.

Q: How does this combo rank among other tested systems for this game?

A: The combo ranks 341 out of 1642 tested combinations, placing it in the top 21% of all systems tested for Thief.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440 resolution, the average frame rate on Low settings is 160.3 FPS, while on Ultra settings it is 94.5 FPS, a difference of 65.8 FPS.

Q: What is the performance delta between this CPU and its closest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F's average benchmark score is 32508, which is a 0% deltaPct from the Intel Core i7-12800H and a 0.2% deltaPct from the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645.