Thief

The Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER pairing delivers a remarkably strong showing in Thief, a 2014 stealth title that remains demanding at higher resolutions. This combination sits at rank 146 out of 1,642 tested combos, placing it in the top 9% of all systems tested. The data shows a system that can handle the game at maximum settings with playable frame rates, though the performance scaling reveals distinct characteristics about where the CPU and GPU each carry the load.

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

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor built on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5 provide a solid foundation for gaming workloads. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU achieves a multi-thread score of 13,810 in Cinebench R20 and 32,881 in Cinebench R23, with a single-core score of 4,642 in R23. These figures indicate strong per-core performance, which matters for Thief since the game’s engine was designed around single-threaded efficiency common in 2014-era titles.

The i5-14600K ranks in the 93rd percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49,166. Its nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, which scores 49,062 — a delta of just 0.2%, meaning the i5-14600K effectively trades blows with a high-end 16-core processor from the previous generation. The Intel Core i5-14600KF is marginally faster at 49,367, representing a -0.4% delta, while the AMD EPYC 4345P leads by 0.9% at 49,595. This positioning shows the i5-14600K is no bottleneck in Thief, providing ample headroom for the GPU to reach its potential.

The CPU’s 125W TDP and unlocked multiplier make it a flexible choice for builders, though the data suggests that in Thief, the processor’s role is primarily to feed the GPU with enough data. At 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 206.4 FPS, indicating the CPU can sustain very high frame rates without becoming a limiting factor. The processor’s 80 KB L1 cache per core and 2 MB L2 cache per core contribute to low-latency access patterns that benefit game logic and physics calculations typical of stealth gameplay.

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

*Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Thief?*

A: The maximum recorded average FPS is 206.4 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only configuration in the measured data that exceeds 200 FPS, and it demonstrates the system’s ability to push far beyond standard 60Hz display refresh rates.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested systems?

A: The system ranks 146th out of 1,642 total tested combinations, placing it in the 91st percentile. This means only 145 tested combos perform better, which is an exceptionally strong result given the CPU’s 93rd percentile ranking and the GPU’s 84th percentile ranking among their respective components.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 SUPER a bottleneck at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 64.4, which is the lowest recorded figure in the dataset. However, this is still above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The 4.4 FPS difference between High (65.0 FPS) and Ultra (64.4 FPS) suggests the GPU is the primary constraint at this resolution.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 184.9 FPS, while Ultra settings produce 105.8 FPS. This represents a 79.1 FPS difference, or a 42.8% reduction in frame rate when switching from the lowest to the highest preset at this resolution.

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

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 42,576, placing it in the 84th percentile. Its closest competitor is the NVIDIA RTX A6000 at 42,653, a -0.2% delta, while the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE scores 42,723, a -0.3% difference. The AMD Radeon Pro 580X trails by 1.4% at 41,991.

Q: What frame rate can be expected at 4K with Medium settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 87.6. This is 22.6 FPS higher than High settings at the same resolution, indicating that Medium provides a substantial performance boost for 4K gaming without requiring a significant visual compromise.

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

The measured data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p High settings, the system produces 166.9 FPS, which drops to 116.1 FPS at 1440p High, and further to 65.0 FPS at 4K High. This represents a 61% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K, a substantial decline that points to the GPU as the limiting component at higher resolutions.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly steep: at High settings, the drop is from 116.1 FPS to 65.0 FPS, a 51.1 FPS decrease. This 44% reduction indicates that the RTX 4070 SUPER’s 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are being fully utilized at 4K, where pixel throughput demands increase dramatically. The GPU’s 35.48 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 198.0 GPixel/s pixel rate are sufficient for 1440p gaming but become the primary constraint at 4K.

Interestingly, the scaling is less severe at Low settings. From 1080p Low (206.4 FPS) to 1440p Low (184.9 FPS), the drop is only 21.5 FPS, or 10.4%. From 1440p Low to 4K Low (112.0 FPS), the drop is 72.9 FPS, or 39.4%. This pattern suggests that at lower settings, the CPU can maintain high frame rates, but the GPU still becomes the bottleneck at 4K. The 14-core i5-14600K’s strong single-thread performance (4,642 in Cinebench R23 single-core) ensures that CPU limitations are rarely the issue, even at 1080p where frame rates exceed 200 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the i5-14600K and RTX 4070 SUPER achieves an overall rank of 146 out of 1,642 tested combos in Thief. This top-9% placement is notable when considering that the CPU ranks in the 93rd percentile and the GPU in the 84th percentile among their respective component pools. The synergy between these two parts is effective, as the system outperforms what component-level percentiles alone might suggest.

The CPU’s nearest rivals provide context: the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X scores nearly identically (49,062 vs 49,166), while the Intel Core i5-14600KF is only 0.4% faster. The AMD EPYC 4345P leads by 0.9%, but these differences are minimal in real-world gaming. For the GPU, the NVIDIA RTX A6000 and AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE are within 0.3% of the RTX 4070 SUPER’s average score, meaning any of these pairings would likely produce similar results in Thief.

The fact that 145 other combos rank higher suggests that top-tier configurations, likely featuring flagship GPUs like the RTX 4090 series or older multi-GPU setups, can exceed these frame rates. However, for a single-GPU, mainstream-enthusiast build, this ranking demonstrates excellent performance headroom. The system achieves playable frame rates at every resolution and settings combination tested, with even the most demanding configuration (4K Ultra) maintaining 64.4 FPS average.

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

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance across all settings. Low settings produce 206.4 FPS average, Medium settings achieve 189.1 FPS, High settings reach 166.9 FPS, and Ultra settings still maintain 154.2 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 52.2 FPS, or 25.3% of the Low figure, showing that even at maximum settings, the system has substantial headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains strong but shows expected scaling. Low settings yield 184.9 FPS, Medium settings produce 145.1 FPS, High settings reach 116.1 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 105.8 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra here is 79.1 FPS, representing a 42.8% reduction. This resolution is the sweet spot for the RTX 4070 SUPER, offering high frame rates while still utilizing the GPU’s capabilities effectively.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. Low settings achieve 112.0 FPS, Medium settings produce 87.6 FPS, High settings reach 65.0 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 64.4 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at 4K is only 0.6 FPS, indicating that Ultra settings add minimal visual benefit while taxing the GPU nearly identically. The 47.6 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 4K (from 112.0 to 64.4) shows that even at this demanding resolution, the system remains playable across all presets.

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

For 1080p gaming, Ultra settings are the clear recommendation. At 154.2 FPS average, the system provides a buttery-smooth experience that exceeds the refresh rate of most high-end monitors. Even the most demanding scenes would likely stay well above 144 FPS, making this the ideal configuration for competitive or fast-paced play. The 52.2 FPS sacrifice from Low to Ultra is worth the visual fidelity gain, as the absolute frame rate remains exceptionally high.

At 1440p, High settings offer the best balance. The 116.1 FPS average provides enough headroom for 100Hz+ monitors while maintaining visual quality. Ultra settings at 105.8 FPS are also viable, but the 10.3 FPS difference between High and Ultra suggests diminishing returns. For players prioritizing maximum visual fidelity, Ultra remains a solid choice, but High is recommended for those who want a safety margin for frame-time spikes.

At 4K, Medium settings provide the most practical experience. The 87.6 FPS average is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, while High settings at 65.0 FPS are still playable but leave less margin for demanding scenes. Ultra at 64.4 FPS offers no meaningful improvement over High (0.6 FPS difference), making it the least efficient preset. The 22.6 FPS gain from High to Medium at 4K is substantial, suggesting that Medium is the optimal choice for 4K gaming with this hardware.

The data indicates that the i5-14600K and RTX 4070 SUPER combo is best utilized at 1440p with High settings, where performance and visual quality are most balanced. At 1080p, the system is overkill for most scenarios, while at 4K, Medium settings provide the best compromise between frame rate and graphical fidelity. This pairing demonstrates that a well-matched mid-range CPU and upper-mid-range GPU can deliver excellent results across the full spectrum of resolutions in Thief.