Thief

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 produces a robust Thief experience, placing the combo at rank 425 out of 3720 tested combinations. This position in the 88th percentile of all combos indicates that this pairing is well above the median for this stealth title, though it is not at the absolute top of the performance hierarchy. The data shows a system that comfortably handles the game’s 2014-era engine at modern resolutions, with frame rates that scale predictably across settings tiers.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 425 out of 3720 tested configurations places it squarely in the upper echelon of Thief benchmark results. To contextualize this, consider that the GPU alone sits at the 82nd percentile among all tested graphics cards, while the CPU is at the 90th percentile. The combination of a top-decile processor with a high-end GPU results in a system that outperforms roughly 88.6% of all tested combos in this specific game. This rank suggests the pairing is well-balanced for Thief, with neither component being so dominant that the other becomes irrelevant, yet both contributing enough to avoid any severe bottlenecking.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in general benchmarks provide some context: the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H is essentially identical, with a delta of -0.2%, while the AMD EPYC 4345P is 0.3% behind and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX is 0.7% ahead. These small deltas indicate the i5-14600K’s overall benchmark score is within a tight cluster, but for Thief specifically, the game’s engine appears to benefit from the combination of high single-thread performance and a strong GPU. The GPU’s nearest rivals in general benchmarks are workstation-class parts — the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (0.1% delta) and Radeon Pro WX 7100 (0.8% delta) — which are not gaming-focused, so the RTX 5070’s gaming-oriented architecture is the better fit for this title.

The rank of 425 is a strong showing, but not a record-setting one. The data suggests that for a game that is now over a decade old, the limiting factor is more likely the engine’s scalability than the hardware’s raw capability. This is why the combo does not approach the very top ranks (which would require pushing beyond the 98th-99th percentile), even though the individual components are both well above average.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 has 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz, which translates to 28 Gbps effective. For a 2014 game like Thief, 12 GB is far more than the title’s VRAM requirements, meaning memory capacity is not a limiting factor at any of the tested settings. The bus width of 192 bits is modest by modern standards, but the high effective memory speed ensures that texture streaming and high-resolution assets are not constrained.

The GPU’s base clock is 2325 MHz, with a boost clock of 2512 MHz. This is a relatively high boost for the Blackwell 2.0 architecture. The GPU has 6144 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. Its pixel rate is 201.0 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 482.3 GTexel/s. These specs are more than sufficient for Thief’s, which is a DirectX 11-era title, though the GPU supports up to DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

In the measured FPS data, the GPU’s role becomes clear when looking at resolution scaling. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 210, which is the highest measured in the dataset. At 4K Low, it drops to 110, which is still very playable. The performance at higher settings (Ultra) at 1440p is 103 FPS, and at 4K Ultra it is 60 FPS. This pattern shows that the RTX 5070 is capable of handling this game at maximum settings at 1440p with ease, and even at 4K Ultra it maintains a 60 FPS average, which is exactly at the threshold for most displays.

The GPU’s 0.2% score in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is 5077, which is a synthetic measurement of its capabilities. In the context of Thief, this synthetic score is less relevant than the measured FPS, but it does confirm the GPU’s overall performance class. The Geekbench OpenCL score of 172660 and Vulkan score of 178923 also indicate a high level of compute and graphics capability, though the game’s actual performance is better characterized by the direct measurements.

The GPU’s TDP is 250 W, with a suggested PSU of 600 W. This is a power level that is typical for a modern high-end graphics card, and it ensures that the card can maintain its boost clock under sustained load. The dual-slot design suggests it is a standard form factor, and the PCIe 5.0 x16 interface provides more than enough bandwidth for the game’s.

FAQ

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested CPU-GPU pairs for Thief?

A: The combo ranks 425th out of 3720 tested configurations, placing it in the top 11.4% of all tested pairs. This is a strong result, showing the i5-14600K and RTX 5070 are a well-matched team for this game.

Q: Does the RTX 5070 have enough VRAM for Thief?

A: Yes. The GPU has 12 GB of GDDR7 memory, and Thief is a 2014 title that does not require more than a few gigabytes, even at 4K Ultra. The memory is not a bottleneck at any resolution or setting tested.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 compare to its nearest rivals in the benchmark database?

A: The RTX 5070’s average benchmark score is 40377. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro 580, has a score of 40318 (a 0.1% difference), the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 scores 40063 (0.8% difference), and the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 scores 40870 (1.2% difference). These are all within a 2% band, indicating the RTX 5070 is in a competitive class, but for gaming, its architecture is better suited.

Q: What is the CPU’s single-threaded performance like?

A: The i5-14600K has a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2064 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2491. It also has a PassMark single-thread score of 4270. These scores indicate strong single-threaded performance, which is important for Thief’s engine that relies on a few threads heavily.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded in the measured data?

A: The highest average FPS is 210, achieved at 1080p with Low settings. The next highest is 189 at 1080p Medium, followed by 185 at 1440p Low. These numbers show that the system can deliver high-refresh-rate experiences at lower resolutions.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS in the measured data?

A: The lowest average FPS is 60, recorded at 4K Ultra settings. This is still a playable frame rate, though it is below the 63 FPS at 4K High and the 83 FPS at 4K Medium. The 4K Ultra setting is the only configuration that dips to 60 FPS average.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions (1080p, 1440p, 2160p) across four settings (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). Below is the complete breakdown, with exact numbers from the fact pack.

At 1920x1080, the average FPS are:

• Low: 210
• Medium: 189 (min 161, max 218)
• High: 157
• Ultra: 149

At 2560x1440, the average FPS are:

• Low: 185
• Medium: 141 (min 120, max 163)
• High: 108
• Ultra: 103

At 3840x2160, the average FPS are:

• Low: 110
• Medium: 83 (min 71, max 96)
• High: 63
• Ultra: 60

The data shows a consistent drop in FPS as settings increase and resolution rises. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 210 - 149 = 61 FPS (a 41% decrease from Low to Ultra). At 1440p, the gap is 185 - 103 = 82 FPS (a 44% decrease). At 4K, the gap is 110 - 60 = 50 FPS (a 45% decrease). This shows that settings have a slightly larger relative impact at higher resolutions.

The minimum and maximum FPS are only provided for Medium settings at each resolution. At 1080p, the range is 161-218 FPS, which is a spread of 57 FPS. At 1440p, the range is 120-163, a spread of 43 FPS. At 4K, the range is 71-96, a spread of 25 FPS. This shrinking spread at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU becomes more consistently loaded, reducing frame-time variance.

The High and Ultra settings have no min/max data, but the averages are close: at 1080p, High is 157 and Ultra is 149 (a 5.4% difference). At 1440p, High is 108 and Ultra is 103 (a 4.6% difference). At 4K, High is 63 and Ultra is 60 (a 4.8% difference). This indicates that the jump from High to Ultra is not a large performance cost, but it is a noticeable one.

Resolution Scaling

The impact of resolution on FPS is significant, but the scaling is not linear. From 1080p Low to 1440p Low, FPS drops from 210 to 185, a decrease of 11.9%. From 1080p Low to 4K Low, FPS drops to 110, a 47.6% decrease. This is a typical scaling pattern for a GPU-bound scenario, where the fill-rate and pixel count dominate.

For Medium settings, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 189 to 141 (a 25.4% decrease), and from 1080p to 4K is 189 to 83 (a 56.1% decrease). For High, 1080p to 1440p is 157 to 108 (a 31.2% decrease), and 1080p to 4K is 157 to 63 (a 59.9% decrease). For Ultra, 1080p to 1440p is 149 to 103 (a 30.9% decrease), and 1080p to 4K is 149 to 60 (a 59.7% decrease).

The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is fairly consistent across settings, ranging from 47.6% (Low) to 60.1% (High). This indicates that the performance scaling is primarily resolution-driven, not settings-driven. The GPU is the limiting component, as the CPU’s performance does not change with resolution, so the FPS drop is directly proportional to the pixel count increase.

At 4K, the only setting that maintains a 60 FPS average is Ultra, while Low and Medium provide 110 and 83 FPS respectively. The GPU is clearly the dominant bottleneck at 4K, as the CPU could likely push more frames if the GPU could render them. This is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario, where the GPU’s fill rate and pixel processing are the main constraints.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core processor with 20 threads, based on Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its TDP is 125 W. With an L3 cache of 24 MB shared, it provides a strong foundation for gaming.

In Thief, the CPU’s role is less critical than the GPU's, but still important. The game’s engine, which is from 2014, is known to be CPU-sensitive, especially for draw calls and AI updates. The i5-14600K’s high single-thread performance is evidenced by its Cinebench R15 single-core score of 297 and R20 single-core score of 1935. These numbers are high for the era of the game, meaning the CPU can handle the engine’s workload without causing slowdowns.

The multi-threaded performance is also strong: Cinebench R15 multicore 3640, R20 multicore 13709, and R23 multicore 24491. This is more than enough for the game’s, which was designed for quad-core processors from the time. The CPU’s PassMark multithread score is 38682, which is a high mark for a desktop processor.

The CPU’s boost clock of 5.30 GHz is a key factor for Thief, as the game’s engine benefits from high IPC and high clock speeds. The L3 cache of 24 MB helps with data locality, reducing the need to access main memory. The CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, and the benchmark data does not specify which, but the memory bus is dual-channel, which is standard for desktop.

The performance data shows that at 1080p Low, the system reaches 210 FPS, which is the highest in the dataset. This is a scenario where the CPU is not a bottleneck, as the GPU can render frames quickly. At 4K Ultra, the FPS is 60, which is a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with enough data, and it does this efficiently. The fact that the CPU is in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 82nd, means the CPU is slightly stronger than the GPU relative to their respective pools, so the GPU is the limiting component in this game.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data suggests that the best experience depends on the player's target resolution and desired frame rate. For those seeking the highest frame rates, the Low setting at 1080p offers 210 FPS, which is well above the 144 Hz refresh rate of many monitors. Medium and High at 1080p still offer 189 and 157 FPS respectively, so any of these settings provide a smooth experience.

For 1440p, the High setting provides 108 FPS, which is an excellent balance between visual quality and performance. The Ultra setting at 1440p is 103 FPS, which is only slightly lower, suggesting that Ultra is the optimal choice at this resolution for players with 100 Hz+ (or higher) monitors. The Medium setting at 1440p gives 141 FPS, which is also a good option for those who want higher frame rates with a slight visual trade-off.

At 4K, the situation changes. The Ultra setting delivers 60 FPS, which is exactly at the threshold for a standard 60 Hz display. The High setting at 4K is 63 FPS, slightly better, but the difference is small. The Medium setting at 4K offers 83 FPS, which is a significant improvement over Ultra and is likely the best choice for 4K gamers who want to stay above 60 FPS with a decent visual quality. The Low setting at 4K is 110 FPS, which is very high for 4K, but the visual quality is noticeably lower.

The data indicates that for the best performance at 4K, the Medium setting at 4K offers the best combination of a high frame rate (83 FPS) and a reasonable visual fidelity, while the Ultra setting at 4K is for those who prioritize visuals and are comfortable with 60 FPS. For 1440p, the Ultra setting is the best option, as it provides 103 FPS with the highest visual quality. For 1080p, the Ultra setting still yields 149 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh monitors, so there is no need to drop below Ultra unless target is above 240 Hz. The data shows that the system is capable of handling Thief at Ultra settings at 1080p and 1440p, and at Medium to High at 4K, with very playable frame rates.