Thief

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT ranks 970th out of 3,720 tested combos in Thief, placing it in the 74th percentile of all system configurations. This is a strong result, indicating that this combination sits comfortably in the upper quarter of tested hardware, delivering high frame rates across all tested resolutions. The data shows that this pairing is well-balanced for this stealth title, with neither component bottlenecking the other to a degree that prevents very playable performance at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

With a rank of 970 out of 3,720 tested combos, this system is positioned in the top 26% of all tested combinations for Thief. This is a solid placement, indicating that the system is significantly above the median performer. The rank is a composite reflection of the CPU's strong multi-threaded capabilities and the GPU's capable rasterization performance. Given that the game is from 2014, it is not an extremely demanding title by modern standards, but the high rank confirms that this modern mid-range-to-high-end pairing has no trouble dominating it. The data suggests that users with this combo can expect a smooth, high-refresh-rate experience at 1440p and a solid 4K experience on high settings. The 3,720 combos include a wide range of hardware, so ranking 970th means it outperforms the majority of systems tested on this database.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is a 14-core processor with 20 threads, a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. It has a 24 MB shared L3 cache and 2 MB per core L2 cache. The CPU's general benchmark scores are high: it achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32,544 and a single-core score of 4,594. It also scores 17,085 in Geekbench multi-core and 2,445 in single-core. In PassMark, it scores 38,697 in the multithread test and 4,273 in the single-thread test.

In Thief, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU and manage the game's stealth AI and simulation. The game is not known for being heavily CPU-bound, and the data supports this. Looking at the measured FPS, the 1080p Low setting yields 209 FPS, and the Ultra setting yields 126 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 83 FPS. The game's frame rate at 1080p is high, which suggests the CPU is capable of keeping up with high-throughput GPU demands. The CPU's high single-thread performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4,594 and PassMark single-thread score of 4,273, helps in the game's core logic, which is often single-threaded. The high multi-core score (Cinebench R23 multi-core 32,544) ensures that background tasks and the game's other threads are handled with ease. The 125W TDP indicates a high-power chip, but the performance is there.

The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which it trails by only 0.3%, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, which it is 0.4% ahead of, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245, which it is 0.8% ahead of. This indicates that the 14600KF's general processing power is on par with other strong CPUs. In Thief, the performance is likely not strictly CPU-limited, but the CPU's high core count and clock speeds work to prevent any bottleneck, especially at lower resolutions.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s. It has a boost clock of 2430 MHz and a game clock of 2124 MHz. The GPU is based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture and has 3,840 shading units. Its compute performance is 37.32 TFLOPS FP32. The GPU's benchmarks show a Passmark G3D score of 24,176 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 54,228.

In Thief, the GPU is the primary driver of the frame rate differences across settings and resolutions. At 1080p, the GPU allows for an average of 209 FPS on Low settings, 174 FPS on Medium, 133 FPS on High, and 126 FPS on Ultra. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p is a 83 FPS drop, which is a 39.7% decrease. At 1440p, the frame rates are 158 FPS (Low), 120 FPS (Medium), 91 FPS (High), and 87 FPS (Ultra). The drop from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 71 FPS, a 44.9% decrease. At 4K, the frame rates are 93 FPS (Low), 70 FPS (Medium), 54 FPS (High), and 51 FPS (Ultra). The drop from Low to Ultra at 4K is 42 FPS, a 45.2% decrease.

The GPU's 16 GB of VRAM is not a bottleneck in this game, even at 4K Ultra, as Thief is a 2014 title with modest VRAM requirements. The GPU's high memory bandwidth (624.1 GB/s) and large memory pool ensure that texture streaming and high-resolution assets are handled without issue. The GPU is the primary component that dictates the FPS at each setting and resolution, as the CPU is capable of feeding it enough data. The GPU's performance in this game is high, as evidenced by the 4K High setting producing 54 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS target but still playable.

The GPU's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660, which it is 0.5% behind, and the AMD Radeon Pro 5500M, which it is 0.9% ahead of. This is a surprising ranking, suggesting that the average benchmark scores of these GPUs are very close in the database's aggregate of tests. However, in Thief, the RX 7800 XT's actual performance will be far higher than the GTX 1660, as the benchmark average is skewed by a wide range of tests. This data point should be interpreted with caution.

FAQ

Q: What is the performance of the Intel Core i5-14600KF + AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT at 1080p High settings in Thief?

A: At 1080p with High settings, the average frame rate is 133 FPS. This indicates a very smooth experience, with the system well above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate is 51 FPS. This is just below the 60 FPS target, but still playable for a slow-paced stealth game. The frame rate is the lowest of the measured results.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in this game?

A: The data suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution. For example, at 1440p, the frame rate increases from 91 FPS on High to 158 FPS on Low, a 67 FPS jump, which indicates the GPU is the limiting factor.

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p Medium settings?

A: At 1440p Medium, the average FPS is 120, with a minimum of 102 FPS and a maximum of 138 FPS. This indicates a very smooth and consistent experience.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested combos in Thief?

A: The combo ranks 970th out of 3,720 tested combos. This places it in the top 26% of all systems tested, which is a strong showing.

Q: Is the RX 7800 XT's performance in Thief better than its nearest rival, the GeForce GTX 1660?

A: The GPU's nearest rival is the GeForce GTX 1660. The RX 7800 XT has a lower average benchmark score by 0.5%, but this aggregate score is not specific to Thief. In Thief, the RX 7800 XT's high core count and bandwidth will yield significantly higher frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K are substantial and indicate the GPU is the primary limiting component at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the FPS goes from 209 at 1080p to 93 at 4K, a drop of 116 FPS (55.5% reduction). At Medium, it goes from 174 at 1080p to 70 at 4K, a drop of 104 FPS (59.8% reduction). At High, it goes from 133 at 1080p to 54 at 4K, a drop of 79 FPS (59.4% reduction). At Ultra, it goes from 126 at 1080p to 51 at 4K, a drop of 75 FPS (59.5% reduction).

The fact that the frame rate drops by approximately 55-60% across all settings when going from 1080p to 4K is a strong indicator that the GPU is the primary limiting factor. The CPU's performance is high enough that it does not become a bottleneck at any resolution, even at 1080p where the frame rate is high. The 4K results show a more significant hit to performance, but the game remains playable at all settings. The 1440p results are a good middle ground, with a 55-60% drop from 1080p, which is consistent with the GPU-bound behavior. The scaling between 1440p and 4K is also consistent: for example, at High settings, the FPS drops from 91 to 54, a 40.7% reduction, which is slightly lower than the 1080p to 4K reduction, but still shows the GPU as the main factor. The data confirms the GPU is the primary component affecting frame rates at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data suggests that a balance between visual fidelity and frame rate is achievable. The 1440p High settings seem to offer an excellent compromise, with an average of 91 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a high level of visual quality. For those with 1080p displays, the Ultra preset provides 126 FPS, which is also excellent and should be the default choice. At 4K, the High settings provide 54 FPS, which is close to the 60 FPS target, but may be acceptable for a stealth game that is not fast-paced. The Ultra settings at 4K yield 51 FPS, which is slightly lower, and the visual difference between High and Ultra may not be worth the frame rate hit. The Medium preset at 4K provides 70 FPS, which is a solid 60+ experience. For a balance of performance and visual quality, Medium at 4K is a strong choice, but High offers a better visual experience with a minor frame rate penalty. The best experience per the measured rows is likely the High preset at 1440p, offering 91 FPS and high visual settings. For 4K, the Medium preset offers the best balance with 70 FPS, while the High is still playable. The data shows that the system is capable of high frame rates at 1440p, and the GPU's 16 GB of VRAM ensures that texture quality is not a limiting factor.