Thief

The data for Thief with the Intel Core i7-12700KF and Intel Arc B390 presents a clear picture of a system heavily constrained by its graphics solution. The measured frames per second (FPS) across all resolutions and settings show a consistent pattern where the GPU limits the experience, while the processor’s substantial headroom goes largely unused. This analysis breaks down the measured results, contextualizes the hardware’s standing, and answers common questions based strictly on the provided data.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep and predictable decline as resolution increases, a classic indicator of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 86 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset, the average drops to 59 FPS, a reduction of 27 FPS. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls further to 35 FPS. The pattern is consistent across all settings presets, but the magnitude of the drop between 1080p and 4K is significant, suggesting the rendering pipeline is saturated by the pixel count.

At High settings, the average FPS goes from 50 at 1080p, to 34 at 1440p, and finally 20 at 4K. This scaling behavior—roughly a 32% decrease from 1080p to 1440p, and another 41% decrease from 1440p to 4K—indicates that the Intel Arc B390’s compute and memory resources are the limiting factor. The CPU, with its high core count and boost clock, is not the bottleneck; if it were, the FPS would remain relatively flat across resolutions because the processor’s workload would stay constant. The data shows the opposite, with each resolution step imposing a heavy toll on frame rates, pointing directly to the GPU as the primary constraint.

The difference between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution also supports this conclusion. At 1080p, the spread between Low (86 FPS) and Ultra (48 FPS) is 38 FPS, showing that the GPU struggles with the increased shading and texture work. At 4K, that spread narrows to 16 FPS (35 Low vs 19 Ultra), but this is not because the GPU has extra headroom; it is because the baseline performance is already so low that the relative cost of higher settings becomes less impactful on the average. The GPU is saturated at all settings, and the resolution scaling simply amplifies its limitations.

How This Combo Ranks

In the specific game of Thief, this hardware combination ranks 2534 out of 2851 tested combos. This places it in the bottom 11% of all tested pairings, which aligns with the low measured FPS. The percentile ranking for the GPU alone is 9, meaning it performs better than only 9% of all GPUs in the database. The CPU, by contrast, holds an 85th percentile ranking, a stark mismatch that underscores the imbalance of this pairing.

The combo rank is not a reflection of the CPU’s capability. The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a high-end processor, with an average benchmark score of 35365 and a percentile rank of 85. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-13700T (avg score 35403, deltaPct -0.1) and the Intel Core i5-13600T (avg score 35305, deltaPct 0.2). This shows the CPU is operating at the top of its class, essentially tied with similar tier products. However, the GPU’s nearest rivals are far less competitive; the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (avg score 1463, deltaPct 1.3) and the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (avg score 1460, deltaPct 1.5). The Arc B390’s average benchmark score of 1482 is only slightly above these older, entry-level parts, confirming that the graphics card is the anchor dragging down the entire system’s ranking in Thief.

The deltaPct values for the GPU are all positive (1.3%, 1.5%, 2.5%, 2.7%), indicating the Arc B390 is marginally faster than its closest rivals, but these rivals are all among the weakest GPUs in the database. The data shows a system where the CPU is in the top 15% of all processors, but the GPU is in the bottom 9% of all graphics cards. This combination yields a rank that is near the bottom of all tested combos because the game’s performance is almost entirely dependent on the GPU.

FAQ

Q: Why is the FPS so low even at 1080p with Low settings?

A: The measured 86 FPS at 1080p Low is the highest FPS in the dataset, but it is still limited by the Intel Arc B390. The GPU’s benchmark score of 1482 and its 9th percentile ranking indicate a very low-performance part. The CPU, with a 85th percentile rank, is not the limiting factor, so the GPU’s rendering capabilities cap the frame rate.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-12700KF powerful enough for this game?

A: Yes, the CPU data shows it is more than sufficient. The CPU has 12 cores, 20 threads, a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, and a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28838. Its percentile rank of 85 indicates it outperforms the vast majority of CPUs. The FPS scaling with resolution confirms the CPU is not the bottleneck, as frame rates drop drastically when pixel count increases.

Q: What is the best resolution to play this game with this combo?

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where average FPS remains above 48 for all settings. At 2560x1440, the average FPS drops below 60 even on Low settings, and at 3840x2160, the highest average is only 35 FPS. The data indicates that 1080p is the playable resolution for this hardware.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, scores 1463, a deltaPct of 1.3%. The GeForce 800M scores 1460, a deltaPct of 1.5%. While the Arc B390 is slightly faster, it is only marginally better than these very old, low-end GPUs, explaining the poor FPS in Thief.

Q: Does increasing the settings from Low to Ultra have a significant impact on FPS?

A: Yes, the data shows a clear impact. At 1080p, the average FPS drops from 86 on Low to 48 on Ultra, a 44% reduction. At 1440p, it drops from 59 to 33, and at 4K, from 35 to 19. The GPU’s limited shading units (1536) and texture mapping units (48) struggle with the increased load at higher presets.

Q: What does the combo rank of 2534 out of 2851 mean for the user experience?

A: It means that in Thief, this combination performs worse than roughly 89% of all other CPU and GPU pairings in the database. This is a direct result of the GPU’s low performance, as the CPU ranks in the 85th percentile. The rank reflects the overall system’s inability to maintain high frame rates, which is consistent with the measured FPS data.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Thief provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. All values are averages unless otherwise noted, and the data includes minimum and maximum FPS for the Medium preset only.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: Average 86 FPS.
• Medium: Average 66 FPS, with a minimum of 56 FPS and a maximum of 75 FPS.
• High: Average 50 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 48 FPS.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: Average 59 FPS.
• Medium: Average 45 FPS, with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS.
• High: Average 34 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 33 FPS.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: Average 35 FPS.
• Medium: Average 26 FPS, with a minimum of 22 FPS and a maximum of 30 FPS.
• High: Average 20 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 19 FPS.

The data shows that the 1080p Low preset is the only configuration that achieves an average above 60 FPS. The 1080p Medium preset is close at 66 FPS, but the minimum FPS of 56 suggests it may dip below 60 during intense scenes. All 1440p and 4K results are below 60 FPS, with 4K results all below 35 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum and maximum values indicate some frame time variance, but the overall trend is consistent with a GPU that is overburdened at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the dominant factor in this system’s Thief performance. Its architecture is Xe3-LPG, built on a 3 nm process, with a boost clock of 2500 MHz and a base clock of 300 MHz. The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operation pipelines. Its theoretical pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s, with an FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS. These specifications are low for a modern desktop GPU, and the benchmark data confirms this.

The GPU’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is only 1482, which puts it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), the GeForce 800M (1460), the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446), and the GeForce GT 710 (1443). The deltaPct values are all positive, meaning the Arc B390 is faster, but the margin is small (1.3% to 2.7%). This places the Arc B390 in the same performance tier as these decade-old entry-level GPUs, which explains the low FPS in Thief.

The memory configuration is “System Shared”, meaning the GPU uses system memory rather than dedicated VRAM. The memory bus width and bandwidth are also listed as “System Shared” and “System Dependent”, respectively. This architecture is a significant limitation, as shared memory has higher latency and lower bandwidth than dedicated GDDR memory. In a game like Thief, which requires constant texture streaming, this shared memory setup likely contributes to the GPU’s poor performance. The 12 ray tracing cores and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate are features, but they do not compensate for the fundamental lack of raw fill rate and memory bandwidth.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF plays a supporting role in this combo, as its capabilities far exceed what the GPU can utilize in Thief. The CPU has 12 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. It is based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel’s 10 nm process. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 25 MB of shared L3 cache. This is a powerful processor, evidenced by its benchmarks: Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28838, Geekbench multicore score of 14367, and Passmark multithread score of 34092.

The CPU’s average benchmark score is 35365, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are tightly clustered: the Intel Core i7-13700T (35403, deltaPct -0.1%), the Intel Core 5 213PE (35428, deltaPct -0.2%), and the Intel Core i5-13600T (35305, deltaPct 0.2%). This means the i7-12700KF is performing exactly at the level expected for its class, with negligible differences from its competitors. The 20 threads and high boost clock are more than sufficient for a game released in 2014, which typically uses fewer than 8 threads.

The data suggests the CPU is never the bottleneck in this pairing. If the CPU were limiting, we would expect to see similar FPS across different resolutions, as the CPU workload is resolution-independent. Instead, the FPS drops dramatically from 1080p to 4K, proving the GPU is the sole constraint. The CPU’s high single-thread performance (Cinebench R15 single-core score of 410, Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4071) ensures that game logic and draw call processing are handled without delay, but the GPU cannot render frames fast enough to take advantage of this headroom.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data offers clear guidance on which settings to use with this hardware in Thief. The primary goal is to achieve a playable frame rate, and the data shows that only 1080p resolutions are viable for consistent performance above 60 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 86 FPS, which is the smoothest experience in the entire dataset. The Medium preset is also acceptable, with an average of 66 FPS, though the minimum of 56 FPS may cause occasional stutter. The High and Ultra presets drop to 50 and 48 FPS respectively, which are below the 60 FPS threshold and may feel less fluid. Given the data, the Low preset at 1080p is the best choice for maximizing frame rate, while Medium offers a balance of higher visual fidelity with only a 20 FPS penalty.

For users who prioritize image quality over frame rate, the 1440p Medium preset (45 FPS average) is the highest setting that remains playable, but it is a significant compromise. The 4K results are all below 35 FPS, with the Ultra preset at 19 FPS, making them unsuitable for smooth gameplay. The data clearly indicates that this combo cannot handle 4K or even high-quality 1440p settings in Thief.

The best experience, based on the measured rows, is the 1920x1080 Low preset. It provides the highest average FPS and avoids the sub-60 FPS dips seen in other presets. If visual fidelity is more important, the 1080p Medium preset is the next best option, as it keeps the average above 60 FPS while improving texture quality and effects. Any settings above Medium at 1080p, or any settings at 1440p and above, will result in average FPS below 60, which is not recommended for a smooth experience in this stealth title.