Thief

# Thief with Intel Core i7-12700KF + Intel Arc B570

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and the Intel Arc B570 produces a distinct performance profile in Thief, a 2014 stealth title that responds predictably to resolution and settings changes. The measured data shows this pairing ranks 2994th out of 3720 tested combos in this game, placing it in the lower-mid portion of the database. This is a system that can deliver smooth gameplay at 1080p with modest settings, but struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K with high presets, revealing a clear GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K reveals a textbook GPU-limited scaling pattern. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 77 at 1920x1080 to 53 at 2560x1440, then falls to 31 at 3840x2160. That represents a 31% reduction when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and another 41% reduction when moving from 1440p to 4K. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is approximately 60%, which is consistent with a system where the Intel Arc B570 is the primary bottleneck as pixel count increases.

The Low settings preset tells a similar story with higher absolute numbers. At 1080p Low, the system produces 133 FPS average, dropping to 91 at 1440p and 54 at 4K. The percentage declines are 32% and 41% respectively, nearly identical to the High preset scaling. This consistency across presets indicates that the resolution scaling behavior is independent of the graphics quality settings — the GPU workload increases proportionally with pixel count regardless of how many effects are enabled.

Looking at the Medium preset, which includes minimum and maximum frame data, the scaling pattern holds. At 1080p Medium, the average is 101 FPS with a minimum of 86 and maximum of 116. Moving to 1440p Medium, the average drops to 69 FPS with a minimum of 59 and maximum of 79. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 41 FPS with a minimum of 35 and maximum of 47. The minimum frame rates track the averages closely, suggesting consistent frame pacing without severe stuttering.

The Ultra preset follows the same trajectory: 73 FPS at 1080p, 50 FPS at 1440p, and 29 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 29 FPS is the lowest measured value in the entire dataset, confirming that this configuration is not suited for maximum-quality 4K gaming in Thief. The fact that 4K Ultra produces fewer than 30 frames per second while 1080p Ultra produces 73 frames per second highlights how dramatically the resolution increase taxes the Arc B570's 10 GB GDDR6 memory and 160-bit bus.

The resolution scaling analysis indicates that the Intel Core i7-12700KF is never the limiting factor in this title. The CPU's 12 cores and 20 threads, with a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, provide ample headroom. Even at 1080p Low where the GPU produces 133 FPS, the CPU is not holding back performance; the frame rate is still limited by the GPU's ability to render frames. This is a GPU-bound scenario across all measured configurations.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Thief with this hardware combination?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 as the only resolution where all settings presets achieve playable frame rates above 60 FPS. At 1080p, the lowest average is 73 FPS on Ultra, while Low reaches 133 FPS. At 1440p, only Low and Medium presets exceed 60 FPS, and at 4K, no preset reaches 60 FPS.

Q: How does the Arc B570 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in overall benchmark scores?

A: The Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556, placing it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile with an average score of 20534, representing a 0.1% difference. The Intel Arc A750 scores 20582, which is 0.1% higher than the B570.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-12700KF CPU a bottleneck in Thief?

A: No, the benchmark results indicate the CPU is not limiting performance. The i7-12700KF's average benchmark score of 35365 places it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. In Thief specifically, the consistent FPS scaling with resolution changes indicates the GPU is the performance limiter.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 2560x1440 with Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 69 FPS at 1440p Medium, with a minimum of 59 FPS and maximum of 79 FPS. This is the highest settings preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS at this resolution.

Q: How does the combo rank compare to other tested CPU-GPU pairings?

A: This combination ranks 2994th out of 3720 tested combos in Thief, placing it in the bottom 20% of all configurations. This relatively low ranking is primarily due to the GPU's performance characteristics rather than the CPU.

Q: What is the difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, Low settings produce 133 FPS average while Ultra produces 73 FPS average. This represents a 45% reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest quality preset, showing that Thief's visual effects have a substantial performance cost.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2994th out of 3720 tested combos in Thief, placing it in the 20th percentile of all tested configurations. This is a surprisingly low ranking for a system with modern components, but the data explains why: the Arc B570 is positioned as a mid-range GPU, and Thief's performance is heavily GPU-dependent at the resolutions tested.

The CPU component of this combo is strong. The i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35365, which is in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core i7-13700T with a score of 35403 (0.1% higher), the Intel Core i5-13600T with a score of 35305 (0.2% lower), the Intel Core 5 213PE with a score of 35428 (0.2% higher), and the Intel Core i7-12700K with a score of 35287 (0.2% lower). This CPU is clearly capable of handling modern gaming workloads.

The GPU component is where the ranking suffers. The Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556, placing it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the RTX 3070 Mobile at 20534 (0.1% lower), the Arc A750 at 20582 (0.1% higher), the Quadro M4000M at 20480 (0.4% lower), and the Radeon R9 M390X at 20662 (0.5% higher). These rival comparisons show that the B570 is positioned in a competitive mid-range segment, but in Thief specifically, its performance characteristics result in lower frame rates than the CPU's capabilities would suggest.

The discrepancy between the CPU's high percentile ranking and the combo's low game ranking indicates that Thief is not CPU-bound for this configuration. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the combo would rank higher relative to other combinations. Instead, the GPU's rendering capacity determines the final frame rates, and at higher resolutions and settings, the B570's 10 GB VRAM and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth become the constraining factors.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured frame rates show a clear progression across settings. Low settings produce an average of 133 FPS, which is the highest measured value in the entire dataset. Medium settings reduce this to 101 FPS average, with a minimum of 86 and maximum of 116. High settings produce 77 FPS average, and Ultra settings produce 73 FPS average. All four presets at 1080p exceed the 60 FPS threshold, making this resolution suitable for all quality levels.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops are significant but still manageable for several presets. Low settings produce 91 FPS average, which remains well above 60 FPS. Medium settings produce 69 FPS average, with a minimum of 59 and maximum of 79, placing the average just above the 60 FPS mark. High settings produce 53 FPS average, and Ultra settings produce 50 FPS average. Both High and Ultra presets fall below 60 FPS at this resolution, indicating that users seeking higher quality at 1440p will need to accept frame rates in the 50s.

At 3840x2160, all presets fall below 60 FPS. Low settings produce 54 FPS average, which is the only 4K preset above 50 FPS. Medium settings produce 41 FPS average, with a minimum of 35 and maximum of 47. High settings produce 31 FPS average, and Ultra settings produce 29 FPS average. The 4K data shows that this combination is not suitable for 4K gaming with any quality preset, as even Low settings cannot maintain 60 FPS.

The Medium preset is the only configuration with complete minimum and maximum data across all three resolutions. At 1080p, the range is 86 to 116 FPS, a spread of 30 FPS. At 1440p, the range is 59 to 79 FPS, a spread of 20 FPS. At 4K, the range is 35 to 47 FPS, a spread of 12 FPS. The narrowing range at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU becomes more consistently loaded, with less frame-to-frame variation.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 25 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration and connects via PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes.

In Thief, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic updates. The benchmark results show that the i7-12700KF is more than capable of handling this workload. Its 3DMark scores demonstrate strong multi-threaded performance: 9282 in the 16-thread test, 7211 in the 8-thread test, and 9983 in the max-thread test. Single-thread performance is also solid at 1043 in the 3DMark single-thread test.

The Cinebench scores reinforce the CPU's capability. The R23 multicore score of 28838 and single-core score of 4071 indicate excellent sustained performance. The Geekbench scores of 14367 multicore and 2255 single-core confirm this pattern. The PassMark multithread score of 34092 and single-thread score of 3984 show that both multi-threaded and single-threaded workloads are handled efficiently.

For Thief specifically, the CPU's performance is more than sufficient. The game was released in 2014 and does not require extreme CPU resources by modern standards. The fact that frame rates scale consistently with resolution changes proves that the GPU, not the CPU, is the limiting factor. Even at 1080p Low where the GPU produces 133 FPS, the CPU has headroom to push higher frame rates if the GPU could render them.

The i7-12700KF's nearest CPU rivals in terms of average benchmark score are all within 0.2% of its 35365 score. The i7-13700T scores 35403, the i5-13600T scores 35305, the Core 5 213PE scores 35428, and the i7-12700K scores 35287. This clustering shows that the i7-12700KF is competitively positioned among similar processors, and its performance in Thief is not hindered by any CPU limitation.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, all settings presets deliver playable performance, but the Medium preset at 101 FPS average represents the best balance of visual quality and speed. The jump from Medium to High costs 24 FPS (from 101 to 77), while the jump from High to Ultra costs only 4 FPS (from 77 to 73). This suggests that Ultra provides marginal visual improvements over High at a small performance cost, but Medium offers a significant performance advantage over both.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 69 FPS average is the recommended choice for maintaining smooth gameplay. The minimum of 59 FPS is close to the 60 FPS threshold, but the average stays above it. The Low preset at 91 FPS provides a substantial performance buffer if frame rate stability is a priority, but the visual quality reduction may be noticeable. High and Ultra presets at 53 and 50 FPS respectively fall below the 60 FPS mark, making them less desirable for action-oriented gameplay.

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves 60 FPS, so the recommendation depends on the user's tolerance for lower frame rates. The Low preset at 54 FPS is the only 4K option above 50 FPS and provides the most playable experience at this resolution. The Medium preset at 41 FPS is playable but noticeably less smooth, while High and Ultra at 31 and 29 FPS respectively approach the boundary of playability for a stealth game like Thief.

The data shows that the Medium preset provides the most consistent frame pacing across all resolutions, with complete minimum and maximum data recorded. At 1080p, the 86 to 116 FPS range indicates smooth performance. At 1440p, the 59 to 79 FPS range is acceptable, though the minimum dips just below 60. At 4K, the 35 to 47 FPS range is stable but at a lower overall level. For users who prioritize a consistent experience, Medium is the safest choice across the board.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is a mid-range GPU based on the Xe2-HPG architecture, built on TSMC's 5 nm process. It features 19,600 million transistors on a 272 mm² die, with a transistor density of 72.1M per mm². The GPU has 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units, along with 18 ray tracing cores. The base and boost clocks are both 2500 MHz, with memory running at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective).

The memory subsystem consists of 10 GB of GDDR6 on a 160-bit bus, providing 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is likely a significant factor in Thief's performance at higher resolutions. The pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s are modest by modern standards, and the FP32 performance of 11.52 TFLOPS places the B570 in the mid-range category.

In Thief, the GPU is the primary determinant of frame rates. The resolution scaling analysis shows that increasing pixel count has a proportional effect on performance, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound workload. The B570's 10 GB VRAM is sufficient for Thief even at 4K, as the game's textures are not particularly demanding by modern standards. However, the GPU's raw rendering throughput is the limiting factor.

The B570's benchmark results show a PassMark G3D score of 14195 and a PassMark G2D score of 661. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2649 indicates moderate DirectX 12 performance. The Geekbench scores of 83514 for OpenCL and 96844 for Vulkan show the GPU's compute capabilities. These scores position the B570 in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556.

The GPU's nearest rivals in average score are all within 0.5% of the B570's performance. The RTX 3070 Mobile scores 0.1% lower, the Arc A750 scores 0.1% higher, the Quadro M4000M scores 0.4% lower, and the Radeon R9 M390X scores 0.5% higher. This tight clustering shows that the B570 is competitive with other mid-range options, but its specific performance in Thief results in the 4K frame rates observed in the data.

The GPU's power consumption is rated at 150 W TDP, with a suggested power supply of 450 W. The dual-slot design and single 8-pin power connector are typical for this performance class. The 5 nm process node and 19,600 million transistors indicate a modern design, but the 160-bit memory bus and 10 GB VRAM capacity limit its performance at high resolutions in demanding titles like Thief.