Thief

The Intel Core i7-14700KF and Intel Arc B570 combination delivers a performance profile in Thief that is heavily defined by its components' architectural strengths and the game's rendering demands. The data shows a system that can comfortably exceed 60 FPS at 1080p and 1440p on medium settings, but which struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K when pushing the highest quality presets.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It features a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. This processor, released in October 2023, is designed for the Intel Socket 1700 and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory via a dual-channel memory bus. The 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide a substantial buffer for game data.

In the context of Thief, a game released in 2014, the CPU's raw multi-threaded performance is far beyond what the title's engine can utilize. The benchmark results show the CPU's multi-core strength: it scores 44,167 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 18,550 in Cinebench R20 multi-core. Single-core performance is also strong, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6,235. In the Passmark suite, the processor achieves a multi-thread score of 52,425 and a single-thread score of 4,480.

The CPU's performance percentile is at 94, placing it among the top processors. Its nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score are extremely close: the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is just 0.2% behind, the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX is 0.4% behind, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X is 0.9% behind. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K is 1% ahead. This indicates that the i7-14700KF sits in a highly competitive performance bracket, and its computational lead over the game's needs is essentially absolute. For Thief, this means the CPU is never a bottleneck; the measured FPS results are almost entirely constrained by the GPU's rendering capabilities.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is a graphics card built on the Xe2-HPG architecture, specifically the Battlemage (Arc 5) generation. It is manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC and contains 19,600 million transistors on a 272 mm² die. The GPU has 2,304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. It features 18 ray tracing cores. The memory subsystem consists of 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The card's boost clock is 2500 MHz, with a pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s. Its FP32 compute is rated at 11.52 TFLOPS.

The B570's benchmark scores show it is a mid-range competitor. Its Passmark G3D score is 14,195, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 2,649. In the Geekbench suite, it scores 83,514 in OpenCL and 96,844 in Vulkan, which suggests its compute capabilities are robust. Its performance percentile vs all GPUs is 65. Among its nearest rivals, it sits within a very narrow band: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile is 0.1% faster, the Intel Arc A750 is 0.1% slower, the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M is 0.4% faster, and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X is 0.5% slower. These delta percentages are small, but the absolute score differences are minimal. The B570's role in Thief is the decisive factor in the measured FPS. The data shows a clear scaling pattern: the frame rate is heavily dependent on resolution and settings, which is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario.

The 10 GB VRAM capacity is not a constraint at lower resolutions. However, at 4K with high or ultra settings, the demands on the GPU's processing power are so high that the card's compute and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors, causing the FPS to drop to levels that are marginal for smooth gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF with the Intel Arc B570 holds a rank of 2,994 out of 3,720 tested combinations in Thief. This places it in the bottom 20% of all combos for this game. While the CPU is a top-tier processor, the Arc B570's performance class drags the overall ranking down. The rank reflects the system's actual measured performance in this title, which is primarily dictated by the GPU. This is a clear demonstration of the "bottleneck" principle: a high-end CPU does not compensate for a mid-range GPU in a game like Thief that is not CPU-bound. The data suggests that in this game, the GPU is the sole performance arbiter, as evidenced by the FPS scores being very consistent across the CPU's capabilities.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p resolution, the combination produces the following average FPS: with the Low preset, it hits 133 FPS. The Medium preset yields 101 FPS, with a minimum of 86 and a maximum of 116. The High preset delivers 77 FPS, and the Ultra preset brings the average down to 73 FPS. The transition from Low to Ultra at 1080p sees a drop of 60 FPS, or roughly 45% of the Low preset's performance.

At 1440p, the performance scales down as expected. The Low preset averages 91 FPS. The Medium preset averages 69 FPS, with a minimum of 59 and a maximum of 79. The High preset produces 53 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 50 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 41 FPS, a 45% reduction.

At 4K (3840x2160), the card is heavily stressed. The Low preset yields 54 FPS. The Medium preset is 41 FPS, with a minimum of 35 and a maximum of 47. The High preset averages 31 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 29 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is a 46% drop in average FPS, from 54 to 29.

The measured data shows that the card's performance drops significantly at 4K, with the High and Ultra presets falling below the 30 FPS threshold, which is generally considered the bare minimum for playability. The Medium preset at 4K, with its 35 FPS minimum, is still a borderline experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for the Intel Core i7-14700KF + Intel Arc B570 in Thief to maintain a high frame rate?

A: The measured data shows that at 1080p, the system can achieve an average of 101 FPS on Medium settings and 133 FPS on Low. At 1440p, the averages are 91 FPS on Low and 69 FPS on Medium. For a consistently smooth experience, 1080p or 1440p on Medium or lower settings is the optimal range.

Q: Can this system run Thief at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: At 4K, the measured average FPS is 54 on Low, 41 on Medium, 31 on High, and 29 on Ultra. The High and Ultra presets fall below the 30 FPS threshold, which is generally considered the bare minimum for playability, while the Medium preset's 35 FPS minimum is still a marginal.

Q: How does the CPU's performance affect the frame rates in Thief?

A: The CPU's benchmark scores (44,167 in Cinebench R23 multi-core) are far beyond what a 2014 game requires. The data indicates the frame rates are entirely GPU-dependent. At the same settings, the FPS is identical regardless of resolution, which is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck, not a CPU limitation.

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

A: At 1080p, the Low preset averages 133 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 73 FPS. The difference is a 45% drop in average FPS when going from Low to Ultra.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 4K?

A: At 4K, the Low preset averages 54 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 29 FPS. The difference is a 46% drop in average FPS, from 54 to 29, which pushes the Ultra setting below the 30 FPS playability line.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570's performance compare to its nearest rivals in the database?

A: The Arc B570's average benchmark score is 20,556. Its nearest rivals are separated by very small percentages: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile is 0.1% higher, the Intel Arc A750 is 0.1% lower, the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M is 0.4% higher, and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X is 0.5% lower. This indicates the B570 is performance within a very tight bracket of these cards.

Settings Recommendations

The optimal settings for this system in Thief depend on the target resolution and the desired frame rate. At 1080p, the Medium preset provides a strong balance, with an average of 101 FPS and a minimum of 86 FPS. This ensures a fluid and consistent experience. The High preset at 1080p still yields 77 FPS, which is very playable, but the jump from Medium to High is only a 24 FPS loss while the visual gains may be incremental. For the most demanding users, the Ultra preset at 1080p delivers 73 FPS, which is still smooth, but the performance cost is not proportional to the benefit.

At 1440p, the Medium preset again emerges as the best choice. It delivers 69 FPS average with a 59 FPS minimum, which is above the 60 FPS target for a smooth experience. The Low preset at 1440p is another excellent option, pushing the average to 91 FPS, but it sacrifices visual fidelity. The High and Ultra presets at 1440p, at 53 FPS and 50 FPS respectively, are playable but do not consistently maintain 60 FPS.

At 4K, the options are more limited. The Low preset is the only setting that provides a consistent playable frame rate, with an average of 54 FPS. The Medium preset, at 41 FPS average, is borderline, with a minimum of 35 FPS, but it might be playable for those who can tolerate occasional dips. The High and Ultra presets, at 31 FPS and 29 FPS, are not recommended as they fall below the 30 FPS threshold. The data strongly suggests that Medium settings at 1080p or 1440p offer the best overall experience, balancing visual quality and frame rate, while at 4K, Low settings are the only reliable choice.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the system averages 133 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 91 FPS, a 32% performance reduction. At 2160p (4K) Low, it drops to 54 FPS, a 59% reduction from the 1080p result. This pattern is consistent across all presets. For example, at Medium settings, the average drops from 101 FPS at 1080p to 69 FPS at 1440p (a 32% reduction), and then to 41 FPS at 4K (a 59% reduction from 1080p). The High preset sees a similar trend: 77 FPS at 1080p, 53 FPS at 1440p, and 31 FPS at 4K.

This scaling is a clear indicator of a GPU-bound system. The percentage drop in frame rate is almost exactly correlated with the increase in pixel count. The pixel count increases by 2.25 times from 1080p to 4K (19201080 = 2.07 million, 38402160 = 8.29 million). The FPS at Low drops from 133 to 54, which is a 2.46x reduction. This is very close to the 2.25x pixel increase, suggesting the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors. The same pattern holds for the other presets, confirming that the CPU is not the bottleneck.

The implications are clear: the Intel Core i7-14700KF is not a limiting factor at any resolution in Thief. The performance scaling is almost perfectly in line with pixel throughput, which points directly to the Intel Arc B570 as the system's constraint. The data shows that the system's performance is fundamentally tied to the GPU's abilities, and to achieve higher frame rates, the settings or resolution must be lowered to reduce the load on the GPU. The 10 GB VRAM does not appear to be a limiting factor at these settings, as the game is not exceeding the memory buffer, but the core performance is the bottleneck.