Thief

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the Intel Arc B390 in Thief produces a set of results that are heavily constrained by the graphics component. The data indicates a system that can handle the game at lower resolutions and settings comfortably, but which struggles to maintain playable frame rates as graphical demands increase. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, focusing on the balance between the CPU and GPU and what the numbers suggest about the system's overall capability.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal experience for this combo depends entirely on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the data shows a clear progression: Low settings deliver an average of 86 FPS, Medium drops to 66 FPS, High to 50 FPS, and Ultra to 48 FPS. The most balanced experience at this resolution is the Medium preset, which provides a substantial performance cushion over the High and Ultra settings while still offering a significant visual upgrade over Low. The 66 FPS average is well within a smooth playable range, and the measured minimum of 56 FPS suggests that frame pacing remains stable even during demanding scenes.

At 2560x1440, the situation changes. Low settings achieve an average of 59 FPS, which is just at the edge of smoothness. Medium settings drop to 45 FPS, a noticeable step down. High and Ultra fall further to 34 FPS and 33 FPS, respectively. Here, the Low preset is the only one that consistently stays in a comfortable performance range. While the Medium preset might be tempting, its 45 FPS average and 38 FPS minimum indicate that the system is starting to struggle under the increased pixel load.

The 3840x2160 results make the limitations of this combo clear. No preset achieves a playable average frame rate. Low settings reach only 35 FPS, Medium 26 FPS, High 20 FPS, and Ultra 19 FPS. The data strongly suggests that 4K gaming is not a viable option for this hardware configuration. The performance cliff from 1440p to 4K is severe, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck and is simply overwhelmed by the pixel count. For the best experience, users should prioritize 1080p with Medium settings, or 1440p with Low settings if higher resolution is desired.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is a low-power, integrated-class graphics solution with a 80 W TDP and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its performance profile, as measured by the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark, places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in that benchmark are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and GeForce 800M, which have average scores of 1463 and 1460, respectively. The Arc B390’s score of 1482 is a mere 1.3% and 1.5% higher than these, positioning it in a very low-performance tier.

This positioning is perfectly reflected in the Thief data. The GPU's memory is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM. This architecture is a significant factor in the performance collapse at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the shared memory bandwidth is sufficient to feed the GPU, but as the resolution and texture data demands grow, the system memory bandwidth becomes a severe constraint. The frame rate drop from 1080p High (50 FPS) to 1440p High (34 FPS) is a 32% reduction, and the drop from 1440p High to 4K High (20 FPS) is a 41% reduction. This escalating penalty is characteristic of a GPU that is running out of both compute and memory bandwidth headroom.

The difference between Low and Ultra settings further highlights the GPU's limited capabilities. At 1080p, the gap between Low (86 FPS) and Ultra (48 FPS) is 38 FPS, showing that the GPU has some headroom for visual fidelity at lower resolutions. However, at 4K, this gap narrows to just 16 FPS (35 FPS Low vs. 19 FPS Ultra), as the GPU becomes so overwhelmed by the resolution that settings have a diminishing impact on performance. The Arc B390 is simply not designed for high-fidelity or high-resolution gaming; its capabilities are best suited for older titles or very modest graphical settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combined performance of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and Intel Arc B390 in Thief is near the bottom of the database. The combo ranks 2534 out of 2851 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 11% of all systems. This ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU's low performance ceiling. The CPU, which has an average benchmark score of 36938 and an 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs, is a strong performer. However, the GPU's 9th percentile ranking anchors the entire system.

This pairing creates a massive bottleneck. The CPU is capable of processing game logic and physics far faster than the GPU can render frames. In Thief, this imbalance is evident in the frame rate data. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D, have nearly identical average scores, with a deltaPct of 0% and -0.2%, respectively. This confirms that the CPU is providing a consistent, powerful baseline. Yet, the system's 2534th place ranking shows that this CPU strength is completely neutralized by the weak GPU. If a more capable graphics card were paired with this CPU, the combo's rank would likely be dramatically higher, but with the Arc B390, the system is firmly in the lower echelon of gaming performance.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo can achieve in Thief?*

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 86 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

*Q: Is this system capable of 4K gaming in Thief?*

A: No. At 3840x2160, the best average frame rate measured is 35 FPS on Low settings. All other presets (Medium, High, Ultra) fall below 30 FPS, with Ultra averaging 19 FPS, making the game unplayable at this resolution.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark, the Arc B390 scores 1482. This is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463) and 1.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460), indicating they are all in the same very low performance tier.

*Q: Which component is the primary bottleneck for this system in Thief?*

A: The data strongly indicates that the Intel Arc B390 GPU is the primary bottleneck. The CPU is a high-performance part (85th percentile), while the GPU is in the 9th percentile. The dramatic frame rate drops at higher resolutions are consistent with a GPU that is overwhelmed.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a smooth 60 FPS experience?

A: At 1920x1080, the Medium preset (66 FPS) is the only one that exceeds 60 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Low preset (59 FPS) is the only option that comes close to 60 FPS, while all other presets fall below 50 FPS.

Q: How much faster is 1080p compared to 4K on the Low settings preset?

A: At Low settings, the 1920x1080 preset averages 86 FPS, while the 3840x2160 preset averages 35 FPS. This represents a 51 FPS difference, or roughly 2.5 times higher performance at 1080p.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K is stark and reveals a system that is severely limited by its graphics processor. On the Low settings preset, the average frame rate drops from 86 FPS at 1080p to 59 FPS at 1440p, a 31% reduction. Moving from 1440p to 4K, the frame rate falls to 35 FPS, another 41% reduction. This pattern of escalating losses is a clear sign of a GPU that is running out of resources.

The Medium preset tells a similar story. At 1080p, the average is 66 FPS. This drops to 45 FPS at 1440p (a 32% loss) and then to 26 FPS at 4K (a 42% loss). The High preset follows the same trajectory: 50 FPS at 1080p, 34 FPS at 1440p (32% loss), and 20 FPS at 4K (41% loss). The consistency of these percentage drops across different settings is telling. It suggests that the bottleneck is not related to specific graphical features but is instead a fundamental issue with the GPU's ability to handle the increasing pixel count.

This data indicates that the GPU is the limiting component at all resolutions above 1080p. The CPU is more than capable of feeding the GPU with data; the problem is that the Arc B390 cannot render frames fast enough. The fact that the frame rate loss from 1440p to 4K is more severe than the loss from 1080p to 1440p suggests that the GPU is hitting a hard memory bandwidth wall. With "System Shared" memory, the bandwidth is dependent on the system's main memory, which is a shared resource and cannot provide the dedicated high-speed access of a discrete GPU's VRAM. This makes 4K gaming completely infeasible and 1440p gaming only viable on the lowest settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, based on the Arrow Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. Its performance is strong, as evidenced by its 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 36938. In Thief, this CPU provides more than enough processing power for the game's logic, physics, and AI.

The CPU's nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score are the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36945, deltaPct 0%), the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37018, deltaPct -0.2%), and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (37093, deltaPct -0.4%). These near-identical scores indicate that the Core Ultra 5 225 is performing exactly as expected for a CPU of its class. In the context of Thief, the CPU is never the bottleneck. The frame rates are consistently limited by the GPU.

This is most evident in the scaling of frame rates with resolution. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see similar frame rates across different resolutions, as the CPU workload is relatively constant. However, the data shows a steep decline in FPS as resolution increases, which is the hallmark of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU is likely delivering high frame rates with ease, but it is forced to wait for the GPU to complete its rendering tasks. Therefore, the Core Ultra 5 225's role in this system is to provide a rock-solid foundation that is completely untapped due to the weak graphics solution. Its performance is effectively wasted in this pairing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured frame rates for Thief with the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and Intel Arc B390 is as follows:

1920x1080:

• Ultra: Average 48 FPS, with no minimum or maximum data provided.
• High: Average 50 FPS, with no minimum or maximum data provided.
• Medium: Average 66 FPS, with a minimum of 56 FPS and a maximum of 75 FPS.
• Low: Average 86 FPS, with no minimum or maximum data provided.

2560x1440:

• Ultra: Average 33 FPS, with no minimum or maximum data provided.
• High: Average 34 FPS, with no minimum or maximum data provided.
• Medium: Average 45 FPS, with a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS.
• Low: Average 59 FPS, with no minimum or maximum data provided.

3840x2160:

• Ultra: Average 19 FPS, with no minimum or maximum data provided.
• High: Average 20 FPS, with no minimum or maximum data provided.
• Medium: Average 26 FPS, with a minimum of 22 FPS and a maximum of 30 FPS.
• Low: Average 35 FPS, with no minimum or maximum data provided.

The Medium preset is the only one for which minimum and maximum frame rate data were recorded. At 1080p, the Medium preset's 56 FPS minimum shows that it can dip below the 60 FPS average, but it remains playable. At 1440p, the Medium preset's 38 FPS minimum indicates significant dips that could be noticeable. At 4K, the 22 FPS minimum confirms the unplayable nature of this resolution. The data shows a clear and consistent pattern: the system provides playable performance only at 1080p with Medium or lower settings, and at 1440p with Low settings. Everything else is either borderline or unplayable.