Thief

# CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a 14-core, 14-thread desktop processor built on Arrow Lake-S architecture, fabricated on a 3 nm process at TSMC with 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die. It runs at a 3.40 GHz base clock and boosts to 5.00 GHz, operating within a 65 W TDP. This is a modern CPU with a substantial core count, yet it lacks hyper-threading—14 cores and 14 threads means each core handles one thread, which is a notable design choice for a desktop part in 2025. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 24 MB of shared L3 cache, providing ample on-die storage for game data.

In Thief, a stealth title released in 2014, the CPU's role is less about raw multi-threaded throughput and more about sustaining consistent frame pacing in a game that is now over a decade old. The Ultra 5 235's single-thread performance is strong—its Cinebench R23 single-core score is 2085, and PassMark single-thread score is 4516—which matters for older game engines that often rely heavily on one or two primary threads. The processor's multi-core capabilities are equally impressive: Cinebench R23 multi-core hits 14,769, and PassMark multithread scores 37,816. These numbers place the CPU in the 89th percentile of all processors tested, indicating that it sits well above the median in overall compute performance.

However, the benchmark results in Thief show that the CPU is not the limiting factor at most settings. The measured FPS at 1080p Low reaches 78 FPS average, which is the highest score in the entire dataset. At 1080p Ultra, the average drops to 43 FPS, a 45% reduction that is almost entirely attributable to GPU load. The CPU's high single-thread score suggests it can feed frames quickly enough, but the Arc B370's integrated graphics architecture becomes the bottleneck as settings and resolution increase. The data shows that the Ultra 5 235's 14 cores provide plenty of headroom for Thief's engine, which was designed for the quad-core and dual-core CPUs of its era. The processor's boost clock of 5.00 GHz ensures that any single-threaded physics or AI calculations are handled with minimal latency, while the 24 MB shared L3 cache helps maintain data locality for the engine's streaming assets.

Interestingly, the CPU's nearest rivals in average benchmark score—AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 at 46,030 and Intel Core i9-13900HX at 46,098—are within 0.1% of the Ultra 5 235's average score of 46,062. This indicates that the Ultra 5 235 is competitively positioned against mobile HX-class parts, despite being a desktop chip. In Thief, this parity in general compute translates to similar frame delivery, but the GPU remains the dominant factor in the measured results.

# FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this CPU-GPU combo in Thief?

A: The highest average FPS in the measured dataset is 78 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 compare to its nearest rivals in overall CPU benchmarks?

A: The Ultra 5 235 has an average benchmark score of 46,062, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 (46,030) and 0.1% lower than the Intel Core i9-13900HX (46,098). It also edges out the AMD EPYC 4364P (45,970) by 0.2% and the AMD EPYC 7303 (45,960) by 0.2%.

Q: Does the combo rank highly among all tested combinations in Thief?

A: No. The combo ranks 2,634 out of 2,851 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 8% of all tested combos for this game.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce an average of 53 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 29 FPS—a 24 FPS or approximately 45% reduction.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B370's performance in Thief competitive with its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B370's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1,184, which is 0.2% lower than the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1,186) and 0.5% lower than the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1,190). It outperforms the AMD FirePro M2000 (1,168) by 1.4%.

Q: What is the only resolution and settings combination that exceeds 60 FPS average?

A: The only combination exceeding 60 FPS average is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which delivers 78 FPS. Medium at 1080p comes closest at 59 FPS.

# Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and dramatic scaling pattern as resolution increases, with the Intel Arc B370's integrated graphics architecture showing significant strain at higher pixel counts. At 1080p Low, the combo delivers 78 FPS average, which drops to 53 FPS at 1440p Low—a 32% reduction—and further to 31 FPS at 4K Low, representing a 60% drop from 1080p. This steep decline indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting component, as the CPU's performance headroom is ample for this older title.

Looking at High settings, the scaling is similarly pronounced: 45 FPS at 1080p, 31 FPS at 1440p (a 31% drop), and 18 FPS at 4K (a 60% drop from 1080p). The consistency of these percentage drops across settings—roughly 30% from 1080p to 1440p and another 40-45% from 1440p to 4K—points to a fill-rate-bound scenario. The Arc B370's pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s are modest figures, and they become increasingly inadequate as resolution pushes more pixels through the rasterizer.

The data also shows that the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens at lower resolutions but narrows at 4K. At 1080p, Low (78 FPS) and Ultra (43 FPS) differ by 35 FPS. At 1440p, the difference is 24 FPS (53 vs. 29). At 4K, the difference shrinks to 14 FPS (31 vs. 17). This narrowing gap is a classic sign of GPU-bound operation: at 4K, even Low settings overwhelm the GPU's pixel throughput, so the incremental cost of higher settings becomes less impactful relative to the baseline resolution burden. The CPU, with its 14 cores and 5.00 GHz boost clock, is never the bottleneck here—the frame rate declines track the GPU's computational limits almost perfectly.

# Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy of playable settings for this combo, and the results suggest that users must make significant compromises to achieve playable frame rates. At 1080p, Medium settings deliver 59 FPS average with a minimum of 50 FPS and a maximum of 68 FPS, which is the only preset at this resolution that approaches smooth gameplay without sacrificing too much visual fidelity. Low settings at 1080p hit 78 FPS but strip away many of the visual effects that define Thief's atmosphere. High settings at 1080p drop to 45 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold that most players consider ideal, and Ultra falls to 43 FPS.

For 1440p, the situation becomes more constrained. Low settings produce 53 FPS, which is playable but requires accepting the lowest visual quality. Medium settings at 1440p deliver 41 FPS (minimum 35, maximum 47), which is borderline for a stealth game where precise timing matters. High and Ultra at 1440p dip to 31 FPS and 29 FPS respectively, which are likely too sluggish for comfortable play. At 4K, all settings produce averages below 32 FPS—31 FPS at Low, 24 FPS at Medium (minimum 20, maximum 27), 18 FPS at High, and 17 FPS at Ultra—making 4K effectively unplayable on this hardware for Thief.

The best experience per the measured rows is 1080p Medium, which offers a 59 FPS average with a minimum of 50 FPS. This combination provides the best balance of frame rate and visual quality, keeping the action smooth enough for stealth gameplay while retaining medium-level textures and effects. The 50 FPS minimum ensures that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate rarely dips into stutter territory. For players prioritizing frame rate over visuals, 1080p Low at 78 FPS is the clear choice. At 1440p, Low at 53 FPS is the only option that remains above 50 FPS, but the visual tradeoff is steep. The data suggests that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, with Medium being the recommended preset for the optimal experience.

# How This Combo Ranks

The combination of Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2,634 out of 2,851 tested combos in Thief, placing it in the bottom 7.6% of all configurations tested. This is a remarkably low ranking, especially considering that the CPU itself is in the 89th percentile of all processors. The disparity between CPU percentile (89) and combo rank (bottom 8%) underscores the extent to which the Intel Arc B370 integrated GPU holds back the system in this game.

The GPU's percentile ranking is 5th out of all GPUs, which places it in the bottom 5% of graphics processors tested. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,184 is nearly identical to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1,186), a mobile GPU from over a decade ago. This explains the combo's poor ranking: the Ultra 5 235 is a high-end desktop CPU paired with an integrated GPU that performs at the level of entry-level discrete graphics from 2010-2012. The CPU is not the limiting factor, but the combo's overall ranking reflects the GPU's severe performance constraints.

Notably, the CPU's nearest rivals—the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375 and Intel Core i9-13900HX—achieve nearly identical average benchmark scores, yet any of these CPUs paired with a more capable GPU would likely rank far higher in Thief. The data shows that the combo rank is dominated by GPU performance, as evidenced by the fact that the CPU sits in the 89th percentile while the combo sits in the bottom 8%. This is a case where the processor's potential is entirely masked by the graphics solution, and users seeking better Thief performance would need to address the GPU side of the equation first.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS dataset for the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and Intel Arc B370 combo in Thief is as follows:

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 78 FPS average
• Medium: 59 FPS average, 50 FPS minimum, 68 FPS maximum
• High: 45 FPS average
• Ultra: 43 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 53 FPS average
• Medium: 41 FPS average, 35 FPS minimum, 47 FPS maximum
• High: 31 FPS average
• Ultra: 29 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 31 FPS average
• Medium: 24 FPS average, 20 FPS minimum, 27 FPS maximum
• High: 18 FPS average
• Ultra: 17 FPS average

The data reveals a few key patterns. First, the minimum FPS values are only recorded for Medium settings, which suggests that the testing methodology captured frame time variance more thoroughly at that preset. At 1080p Medium, the 50 FPS minimum represents a 15% drop from the 59 FPS average, indicating some frame pacing variance but not severe stuttering. At 1440p Medium, the minimum of 35 FPS is a 15% drop from the 41 FPS average, showing consistent behavior across resolutions. At 4K Medium, the minimum of 20 FPS is a 17% drop from the 24 FPS average.

Second, the scaling from Medium to High to Ultra is relatively consistent across resolutions. At 1080p, the drop from Medium (59 FPS) to High (45 FPS) is 24%, and from High to Ultra (43 FPS) is 4%. At 1440p, Medium (41 FPS) to High (31 FPS) is 24%, and High to Ultra (29 FPS) is 6%. At 4K, Medium (24 FPS) to High (18 FPS) is 25%, and High to Ultra (17 FPS) is 6%. This suggests that the High to Ultra transition is relatively inexpensive in Thief, while the Medium to High jump carries a significant performance cost.

Third, Low settings provide the only playable experience at 1440p and above, but even then, 4K Low at 31 FPS is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The data indicates that this combo is firmly a 1080p solution for Thief, with Medium settings offering the best balance of visual quality and frame rate. The measured FPS values confirm that the Intel Arc B370's integrated GPU is the dominant constraint, as the CPU's strong benchmark scores do not translate into high frame rates at higher resolutions.