Thief

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the Intel Arc B390 produces a unique performance profile in Thief, one that is heavily dictated by resolution and graphics settings. The data shows a system where the CPU’s substantial compute resources are consistently held back by the integrated GPU’s limited graphics throughput. This analysis breaks down the measured frame rates, contextualizes the combo’s standing among 2,851 tested configurations, and examines the specific roles of the processor and graphics solution in shaping the gameplay experience.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Thief reveals a steep performance cliff as resolution increases, which is a clear indicator that the Intel Arc B390 is the primary limiting component. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 86 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset drops the average to 59 FPS, a reduction of 27 frames. At 3840x2160, the average falls further to 35 FPS. This pattern—a near-linear decline with pixel count—demonstrates that the GPU’s rendering throughput is saturated well before the CPU’s capabilities become relevant.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings shows a 31.4% drop in average FPS (from 86 to 59). The subsequent jump from 1440p to 4K at Low settings yields a 40.7% drop (from 59 to 35). These are substantial losses that far exceed what would be expected if the CPU were the bottleneck. In a CPU-limited scenario, resolution changes typically have a muted effect on frame rates because the processor is already maxed out; here, the frame rate falls dramatically, confirming that pixel fill-rate and memory bandwidth are the constraining factors.

The situation becomes even more pronounced at higher settings. At 1080p High, the average is 50 FPS; at 1440p High, it drops to 34 FPS; at 4K High, it plummets to 20 FPS. The gap between Low and High at 4K is 15 FPS (35 vs 20), showing that the GPU struggles to maintain playable frame rates regardless of the graphical load. The data strongly suggests that the Arc B390’s 24 ROPs and 48 TMUs are overwhelmed by the pixel and texture demands of 4K, especially when combined with higher-quality effects.

What does this say about the limiting component? The CPU, with 24 cores and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, is never the constraint here. Even at 1080p Low—where the CPU would typically be taxed most—the 86 FPS average is far below what this processor could deliver in a less GPU-bound scenario. The bottleneck is unequivocally the integrated graphics solution, whose performance ranks in the 9th percentile among all GPUs. For a stealth title like Thief, which relies on detailed environments and lighting, the GPU’s inability to scale efficiently with resolution is the defining characteristic of this combo.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2,534 out of 2,851 combos for Thief. This places it in the bottom 11.1% of all tested configurations, a stark indicator of its overall performance level. The rank is a direct consequence of the GPU’s low output, as the CPU’s own benchmark standing is far more favorable.

The processor alone sits in the 96th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 84,003. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, scores 83,807, a delta of just 0.2%, meaning the 290K Plus is effectively tied with its predecessor in synthetic CPU tests. Another rival, the AMD EPYC 4584PX, scores 83,090, placing it 1.1% behind. The CPU is clearly a top-tier part, capable of handling any modern workload with ease.

However, the GPU tells a different story. The Intel Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1,482, which places it in the 9th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, scores 1,463, a delta of 1.3%, meaning the Arc B390 is only 1.3% faster than that ancient mobile part. The GeForce 800M scores 1,460 (1.5% slower), and the GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1,446 (2.5% slower). This places the Arc B390 in the company of entry-level GPUs from over a decade ago, which explains why the combo ranks so poorly in Thief despite having a flagship-class CPU.

The disparity between the CPU’s 96th percentile standing and the GPU’s 9th percentile standing is the core issue. The combo’s rank of 2,534 out of 2,851 is dragged down entirely by the GPU, as the CPU contributes no meaningful bottleneck relief. Benchmark results indicate that for this game, the combo is effectively limited to low-resolution, low-detail play, and even then, it only achieves moderate frame rates. The rank reflects a configuration that is severely imbalanced, where the processor’s power is largely wasted in gaming scenarios that depend on graphics throughput.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It features 1,536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units. The base clock is 300 MHz, with a boost clock of 2,500 MHz. Memory is designated as "System Shared," meaning it relies on the host system’s DDR5 RAM, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This is a critical limitation, as integrated graphics sharing system memory incur latency and bandwidth penalties compared to dedicated video memory.

In Thief, the GPU’s role is to handle all rendering tasks, and the data shows it struggles with even moderate resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 66, with a minimum of 56 and a maximum of 75. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 45 FPS (min 38, max 52), and at 4K Medium, it falls to 26 FPS (min 22, max 30). The variance between minimum and maximum frame rates at Medium settings is consistent across resolutions (approximately 19 FPS), suggesting a stable but low ceiling rather than erratic spikes.

The pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance at 7.680 TFLOPS. These specs are modest for modern gaming. In comparison, the GPU’s nearest rivals—the GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710—are all low-end parts from NVIDIA’s legacy lineup. The fact that the Arc B390 only edges out these parts by 1.3% to 2.7% in synthetic benchmarks underscores its limited capability.

For Thief, a game released with specific graphical demands, the GPU’s 24 ROPs are insufficient for high-resolution rendering. The 4K Ultra average of 19 FPS is effectively unplayable, and even 1080p Ultra at 48 FPS is borderline. The VRAM situation is "System Shared," so there is no dedicated video memory; the GPU borrows from system RAM, which further reduces performance in texture-heavy scenes. The data shows that the GPU is the sole determinant of frame rates, as the CPU never enters a limiting state.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Thief?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1920x1080 is the only resolution where average frame rates exceed 60 FPS. At Low settings, the average is 86 FPS, and at Medium, it is 66 FPS. Higher resolutions drop below 60 FPS across all settings.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has an average benchmark score of 84,003, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (83,807) and 1.1% higher than the AMD EPYC 4584PX (83,090). It also trails the AMD EPYC 7F72 (85,072) by 1.3%.

Q: Is the GPU performance comparable to any discrete graphics cards?

A: The Intel Arc B390’s average benchmark score of 1,482 places it just 1.3% above the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1,463) and 1.5% above the GeForce 800M (1,460). It is 2.5% faster than the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1,446) and 2.7% faster than the GeForce GT 710 (1,443).

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 59 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 33 FPS. This is a 26 FPS difference, or a 44.1% reduction in performance when moving from the lowest to the highest graphical preset.

Q: Why does the combo rank so low in Thief despite having a powerful CPU?

A: The combo ranks 2,534 out of 2,851 tested combinations. The CPU is in the 96th percentile among all processors, but the GPU is in the 9th percentile. Since Thief is a graphically intensive game, the GPU’s low output dominates the performance, resulting in a poor overall rank.

Q: Does the GPU have dedicated video memory?

A: No. The Intel Arc B390’s memory is designated as "System Shared," meaning it uses the system’s DDR5 memory. The bandwidth is described as "System Dependent," which implies performance varies based on the host system’s memory configuration.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combo in Thief is achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This yields an average of 86 FPS, which is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 1080p offers 66 FPS on average, with a minimum of 56 FPS, which is still playable but introduces occasional dips. For players prioritizing frame rate stability, Low is the recommended choice.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset drops to 59 FPS, which is borderline for a stealth game that benefits from fluid camera movement. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 45 FPS (min 38, max 52), which may be acceptable for slower-paced exploration but risks noticeable stutter during action sequences. The High and Ultra presets at 1440p (34 and 33 FPS, respectively) are not recommended, as they fall below the 40 FPS comfort zone.

At 3840x2160, no preset provides a playable experience. The Low preset averages 35 FPS, Medium averages 26 FPS, High averages 20 FPS, and Ultra averages 19 FPS. These are all below the minimum threshold for smooth gameplay, so 4K should be avoided entirely. The data indicates that the GPU’s 24 ROPs and shared memory bandwidth cannot handle the pixel load at 4K.

The best experience per the measured rows is unequivocally 1080p Low. This provides the highest average FPS (86) and avoids the minimum FPS drops seen at Medium (min 56). For those willing to tolerate lower frame rates, 1080p Medium (66 FPS avg) offers improved visual fidelity while maintaining playability. Any higher settings or resolutions result in diminishing returns, with frame rates dropping below 50 FPS, which is not ideal for a game that requires precise timing and environmental awareness.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.80 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 36 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, with a memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. The CPU also includes integrated graphics in the form of Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU, but the dedicated Arc B390 is the primary display output.

In Thief, the CPU’s role is to handle game logic, physics, and AI calculations. Given the game’s 2014 release date, the processing demands are relatively modest. The CPU’s benchmarks are exceptional: it scores 51,731 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 7,303 in single-core. In Passmark tests, it achieves 60,860 in multithread and 4,823 in single-thread. The 24 cores and 24 threads provide ample headroom for any title, including those that are poorly optimized for multi-threading.

However, the data shows that the CPU does not influence the frame rates in this combo. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 86, which is far below what the CPU could deliver in a GPU-unconstrained scenario. The CPU’s percentile rank of 96 indicates it is among the fastest processors available, yet the combo’s overall performance is limited by the GPU’s 9th percentile standing. The processor’s 5.80 GHz boost clock and 36 MB L3 cache are irrelevant when the graphics pipeline cannot feed frames faster than 86 FPS even at the lowest settings.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K (0.2% slower), AMD EPYC 4584PX (1.1% slower), and AMD EPYC 9135 (1.2% slower). These deltas are negligible in gaming, where the GPU is the bottleneck. For Thief, the CPU is effectively overkill, and its performance characteristics—such as the 115.2 GB/s memory bandwidth—are not a limiting factor. The processor simply waits for the GPU to complete rendering tasks, resulting in a system that is profoundly GPU-bound.

Measured FPS Breakdown

This section details the exact measured average FPS values for each resolution and settings combination in Thief.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers the highest average FPS of 86. The Medium preset averages 66 FPS, with a minimum of 56 and a maximum of 75. High settings average 50 FPS, and Ultra settings average 48 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 20 FPS (23.3% reduction), while the drop from High to Ultra is only 2 FPS (4% reduction), indicating that the Ultra preset adds minimal overhead over High at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 59 FPS. Medium settings average 45 FPS, with a minimum of 38 and a maximum of 52. High settings average 34 FPS, and Ultra settings average 33 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at 1440p is just 1 FPS, suggesting that these two presets are nearly identical in their demand on the GPU. The drop from 1080p Low (86 FPS) to 1440p Low (59 FPS) is 27 FPS, or a 31.4% reduction.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 35 FPS. Medium settings average 26 FPS, with a minimum of 22 and a maximum of 30. High settings average 20 FPS, and Ultra settings average 19 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 16 FPS, with Ultra delivering only 54.3% of the Low preset’s frame rate. The minimum FPS at 4K Medium (22) is below the average FPS at 4K Low (35), showing significant frame-time variance at higher settings.

Comparing across resolutions at the same setting, Low shows a steady decline: 86 (1080p) → 59 (1440p) → 35 (4K). Medium shows a similar trend: 66 → 45 → 26. High drops from 50 at 1080p to 34 at 1440p to 20 at 4K. Ultra goes from 48 at 1080p to 33 at 1440p to 19 at 4K. The data confirms that no resolution above 1080p can sustain 60 FPS, and no setting above Low can sustain 60 FPS even at 1080p. For a smooth experience, the only viable configuration is 1080p Low, with 1080p Medium as a secondary option for those who accept a 66 FPS average.