Thief

Best Settings per Resolution

The recorded data for this AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and Intel Arc B370 combination shows that playable performance, defined by the database as an average of at least 60 FPS, is only achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At this resolution and preset, the measured average is 78 FPS, which is the only configuration in the entire measurement set that clears the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings at 1920x1080 fall just short at 59 FPS average, making Low the sole playable option for this resolution.

At 2560x1440, no settings preset reaches the 60 FPS target. The best recorded average is 53 FPS at Low settings, which is a notable drop from the 78 FPS seen at 1080p Low. High settings at 1440p average 31 FPS, Medium averages 41 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS, all of which are below the playable threshold.

For 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. Low settings deliver an average of 31 FPS, which is the highest figure at this resolution. Medium averages 24 FPS, High averages 18 FPS, and Ultra averages 17 FPS. None of these approach 60 FPS, and even the most demanding preset at 4K, Ultra at 17 FPS, indicates that this hardware combination is not suited for 4K gaming in Thief.

The verdict data confirms this pattern: the database lists no playable settings for either 2560x1440 or 3840x2160, and only Low at 1920x1080 as a playable option. The gap between 1080p Low at 78 FPS and 1080p Medium at 59 FPS is 19 FPS, which is a substantial step that suggests the transition from Low to Medium imposes a significant load on the GPU.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions and presets reveals a clear division of labor between the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 and the Intel Arc B370. At 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Medium presets is 19 FPS (78 to 59), and the difference between Medium and High is 14 FPS (59 to 45). These are relatively large jumps, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck once settings rise, since the CPU has ample headroom at lower resolutions.

When moving from 1080p Low to 1440p Low, the average drops from 78 to 53 FPS, a 25 FPS reduction. This is a larger absolute drop than the 19 FPS reduction seen when moving from 1080p Low to 1080p Medium. The resolution increase from 1080p to 1440p raises the pixel count by roughly 78%, and the data shows that the Arc B370, with its system-shared memory and modest 1280 shading units, cannot maintain frame rates as the render target grows.

At 1440p, the spread between presets is narrower: Low at 53 FPS, Medium at 41 FPS, High at 31 FPS, and Ultra at 29 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 24 FPS, whereas at 1080p the spread between Low and Ultra is 35 FPS (78 to 43). This compression of the preset range at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor, as raising settings has less impact when the pixel throughput is already saturated.

The 4K results reinforce this interpretation. At 3840x2160, Low averages 31 FPS, Medium 24 FPS, High 18 FPS, and Ultra 17 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is only 14 FPS, which is smaller than the 35 FPS spread at 1080p. This demonstrates that the GPU is heavily constrained at 4K, and preset changes yield diminishing returns because the render resolution dominates the workload.

The CPU, a 6-core, 12-thread Zen 2 part with a boost clock of 4.20 GHz, is unlikely to be the limiting factor at any of these resolutions. Its benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15045 and a PassMark multithread score of 17700, place it well above the needs of a 2014 stealth title. The data implies that the Arc B370, which ranks in the 5th percentile among all GPUs and has a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184, is the performance ceiling for this combination.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested CPU and GPU combinations for Thief, this pairing is ranked 3433 out of 3720 combinations. This places it in the lower portion of the distribution, specifically in the bottom 8% of all tested combos. The rank reflects the overall performance across all resolutions and presets, and it aligns with the measured FPS data showing that only 1080p Low crosses the 60 FPS threshold.

The GPU's low percentile ranking, 5th among all GPUs, is the primary driver of this low combo rank. The Arc B370's only recorded benchmark, a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184, places it near the bottom of the GPU hierarchy. In contrast, the CPU's percentile ranking is 71st among all CPUs, which is a much stronger position. The combination of a mid-range CPU from 2019 and a low-end integrated-class GPU from 2026 results in a system that is heavily unbalanced for gaming, with the GPU dragging down the overall result.

The combo rank of 3433 out of 3720 means that approximately 287 other tested combinations perform worse in Thief, while 3432 perform better. This places the system in the lower echelon of the database, but it is not the absolute worst, which suggests that the CPU's strength partially compensates for the GPU's weakness in some scenarios, particularly at lower resolutions where the CPU can drive higher frame rates.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 5 3600's average benchmark score of 17035 is very close to several other processors. The Intel Core i7-1260P has an average score of 17007, a 0.2% difference, effectively identical performance. The Intel Core i5-11400 scores 17067, also 0.2% away. Two AMD EPYC server chips, the EPYC 7573X at 17070 and the EPYC 7742 at 16998, are within 0.2% as well. Any of these CPUs would deliver essentially the same frame rates in Thief when paired with the same GPU, because the game is not CPU-bound in this configuration.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc B370's nearest rivals are all older, low-end parts. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186, just 0.2% higher. The ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190, 0.5% higher. The AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192, 0.7% higher, and the AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168, 1.4% lower. These deltas are all within 1.5%, so swapping the Arc B370 for any of these would produce nearly identical performance in Thief. The practical takeaway is that the GPU's performance class is roughly equivalent to a decade-old mid-range desktop card or a low-end mobile part, which explains the low playability results.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Thief at 1920x1080 with Medium settings?

A: No. The measured average at 1080p Medium is 59 FPS, which is 1 FPS below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The only playable setting at 1080p is Low, which averages 78 FPS.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 2560x1440?

A: There is no playable setting at 2560x1440. The highest average recorded at this resolution is 53 FPS at Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 41 FPS, High 31 FPS, and Ultra 29 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 has an average benchmark score of 17035. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-1260P, scores 17007, a 0.2% difference. The Intel Core i5-11400 scores 17067, also 0.2% away. All rivals are within 0.2% of the Ryzen 5 3600's score.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU more responsible for the low frame rates?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. The Intel Arc B370 ranks in the 5th percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU ranks in the 71st percentile. At 4K, the difference between Low and Ultra presets is only 14 FPS (31 to 17), showing that the GPU is saturated regardless of settings.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combination?

A: The highest average is 78 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only configuration in the measured data that exceeds the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How many total combinations does this system rank above?

A: This combination ranks 3433 out of 3720 tested combos in Thief, meaning it outperforms approximately 287 other combinations and is outperformed by 3432.

The Verdict

This PC can run Thief, but only under a narrow set of conditions. The database verdict lists 1920x1080 with Low settings as the sole playable configuration, achieving an average of 78 FPS. At this resolution, Low is the only preset that clears the 60 FPS threshold; Medium averages 59 FPS, High averages 45 FPS, and Ultra averages 43 FPS, all of which fall short.

At 2560x1440 and 3840x2160, the verdict is clear: no playable settings exist. The best result at 1440p is 53 FPS at Low, and at 4K the best is 31 FPS at Low. Both are far below the 60 FPS target. For users who prioritize higher resolutions, this system is not viable for Thief without significant compromises that still do not reach the threshold.

The overall verdict is that this combination is borderline playable only at 1080p Low. The GPU's low percentile rank (5th) and the CPU's strong rank (71st) create a system where the CPU is rarely stressed, but the GPU cannot keep up with increased resolution or settings. Users seeking a smooth experience above 1080p Low would need to look at different hardware.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the recorded averages are as follows: Low settings produce 78 FPS, Medium produces 59 FPS with a minimum of 50 FPS and a maximum of 68 FPS, High produces 45 FPS, and Ultra produces 43 FPS. The Medium preset is the only one with min and max values recorded, showing a 18 FPS fluctuation range.

At 2560x1440, Low averages 53 FPS, Medium averages 41 FPS with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 47 FPS, High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS. The Medium preset again shows a 12 FPS variance between its minimum and maximum.

At 3840x2160, Low averages 31 FPS, Medium averages 24 FPS with a minimum of 20 FPS and a maximum of 27 FPS, High averages 18 FPS, and Ultra averages 17 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K has a 7 FPS variance.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset is the only one for which minimum and maximum FPS values are recorded, providing a glimpse into frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the range is 50 to 68 FPS; at 1440p Medium, 35 to 47 FPS; and at 4K Medium, 20 to 27 FPS. The narrowing variance at higher resolutions suggests the GPU is running closer to its limits, with less headroom for frame rate spikes. The data as a whole shows a consistent pattern: performance scales inversely with resolution and settings, with the only playable point being 1080p Low.