Thief

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the recorded data shows a wide performance spread across the four presets. Low settings deliver an average of 78 FPS, which is the only preset at this resolution that clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. Medium settings drop to 59 FPS average, with a minimum of 50 FPS and a maximum of 68 FPS, placing it just shy of the target. High settings average 45 FPS, while Ultra averages 43 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 35 FPS, indicating that the preset choice has a substantial impact on frame rates at 1080p.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance picture shifts downward. Low settings average 53 FPS, which is 25 FPS lower than the same preset at 1080p. 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 delta between Low and Ultra here is 24 FPS, a slightly narrower spread than at 1080p. None of the 1440p presets reach the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the results are the weakest across the board. Low settings average 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 difference between Low and Ultra is 14 FPS, the smallest preset-to-preset gap in the dataset. This suggests that at 4K, the system is heavily constrained regardless of quality settings, and even the lowest preset cannot approach playable frame rates.

The min/max data is only recorded for the Medium preset at each resolution. At 1080p Medium, the 50 FPS minimum and 68 FPS maximum show a frame-time variance of 18 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the 35 FPS minimum and 47 FPS maximum represent a 12 FPS spread. At 4K Medium, the 20 FPS minimum and 27 FPS maximum show a 7 FPS range. These narrower ranges at higher resolutions indicate that frame pacing becomes more consistent when the system is bottlenecked, though the overall averages are far too low for comfortable gameplay.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions reveals which component governs performance. From 1080p to 1440p, the Low preset drops from 78 FPS to 53 FPS, a 32% reduction. From 1440p to 4K, Low drops from 53 FPS to 31 FPS, a 42% reduction. This progressive decline with increasing pixel count points to the GPU being the primary limiter, as the Intel Arc B370 is an integrated-class part with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs.

The CPU, an AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, is far more capable. Its Passmark multithread score of 22458 and Geekbench multicore score of 8899 indicate strong processing headroom for a 2019-era game like Thief. The CPU sits in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 34260. The nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 at 34222 (0.1% slower) and the Intel Core i5-13450HX at 34333 (0.2% faster), confirm that the 3700X is competitively positioned. This hardware combination means the GPU is the clear bottleneck at every resolution and preset.

The preset scaling within each resolution reinforces this. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra costs 35 FPS. At 1440p, the same preset swing costs 24 FPS. At 4K, it costs only 14 FPS. The shrinking delta between presets as resolution increases is a classic sign of GPU saturation. When the render resolution demands more from the graphics hardware, the quality settings matter less because the GPU is already at its limit. The Ryzen 7 3700X has ample single-thread performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R15 single-core score of 204 and Passmark single-thread score of 2656, so CPU-side limitations are unlikely to appear in this title.

For 1080p Low, the 78 FPS result shows that the GPU can still push decent frame rates when the load is light. The 59 FPS at 1080p Medium is close, but the 50 FPS minimum shows dips below the threshold. At higher resolutions, the GPU cannot sustain even Low settings, and the CPU's potential remains untapped. The data indicates that players should focus on GPU-side adjustments, not CPU settings, for any meaningful performance gains.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the only preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low, with an average of 78 FPS. Medium falls short at 59 FPS average, and while that is only 1 FPS below the threshold, the 50 FPS minimum confirms that it cannot reliably hold 60 FPS. High at 45 FPS and Ultra at 43 FPS are both well below the mark.

At 2560x1440, no preset reaches 60 FPS. Low averages 53 FPS, Medium averages 41 FPS, High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS. The best playable option would be Low if the threshold were 50 FPS, but for the 60 FPS standard, there is no qualifying preset.

At 3840x2160, the results are far below playability. Low averages 31 FPS, Medium averages 24 FPS, High averages 18 FPS, and Ultra averages 17 FPS. None of these are close to the 60 FPS target, and even the lowest preset cannot deliver a smooth experience.

The verdict data in the database confirms this analysis. For 1920x1080, the playable settings list includes only Low, with a best average of 78 FPS. For 2560x1440 and 3840x2160, the playable settings lists are empty, and no best settings are recorded. Players targeting 60 FPS should run 1080p Low. Those who insist on 1440p or 4K will need to accept frame rates well below the threshold or consider different hardware.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Thief at 1080p with maximum settings?

A: No. Ultra settings at 1920x1080 average 43 FPS, which is 17 FPS below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The highest preset that clears 60 FPS at 1080p is Low, averaging 78 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for this system?

A: The only resolution with a playable preset is 1920x1080. Low settings at 1080p deliver 78 FPS average. At 2560x1440, the best result is 53 FPS on Low, and at 3840x2160, the best result is 31 FPS on Low, so neither higher resolution meets the 60 FPS standard.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B370 has a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186, which is 0.2% higher. The ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190, 0.5% higher. The AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192, 0.7% higher. The AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168, 1.4% lower. The Arc B370 is essentially in the same performance class as these older parts.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 3700X strong enough for this game?

A: Yes. The CPU is in the 84th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 34260. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, scores 34222, only 0.1% slower. The CPU's performance is not the limiting factor in Thief; the GPU is.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The recorded data shows an average of 41 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 47 FPS. This is well below the 60 FPS threshold, so 1440p Medium is not a viable choice for smooth gameplay.

Q: Does lowering settings help at 4K?

A: Somewhat, but not enough. Ultra at 3840x2160 averages 17 FPS, while Low averages 31 FPS. That is a 14 FPS improvement, but 31 FPS is still far from the 60 FPS target. Even at the lowest preset, 4K remains unplayable by the database's standard.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X has an average benchmark score of 34260. The nearest rivals are all within a fraction of a percent. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 scores 34222, just 0.1% lower, making it effectively identical in overall compute performance. The AMD EPYC 4244P scores 34220, also 0.1% lower. The Intel Core i5-13450HX scores 34333, which is 0.2% higher. The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H scores 34083, 0.5% lower. In practical terms, any of these CPUs would deliver nearly the same frame rates in Thief, since the game is GPU-bound with this graphics card.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. The nearest rivals are older discrete parts. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scores 1186, 0.2% higher. The ATI Radeon HD 5770 scores 1190, 0.5% higher. The AMD Radeon HD 7650M scores 1192, 0.7% higher. The AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168, 1.4% lower. These deltas are tiny, so a system with any of these GPUs would produce nearly identical FPS results in Thief. The ranking data reinforces this: this CPU and GPU combination ranks 3433 out of 3720 tested combos for this game, placing it in the lower portion of the field.

The practical takeaway is that upgrading the CPU would not help in Thief, as even a slightly faster processor would still be waiting on the GPU. Swapping the GPU for one of the nearest rivals would also yield no meaningful change, since their scores differ by less than 1.5%. To see a real improvement, a jump to a significantly stronger GPU class would be necessary, but that falls outside the scope of this comparison.

The Verdict

Can this PC run Thief? The answer depends entirely on the resolution and preset. At 1920x1080, yes, but only on Low settings. The database records a single playable preset for this resolution: Low, with an average of 78 FPS. That clears the 60 FPS threshold comfortably, and the headroom suggests the frame rate is stable. Medium at 1080p averages 59 FPS, which is 1 FPS short, and the 50 FPS minimum makes it a risky choice for anyone sensitive to dips.

At 2560x1440, the answer is no. No preset reaches 60 FPS. Low averages 53 FPS, Medium averages 41 FPS, High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS. Even the lightest settings leave you 7 FPS short of the target, and the higher presets are far below. Players who require 60 FPS should avoid 1440p on this hardware.

At 3840x2160, the answer is a firm no. Low averages 31 FPS, Medium averages 24 FPS, High averages 18 FPS, and Ultra averages 17 FPS. These numbers are below half of the 60 FPS threshold, and no amount of settings adjustment brings the game into a playable range.

The verdict by resolution is clear: 1080p Low is the only configuration that meets the 60 FPS standard. The Intel Arc B370 is the limiting component, and its 5th percentile GPU ranking reflects its modest capabilities. The Ryzen 7 3700X is not the problem; it is a strong CPU that has plenty of headroom for this title. For a smooth Thief experience, set the resolution to 1920x1080 and the quality to Low. Anything more demanding will result in frame rates below the playable threshold, and higher resolutions will be unplayable regardless of settings.