Thief

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no tested preset reaches the 60 FPS threshold. The highest average frame rate recorded is 31 FPS on Low settings, which remains well below playable. Medium delivers 24 FPS, High drops to 18 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 17 FPS. All four settings at 4K are unsuitable for smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the situation improves but still does not clear the 60 FPS mark. Low settings produce the best result with an average of 53 FPS, followed by Medium at 41 FPS, High at 31 FPS, and Ultra at 29 FPS. None of these presets reach the playable threshold, so 1440p is not recommended for this configuration.

At 1920x1080, only the Low preset achieves a playable frame rate. Low settings deliver an average of 78 FPS, which comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS target. Medium falls just short at 59 FPS average, with a minimum of 50 FPS and a maximum of 68 FPS. High averages 45 FPS, and Ultra averages 43 FPS. The best settings for 1080p are therefore Low, providing the only verified playable experience.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a pronounced GPU bottleneck at higher resolutions, typical of a graphics-heavy stealth title. At 3840x2160, the average frame rate across all settings ranges from 17 to 31 FPS, with the gap between Low and Ultra being only 14 FPS. This narrow spread indicates that the Intel Arc B370's rendering throughput is the limiting factor, as even reducing graphical load cannot push the system past 31 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the scaling between presets shows a similar pattern. Low yields 53 FPS, Medium 41 FPS, High 31 FPS, and Ultra 29 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 24 FPS, which suggests that while the GPU still dominates, the CPU begins to assert more influence at this resolution. The AMD Ryzen 7 7700, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, has ample headroom for this 2014-era title, so the frame rate deltas are primarily attributable to the GPU's pixel and texture processing rates.

At 1920x1080, the CPU's role becomes more visible. Low settings hit 78 FPS, while Medium drops to 59 FPS and High to 45 FPS. The 19 FPS gap between Low and Medium indicates that the GPU is still the primary constraint, but the CPU's single-thread performance, measured at 1930 in Cinebench R23 and 1049 in 3DMark single-thread, is sufficient to avoid stalling at lower resolutions. The recorded minimum of 50 FPS on Medium further supports that the GPU, not the CPU, is causing the frame rate dips.

Comparing resolutions, halving the pixel count from 3840x2160 to 1920x1080 improves Low settings from 31 FPS to 78 FPS, a 2.5x increase. This disproportionate scaling confirms that the Intel Arc B370, with its 1280 shading units and 6.144 TFLOPS FP32 throughput, is the limiting component. The CPU's multi-threaded score of 18760 in Cinebench R23 and its 87th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicate it is far from a bottleneck in this title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the recorded averages are as follows: Low at 31 FPS, Medium at 24 FPS with a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 27, High at 18 FPS, and Ultra at 17 FPS. No minimum or maximum values were recorded for Low, High, or Ultra, but the Medium preset's range of 20 to 27 FPS highlights the instability at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, Low averages 53 FPS, Medium averages 41 FPS with a range of 35 to 47, High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 35 FPS is notable, as it falls 18 FPS short of the playable threshold, indicating that even the mid-tier preset cannot maintain consistent performance.

At 1920x1080, Low averages 78 FPS, Medium averages 59 FPS with a minimum of 50 and a maximum of 68, High averages 45 FPS, and Ultra averages 43 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 50 FPS shows that while the average is close to 60, there are moments where the frame rate dips significantly. Low settings, with no recorded minimum or maximum, provide the only stable playable experience.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 sits amid several close rivals in the database. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 has an average score of 40048, a mere 0.1% below the 7700's 40081. The Intel Core 5 221E scores 40144, which is 0.2% higher. The AMD Ryzen 9 270 scores 40246, 0.4% higher, and the Intel Core i9-13905H scores 40313, 0.6% higher. These four processors would deliver nearly identical CPU-bound behavior, meaning the frame rate in Thief would remain essentially unchanged when paired with the same GPU.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc B370's benchmark score of 1184 places it near several older mobile and desktop parts. 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, and the AMD FirePro M2000 scores 1168, which is 1.4% lower. These rivals would produce similar frame rates in Thief, meaning any of these GPUs would also fail to reach 60 FPS at 1440p or 4K, and would only achieve playable results at 1080p Low.

The combination rank of 3433 out of 3720 combos indicates that this pairing sits in the lower quartile of tested configurations for Thief. The GPU's percentile ranking of 5th among all GPUs underscores its limited performance ceiling, while the CPU's 87th percentile ranking shows it is not the limiting factor.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Thief at 1920x1080 with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but only on Low settings. The measured average FPS is 78, which exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold. Medium settings fall short at 59 FPS average, with a minimum of 50 FPS.

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

A: There is no playable setting at 2560x1440. The highest average FPS is 53 on Low, which remains below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium, High, and Ultra produce 41, 31, and 29 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the CPU compare to nearby processors in this game?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 7700's average benchmark score is 40081. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 scores 40048 (0.1% lower), the Intel Core 5 221E scores 40144 (0.2% higher), the AMD Ryzen 9 270 scores 40246 (0.4% higher), and the Intel Core i9-13905H scores 40313 (0.6% higher). These differences are negligible for gaming.

Q: What GPU performance level is required for 60 FPS at 1080p Medium?

A: The Intel Arc B370 produces 59 FPS average at 1080p Medium, just below the 60 FPS threshold. The nearest GPU rivals, such as the ATI Radeon HD 5770 with a score 0.5% higher, would likely also fall short or barely meet the target.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for Thief at 4K?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor at 3840x2160. The average FPS ranges from 17 to 31 across all settings, and even dropping to Low cannot push past 31 FPS. The CPU's high benchmark scores, including a 87th percentile ranking, indicate it has sufficient headroom.

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p Ultra settings?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 Ultra is 43, which is 17 FPS below the playable threshold. This preset is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

The Verdict

The data indicates that this PC can run Thief, but only under specific conditions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers a playable average of 78 FPS, comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset at 1080p averages 59 FPS, which is functionally close but misses the cutoff, and its minimum of 50 FPS makes it unreliable.

At 2560x1440 and 3840x2160, no settings achieve 60 FPS. The best 1440p result is 53 FPS on Low, and the best 4K result is 31 FPS on Low. The combination rank of 3433 out of 3720 tested configurations places this system in the lower performance tier for Thief.

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 is not the bottleneck; its benchmark scores and 87th percentile ranking confirm it has ample processing power. The Intel Arc B370, with a 5th percentile GPU ranking and a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184, is the primary constraint. Its nearest GPU rivals, all within 1.4% of its score, would perform similarly.

For players seeking a stable experience, 1080p Low is the only verified playable configuration. Lowering resolution below 1080p is not tested, but given the scaling trend, it would likely provide higher frame rates. The verdict is clear: this PC handles Thief at 1080p Low, but not at higher resolutions or presets.