Thief

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, none of the four tested presets reach the 60 FPS playable threshold. The highest average frame rate recorded at this resolution is 35 FPS on Low settings, followed by 26 FPS on Medium, 20 FPS on High, and 19 FPS on Ultra. Since every preset falls well short of 60 FPS, the database does not list any playable settings for 4K.

At 2560x1440, the situation improves slightly but still remains below the playable threshold. Low settings deliver 59 FPS on average, which is one frame shy of the 60 FPS target. Medium averages 45 FPS, High averages 34 FPS, and Ultra averages 33 FPS. The verdict data confirms that no preset at this resolution reaches 60 FPS, so no best settings are designated for 1440p.

At 1920x1080, the combo finally crosses the playable threshold. Low settings produce an average of 86 FPS, while Medium averages 66 FPS with a minimum of 56 FPS and a maximum of 75 FPS. High settings drop to 50 FPS average, and Ultra falls to 48 FPS. The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, with an average of 66 FPS. This is the designated best setting for 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks

Out of 3,720 tested combinations in the database for Thief, this AMD Ryzen 7 7700X with Intel Arc B390 configuration ranks 3,307th. That places it in the bottom 11% of all tested combos, a position driven almost entirely by the GPU's limited performance. The CPU itself sits in the 85th percentile among all processors, but the Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile among all GPUs, which drags the overall gaming result down substantially.

The ranking gap between the CPU and GPU components is stark. A processor that outperforms 85% of all CPUs is paired with a graphics solution that outperforms only 9% of all GPUs. In a game like Thief, where the measured frame rates at 4K and 1440p fall below the playable threshold, the pairing demonstrates how a strong CPU cannot compensate for a weak GPU in graphics-bound scenarios.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The database records frame rates across three resolutions and four preset levels. Values are reported as averages, with minimum and maximum figures available only for Medium settings at each resolution.

At 3840x2160, the recorded averages are 35 FPS on Low, 26 FPS on Medium, 20 FPS on High, and 19 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 22 FPS and a maximum of 30 FPS. No minimum or maximum values are recorded for Low, High, or Ultra at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the averages climb to 59 FPS on Low, 45 FPS on Medium, 34 FPS on High, and 33 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 38 FPS and a maximum of 52 FPS. As with 4K, only Medium includes frame time variation data.

At 1920x1080, the averages are 86 FPS on Low, 66 FPS on Medium, 50 FPS on High, and 48 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 56 FPS and a maximum of 75 FPS. This is the only resolution where any preset exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold: Low and Medium both do so, while High and Ultra fall short.

The scaling pattern across resolutions is consistent. Moving from 1080p to 1440p reduces average frame rates by roughly 30% to 40% depending on the preset. Moving from 1440p to 4K reduces averages by another 40% to 45%. The drop from Medium at 1080p (66 FPS) to Medium at 1440p (45 FPS) represents a 32% reduction, and the further drop to Medium at 4K (26 FPS) is another 42% reduction.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Thief at 60 FPS in 4K?

A: No. The highest average frame rate at 3840x2160 is 35 FPS on Low settings. Medium averages 26 FPS, High averages 20 FPS, and Ultra averages 19 FPS. None of the presets reach the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1080p?

A: Medium is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at 1920x1080. It averages 66 FPS with a minimum of 56 FPS and a maximum of 75 FPS. Low averages 86 FPS, but High and Ultra fall below the threshold at 50 FPS and 48 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the GPU's performance percentile compare to the CPU's?

A: The Intel Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile among all GPUs, while the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X ranks in the 85th percentile among all CPUs. This large gap indicates the GPU is the primary limiting factor for gaming performance.

Q: What frame rates does the combo achieve at 1440p on Low settings?

A: Low settings at 2560x1440 average 59 FPS, which is one frame below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Medium averages 45 FPS, High averages 34 FPS, and Ultra averages 33 FPS.

Q: Is there any resolution where all presets are playable?

A: No. At 1920x1080, only Low and Medium are playable. High and Ultra both fall below 60 FPS. At 2560x1440 and 3840x2160, no preset reaches the playable threshold.

Q: What is the minimum frame rate recorded for Medium settings at 1080p?

A: The minimum frame rate for Medium settings at 1920x1080 is 56 FPS, with a maximum of 75 FPS and an average of 66 FPS. This means even the lowest recorded frame stays close to the 60 FPS target.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured data shows a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU in Thief. The Ryzen 7 7700X, with its 8 cores and 16 threads based on Zen 4 architecture, provides ample processing headroom. Its benchmark scores are strong: Cinebench R23 multicore reaches 19,088, and Geekbench multicore hits 12,451. The single-thread performance is also solid, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 1,090 and a PassMark single-thread score of 4,190.

The Arc B390, by contrast, is a graphics processor with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,482. Its closest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1,463, 1.3% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1,460, 1.5% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1,446, 2.5% slower), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (1,443, 2.7% slower). These are all entry-level graphics solutions, which explains the GPU's 9th percentile ranking.

The frame rate scaling between resolutions demonstrates that Thief is heavily GPU-bound. At 1080p, the combo manages 86 FPS on Low and 66 FPS on Medium. Dropping to 1440p reduces Low to 59 FPS and Medium to 45 FPS. Dropping further to 4K reduces Low to 35 FPS and Medium to 26 FPS. This consistent 30% to 45% reduction with each step up in resolution indicates that the GPU's fill rate and pixel throughput are the limiting factors.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent when comparing preset levels at a fixed resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 38 FPS (86 vs 48 FPS). At 1440p, the difference is 26 FPS (59 vs 33 FPS). At 4K, the difference is 16 FPS (35 vs 19 FPS). The shrinking gap at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU becomes progressively more saturated, leaving less headroom for preset-driven performance variation.

The CPU's 3DMark scores show strong multi-threaded scaling: 2,112 for 2 threads, 4,074 for 4 threads, 7,057 for 8 threads, and 8,859 for 16 threads. This indicates the processor can handle heavily threaded workloads, but Thief's frame rates do not improve correspondingly. The bottleneck shifts entirely to the GPU as resolution increases, which is typical for a stealth title with moderate CPU demands.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals in the database, the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X has an average benchmark score of 35,909. Four alternatives sit within 0.7% of that score. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 scores 35,802, a 0.3% difference. The Intel Core 7 250H scores 35,728, a 0.5% difference. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 scores 35,719, also a 0.5% difference. The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H scores 35,670, a 0.7% difference.

Any of these CPUs would behave nearly identically to the Ryzen 7 7700X in Thief, since their average benchmark scores are statistically indistinguishable. The choice between them would not meaningfully change the frame rates recorded for this combo, as the GPU remains the limiting factor across all tested resolutions.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc B390's nearest rivals are all NVIDIA parts with very similar benchmark scores. The GeForce GT 520MX scores 1,463 (1.3% slower), the GeForce 800M scores 1,460 (1.5% slower), the GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1,446 (2.5% slower), and the GeForce GT 710 scores 1,443 (2.7% slower). These deltas are small enough that swapping the Arc B390 for any of these GPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Thief.

The practical implication is that this combo sits in a performance tier where the GPU choice dominates the outcome. Upgrading the CPU to a faster model would yield no measurable benefit, while upgrading the GPU to anything meaningfully faster would change the results substantially. The recorded data shows that the 9th percentile GPU ranking aligns with the measured frame rates: playable only at 1080p on Medium or lower settings, and unplayable at 1440p and 4K regardless of preset.