Thief

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and Intel Arc B570 combination ranks 2994th out of 3720 tested combos for Thief, placing it in the lower portion of the database. This is a pairing that can deliver a fully playable experience at 1080p and 1440p, but it falls short of the 60 FPS threshold at 4K across every settings preset. The data indicates a system that is capable for the game’s standard resolutions, yet not one that can handle the highest pixel counts without compromise.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of 3720 tested CPU and GPU combinations for Thief, this pairing sits at rank 2994. That places it comfortably in the bottom quintile of tested configurations, which reflects a combination that is not optimized for this specific title’s demands. The Intel Arc B570 itself holds a 65th percentile ranking among all GPUs, indicating that the graphics card is a mid-range performer. In contrast, the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X ranks in the 86th percentile among all CPUs, showing a strong processor that is not the limiting factor in this pairing.

The rank of 2994 suggests that most other combos in the database deliver higher average frame rates in Thief. This is not surprising given the GPU’s position in the market and the game’s release date, which predates both components by roughly a decade. The CPU’s high percentile ranking does little to boost the combo’s overall standing because Thief’s performance here is clearly bounded by the graphics card’s output. The data shows that this is a mid-tier solution that will satisfy players at moderate settings, but it will not compete with higher-end configurations in the database.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160 (4K), the data shows no playable settings are available. Every preset — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The best achievable average is 54 FPS at Low settings, which is still below the required 60 FPS. Medium delivers 41 FPS, High drops to 31 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 29 FPS. Players at this resolution must accept sub-60 FPS performance or reduce the resolution.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the playable settings include Low and Medium. The best playable preset is Medium, which delivers an average of 69 FPS. Low settings achieve 91 FPS, but the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium. High settings drop to 53 FPS, and Ultra falls to 50 FPS, both of which are below the threshold. The recommendation is clear: Medium at 1440p provides the best visual quality while maintaining playable frame rates.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), all four presets are playable. The most demanding preset that remains at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which delivers an average of 73 FPS. High settings achieve 77 FPS, Medium reaches 101 FPS, and Low tops out at 133 FPS. This resolution offers the most flexibility, with Ultra being the clear choice for maximum visual fidelity without sacrificing the 60 FPS target.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the dominant component in this pairing for Thief, particularly at higher resolutions. At 4K, the average FPS drops from 54 at Low to 29 at Ultra, a reduction of 25 FPS when moving from the lowest to the highest preset. This steep decline across settings demonstrates that the Intel Arc B570 is heavily taxed at this resolution, and the CPU’s strong performance cannot compensate for the GPU’s limitations.

At 1440p, the scaling is more moderate but still shows the GPU’s influence. Low settings produce 91 FPS, while Medium drops to 69 FPS, High to 53 FPS, and Ultra to 50 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 41 FPS, which indicates that the GPU’s rendering workload is the primary factor in performance changes. The CPU, with its 86th percentile ranking, is likely not the bottleneck here, as even the lowest settings at 1440p exceed 90 FPS.

At 1080p, the CPU’s role becomes slightly more apparent, though the GPU remains the main constraint. Low settings hit 133 FPS, Medium reaches 101 FPS, High achieves 77 FPS, and Ultra manages 73 FPS. The smaller delta between High and Ultra at 1080p — just 4 FPS — suggests that the CPU may start to matter more at lower resolutions where the GPU has less work per frame. However, the overall trend across all resolutions is that the Intel Arc B570 dictates the frame rate ceiling, with the Ryzen 7 9700X providing ample headroom that never becomes a limiting factor.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X has nearest rivals that would behave similarly in Thief. The Intel Core i9-14901E is virtually identical in average benchmark score, with a delta of only 0.1 percent. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 also sits within 0.1 percent, meaning these three processors would deliver nearly indistinguishable performance in this game. The Intel Core 5 211E is 0.3 percent slower, and the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132 is 0.4 percent slower. All of these CPUs fall within a narrow performance band, so swapping between them would not produce a noticeable change in Thief’s frame rates.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc B570’s nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which is 0.1 percent faster, and the Intel Arc A750, which is 0.1 percent slower. The NVIDIA Quadro M4000M is 0.4 percent slower, and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X is 0.5 percent slower. The tight deltaPct values — all within 0.5 percent — indicate that these GPUs would produce nearly identical performance in Thief. A user with an Arc A750 or RTX 3070 Mobile would expect comparable frame rates to the Arc B570 at the same settings and resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the measured averages are as follows: Low settings produce 54 FPS, Medium produces 41 FPS with a minimum of 35 and a maximum of 47, High produces 31 FPS, and Ultra produces 29 FPS. No preset reaches the 60 FPS threshold. The minimum FPS data is only available for Medium, which shows a low of 35 FPS, indicating that frame pacing can drop well below the average in demanding scenes.

At 2560x1440, Low settings achieve 91 FPS, Medium achieves 69 FPS with a minimum of 59 and a maximum of 79, High achieves 53 FPS, and Ultra achieves 50 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 59 FPS is just below the 60 FPS threshold, meaning there are brief dips below the target even on the recommended setting. This is worth noting for players who are sensitive to frame drops.

At 1920x1080, Low settings reach 133 FPS, Medium reaches 101 FPS with a minimum of 86 and a maximum of 116, High reaches 77 FPS, and Ultra reaches 73 FPS. All presets remain above 60 FPS on average, with the lowest minimum recorded at 86 FPS on Medium. This is the only resolution where Ultra maintains a comfortable margin above the playable threshold.

FAQ

Q: Can this combination run Thief at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: No. At 3840x2160, all presets fall below the 60 FPS threshold. The highest average is 54 FPS at Low settings, with Medium at 41 FPS, High at 31 FPS, and Ultra at 29 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p?

A: Medium is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at 2560x1440, delivering an average of 69 FPS. Low achieves 91 FPS, while High and Ultra drop to 53 FPS and 50 FPS respectively.

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

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is within 0.1 percent of the Intel Core i9-14901E and AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 in average benchmark score. It is 0.3 percent ahead of the Intel Core 5 211E and 0.4 percent ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU more important for this game?

A: The GPU is the dominant factor. Across all resolutions, frame rates scale significantly with settings changes, while the CPU’s high percentile ranking suggests it is not a bottleneck. At 1080p, the difference between High and Ultra is only 4 FPS, hinting at a slight CPU influence, but the overall trend is GPU-bound.

Q: What GPU alternatives would perform similarly?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile is 0.1 percent faster than the Intel Arc B570, while the Intel Arc A750 is 0.1 percent slower. The NVIDIA Quadro M4000M and AMD Radeon R9 M390X are 0.4 and 0.5 percent slower, respectively.

Q: What is the playable frame rate at 1080p on Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080, Ultra settings deliver an average of 73 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. This is the best visual preset available at this resolution while maintaining playable performance.