Thief

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and Intel Arc B370 combination delivers a narrow set of playable options for Thief, with the data showing that only the lowest settings at 1080p consistently clear the 60 FPS threshold. This pairing is heavily constrained by the graphics side, and the benchmark results make the performance ceiling clear across all recorded resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the combination struggles across the board. The High preset averages 18 FPS, while Ultra drops to 17 FPS. Medium is slightly better at 24 FPS, with a minimum of 20 FPS and a maximum of 27 FPS. Low is the fastest at this resolution, reaching 31 FPS on average. None of these figures approach a comfortable playability range, and even the best case at 4K remains well below the 60 FPS target.

Moving to 2560x1440, the results improve but remain far from smooth. Low settings produce an average of 53 FPS, which is close to playable but still under the threshold. Medium averages 41 FPS, with a recorded range of 35 FPS minimum and 47 FPS maximum. High sits at 31 FPS, and Ultra drops to 29 FPS. The scaling from Low to Medium costs 12 FPS, while the jump from Medium to High costs another 10 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra is only 2 FPS, suggesting diminishing returns at the top end.

At 1920x1080, the picture becomes clearer. Low settings deliver an average of 78 FPS, which is the only config in the entire dataset that exceeds the 60 FPS playability threshold. Medium averages 59 FPS, just one frame short of the target, with a minimum of 50 FPS and a maximum of 68 FPS. High averages 45 FPS, and Ultra averages 43 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra is only 2 FPS, mirroring the trend seen at 1440p. The gap between Low and Medium is 19 FPS, which is the largest single step between adjacent presets at any resolution.

The recorded data does not include minimum or maximum FPS values for several settings, including all Low and High configs and the 4K Ultra preset. The only complete min/max data comes from the Medium preset at each resolution. At 1080p Medium, the 50 FPS minimum and 68 FPS maximum indicate significant frame variation, while at 1440p Medium the range is 35 to 47 FPS, and at 4K Medium it is 20 to 27 FPS.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results indicate that the Intel Arc B370 is the primary bottleneck in this pairing. The GPU's recorded average benchmark score sits at 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs in the database. The Ryzen 9 9900X, by contrast, is a high-end desktop processor with a 92nd percentile ranking among all CPUs. This massive disparity in relative performance explains why resolution scaling has such a pronounced effect on frame rates.

When comparing the same preset across resolutions, the data shows a consistent pattern. At Low settings, the 1080p average of 78 FPS drops to 53 FPS at 1440p, a 32% reduction, and then to 31 FPS at 4K, a 60% reduction from 1080p. At Medium, the 1080p average of 59 FPS falls to 41 FPS at 1440p and 24 FPS at 4K. At High, the 1080p average of 45 FPS drops to 31 FPS at 1440p and 18 FPS at 4K. These large percentage drops with each resolution step are typical of a GPU-limited scenario, where the render load outpaces the available graphics throughput.

The CPU's role is minimal in this context. The Ryzen 9 9900X has 12 cores, 24 threads, and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 32172 and a single-core score of 2253. This is far more processing power than Thief requires, given its 2014 release date. The game's engine is not likely to stress the CPU in a meaningful way at these settings. The frame rate differences between presets at a fixed resolution are driven entirely by the GPU's ability to handle increased graphical complexity, not by CPU throughput.

The data supports the conclusion that upgrading or changing the GPU would have a far larger impact on playability than any CPU adjustment. The GPU's 5th percentile ranking versus the CPU's 92nd percentile ranking tells the entire story: this is a lopsided pairing where the graphics card is the limiting factor at every resolution and preset combination.

How This Combo Ranks

The database places this combination at rank 3433 out of 3720 tested combos for Thief. This puts it in the bottom 8% of all recorded pairings, which is consistent with the low GPU performance tier. The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics solution with a 25 W TDP and system-shared memory, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 reflects its limited capability.

The rank position indicates that the overwhelming majority of hardware combinations tested in the database deliver better frame rates in Thief. The only settings that achieve playable performance are at 1080p Low, which is a narrow operating window. The combo's rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's low percentile standing, as the CPU is clearly not the limiting factor.

For context, the GPU's average benchmark score of 1184 places it near the very bottom of the database, with a 5th percentile ranking. This means 95% of all GPUs in the database perform better on average across all benchmark tests. The CPU's average benchmark score of 57498, by contrast, is far above average. The combination of a top-tier CPU with a bottom-tier GPU creates a system that is inherently unbalanced for gaming workloads.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Arc B370, based on average benchmark scores, are all older discrete and mobile graphics solutions. The ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 has an average score of 1186, which is 0.2% higher than the Arc B370. 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, which is 1.4% lower. These delta values are all within 1.5% of the Arc B370, meaning any of these GPUs would produce nearly identical frame rates in Thief at the same settings and resolutions.

On the CPU side, the Ryzen 9 9900X's nearest rivals are all server or high-end desktop processors. The AMD EPYC 9015 scores 57555, which is 0.1% lower than the 9900X's 57498. The AMD EPYC 7313 scores 57399, 0.2% higher. The Intel Core i9-14900 scores 58115, 1.1% higher. The Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M scores 58323, 1.4% higher. These CPU differences are negligible for Thief specifically, since the game is GPU-bound in this configuration. Swapping the Ryzen 9 9900X for any of these rivals would not materially change the measured FPS, because the GPU would remain the bottleneck.

For a user looking at this combo, the practical takeaway is that the GPU tier is the relevant factor. Any of the four rival GPUs listed would behave essentially the same in Thief, with frame rates differing by less than 2% across the board. The CPU alternatives would not alter the gaming experience at all in this title.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves the 60 FPS playability threshold. The best recorded average is 31 FPS at Low settings, which falls far short. The verdict data confirms that no playable settings exist at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the same situation applies. No preset reaches 60 FPS. The best average is 53 FPS at Low, which is 7 FPS short of the threshold. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall further behind, with averages of 41, 31, and 29 FPS respectively.

At 1920x1080, Low settings deliver an average of 78 FPS, which is the only playable configuration in the entire dataset. This is the best settings pick for this resolution. Medium comes close at 59 FPS, but it is still 1 FPS below the 60 FPS threshold, and its recorded minimum of 50 FPS suggests occasional dips that would be noticeable. The data indicates that Low is the only reliable choice for maintaining the playability standard.

FAQ

Q: Can this combination run Thief at 60 FPS at 1080p?

A: Yes, but only on Low settings. The recorded average is 78 FPS at 1920x1080 Low. Medium averages 59 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 1440p?

A: There is no playable setting at 2560x1440. The best average is 53 FPS on Low, which does not meet the 60 FPS playability standard.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this pairing?

A: The GPU is the clear limiting factor. The Intel Arc B370 ranks in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, while the Ryzen 9 9900X ranks in the 92nd percentile of all CPUs. Frame rates scale heavily with resolution and preset, which indicates GPU-bound performance.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: It ranks 3433 out of 3720 combos in the database for Thief, placing it in the bottom portion of all tested hardware pairings.

Q: What GPU performance level is comparable to the Intel Arc B370?

A: The nearest rivals are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, ATI Radeon HD 5770, AMD Radeon HD 7650M, and AMD FirePro M2000. All are within 1.4% of the Arc B370's average benchmark score, so they would produce nearly identical frame rates in Thief.

Q: Does the Ryzen 9 9900X matter for this game?

A: Not in a significant way. The CPU's benchmark scores are far above what Thief requires, and the frame rates are constrained by the GPU at every resolution and preset. Swapping the CPU for a similar-tier rival would not change the measured FPS.