Thief

FAQ

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

A: Yes, but only at Low settings. The recorded data shows an average of 78 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. Medium settings drop to 59 FPS average, which falls just below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

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

A: None. At 2560x1440, every preset fails to reach 60 FPS. Low settings average 53 FPS, Medium averages 41 FPS, High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. This is 0.2% behind the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186), 0.5% behind the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190), and 0.7% behind the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192). It sits 1.4% ahead of the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168).

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck for this game?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D is a high-end processor, scoring 75779 average benchmark points and ranking in the 95th percentile among all CPUs. Its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755, scores 75738, a negligible 0.1% difference. The CPU is unlikely to limit performance; the GPU is the dominant factor.

Q: What is the best FPS recorded at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the highest average is 31 FPS on Low settings. Medium averages 24 FPS, High averages 18 FPS, and Ultra averages 17 FPS. No setting reaches the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: This CPU and GPU pairing ranks 3433 out of 3720 tested combos for Thief. That places it in the lower portion of the database, reflecting the GPU's limited capability for this title.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data for Thief shows a clear pattern: the Intel Arc B370 is the limiting component across every resolution. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D is a top-tier CPU, but its power cannot compensate for the GPU's modest throughput. At 4K, the gap between settings is stark: Low averages 31 FPS, Medium 24 FPS, High 18 FPS, and Ultra 17 FPS. This 14 FPS spread between Low and Ultra indicates that the GPU is saturated at every quality level, and the CPU has no room to assist.

At 1440p, the same trend holds but with slightly higher numbers. Low averages 53 FPS, Medium 41 FPS, High 31 FPS, and Ultra 29 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 12 FPS, while the drop from High to Ultra is only 2 FPS. This suggests that the GPU is approaching its compute ceiling at Medium and above, with diminishing returns as settings rise. The CPU's role here is minimal; even at Low settings, the frame rate does not approach the CPU's potential output.

At 1080p, the GPU finally shows some headroom. Low settings average 78 FPS, which is a 25 FPS jump over the 1440p Low result. Medium averages 59 FPS, High 45 FPS, and Ultra 43 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 1080p at Low is a 47% improvement, which is substantial and indicates that the GPU is pixel-bound rather than compute-bound at lower resolutions. However, the CPU still does not become the bottleneck: even at 1080p Ultra, the average is 43 FPS, far below what the Ryzen 9 9950X3D could feed if the GPU were faster.

The resolution scaling data confirms the GPU's dominance. Moving from 4K Low to 1440p Low increases average FPS from 31 to 53, a 71% gain. Moving from 1440p Low to 1080p Low increases it from 53 to 78, a 47% gain. These improvements are entirely attributable to the GPU handling fewer pixels; the CPU's workload does not change meaningfully across resolutions in this engine. For this game, the Arc B370 is the decisive factor, and the Ryzen 9 9950X3D's 16 cores and 32 threads are largely idle in terms of frame rate impact.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves 60 FPS. The highest recorded average is 31 FPS on Low settings, which is below the playable threshold. Therefore, there is no recommended setting for 4K; the game is not playable at this resolution with this combo.

At 2560x1440, the situation is similar. No preset reaches 60 FPS. Low settings produce the best result at 53 FPS average, but that still falls short. Medium, High, and Ultra all average below 41 FPS. The best setting, if forced to choose, would be Low for the highest frame rate, but it does not meet the playability criterion.

At 1920x1080, the picture changes. Low settings average 78 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold with a comfortable margin. This is the only playable configuration. Medium settings average 59 FPS, just 1 FPS below the threshold, so it is not recommended for a consistent 60 FPS experience. High and Ultra average 45 and 43 FPS respectively, both unplayable. The best playable setting at 1080p is Low, with an average of 78 FPS.

The Verdict

Can this PC run Thief? The answer is yes, but with significant caveats. The verdict by resolution is clear: at 1920x1080, Low settings deliver 78 FPS average, which is above the 60 FPS threshold and playable. At 2560x1440, no settings reach 60 FPS; the best is Low at 53 FPS. At 3840x2160, no settings reach 60 FPS; the best is Low at 31 FPS.

In practical terms, this combo is only suitable for 1080p gaming at the lowest quality preset. Medium settings at 1080p come close at 59 FPS, but the database's playable threshold is 60 FPS, so it does not qualify. If you own this hardware and want to play Thief, you must accept Low settings at 1080p for a smooth experience. At higher resolutions, the frame rates are too low for acceptable gameplay, with even the best case (1440p Low at 53 FPS) being marginal at best.

The Ryzen 9 9950X3D is not the issue; the Intel Arc B370 is. The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are all older, low-power parts. This is a chip designed for integrated graphics duties, not for demanding titles like Thief at high resolutions. The CPU's 95th percentile ranking and 75779 average benchmark score indicate it is more than capable, but it cannot overcome the GPU's fundamental limits.

Measured FPS Breakdown

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: average 31 FPS, no min/max recorded
• Medium: average 24 FPS, min 20 FPS, max 27 FPS
• High: average 18 FPS, no min/max recorded
• Ultra: average 17 FPS, no min/max recorded

The data shows a steady decline as settings increase. The 14 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is the largest across all resolutions, highlighting the GPU's sensitivity to quality settings at high pixel counts.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: average 53 FPS, no min/max recorded
• Medium: average 41 FPS, min 35 FPS, max 47 FPS
• High: average 31 FPS, no min/max recorded
• Ultra: average 29 FPS, no min/max recorded

At 1440p, Low is the only setting that approaches playability, but it still falls 7 FPS short of the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset shows a min of 35 FPS, which indicates notable frame dips even at moderate settings.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: average 78 FPS, no min/max recorded
• Medium: average 59 FPS, min 50 FPS, max 68 FPS
• High: average 45 FPS, no min/max recorded
• Ultra: average 43 FPS, no min/max recorded

At 1080p, Low is the only playable preset. The Medium preset averages 59 FPS with a min of 50 FPS, meaning it dips below 60 FPS frequently. High and Ultra are both below 45 FPS, making them unsuitable for smooth gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and the Intel Arc B370 ranks 3433 out of 3720 tested combos for Thief. That places it in the bottom 8% of all configurations in the database. The rank reflects the GPU's severe limitation; the CPU is near the top of its class, but the pairing drags the overall performance down.

For context, the Ryzen 9 9950X3D alone sits in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 75779. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755 (75738, 0.1% slower), the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 9755X3D (75716, 0.1% slower), the AMD EPYC 8224P (75582, 0.3% slower), and the Intel Core Ultra 9 285 (75488, 0.4% slower). None of these rivals would change the outcome in Thief, because the bottleneck is the GPU.

The Intel Arc B370, by contrast, ranks in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 is nearly identical to the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, 0.2% ahead) and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, 0.5% ahead). These are legacy parts from over a decade ago. The GPU's low standing is the primary reason this combo ranks so poorly in Thief.

In summary, the rank of 3433 out of 3720 is a direct consequence of pairing a flagship CPU with an entry-level integrated-class GPU. For Thief, the database shows that this combination is only viable at 1080p Low, and even then with a modest 78 FPS average. Higher resolutions are not playable, and the overall ranking reflects that reality.