Thief

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 paired with the Intel Arc B570 delivers a playable, though not flawless, experience in Thief, with performance that scales predictably with resolution and settings. The data indicates a system that is clearly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s older architecture becomes a more noticeable factor at 1080p. Overall, this combo ranks in the lower-middle tier of all tested configurations, offering a solid baseline for a game from 2014.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces an average of 77 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 drops that average to 53 FPS, a reduction of 24 FPS, or roughly 31%. The jump to 3840x2160 is even more punishing, with the average falling to 31 FPS, which is a further 22 FPS decline from the 1440p result. This steep curve indicates that the Intel Arc B570’s rendering pipeline is the primary bottleneck as pixel count rises, a common trait for mid-range GPUs.

The trend holds across all settings presets, but the margins differ. For instance, at Low settings, the frame rate drops from 110 FPS at 1080p to 91 FPS at 1440p, a 19 FPS decline, and then to 54 FPS at 4K, a 37 FPS drop. The percentage loss from 1440p to 4K is larger at Low settings (about 41%) compared to High settings (about 42%), suggesting that the GPU is working closer to its limits at lower graphical loads, where the CPU has more headroom to feed it frames. At Medium settings, the 1440p result is 69 FPS, which falls to 41 FPS at 4K, showing a similar absolute drop of 28 FPS.

This scaling behavior suggests that the limiting component at 4K is unequivocally the GPU. The Arc B570’s 10 GB of VRAM and 160-bit memory bus are sufficient for the game’s demands, but the raw compute throughput of 11.52 TFLOPS is not enough to maintain high frame rates at this resolution. The data shows that 4K is only viable at Low settings, where the 54 FPS average is playable, while High and Ultra presets fall below the 30 FPS threshold, making them unsuitable for smooth gameplay.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen+ architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.90 GHz. Its benchmark scores place it in the 75th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 21484. This is a solid mid-range performer for its generation, but its age is evident when compared to modern rivals. The nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V, scores 21440, a delta of just 0.2%, indicating near-identical overall CPU performance. Similarly, the Intel Core i9-11900H is only 0.5% behind, while the Intel Xeon D-1746TER is 0.7% ahead.

In Thief, the CPU’s role is most apparent at 1080p, where the GPU is less stressed. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 110 FPS, while the High preset yields 77 FPS. The difference between these settings is 33 FPS, which is a larger gap than the 22 FPS difference seen at 1440p between Low (91 FPS) and High (53 FPS). This suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is better able to keep up with the GPU’s frame output, allowing the graphics card to become the differentiator. However, the fact that the 1080p Low result (110 FPS) is not significantly higher than the 1440p Low result (91 FPS) indicates that the CPU is starting to impose a ceiling on performance, preventing the GPU from fully flexing its muscles at lower resolutions.

The Ryzen 5 2600’s single-thread performance, as measured by its Passmark single-thread score of 2239, is a limiting factor. Thief relies heavily on a few main threads for game logic and physics, and the older Zen architecture’s IPC is lower than newer designs. This means that while the 12 threads are more than enough for the game’s multithreading capabilities, the raw per-core speed is insufficient to push frame rates into very high territory. The data shows that the combo never exceeds 110 FPS at any resolution, which is a likely indicator of this CPU bottleneck at the top end.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations for Thief, the Ryzen 5 2600 and Intel Arc B570 pair ranks 2354 out of 2851 combos. This places it in the bottom 20% of all configurations, which is a sobering statistic for a system that can still deliver playable performance at 1440p. The rank suggests that while the combo is functional, there are many more powerful pairings that achieve higher frame rates, particularly those with newer CPUs and higher-tier GPUs.

The GPU’s individual ranking is more respectable. The Intel Arc B570 sits in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (score of 20534, delta of 0.1%) and the Intel Arc A750 (score of 20582, delta of -0.1%). This indicates that the B570’s raw graphics performance is roughly on par with a mobile RTX 3070 and a desktop Arc A750, which are both capable cards. The bottleneck in this combo is therefore not the GPU’s absolute capability, but rather the CPU’s inability to feed it efficiently at lower resolutions, which drags down the overall combo rank.

The disparity between the GPU’s 65th percentile ranking and the combo’s 2354th rank out of 2851 highlights the importance of balance. A stronger CPU, such as a newer Ryzen 5000 series chip, would likely push this combo much higher in the rankings, as the Arc B570 would be able to stretch its legs at 1080p. As it stands, the data shows a system that is held back by its processor, even though the graphics card is a competent mid-range performer.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at the combo’s performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows:

• Low: 110 FPS average
• Medium: 99 FPS average, with a minimum of 84 FPS and a maximum of 114 FPS
• High: 77 FPS average
• Ultra: 73 FPS average

The 1080p results show a clear progression, with the Low preset being the most playable for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset’s minimum of 84 FPS is still very smooth, and even the Ultra preset’s 73 FPS average is acceptable for most players. The gap between Medium and High is 22 FPS, which is substantial, while the gap between High and Ultra is only 4 FPS, suggesting diminishing returns at the highest settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops are significant:

• Low: 91 FPS average
• Medium: 69 FPS average, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 79 FPS
• High: 53 FPS average
• Ultra: 50 FPS average

At 1440p, the Low preset remains the only option for a consistent 60+ FPS experience. The Medium preset’s 69 FPS average is playable, but the 59 FPS minimum indicates occasional dips below 60 FPS. The High and Ultra presets are both below 60 FPS, making them less ideal for competitive play but still viable for a single-player stealth game where frame rate consistency is less critical.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overwhelmed:

• Low: 54 FPS average
• Medium: 41 FPS average, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 47 FPS
• High: 31 FPS average
• Ultra: 29 FPS average

The 4K results are only playable at Low settings, where the 54 FPS average is just above the 50 FPS threshold. The Medium preset’s 41 FPS average is borderline, but the 35 FPS minimum suggests it will feel stuttery. The High and Ultra presets are effectively unplayable, with averages below 32 FPS. The data shows that this combo is not designed for 4K gaming, and users should stick to 1440p or 1080p for a better experience.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is a 5 nm GPU from the Battlemage generation, featuring 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 80 ROPs. It has a base and boost clock of 2500 MHz, and its memory runs at 2375 MHz, providing 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth across a 160-bit bus. With 10 GB of GDDR6 VRAM, it has ample memory for Thief’s textures and assets, which are not particularly demanding by modern standards. The GPU’s compute power is rated at 11.52 TFLOPS for FP32, which is a solid figure for a card in this class.

The GPU’s benchmark scores are consistent with its mid-range positioning. Its Passmark G3D score is 14195, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 2649. The Geekbench Vulkan score of 96844 and OpenCL score of 83514 further attest to its compute capabilities. The GPU’s nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, scores 20534 in the average benchmark, a delta of 0.1%, confirming that the B570 offers similar raw performance to a mobile 3070.

In Thief, the GPU’s role is dominant at higher resolutions. The 4K results show a clear GPU bottleneck, as the frame rates plummet regardless of CPU activity. At 1080p, the GPU still has headroom to push higher frame rates, but the CPU’s limitations prevent it from doing so. The GPU’s 10 GB of VRAM is never a limiting factor, as even at 4K Ultra, the game’s memory footprint is well within the card’s capacity. The data suggests that the B570 is a capable card for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but it lacks the raw throughput to handle 4K at high settings in this title.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a smooth 60+ FPS experience, the Low preset is the only consistent choice across all resolutions, but it sacrifices visual fidelity. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers a strong balance, with a 99 FPS average and a minimum of 84 FPS, ensuring no noticeable stutters. The visual upgrade from Low to Medium is typically substantial in Thief, making this the recommended preset for 1080p users.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset is still viable, with a 69 FPS average, but the 59 FPS minimum means there will be occasional dips below 60. Players who prioritize frame rate consistency over visuals should stick to Low, which averages 91 FPS. The High preset at 1440p, with a 53 FPS average, is playable for a stealth game, but the lower minimum frame rate could be distracting during fast-paced action sequences.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only recommendation, as it provides a 54 FPS average. The Medium preset’s 41 FPS average is too low for a smooth experience, and the High and Ultra presets are unplayable. Given the game’s age, the Low preset at 4K will still look relatively good, but users with 4K monitors should be prepared to compromise on settings.

The Ultra preset is never recommended, as the performance gains over High are minimal (e.g., 73 FPS vs. 77 FPS at 1080p) but the visual differences are often imperceptible in a game from 2014. The data shows that the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance for this combo, particularly at 1080p and 1440p. For a locked 60 FPS experience, the Low preset at 1440p or Medium at 1080p are the safest bets, with the former providing a higher resolution and the latter offering better detail.