Thief

The pairing of AMD’s Ryzen 5 2600 with NVIDIA’s RTX 4090 is a study in extremes: a 6-core, 12-thread Zen+ processor from 2018 driving one of the fastest consumer GPUs ever made. Benchmark results for Thief show a system that delivers playable frame rates across all tested settings, but the data also reveals a clear performance ceiling imposed by the CPU. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS, how the combo ranks, and what settings make the most sense for this specific hardware pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows how the RTX 4090’s workload changes as resolution increases, while the Ryzen 5 2600’s role shifts from a potential bottleneck to a more balanced partner. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates range from 88 FPS on Ultra to 110 FPS on Low. Moving to 2560x1440, those numbers drop to 78 FPS on Ultra and 97 FPS on Low. At 3840x2160, the averages fall further to 65 FPS on Ultra and 81 FPS on Low.

The scaling pattern is telling. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drop across all settings is roughly 11-13%. From 1440p to 4K, the drop is another 16-17%. This is a classic sign that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor at higher resolutions, which is expected given the RTX 4090’s massive 24 GB memory buffer and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth. However, the absolute frame rates at 1080p are lower than what a top-tier CPU would typically allow, suggesting the Ryzen 5 2600 is holding back the GPU even at the lowest tested resolution.

Specifically, at 1080p Low, the system hits 110 FPS average. At 4K Low, it still manages 81 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra settings is consistent across resolutions: about 20-22 FPS at 1080p, 19 FPS at 1440p, and 16 FPS at 4K. This narrowing delta as resolution rises confirms that the GPU’s rendering load is growing, but the CPU’s per-frame workload remains constant. For a stealth game like Thief, where smooth frame pacing matters more than raw speed, the data shows that this combo is playable at 4K Ultra with 65 FPS average, but the headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p is severely limited by the processor.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific CPU-GPU pairing ranks 2204 out of 3720 tested combos for Thief. That places it in the 59th percentile of all tested configurations. This is a surprisingly low rank for a GPU that sits at the 88th percentile among all GPUs and a CPU at the 75th percentile among all CPUs. The discrepancy highlights the pairing’s imbalance.

The RTX 4090’s average benchmark score is 60347, with nearest rivals like the Intel Arc Pro A60 (0% delta) and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (0.3% delta). The Ryzen 5 2600’s average score is 21484, with rivals like the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V (0.2% delta) and Intel Core i9-11900H (0.5% delta). These scores indicate that both components are individually competent, but the combo rank suggests that in Thief, the CPU’s performance is dragging the overall result far below what the GPU alone could achieve.

The rank of 2204 out of 3720 means that 1516 tested combos performed worse, but 2203 performed better. Given the RTX 4090’s position as an end-of-life flagship with a 450 W TDP and 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 compute, the fact that this combo sits in the bottom half of all tested configurations is a direct indictment of the Ryzen 5 2600’s ability to feed it. In practical terms, the data suggests that many cheaper GPUs paired with better CPUs would likely score higher in Thief than this flagship GPU paired with a mid-range 2018 processor.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings for this combo depend entirely on the target resolution. The data provides four settings presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — with average FPS values at each resolution. There are no min/max values for most presets, but Medium at every resolution includes min and max FPS, which offers insight into frame pacing.

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers 88 FPS average, while High delivers 90 FPS. The difference is only 2 FPS, so there is no reason to drop from Ultra to High at this resolution. Medium drops to 99 FPS, but the min FPS of 84 suggests some dips. Low hits 110 FPS, but the visual fidelity loss in a stealth game is likely not worth the 22 FPS gain over Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the pattern repeats: Ultra at 78 FPS, High at 79 FPS, Medium at 88 FPS (min 74, max 101), and Low at 97 FPS. The 1 FPS difference between Ultra and High makes Ultra the clear choice for image quality. The Medium preset’s min FPS of 74 is only 4 FPS below Ultra’s average, so it offers no meaningful stability advantage.

At 3840x2160, Ultra averages 65 FPS, High averages 66 FPS, Medium averages 73 FPS (min 62, max 84), and Low averages 81 FPS. Here, the recommendation is High or Medium. The 1 FPS gain from Ultra to High is negligible, but the 8 FPS gain from High to Medium, combined with a min FPS of 62, makes Medium a viable choice for those who prefer smoother motion over maximum detail. Low’s 81 FPS is tempting, but the graphical compromise is substantial for a 2014 stealth title.

The best overall experience, per the measured data, is the Ultra preset at 1440p, which balances 78 FPS average with full visual features. For 4K, High preset at 66 FPS is the sweet spot, as the jump to Medium only adds 7 FPS but reduces visual quality noticeably.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset for this combo shows 12 measured configurations across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 3840x2160, the average FPS values are: Low 81, Medium 73 (min 62, max 84), High 66, and Ultra 65. The spread from Low to Ultra is 16 FPS, with Medium providing the only recorded min/max values.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low 97, Medium 88 (min 74, max 101), High 79, and Ultra 78. The spread narrows to 19 FPS between Low and Ultra. The Medium preset’s max FPS of 101 is notable, as it exceeds the Low preset’s average of 97, indicating that the GPU is not being fully utilized at Medium settings due to CPU constraints.

At 1920x1080, the averages are: Low 110, Medium 99 (min 84, max 114), High 90, and Ultra 88. The spread is 22 FPS, the widest of any resolution. The Medium preset’s max FPS of 114 is the highest recorded value for this combo, yet the average of 99 shows significant frame variance. The Ultra preset’s 88 FPS average is identical to the 4K Low preset’s 81 FPS in terms of relative position, but the absolute numbers confirm that the CPU is the bottleneck at 1080p: the GPU is capable of far higher frame rates, but the processor cannot deliver instructions fast enough.

Comparing resolutions at the same settings, the drop from 1080p Ultra to 1440p Ultra is 10 FPS (88 to 78), and from 1440p Ultra to 4K Ultra is 13 FPS (78 to 65). The consistent 10-13 FPS drop per resolution step indicates that the GPU’s rendering load scales predictably, but the CPU’s fixed overhead means the percentage drop increases as resolution rises.

FAQ

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this CPU-GPU combo?

A: Yes, but with caveats. The measured data shows 65 FPS average at 4K Ultra and 66 FPS at 4K High. These are playable for a stealth game, but the 4K Medium preset at 73 FPS (min 62) offers a more stable experience if frame dips are a concern.

Q: Why is the combo rank so low despite the RTX 4090?

A: The combo ranks 2204 out of 3720 tested. The Ryzen 5 2600’s average benchmark score of 21484 places it at the 75th percentile, but its six cores and 3.90 GHz boost clock are insufficient to fully utilize the RTX 4090’s 82.58 TFLOPS FP32 compute in Thief, which is a 2014 title likely optimized for fewer threads.

Q: What settings should I use for 1440p gaming?

A: The Ultra preset at 1440p delivers 78 FPS average, which is the best balance of visual quality and performance. The High preset at 79 FPS offers no meaningful advantage, and dropping to Medium only adds 10 FPS while reducing detail.

Q: How much FPS does lowering settings from Ultra to Low gain at each resolution?

A: At 1080p, the gain is 22 FPS (88 to 110). At 1440p, the gain is 19 FPS (78 to 97). At 4K, the gain is 16 FPS (65 to 81). The diminishing returns at higher resolutions confirm the GPU becomes the bottleneck as resolution increases.

Q: Does the RTX 4090’s 24 GB memory help in this game?

A: The 24 GB GDDR6X memory with 1.01 TB/s bandwidth ensures the GPU is never memory-limited at any tested resolution. The data shows no anomalous FPS drops that would indicate memory capacity issues, even at 4K Ultra.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 2600 the main limiting factor?

A: At 1080p, yes. The 110 FPS average at Low settings is far below what the RTX 4090 can achieve, and the narrow 22 FPS spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p (versus 16 FPS at 4K) indicates the CPU is capping performance. At 4K, the GPU takes over as the primary limiter.

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. It has 16 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 memory with a dual-channel bus and 46.9 GB/s bandwidth. Its benchmark scores include 1248 in Cinebench R15 multi-core, 157.3 in single-core, and a Passmark multi-thread score of 13160. The CPU sits at the 75th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 21484.

In Thief, the CPU’s role is to feed the RTX 4090 with draw calls and game logic. The measured FPS data reveals that the Ryzen 5 2600 cannot keep up with the GPU’s potential at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is only 22 FPS, which is a small margin for a GPU that is 88th percentile among all GPUs. This suggests that even at Low settings, the CPU is maxed out, preventing the GPU from rendering more frames.

The CPU’s Passmark single-thread score of 2239 and Cinebench R15 single-core score of 157.3 are modest by modern standards. Thief, released in 2014, likely relies heavily on single-thread performance for its core game loop. The Ryzen 5 2600’s 12 threads help with multi-threaded tasks, but the per-core performance is insufficient to unlock the RTX 4090’s full frame rate headroom. The nearest CPU rivals — Intel Core Ultra 5 228V (0.2% delta) and Intel Core i9-11900H (0.5% delta) — all have higher single-thread capabilities, which would likely perform better in this scenario.

The data shows that at 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, as the FPS drop from 1440p to 4K is consistent across settings. This means the Ryzen 5 2600 is adequate for 4K gaming with this GPU, but for 1080p or 1440p high-refresh-rate displays, the CPU is a clear bottleneck. The 65 W TDP and 12 nm process node indicate this is a power-efficient chip, but efficiency does not translate to raw gaming performance in a 2014 title that favors stronger single-core throughput.