Thief

Thief, a 2014 stealth title, demonstrates distinct performance scaling characteristics when paired with the AMD Ryzen 5 4600G and AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a configuration that is largely GPU-bound at higher resolutions, with the CPU's capabilities becoming more apparent only at lower graphical loads. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to understand the balance between the processor and graphics card in this specific title.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K presents a significant load increase for the GPU, which is clearly reflected in the measured average FPS. At High settings, the frame rate drops from 95.8 FPS at 1920x1080 to 64.4 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 32.8%. Moving further to 3840x2160, the average FPS falls to 37.9, which is a 60.4% decrease from the 1080p result. This steep decline indicates that the Radeon RX 7600 XT is the primary limiting factor as pixel count rises, with the CPU having ample headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions.

The scaling pattern holds true across all settings presets. For instance, at Ultra settings, the performance drops from 87.6 FPS at 1080p to 59.1 FPS at 1440p, and then to 36.8 FPS at 4K. The consistent percentage-based drops across presets suggest that the game's rendering workload scales predictably with resolution, and the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth are the bottlenecks. The data shows that 4K gaming is only feasible at Low settings, where the average FPS of 63.7 is achieved, while higher presets at this resolution fall below the smooth-playability threshold.

The difference between 1080p and 1440p is less dramatic than the jump to 4K, but still significant. At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 117.5 at 1080p to 86.9 at 1440p, a 26% reduction. This indicates that the RX 7600 XT, with its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth, can handle 1440p with relative ease, but the 4K resolution with its 8.3 million pixels overwhelms the GPU's 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs. The pixel rate of 176.3 GPixel/s becomes a hard limit at 4K, explaining the sub-40 FPS results at High and Ultra presets.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600G, a Zen 2 architecture processor with 6 cores and 12 threads, plays a supporting role in Thief's performance. Its base clock of 3.70 GHz and boost clock of 4.20 GHz provide sufficient single-thread performance for this game's logic. The 3DMark single-thread score of 726 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1919 show moderate capability, which is adequate for a 2014 title that does not demand high core counts.

The CPU's multi-threaded performance is strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 13593 and a Passmark multithread score of 15992. However, Thief is unlikely to utilize all 12 threads effectively. The fact that the FPS at 1080p Low settings reaches 131.4, while at 4K Ultra it drops to 36.8, confirms that the performance ceiling is set by the GPU. The 4600G's L3 cache of 8 MB (shared) is sufficient for the game's data, and its dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth does not create a bottleneck.

The data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in any of the measured configurations. Even at 1080p Low, where the GPU workload is lightest, the average FPS of 131.4 is likely still below what the CPU could theoretically deliver. The processor's performance percentile of 75 vs all CPUs indicates it is a capable mid-range part, but its role here is to feed the Radeon RX 7600 XT, which it does without issue.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS measured for this combination?

A: The highest average FPS is 131.4, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Can this system run Thief at 4K resolution smoothly?

A: At 4K, only the Low preset achieves a playable average FPS of 63.7. Medium, High, and Ultra presets at 4K fall to 49.2, 37.9, and 36.8 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the GPU's performance compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Radeon RX 7600 XT has an average benchmark score of 20146, which is 1.9% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER's score of 19774, but 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 7600's score of 20258.

Q: What is the performance difference between the CPU and its closest rival?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 4600G has an average benchmark score of 17489, which is virtually identical to the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE (17482, 0% delta) and 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i5-12450H (17475).

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more responsible for the FPS drops at higher resolutions?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. As resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, the FPS drops significantly, while the CPU's workload remains relatively constant.

Q: How much of a performance hit does Ultra settings take compared to Low at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 59.1 FPS, while the Low preset averages 110.3 FPS. This represents a 46.4% reduction in average FPS when moving from Low to Ultra settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best performance. The Low preset averages 131.4 FPS, providing a highly fluid experience. Medium settings reduce the average to 117.5 FPS, while High settings bring it down to 95.8 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p averages 87.6 FPS, still well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain respectable. Low settings produce an average of 110.3 FPS, and Medium settings yield 86.9 FPS. High settings at 1440p average 64.4 FPS, which is close to the ideal 60 FPS mark. The Ultra preset at this resolution averages 59.1 FPS, slightly below the target but still playable.

At 3840x2160, performance drops significantly. The Low preset averages 63.7 FPS, making it the only viable option for 4K. Medium settings fall to 49.2 FPS, and High settings average 37.9 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K averages 36.8 FPS, which is the lowest measured result. These numbers clearly show that the RX 7600 XT is unable to maintain high frame rates at 4K with higher graphical fidelity settings.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT is the dominant component in this pairing for Thief. Its RDNA 3.0 architecture, with a boost clock of 2755 MHz and a game clock of 2470 MHz, provides substantial raw compute power. The 16 GB of GDDR6 memory is more than sufficient for this title, even at 4K, but the 128-bit bus width and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth become limiting factors at high pixel counts.

The GPU's 2048 shading units and 64 ROPs are responsible for the resolution scaling observed. At 1080p, these resources are not fully taxed, allowing for high frame rates. As resolution increases, the demand on the ROPs and texture units grows, leading to the sharp FPS drops. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2348 and Passmark G3D score of 17132 place it in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs, indicating it is a mid-range performer that struggles with 4K gaming.

The GPU's performance relative to its rivals is telling. Its average benchmark score of 20146 is only 0.3% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 460's 20088, which is a much older and weaker card. This suggests that while the RX 7600 XT has modern features, its raw performance in this game's workload is not significantly better than older parts. The 16 GB VRAM is a key advantage, but Thief does not appear to require more than a few gigabytes, so this capacity does not translate into higher FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal experience for this system is at 1920x1080 with High settings, which averages 95.8 FPS. This provides a smooth frame rate while maintaining good visual quality. The Ultra preset at 1080p, at 87.6 FPS, is also a strong choice for those prioritizing image quality, as the performance hit is relatively small.

For 2560x1440, the High preset is recommended, as it averages 64.4 FPS, which is close to the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset at 86.9 FPS offers higher headroom but with reduced visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 1440p, at 59.1 FPS, is borderline, and users may notice minor stutters in demanding scenes.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only sensible option, averaging 63.7 FPS. Any higher preset at 4K results in average frame rates below 50 FPS, which would compromise the gameplay experience. The data shows that this combination is not suited for high-fidelity 4K gaming in Thief, and users should either lower the resolution or stick to Low settings. The Medium preset at 4K, at 49.2 FPS, could be considered if the user tolerates sub-60 FPS performance, but the Low preset provides the best balance of playability and visual output for this resolution.