Thief

FAQ

Q: What is the measured average FPS for this combo in Thief at 1080p with Low settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the AMD Ryzen 5 4600G paired with the Intel Arc B390 achieves an average of 86 FPS. This is the highest average FPS recorded across all tested resolutions and settings for this game.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals based on benchmark scores?

A: The Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, scores 1463, which is 1.3% slower. The GeForce 800M scores 1460 (1.5% slower), the GT 625 OEM scores 1446 (2.5% slower), and the GT 710 scores 1443 (2.7% slower). The Arc B390 leads all four rivals by a narrow margin.

Q: What is the combo's overall rank among tested CPU-GPU combinations in Thief?

A: This particular combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 4600G and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2534 out of 2851 tested combos in Thief. This places it in the lower portion of the tested pool, indicating that most other pairings deliver higher frame rates in this game.

Q: Does the Ryzen 5 4600G have integrated graphics, and does that affect the benchmark?

A: Yes, the Ryzen 5 4600G includes Radeon Vega 7 integrated graphics. However, the measured FPS data in this analysis reflects the discrete Intel Arc B390 GPU, not the integrated Vega 7. The Arc B390 is an IGP-slot device itself, but the data presented here represents the combined performance of the CPU and the Arc B390.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Ultra and Low settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset yields an average of 33 FPS, while the Low preset yields 59 FPS. The difference is 26 FPS, meaning Low settings produce roughly 79% higher frame rates than Ultra at this resolution.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B390's memory bandwidth independent of the system?

A: No. The Arc B390 uses System Shared memory with System Dependent bandwidth. Its memory size, type, and bus width are all listed as System Shared, making its performance reliant on the host system's memory configuration rather than dedicated VRAM.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600G is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Renoir. It operates with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. The CPU has a 65 W TDP and fits the AMD Socket AM4. These specifications define its compute capacity, which directly influences how quickly the processor can feed draw calls and game logic to the GPU.

Benchmark results place the 4600G in the 71st percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17507. Its nearest rivals in the CPU benchmark database are tightly clustered: the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE scores 17482 (0.1% slower), the AMD Ryzen 3 8300GE scores 17614 (0.6% faster), the Intel Core 7 150U scores 17395 (0.6% slower), and the Intel Core i3-14100T scores 17648 (0.8% faster). The 4600G sits essentially in the middle of this group, with no rival differing by more than 0.8% in either direction.

In Thief, the game's release date of 2014-02-24 means it was designed for CPUs of that era. The 4600G's 12 threads provide ample processing headroom for a game that does not heavily stress modern multi-core processors. Single-threaded performance matters more in this title, and the 4600G's single-thread scores reflect a capable processor: Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1919, Geekbench single-core of 1460, and 3DMark single-thread of 726.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s over a dual-channel DDR4 bus is relevant because the Arc B390 relies on system shared memory. When the GPU accesses game assets through the CPU's memory controller, the 4600G's bandwidth directly influences data transfer rates. The 8 MB of shared L3 cache and 512 KB per-core L2 cache help reduce latency for frequently accessed game data.

The data shows that at lower resolutions, the CPU can become the limiting factor. Comparing 1080p Low (86 FPS) to 1440p Low (59 FPS) reveals a 27 FPS drop, but the absolute 86 FPS at 1080p suggests the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at that setting. However, at 1080p Ultra (48 FPS), the drop from Low is 38 FPS, indicating that GPU workload scaling is the dominant factor as settings increase.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is built on the Xe3-LPG architecture with a Panther Lake chip, fabricated on Intel's 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units, along with 12 ray tracing cores. Its compute throughput is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS for FP32 and 15.36 TFLOPS for FP16.

One of the most distinctive aspects of the Arc B390 is its memory configuration: the memory size, type, and bus width are all System Shared, and bandwidth is System Dependent. This is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) with no dedicated VRAM. The 80 W TDP and "IGP" slot width confirm its integrated nature, with display outputs described as Portable Device Dependent.

The GPU's benchmark standing is low relative to the broader GPU market. It sits in the 9th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1482 from the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. Its nearest rivals are all older NVIDIA parts: GT 520MX (1463, 1.3% slower), GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% slower), GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% slower), and GT 710 (1443, 2.7% slower). The Arc B390 leads this group, but by margins under 3%.

In Thief, the GPU's lack of dedicated VRAM becomes apparent at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the combo manages only 19 FPS average, while 4K Low yields 35 FPS. The GPU's memory bandwidth being system-dependent means that at 4K, the demand for texture data exceeds what the shared memory interface can efficiently deliver. The 24 ROPS and 48 TMUs are the physical limits on pixel and texture throughput, respectively.

The GPU role is more pronounced at higher settings. At 1080p, moving from Low (86 FPS) to Ultra (48 FPS) costs 38 FPS, a 44% reduction. This scaling pattern indicates that the Arc B390's shading units and texture units are the bottleneck when geometry and effects are increased. The 12 ray tracing cores are present but Thief, released in 2014, does not use ray tracing, so those cores remain idle during this benchmark.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 5 4600G and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2534 out of 2851 tested combos in Thief. This places it in the bottom 11% of all tested pairings. The rank reflects the cumulative performance of both components working together in this specific game.

The CPU's 71st percentile standing among all CPUs contrasts sharply with the GPU's 9th percentile standing among all GPUs. This mismatch means the GPU is the primary constraint in most scenarios. The CPU is capable of significantly more work than the Arc B390 can render, so the combo rank is dragged down by the GPU's low position in the overall GPU hierarchy.

The nearest CPU rivals all perform within 0.8% of the 4600G, so swapping the CPU for any of those would not meaningfully change the combo's rank. The same applies to the GPU's nearest rivals, which are all within 2.7% of the Arc B390's score. The rank of 2534 is therefore stable across small component variations; achieving a significantly better rank would require a GPU from a much higher performance tier.

The data indicates that this combo is placed near the bottom of the distribution, but it is not the absolute worst. There are 317 tested combos that rank below this one. The practical implication is that Thief is playable at lower settings and resolutions, but demanding configurations will produce sub-30 FPS averages.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 86 at 1080p to 59 at 1440p to 35 at 4K. At Medium settings, the progression is 66 FPS at 1080p, 45 FPS at 1440p, and 26 FPS at 4K. High settings yield 50 FPS at 1080p, 34 FPS at 1440p, and 20 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings produce 48 FPS at 1080p, 33 FPS at 1440p, and 19 FPS at 4K.

The proportional drop from 1080p to 4K is consistent across settings. For Low, the 4K average is 41% of the 1080p average. For Medium, it is 39%. For High, it is 40%. For Ultra, it is 40%. This uniformity indicates that the scaling is resolution-driven rather than setting-driven.

The resolution scaling behavior reveals that the GPU is the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively flat as resolution increases, because the CPU workload does not change significantly with resolution. Instead, the FPS drops by roughly 60% from 1080p to 4K across all settings, which is characteristic of a GPU that is heavily constrained by pixel and texture throughput.

The System Shared memory of the Arc B390 compounds the resolution scaling issue. At 4K, the GPU must access texture data through the system memory bus, which is shared with the CPU. The 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth of the CPU is a ceiling for data transfer, and at 4K, the demand for texture data exceeds what this interface can sustain, further reducing FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo produces its best results. Low settings average 86 FPS, which is the highest measured value across the entire dataset. Medium settings average 66 FPS with a min of 56 FPS and max of 75 FPS. High settings average 50 FPS. Ultra settings average 48 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 38 FPS, with the largest single step being from Low to Medium (20 FPS drop).

At 2560x1440, performance decreases across all settings. Low averages 59 FPS. Medium averages 45 FPS with a min of 38 FPS and max of 52 FPS. High averages 34 FPS. Ultra averages 33 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 26 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p shows a min FPS of 38, which approaches the 33 FPS average of Ultra, indicating frame time variance even at this setting.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low averages 35 FPS. Medium averages 26 FPS with a min of 22 FPS and max of 30 FPS. High averages 20 FPS. Ultra averages 19 FPS. The 4K results are all below the 30 FPS threshold except for Low settings. The min FPS of 22 at Medium 4K suggests occasional drops into the low 20s, which would be noticeable in a stealth game where timing is critical.

The Medium settings rows for all three resolutions are the only ones that include min and max FPS data. At 1080p Medium, the range is 56 to 75 FPS, a 19 FPS spread. At 1440p Medium, the range is 38 to 52 FPS, a 14 FPS spread. At 4K Medium, the range is 22 to 30 FPS, an 8 FPS spread. The narrowing range at higher resolutions indicates that the GPU is consistently saturated, leaving little room for frame time variation.

Settings Recommendations

For a consistently smooth experience above 60 FPS, the Low preset at 1080p is the only configuration that delivers this in all scenarios, averaging 86 FPS. This setting is recommended for players who prioritize frame rate stability and responsiveness. The large margin above 60 FPS provides headroom for scene complexity spikes.

The Medium preset at 1080p offers a balanced trade-off, averaging 66 FPS with a minimum of 56 FPS. This is the highest quality setting that remains playable at 1080p. The min FPS of 56 is slightly below 60, but the average of 66 suggests that most of the gameplay experience will be smooth. For a stealth game like Thief, where immersion benefits from better shadows and textures, Medium at 1080p is the recommended sweet spot.

At 1440p, the Low preset averages 59 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold but still playable. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 45 FPS with a min of 38 FPS, which is acceptable for slower-paced stealth gameplay but may show stutter during fast movements. High and Ultra at 1440p (34 and 33 FPS respectively) are borderline playable but risk dipping below 30 FPS in demanding scenes.

At 4K, no setting delivers a playable experience by modern standards. The Low preset averages 35 FPS, which is the only 4K configuration above 30 FPS, but the lack of min FPS data makes it impossible to confirm stability. The Medium preset at 4K has a min of 22 FPS, which is too low for comfortable gameplay. Players targeting 4K should consider lowering the resolution or accepting significant compromises in visual quality.

The data suggests that the optimal experience is Medium settings at 1080p, which provides the best combination of visual fidelity and performance. For players willing to sacrifice visual quality for higher frame rates, Low at 1080p is the safest choice. At higher resolutions, the GPU's limitations become too pronounced for any settings above Low to be recommended.