Thief

Thief, a 2014 stealth title, shows demanding performance characteristics on modern hardware when paired with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and Intel Arc B370. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a configuration that is heavily constrained by the graphics processor, particularly at higher resolutions. The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p gameplay, where it can achieve playable frame rates, but it struggles significantly at 1440p and 4K. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to provide a clear picture of what to expect from this pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is severe, clearly identifying the Intel Arc B370 as the primary limiting component in this system. At 1080p with High settings, the combo delivers an average of 45 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, that average drops to 31 FPS, a 31% reduction. At 3840x2160, the average plummets to 18 FPS, which is a 60% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering resolution outpaces the graphics processor's capabilities.

The trend is consistent across all settings. With Low settings, the average frame rate goes from 78 FPS at 1080p, to 53 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 31 FPS at 4K. Even at the lowest graphical preset, the 4K resolution proves too demanding for the Arc B370, resulting in a frame rate that is not smooth. The data suggests that the CPU, AMD Ryzen 5 5600, is not the bottleneck at these resolutions, as the frame rate scales almost linearly with the number of pixels being rendered. The GPU's fill rate and shading power are simply insufficient for 4K, and even 1440p presents a significant challenge, making 1080p the only viable resolution for a consistently playable experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution that provides consistently playable frame rates. At this resolution, even High settings achieve an average of 45 FPS, while Low settings reach 78 FPS. Higher resolutions like 1440p and 4K result in average frame rates that fall below 60 FPS across all settings.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in general benchmarks?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 has an average benchmark score of 20468. Its closest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, scores 20454, a negligible 0.1% difference. The AMD Ryzen 5 8500G scores 20425, also a 0.2% difference, indicating the 5600 is positioned in a highly competitive performance tier for general processing tasks.

Q: Does the Intel Arc B370 have dedicated VRAM?

A: No. The memory configuration for the Intel Arc B370 is listed as "System Shared," with the memory type, bus width, and bandwidth all being "System Shared" or "System Dependent." This means it relies on the system's main memory rather than having its own dedicated graphics memory.

Q: What is the performance percentile for the Intel Arc B370?

A: The Intel Arc B370's benchmark score places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. This is a very low ranking, indicating it performs in the bottom 5% of all graphics cards tested in the database. Its nearest rivals include the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and ATI Radeon HD 5770, with scores of 1186 and 1190, respectively.

Q: What is the expected frame time consistency at 1080p Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 59, with a minimum of 50 FPS and a maximum of 68 FPS. This shows a relatively narrow frame time range, suggesting a fairly consistent experience, though not perfectly flat, with some minor dips from the average.

Q: How does the Arc B370's raw graphics score compare to its rivals?

A: The Arc B370's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1184. This is slightly lower than the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570, which scores 1186 (-0.2% delta), and the ATI Radeon HD 5770, which scores 1190 (-0.5% delta). This indicates its raw graphics processing power is on par with a very old generation of GPUs.

Settings Recommendations

For this specific combination of AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and Intel Arc B370, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the High preset offers the best balance between visual quality and performance. With an average of 45 FPS, it provides a playable experience that is a significant step up from the Medium preset's 59 FPS and Low preset's 78 FPS, but it is worthwhile for the visual improvements. The Ultra preset, at 43 FPS, offers a negligible performance gain over High and is not worth the extra graphical load.

At 2560x1440, no preset provides a fully smooth experience. The Low preset achieves an average of 53 FPS, which is the highest of the 1440p settings. The Medium preset is close at 41 FPS, but the Low preset is the only one that approaches a playable frame rate. Dropping to 3840x2160, even the Low preset can only manage 31 FPS. The data suggests that for this game, the Arc B370 is not a viable option for 4K gaming, as even the lowest settings fail to produce acceptable performance. The best experience at 1440p would be with Low settings, but users should temper expectations for smoothness.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data provides a complete picture of the performance envelope for this hardware combo. At 3840x2160, the results are consistently low. The High preset yields an average of 18 FPS, the Medium preset 24 FPS (with a minimum of 20 and maximum of 27), and the Low preset 31 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, producing an average of just 17 FPS. These numbers indicate that 4K is not a viable gaming resolution for this setup.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance improves but remains below the ideal 60 FPS target. The Low preset averages 53 FPS, which is the best result at this resolution. The Medium preset follows at 41 FPS, with High at 31 FPS and Ultra at 29 FPS. The step from Low to Medium is a 12 FPS drop, which is substantial, suggesting that the GPU struggles with the additional shading and texture work at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the configuration shows its best performance. The Low preset achieves a very playable 78 FPS. The Medium preset is a solid 59 FPS, with a minimum of 50 and maximum of 68, indicating good consistency. The High preset drops to 45 FPS, which is still playable for a slower-paced stealth game. The Ultra preset is only slightly slower than High, with an average of 43 FPS. This resolution is the only one where a 60 FPS experience is possible, and only with the Low preset.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is unequivocally the performance bottleneck for this game. Its GPU benchmark score of 1184 places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, a very low standing. The measured frame rates across all resolutions and settings reflect this, with the card struggling to maintain high frame rates even at 1080p with lower presets. The GPU's architecture is Xe3-LPG, built on a 3 nm process, with a boost clock of 2400 MHz. It has 1280 shading units, 40 TMUs, and 20 ROPs. Its pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s, which are modest figures that align with its low benchmark performance.

The memory configuration is a significant factor. The Arc B370 uses "System Shared" memory, meaning it has no dedicated VRAM. The bandwidth is also "System Dependent," which means it relies on the CPU's memory bandwidth. For the Ryzen 5 5600, this is a dual-channel DDR4 setup with a theoretical maximum of 51.2 GB/s. This shared memory architecture likely contributes to the performance limitations, as the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory access, adding latency and potentially reducing effective bandwidth. The data suggests that the GPU's raw compute and memory limitations are the primary reasons for the low frame rates, rather than any CPU constraint.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 provides more than enough processing power for Thief, as evidenced by the performance scaling. With 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture, it has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its general benchmark scores are solid, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 18309 and a single-core score of 2584. The CPU's performance percentile is 74th, placing it above the majority of CPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score of 20468 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, which has a deltaPct of just 0.1%.

The fact that frame rates drop dramatically when resolution increases, without a corresponding CPU bottleneck, indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor. At 1080p with Low settings, the CPU is able to feed the GPU enough data to achieve 78 FPS. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see less of a performance drop when moving to higher resolutions. Instead, the frame rate scales down with the pixel count, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. The Ryzen 5 5600 is a capable processor that is being held back by the graphics card in this specific configuration.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Thief, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2634 out of 2851 total combos. This places it in the bottom 8% of all tested systems, indicating that it is a very low-performing combination for this specific game. The rank is a direct consequence of the Intel Arc B370's weak graphics performance, which severely limits the overall system's capability in a graphics-intensive title like Thief.

The CPU's strong general performance does little to boost the combo's ranking in this game, as the GPU is the deciding factor. The data shows that the Ryzen 5 5600 is not a weak processor, but its power is largely irrelevant when paired with a GPU that scores in the 5th percentile. The combo's rank of 2634 is a clear indicator that users with this configuration should not expect a high-end gaming experience. It is a system capable of running the game at lower resolutions and settings, but it is far from the top of the performance charts, and its overall ranking reflects this significant hardware imbalance.