Thief

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER delivers a consistently strong performance profile in Thief, with frame rates that remain highly playable even at the most demanding settings. The data indicates that this combination is well-balanced for the game, though the specific bottlenecks shift predictably as resolution and graphical load increase. This analysis breaks down the measured results to show exactly how the CPU and GPU contribute to the final frame rates across all tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Thief shows a clear and expected pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the High settings preset, the average frame rate drops from 148 FPS at 1080p to 112 FPS at 1440p, a 24.3% decrease, and then further down to 66 FPS at 4K, representing an additional 41.1% decrease from the 1440p figure. This steep curve from 1440p to 4K strongly indicates that the system transitions from a CPU-bound state at lower resolutions to a GPU-bound state as the pixel count rises.

The scaling behavior across all presets reinforces this interpretation. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 180 at 1080p to 159 at 1440p (an 11.7% drop) and then to 114 at 4K (a 28.3% drop). The relatively smaller percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings suggests that the CPU is the limiting factor at these lower resolutions and graphical loads. The frame rate ceiling imposed by the processor is what prevents a more substantial increase when the GPU is not fully stressed. Conversely, the larger percentage drops observed when moving to 4K across all settings point to the GPU reaching its performance limit as the rendering workload per pixel increases significantly.

This pattern is a classic indicator of a balanced system where neither component is a severe bottleneck at any single resolution, but the primary limiter shifts. At 1080p, the Ryzen 5 7400F's performance is the primary constraint. At 4K, the RTX 4070 SUPER's rendering capabilities become the dominant factor, as the data shows frame rates compressing into a tighter range that is more dependent on the GPU's raw fill rate and compute power. The result is that the system is very capable at all resolutions, but the headroom for higher FPS at 1080p is artificially capped by the CPU, while the GPU is fully utilized at 4K.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the primary driver of visual fidelity and high frame rates at higher resolutions in Thief. Its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus provides a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s, which is sufficient to handle the texture and geometry data at 4K resolution without becoming a limiting factor. The GPU's 7168 shading units, operating at a boost clock of 2475 MHz, are responsible for the raw pixel and compute throughput that determines the performance ceiling at 4K. The data shows the GPU's capability in the 4K Medium setting, where it achieves an average of 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS, indicating that it has enough headroom to maintain fluid gameplay even with the increased pixel count.

The GPU's role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling discussed earlier. At 1080p, the RTX 4070 SUPER is not the limiting factor, as indicated by the 180 FPS average at Low settings. However, at 4K, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, with the average FPS across all settings dropping significantly. The difference between the 1080p Low (180 FPS) and 4K Low (114 FPS) settings is a 36.7% reduction, which is almost entirely attributable to the increased number of pixels the GPU must process. This demonstrates that the GPU's 35.48 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is a key determinant of frame rates in this game at high resolutions.

The GPU's VRAM capacity is also a relevant factor. With only 12 GB, it is not excessively large, but the data suggests it is adequate for Thief's requirements, as no memory-related stuttering or performance cliffs are evident in the measured FPS values. The consistent frame rates, such as the 4K Medium's min FPS of 74, suggest that the GPU is not being forced to swap textures to system memory. The RTX 4070 SUPER's performance, as measured by its Passmark G3D score of 29995, places it in the 83rd percentile among all GPUs, confirming its high-end status and its ability to handle demanding titles like Thief at high settings.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F serves as the central processing unit, and its influence on Thief's performance is most evident at lower resolutions. With 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Zen 4 architecture, it possesses sufficient single-thread performance to feed the GPU at 1080p. The CPU's boost clock of 4.70 GHz is a critical factor here, as Thief is a game that likely relies on a few primary threads for game logic and rendering commands. The data indicates the CPU's strength in its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3072, and its multi-core score of 21765, which is strong for a 6-core part.

The CPU's performance becomes the limiting factor at 1080p. This is demonstrated by the relatively small difference in average FPS between the Low (180 FPS) and Ultra (145 FPS) settings. The difference is only 19.4%, which is less than the scaling seen at higher resolutions. This suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is unable to prepare frames fast enough to fully utilize the GPU's capabilities, regardless of the graphical settings. The CPU's role is to ensure a consistent stream of draw calls and physics calculations, and its performance ceiling is what caps the maximum frame rate.

The processor's 32 MB of shared L3 cache is another important detail. A larger cache can help reduce latency when accessing frequently used data, which can be beneficial for game performance. The CPU's overall benchmark performance, with an average score of 32750 and a percentile rank of 83, shows it is a capable modern processor. However, its influence wanes as the resolution increases. At 4K, the CPU's relative contribution is minimal, as the GPU's rendering time dominates the total frame time. The data shows this clearly, as the FPS differences between settings at 4K are more pronounced, indicating the GPU is the sole determinant of performance in that scenario.

Measured FPS Breakdown

This section details the exact measured average frame rates for each resolution and settings preset combination. The data is presented as captured, with no extrapolation.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 180 FPS average
• Medium: 163 FPS average (min 139, max 188)
• High: 148 FPS average
• Ultra: 145 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 159 FPS average
• Medium: 144 FPS average (min 122, max 166)
• High: 112 FPS average
• Ultra: 107 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 114 FPS average
• Medium: 87 FPS average (min 74, max 100)
• High: 66 FPS average
• Ultra: 63 FPS average

At 1080p, the performance is very high across the board, with even the Ultra preset achieving 145 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 35 FPS, which is modest and points to the CPU bottleneck. At 1440p, the frame rates remain highly playable, with High and Ultra presets both exceeding 100 FPS. The Medium preset shows a 32 FPS advantage over High, which is a significant jump. At 4K, the frame rates become more demanding, with only the Low and Medium presets managing to stay above 60 FPS. The High and Ultra presets fall below 70 FPS, indicating that 4K gaming with maximum visual settings is not viable for a 60 FPS experience, but is still playable for those who prioritize image quality over raw frame rate.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo run Thief at 4K smoothly?*

A: The data shows that at 4K resolution, the average FPS is 87 on Medium settings and 114 on Low settings. High and Ultra settings yield 66 and 63 FPS respectively, which is below a common 60 FPS target but may be acceptable for some users.

Q: What is the best resolution to play at for a high refresh rate monitor?

A: At 1080p, the average FPS ranges from 145 on Ultra to 180 on Low. At 1440p, the range is from 107 on Ultra to 159 on Low. Both resolutions provide the high frame rates necessary to take advantage of 144Hz or higher refresh rate displays.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck for this game?

A: The data indicates that the CPU is the primary limiter at 1080p, as the FPS does not scale significantly between settings. At 4K, the GPU becomes the dominant bottleneck, as the FPS drops considerably and is more sensitive to settings changes.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: At the High preset, the average FPS drops from 148 at 1080p to 66 at 4K, a reduction of 55.4%. At the Low preset, the drop is from 180 to 114 FPS, a 36.7% reduction.

Q: Is 12 GB of VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: Yes, the measured data shows consistent performance without evidence of VRAM-related issues. The 4K Medium setting maintains an average of 87 FPS, suggesting that the 12 GB memory capacity is not a limiting factor for Thief.

Q: What kind of frame times can I expect at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The data for the 2560x1440 Medium preset shows an average FPS of 144, with a minimum of 122 FPS and a maximum of 166 FPS. This indicates frame times are generally consistent, but there is some variance within the session.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on which settings preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance for this hardware combination. For players targeting a 60 FPS experience, the 4K Medium preset is the optimal choice. It delivers an average of 87 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold, while providing a significant visual upgrade over the Low preset. The min FPS of 74 also ensures that frame drops are unlikely to cause noticeable stuttering.

For those with a 1440p monitor, the High preset is the recommended setting. It achieves an average of 112 FPS, which is high enough for most high-refresh-rate displays, and offers a better visual experience than Medium. The Ultra preset at 1440p also performs well at 107 FPS, so players who prioritize maximum image quality can use it with minimal compromise to frame rate.

At 1080p, the Ultra preset is the clear recommendation. With an average of 145 FPS, it provides a fully smooth experience and takes full advantage of the CPU and GPU headroom at this resolution. The difference in FPS between High and Ultra is only 3 FPS, making Ultra the superior choice. For players who are extremely sensitive to input lag and seek the absolute highest frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p offers 180 FPS, but the visual trade-off is substantial. The Medium preset provides a good middle ground, but the data suggests that the performance cost of Ultra over High is negligible at this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database for Thief, the combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER holds a rank of 433 out of 2851 tested combinations. This places the combo in the top 15.2% of all systems tested, indicating that it is a high-performing configuration for this specific game. The rank reflects the balanced nature of the components, with the CPU providing enough single-thread power to avoid being a major bottleneck at lower resolutions, and the GPU offering substantial rasterization performance for higher resolution gaming.

The data shows that this combo is more capable than the vast majority of systems tested, which is consistent with the individual component scores. The CPU's performance is in the 83rd percentile, and the GPU also sits in the 83rd percentile, showing a well-matched pairing. The rank of 433 is a direct result of this synergy, as neither component is significantly underpowered relative to the other, allowing the system to perform efficiently across the board. While there are certainly faster combinations available, this pairing represents a robust and capable platform for enjoying Thief at high settings and resolutions.