Thief

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination delivers a striking performance profile in Thief, a 2014 stealth title that proves surprisingly demanding at high resolutions. The data shows a system capable of exceptional frame rates, yet the scaling patterns reveal a nuanced relationship between the CPU and GPU. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, interpreting what the numbers indicate about component roles and system balance.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 7000 series, built on the Zen 4 architecture (codenamed Raphael) using a 5 nm process at TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, which positions it as a strong modern gaming CPU. Its cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 32 MB of L3 cache, providing ample fast memory for game workloads. The processor supports DDR5 memory with dual-channel bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s, and its socket is AMD Socket AM5.

In synthetic benchmarks, the 7400F shows robust capabilities. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 21765, while the single-core score is 3072. The PassMark multithread score is 25645, with a single-thread score of 3689. These figures place it at the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, indicating solid mainstream performance. Its nearest rivals in aggregate benchmark scores include the Intel Core i5-14600T (deltaPct 0.1), Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (deltaPct 0.2), and AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H (deltaPct -0.2). The deltas are minimal, meaning the 7400F sits in a tightly contested performance band.

For Thief, a game from 2014, the CPU's role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. The 6-core/12-thread configuration is more than sufficient for this title's era; the game was designed for quad-core processors. The 7400F's high single-core boost of 4.70 GHz is particularly valuable here, as older games often rely heavily on one or two threads. The PassMark physics score of 1660 and floating-point math score of 45799 suggest the processor handles game logic without bottlenecking. However, the measured FPS data shows that at lower resolutions, the CPU may become a limiting factor, as frame rates cap out even with the powerful RTX 5090 D.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D achieves a rank of 228 out of 2851 tested combos in Thief. This places it in the top 8% of all combinations, which is excellent but not the absolute top tier. The high rank reflects the GPU's dominance, but the CPU prevents the combo from reaching the very peak positions.

To contextualize this ranking, consider that the RTX 5090 D is a top-tier GPU with a percentile rank of 92 among all GPUs, while the 7400F is at the 83rd percentile among CPUs. The gap between these percentiles suggests the CPU is the weaker link in the pairing. In a game like Thief, which is not heavily multithreaded, the 7400F's single-core performance is adequate but not class-leading. The combo's rank of 228 indicates that many other systems, likely with higher-end CPUs paired with similarly powerful GPUs, achieve better frame rates.

The deltaPct comparisons for the GPU's nearest rivals show the RTX 5090 D is very close to other high-end cards. Its avgBenchmarkScore of 77712 is just 1.1% above the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT and 1.6% below the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, though those cards are typically mobile parts. This tight grouping suggests that the RTX 5090 D's performance in Thief is more about the game's engine than raw GPU horsepower. The combo's rank of 228 out of 2851 means it outperforms the vast majority of systems, but the data indicates that pairing this GPU with a stronger CPU would likely yield a higher rank.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling. At 1080p with High settings, the combo achieves 148 avg FPS. At 1440p High, it drops to 130 avg FPS (a 12% decrease). At 4K High, it falls further to 92 avg FPS (a 29% decrease from 1440p). This scaling is typical for a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions, but the magnitude of the drop suggests the CPU is capping performance at lower resolutions.

Looking at Low settings across resolutions: 1080p Low yields 180 avg FPS, 1440p Low yields 159 avg FPS, and 4K Low yields 133 avg FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 11.7%, and from 1440p to 4K is 16.4%. These smaller relative drops at Low settings indicate that the CPU is the limiting factor, as the GPU has less work to do and the frame rate is constrained by processor throughput.

The Medium settings data provides additional insight, as it includes min and max FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the avg FPS is 163 with min 139 and max 188. At 1440p Medium, avg FPS is 144 with min 122 and max 166. At 4K Medium, avg FPS is 120 with min 102 and max 138. The consistency of the min FPS across resolutions (139 at 1080p, 122 at 1440p, 102 at 4K) suggests that the CPU's frame time consistency is preserved, but the GPU becomes more stretched at higher resolutions.

The key observation is that at 1080p, even the Low settings cap at 180 FPS, which is below what the RTX 5090 D could theoretically produce in this old game. This indicates a CPU bottleneck at 1080p. As resolution increases to 4K, the GPU load rises, and the FPS drops become more pronounced, shifting the bottleneck toward the GPU. At 4K Ultra, the combo still manages 87 avg FPS, showing the GPU's strength, but the scaling from 1080p to 4K is not linear—it's steeper at High/Ultra settings, confirming the CPU's influence at lower resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Thief?

A: The data shows 1440p provides the best balance. At High settings, 1440p yields 130 avg FPS, which is 88% of the 1080p score but with significantly higher visual clarity. At 4K High, the FPS drops to 92, which is still playable but less fluid.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in this game?

A: Yes, at 1080p. The Low settings at 1080p produce 180 avg FPS, but the CPU's single-thread performance likely caps the frame rate. At 4K, the FPS drops to 133 at Low, indicating the GPU becomes the primary limiter as resolution increases.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 D's memory affect Thief performance?

A: The GPU has 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus with 1.79 TB/s bandwidth. Thief from 2014 does not require this capacity, so the memory is not a limiting factor. The high bandwidth ensures no memory-related stutters at any resolution.

Q: What is the difference between Medium and Ultra settings at 4K?

A: At 4K, Medium settings produce 120 avg FPS, while Ultra produces 87 avg FPS. This is a 27.5% performance drop for Ultra. The Medium settings have a higher min FPS of 102 compared to Ultra's unspecified min, suggesting Medium offers better frame consistency.

Q: Is the combo's rank of 228 out of 2851 good?

A: Yes, it places in the top 8% of all tested combos. However, the rank indicates that the CPU is holding back the GPU slightly, as the GPU alone is in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU is in the 83rd percentile.

Q: How does the 7400F's performance compare to its nearest rivals in this game?

A: The CPU's nearest rivals have nearly identical aggregate benchmark scores, with deltas between -0.2% and 0.3%. This means the 7400F's performance in Thief would be essentially indistinguishable from the Intel Core i5-14600T or AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H in CPU-bound scenarios.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a monstrous GPU from the GeForce 50-series, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a GB202 chip at a 5 nm process. It features 21,760 shading units, 680 TMUs, and 176 ROPs, with 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores. Its base clock is 2017 MHz with a boost clock of 2407 MHz. The memory subsystem is extraordinary: 32 GB of GDDR7 on a 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth with an effective memory clock of 28 Gbps.

In Thief, such massive specs are overkill for a game from 2014. The GPU's role here is less about raw compute and more about ensuring maximum frame rates at high resolutions. The measured FPS data shows the RTX 5090 D dominating at 4K, but the game's age means the GPU is not fully utilized at lower resolutions due to CPU limitations.

The GPU's benchmark scores are impressive, with a PassMark G3D score of 44065 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14326. Its percentile rank of 92 among all GPUs confirms its high-end status. However, its nearest rivals in aggregate score include the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (deltaPct 1.1) and AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (deltaPct -1.6). These small deltas suggest that in compute-heavy tasks, the RTX 5090 D is not dramatically ahead of these mobile parts, which is surprising but reflects the benchmark methodology.

For Thief, the GPU's 32 GB VRAM is never fully used, but the high bandwidth ensures no texture streaming issues. The GPU's boost clock of 2407 MHz is high, but the game's engine is not designed to leverage such modern hardware fully. The result is that the RTX 5090 D provides a ceiling of performance, but the CPU often prevents it from reaching that ceiling at 1080p.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS data offers a clear hierarchy of settings at each resolution. At 1080p, all settings produce playable frame rates, but the differences reveal optimization opportunities. Low settings yield 180 avg FPS, Medium yields 163, High yields 148, and Ultra yields 145. The jump from Low to Medium is a 9.4% FPS drop, while High to Ultra is only a 2% drop. This suggests that Medium settings provide the best visual-to-performance ratio at 1080p, as they capture most of the visual improvements over Low without the steep penalty of High.

At 1440p, the pattern shifts. Low yields 159 avg FPS, Medium yields 144, High yields 130, and Ultra yields 128. The drop from Low to Medium is 9.4%, but from High to Ultra is only 1.5%. Here, Medium or High are the sweet spots. Medium offers a 144 avg FPS with a min of 122, which is smooth. High at 130 avg FPS is also good, and the difference between High and Ultra is negligible, so High is recommended over Ultra.

At 4K, the choices become more critical. Low yields 133 avg FPS, Medium yields 120, High yields 92, and Ultra yields 87. The drop from Medium to High is 23.3%, which is significant. Medium at 120 avg FPS with a min of 102 is the best option for 4K, as it maintains playable frame rates while offering better visuals than Low. High at 92 avg FPS is borderline, and Ultra at 87 avg FPS is not worth the visual gain over High.

The overall recommendation is to use Medium settings at all resolutions. At 1080p, Medium provides 163 avg FPS, which is above the 144Hz refresh rate that many monitors have. At 1440p, Medium provides 144 avg FPS, matching 144Hz displays. At 4K, Medium provides 120 avg FPS, which is smooth for most gamers. The min FPS values at Medium (139 at 1080p, 122 at 1440p, 102 at 4K) show consistent frame pacing, reducing stutter risk.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The following table summarizes all measured FPS data from the FACT PACK, providing a complete overview of performance across the tested configurations.

1920x1080:

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

At 1080p, the CPU is the primary limiter. The 180 avg FPS at Low settings is impressive but represents a ceiling imposed by the processor's single-thread performance. The spread from Low to Ultra is 35 FPS (180 to 145), which is relatively narrow, indicating that even Ultra settings cannot push the GPU into a bottleneck at this resolution. The Medium settings provide a good balance with 163 avg FPS.

2560x1440:

• Low: 159 avg FPS
• Medium: 144 avg FPS (min 122, max 166)
• High: 130 avg FPS
• Ultra: 128 avg FPS

At 1440p, the GPU begins to take on more load. The drop from Low to High is 29 FPS (159 to 130), showing the GPU's influence. The difference between High and Ultra is only 2 FPS, suggesting diminishing returns. The Medium settings at 144 avg FPS offer the best blend of performance and visuals, with a min FPS of 122 ensuring smooth gameplay.

3840x2160:

• Low: 133 avg FPS
• Medium: 120 avg FPS (min 102, max 138)
• High: 92 avg FPS
• Ultra: 87 avg FPS

At 4K, the GPU is fully engaged. The drop from Low to High is 41 FPS (133 to 92), clearly showing the GPU's workload increases. The Medium settings at 120 avg FPS are the standout choice, providing 30% more performance than High. The min FPS of 102 at Medium ensures the frame rate rarely dips below 100, which is excellent for 4K gaming. Ultra at 87 avg FPS is playable but not optimal.

The data reveals a system that excels at high refresh rates at 1080p and 1440p, but the CPU holds it back from exceeding 180 FPS. At 4K, the RTX 5090 D shines, delivering playable frame rates even at Ultra settings, though Medium is the recommended setting for the best experience. This combination is powerful, but its rank of 228 out of 2851 indicates that the CPU is the weaker link, preventing the GPU from fully expressing its potential in this older title.