Thief

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 580 delivers a distinctly imbalanced experience in Thief, one that is dictated almost entirely by the graphics card. The data reveals a configuration where the GPU’s architectural age and limited memory bandwidth cap the system well below what the CPU is capable of supporting, particularly at higher resolutions and quality settings. This analysis breaks down the measured frame rates, the roles of each component, and how this combination ranks among the thousands of tested pairings in the database.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, indicating a scenario where the GPU is the primary performance limiter. At the Low preset, the average frame rate plummets from 83 FPS at 1920x1080 to 57 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 31%. Moving to 3840x2160 at the same Low settings yields an average of 33 FPS, which is a 60% drop from the 1080p result. This sharp decline with resolution increase is a classic sign of a fill-rate and bandwidth-limited component, as the RX 580’s 256-bit bus and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth are quickly saturated by the higher pixel count.

At Medium settings, the same pattern emerges but with lower absolute values. The average was 63 FPS at 1080p, falling to 43 FPS at 1440p, and further to 25 FPS at 4K. The minimum frame rates also scale down, from 54 FPS at 1080p to 22 FPS at 4K, showing that not only is the average performance dropping, but the frame pacing becomes less stable at higher resolutions. The gap between the 1440p and 4K results is particularly telling; the 4K average is 42% lower than the 1440p average at Medium, highlighting the exponential cost of rendering four times the pixels.

The High and Ultra presets follow suit but with even lower starting points. At High, 1080p yields 48 FPS, 1440p yields 33 FPS, and 4K yields 19 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p starts at 46 FPS, and at 4K it collapses to 18 FPS, the lowest average recorded in this dataset. The difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 4K is only 15 FPS (33 vs. 18), which is a much smaller absolute gap than at 1080p, where the difference is 37 FPS. This compression at 4K suggests that the GPU is so overwhelmed at that resolution that even lowering the settings cannot rescue the frame rate, confirming the RX 580 as the primary bottleneck.

The 1080p to 1440p scaling at Low is the only instance where the frame rate remains above the 60 FPS threshold, with a 57 FPS average at 1440p. This indicates that at lower resolutions and settings, the combination can approach playable levels, but the margin is thin. The data shows that the GPU’s pixel rate of 42.88 GPixel/s and texture rate of 193.0 GTexel/s are insufficient to handle the increasing workload as resolution rises, with the 4K Ultra result representing a 78% drop from the 1080p Low result. The limiting component is unequivocally the graphics card, as the CPU’s performance headroom is not being taxed by the frame rates observed. This is a classic case of a strong CPU being paired with a weak GPU, where the GPU’s incapacity to maintain frame rates at higher resolutions overshadows the CPU’s capabilities.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is the central character in this performance story, and its specifications reveal why it struggles. The GPU is based on the Polaris 20 chip, built on a 14 nm process by GlobalFoundries, and is part of the RX 500 generation. It is an end-of-life product with 2,304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and just 32 render output units, which is a low count for its class. The boost clock is 1340 MHz, with a base of 1257 MHz, and it has a 185-watt power draw. The memory is 8 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s.

The RX 580’s benchmarks are consistent with its modest specifications. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1,005, and the PassMark G3D score is 8,813, with a PassMark G2D score of 769. Its percentile against all GPUs is 53, meaning it is just above the median. The nearest rivals in the data are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile with an average score of 12,940, which is 0.1% higher than the RX 580’s 12,928 average. The GTX 1660 SUPER scores 12,986, which is 0.4% higher, and the AMD Radeon 740M is 0.5% lower. This shows the RX 580 is in a tight pack of mid-range GPUs.

In this game, the GPU’s low pixel rate (42.88 GPixel/s) is a direct bottleneck. The texture rate of 193.0 GTexel/s also limits the fill-rate intensive scenes. The 4K results of 18-33 FPS across presets are consistent with a GPU that cannot handle the pixel count. The 2,304 shading units are not enough to maintain fluid frame rates at high resolutions, and the 32 ROPS further throttles the output. The card’s performance at 1080p is more reasonable, with the Low preset achieving 83 FPS, but the Ultra preset drops to 46 FPS, showing that even at the lowest resolution, the GPU is taxed by high-quality settings. The data shows a GPU that is best suited for 1080p gaming at medium to high settings, but which loses its capability dramatically as resolution climbs.

The RX 580’s DirectX 11 score in PassMark is 60, and DirectX 12 is 43, indicating the card is more comfortable with older APIs, which aligns with this game’s release date. The 8 GB of VRAM is sufficient for the textures, but it does not compensate for the lack of raw processing power. The GPU’s benchmark percentiles and rival deltas place it in the lower mid-range, and the measured FPS data in Thief reflects that classification. The GPU is the limiting component, and the CPU’s potential is left untapped.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded in the measured data?

A: The highest average frame rate is 83 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: What is the lowest average frame rate in the benchmark results?

A: The lowest average frame rate is 18 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the system achieve a 60 FPS average?

A: The only 60 FPS average is 63 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 with the Medium preset.

Q: How does the 1440p Medium preset compare to the 1080p Medium preset?

A: The 1440p Medium preset averages 43 FPS, which is 20 FPS lower than the 1080p Medium average of 63 FPS.

Q: What is the average frame rate at 4K with the Low preset?

A: The 3840x2160 Low preset averages 33 FPS.

Q: Which preset provides the most stable frame rate at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 1440p has the only min/max data in that resolution, with an average of 43 FPS and a frame range of 37 to 50 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F and the AMD Radeon RX 580 ranks 3,397th out of 3,720 tested combos in Thief. This puts the pair in the bottom 9% of all configurations tested, indicating that the hardware is not well suited for this title at the tested settings. The rank is a composite of the CPU and GPU’s combined performance, and the real-world frame rates in the measured data reflect this low position. The low ranking is driven by the GPU, which is the limiting factor, and the CPU’s performance is not enough to boost the overall result.

The rank of 3,397 out of 3,720 is a clear sign that this configuration is not competitive in this game. The 1080p results are playable, but the 4K results are not, which is a typical pattern for a mid-range GPU. The CPU’s percentile of 77 against all CPUs shows it is a strong processor, but its power is wasted in this pairing. The GPU’s percentile of 53 is the more relevant metric, and it is below average. The combination of a strong CPU and a weak GPU results in a rank that is lower than either component’s individual percentile, as the GPU bottleneck constrains the entire system.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F is a capable processor, but in this test, it is not the primary constraint. It is a 6-core, 12-thread part from the 7th generation of Ryzen, based on the Zen 4 architecture and built on a 5nm process by TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a 65W TDP. The CPU has a 32 MB L3 cache and a 71 mm² die size. It supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with a 83.2 GB/s bandwidth.

The CPU’s benchmarks show a strong processor. In Cinebench R23, it scores 22,799 multi-core and 3,218 single-core. In Geekbench, it scores 12,362 multi-core and 2,374 single-core. Its PassMark multi-thread score is 26,825, and single-thread is 3,841. Its average benchmark score of 24,964 puts it in the 87th percentile of all CPUs, and its nearest rivals are the Intel Core i7-11850H (24,935, 0.1% lower) and the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F (25,005, 0.2% higher). The CPU is clearly not a bottleneck in this game, as all of its performance metrics are far superior to the GPU’s capabilities.

In Thief, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with enough data, and the frame rates indicate that it is doing so efficiently. The 1080p Low preset at 83 FPS is a good example of the CPU being able to handle a high frame rate, but the GPU is still the limiting component. At 4K, the CPU is almost idle, as the GPU is the bottleneck. The 6-core, 12-thread design is more than enough for a game from 2014, and the high single-thread performance of 3,218 in Cinebench R23 ensures that the game’s physics and AI are not limited. The CPU’s performance is never the reason for the low frame rates, and the data suggests that a better GPU would improve the results significantly.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates are as follows:

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 83 FPS average
• Medium: 63 FPS average, 54 FPS min, 72 FPS max
• High: 48 FPS average
• Ultra: 46 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 57 FPS average
• Medium: 43 FPS average, 37 FPS min, 50 FPS max
• High: 33 FPS average
• Ultra: 31 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 33 FPS average
• Medium: 25 FPS average, 22 FPS min, 29 FPS max
• High: 19 FPS average
• Ultra: 18 FPS average

The data shows a clear hierarchy. At 1080p, the Low preset is the only one above 60 FPS, and the Medium preset is the only one with a min frame rate of 54 FPS. The High and Ultra presets are very close, with 48 and 46 FPS, respectively. At 1440p, all presets fall below 60 FPS, with the Low preset at 57 FPS being the best. The Medium preset has the only min/max data, with a 37 to 50 FPS range. At 4K, all presets are below 35 FPS, with the Low preset at 33 FPS and the Ultra preset at 18 FPS. The 4K results are only playable at Low, and even then, the frame rate is not smooth. The 4K Medium data shows a min of 22 FPS and a max of 29 FPS, which is a narrow range, indicating a stable but low frame rate.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K is severe. At the Low preset, the 4K result is 40% of the 1080p result. A comparison of the Medium preset shows a 60% drop (63 to 25). The High preset drops from 48 to 19 FPS, and the Ultra from 46 to 18 FPS. The 1440p results are also lower than 1080p, with a drop of 31% at Low, 32% at Medium, 31% at High, and 33% at Ultra. The data indicates that the GPU is the sole bottleneck, and the game’s optimization cannot compensate for its deficiencies.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the best experience for this configuration is at 1080p with the Medium preset. This provides an average of 63 FPS, which is above the playable threshold of 60 FPS, and the min of 54 FPS is still playable. The frame range of 54 to 72 FPS shows a stable, enjoyable frame rate. The Low preset at 1080p offers a higher 83 FPS, but the Medium preset offers a better visual quality without a significant performance cost.

At 1440p, the Low preset is the only playable option, with an average of 57 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 43 FPS, which is still playable but not as smooth. The High and Ultra presets are not recommended, as they fall below 35 FPS. For users who prefer 1440p, the Low preset is the only choice that maintains a reasonable frame rate.

At 4K, no preset provides a playable experience. All presets are below 35 FPS, with the Low preset at 33 FPS being the best. The Medium, High, and Ultra presets are below 25 FPS, which is not playable. Therefore, the 4K resolution is not recommended for this combination. The Low preset at 1440p or the Medium preset at 1080p are the only settings that allow for a playable frame rate in Thief, with the 1080p Medium preset offering the best balance of performance and visual quality. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor, and the settings that reduce the GPU’s load, such as lowering the resolution or the quality preset, are the only way to improve the frame rate.