Thief

AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER deliver a revealing performance profile in Thief, one that shifts character dramatically depending on the resolution and settings chosen. The measured frames per second (FPS) data paints a clear picture of a system where the graphics card becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the processor’s capabilities come to the forefront at lighter loads. This analysis breaks down the specific measurements to understand how this combination behaves in this 2014 stealth title.

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

The FPS data shows a steep and consistent decline as resolution increases, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario. At the High preset, the average frame rate falls from 99 FPS at 1920x1080 to 68 FPS at 2560x1440, a drop of 31 FPS. Moving to 3840x2160, the average plummets to 40 FPS, which is a 59 FPS reduction from the 1080p baseline. This represents a 60% decrease in performance from 1080p to 4K, a substantial penalty that points directly at the RTX 2070 SUPER struggling to fill the increasing pixel count.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings, though the percentage drops vary. For the Medium preset, performance goes from 130 FPS at 1080p, to 89 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 52 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset follows a similar trajectory, starting at 94 FPS, dropping to 65 FPS, and then falling to 38 FPS at 4K. The Low preset shows the most dramatic absolute change, from a very high 171 FPS at 1080p down to 69 FPS at 4K, a 102 FPS swing that underscores how even the least demanding settings cannot overcome the GPU's pixel-pushing limits at 4K.

The data implies that at 1080p, the system has enough headroom to allow the CPU to stretch its legs, but the RTX 2070 SUPER is the component that determines the final frame rate. The gap between 1440p and 4K is particularly telling. For example, at High settings, the drop from 68 FPS to 40 FPS is a 41% reduction, which is a much larger relative hit than the 31% drop seen between 1080p and 1440p. This suggests that the GPU's memory bandwidth and processing power are being exhausted more rapidly as the resolution approaches 4K, making it the definitive limiting factor in this configuration.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER lands in the middle of the pack. The combo rank for Thief is 1575 out of 2851 tested combinations. This places it in the 55th percentile, meaning it outperforms a slight majority of other tested systems, but it is far from the top-tier performers. This rank is a holistic measure that considers all tested resolutions and settings, reflecting the system's overall capability in this specific game.

The rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's mid-range standing. The RTX 2070 SUPER holds a percentile rank of 65 against all GPUs, indicating it is better than most, but its performance ceiling is clearly defined. When paired with a high-end CPU like the Ryzen 5 7500X3D, which sits in the 89th percentile against all CPUs, the combination's overall rank is dragged down by the graphics card. The data suggests that this is not a pairing designed for maximum frame rates in Thief, but rather a balanced system that offers a solid, if unspectacular, experience relative to other possible configurations.

The rank also highlights the symmetry between the two components. The CPU is a top-15% performer, while the GPU is a top-35% performer. The resulting combo rank of 1575 out of 2851 reflects this blend, showing that the system's overall performance in Thief is gated by its slower component. This is an important consideration for anyone looking at this data, as it shows the 7500X3D has significant untapped potential that a more powerful GPU could unlock, were it part of a different pairing.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the clear performance limiter in this combination at higher resolutions. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. This bandwidth is a crucial factor for a game like Thief, which, at 4K resolution, requires the GPU to fetch and process a massive amount of texture data. The measured FPS at 4K—40 FPS on High, 52 FPS on Medium, and 38 FPS on Ultra—suggests that the memory subsystem and the TU104 chip are working at their limits, unable to maintain higher frame rates.

The GPU's clock speeds are listed as a base of 1605 MHz and a boost of 1770 MHz. These clocks, combined with the 2560 shading units, generate a raw processing power of 9.062 TFLOPS. This compute capability is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, as evidenced by the strong FPS numbers at those resolutions. However, the data shows that the gap between settings narrows at 4K. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 77 FPS (171 vs 94). At 4K, that difference shrinks to just 31 FPS (69 vs 38). This compression of performance at 4K indicates that the GPU's shading units and memory bandwidth are saturated, and the primary differentiator between settings becomes less about compute and more about the sheer volume of pixels being rendered.

The RTX 2070 SUPER's predecessor is the GeForce 10 series, and its successor is the GeForce 30 series, placing it as a transitional Turing-architecture card. The data shows that while it can handle Thief at 1440p with high settings, achieving a playable 68 FPS, it falls below the 60 FPS threshold at 4K on all but the Low preset. The 4K Medium result of 52 FPS, with a minimum of 45 FPS, suggests that there will be noticeable dips in frame rate during busy scenes, making 4K gaming a compromise on this hardware.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience for this combination is found at 2560x1440 with the High preset. This configuration produces an average FPS of 68, which provides a smooth and responsive experience for a stealth game that requires precision. The 1440p High setting offers a significant visual upgrade over 1080p while maintaining a frame rate that is comfortably above the 60 FPS target. The data shows that 1440p Ultra yields a slightly lower 65 FPS, which is a marginal difference, but the High preset provides a better frame rate headroom for demanding scenes.

For players prioritizing the highest possible frame rates, 1920x1080 with the Low preset delivers a blistering 171 FPS. This is ideal for competitive play or for those with high-refresh-rate monitors, as the data shows the system has ample performance headroom at this resolution. However, the visual fidelity will be significantly reduced. A more balanced 1080p option is the Medium preset at 130 FPS, which offers a good mix of visual quality and performance, with a minimum FPS of 111 ensuring that frame pacing remains consistent.

At 3840x2160, the data suggests that the experience is suboptimal. The best average FPS at 4K is 69 with the Low preset, which is not ideal for a visually-driven game. The High and Ultra presets drop to 40 FPS and 38 FPS, respectively, which are below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 52 FPS is the best compromise at 4K, but the minimum FPS of 45 indicates that the experience will not be consistently fluid. Therefore, the data strongly supports 1440p High as the recommended setting for this hardware in Thief.

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

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across all combinations. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low averages 171 FPS, Medium averages 130 FPS with a minimum of 111 and a maximum of 150, High averages 99 FPS, and Ultra averages 94 FPS. This shows a clear hierarchy where the GPU is not the bottleneck, and the CPU's performance is sufficient to drive high frame rates.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop across the board. Low averages 118 FPS, Medium averages 89 FPS with a minimum of 76 and a maximum of 103, High averages 68 FPS, and Ultra averages 65 FPS. The scaling here is more pronounced than at 1080p, showing the increased load on the GPU. The difference between High and Ultra at 1440p is only 3 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset offers diminishing returns for the performance cost.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. Low averages 69 FPS, Medium averages 52 FPS with a minimum of 45 and a maximum of 60, High averages 40 FPS, and Ultra averages 38 FPS. The data shows that the gap between Low and Medium is 17 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is only 2 FPS. This indicates that at 4K, the higher settings are all pushing the GPU to its absolute limit, and the performance differences become negligible. The minimum FPS of 45 at Medium also highlights the potential for stuttering in intensive scenes.

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D plays a supporting role in this configuration, but its capabilities are evident in the lower-resolution results. With 6 cores and 12 threads, and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz, the CPU provides the necessary processing power to avoid becoming a bottleneck at 1080p. The benchmark results show a single-thread score of 3494 and a multithread score of 25047, which are strong figures. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 171 FPS, which is a high enough frame rate that the CPU's performance is likely a contributing factor in maintaining that level.

The CPU's large 96 MB of shared L3 cache is a defining feature of the X3D series, and while the data does not directly measure its impact in Thief, the high average FPS at 1080p suggests that the processor is feeding the GPU efficiently. The CPU's performance percentile of 89 against all CPUs indicates it is a top-tier processor. In this game, however, its influence is most apparent when the GPU is not the limiting factor, such as at 1080p Low where the system is not constrained by pixel throughput.

The data implies that the CPU is not the source of any performance limitations in Thief. The FPS drops as resolution increases are entirely attributable to the GPU. The CPU's processing power is sufficient to keep up with the RTX 2070 SUPER at all settings and resolutions tested. The combination rank of 1575 out of 2851 is a reflection of the GPU's mid-range status, not the CPU's. The 7500X3D is providing a stable foundation, but the graphics card is what ultimately defines the gaming experience in this title.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this CPU and GPU combo at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS is 171, achieved with the Low settings preset at 1920x1080 resolution.

Q: Can this system maintain a 60 FPS average at 4K resolution?

A: No. The data shows that no 4K preset reaches a 60 FPS average. The best 4K result is 69 FPS on Low, but High and Ultra fall to 40 FPS and 38 FPS respectively, with Medium at 52 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 20282. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, has a score of 20480, which is 1% higher. The Intel Arc A750 has a score of 20582, which is 1.5% higher.

Q: What is the performance rank of this specific CPU and GPU combination in Thief?

A: This combination ranks 1575 out of 2851 tested combinations, placing it in the middle of the pack.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium settings at 1440p?

A: The minimum FPS recorded for the Medium settings at 2560x1440 is 76 FPS, with an average of 89 FPS and a maximum of 103 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck at 4K resolution in Thief?

A: The GPU is the main bottleneck. The steep drop in FPS from 1440p to 4K, combined with the narrowing gap between settings at 4K, indicates that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is unable to process the pixel load fast enough, limiting performance.