Thief

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Thief shows a clear and predictable resolution scaling pattern for the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates range from 138 FPS at Ultra settings to 172 FPS at Low settings. Moving to 2560x1440, these figures drop to a range of 122 FPS at Ultra to 151 FPS at Low. At 3840x2160, the averages fall further to 72 FPS at Ultra and 127 FPS at Low.

The most significant scaling observation comes from comparing the High settings preset across all three resolutions. At 1080p, High settings deliver 141 FPS. At 1440p, this drops to 124 FPS, a reduction of 12%. At 4K, the High preset yields 76 FPS, which is 46% lower than the 1080p result. This indicates that the GPU becomes progressively more stressed as pixel count increases, which is expected behavior for a title of Thief's generation.

For the Low preset, the scaling is less severe. The 1080p Low result is 172 FPS, 1440p Low is 151 FPS, and 4K Low is 127 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 26%, which is noticeably smaller than the 46% drop seen at High settings. This suggests that at Low settings, the CPU has a larger relative influence on the frame rate, limiting how much the GPU can push higher frame rates even when the resolution is lowered.

The Medium preset shows a narrower gap between resolutions compared to High. At 1080p, Medium averages 155 FPS with a minimum of 132 FPS and a maximum of 179 FPS. At 1440p, Medium averages 137 FPS with a minimum of 116 FPS and a maximum of 157 FPS. At 4K, Medium averages 100 FPS with a minimum of 85 FPS and a maximum of 114 FPS. The 4K Medium result is 35% lower than the 1080p Medium result, indicating that the GPU is the limiting component at 4K even with reduced settings.

The Ultra preset exhibits the steepest resolution penalty. From 138 FPS at 1080p to 122 FPS at 1440p, the drop is 12%. From 1440p to 4K, the Ultra preset falls from 122 FPS to 72 FPS, a 41% reduction. The 4K Ultra result of 72 FPS is the lowest measured value across the entire dataset, confirming that the highest settings preset combined with 4K resolution places the heaviest load on the RTX 4080.

Overall, the data indicates that the RTX 4080 remains the primary performance driver at 4K across all settings, while at 1080p, the Ryzen 5 7500X3D's six cores and 12 threads provide sufficient headroom that the GPU can push frame rates above 138 FPS even at Ultra. The scaling pattern is smooth and consistent, with no anomalous spikes or severe drops that would suggest driver-level inefficiencies or CPU bottlenecks at specific resolution and settings combinations.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D is a six-core, 12-thread processor from the 7000 series, built on the Zen 4 Raphael architecture using a 5 nm process at TSMC. Its base clock is 4.00 GHz with a boost clock of 4.50 GHz, and it carries a 96 MB shared L3 cache. The CPU's PassMark multithread score is 25047, and its single-thread score is 3494. These figures place the processor in the 89th percentile among all CPUs in the database.

In Thief, the CPU's role becomes most apparent when examining the Low settings results. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 172 FPS, which is the highest recorded average in the dataset. This high frame rate indicates that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU efficiently at lower graphical loads. The fact that the 1080p Low result is only 21% higher than the 1080p High result (172 FPS versus 141 FPS) suggests that the CPU is not the sole bottleneck at 1080p; the GPU still contributes to the performance ceiling.

The Ryzen 5 7500X3D's nearest rivals in the database include the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H with an average benchmark score of 44466 and a delta of 0.2%, the Intel Core i9-13950HX at 44342 with a 0.5% delta, the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385 at 44309 with a 0.6% delta, and the Intel Core i5-14600 at 44889 with a negative 0.7% delta. These close scores indicate that the CPU's compute performance is well matched to other high-end processors in the database, though its performance in Thief specifically is shaped by the game's engine and its utilization of the CPU's cache and thread layout.

The CPU's 96 MB L3 cache is a notable feature for a six-core part, and in a game like Thief, which was released in 2014, the engine may not fully exploit such a large cache. However, the measured frame rates at 1080p, where CPU overhead is generally more visible, remain above 138 FPS across all settings, indicating that the processor does not present a limiting factor for this title.

The PassMark physics score of 2779 and the integer math score of 70774 provide additional context for the CPU's gaming performance. Thief relies on physics calculations for its stealth mechanics and environmental interactions, and the measured FPS results suggest that the CPU handles these workloads without introducing frame rate instability. The minimum FPS values, which are only recorded for Medium settings, show 132 FPS at 1080p, 116 FPS at 1440p, and 85 FPS at 4K, all of which are well above playable thresholds.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a 40-series GPU built on the Ada Lovelace architecture, using a 5 nm process at TSMC. It has a base clock of 2205 MHz and a boost clock of 2505 MHz, with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. The GPU's PassMark G3D score is 34457, and its percentile ranking is 86 among all GPUs in the database.

In Thief, the RTX 4080's performance is directly visible in the 4K results. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 72, which is the lowest measured value. At 4K High, the average rises to 76 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it reaches 100 FPS. The 4K Low result is 127 FPS. These figures show that the GPU's rendering load scales heavily with the settings preset, and the 4K resolution demands significant pixel throughput.

The RTX 4080's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER with an average benchmark score of 54209 and a delta of 0.1%, the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X at 54828 with a negative 1.1% delta, the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB at 55698 with a negative 2.6% delta, and the AMD Radeon 8060S at 55757 with a negative 2.7% delta. These deltas indicate that the RTX 4080 sits within a tight performance band relative to its closest competitors, with the 4080 SUPER being nearly identical in average score.

The GPU's memory configuration is relevant for Thief's texture-heavy scenes. The 16 GB VRAM capacity is more than sufficient for a 2014 title, even at 4K with Ultra settings. The memory clock of 1400 MHz, translating to 22.4 Gbps effective, provides the bandwidth necessary to avoid texture streaming bottlenecks. The measured FPS data shows no signs of stutter or severe frame drops at 4K, which would be indicative of VRAM exhaustion.

The RTX 4080's FP32 performance of 48.74 TFLOPS and its 9728 shading units contribute to its ability to maintain high frame rates in Thief. The game's DirectX 12 Ultimate support, which the GPU fully supports, allows for efficient draw call handling. The measured results at 1440p Ultra of 122 FPS and 1080p Ultra of 138 FPS confirm that the GPU is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay at these resolutions.

The GPU's TDP of 320 W and its triple-slot design indicate a high-power component, but the measured FPS data does not show any thermal-related throttling effects. The consistent scaling from 4K to 1440p to 1080p across all settings presets suggests that the GPU operates within its intended performance envelope when paired with the Ryzen 5 7500X3D.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this system in Thief?

A: The highest average FPS is 172, recorded at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this system in Thief?

A: The lowest average FPS is 72, recorded at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: How does the 4K High preset compare to the 1440p High preset?

A: The 4K High preset averages 76 FPS, while the 1440p High preset averages 124 FPS, a difference of 48 FPS in favor of the lower resolution.

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

A: The minimum FPS at 1440p Medium is 116 FPS, with an average of 137 FPS and a maximum of 157 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: The RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54247, while the RTX 4080 SUPER has an average score of 54209, a delta of 0.1% in favor of the RTX 4080.

Q: What is the CPU's percentile ranking among all CPUs in the database?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D ranks in the 89th percentile among all CPUs.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium settings preset provides the most balanced experience across all three resolutions. At 1080p, Medium averages 155 FPS with a minimum of 132 FPS, which is well above any display refresh rate commonly used at that resolution. At 1440p, Medium averages 137 FPS with a minimum of 116 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes. At 4K, Medium averages 100 FPS with a minimum of 85 FPS, which remains playable while offering a substantial improvement over the High preset's 76 FPS average.

The High preset is serviceable at 1080p and 1440p, delivering 141 FPS and 124 FPS respectively, but at 4K it drops to 76 FPS, which may not be sufficient for high-refresh-rate displays. The Ultra preset provides the highest visual quality but at 4K it averages only 72 FPS, making it the least suitable option for 4K gaming with this hardware combination. At 1080p and 1440p, Ultra averages 138 FPS and 122 FPS respectively, which are acceptable but offer minimal gains over Medium.

The Low preset yields the highest frame rates, with 172 FPS at 1080p, 151 FPS at 1440p, and 127 FPS at 4K. However, the visual quality reduction is substantial, and the frame rate increase over Medium is not proportional to the graphical downgrade. For example, at 4K, Low is 27 FPS higher than Medium, but the visual difference between Low and Medium is typically more noticeable than the difference between Medium and High in this title.

The data indicates that Medium is the optimal choice for players prioritizing a smooth experience without sacrificing too much visual fidelity. At 4K, the 100 FPS average with an 85 FPS minimum ensures consistent performance, while at 1440p and 1080p, the frame rates are high enough to take advantage of high-refresh-rate monitors. The Ultra preset should be reserved for players who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, particularly at 1080p and 1440p where it remains above 120 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system achieves the following average frame rates across the settings presets: Low settings deliver 172 FPS, Medium settings deliver 155 FPS with a minimum of 132 FPS and a maximum of 179 FPS, High settings deliver 141 FPS, and Ultra settings deliver 138 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 34 FPS, showing a relatively modest impact of settings on frame rate at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the average frame rates are as follows: Low settings deliver 151 FPS, Medium settings deliver 137 FPS with a minimum of 116 FPS and a maximum of 157 FPS, High settings deliver 124 FPS, and Ultra settings deliver 122 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 29 FPS, which is slightly narrower than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is beginning to take on a larger share of the workload.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are: Low settings deliver 127 FPS, Medium settings deliver 100 FPS with a minimum of 85 FPS and a maximum of 114 FPS, High settings deliver 76 FPS, and Ultra settings deliver 72 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 4K is 55 FPS, which is the largest of any resolution, confirming that the GPU is the dominant factor at 4K and that settings choices have a significant impact on performance.

The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values across all resolutions. At 1080p, the minimum is 132 FPS and the maximum is 179 FPS. At 1440p, the minimum is 116 FPS and the maximum is 157 FPS. At 4K, the minimum is 85 FPS and the maximum is 114 FPS. These values indicate that the Medium preset maintains a stable frame rate with no severe dips, even at 4K where the minimum remains above 85 FPS.

The comparison between High and Ultra presets shows a consistent pattern: at 1080p, High is 141 FPS and Ultra is 138 FPS, a difference of only 3 FPS. At 1440p, High is 124 FPS and Ultra is 122 FPS, a difference of 2 FPS. At 4K, High is 76 FPS and Ultra is 72 FPS, a difference of 4 FPS. These small deltas suggest that the Ultra preset's additional visual effects have a minimal performance cost relative to High, making Ultra a viable choice at 1080p and 1440p where frame rates remain above 120 FPS.