Thief

Thief, a 2014 stealth title, is often used as a legacy benchmark due to its unique rendering style. The data for the AMD Ryzen 5 7600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination shows a system that is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions, yet surprisingly responsive to CPU performance at lower settings. This analysis breaks down the measured frame rates, the roles of each component, and where this specific pairing stands among thousands of tested combinations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combo reveals a clear pattern of diminishing returns as resolution increases. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average frame rate is 157 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same High preset drops the average to 139 FPS, a reduction of 18 FPS. The jump to 3840x2160 brings the average down to 92 FPS, which is a significant 47 FPS drop from the 1440p result. This steep decline indicates that the rendering load at 4K is substantial, and the frame rate is being constrained by the GPU’s ability to fill pixels.

Looking at the Low settings, the scaling pattern is different. At 1920x1080 Low, the system produces 192 FPS. At 2560x1440 Low, it drops to 169 FPS, and at 3840x2160 Low, it falls to 142 FPS. The 1080p to 1440p drop is 23 FPS, while the 1440p to 4K drop is 27 FPS. This more linear decline suggests that even at Low settings, the absolute resolution still imposes a heavy workload on the GPU. The fact that the 4K Low average of 142 FPS is higher than the 1080p High average of 157 FPS is notable, showing that settings have a larger impact on performance than resolution in this specific comparison.

The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling. From 1920x1080 Ultra at 155 FPS, the frame rate drops to 136 FPS at 2560x1440, and then plummets to 87 FPS at 3840x2160. The difference between 1440p and 4K on Ultra is 49 FPS, which is the largest single-resolution gap across all settings. This suggests that the combination of high resolution and high graphical fidelity creates a bottleneck that neither the CPU nor GPU can fully overcome, but the GPU is clearly the limiting factor at 4K Ultra.

The data implies that for a game like Thief, which is from 2014, the RTX 5090 D is powerful enough to push very high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K Ultra target of 87 FPS shows that even this flagship GPU is not immune to the demands of maxed-out settings at ultra-high resolution. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings shows a similar trend, with 173 FPS dropping to 153 FPS at 1440p and then to 120 FPS at 4K. This progressive decline is typical of a GPU-bound scenario.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the dominant force in this pairing, and its specifications explain the high frame rates observed. It features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. This massive memory pool and bandwidth are crucial for handling the high-resolution textures that Thief can utilize, ensuring that data transfer is not a bottleneck even at 3840x2160. The GPU’s boost clock is listed at 2407 MHz, and its base clock is 2017 MHz, which are high frequencies that contribute to its raw computational throughput.

The GPU’s compute capabilities are substantial, with 21,760 shading units and a FP32 performance of 104.8 TFLOPS. This raw power is why the card can achieve an average of 192 FPS at 1080p Low, a result that is only limited by the CPU’s ability to feed it frames. The benchmark results for the GPU itself are impressive, with a Passmark G3D score of 44,065 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 376,915. These scores indicate that the GPU is operating at a high level of performance, and the percentileVsAllGpus of 92 places it in the top 8% of all GPUs tested.

The role of the GPU becomes more pronounced at 4K. The difference between Low and Ultra settings at 3840x2160 is 55 FPS (142 FPS vs 87 FPS), which highlights how much of the GPU’s resources are consumed by higher graphical presets. The 32 GB of VRAM is unlikely to be a limiting factor in Thief, as the game is from 2014 and would not require that much memory, but the sheer bandwidth and processing power still determine the final output. The GPU’s performance relative to its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, which has a deltaPct of -1.6, shows that the RTX 5090 D is a top-tier performer in synthetic benchmarks, and this translates to the high FPS numbers in Thief.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combos, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 7600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D holds a comboRankInGame of 142 out of 2,851 combos. This rank places it in the top 5% of all tested systems for Thief, which is an excellent position. The rank is determined by the measured FPS across all tested scenarios, and a rank of 142 indicates that only 141 other combinations of CPUs and GPUs were able to produce higher average frame rates in this specific game.

This ranking is particularly interesting because the CPU, the Ryzen 5 7600, is not a top-tier processor by modern standards. It has an average benchmark score of 26,324 and a percentileVsAllCpus of 78, which places it in the 78th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX with a deltaPct of 0.2 and the Intel Core i9-11900KF with a deltaPct of 0.4, indicating that the 7600 is a solid mid-range performer. Despite this, the combos high rank suggests that for Thief, the GPU is the primary driver of performance, and the CPU is sufficient to avoid becoming a major bottleneck.

The fact that this combo ranks at 142 out of 2,851 confirms the power of the RTX 5090 D. When paired with a less capable GPU, the same CPU would likely rank much lower. The data implies that for older games like Thief, the GPU is the single most important component for achieving high frame rates, and the CPU’s role is secondary as long as it can keep up with the GPU’s output. The rank also suggests that many of the combos above this one likely feature even more powerful CPUs, but the difference in FPS may be marginal due to the game’s age and the GPU’s dominance.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 192 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How much faster is the 1080p High preset compared to the 4K High preset?

A: The 1080p High preset produces an average of 157 FPS, while the 4K High preset produces 92 FPS, making the 1080p result 65 FPS higher.

Q: Is this combo better in Thief than a system with an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX and the same GPU?

A: The data does not provide a direct comparison for Thief. However, the CPU’s nearestRivals list shows that the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX has a similar average benchmark score with a deltaPct of 0.2, meaning it is nearly identical in synthetic CPU tests, so performance in Thief would likely be similar if the GPU is the same.

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

A: The lowest average FPS recorded is 87 FPS, achieved at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: Does the GPU’s 32 GB of VRAM make a difference in Thief at 4K?

A: The data does not specify VRAM usage, but the 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on the RTX 5090 D is far more than a 2014 game like Thief would require. The measured FPS drops at 4K are more likely due to the GPU’s processing power and memory bandwidth, which is listed at 1.79 TB/s.

Q: How does this combo’s rank of 142 out of 2,851 compare to the average?

A: A rank of 142 out of 2,851 puts this combo in the top 5% of all tested combos, meaning it performs better than approximately 95% of the systems in the database for Thief.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the best experience for this combo depends on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, all settings are playable, but the Ultra preset offers an average of 155 FPS, which is only 2 FPS lower than High and 18 FPS lower than Low. Given that the minimum FPS is not recorded for Ultra, the Medium preset provides a recorded minimum of 147 FPS and an average of 173 FPS, which is a good balance between visual quality and performance. For the smoothest experience at 1080p, Low settings at 192 FPS would be ideal, but Medium at 173 FPS is likely the best compromise for visual fidelity without sacrificing much frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 136 FPS, which is still very high. The High preset is slightly faster at 139 FPS, and Medium is at 153 FPS. The data shows that the difference between High and Ultra is only 3 FPS, so choosing Ultra would provide the best visuals with a negligible performance cost. If a higher frame rate is preferred, Medium at 153 FPS with a recorded minimum of 130 FPS is a solid choice.

At 3840x2160, the situation is different. The Ultra preset drops to 87 FPS, which is lower than the 92 FPS of High and the 120 FPS of Medium. For a 4K experience, the Medium preset at 120 FPS is the best option, as it offers a significant boost over High and Ultra while still providing a high level of graphical detail. The Low preset at 142 FPS is also viable, but Medium is likely the sweet spot for 4K gaming on this combo. The High preset at 92 FPS is also acceptable, but the 28 FPS gain from switching to Medium is substantial. Therefore, for the best overall experience at 4K, Medium settings are recommended.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 7000 series, based on the Zen 4 architecture. It has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. In Thief, the CPU’s role is to process game logic and feed the GPU with draw calls. The data shows that at lower resolutions and settings, the CPU can become a bottleneck. For example, at 1920x1080 Low, the system achieves 192 FPS, but at 3840x2160 Low, it drops to 142 FPS, indicating that the GPU is still the primary limiter. However, the fact that the 1080p Low result is only 192 FPS, not higher, suggests that the CPU is limiting the GPU’s potential at this resolution.

The CPU’s benchmark scores help contextualize its performance. In Cinebench R23, it scores 12,735 in multicore and 1,852 in single-core. Its Passmark single-thread score is 3,910, and its multithread score is 27,058. These scores are respectable, but they are not top-tier. The CPU’s percentileVsAllCpus is 78, meaning it performs better than 78% of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 7435HS with a deltaPct of -0.3 and the Intel Core i9-11900KF with a deltaPct of 0.4, show that it is in a competitive mid-range position.

In Thief, which is a title from 2014, the CPU is less likely to be a limiting factor compared to modern games that are more multithreaded. The 6-core, 12-thread configuration is more than sufficient for a game of this era. The data implies that the CPU is capable of supporting the GPU up to a certain point, but at very high frame rates like the 192 FPS seen at 1080p Low, the CPU’s single-thread performance may be the ceiling. The L3 cache is 32 MB shared, and the memory bandwidth is 83.2 GB/s, which are adequate for feeding data to the GPU. Overall, the CPU is a strong partner for the RTX 5090 D, but it is not the main contributor to the high FPS numbers.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this combo’s performance across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080, the results are as follows:

• Low: Average 192 FPS
• Medium: Average 173 FPS, with a minimum of 147 FPS and a maximum of 199 FPS
• High: Average 157 FPS
• Ultra: Average 155 FPS

The difference between Low and Ultra is 37 FPS, showing a clear performance cost for higher settings. The Medium preset’s minimum of 147 FPS is the lowest recorded at this resolution, but it is still well above 144 FPS, making it a smooth experience.

At 2560x1440, the results are:

• Low: Average 169 FPS
• Medium: Average 153 FPS, with a minimum of 130 FPS and a maximum of 176 FPS
• High: Average 139 FPS
• Ultra: Average 136 FPS

The gap between Low and Ultra shrinks to 33 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 130 FPS is lower than at 1080p, but still acceptable. The High and Ultra presets are nearly identical, with a difference of only 3 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset adds little performance cost over High at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the results are:

• Low: Average 142 FPS
• Medium: Average 120 FPS, with a minimum of 102 FPS and a maximum of 138 FPS
• High: Average 92 FPS
• Ultra: Average 87 FPS

This is where the GPU is most heavily taxed. The difference between Low and Ultra is 55 FPS, the largest spread across all resolutions. The Medium preset’s minimum of 102 FPS is the lowest recorded for any setting in this combo, but it still maintains an average of 120 FPS. The High and Ultra presets are close, with a 5 FPS difference, but both are below 100 FPS, which may not be ideal for all players.

The data also shows that at every resolution, the Medium preset provides a recorded minimum and maximum FPS, while Low, High, and Ultra do not have these values. This suggests that the Medium preset is a stable middle ground. The overall trend is that the combo excels at 1080p and 1440p, with frame rates well above 130 FPS even at Ultra settings, while 4K requires dropping to Medium or Low to achieve frame rates above 120 FPS.