Thief

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X paired with the Intel Arc B390 ranks 2534th out of 2851 tested combinations in Thief. This places the combo in the bottom 11% of all tested systems, indicating that while the CPU is a strong modern part, the graphics solution severely limits the overall gaming experience. The data shows a system that is heavily bottlenecked by its GPU in nearly every scenario, yet the CPU’s capabilities ensure that the system is not entirely without merit for less demanding titles.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 2534 out of 2851 tested combinations is a clear signal of its position in the performance hierarchy for Thief. Benchmark results indicate that this pairing is near the bottom of the barrel, with only 317 tested combos performing worse. This is a direct consequence of the GPU’s low performance percentile; the Intel Arc B390 sits at the 9th percentile among all GPUs, meaning it outperforms only a small fraction of the graphics cards in the database. The CPU, by contrast, is a high performer, sitting at the 79th percentile among all CPUs. This massive discrepancy between CPU and GPU capabilities is the defining characteristic of this build.

When looking at the GPU’s nearest rivals, the picture becomes even clearer. The Arc B390 scores 1482 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, which is a mere 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M. It also leads the GeForce GT 625 OEM by 2.5% and the GT 710 by 2.7%. These are all entry-level or legacy parts from previous generations. The data suggests that the Arc B390 is competing in a performance class that is fundamentally unsuited for modern gaming workloads, let alone a title like Thief at higher settings.

The CPU’s rank among its peers further highlights the imbalance. The Ryzen 5 7600X has an average benchmark score of 27636, which is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and the Intel Core i5-12600K (both with a deltaPct of 0.2%). It is also just 0.4% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 and 0.3% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE. This shows that the processor is a solid, mid-to-high-range performer that would typically be paired with a much more capable graphics card. In this specific combo, its potential is almost entirely wasted.

The overall result is a system that is fundamentally unbalanced. While the CPU can process game logic and physics with ease, the GPU struggles to render frames, creating a scenario where the measured FPS is consistently low regardless of resolution or settings. The rank of 2534 is not a reflection of the CPU’s capabilities, but rather evidence of the GPU’s severe limitations in this context.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture (codenamed Raphael) built on a 5 nm process at TSMC. Its base clock is 4.70 GHz, and it can boost up to 5.30 GHz. The CPU has a 32 MB shared L3 cache and 1 MB of L2 cache per core, along with 64 KB of L1 cache per core. It supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, offering a memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s. The CPU’s 3DMark scores show strong scaling from 2 threads (2028) to 16 threads (6879), indicating good multi-threading capabilities. Its single-thread score of 1060 is robust, suggesting it can handle lightly-threaded tasks effectively.

In the context of Thief, the CPU’s role is to handle game logic, AI, and physics. Given the game’s 2014 release date, the Ryzen 5 7600X is vastly overqualified for this task. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15236 and single-core score of 1965 demonstrate that the processor has ample headroom for any CPU-bound scenario the game might present. The PassMark multithread score of 28390 further reinforces this point.

However, the benchmark results from the measured FPS data show that the CPU rarely becomes the limiting factor. For instance, at 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 86 FPS, which is the highest FPS recorded across all settings and resolutions in this dataset. This suggests that at lower graphical loads, the CPU is capable of driving the frame rate to a level that is playable, even if the GPU is still the bottleneck. The data indicates that the CPU is not holding the system back; rather, it is the GPU that prevents the system from achieving higher frame rates, especially as resolution and settings increase. The CPU’s performance percentile of 79 versus the GPU’s 9 is a stark illustration of this dynamic.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on a 3 nm process at Intel. It features a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 24 raster operations pipelines (ROPs). It also includes 12 ray tracing cores. Its memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system’s DDR5 RAM for its frame buffer, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." This is a critical detail, as the GPU does not have its own dedicated VRAM, which severely impacts its performance in memory-intensive scenarios.

The GPU’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 places it at the 9th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all ancient, low-end parts: the GT 520MX (score 1463), GeForce 800M (1460), GT 625 OEM (1446), and GT 710 (1443). The Arc B390 is only 1.3% to 2.7% faster than these parts, which are from a bygone era of graphics hardware. This data suggests that the Arc B390 is not designed for gaming; it is a basic integrated solution intended for light productivity or media consumption.

In Thief, the GPU’s limitations are immediately apparent. The measured FPS data shows that the system cannot maintain a smooth frame rate at any resolution above 1080p with higher settings. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 19, which is unplayable. Even at 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is only 48. The GPU’s lack of dedicated VRAM and its low compute throughput (7.680 TFLOPS FP32) are the primary reasons for these poor results. The 24 ROPs and 48 TMUs are simply insufficient for rendering modern game scenes at higher resolutions. The GPU is the undeniable bottleneck in this system, and its performance in Thief is a direct reflection of its low rank and percentile.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo better suited for 1080p or 4K gaming in Thief?

A: The data shows a dramatic difference. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 86 FPS, which is the best result in the dataset. However, at 4K Ultra, the average FPS falls to 19. The system is only viable at 1080p, and even then, only at lower settings.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in overall benchmark scores?

A: The Ryzen 5 7600X has an average benchmark score of 27636. This is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and Intel Core i5-12600K, 0.4% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 5800, and 0.3% lower than the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile and what does it mean?

A: The Intel Arc B390 is at the 9th percentile among all GPUs. This means it performs better than only 9% of the graphics cards in the database, indicating it is a very low-performing part.

Q: What is the best FPS achieved by this combo in Thief?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 86, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only configuration in the dataset that approaches a high refresh rate experience.

Q: Does the GPU have its own dedicated memory?

A: No, the Intel Arc B390 uses "System Shared" memory, meaning it shares the system's DDR5 RAM. Its memory bandwidth is described as "System Dependent," which contributes to its performance limitations.

Q: How much slower is the GPU at 4K Ultra compared to 1080p Low?

A: At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 19, while at 1080p Low, it is 86. This represents a significant drop of 67 FPS, showing that the GPU struggles immensely with the increased resolution and graphical load.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and steep performance drop as resolution increases. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 86 at 1920x1080 to 59 at 2560x1440, and further to 35 at 3840x2160. This represents a 31% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 59% drop from 1080p to 4K. The trend is consistent across all settings. For example, at High settings, FPS drops from 50 at 1080p to 34 at 1440p (32% drop) and then to 20 at 4K (60% drop from 1080p). At Medium settings, the FPS goes from 66 at 1080p to 45 at 1440p and 26 at 4K.

This scaling behavior is a textbook sign of a GPU-bound system. The CPU is powerful enough to handle the increased resolution without significant frame rate loss, but the GPU’s rendering capabilities are overwhelmed. The pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are simply too low to fill the increasing number of pixels at higher resolutions. The data indicates that the limiting component is unequivocally the Intel Arc B390. The CPU’s role in this scaling is minimal; the FPS drop is almost entirely attributable to the GPU’s inability to keep up with the higher resolution demands. The system is essentially GPU-limited at every single resolution tested, with the gap widening as resolution increases.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the most reasonable settings for this combo are at 1920x1080 with Low settings, which yields an average FPS of 86. This is the only configuration that provides a frame rate that is comfortably above 60 FPS, offering a smooth experience. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS drops to 66, which is still playable, but the frame rate is less consistent, with a minimum of 56 FPS. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 50, which is borderline for smooth gameplay, and at Ultra, it drops to 48.

At 2560x1440, only Low settings provide a playable frame rate, with an average of 59 FPS. Medium drops to 45 FPS, and High and Ultra are at 34 and 33 FPS respectively, which are not ideal for a fast-paced stealth game. At 3840x2160, all settings are below 35 FPS, with Low at 35, Medium at 26, High at 20, and Ultra at 19. These are all unplayable for a responsive gaming experience.

Therefore, the data suggests that the best experience is achieved at 1080p Low, which maximizes the frame rate to 86 FPS. If the user prefers higher visual fidelity, 1080p Medium is the next best option, offering an average of 66 FPS, though with slightly lower minimums. Anything above 1080p Medium results in frame rates that are too low for a consistent, enjoyable experience. The system is simply not capable of handling higher resolutions or settings in Thief without significant performance sacrifices.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system performs as follows:

• Low: Average FPS of 86.
• Medium: Average FPS of 66, with a minimum of 56 and a maximum of 75.
• High: Average FPS of 50.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 48.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably:

• Low: Average FPS of 59.
• Medium: Average FPS of 45, with a minimum of 38 and a maximum of 52.
• High: Average FPS of 34.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 33.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates are consistently low:

• Low: Average FPS of 35.
• Medium: Average FPS of 26, with a minimum of 22 and a maximum of 30.
• High: Average FPS of 20.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 19.

The data shows a linear and consistent degradation in performance as both resolution and settings increase. The jump from 1080p to 1440p results in a significant FPS loss across all settings, and the jump to 4K makes the game unplayable at any setting. The minimum FPS values for Medium settings (56 at 1080p, 38 at 1440p, and 22 at 4K) indicate that even at the lower end, the frame rate is not stable. The overall picture is one of a system that is severely constrained by its graphics solution, with the CPU unable to compensate for the GPU's lack of raw power.