Thief

Thief, released on 2014-02-24, is a stealth title that places distinct demands on both processor and graphics hardware. This analysis examines the measured performance of the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 across multiple resolutions and settings presets. The data shows a system capable of delivering high frame rates, though the specific bottlenecks shift depending on the resolution and quality level selected.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, built on TSMC's 4 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, drawing a 65 W TDP. This desktop part, released on 2024-03-31, features a 16 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory through a dual-channel interface with 83.2 GB/s of bandwidth. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU achieves a single-thread score of 951 in 3dmark and a multicore score of 6165 in 3dmark_max_threads, indicating strong per-core performance that is critical for older game engines.

In Thief, a game from 2014, the CPU's role is predominantly tied to single-threaded game logic and draw call processing. The Ryzen 5 8400F's boost clock of 4.70 GHz is the primary driver here, and its single-thread performance, reflected by a 3dmark_single_thread score of 951, ensures that the game's main thread is not a limiting factor at lower resolutions. The processor's 12 threads handle background tasks and physics, but the game's age means it rarely scales beyond a few cores. The CPU's performance percentile of 77 versus all CPUs, and an average benchmark score of 25005, puts it in a strong position. Compared to its nearest rivals, it trades blows with the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F (deltaPct 0.2) and leads the Intel Core i7-11850H (deltaPct 0.3) and Intel Core i7-13620H (deltaPct 0.4), while trailing the AMD EPYC 9474F (deltaPct -0.4).

The measured FPS data reveals the CPU's influence. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 181 FPS. When settings are increased to Ultra, the FPS drops to 146, a 35 FPS difference. This gap is not purely a GPU limitation; it suggests that the CPU is still able to feed the GPU at these frame rates. However, the more telling comparison is across resolutions. At 2560x1440 with Low settings, the FPS is 160, which is only 21 FPS lower than at 1080p. This smaller drop indicates that the GPU is starting to become the limiting factor, but the CPU is still providing high enough frame rates to keep the system responsive. The data shows that the Ryzen 5 8400F is more than capable of driving the RTX 4090 in Thief, even at high refresh rates, as the frame rate ceiling at 1080p Low is over 180 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the flagship of the GeForce 40-series, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process. It houses 16384 shading units, 512 TMUs, and 176 ROPs, along with 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores. The GPU operates with a base clock of 2235 MHz and a boost clock of 2520 MHz. Its memory subsystem is a highlight: 24 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus, delivering 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. This vast memory capacity and bandwidth are overkill for a 2014 title like Thief, but they ensure that texture streaming and high-resolution rendering are never constrained by VRAM or memory throughput. The GPU's pixel rate is 443.5 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 1,290.2 GTexel/s, providing immense fill rate capabilities.

The GPU's performance in Thief is directly visible in the scaling across resolutions. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average FPS is 148. At 2560x1440 with High settings, it drops to 131 FPS. Moving up to 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS falls to 84. This scaling pattern is typical for a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. The RTX 4090's power is most evident at 4K, where it still manages an average of 80 FPS on Ultra settings. The GPU's synthetic benchmarks show a passmark_g3d score of 38194 and an avgBenchmarkScore of 60347, placing it in the 88th percentile versus all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database include the Intel Arc Pro A60 (deltaPct 0) and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (deltaPct 0.3), though the RTX 4090 leads the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (deltaPct -2.5) and the AMD Radeon PRO V710 (deltaPct 2.9).

The measured FPS data shows that the RTX 4090 is the dominant factor in determining performance at higher resolutions. At 3840x2160, the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 54 FPS (134 vs 80), which is a much larger gap than the 35 FPS difference seen at 1080p. This indicates that as resolution increases, the GPU's workload becomes more demanding, and its clock speed and memory bandwidth are the key variables. The GPU's boost clock of 2520 MHz allows it to maintain high utilization, and the 24 GB VRAM ensures that even the most detailed textures at 4K do not cause stuttering or texture pop-in. The data confirms that the RTX 4090 is the performance ceiling for this combo, and its capabilities are only fully utilized at 4K resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimizing the experience in Thief. The game offers four settings presets: Low, Medium, High, and Ultra. The data shows that the Medium preset provides an excellent balance between visual quality and performance across all tested resolutions.

At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers an average of 164 FPS, with a minimum of 139 FPS and a maximum of 188 FPS. This is only 17 FPS lower than the Low preset (181 FPS) but offers significantly better visual fidelity. The High preset at 1080p yields 148 FPS, and Ultra drops to 146 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra is marginal (2 FPS), suggesting that the Ultra preset may not be worth the performance cost for the visual gains. The Medium preset is the recommended choice here, as it provides a high frame rate well above the refresh rate of most monitors, while the min FPS of 139 ensures smooth gameplay without significant dips.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset again stands out. It achieves an average of 144 FPS, with a minimum of 123 FPS and a maximum of 166 FPS. The High preset is close at 131 FPS, and Ultra is at 129 FPS. The Low preset reaches 160 FPS. The Medium preset offers a 13 FPS advantage over High and a 15 FPS advantage over Ultra, while maintaining a higher minimum FPS (123 vs the unlisted min for High/Ultra). This makes Medium the optimal choice for 1440p, as it provides a frame rate that can fully utilize a 144 Hz display, with a min FPS that stays above 120.

At 3840x2160, the Medium preset is also the best choice for a playable experience. It delivers an average of 110 FPS, with a minimum of 94 FPS and a maximum of 127 FPS. The High preset drops to 84 FPS, and Ultra to 80 FPS. The Low preset reaches 134 FPS. While Low offers a higher frame rate, the Medium preset provides a substantial visual upgrade for a 24 FPS loss in average FPS. The min FPS of 94 at 4K Medium ensures that the game remains fluid, even during demanding scenes. The High preset's 84 FPS average is playable but may be less stable, and Ultra at 80 FPS is not recommended for competitive play. Therefore, the Medium preset is the recommended setting for all resolutions, offering the best combination of visual quality and performance stability, as evidenced by the measured min FPS values.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 335 out of 3720 tested combos in Thief. This places it in the top 9% of all configurations tested, indicating a very high level of performance. The rank reflects the system's ability to deliver high frame rates across all resolutions, with the data showing that the bottleneck is primarily the GPU at 4K and the CPU at 1080p.

This ranking is consistent with the individual component performance. The CPU's average benchmark score of 25005 and 77th percentile ranking versus all CPUs suggest it is a solid mid-range performer. The GPU's average benchmark score of 60347 and 88th percentile ranking versus all GPUs indicate it is a top-tier component. The combination of a strong mid-range CPU with a flagship GPU results in a system that is well-balanced for Thief, where the GPU can be fully utilized at higher resolutions without the CPU holding it back.

The rank of 335 out of 3720 shows that while this combo is very fast, there are still 334 other combinations that perform better. These are likely to include higher-end CPUs with more cores or higher clocks, which can provide a marginal advantage in CPU-bound scenarios at 1080p. However, the data suggests that the difference is small. For example, the CPU's nearest rivals show a deltaPct of less than 1% from its average score. This means that swapping the Ryzen 5 8400F for an AMD Ryzen 5 7500F or Intel Core i7-13620H would have a negligible impact on overall performance in Thief. The ranking is therefore evidence of the RTX 4090's dominance, as it is the primary driver of the combo's high position, particularly at 4K where the GPU is the limiting factor.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average FPS is 181, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K resolution with Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average FPS of 80, with no minimum or maximum FPS data provided.

Q: Which settings preset provides the highest minimum FPS at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset provides a minimum FPS of 123, which is the highest minimum FPS recorded for that resolution.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested configurations in Thief?

A: The combo ranks 335 out of 3720 tested combos, placing it in the top 9% of all configurations.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the primary bottleneck at 1920x1080 with Low settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 181 FPS. Given that the GPU is less stressed at low settings and resolution, the CPU's single-thread performance is likely the limiting factor, as it caps the frame rate below what the GPU could theoretically deliver.

Q: What is the average FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 3840x2160?

A: At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 134 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 80 FPS, a difference of 54 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the measured average FPS for each resolution and settings preset combination.

| Resolution | Settings | Average FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|------------|----------|-------------|---------|---------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 84 | N/A | N/A |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 134 | N/A | N/A |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 110 | 94 | 127 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 80 | N/A | N/A |

| 2560x1440 | High | 131 | N/A | N/A |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 160 | N/A | N/A |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 144 | 123 | 166 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 129 | N/A | N/A |

| 1920x1080 | High | 148 | N/A | N/A |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 181 | N/A | N/A |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 164 | 139 | 188 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 146 | N/A | N/A |

The data shows a clear performance hierarchy. At each resolution, the Low preset yields the highest average FPS, followed by Medium, High, and then Ultra. The Medium preset is the only one with a recorded minimum FPS, which provides insight into the frame time consistency. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset's min FPS of 139 is 25 FPS lower than its average, indicating some frame pacing variance. At 2560x1440, the min FPS is 123, and at 3840x2160, it is 94. This shows that as resolution increases, the minimum FPS drops proportionally more than the average, pointing to heavier GPU load during complex scenes.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a reduction in FPS for all settings. For example, on High settings, the FPS drops from 148 to 131, a 17 FPS decrease. From 1440p to 4K, the drop is more severe, with High settings falling from 131 to 84 FPS, a 47 FPS decrease. This non-linear scaling is due to the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth becoming the limiting factors at higher resolutions. The RTX 4090's 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth is sufficient, but the sheer number of pixels at 4K (3840x2160) requires more processing power, resulting in the observed performance drop. The data confirms that this combo is best suited for high refresh rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p, while still providing a playable 4K experience on Medium settings.