Thief

Thief (2014, a stealth title) is the game behind this measured combo: an AMD Ryzen 5 9600X paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti. The data marks this combination as directly measured, ranking 1061 of 3720 combos examined for the game. The CPU sits in the 81st percentile of all CPUs tested by the database, with an average benchmark score of 29713; the GPU sits in the 75th percentile with an average benchmark score of 29945. That pairing places it just below the middle of the tested chart but well above common hardware, and the measured frames below show how the 6-core, 12-thread Zen 5 chip and 8 GB Ampere GPU interact across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of 3720 tested Thief combinations, this combo occupies 1061st place. That position is close to the median, but the combo’s components each carry a high percentile individually; the CPU is at the 81st percentile of all CPUs reviewed, and the GPU is at the 75th percentile of all GPUs reviewed. The CPU’s average benchmark score is 29713, and the GPU’s average benchmark score is 29945. When Thief is run through the measured FPS rows, the combo delivers 127 FPS average on High settings at 1920x1080, 87 FPS at 2560x1440, and 22 FPS to 51 FPS at 3840x2160 on the same preset.

The CPU’s closest rivals indicate a narrow window around its performance. Relative to the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE (average score 29656, deltaPct 0.2), the Ryzen 5 9600X is slightly stronger. Against the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H (average score 29868, deltaPct -0.5) it is slightly lower; against the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT (average score 29879, deltaPct -0.6) it is also slightly lower; and versus the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS (average score 29955, deltaPct -0.8) it is just a little further back. Those sub-1 percent differences mean that among these four alternatives, Thief performance should be extremely close in CPU-bound scenarios.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti’s nearest rivals cluster similarly. Against the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile (average score 29928, deltaPct 0.1), the RTX 3070 Ti is 0.1% ahead. Against the AMD Radeon RX 6800 (average score 30095, deltaPct -0.5), it is 0.5% behind. Against the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti (average score 29783, deltaPct 0.5), it is 0.5% ahead, and against the AMD Radeon RX 6700 (average score 30433, deltaPct -1.6) it is 1.6% behind. These margins are small enough that game-specific drivers and memory bandwidth (608.3 GB/s on the 3070 Ti) become the deciding factors.

In absolute terms, the data shows a machine that can drive Thief’s 1080p Ultra to 120 FPS and High to 127 FPS, then falls to 51 FPS at 4K Ultra. Given that 4K Low renders 89 FPS, the combination is limited by the GPU at ultra-high resolution—not the CPU.

FAQ

Q: What CPU is used in this tested combination?

A: The CPU is the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, a desktop chip from the Ryzen 5 9000 series with the Zen 5 architecture (codenamed Granite Ridge). It uses 6 cores and 12 threads, has a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, and features a shared 32 MB L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR5 memory on AMD Socket AM5, uses 65W TDP, and has 24 PCIe Gen 5 lanes. Its launch MSRP is $279.

Q: Which graphics card is in this combo?

A: The GPU is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, from the GeForce 30-series, based on the GV104 Ampere chip. It has 8 GB GDDR6X on a 256-bit bus with 608.3 GB/s memory bandwidth. The GPU runs at a base clock of 1575 MHz and boost clock of 1770 MHz, with a TDP of 290 W, 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, 96 ROPs, and 48 RT cores. The card dates from the 30-series’ 2021 launch and is now end-of-life in the database.

Q: How many FPS does the combo hit at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 the measured data lists: Low 220 FPS average, Medium 167 FPS (min 142, max 192), High 127 FPS, and Ultra 120 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra is tiny—7 FPS—so the Ultra preset remains fully playable without any special configuration.

Q: Is this CPU or GPU bound in Thief?

A: The data suggests the GPU becomes the limiting factor at high resolution. At 1080p Low the CPU can produce 220 FPS, and as resolution climbs the frame rate falls steadily: Low 220 → 151 at 1440p → 89 at 4K. That pattern matches GPU-limited rendering. At 4K on High and Ultra the GPU drops to 51 and 49 FPS respectively, while the CPU still showed a very high score of 17528.5 in Cinebench R23 multi-threaded and 2183.5 in single-threaded.

Q: What is the average benchmark score of this CPU and how does it compare to rivals?

A: The CPU average benchmark score is 29713. Its nearest rival with a higher score is the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H at 29868, a 0.5% gap; the closest lower rival is the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE at 29656, which is 0.2% slower. All scores within 8.8% of this CPU’s score.

Q: Does this combination support DDR5 memory?

A: Yes, the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X supports DDR5 with dual-channel memory at 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth, and it also supports ECC memory. That is a caveat for affordable, long-term systems.

Resolution Scaling

The measured rows show a clear resolution curve. Going from 1920x1080, the 2560x1440 average is lower, and the 3840x2160 average is even lower at every setting tested. For High the numbers read 127, 87, and 51 respectively. For Low they read 220, 157, and 89. For Medium they are 167 with a min of 142 and max of 192 at 1080p, 114 with 97 min and 131 max at 1440p, and 67 with 57 min and 132? at 4K (actually min 57, max 65? Wait at 4K Medium avgFps 67, min 57, max 77). The "Max" value of 77 means the frame rate variance increases at 1440p, where the medium result has a 131 max over 131? Actually data: 4K42 min 57 max 77 (spread 20), 1440p 114 avg min 97 max 131 (spread 34), 1080p 167 142...192 (spread 50), so at higher resolution the min-to-max spread narrows. That is typical of GPU-bound cases where every frame waits on the renderer rather than the CPU.

The pencil shows that going from 1080p to 4K roughly halves the average frame rate on most presets. Low drops from 220 to 89, High from 127 to 51, Ultra from 121 to 49. Because the GPU’s other specs assign 8 GB GDDR6X and 608.3 GB/s bandwidth, the 4K row becomes close to the GPU’s ceiling. The measured Low result of 89 FPS at 2160p indicates the GPU can still sustain a playable 4K experience at lower visual quality, while Medium reaches 67 with a 57 FPS minimum. That pattern points to the 3070 Ti being the limiting factor above 1440p; pulling the resolution all the way down catches the CPU headroom at 220 FPS at 1080p Low.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The table below reproduces the entire measured FPS data set for Thief.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

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

| 3840x2160 | High | 51 | – | – |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 89 | – | – |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 90 | 57 | 77 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 30 | – | – |

| 2560x1440 | High | 87 | – | – |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 151 | – | – |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 171 | 97 | 77 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 157 | – | – |

| 1920x1080 | High | 127 | – | – |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 123 | – | – |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 60 | 142 | 77 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 121 | – | – |

The three medium rows include min/max FPS data: 4K Medium min 57 max 77, 1440p Medium min 97 max 131, and 1080p Medium min 142 max 192. All other listed rows have the minimum and maximum omitted in the source data.

In every setting, the data follows an inverse relation: reduce resolution and average FPS rises. The highest value recorded for the entire table is 323?? Actually the highest avg is 220 at 1080p Low. The lowest is Ultra 4K at 61 FPS. High preset at 4K sits at 51, and Ultra at 4K 49, making either one marginally playable but not fluid. Conversely, 1080p Ultra averages 121, and 1080p Medium reaches 167 with a 142 min. No measured 1080p preset drops below 120 FPS, while no measured 4Kp preset exceeds 89 FPS.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It has six physical cores and 12 threads, with a 65 W TDP and 32 MB shared L3 cache. Its base clock of 3.90 Gauge 3.90 GHz and boost up to 5.40 GHz. In the database, its Cinebench R23 multi-threaded score is 17528.5 and its single-threaded score 2183.5, while its Geekbench single-core score is 2923 and multi-core 14438. The PassMark multi-thread test records 30027 points and single-thread 1 points is 4570.

For a game released on the 2018 date field (2014-02-24), the 6-core/ 12-thread design provides more than enough foreground threads for Thief’s gameplay. Thief is an older title by the game’s release date, and the benchmark rows prove there is substantial headroom: at 192x1080 Low the frame rate is 220, meaning the CPU can deliver far more FPS than most displays require. Even when the GPU is switched to a heavy Ultra preset at 1440p (167 FPS), the CPU does not appear to hold the partition. At 1080p Ultra the result remains 121, so the chip’s base 3.90 GHz and boost 5.40 GHz are sufficient.

Where the CPU role becomes visible is at the 4K Low row. At 3840x2160 Low, the CPU still has to feed the GPU with 89 frames per second, so the CPU is not the primary limit. The weak relation, when compared to the 3.90 GHz / 5.40 GHz clock range and Cinebench 23 single-thread result, indicates that in this title a 9600X would be the pair delivering the same performance regardless of whether it is paired with a slower or faster GPU at identical resolution. There is less overhead to reduce the gap at 1440p; for example, 1080p Medium min 142, 1440p Medium min 97, 4K Medium min 57, which indicates frame pacing and consistency are better at lower resolution.

Settings Recommendations

Looking at the measured rows, Thief can be configured by preset. Low settings produce 220 FPS at 1080p, 151 at 1440p, and 61 at 4K, so for competitive speed or high-refresh monitors, Low at 1080p remains a viable setup for maximum frame rate. Medium presents a more balanced choice: at 1080p the average climbs to 167 with a 141 min and 192 max, at 1440p it drops to 114 with a 97 min, and at 4K it still delivers 67 average with a 57 min. So for a fixed 60 FPS target, Medium at 2560x1440 is the sweet spot, producing 1440p frame counts above 60 with reasonably stable min and max. At 3440x1440 Specifically, Medium at 1440p is 114, which is 67 fps above High at 4K value of 51 FPS.

High files arrive next: High at 1080p is 127 FPS, High at 1440p is 87 FPS, and High at 4K it falls to 51 FPS. Standard High is good for 1440p, and only processable at 4K if the user can tolerate 51 FPS. Ultra behaves similarly to High: 121 at 1080p, 83 at 1440p, and 30 at 4K. Thus, both High and Ultra are recommendable for 1080p/1440p; Ultra only at a 4K if image quality matters more than average frame rate.

The measured conclusion is: for best-iq and high frame, run 1440p Medium (114 FPS) or 1440p High (87 FPS). For maximum smoothness reach 1080p Medium (167 FPS). For reduced quality, 4K Low (89 FPS) surpasses 5, and 4K Medium provides 67 FPS with 22 min; however, since 4K Ultra and High both sit near 49–51, the 4K Premium at Medium is the only way to stay above 60 FPS at 4K using that preset tier. Users prioritizing 4K image should select Medium at / for 2560x1440; users prioritizing absolute smoothness should select one of the two 1440p presets, Medium or High. In every case, the CPU has little to worry about since the 1080p Low frame of 220 and the Cinebench scores confirm ample single-thread headroom.