Thief

# Thief with AMD Ryzen 7 5700G + Intel Arc B570

The pairing of AMD's Ryzen 7 5700G with Intel's Arc B570 produces a curious split in Thief's performance profile. Across the measured resolutions, this combo shows a steep performance cliff as resolution climbs, with the gap between Low and Ultra settings widening dramatically. The data reveals a system that is clearly capable at 1080p but struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K, pointing to a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions while the CPU's 8-core/16-thread configuration appears sufficient for the game's demands.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a pronounced drop as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, which strongly indicates that the Intel Arc B570 becomes the limiting factor at higher pixel counts. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 133 at 1080p to 91 at 1440p—a 31.6% reduction—then further to 54 at 4K, representing a 59.4% decline from the 1080p baseline. This steep scaling curve is characteristic of a GPU that is being pushed beyond its comfortable operating range as pixel throughput demands increase.

The pattern becomes even more telling when examining the High preset. The 1080p High average of 77 FPS drops to 53 at 1440p (a 31.2% decrease) and then to 31 at 4K (a 59.7% drop from 1080p). The consistency of these percentage declines across different settings—roughly 31% for the 1080p-to-1440p step and 59-60% for the full 1080p-to-4K jump—suggests a uniform scaling behavior tied to resolution rather than setting-specific quirks. This uniformity implies that the rendering pipeline is consistently bottlenecked by the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth at higher resolutions.

Medium settings tell a similar story with slightly different numbers: 101 FPS at 1080p, 69 at 1440p, and 41 at 4K. The spread between Low and Medium at 4K is 13 FPS (54 vs. 41), while the spread between Medium and High is 10 FPS (41 vs. 31), and High to Ultra is just 2 FPS (31 vs. 29). This narrowing gap at the top end of the settings range at 4K suggests that the GPU is hitting a hard performance ceiling where additional graphical fidelity from Ultra settings yields diminishing returns—the card simply cannot push more frames regardless of the quality preset.

At 1080p, the scaling is much healthier. The jump from Low (133 FPS) to Medium (101 FPS) represents a 24.1% performance cost, while Medium to High (77 FPS) costs another 23.8%. The Ultra preset at 73 FPS is only 5.2% slower than High, indicating that the GPU has enough headroom at 1080p to absorb the extra load from Ultra settings without a catastrophic frame rate collapse. This is the resolution where the combo demonstrates its best balance.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700G contributes 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture, running at a base clock of 3.80 GHz with a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. For a game released in 2014, this processor offers substantial compute capacity that likely exceeds the title's threading requirements. The CPU's benchmark scores reinforce this assessment—its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 12830.5 and single-core score of 1494 indicate strong per-thread performance that would benefit older game engines which often rely heavily on one or two primary threads.

The processor's 16 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth provide a solid foundation for feeding the GPU with draw calls and game state data. The 3DMark scores show a predictable scaling pattern: 899 for single-thread, 1758 for 2-threads, 3389 for 4-threads, 5648 for 8-threads, and 6627 for max-threads. The relatively modest jump from 8-threads to max-threads (from 5648 to 6627, a 17.3% increase) suggests that the additional threads beyond 8 provide limited benefit, which is consistent with a game from 2014 that likely does not scale efficiently across 16 threads.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 79 versus all CPUs places it in the upper quintile of processors, and its average benchmark score of 27051 is nearly identical to the Intel Core i9-9900K (27097, delta -0.2%) and slightly above the AMD Ryzen AI 7 445 (26936, delta 0.4%). This performance parity with a high-end desktop processor from a previous generation suggests that the 5700G is not the bottleneck in Thief's frame rate results. The fact that FPS drops so dramatically with resolution—while CPU load would remain relatively constant—further confirms that the processor is not limiting performance, as a CPU-bound scenario would show similar FPS across resolutions.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570, built on the Xe2-HPG architecture with a 5 nm process, brings 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, delivering 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 raster operating units provide the raw compute for this game. The GPU's clock speed is fixed at 2500 MHz for both base and boost, which simplifies performance prediction—there is no dynamic clock variation to account for in the measured results.

The memory configuration is particularly relevant for Thief at higher resolutions. The 10 GB capacity is likely sufficient for this 2014 title, but the 160-bit bus width and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth could become a limiting factor at 4K where texture fetch demands increase substantially. The measured frame rates at 4K (ranging from 29 FPS at Ultra to 54 FPS at Low) suggest that the GPU's memory subsystem or shader throughput is being saturated, as the performance cliff between 1440p and 4K is steep.

The GPU's benchmark results show it performing at the 65th percentile versus all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, scores 20534 (delta 0.1%), placing the B570 in solid mid-range territory. The Intel Arc A750 is almost exactly matched at 20582 (delta -0.1%), indicating that the B570 offers comparable raw compute to its predecessor generation. For a game like Thief, which was released before the GPU's architecture existed, driver optimization for older titles could influence the measured results, though the data as presented shows consistent performance scaling across settings and resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 7 5700G and Arc B570 ranks 2296 out of 2851 tested combos in Thief, placing it in the 19.5th percentile of all combinations tested. This ranking is notably lower than what the individual component percentiles might suggest—the CPU sits at the 79th percentile and the GPU at the 65th percentile. The discrepancy implies that Thief specifically does not favor this pairing, possibly due to the GPU's performance characteristics in this particular game engine or the CPU's architecture not aligning well with the game's threading model.

This rank of 2296 out of 2851 means that roughly 80% of tested combinations deliver better performance in Thief. The gap between the component-level percentiles and the in-game rank suggests that Thief's engine may not fully utilize the strengths of either component. The CPU's strong multi-threaded performance, as evidenced by its 3DMark max-threads score of 6627, may be underutilized if Thief primarily relies on fewer threads. Similarly, the GPU's 11.52 TFLOPS FP32 compute may not translate directly to frame rates if the game's shader complexity or memory access patterns do not align with the B570's architecture.

The measured FPS values at 1080p Medium (101 FPS average) and 1080p High (77 FPS) are respectable for a stealth game, but the rank suggests that many other component combinations achieve higher frame rates. The Ultra preset at 1080p (73 FPS) and 1440p (50 FPS) shows the combo falling below the 60 FPS threshold at higher resolutions, which likely contributes to the below-median ranking. The data implies that this pairing is better suited for less demanding titles or lower resolution gaming rather than pushing maximum settings in Thief.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers an average of 101 FPS with a minimum of 86 FPS, providing a smooth experience that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS while maintaining visual quality. For players prioritizing higher visual fidelity, the High preset at 77 FPS still offers a playable experience, but the Ultra preset at 73 FPS provides only a marginal improvement over High while costing additional performance headroom.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset (69 FPS average, 59 FPS minimum) is the highest quality setting that maintains an average above 60 FPS. The High preset drops to 53 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold and may result in noticeable stuttering or reduced smoothness in a stealth game where precise timing matters. The Low preset at 91 FPS offers excellent performance but sacrifices visual detail that could impact the atmospheric quality of Thief's dark environments.

At 3840x2160, none of the settings achieve 60 FPS. The Low preset at 54 FPS is the only option that approaches playable frame rates, while Medium (41 FPS), High (31 FPS), and Ultra (29 FPS) all fall well below what most players would consider acceptable for a game requiring quick reactions. Given the data, 4K gaming with this combo is not recommended for Thief unless the player is willing to accept significant compromises in visual quality for marginal performance gains.

For the best balance of performance and visual quality, the 1080p Medium preset offers the most compelling experience: 101 FPS average with a minimum of 86 FPS provides a wide safety margin above 60 FPS, ensuring consistent frame pacing. At 1440p, dropping to Medium (69 FPS) is the recommended choice to maintain playability, while 4K should be avoided entirely based on the measured results.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 133 FPS average
• Medium: 101 FPS average, 86 FPS minimum, 116 FPS maximum
• High: 77 FPS average
• Ultra: 73 FPS average

The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a 45.1% performance reduction, with the largest single-step drop occurring between Medium and High (24 FPS, a 23.8% decrease). The jump from Low to Medium costs 32 FPS (24.1%), while High to Ultra costs only 4 FPS (5.2%), indicating diminishing returns at the top end.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 91 FPS average
• Medium: 69 FPS average, 59 FPS minimum, 79 FPS maximum
• High: 53 FPS average
• Ultra: 50 FPS average

At 1440p, the performance drops more uniformly across settings. The Low-to-Medium step costs 22 FPS (24.2%), Medium-to-High costs 16 FPS (23.2%), and High-to-Ultra costs 3 FPS (5.7%). The minimum FPS of 59 at Medium settings is just below the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting occasional frame dips that could be noticeable.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 54 FPS average
• Medium: 41 FPS average, 35 FPS minimum, 47 FPS maximum
• High: 31 FPS average
• Ultra: 29 FPS average

The 4K results show a catastrophic performance drop. Low-to-Medium costs 13 FPS (24.1%), Medium-to-High costs 10 FPS (24.4%), and High-to-Ultra costs 2 FPS (6.5%). The minimum FPS of 35 at Medium settings indicates significant frame time variance, which would likely manifest as stuttering in gameplay.

FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 5700G sufficient for playing Thief at 1080p?

A: Yes, the data shows the CPU is not a bottleneck. At 1080p, the combo achieves 133 FPS at Low, 101 FPS at Medium, and 77 FPS at High settings. The processor's 8 cores and 16 threads with a boost clock of 4.60 GHz provide ample compute power for this 2014 title, and its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 12830.5 indicates strong multi-threaded capability.

Q: Can this combo run Thief at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: No, based on the measured data, no settings preset achieves 60 FPS at 3840x2160. The best result is 54 FPS at Low settings, with Medium at 41 FPS, High at 31 FPS, and Ultra at 29 FPS. These frame rates are below the threshold for smooth gameplay in a stealth title.

Q: What is the best settings preset for this combo at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 delivers 69 FPS average with a 59 FPS minimum, which is the highest quality setting that maintains an average above 60 FPS. The High preset drops to 53 FPS, which may result in less consistent frame pacing during gameplay.

Q: How does the Arc B570 compare to its closest GPU rival in terms of benchmark scores?

A: The Intel Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556, which is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile at 20534 (0.1% delta) and the Intel Arc A750 at 20582 (-0.1% delta). The B570 sits at the 65th percentile versus all GPUs.

Q: Does the CPU's performance ranking align with the in-game performance ranking?

A: No, there is a significant discrepancy. The CPU ranks at the 79th percentile versus all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 27051, but the combo ranks 2296 out of 2851 in Thief (roughly the 19.5th percentile of combos). This suggests Thief's engine does not fully leverage the CPU's strengths.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 73 FPS. This is only 4 FPS lower than the High preset (77 FPS), indicating that Ultra provides diminishing returns for the additional performance cost. The minimum FPS at this setting is not recorded in the data.