Thief

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER delivers a solid, if not spectacular, showing in Thief. The data indicates a system that is clearly capable of high-refresh-rate 1080p play, but which begins to show its age as resolution demands increase. The measured frame rates across three resolutions and four quality presets paint a clear picture of a balanced, though GPU-limited, configuration in this 2014 stealth title.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data shows a predictable decline as resolution scales upward, but the magnitude of that decline reveals the underlying performance bottleneck. At 1080p, the combination is exceptionally strong. The Low preset produces an average of 145.4 FPS, while the Ultra preset still manages 95.7 FPS. This suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is doing most of the heavy lifting, allowing the GPU to push high frame rates even with maximum settings. The drop from Low to Ultra at 1080p is roughly 34%, indicating that the graphics card still has headroom.

Moving to 1440p, the scaling becomes more pronounced. The Low preset average falls to 119.9 FPS, a 17.5% reduction from the 1080p figure. The Ultra preset at 1440p yields 66.1 FPS, a 31% drop from its 1080p counterpart. This pattern continues at 4K, where the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor. At 3840x2160, the Low preset average is 69.1 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 38.6 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 44%, which demonstrates how much the RTX 2070 SUPER's raw rendering capabilities are stressed at this resolution.

The scaling behavior across resolutions indicates a classic GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. The CPU, with its 8 cores and 16 threads based on Zen 3 architecture, is more than capable of feeding the GPU at 1080p. However, as the pixel count increases, the GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth become the primary constraints. The data shows that the 4K Ultra setting is simply too demanding for this hardware, resulting in a sub-40 FPS average that would be noticeable in a stealth game requiring smooth camera movement. The 1440p High setting, at 70.5 FPS, represents a much more reasonable target for a balance of visual quality and fluidity.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average frame rate at 1920x1080 with the High preset is 98 FPS. This suggests a highly playable experience for most users on standard 60Hz or 144Hz monitors.

Q: How does the 4K Ultra experience compare to 1080p Ultra?

A: The 4K Ultra preset averages 38.6 FPS, whereas the 1080p Ultra preset averages 95.7 FPS. This represents a 59.7% reduction in performance when moving from Full HD to 4K, confirming that the GPU is overwhelmed at the highest resolution.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 5700X3D a bottleneck for the RTX 2070 SUPER in this game?

A: The benchmark data does not indicate a significant CPU bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 145.4 FPS, which is a very high frame rate. This suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU well, and the performance drop at higher resolutions is primarily due to GPU limitations.

Q: What is the best resolution for a smooth 60+ FPS experience?

A: Based on the measured data, the 1440p High preset offers 70.5 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. The 1080p Ultra preset, at 95.7 FPS, also provides an excellent experience. For 4K, only the Low preset exceeds 60 FPS, with an average of 69.1 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested combinations?

A: The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks at 991 out of 1642 tested combos for this game. This places it in the upper half of all tested systems, though not at the top tier.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Medium presets at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 145.4 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 127.7 FPS. The difference of 17.7 FPS indicates that the Medium preset offers a significant visual upgrade without a major performance penalty.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the decisive factor in this configuration's performance profile. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, a 256-bit bus, and a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the data shows the card reaching its limits at 4K. The GPU's base clock of 1605 MHz and boost clock of 1770 MHz are the engine that drives these results, and its 2560 shading units handle the game's rendering workload. The card's performance relative to other GPUs, placing in the 65th percentile, demonstrates that it is a competent mid-range to upper-mid-range part.

The benchmark results show that the GPU is the primary constraint at 4K resolutions. As settings are increased from Low to Ultra at 3840x2160, the average frame rate drops from 69.1 FPS to 38.6 FPS. This is a clear sign that the card's compute resources and memory bandwidth are being saturated. The difference between the 1080p Ultra (95.7 FPS) and 4K Ultra (38.6 FPS) scores highlights the significant cost of rendering four times the pixels. The RTX 2070 SUPER, despite its age, still provides a playable experience at 1440p, where the High preset achieves 70.5 FPS. The data suggests that users should treat this as a 1440p-class GPU for modern titles, with 1080p being its true comfort zone for high refresh rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The system's overall performance in Thief, as measured by its combo rank, places it at 991 out of 1642 tested combinations. This ranking puts it in the 60th percentile of tested systems, indicating that a majority of other configurations are more powerful. However, this rank needs to be interpreted in the context of the game's age and the hardware's capabilities. The data shows that this specific pairing is not at the advanced, but it is far from being a low-end performer. The CPU's average benchmark score of 24673 places it in the 82nd percentile of all CPUs, showing that the processor is a high-performing component.

The CPU's nearest rivals, based on average benchmark score, include the Intel Core i7-1360P and the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D, with score deltas of 0.2% and 0.3% respectively. This indicates that the Ryzen 7 5700X3D is on par with these modern processors. The GPU, on the other hand, has a lower average benchmark score of 22206, placing it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A400, is only 0.5% faster, showing that the 2070 SUPER is a well-known quantity. The combination's rank of 991 suggests that the GPU, not the CPU, is likely holding the system back from achieving a higher position in the overall rankings for this game.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the recommended settings depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For users with a 1080p monitor, the Ultra preset is the best choice. It delivers an average of 95.7 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and suitable for high-refresh-rate displays. The Medium preset, at 127.7 FPS, offers a significant performance boost for competitive play, but the visual fidelity of Ultra is worth the frame rate trade-off for most players in a stealth game.

For 1440p, the High preset is the recommended starting point. It provides an average of 70.5 FPS, which is a smooth and immersive experience. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 66.1 FPS, which is still playable, but the 4.4 FPS difference between High and Ultra suggests that the High preset is the sweet spot for maintaining a stable frame rate. The Medium preset at 1440p (89.4 FPS) is an option for those who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity.

At 4K, the options are more limited. The Low preset is the only setting that consistently provides a playable experience, with an average of 69.1 FPS. The Medium preset (52.6 FPS) and High preset (41.3 FPS) are below the 60 FPS target and may result in noticeable judder. The Ultra preset, at 38.6 FPS, is not recommended for serious play. Therefore, for 4K, the data strongly suggests using the Low preset to maintain fluidity, or dropping to 1440p and using the High preset for a better balance of image quality and performance.