Thief

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT paired with the Intel Arc B370 produces a narrow range of frame rates in Thief, with the combination ranking in the 8th percentile of tested configurations. The data indicates a system where the integrated-class GPU is the primary constraint, as the CPU’s substantial multi-threaded capabilities are never fully utilized. The following analysis breaks down the measured performance across resolutions and settings, using only the provided benchmark data.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is severe, revealing a GPU-bound scenario. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 78 at 1920x1080 to 53 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 25 FPS, and then to 31 at 3840x2160, a further reduction of 22 FPS. This linear decline with pixel count is characteristic of a system limited by the graphics processor. The Intel Arc B370’s modest 6.144 TFLOPS FP32 throughput and 20 ROPs are simply insufficient to maintain performance as the render target expands.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all presets. At High settings, the averages are 45 FPS at 1080p, 31 FPS at 1440p, and 18 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is 14 FPS, while the gap between 1440p and 4K is 13 FPS. This nearly identical step-down suggests that the limiting factor is the same at each resolution: raw pixel throughput. The CPU’s role is minimal here, as a more powerful processor would not alleviate the GPU’s inability to fill pixels at higher resolutions.

Ultra settings show the same trend, with 43 FPS at 1080p dropping to 29 FPS at 1440p and 17 FPS at 4K. The data implies that even at 1080p, the GPU is nearing its ceiling, as the difference between High and Ultra at that resolution is only 2 FPS. The 4K Ultra result of 17 FPS is essentially unplayable, and the 4K Medium result of 24 FPS is not much better. The limiting component is unequivocally the Intel Arc B370, as the Ryzen 7 5800XT’s 3DMark scores indicate ample headroom for this 2014 title.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average frame rate achievable with this combo?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 78, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only configuration that surpasses the 60 FPS threshold in the measured data.

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

A: Performance at 3840x2160 is weak across all presets. The average FPS ranges from 17 at Ultra to 31 at Low, with Medium at 24 FPS and High at 18 FPS. None of these results are suitable for smooth gameplay.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in Thief?

A: The data strongly indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. The Intel Arc B370 has a benchmark score of 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. In contrast, the Ryzen 7 5800XT has an average benchmark score of 29879, placing it in the 81st percentile, making the processor’s capability far beyond what this game requires.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 53 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 29 FPS. This is a 24 FPS drop, showing that the GPU’s limited shading units and texture units are heavily taxed by higher-quality settings.

Q: Does the combo have any playable settings at 1080p?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset averages 59 FPS, and the High preset averages 45 FPS. The Low preset averages 78 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 43 FPS, which is lower than High, indicating a performance cliff.

Q: How does the GPU’s memory configuration affect results?

A: The Intel Arc B370 uses System Shared memory with System Dependent bandwidth. This means the GPU relies on the system’s DDR4 memory, which has a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s for the CPU. This shared arrangement likely contributes to the steep performance drop at higher resolutions, as memory bandwidth becomes a limiting factor.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT + Intel Arc B370 combination is ranked 2634 out of 2851 tested combos in Thief. This places it in the bottom 7.6% of all configurations, a position consistent with the GPU’s low benchmark standing. The Intel Arc B370’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 is only 0.2% lower than the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570’s score of 1186, and 0.7% lower than the AMD Radeon HD 7650M’s score of 1192. These are legacy mobile and desktop parts, indicating the Arc B370 is competing with hardware from over a decade ago in raw compute terms.

The CPU’s rank is far more favorable. The Ryzen 7 5800XT sits in the 81st percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29879. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H, scores 29868, a delta of 0%. The Ryzen 5 9600X scores 29713, which is 0.6% lower. This shows the processor is a high-performing part, but its capabilities are wasted in this pairing. The combo’s low rank is entirely attributable to the GPU, which holds back the system. The data suggests that any modern discrete GPU would rank significantly higher with this CPU, but the Arc B370’s integrated-class performance limits the entire system to low-end results.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the system’s limits. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 78 FPS, the highest result in the entire dataset. The Medium preset averages 59 FPS, with a minimum of 50 FPS and a maximum of 68 FPS. The High preset averages 45 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 43 FPS. The small gap between High and Ultra (2 FPS) suggests that the GPU’s shading units are saturated, and additional graphical features have minimal impact on the frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 53 FPS, a drop of 25 FPS from 1080p. The Medium preset averages 41 FPS, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 47 FPS. The High preset averages 31 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 29 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra narrows to 2 FPS, consistent with the 1080p results. The 1440p data shows that even Low settings cannot maintain a stable 60 FPS, as the average is 7 FPS short of that mark.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 31 FPS, the Medium preset averages 24 FPS, with a minimum of 20 FPS and a maximum of 27 FPS. The High preset averages 18 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 17 FPS. The 4K results are uniformly poor, with no preset reaching 32 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 20 FPS highlights the instability at this resolution. The data shows a consistent pattern: the GPU’s performance halves roughly with each doubling of pixel count, confirming that the Intel Arc B370 is the sole bottleneck.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370’s specifications explain its poor performance in Thief. It has 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 ROPs. Its base clock is 300 MHz, boosting to 2400 MHz, and it offers a pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute is 6.144 TFLOPS. These figures are low for a modern GPU, and the benchmark score of 1184 places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the ATI Radeon HD 5770, scores 1190, which is 0.5% higher, showing the Arc B370 is no faster than a GPU from 2009.

The memory configuration is a major weakness. The Arc B370 uses System Shared memory, meaning it has no dedicated VRAM. The memory type, bus width, and bandwidth are all listed as System Shared or System Dependent. This forces the GPU to share the system’s DDR4 memory, which has a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s for the CPU. In Thief, a game that relies on texture streaming, this shared memory arrangement likely causes stuttering and low frame rates, especially at higher resolutions where memory demand increases. The 10 RT cores and support for DirectX 12 Ultimate are irrelevant for a 2014 title like Thief, which was designed for older APIs.

The GPU’s low TDP of 25 W and IGP slot width further underscore its integrated nature. The pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s is insufficient for 4K rendering, as the data shows. The relationship between the GPU’s specs and the game’s results is clear: the Arc B370’s limited ROPs and shared memory cannot handle the pixel fill requirements of Thief at higher resolutions, leading to the observed frame rate drops.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the only viable settings for a consistent experience are at 1920x1080. The Low preset averages 78 FPS, which is the smoothest result. The Medium preset averages 59 FPS, with a minimum of 50 FPS, making it borderline playable for those who prefer better visual quality. The High preset averages 45 FPS, which dips below the 60 FPS standard, and the Ultra preset averages 43 FPS, offering no advantage over High.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 53 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. The Medium preset averages 41 FPS, and the High and Ultra presets average 31 and 29 FPS, respectively. These results are too low for a smooth experience. At 3840x2160, all presets are below 32 FPS, making 4K unplayable with this hardware.

The optimal choice is the Low preset at 1080p, as it provides the highest frame rate. If visual fidelity is a priority, the Medium preset at 1080p offers a 59 FPS average, which is within the acceptable range. The data shows no benefit to using Ultra settings, as the performance gain from High to Ultra is negligible (2 FPS at 1080p and 1440p). The GPU’s limited texture units and ROPs mean that higher settings do not translate to better image quality relative to the frame rate cost.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT is a high-end processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, based on the Zen 3 architecture. Its base clock is 3.80 GHz, boosting to 4.80 GHz, and it has a 32 MB shared L3 cache. The CPU’s benchmark scores are robust: Cinebench R23 multi-core is 23794, and single-core is 3359. The Passmark multi-thread score is 28053, and the single-thread score is 3535. The 3DMark max threads score is 7680, and the 16-thread score is 7683, showing excellent scaling.

In Thief, a game from 2014, the CPU’s capabilities are vastly overkill. The game was designed for much older hardware, and the data confirms this. The measured FPS does not vary with CPU load; instead, it is entirely dependent on the GPU. The CPU’s percentile rank of 81 indicates it is better than most processors, but this has no bearing on the game’s performance. The Ryzen 7 5800XT’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H with a 0% delta, are equally capable, yet none of them can overcome the GPU bottleneck.

The CPU’s memory support for DDR4 with dual-channel bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s is sufficient for this game. The L3 cache of 32 MB is more than enough for Thief’s data requirements. The processor’s role in this combo is to feed the GPU, but the GPU is too weak to request more than a fraction of the CPU’s potential. The data shows no scenario where the CPU limits performance; even at 1080p Low, the 78 FPS average is far below what the Ryzen 7 5800XT could deliver if paired with a stronger GPU. Thus, the CPU is a passive component in this configuration, with its performance headroom entirely unused.