Thief

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 is an 8-core, 16-thread processor from the 7000 series, built on the Zen 4 architecture (Raphael) using a 5 nm process. It operates at a base clock of 3.80 GHz and boosts up to 5.30 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The processor's cache layout includes 64 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and a shared 32 MB L3 cache. This configuration places it in the 91st percentile among all CPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 40,468.

In Thief, the CPU's role is largely about maintaining high frame rates at lower resolutions and settings, where the graphics card is less burdened. The 8-core/16-thread design provides ample headroom for the game's threading model, which was designed for 2014 hardware. Benchmark results show that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 196.6 FPS, while at 1080p Ultra it drops to 159 FPS. The spread of only 37.6 FPS between the lowest and highest settings at 1080p suggests the CPU can feed the GPU effectively even when graphical load increases.

The Ryzen 7 7700's single-thread performance, as measured by Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4,136, is critical for Thief's engine, which relies heavily on single-threaded game logic. The multi-threaded score of 29,302 indicates that even if the game attempts to use more threads, the CPU has substantial reserves. Compared to its nearest rivals, the Ryzen 7 7700 is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 9 7940H (0.1% faster) and AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 (0.5% faster), while being 0.6% slower than the Intel Core i9-13905H and 1.2% faster than the Intel Core Ultra 5 235T. These negligible differences mean that CPU selection among these options would not meaningfully alter Thief's performance.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture (AD104 chip) using a 5 nm process. It features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has a base clock of 1980 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz, with memory running at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective). Its 7,168 shading units and 80 ROPs handle rasterization, while 56 RT cores and 224 tensor cores provide additional features. The card's FP32 performance is 35.48 TFLOPS, and it sits in the 84th percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 42,576.

In Thief, the RTX 4070 SUPER's 12 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for the game's textures and geometry, even at 4K Ultra where the average FPS is 64.5. The GPU's memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s prevents bottlenecking at high resolutions, as evidenced by the scaling from 1080p to 4K. The GPU is the dominant component in this pairing, particularly at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 196.6 FPS, but at 4K Ultra it falls to 64.5 FPS — a 67.2% drop that is primarily attributable to the GPU's rendering load.

The RTX 4070 SUPER's nearest rivals show it performing within a narrow band: it is 0.2% slower than the NVIDIA RTX A6000, 0.3% slower than the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE, 1.4% faster than the AMD Radeon Pro 580X, and 1.6% faster than the NVIDIA Tesla M40. These margins are small enough that real-world game performance would be virtually indistinguishable among these cards in Thief.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo handle Thief at 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 64.5 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS threshold commonly considered smooth for single-player stealth games, though it leaves limited headroom for frame drops.

Q: How much faster is 1080p compared to 4K at the same settings?

A: At High settings, the combo delivers 162.6 FPS at 1080p versus 68.1 FPS at 4K, representing a 2.4x improvement. At Ultra settings, the gap narrows slightly: 159 FPS at 1080p versus 64.5 FPS at 4K, a 2.5x difference.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in Thief?

A: The GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 196.6 FPS, but at 4K Low it drops to 112.3 FPS — a 42.9% reduction. This indicates that the GPU's rendering capacity is the primary constraint as resolution increases.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings produce 176.4 FPS, while Ultra produces 109.4 FPS. This 67 FPS difference (38% reduction) shows the impact of graphics quality presets on frame rate.

Q: Does the RTX 4070 SUPER have enough VRAM for Thief?

A: Yes. The GPU has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory, and Thief is a 2014 title that does not require large texture pools. The game runs without issue even at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS remains above 60.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 161st out of 1,642 tested combinations, placing it in the top 9.8% of all configurations tested for Thief.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, all settings presets deliver playable frame rates: Low produces 196.6 FPS, Medium 183.1 FPS, High 162.6 FPS, and Ultra 159 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra is only 3.6 FPS, making Ultra the clear choice for visual quality at this resolution without meaningful performance sacrifice.

At 2560x1440, the situation is similar but with more separation between presets. Low delivers 176.4 FPS, Medium 146.3 FPS, High 111.4 FPS, and Ultra 109.4 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra remains small (2 FPS), so Ultra is still recommended for the best visual experience. However, users with high-refresh-rate monitors (144 Hz or higher) might prefer Medium settings to stay above 144 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is more heavily taxed. Low produces 112.3 FPS, Medium 88.4 FPS, High 68.1 FPS, and Ultra 64.5 FPS. For a smooth 60 FPS experience, High settings are the safest choice, providing a 4.1 FPS buffer above the threshold. Ultra is viable but leaves only 4.5 FPS of headroom, which could result in noticeable drops during intense scenes. Medium settings offer a more comfortable margin at 88.4 FPS while still providing substantial visual improvements over Low.

The data suggests that Ultra presets are the best overall choice for 1080p and 1440p, while High is the recommended preset for 4K to balance visual fidelity with frame rate stability.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination ranks 161st out of 1,642 tested combos in Thief. This places it in the top 9.8% of all configurations, indicating strong overall performance. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU's 91st percentile standing and the GPU's 84th percentile position.

The high rank is driven primarily by the GPU's ability to maintain playable frame rates at 4K while delivering exceptional performance at lower resolutions. The combo's weakest point is at 4K Ultra, where the 64.5 FPS average is above 60 FPS but not by a wide margin. At 1080p, the combo is effectively unconstrained, with even Ultra settings producing 159 FPS — far beyond what most monitors can display.

The rank of 161 out of 1,642 means that 1,481 tested combinations performed worse, while 160 performed better. Given that Thief is a 2014 title, the fact that this modern mid-to-high-end combo ranks in the top 10% suggests that the game is well-optimized for current hardware and that the CPU-GPU balance is appropriate for the game's demands.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. Low produces 196.6 FPS, Medium 183.1 FPS, High 162.6 FPS, and Ultra 159 FPS. The maximum difference between presets is 37.6 FPS, which is relatively small in percentage terms (19.1% drop from Low to Ultra). This indicates that at 1080p, the CPU and GPU work together efficiently, with the GPU not being fully saturated even at Ultra settings.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but shows more separation between presets. Low produces 176.4 FPS, Medium 146.3 FPS, High 111.4 FPS, and Ultra 109.4 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 67 FPS, or 38.0% lower. The jump from Medium to High is particularly steep at 34.9 FPS, suggesting that High settings introduce significantly more GPU workload than Medium.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. Low produces 112.3 FPS, Medium 88.4 FPS, High 68.1 FPS, and Ultra 64.5 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 47.8 FPS, or 42.6%. Interestingly, the gap between High and Ultra is only 3.6 FPS, suggesting that Ultra adds minimal additional load over High at this resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals how the combo's components interact under increasing GPU load. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 196.6 FPS at 1080p to 112.3 FPS at 4K, a 42.9% reduction. At Medium settings, the drop is from 183.1 FPS to 88.4 FPS, a 51.7% reduction. At High settings, it goes from 162.6 FPS to 68.1 FPS, a 58.1% reduction. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 159 FPS to 64.5 FPS, a 59.4% reduction.

The pattern is clear: higher settings cause a larger percentage drop when moving from 1080p to 4K. This is because the GPU's pixel and shading workload scales with resolution, and higher presets amplify this effect. The CPU's performance remains constant across resolutions, so the diminishing frame rates are entirely attributable to the GPU.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is less severe. At Low, the drop is 20.2 FPS (10.3%); at Medium, 36.8 FPS (20.1%); at High, 51.2 FPS (31.5%); and at Ultra, 49.6 FPS (31.2%). This suggests that the GPU has sufficient headroom at 1080p to absorb the additional pixel load at 1440p for lower settings, but begins to struggle as settings increase.

The data indicates that the GPU is the limiting component at resolutions above 1080p, particularly with High and Ultra settings. At 1080p, the combo is well-balanced, but the RTX 4070 SUPER's performance ceiling becomes apparent at 4K Ultra, where it just barely maintains 60 FPS. For users prioritizing 4K gaming, reducing settings to High is recommended to maintain a comfortable frame rate margin.