Thief

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X and Intel Arc B390 combination delivers a highly variable experience in Thief, with playability hinging almost entirely on resolution and graphics preset selection. The data shows a stark divide: 1080p is broadly playable, 1440p requires a compromise on settings, and 4K is largely a non-starter for smooth gameplay. This analysis breaks down the measured performance to guide configuration choices.

Settings Recommendations

Benchmark results indicate that the Low preset is the only reliable path to high refresh rates, while Medium offers the best balance of visual fidelity and playability for most users. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 86 FPS, which is a substantial 30% performance headroom over the Medium preset's 66 FPS. This headroom ensures consistent frame pacing and avoids dips below the 60 FPS threshold. For gamers prioritizing smoothness, Low at 1080p is the definitive choice.

However, the Medium preset at 1920x1080 presents the strongest case for the best overall experience. The 66 FPS average with a measured minimum of 56 FPS and maximum of 75 FPS indicates that the combination can hold near-60 FPS gameplay with only minor fluctuations. The jump from Low to Medium provides a significant visual uplift in texture and shadow quality, which is more impactful in a stealth title where environmental readability matters. The measured data shows that Medium at 1080p is the sweet spot, offering a playable frame rate while avoiding the visual compromises of the Low preset.

At 2560x1440, the situation becomes more challenging. The Low preset is the only option that maintains a playable average, hitting 59 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 45 FPS, which is playable but may feel less fluid in fast-paced traversal. The High and Ultra presets at 1440p fall to 34 FPS and 33 FPS respectively, which are below the threshold for a smooth experience. Therefore, for 1440p gaming, the Low preset is recommended as the only viable option for consistent performance, as it is the sole configuration that keeps the average frame rate near the 60 FPS target. The High preset at 1440p should be avoided, as the 34 FPS average represents a 42% performance loss compared to Low.

For 4K (3840x2160), no preset delivers a playable experience. The highest average FPS is 35 on the Low preset, which is still below the standard for comfortable gameplay. The Ultra preset at 4K yields a mere 19 FPS, making it a slideshow. Consequently, the data suggests that 4K is not a viable resolution for this hardware combination in Thief. The Low preset at 4K is the only configuration that even approaches playability, but the 35 FPS average is likely to be too choppy for most users. Users should strongly consider lowering the resolution to 1440p or 1080p to achieve acceptable performance.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the primary bottleneck in this configuration, a fact made clear by its benchmark scores and the performance scaling observed in Thief. The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, indicating it is a low-power integrated graphics solution. Its nearest rivals, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and GeForce 800M, have average scores of 1463 and 1460 respectively, with the Arc B390 being just 1.3% and 1.5% faster. This places it in a performance tier far below what is typically required for modern gaming at high resolutions.

The GPU's specifications reinforce its position as a limiting factor. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, but its memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system's main DDR5 memory rather than dedicated VRAM. The memory bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which is a critical weakness. In Thief, a game that requires streaming textures and geometry, the shared memory architecture is likely to cause stuttering and reduced performance, especially at higher settings where memory pressure increases. The GPU's 24 ROPs and 48 TMUs are also modest numbers for a 2014 game like Thief, which was designed for the dedicated GPUs of its era.

The measured FPS in Thief reflects this GPU limitation. At 1080p, the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets is 38 FPS (86 vs 48), a 44% drop. This scaling indicates that the GPU is struggling to process the increased shading and texture work at higher presets. The low 7.680 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate are simply not enough to maintain high frame rates when the render load increases. The GPU's performance is the single largest factor preventing this system from achieving high frame rates at 1440p and 4K, where the pixel count and shading demands outpace its capabilities.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Thief at 4K resolution?

A: No. The measured data shows that even at the Low preset, the average FPS at 3840x2160 is only 35. The High preset drops to 20 FPS, and the Ultra preset to 19 FPS. These results are all below the threshold for smooth, playable gameplay.

Q: What is the best graphics preset for 1080p gaming?

A: The Medium preset provides the best balance. It achieves an average of 66 FPS with a minimum of 56 FPS and a maximum of 75 FPS. While the Low preset is faster at 86 FPS, the Medium preset offers a significant visual improvement while maintaining a frame rate that is close to the 60 FPS target.

Q: How much faster is the Low preset compared to Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 86 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves 48 FPS. This represents a 79% performance increase for the Low preset over Ultra, making it a massive difference in fluidity.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck in this game?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The Intel Arc B390's benchmark score is in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are entry-level mobile parts. The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a dramatic drop, which is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Medium presets at 1080p and 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 1080p averages 66 FPS. At 2560x1440, the same preset averages 45 FPS. This is a 32% reduction in performance when moving from 1080p to 1440p, highlighting the resolution sensitivity of the GPU.

Q: Does the Intel Arc B390 have dedicated video memory?

A: No. The FACT PACK lists the memory size, type, and bus width as "System Shared." This means it uses the system's main memory, and its bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which can be a limiting factor for performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed view of performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the system performs best. The Low preset leads with an average of 86 FPS. The Medium preset follows with an average of 66 FPS, with a recorded min of 56 FPS and max of 75 FPS. The High preset averages 50 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 48 FPS. The progression shows that each step up in settings costs a significant number of frames, with a 20 FPS drop from Low to Medium and a further 16 FPS drop from Medium to High.

At 2560x1440, the performance takes a substantial hit. The Low preset averages 59 FPS, which is barely playable. The Medium preset drops to 45 FPS, with a min of 38 FPS and max of 52 FPS. The High and Ultra presets are nearly identical, averaging 34 FPS and 33 FPS respectively. The gap between the Low and Medium presets is 14 FPS, while the drop from Medium to High is 11 FPS, showing that the GPU struggles to maintain high frame rates at this resolution regardless of the visual settings.

At 3840x2160, the performance is critically low. The Low preset averages 35 FPS. The Medium preset averages 26 FPS, with a min of 22 FPS and max of 30 FPS. The High preset averages 20 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 19 FPS. The difference between the Low and Ultra presets is only 16 FPS, indicating that the GPU is completely overwhelmed by the pixel count, and changes in settings have a diminished impact on the final frame rate. The data shows that 4K is not a viable option for this configuration.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and reveals a system that is heavily GPU-bound. At the Low preset, the average FPS falls from 86 at 1080p to 59 at 1440p, a 31% decrease. Moving from 1440p to 4K, the FPS falls further from 59 to 35, a 41% decrease. This linear and dramatic scaling is a classic indicator of a GPU that is running out of pixel processing power. The render output units and shading units of the Intel Arc B390 are simply not sufficient for the increased load of higher resolutions.

The scaling becomes even more pronounced at higher settings. At the Medium preset, the FPS drops from 66 at 1080p to 45 at 1440p, a 32% reduction, and then to 26 at 4K, a 42% reduction from 1440p. This pattern confirms that the GPU is the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate would remain more constant across resolutions, as the CPU's workload (draw calls, physics, game logic) does not increase with resolution. The fact that the frame rate drops so significantly when moving to 4K proves that the GPU is unable to keep up with the increased pixel throughput.

The data shows that the performance loss is not linear but accelerates at higher resolutions. The difference between 1080p and 1440p is notable, but the difference between 1440p and 4K is even more punishing. This suggests that the GPU is hitting a hard architectural limit at 4K. The "System Shared" memory bandwidth becomes a critical liability at 4K, as the GPU must access more texture data and frame buffer memory, and the shared system memory bandwidth is a bottleneck. The result is that the system can only deliver a playable experience at 1080p, with 1440p being a stretch goal that requires the lowest settings.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X is a high-end desktop processor that is more than capable of handling Thief's demands, and its performance data suggests it is not a limiting factor in this game. The CPU's benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 19088 and a single-core score of 1987. Its Geekbench scores of 12451 (multicore) and 2289 (single-core) are also robust. These scores place the CPU in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it has ample processing power for a game released in 2014.

The CPU's 8 cores and 16 threads, based on the Zen 4 architecture, provide substantial headroom for game logic and physics. Thief, being a 2014 title, is unlikely to utilize more than a few cores effectively, but the 7700X's strong single-thread performance, as evidenced by its 3DMark single-thread score of 1090 and Passmark single-thread score of 4190, ensures it won't bottleneck the GPU. The CPU's high boost clock of 5.40 GHz and base clock of 4.50 GHz are more than sufficient for the single-threaded tasks that dominate older game engines.

The data supports the conclusion that the CPU is not the bottleneck. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS would remain flat or even increase when lowering the resolution, as the GPU would be less stressed. Instead, the FPS scales dramatically with resolution, which is the signature of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 and Intel Core 7 250H, have average benchmark scores within 0.7% of the 7700X, confirming that this is a top-tier processor. Its performance in Thief is more than adequate, and the measured frame rates are entirely constrained by the Intel Arc B390's graphics capabilities.