Thief

Thief, a 2014 stealth title, remains a demanding benchmark even for modern hardware. The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti produces a wide range of frame rates depending on resolution and settings, revealing a system that is heavily influenced by both CPU and GPU capabilities. The data shows a clear performance hierarchy across the three tested resolutions, with the system's strengths and bottlenecks becoming apparent when analyzing the scaling from 1080p to 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combination reveals a significant performance drop as resolution increases, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average frame rate is 177 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same High preset, the average drops to 121 FPS, a substantial 31.6% decrease. This scaling indicates that the graphics card is becoming a more significant limiting factor as pixel count rises. The trend continues at 3840x2160, where the High preset yields an average of just 71 FPS, representing a further 41.3% reduction from the 1440p figure and a 59.9% drop from the initial 1080p score.

This steep decline in performance from 1080p to 4K points to the GPU as the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The RTX 5070 Ti, with its 16 GB of GDDR7 memory and 896.0 GB/s bandwidth, is working much harder to fill the increased pixel count. The data suggests that while the CPU is capable of driving high frame rates at lower resolutions, the GPU's rendering workload becomes the dominant bottleneck at 4K, capping performance at an average of 71 FPS on High settings. The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets; for instance, at Low settings, the system achieves 231 FPS at 1080p, 204 FPS at 1440p, and 124 FPS at 4K, showing a similar relative decline.

The gap between 1440p and 4K is particularly pronounced, indicating a point of diminishing returns for pixel density. The 1440p results show a more balanced workload, with the system able to maintain high frame rates. However, the jump to 4K represents a significant increase in GPU load, which is reflected in the halving of performance from the 1080p baseline. This analysis suggests that for the smoothest experience at higher resolutions, users must be willing to adjust settings to compensate for the GPU's workload, as the CPU has ample headroom to spare.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is a Zen 5 architecture processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, based on the Granite Ridge codename. Its base clock is 3.80 GHz with a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, and it has a 65 W TDP. The CPU's benchmark scores are robust, with a Passmark multithread score of 36470 and a single-thread score of 4691. These figures place it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, indicating strong performance. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-14700KF with an average score of 70163, show only a -0.2% deltaPct, meaning the 9700F is effectively on par with that chip in general compute tasks.

In the context of Thief, the CPU's role is most evident at lower resolutions where the GPU is less burdened. The data shows that at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 231 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's limit for this game engine. This is supported by the fact that increasing the resolution to 2560x1440 at Low settings only drops the average to 204 FPS, a smaller relative decrease than at higher settings. This suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to maintain high frame rates, but the game's engine or the CPU's single-thread performance may create a ceiling around the 200-230 FPS range at 1080p.

The 9700F's 32 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for a game like Thief. The Passmark physics score of 2122 and the floating-point math score of 77955 indicate that the CPU has substantial processing power for game logic and physics calculations. However, the benchmark results suggest that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in this configuration, as the FPS scaling with resolution is much more aggressive than what would be expected from CPU limitations alone. The CPU's strong single-thread score of 4691 is likely a key factor in achieving the high frame rates seen at 1080p.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is the clear driver of performance in this pairing. It is based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB203 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process. The GPU has a base clock of 2295 MHz and a boost clock of 2452 MHz, with 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus providing 896.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its compute capabilities are substantial, with 8960 shading units, 280 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. The GPU's Passmark G3D score is 32974, and it holds an 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, has a slightly higher average score of 50951, a -2% deltaPct, indicating the RTX 5070 Ti is slightly behind that older flagship in raw compute.

The GPU's impact on Thief's performance is most apparent at 4K resolution. At 3840x2160, the average FPS across all settings is significantly lower than at other resolutions. For example, at Ultra settings, the system averages just 68 FPS, and at High settings, it averages 71 FPS. This shows that the GPU is being fully utilized, and its 16 GB of VRAM is likely sufficient for the game's textures at this resolution. The data indicates that the RTX 5070 Ti is the limiting component at 4K, as the frame rates are not high enough to suggest any CPU constraint. The GPU's texture rate of 686.6 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 235.4 GPixel/s are being heavily taxed.

The GPU's performance at 1440p is much stronger, with averages ranging from 116 FPS at Ultra to 204 FPS at Low. This suggests a more balanced workload where the GPU can keep up with the CPU's output. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6604 and the Geekbench Vulkan score of 225122 provide context for its raw capabilities, but the in-game data shows that it excels in this title at 1440p. The RTX 5070 Ti's 70 RT cores and 280 tensor cores are not necessarily critical for Thief, a game from 2014, but its raw rasterization power is what drives the high frame rates. The GPU's memory bandwidth is also a key asset, as the game's assets can be loaded quickly without causing stutters.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a 60+ FPS experience at 4K, the High preset is the best choice, as it delivers an average of 71 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is slightly below this threshold, averaging 68 FPS, making it a less desirable option for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 4K offers a comfortable margin with an average of 94 FPS, but the visuals are likely to be noticeably worse than High. The Low preset at 4K, at 124 FPS, is excessive for most displays but provides the highest performance ceiling.

At 2560x1440, all presets deliver playable frame rates, but the High and Ultra presets are the most compelling. High averages 121 FPS, while Ultra averages 116 FPS, a minimal difference that makes the Ultra preset an excellent choice for maximizing visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 159 FPS and Low at 204 FPS are also viable, but they do not offer a significant performance advantage over High or Ultra to justify the visual compromise. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the clear recommendation, as it provides an average of 169 FPS, which is well above the refresh rate of most monitors, and the High preset at 177 FPS is nearly identical.

The data shows a diminishing return in performance as settings are lowered. For instance, at 1080p, going from Ultra (169 FPS) to Low (231 FPS) only yields a 36.7% increase in frame rate, but the visual downgrade is substantial. The Medium preset at 1080p, with an average of 209 FPS and a min of 177 FPS, offers a good balance for high-refresh-rate displays. However, for the best visual experience, the Ultra preset is recommended, as the performance cost is minimal relative to the fidelity gain. The measured rows indicate that the system is powerful enough to handle the highest settings at all resolutions except 4K, where High is the sensible choice.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti achieves a rank of 113 out of 2851 tested combos in Thief. This places it in the top 4% of all configurations tested, indicating that it is a high-performing system for this game. The rank reflects the strong synergy between the CPU's high single-thread performance and the GPU's substantial rasterization power. This ranking suggests that while there are faster combinations, this pairing is well above the median and should provide an excellent gaming experience.

The high ranking is supported by the measured FPS data, which shows that the system can achieve very high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p. The 113th rank out of 2851 combos means that only 112 other configurations tested have produced higher average frame rates across the tested scenarios. This is a strong result, especially considering the CPU's 94th percentile ranking and the GPU's 86th percentile ranking. The combo's performance is likely limited by the GPU at 4K, but its overall ranking is buoyed by its excellent performance at lower resolutions.

In the context of the CPU's nearest rivals, the Ryzen 7 9700F is closely matched with the Intel Core i7-14700KF, showing a -0.2% deltaPct in average benchmark score. This suggests that a system with the Intel chip and the same GPU would likely perform very similarly. The GPU's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, has a 2% higher average score, which could translate to a few more FPS in some scenarios. However, the measured data for this specific combo shows that it is a top-tier performer, and its rank of 113 reflects its capability to handle Thief with ease at most settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080:

• Low: Average 231 FPS.
• Medium: Average 209 FPS, with a minimum of 177 FPS and a maximum of 240 FPS.
• High: Average 177 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 169 FPS.

2560x1440:

• Low: Average 204 FPS.
• Medium: Average 159 FPS, with a minimum of 136 FPS and a maximum of 183 FPS.
• High: Average 121 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 116 FPS.

3840x2160:

• Low: Average 124 FPS.
• Medium: Average 94 FPS, with a minimum of 80 FPS and a maximum of 108 FPS.
• High: Average 71 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 68 FPS.

The data shows a consistent pattern across all settings, with frame rates decreasing as resolution increases. At 1080p, the system is able to maintain high averages even at Ultra settings, indicating a CPU-bound scenario. At 1440p, the frame rates are still high, but the gap between settings begins to narrow. At 4K, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck, with even the Low preset averaging 124 FPS, which is still playable but shows a significant drop from the 1080p Low result. The Medium preset at 4K provides a good balance with a 94 FPS average, but the High and Ultra presets are clustered together at 71 and 68 FPS, respectively, showing that the GPU's limits are reached at these quality levels.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS this combo can achieve in Thief?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 231 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 with the Low settings preset.

Q: Is this combo capable of running Thief at 4K with high settings?

A: Yes, at 3840x2160 with High settings, the system achieves an average of 71 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 9700F compare to its nearest rival in terms of CPU benchmark scores?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700F has an average benchmark score of 69996, which is effectively on par with the Intel Core i7-14700KF, which has a score of 70163, representing a -0.2% deltaPct.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti holds an 86th percentile ranking, indicating it performs better than 86% of all GPUs in the benchmark database.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average frame rate is 68 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with the Ultra settings preset.

Q: How many total combos were tested for Thief, and where does this one rank?

A: This combo ranks 113th out of 2851 tested combos, placing it in the top 4% of all configurations.