Thief

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D paired with the Intel Arc B570 delivers a performance profile in Thief that is heavily dictated by the graphics card, with CPU headroom that keeps the combo out of the way. The data shows a 43% drop in average frame rate from 1080p Low to 4K Low, and a 62% drop from 1080p Ultra to 4K Ultra, clearly indicating the GPU as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

Resolution scaling is the most decisive factor in this combo's performance. At 1080p, the system delivers 133 FPS at Low settings and 73 FPS at Ultra, giving a 45% performance hit when maxing out quality. Moving to 1440p, the same settings produce 91 FPS at Low and 50 FPS at Ultra, a 45% drop from Low to Ultra. The pattern is slightly steeper at 4K: 54 FPS at Low and only 29 FPS at Ultra, a 46% reduction from the Low preset.

When looking at the jump from 1440p to 4K, the data shows a 41% performance decrease at Low settings (91 FPS to 54 FPS) and a 42% drop at High settings (53 FPS to 31 FPS). The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is gentler: at High settings, the frame rate drops 31% (77 FPS to 53 FPS), while at Low settings it drops 32% (133 FPS to 91 FPS). This suggests that as resolution increases, the GPU becomes increasingly the limiting factor.

The 4K Ultra setting, with an average of 29 FPS, is the only point where the system falls below 30 FPS, which is a key threshold for playable frame rates. The 4K Medium preset, with an average of 41 FPS, sits just above that line, but its minimum of 35 FPS shows that dips below 40 are likely during heavy scenes. The data clearly indicates that 4K High and Ultra are not viable for smooth gameplay with this combination, while 1440p Ultra at 50 FPS is the edge of reasonable performance.

The 1080p Medium result of 101 FPS with a minimum of 86 FPS shows the combo can hold a stable frame rate at that resolution and settings level. The 1440p Medium result of 69 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS also shows a consistent frame delivery. These numbers point to the GPU being the primary constraint, as the strong CPU has no trouble feeding the Arc B570 at lower resolutions but at 4K the GPU's limits are fully exposed.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is a high-end desktop processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, running at a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz. Its 3D V-Cache, a shared 96 MB L3 cache, is the defining feature, designed to reduce memory latency for gaming workloads. The data confirms that in this game, the CPU is not the bottleneck: the combo's frame rates scale with resolution and settings in a way that points to the GPU being the limiting factor.

The CPU's single-thread performance is strong, as indicated by its 3DMark single-thread score of 1212 and its 3DMark 2-thread score of 2394. This single-thread strength is relevant because Thief is primarily a single-threaded game, as its 2014 release date and stealth genre suggest. The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities, with a 3DMark 16-thread score of 10081 and a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23230, are far beyond what the game can utilize.

The 9800X3D's performance relative to its nearest rivals is telling. The CPU's average benchmark score of 39768, which places it in the 87th percentile of all CPUs, is within 0.8% of the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 and within 0.7% of the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450. This shows that the 9800X3D is not a towering performance outlier in general CPU tasks, but its 3D V-Cache is specifically designed for gaming, which may not be fully captured by those general metrics.

In the context of this game, the CPU's cores and clocks are more than enough. The 9800X3D's 8 cores and 16 threads, capable of a 4.70 GHz base and 5.20 GHz boost, mean that the frame rate is not limited by the processor at any resolution tested. The fact that 1080p Low yields 133 FPS and 1080p Ultra yields 73 FPS, while 4K Low yields 54 FPS and 4K Ultra yields 29 FPS, is a clear sign that the GPU is the limiting factor, not the CPU.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is a midrange graphics card with 10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus, providing 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its memory clock runs at 2375 MHz, with an effective 19 Gbps, and it has 2304 shading units. The B590's base and boost clocks are both 2500 MHz, and its pixel rate is 200.0 GPixel/s. These specs place it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556.

Against its nearest rivals, the Arc B570's score is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which is only 0.1% ahead, and the Intel Arc A750, which is 0.1% behind. This data shows that the Arc B570 is a mid-range performer, and that its performance is not wildly different from some previous-generation cards.

In the context of Thief, the GPU's role is decisive. The measured FPS data shows that this card is a limiting factor at 4K, where it cannot maintain high frame rates even at Low settings. The 4K Low average of 54 FPS is the only 4K result that is above 50 FPS, and 4K Ultra is just 29 FPS. The VRAM allocation at 4K with High or Ultra settings is likely to be a concern, as the card's 10 GB of memory could be exceeded, causing performance to drop to 31 FPS and 29 FPS respectively.

The GPU's compute performance, with an FP32 rating of 11.52 TFLOPS and a pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s, is adequate for 1080p and 1440p in this game, but the 4K results show that the card is outmatched. The 4K Medium average of 41 FPS with a minimum of 35 FPS suggests that the card is working hard, but it cannot maintain a smooth experience at that resolution. The Arc B570's direct competitor, the Intel Arc A750, is essentially tied with it in average benchmark score, which suggests that the Arc B570 is not a large step forward in raw performance for this game.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D + Intel Arc B570 combination ranks 2994 out of 3720 tested combos in this game. That is the 20th percentile, and it shows that this combination is below the median performance. The rank is based on the measured FPS data, which shows that the combo is not a top-tier performer in Thief.

The CPU is a top-tier part, ranking in the 87th percentile among CPUs, but the GPU is only in the 65th percentile. The combination's rank of 2994 out of 3720 is pulled down by the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions. With a GPU that is not powerful enough for 4K, and a CPU that is far more capable than the game needs, the combo's rank reflects the GPU's performance more than the CPU's.

This rank also reflects the game's age and its low system requirements, which means that a high-end CPU does not provide a significant advantage. The CPU is not a bottleneck, but it also does not contribute the FPS in this game. The GPU is the performance limiting factor, and it's the component that determines the overall ranking.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo are as follows:

At 3840x2160 resolution:

• High settings: 31 FPS average.
• Low settings: 54 FPS average.
• Medium settings: 41 FPS average, with a minimum of 35 FPS and a maximum of 47 FPS.
• Ultra settings: 29 FPS average.

At 2560x1440:

• High settings: 53 FPS average.
• Low settings: 91 FPS average.
• Medium settings: 69 FPS average, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 79 FPS.
• Ultra settings: 50 FPS average.

At 1920x1080:

• High settings: 77 FPS average.
• Low settings: 133 FPS average.
• Medium settings: 101 FPS average, with a minimum of 86 FPS and a maximum of 116 FPS.
• Ultra settings: 73 FPS average.

These numbers show that 1080p is the only resolution where the combo can hold a stable 60+ FPS at all settings. The 1080p Ultra average of 73 FPS is still well above the playable threshold, and the 1080p Low result of 133 FPS is the strongest result of the entire data set. At 1440p, the Ultra setting (50 FPS) and High setting (53 FPS) are both below 60 FPS, while Medium (69 FPS) stays above. At 4K, no setting can reach 60 FPS, with the best result being Low at 54 FPS.

The minimum FPS data, available only for Medium settings, shows that the frame rate is stable at 1080p and 1440p, with a minimum of 86 and 59 FPS respectively. The 4K Medium minimum of 35 FPS shows more fluctuation, indicating that the GPU is struggling at that resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Thief?

A: The data shows 1080p is the strongest resolution. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 133, and at Ultra it is 73 FPS, both above the 60 FPS threshold. At 1440p, only the Medium setting (69 FPS) stays above 60 FPS, while at 4K, no setting reaches 60 FPS, with the highest average being 54 FPS at Low.

Q: How does the CPU perform relative to its nearest rivals?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score of 39768 is within 0.8% of the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 (40081) and within 0.7% of the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 (39485). It is also within 0.4% of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS (39603). This indicates that in general CPU benchmarks, the 9800X3D is not significantly ahead of these alternatives, though its 3D V-Cache is designed for gaming.

Q: Is the GPU a bottleneck at 4K?

A: Yes. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 29, and at 4K High it is 31 FPS. Even at 4K Low, the average is only 54 FPS. The GPU's 10 GB of VRAM and its 380.0 GB/s bandwidth are likely insufficient for the demands of high and ultra settings at 4K.

Q: What is the GPU's performance relative to its rivals?

A: The Arc B570's average benchmark score is 20556, which is 0.1% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534) and 0.1% ahead of the Intel Arc A750 (20582). This places it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: How does the combo rank overall?

A: The combo ranks 2994 out of 3720 tested combinations, putting it in the 20th percentile. This is a lower ranking that reflects the GPU's limitations, as the CPU is a high-performance part in the 87th percentile.

Q: Can the combo hold a stable frame rate in Thief?

A: At 1080p, the Medium setting produces a minimum of 86 FPS, and at 1440p, the Medium setting has a minimum of 59 FPS, showing stable performance. At 4K, the Medium setting has a minimum of 35 FPS, which is a significant drop and indicates instability at that resolution.