Thief

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination delivers a robust experience in Thief, a 2014 stealth title. The data shows a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions but possesses enough CPU headroom to push very high frame rates at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, scaling behavior, and where this specific pairing stands among thousands of tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic pattern of GPU limitation as resolution increases. At 1080p with Ultra settings, the combo produces 154.6 FPS. Moving to 1440p Ultra drops this to 104.8 FPS, a substantial 32% reduction. At 4K Ultra, the average falls to 62.3 FPS, which is a 60% drop from the 1080p result. This steep decline indicates that the RTX 4070 SUPER's rendering pipeline is the primary bottleneck at higher pixel counts.

Conversely, the scaling from Low to Ultra settings at each resolution shows the CPU's strength. At 1080p, the gap between Low (216 FPS) and Ultra (154.6 FPS) is 61.4 FPS. At 4K, the same settings gap is 52.9 FPS (115.2 vs 62.3). The fact that the 4K Low preset still achieves 115.2 FPS suggests that even at lower graphical loads, the GPU is still the limiting factor, as the CPU is clearly capable of feeding frames well beyond 200 FPS at 1080p Low.

The data indicates that this system is optimized for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming. The 1440p High preset yields 110.9 FPS, which is smooth for most displays. Pushing to 4K requires a compromise: High settings (67 FPS) are playable, but Ultra (62.3 FPS) dips closer to the edge of ideal smoothness. The resolution scaling curve is steep, confirming that the RTX 4070 SUPER is the component that determines the ceiling for visual fidelity at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this combo at 1080p?

A: The highest recorded average is 216 FPS at 1080p with Low settings. Even at Ultra settings, the system maintains 154.6 FPS.

*Q: Is this system capable of 4K gaming in Thief?*

A: Yes, the data shows playable frame rates at 4K. The High preset averages 67 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 62.3 FPS. Low and Medium presets are significantly faster, at 115.2 and 86.6 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 9800X3D's average benchmark score is 37780. This is virtually identical to the Intel Xeon 6353P (37811, -0.1%) and Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (37831, -0.1%). It is slightly behind the Intel Core i9-13900HK (38020, -0.6%) and Intel Core i5-13600KF (38028, -0.7%).

Q: What is the difference in FPS between Medium and High settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 146.5 FPS, while the High preset averages 110.9 FPS. This represents a 35.6 FPS drop when moving from Medium to High.

Q: Where does this specific CPU+GPU combo rank among all tested configurations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 133rd out of 1642 tested combinations. This places it in the top 8.1% of all systems tested for Thief.

Q: Does the GPU have a higher or lower benchmark score than its closest rival?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER's average benchmark score is 42576. It is slightly lower than the NVIDIA RTX A6000 (42653, -0.2%) and the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE (42723, -0.3%), but higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 580X (41991, 1.4%) and NVIDIA Tesla M40 (41897, 1.6%).

How This Combo Ranks

In the database for Thief, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER achieves a rank of 133 out of 1642 tested combos. This places it firmly in the top tier of systems, indicating that it outperforms the vast majority of configurations tested for this game. The percentile data reinforces this, with the CPU sitting in the 90th percentile against all CPUs and the GPU in the 84th percentile against all GPUs.

The high ranking is a direct result of the CPU's exceptional single-thread and multi-thread capabilities. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D scores 4800 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 34004 in multi-core, which are strong figures. The GPU, while not a top-tier flagship, provides a solid foundation with a Passmark G3D score of 29995. The combination of a top-10% CPU with a top-16% GPU results in a system that ranks in the top 8.1% for this specific title. This suggests that the CPU is not holding back the GPU at all, allowing the RTX 4070 SUPER to operate at its full potential.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a clear matrix of performance across four resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast. Low settings produce 216 FPS, Medium 194.3 FPS, High 162.6 FPS, and Ultra 154.6 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra is only 8 FPS, suggesting that Ultra is a viable setting for 1080p users.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high. Low settings hit 191.1 FPS, which is still a fantastic result. Medium drops to 146.5 FPS, High to 110.9 FPS, and Ultra to 104.8 FPS. The step from Medium to High is the largest single drop (35.6 FPS), indicating a significant increase in GPU load at that preset level.

At 3840x2160, the system begins to show its limits. Low settings still manage 115.2 FPS, which is excellent for 4K. Medium averages 86.6 FPS, High 67 FPS, and Ultra 62.3 FPS. The scaling from High to Ultra is relatively small (4.7 FPS), suggesting that the Ultra preset's extra effects are not particularly demanding relative to High. The data shows that 4K gaming is possible, but users targeting a locked 60+ FPS experience will need to stick with High settings or lower.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p displays with a 144Hz or higher refresh rate, the Ultra preset is the clear choice. The 154.6 FPS average exceeds most high-refresh-rate monitors' capabilities, and the small performance cost over High makes it the best visual experience.

For 1440p, the High preset is the sweet spot. With an average of 110.9 FPS, it offers a great balance between visual fidelity and smoothness. The Ultra preset (104.8 FPS) is also viable, but the 6.1 FPS gain from dropping to High is negligible, and High may provide more stability. For users with 144Hz 1440p monitors, the Medium preset (146.5 FPS) is the only one that comes close to maxing out the refresh rate, but the visual compromise is significant.

For 4K, the High preset (67 FPS) is recommended for a smooth experience on standard 60Hz displays. The Ultra preset (62.3 FPS) is playable but leaves less headroom for frame time spikes. Users with VRR displays could find Ultra acceptable, but High is the safer choice for consistent performance. The Low preset (115.2 FPS) is unnecessary unless the user prioritizes maximum frame rates above all else.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge). It has a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz. Its substantial 96 MB of shared L3 cache is a defining feature, likely contributing to its strong gaming performance. The CPU's benchmark scores are exceptional, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 34004 and a single-core score of 4800.

In the context of Thief, a game from 2014, the CPU's role is to provide a high minimum frame rate and prevent bottlenecks at lower resolutions. The data confirms it excels in this role. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 216 FPS, which is likely near the engine's limit, and the CPU is clearly not the limiting factor. Even at 1080p Ultra, the system maintains 154.6 FPS, showing that the 8-core/16-thread configuration is more than sufficient for this title's threading model.

The CPU's performance relative to its rivals is tight. Its average benchmark score of 37780 is within 0.7% of the Intel Core i5-13600KF (38028) and Intel Core i9-13900HK (38020). This indicates that while the 9800X3D is a top-tier gaming CPU, its general compute performance is comparable to other high-end processors from Intel. For Thief, which likely relies more on single-core performance, the 9800X3D's strong single-thread score (4800 in R23) ensures that it will not drag down the RTX 4070 SUPER's output. The data suggests that the CPU is a pure enabler, providing the platform for the GPU to deliver its maximum performance without any measurable CPU-induced frame rate drops.