Thief

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 presents a stark contrast in capabilities, and Thief’s benchmark results illustrate exactly where that bottleneck lies. This is a classic case of a high-end CPU being held back by an entry-level GPU, and the data makes that relationship clear.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a predictable but severe drop as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo averages 73.3 FPS, which is the highest score recorded across all tested configurations. Moving to 1440p at the same Low preset, the average drops to 49.4 FPS, a significant reduction of roughly 33%. At 4K Low, the average falls further to 30.4 FPS. This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor; the Ryzen 9 7900X has ample headroom, but the GTX 1650’s rendering throughput cannot keep pace with the increasing pixel count.

The gap between resolutions widens with higher graphical presets. At High settings, the 1080p average is 42.4 FPS, which drops to 28.1 FPS at 1440p and then to 19.6 FPS at 4K. The 4K result is less than half of the 1080p figure, showing that the GPU’s workload grows superlinearly with resolution. The Ultra preset tells a similar story: 43.8 FPS at 1080p falls to 31.1 FPS at 1440p and plummets to 16.4 FPS at 4K. The data suggests that 1080p is the only resolution where this combo can approach playable frame rates, and even then, only with lower settings.

The pattern is consistent across all presets: the delta between 1080p and 1440p is substantial, but the jump to 4K is crippling. This is a clear sign that the GTX 1650’s 128-bit memory bus and 128.1 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for 4K workloads. The Ryzen 9 7900X, with its 12 cores and 24 threads, is not the source of the slowdown; the GPU simply cannot fill the frame buffer fast enough at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

In Thief, this specific CPU-GPU combination ranks 1576 out of 1642 tested combos. This places it in the bottom 4% of all tested systems, which is a poor showing for a processor that individually performs in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs. The discrepancy highlights how a weak GPU can nullify a strong CPU’s potential in a real-world gaming scenario. The combo’s rank is not a reflection of the Ryzen 9 7900X’s capabilities, but rather a direct consequence of the GTX 1650’s limitations.

The GTX 1650 itself sits in the 43rd percentile among all GPUs, meaning it is below average. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile (0.4% faster), the AMD Radeon 550X (0.4% faster), and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100 (0.5% faster). These deltas are tiny, indicating that the GTX 1650 is functionally comparable to these other lower-tier cards. The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 (0.1% slower) and the AMD Ryzen 9 5900XT (0.4% slower), are all within 1% of the Ryzen 9 7900X’s average score. This shows the CPU is a top-tier part, but the combo’s rank is dragged down by the GPU.

The data indicates that swapping the GTX 1650 for a stronger GPU would dramatically improve the combo’s rank, as the CPU has far more performance to offer. The current rank is a warning to builders: a high-end CPU does not guarantee good gaming performance if the GPU is not matched to the task.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is built on the Turing architecture and uses the TU117 chip, manufactured on a 12 nm process at TSMC. It has 896 shading units, 56 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs. Its base clock is 1485 MHz, with a boost clock of 1665 MHz. The memory configuration consists of 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 128-bit bus, providing 128.1 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s FP32 performance is 2.984 TFLOPS, and its pixel rate is 53.28 GPixel/s.

These specifications explain the measured FPS results. The 4 GB VRAM is likely a limiting factor at 4K with High or Ultra settings, where texture data exceeds the available memory. The 128-bit bus and 128.1 GB/s bandwidth are also bottlenecks, as they restrict how quickly the GPU can access texture and geometry data. The boost clock of 1665 MHz is modest, and the GPU’s overall compute power is low for modern game loads. In Thief, the GPU’s passmark G3D score is 7880, and its percentile ranking against all GPUs is 43rd, confirming its entry-level status.

The GPU’s performance in Thief is consistent with its benchmark scores. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 305, and its Geekbench OpenCL score is 39112. These numbers indicate a part that can handle older or less demanding titles at lower settings, but struggles with higher resolutions and presets. The data shows that the GTX 1650 is the definitive performance ceiling in this pairing.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The measured average FPS is 56.3. This is a playable frame rate for most users, though it is significantly lower than the 73.3 FPS achieved at Low settings.

Q: Can this combo run Thief at 4K?

A: The data indicates that 4K is not a viable option. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 30.4 with Low settings, while Ultra drops to 16.4 FPS. These are not smooth experiences by modern standards.

Q: How does the GTX 1650 compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon 550X?

A: The GTX 1650 has an average benchmark score of 8713, which is 0.4% lower than the AMD Radeon 550X’s score of 8749. The performance difference is negligible in practice.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested systems in Thief?

A: The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 ranks 1576 out of 1642 tested combos, placing it in the bottom tier of all systems.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 7900X a fast processor relative to others?

A: Yes. The CPU is in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 50556 is nearly identical to its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 5 235, which scores 50598.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory bandwidth?

A: The GTX 1650 has a memory bandwidth of 128.1 GB/s, which is provided by 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture (codenamed Raphael), built on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It has a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, with 64 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, providing 83.2 GB/s of bandwidth. Its benchmark results are exceptional: it scores 43695 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 6168 in single-core, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs.

In Thief, the CPU’s performance is not the bottleneck. The game’s engine is not particularly demanding on modern processors, and the Ryzen 9 7900X’s high single-thread and multi-thread scores are more than sufficient. The measured FPS values are directly limited by the GPU. For example, at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 73.3 FPS, but this is likely capped by the GTX 1650’s ability to render frames, not the CPU’s ability to feed it data. The CPU’s nearest rivals, which are all within 0.8% of its average score, would perform identically in this game when paired with the same GPU.

The CPU’s high core count and clock speeds are wasted in this pairing for gaming purposes. The data shows that the Ryzen 9 7900X could support a much more powerful GPU, and the current bottleneck is entirely on the graphics card side. The CPU’s 24 threads are irrelevant for Thief’s workload, as the game’s frame rate is constrained by the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers the highest average FPS at 73.3, which is the smoothest experience. The Medium preset at 1080p averages 56.3 FPS, which is also acceptable for most players. The High and Ultra presets at 1080p yield 42.4 and 43.8 FPS, respectively, which are borderline playable but may feel less responsive. For a consistent 60 FPS experience, Low is the only reliable choice.

At 1440p, the situation is more constrained. The Low preset averages 49.4 FPS, while Medium drops to 37.6 FPS. High and Ultra produce 28.1 and 31.1 FPS, respectively. None of these reach 60 FPS, so users should expect to sacrifice graphical fidelity for frame rate. The Low preset is the most playable, but it still falls short of a smooth experience. At 4K, all presets are below 30 FPS, with Low at 30.4 FPS being the only option that approaches playability. Ultra at 4K averages just 16.4 FPS, which is not recommended.

The data suggests that the best experience is achieved at 1080p with Medium or Low settings. Medium provides a balance of visual quality and performance, while Low maximizes smoothness. For users who prioritize frame rate over visuals, 1080p Low is the clear winner. For those who want better image quality, 1080p Medium is the highest preset that maintains a playable frame rate, as it stays above 50 FPS. Higher resolutions and presets are not viable with this GPU.