Thief

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX paired with the AMD Radeon 760M integrated graphics produces a very specific performance profile in Thief. This combination ranks near the very bottom of all tested configurations, and the data indicates that the GPU is the overwhelming bottleneck. The following analysis breaks down the measured results, component roles, and practical implications of this hardware pairing.

FAQ

*Q: What is the overall ranking of this CPU and GPU combination in Thief?*

A: This combo ranks 2840 out of 2851 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 0.4% of all configurations. This data confirms that this is one of the weakest pairings for this title.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 9 8945HX has an average benchmark score of 76212, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX (76155), and 0.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (75779). It is 0.4% lower than both the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Radeon 760M has an average benchmark score of 6019, which is 0.3% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6400 (6001) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M (6000). It is also 0.4% higher than the NVIDIA RTX PRO 6000 Blackwell Server (5996), but 0.5% lower than the NVIDIA Quadro P2000 (6049).

*Q: What is the best frame rate achieved by this combo in Thief?*

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 53 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. All other settings and resolution combinations produce lower average frame rates.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and High settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the average frame rate drops from 53 FPS on Low settings to 31 FPS on High settings. This represents a significant 22 FPS decrease when moving up the quality ladder.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data strongly indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The Radeon 760M scores in the 35th percentile of all GPUs, while the Ryzen 9 8945HX scores in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. The performance scaling with resolution and settings points directly to graphics processing limits.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 760M is an integrated graphics processor based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture, built on a 4 nm process. Its performance in Thief is the primary constraint on this system. The GPU has a base clock of 800 MHz and a boost clock of 2599 MHz, with 512 shading units and 16 ROPs. The memory configuration is "System Shared," meaning it uses the system's DDR5 memory, making bandwidth "System Dependent." The GPU's pixel rate is 41.58 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 83.17 GTexel/s, with a FP32 performance of 5.323 TFLOPS.

The synthetic benchmark data shows this GPU sits at the 35th percentile of all GPUs, with a Passmark G3D score of 5310. Its average benchmark score of 6019 places it in the same performance tier as the AMD Radeon RX 6400 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M, with delta percentages of 0.3% or less. This contextualizes its position as a low-end performer, which directly translates to its weak results in Thief.

In the measured frame rate data, the GPU's limitations are evident. At 4K resolution, the highest average frame rate is 21 FPS on Low settings. Even dropping to 1080p, the GPU cannot maintain high frame rates at higher quality presets, achieving only 31 FPS on High and 29 FPS on Ultra. The GPU's TDP is listed at 15 W, which classifies it as a low-power integrated solution, and its performance in this game aligns with that classification.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a high-end mobile processor from the 8000 series, based on the Zen 4 architecture with the codename Dragon Range. It features 16 cores and 32 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. The CPU has a substantial 64 MB of L3 cache, with 1 MB of L2 cache per core and 64 KB of L1 cache per core. It supports DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s.

The CPU's synthetic benchmark scores are robust, placing it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score is 76212, with notable scores including 42713 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 6030 in Cinebench R23 singlecore. In Passmark tests, it scores 51405 in multithread and 3907 in singlethread. Its nearest rivals in the CPU benchmark database include the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX (76155, 0.1% difference), the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P (76492, -0.4% difference), and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX (76513, -0.4% difference).

Given this CPU's high performance, it provides a strong foundation for gaming. However, in Thief with this specific GPU, the CPU's capabilities are largely untapped. The frame rate data shows that the system's performance is consistently limited by the graphics solution, not the processor. The CPU can easily feed frames to the GPU, but the integrated graphics cannot render them fast enough to take advantage of the CPU's processing power.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and the AMD Radeon 760M achieves a rank of 2840 out of 2851 tested combinations in Thief. This rank of 2840 places the combo in the bottom percentile, indicating that nearly every other tested CPU and GPU pairing delivers better performance in this game. The fact that there are only 11 configurations ranked lower than this one highlights how severely the integrated GPU limits the overall experience.

The discrepancy between the CPU and GPU performance is stark. The CPU ranks in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 35th percentile of all GPUs. This massive gap creates a highly unbalanced system for gaming, where the CPU's potential is wasted due to the GPU's inability to render frames at a comparable pace. In the context of Thief, this combo is effectively a low-end gaming experience despite having a top-tier processor.

The data shows that the combo's ranking is driven almost entirely by the GPU. The measured frame rates across all resolutions and settings remain low, never exceeding 53 FPS even at the lowest settings and resolution. This consistently low performance across the board is a direct reflection of the GPU's position in the benchmark hierarchy, as evidenced by its 35th percentile standing among all GPUs.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rate data provides a clear picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the combo achieves an average of 53 FPS on Low settings. Moving to Medium settings drops the average to 40 FPS, with a minimum of 34 FPS and a maximum of 46 FPS. On High settings, the average falls to 31 FPS, and on Ultra settings, it drops further to 29 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down predictably. Low settings yield an average of 36 FPS, while Medium settings produce an average of 28 FPS, with a minimum of 23 FPS and a maximum of 32 FPS. High settings average 21 FPS, and Ultra settings average 20 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across settings, with a decrease of approximately 17 FPS on Low, 12 FPS on Medium, 10 FPS on High, and 9 FPS on Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the highest resolution tested, the combo struggles significantly. Low settings produce an average of 21 FPS, while Medium settings average 16 FPS, with a minimum of 14 FPS and a maximum of 19 FPS. Both High and Ultra settings average 12 FPS. These frame rates are largely unplayable for a stealth game that benefits from smooth motion, as they fall well below the threshold for a fluid experience.

The data indicates that the GPU is the bottleneck at all settings and resolutions. The performance scaling from Low to Ultra settings is substantial, with a 45% decrease in frame rate at 1080p (from 53 FPS to 29 FPS) and a 43% decrease at 4K (from 21 FPS to 12 FPS). This sensitivity to settings is typical of a GPU-limited scenario, where the graphics processor cannot handle the increased rendering load.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rate data, the only configuration that provides a playable experience in Thief is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which yields an average of 53 FPS. This is the only setting where the average frame rate approaches or exceeds 60 FPS, and it is the most suitable for a smooth gaming experience. Medium settings at 1080p produce an average of 40 FPS, which is acceptable for a slower-paced stealth game but may feel less fluid during fast movements.

For users who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, 1080p Medium settings offer a reasonable compromise, with an average of 40 FPS and a minimum of 34 FPS. This ensures the frame rate does not drop too low during intense scenes. High and Ultra settings at 1080p are not recommended, as they produce averages of 31 FPS and 29 FPS respectively, which are below the ideal threshold for comfortable gameplay.

At 1440p and 4K resolutions, the frame rates are too low for a good experience. Even at 1440p Low settings, the average of 36 FPS is marginal, and all other settings at 1440p and 4K produce averages below 30 FPS. The data suggests that users should stick to 1080p and avoid higher resolutions unless they are willing to accept significant performance compromises. The best experience per the measured rows is clearly 1080p Low, as it is the only configuration that delivers a frame rate high enough to be consistently playable.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data shows a clear and consistent drop as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At Low settings, the average frame rate decreases from 53 FPS at 1080p to 36 FPS at 1440p and 21 FPS at 4K. This represents a 32% decrease from 1080p to 1440p and a 42% decrease from 1440p to 4K. At Medium settings, the averages are 40 FPS at 1080p, 28 FPS at 1440p, and 16 FPS at 4K, showing a 30% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 43% drop from 1440p to 4K.

This resolution scaling pattern is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound workload. When the GPU is the limiting factor, increasing the resolution directly increases the number of pixels the GPU must render, leading to a proportional decrease in frame rate. The consistent percentage drops across different settings presets reinforce this conclusion. The CPU's performance is not affected by resolution changes, so the fact that frame rates scale so predictably with resolution confirms that the Radeon 760M is the primary constraint.

The data shows that the frame rate halving from 1080p to 4K is not linear but rather a steep decline, with the GPU struggling to maintain playable performance at higher resolutions. At 4K, the frame rates of 12-21 FPS indicate that the integrated GPU is overwhelmed by the pixel count. The system's performance in Thief is therefore fundamentally limited by the GPU, and the high-end Ryzen 9 8945HX CPU does not alleviate this bottleneck. The measured results suggest that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming at low to medium settings, and higher resolutions are not viable for a smooth experience.