Thief

Thief, a 2014 stealth title, presents an interesting case study for a modern high-end mobile platform. The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile delivers a wide range of performance metrics that reveal how this older game engine scales with contemporary hardware. The data shows a clear hierarchy between the CPU’s substantial compute capabilities and the GPU’s raw throughput, with the game’s performance ceiling shifting depending on the resolution and preset selected. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to understand where the bottleneck lies and how the components interact within the context of this specific title.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Dragon Range. It operates with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, which is a significant range for a mobile part. The CPU’s benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42713 and a single-core score of 6030, position it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, indicating that its processing power is a top-tier asset. In the context of Thief, a game from 2014, the question is how much of this massive multi-threaded potential is actually utilized.

The data suggests that the CPU is rarely the primary constraint in this pairing. At 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS reaches 191, and at Ultra settings it still holds at 141. Even at 4K with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 57, which is a demanding scenario for any system. The CPU’s high single-thread performance, evidenced by its Passmark single-thread score of 3907, is likely sufficient to feed the GPU in most scenarios. The game engine, being older, may not be optimized to use all 32 threads, but the sheer per-core strength of the Zen 4 architecture ensures that the game logic and draw calls are processed without creating a significant bottleneck that would drag down the average FPS figures.

The relationship between the CPU and the game’s results becomes clearer when observing the scaling from 1080p to 1440p and 4K. As resolution increases, the frame rate drops proportionally for each preset, which is a classic sign that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor. For instance, at High settings, the average FPS goes from 148 at 1080p to 101 at 1440p and then to 60 at 4K. This 60% drop from 1080p to 4K suggests that the CPU is capable of maintaining a high frame throughput, but the GPU’s rendering load at higher resolutions reduces the output. The CPU’s role is to provide a solid foundation, and the data shows it does so without introducing major frame rate penalties that would be visible if the processor were the weak link.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best average FPS recorded for this combo, and at what settings?

A: The highest average FPS is 191, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is followed by 173 FPS at Medium settings and 148 FPS at High settings in the same resolution.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations for Thief?

A: This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile ranks 706th out of 3720 total tested combos in the game, placing it in the top 19% of all systems tested.

Q: Is there a significant performance difference between the Medium and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: Yes, the data shows a 36 FPS difference. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 133 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 97 FPS. This indicates a notable performance cost for the highest visual fidelity settings.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded in the measured data, and under what conditions?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 67 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with the Medium preset. This is the only resolution and setting combination where a minimum FPS value is provided in the data.

Q: How does the CPU’s average benchmark score compare to its nearest rival?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX has an average benchmark score of 76212. Its closest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, has an average score of 76155, which is a delta of 0.1%. This indicates the two processors are virtually identical in overall performance.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: The average FPS at 1080p High is 148, while at 4K High it drops to 60. This represents a 59.5% reduction in average frame rate, showing a heavy performance cost associated with the higher pixel count.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data across the three resolutions provides a clear picture of how system load scales in Thief. For each preset, the frame rate decreases as the resolution increases, but the rate of decrease is not uniform. This non-linear scaling is a strong indicator of which component is under pressure. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 191 at 1080p to 169 at 1440p and then to 103 at 4K. The 4K figure is 46% lower than the 1080p figure. At High settings, the drop is more pronounced, with the 4K average of 60 being 59% lower than the 148 at 1080p.

This pattern suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The RTX 4090 Mobile is a powerful GPU, but rendering at 4K requires significantly more pixel throughput than 1080p. The CPU’s performance remains relatively constant, so the frame rate is dictated by the GPU’s ability to fill those pixels. The fact that the drop from 1440p to 4K is larger than the drop from 1080p to 1440p for most presets reinforces this. For example, at Medium settings, the FPS drops from 173 at 1080p to 133 at 1440p (a 23% reduction), but then from 133 to 78 at 4K (a 41% reduction). This increasing penalty with higher resolution is a hallmark of GPU-bound scenarios.

Conversely, the CPU’s role is more evident at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the frame rates are high enough that any CPU limitation would cap the FPS. The fact that the average FPS at 1080p Low is 191 suggests that the CPU is not hindering performance, as this is a high frame rate even for a modern system. If the CPU were weak, the FPS would plateau at a lower value regardless of the GPU’s capability. Since the FPS continues to rise as settings are lowered at 1080p, it indicates the CPU has sufficient headroom to push the GPU to its limits. The data therefore points to a system where the GPU is the primary bottleneck as resolution increases, while the CPU provides a stable platform that does not introduce its own limitations until extreme frame rates are targeted.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the performance is consistently high across all presets. The Low preset yields an average of 191 FPS, which is the highest in the entire dataset. Moving up to Medium, the average is 173 FPS, with a minimum of 147 FPS and a maximum of 199 FPS. The High preset produces an average of 148 FPS, and the Ultra preset brings the average down to 141 FPS. The range between Low and Ultra is 50 FPS, showing that even at the highest settings, the system maintains a very playable frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. The Low preset averages 169 FPS, a 22 FPS drop from its 1080p counterpart. The Medium preset averages 133 FPS, with a minimum of 113 FPS and a maximum of 153 FPS. The High preset averages 101 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 97 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 72 FPS, indicating that the visual fidelity settings have a more substantial impact on performance as the pixel count increases. The minimum FPS recorded at Medium (113 FPS) is still well above the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting a smooth experience.

At 3840x2160, the system is pushed the hardest. The Low preset averages 103 FPS, which is still a strong result for 4K gaming. The Medium preset averages 78 FPS, with a minimum of 67 FPS and a maximum of 90 FPS. The High preset drops to an average of 60 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 57 FPS. The data shows that the 4K Ultra setting is the only configuration that dips below the 60 FPS average mark, indicating that this is the most demanding scenario in the test set. The consistency of the frametime data, where the minimum FPS at 4K Medium is 67, suggests that the GPU handles the load without major stutters, but the average FPS numbers clearly show the performance cost of high-resolution rendering.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The data indicates that this combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile holds a rank of 706 out of 3720 tested combos in Thief. This ranking places it in the 81st percentile of all configurations tested, meaning it outperforms the vast majority of other systems in this specific game. While this is a strong position, it is not the absolute top tier, which suggests that there are other combinations that yield higher frame rates.

This rank is interesting because both the CPU and GPU are high-end components. The CPU is in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, and the GPU is in the 84th percentile of all GPUs. However, the combo’s in-game rank of 706 out of 3720 suggests that other factors, such as memory configuration or the game engine’s optimization for specific hardware, might play a role in the final performance. The data shows that the combo is performing well, but it is not dominating the charts, which implies that the game’s engine may not fully utilize the potential of this hardware combination. The rank is a single data point, but it provides a context for how this setup compares to a wide field of other systems, showing that while it is a capable performer, there is headroom for other configurations to achieve higher scores.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user’s priority for frame rate versus visual quality. At 1080p, the Ultra preset provides an average of 141 FPS, which is a smooth and responsive experience for a stealth game. The High preset is only 7 FPS slower, so the choice between them is marginal. The data suggests that at this resolution, the GPU has enough headroom to run the game at its highest settings without compromising playability.

At 1440p, the Ultra preset averages 97 FPS, which is still above the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay. The High preset averages 101 FPS, a negligible difference of 4 FPS. Given the minor performance gap, the Ultra preset appears to be the best choice for 1440p, as it offers the highest visual fidelity without a significant drop in frame rate. The Medium preset at 133 FPS is an option for those who prioritize higher refresh rates, but the data shows that the system can handle the higher presets comfortably.

At 4K, the situation changes. The Ultra preset averages 57 FPS, which dips below the 60 FPS target that many consider the baseline for a good experience. The High preset at 60 FPS is right at that threshold. The Medium preset averages 78 FPS, which offers a more comfortable margin above 60 FPS. For a 4K display, the Medium preset appears to be the best balance, as it provides a solid frame rate with a minimum of 67 FPS, ensuring that the game remains smooth in demanding scenes. The High preset is also viable, but the Medium preset provides a more consistent performance buffer. The data indicates that at 4K, sacrificing some visual fidelity for a higher average frame rate is the recommended path to ensure a stable experience.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile is a high-end mobile GPU based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, featuring 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus. Its memory bandwidth is 576.0 GB/s, which is a substantial resource for handling high-resolution textures. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1335 MHz and a boost clock of 1695 MHz, with the memory running at an effective speed of 18 Gbps. The GPU’s Passmark G3D score of 27212 and its average benchmark score of 43667 place it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs, indicating strong overall performance.

In Thief, the GPU’s role becomes increasingly prominent as resolution and settings are raised. The data shows that the GPU is the primary driver of the frame rate differences at 4K. The 16 GB of VRAM is likely sufficient for this game, even at 4K Ultra settings, as Thief is not known for having exceptionally large texture packs that would exceed this capacity. The GPU’s compute capabilities, with an FP32 throughput of 32.98 TFLOPS, are more than enough to handle the game’s rendering demands. The fact that the performance drops from 191 FPS at 1080p Low to 57 FPS at 4K Ultra is a direct result of the GPU’s rendering workload increasing with pixel count.

The GPU’s benchmark scores, such as a Passmark DirectX 11 score of 262 and a DirectX 12 score of 107, are not directly comparable to the in-game FPS, but they show that the GPU is capable of handling modern graphics APIs. Thief uses an older engine, but the GPU’s raw power ensures that it can process the game’s effects and geometry without issue. The performance data suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the frame rates scale inversely with resolution. The RTX 4090 Mobile’s strong performance at 1080p and 1440p shows that it is not a bottleneck at those settings, but at 4K, its limits are reached, particularly when the Ultra preset is enabled.