Thief

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 is a combination that pits a top-tier 12-core Zen 5 processor against a mid-range RDNA 2 graphics card. In Thief, a 2014 stealth title, the measured frame rates show a system that is clearly GPU-limited at higher resolutions. The combo ranks 1355th out of 1642 tested combinations, a position that reflects the GPU's modest standing rather than the CPU's strength. The data is measured, not estimated, and covers three resolutions and four quality presets.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression across resolutions tells a straightforward story about which component is in charge. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 85 at 1920x1080 to 54.6 at 2560x1440, then to 31 at 3840x2160. The 4K result is less than half of the 1080p result, a steep drop that points directly at the GPU as the limiting factor. The same pattern appears at Low settings: 139.6 FPS at 1080p, 96.9 at 1440p, and 59.4 at 4K. Even at the lowest quality preset, the resolution scaling remains pronounced, confirming that the graphics card is the bottleneck.

The CPU's high single-thread performance—Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6555 and a 3DMark single-thread score of 1286—would not cause such a dramatic resolution-dependent decline. If the processor were the constraint, the FPS would stay relatively flat as resolution changes. Instead, the data shows a classic GPU-bound scenario. The gap between High and Ultra is also telling: at 1440p, High yields 54.6 FPS and Ultra yields 53.7, a difference of less than one frame. At 4K, High gives 31 FPS and Ultra gives 32.1, actually slightly higher. This suggests that the Ultra preset in Thief is not significantly more demanding than High, and the GPU's limits are reached well before the CPU's headroom is exhausted.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo sits at rank 1355 out of 1642 tested combinations. That places it in the lower portion of the field, which is expected given the GPU's position. The CPU alone is in the 94th percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 54450. Its nearest rivals are tightly grouped: the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is 0.4% faster, the Intel Core i7-14700F is 0.7% slower, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K is 1.5% faster, and the Core Ultra 5 245KF is 1.8% faster. The 9900X is clearly a high-end part, but the GPU drags the overall combo down.

The GPU, in contrast, sits in the 69th percentile of all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 25235. Its nearest rivals are nearly identical in performance: the AMD Radeon 890M matches it exactly (0% delta), the RX 580 2048SP is 0.2% slower, the RX 6700M is 0.2% faster, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is 0.5% faster. This cluster of mid-range parts explains why the combo rank is so low—the GPU is not a high-end component, and Thief's frame rates reflect that.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 is built on the Navi 23 chip with RDNA 2.0 architecture. It has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The boost clock is 2491 MHz, with a game clock of 2044 MHz and a base clock of 1626 MHz. The GPU's compute capability is 8.928 TFLOPS FP32, and it has 1792 shading units, 112 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Its passmark G3D score is 15096, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1492.

In Thief, the GPU is the primary limiter. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 32.1, which is not smooth for a stealth game that benefits from consistent frame pacing. At 1080p Ultra, it reaches 75.8 FPS, which is playable but not exceptional. The 8 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for a 2014 title; the game's textures and geometry are well within that capacity. The memory bandwidth of 224 GB/s is also adequate, as the resolution scaling shows no signs of a bandwidth cliff. The GPU's launch MSRP is 329 USD.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates are as follows:

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 31 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 59.4 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 45.8 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 32.1 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 54.6 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 96.9 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 72.4 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 53.7 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 85 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 139.6 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 110.3 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 75.8 |

At 1080p, the system is capable of high frame rates: Low hits 139.6 FPS, Medium 110.3, High 85, and Ultra 75.8. This is a comfortable range for a 60 Hz or even 144 Hz display, depending on the preset. Moving to 1440p, the numbers drop to 96.9, 72.4, 54.6, and 53.7 respectively. The Ultra preset at 1440p is essentially identical to High, which suggests the game's Ultra settings do not add much load. At 4K, the GPU struggles: Low yields 59.4 FPS, Medium 45.8, High 31, and Ultra 32.1. The 4K Ultra result is actually slightly higher than High, which is an anomaly but within the margin of measurement. Overall, the data shows that 1080p is the sweet spot for this combo, with 1440p being playable at Medium or Low, and 4K only viable at Low settings.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on Zen 5 (Granite Ridge) architecture, manufactured on a 4 nm process. It has a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, with a TDP of 120 W. The L3 cache is 64 MB shared, and it supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and 89.6 GB/s bandwidth. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 46438, and single-core is 6555. The CPU is in the 94th percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 54450. Its launch MSRP is $499.

In Thief, the CPU is not the bottleneck. The resolution scaling already demonstrates this, but the CPU's raw performance reinforces it. A 2014 game like Thief is unlikely to use more than a few threads, and the 9900X's single-thread performance is excellent. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1286 and the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6555 indicate that the CPU can feed the GPU without issue. Even at 1080p Low, where the CPU would be most likely to limit, the system reaches 139.6 FPS—a high number, but not one that suggests the CPU is at its ceiling. The 12 cores and 24 threads are overkill for this title, but they provide headroom for other tasks and future games. The CPU's memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s is also more than enough for Thief's data demands.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p Ultra?

A: 75.8 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 6600 compare to the RTX 3060 Ti in average benchmark score?

A: The RX 6600 is 0.5% behind the RTX 3060 Ti.

Q: What is the combo's rank among tested combinations?

A: 1355 out of 1642.

Q: How much VRAM does the RX 6600 have?

A: 8 GB GDDR6.

Q: What is the CPU's boost clock?

A: 5.60 GHz.

Q: What is the GPU's memory bandwidth?

A: 224.0 GB/s.