Thief

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER combination delivers a highly playable experience in Thief, with the data indicating a clear CPU-bound scenario at lower resolutions and a GPU-bound one at 4K. The measured frame rates show that this pairing is capable of handling the game's stealth mechanics with fluidity, though the specific settings and resolution chosen will determine whether the experience leans on the processor's strength or the graphics card's limits.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, built on a 4 nm process. It has a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a substantial 128 MB of L3 cache. This processor sits in the 91st percentile among all CPUs tested, and its average benchmark score is 54,762. In Thief, a game that relies heavily on draw calls and AI calculations for its stealth gameplay, this processor provides a strong foundation. The high boost clock of 5.50 GHz is particularly relevant for the game's single-threaded tendencies, ensuring that the primary game logic has ample processing headroom.

The data shows that at 1080p, the processor is the primary driver of performance. At Low settings, the average frame rate is 171 FPS, while at Ultra settings, it drops to 94 FPS. This relatively modest drop of 77 FPS across the entire settings range, compared to the larger percentage drops seen at higher resolutions, indicates that the CPU is able to feed the GPU with enough data to keep it busy, and the bottleneck shifts to the graphics card. The processor's strong multi-threaded performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 47,737, also ensures that background tasks and the game's audio and physics threads do not interfere with the primary frame rendering. The 24 threads are more than sufficient for a 2014 title, leaving ample headroom for any modern system overhead.

Benchmark results indicate that the Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a very capable performer, scoring slightly higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF, with a deltaPct of -0.6% in the rival's favor, and 1.3% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K. Its performance is also 2% higher than the Intel Xeon 6505P and 2.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-14700F. This places it firmly in the upper echelon of desktop processors, and in Thief, this translates to a system that can easily maintain high frame rates when the resolution is low enough to remove the GPU as a constraint. The processor's 4.40 GHz base clock ensures that even under sustained loads, the performance remains consistent.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is a Turing architecture GPU built on a 12 nm process, with a base clock of 1605 MHz and a boost clock of 1770 MHz. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The GPU has 2,560 shading units and 64 ROPs. It holds a 65th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20,282. In Thief, the GPU's role becomes increasingly critical as the resolution rises and the settings are increased, as the game's detailed environments and lighting effects place a greater load on the graphics processor.

The data reveals that the RTX 2070 SUPER is the limiting factor at 4K resolution. At 4K with High settings, the average frame rate is 40 FPS, and at Ultra, it is 38 FPS. This is a significant drop from the 1080p results, showing that the GPU is struggling to process the increased pixel count. The 8 GB of VRAM is also a consideration; while Thief is not a VRAM-heavy title by modern standards, the combination of higher resolutions and texture settings can push the memory usage, potentially leading to performance dips in more demanding scenes. The GPU's memory clock of 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) provides sufficient bandwidth for the game's needs at 1080p and 1440p, but the sheer pixel throughput required at 4K exposes its limitations.

Compared to its rivals, the RTX 2070 SUPER's average score is 1% lower than the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, 1.2% lower than the GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, and 1.3% lower than the Intel Arc B570, while being 1.5% lower than the Intel Arc A750. These are all very close scores, indicating that the RTX 2070 SUPER is a mid-range performer in the current landscape. In Thief, this means it can handle 1080p and 1440p with ease, but 4K gaming requires a more modern or higher-tier GPU for consistently smooth frame rates. The GPU's FP32 performance of 9.062 TFLOPS is the raw compute power behind the pixel and shader processing, and while it was a strong figure at the card's launch, it is now a limiting factor for high-resolution gaming.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern across the three resolutions. At 1080p, the system is primarily CPU-bound, which is why the frame rates are so high. At Low settings, the average FPS is 171, which drops to 130 at Medium, 99 at High, and 94 at Ultra. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 77 FPS, a 45% reduction, which is a direct result of increased GPU load. However, the CPU is still capable of delivering the frames.

Moving to 1440p, the GPU begins to take on a more significant role. The average FPS at Low is 118, a 31% drop from the 1080p result. At Ultra, the average FPS is 65, a 31% drop from the 1080p Ultra result of 94 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is now the primary bottleneck, as the increased pixel count is demanding more from the graphics card. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1440p is a 53 FPS difference, which is a 45% reduction, similar to the percentage drop seen at 1080p.

At 4K, the GPU is the definitive limiting factor. The average FPS at Low is 69, which is a 42% drop from the 1080p Low result. At Ultra, the average FPS is 38, a 60% drop from the 1080p Ultra result. The performance penalty for moving from 1080p to 4K is substantial, and the data clearly shows that this combination is not ideal for 4K gaming at high settings. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is only 31 FPS, which is a smaller absolute difference than at lower resolutions, but the percentage drop is larger, further emphasizing the GPU's inability to keep up with the resolution demands. The 4K Medium setting, which has a minimum FPS of 45 and a maximum of 60, shows that even with a middle-ground setting, the frame rate is inconsistent.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 1575 out of 2851 tested combos in Thief. This places it in the 55th percentile of all tested system configurations, meaning it outperforms more than half of the other pairings but is not in the top tier. This middle-of-the-road ranking is a direct consequence of the significant performance disparity between the high-end CPU and the mid-range GPU. The CPU is capable of much more, but the GPU holds the system back, particularly at higher resolutions.

The combo's ranking is a reflection of the GPU's 65th percentile standing among all GPUs, which is the weaker link in this pairing. The CPU, with its 91st percentile ranking, is not the limiting factor. This suggests that in games that are less GPU-intensive or at lower resolutions, this combo would rank significantly higher. However, in Thief, the GPU's performance ceiling at 4K and its relative weakness compared to the CPU's strength drags the overall combo ranking down. The data indicates that this pairing is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where the GPU can keep pace with the CPU, and the ranking reflects the fact that it is a balanced system for those resolutions, but not for 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combination depend heavily on the target resolution. For 1080p, the Ultra preset is the best choice, as it delivers an average of 94 FPS. This is well above the smooth 60 FPS threshold and provides the best visual quality. The High preset offers 99 FPS, which is only a 5 FPS improvement over Ultra, making the visual gains of Ultra worth the minor performance cost. The Medium preset at 130 FPS is also a strong option for those who prefer higher refresh rates, but the Ultra preset provides a complete experience without sacrificing playability.

For 1440p, the High preset is the recommended setting, delivering an average of 68 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS target and provides a good balance between visual fidelity and performance. The Ultra preset drops to 65 FPS, which is still playable, but the High preset offers a slightly more stable experience. The Medium preset at 89 FPS is also a very good option if a higher frame rate is desired. For 4K, the data suggests that the Low preset is the only viable option for a smooth experience, with an average of 69 FPS. The Medium preset at 52 FPS is borderline playable, but the High and Ultra presets at 40 and 38 FPS respectively are not recommended for a consistent experience. The 4K Medium preset does have a minimum FPS of 45 and a maximum of 60, indicating some frame pacing issues.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average frame rates are as follows: Low settings produce 171 FPS, Medium settings produce 130 FPS (with a minimum of 111 and a maximum of 150), High settings produce 99 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 94 FPS. These numbers show a clear progression, with the system delivering over 90 FPS at all settings, making 1080p a very smooth experience for this game.

At 2560x1440, the average frame rates are: Low settings produce 118 FPS, Medium settings produce 89 FPS (with a minimum of 76 and a maximum of 103), High settings produce 68 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 65 FPS. The system remains playable at all settings, with the Ultra preset just barely maintaining an average above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are: Low settings produce 69 FPS, Medium settings produce 52 FPS (with a minimum of 45 and a maximum of 60), High settings produce 40 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 38 FPS. This resolution shows a dramatic drop in performance, with only the Low preset achieving a consistently smooth frame rate. The data clearly shows that 4K is not this combo's strong suit, and users should stick to 1080p or 1440p for the best experience.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo in Thief?*

A: The data shows that 1440p with High or Ultra settings is the sweet spot, with average frame rates of 68 and 65 FPS respectively. 1080p is also excellent, with all settings exceeding 90 FPS, but 4K is only playable at Low settings, which average 69 FPS.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D or the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER the bottleneck in this game?

A: At 1080p, the CPU is the primary driver, but at 4K, the GPU is the definitive limiting factor. The frame rates drop by over 40% when moving from 1080p Low to 4K Low, indicating that the GPU cannot keep up with the increased resolution.

Q: How does the frame rate scale from Medium to Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, the Medium preset averages 89 FPS, while the High preset averages 68 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 65 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra is only 3 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset is a reasonable choice for a minor visual upgrade.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo in the measured data?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 45 FPS, which occurs at 4K resolution with Medium settings. This is the only measured point that dips below 60 FPS, indicating that the system is generally capable of maintaining smooth performance outside of 4K.

Q: How does this combo's ranking compare to the CPU's and GPU's individual percentiles?

A: The combo ranks 1575 out of 2851, which is roughly the 55th percentile. This is lower than the CPU's individual 91st percentile and the GPU's 65th percentile, showing that the pairing's overall performance in Thief is dragged down by the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions.

Q: Is there a setting at 4K that provides a consistent 60 FPS experience?

A: No. The data shows that at 4K, the Low preset averages 69 FPS, but the Medium preset averages 52 FPS with a minimum of 45 FPS. None of the 4K settings provide a stable 60 FPS average, making 4K gaming with this combo a compromise.