Thief

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

The Intel Core i5-9400 uses 6 cores and 6 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. It supports DDR4 memory through a dual-channel interface, providing a memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. The CPU's 9 MB shared level-3 cache balances access while.

These specifications place this chip within the mid-range of Intel's Coffee Lake refresh. Its single-core performance, measured with Cinebench R23 (935) and Geekbench single-core (1389), indicates a reasonable ability to feed the GPU in a title like Thief, which was released in 2014 and typically depends less on many-core parallelism. Multi-core results from Cinebench R23 (6629) and Geekbench (5141) are modest compared with recent multi-core chips, but Thief's engine likely favours a single strong core over massive core counts.

The benchmark results also place the i5-9400 against direct rivals. In the nearestRivals list, the CPU averages 2248–2264 in the composite score. The i5-9400 sits at 2254 with a percentile of 47, meaning almost half of all CPUs perform better in average benchmark terms. The delta to each rival remains within –0.4% to +0.4%, indicating a cluster of similar performance. This cluster includes chips such as the Intel Core i7-10710U (–0.3%) and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 (–0.4%).

Examining the measured frames, the i5-9400 helps deliver up to 119 fps at 1920×1080 on Low preset. That result is consistent with a CPU capable of pushing high frame rates at the lowest resolutions where the GPU is not the limiting factor. At 1080p Medium the figure drops to 107 fps, and at 1080p High it is 97 fps — all remain above 90 fps. Even at 4K the CPU does not become a bottleneck for the game, as the low-preset 4K average is 75 fps. The data suggest that this pairing provides enough CPU performance to support the GPU across the settings tested.

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How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9500 and the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT produces a combo rank of 2357 out of 3720 in Thief. That places the system in the second half of the tested combinations; better-than- average combos are those with lower ranks. In practical terms, 1363 tested combos are inferior, while 2356 combos are superior. The rank leaves this system in the middle-lower band of the measured sample.

To put that rank into context, note that the CPU individually sits at percentile 47 of all processors, below the 72nd percentile of the GPU. The GPU’s performance is noticeably higher relative to its own population, and that often shifts the combination's ranking. The combo rank of 2357 reflects that the GPU’s strong 4K FPS numbers (e.g., 43 average at 4K High) still do not place the system among the top tandems in this game. Compared to the nearest GPU rivals, the 6700 XT is essentially tied with the RTX 4070 Mobile (0% delta) and slightly behind the RTX 3090 (–0.5%) based on average benchmark scores. The CPU’s weaker relative score—only 47th percentile—prevents the combination from climbing higher.

The rank is derived from the measured fps results included in this database. The GPU’s percentile (72) is higher than the CPU’s (47), which means the CPU has more of an impact on the overall schnitt by percentage; still, the remaining 1,363 combos that are slower than this one indicate that the i5-9400+RX 6700 XT is still a viable mid-range configuration.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS values show a clear and expected drop as resolution increases. At the Low preset, the average FPS cycles from 119 at 1920×1080, to 105 at 2560×1440, and further to 75 at 3840×2160 — a reduction of exactly 14 fps from 1080p to 1440p, then another 30 fps from 1440p to 4K. For Medium, the averages are 107 → 95 → 57, a steep decline in the last step, while High moves from 97 → 74 → 43. Ultra shows the smallest absolute drops: 96 (1080p) → ?

Always careful – the measured Ultra: 1920×1080 96, 2560×1440 70, 3840×2160 41. That is a 26 fps drop from 1080p to 1440p, and an additional 29 fps to 4K. The pattern is consistent with the GPU becoming the bottleneck as the number of pixels increases, while the CPU's energy remains steadier. The largest loss occurs between 1440p and 4K, especially from 95 to 63 fps on Medium (a 32% loss) and from 74 to 74 on High (39%).

The fact that the 4K numbers fall below the 60-fps mark for all presets except Low (75 fps) points to the GPU's limitations at that extreme resolution, independent of the CPU. Conversely, at 1080p even the Ultra preset achieves 96 fps, showing that the CPU is capable of driving the game at high settings when the resolution is low. The data indicate that at 1080p, the processor can keep up with the frame demands; at 1440p and above, the graphics card becomes the dominant factor.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS measured for this combination in Thief?

A: The highest recorded average is 119 fps at 1920×1080 resolution on the Low preset. The next best is the Low preset at 2560×1440 with 105 fps.

Q: Can the system run Thief at 4K with playable performance?

A: The 4K Ultra preset averages 41 fps, High at 43 fps, and Medium at 57 fps. Only the Low preset at 4K achieves an average above 60, with 75 fps. So only the Low preset is playable at a 60 fps target at 4K.

Q: Which resolution and settings gives the highest minimum FPS?

A: The minimum FPS is provided only for the Medium preset. At 1920×1080 Medium the minimum is 91 FPS, at 2560×1440 it is 81 FPS, and at 3840×2160 it is 48 FPS. So the 1080p Medium yields the safest minimum in the data.

Q: How does the combo rank among other combinations?

A: This system ranks 2357 out of 3720 combinations in Thief, meaning a majority (2356) of tested combos are better, while 1363 are slower.

Q: What is the memory capacity of the GPU in this test?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with a bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s.

Q: What is the maximum FPS recorded for this system?

A: The highest maximum FPS reported is 124 FPS, which occurs at 1920×1080 on the Medium preset. The next highest is the Low preset average of 119 FPS.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT uses the RDNA 2 architecture, built on a 7 nm process with 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. It is equipped with 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit interface, delivering a bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s. The base clock is 2321 MHz, with a boost clock of 2581 MHz and a game clock of 2424 MHz. In terms of compute, the card rates 13.21 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput and 26.43 TFLOPS of FP16 via the 2:1 ratio.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 72nd percentile of all graphics cards. Its average score of 27425 positions it between its nearest rivals: the NVIDIA RTX 4070 Mobile (27435, 0.0% delta), the RTX 3090 (27565, –0.5%), the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell (27135, +1.1%), and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 (27839, –1.5%). Essentially, the RX 6700 XT performs within ±1% of the RTX 3090 and the other high-end cards in the database.

In the context of Thief, the GPU shows its strength. At 1080p Low and Medium, the framerates are high enough at around 100–110 fps. At 1440p, the Ultra and High settings remain above 60 fps (70 and 74 fps). The 4K Ultra preset drops to an average of 41 fps, which is typical for a high-end card at that resolution. The 12 GB frame buffer likely is not a constraint at 4K, especially considering this game is from 2017 (release date not used here). The measured data confirm that the RX 6700 XT is a capable GPU for 60 fps gaming at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K requires the Low preset.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame data, the best balance of visual quality and fluidity is at 1080p Ultra, which delivers an average of 96 fps (with a minimum of 91 fps on the Medium preset). For players with a 1080p60 display, either High or Ultra are safe choices, as both exceed 90 fps. Medium also sits at 107 fps with a 91–124 fps range.

At 1440p, the recommended preset is High, since it averages 74 fps, safely above the 60 fps threshold. Ultra (70 fps) is also viable, but its slightly lower average and lack of min/max data makes High more reliable. Medium alone gives 95 fps, which may be acceptable if a low-cost visual penalty is accepted.

For 4K, Low is the only preset that reaches an average of 75 fps, above the 60 fps playable floor. Medium falls short at 57 fps, and High and Ultra drop to 43 fps and 41 fps, respectively. So the recommended setting for a smooth 4K experience is Low, with Medium as an option only if the drop below 60 fps is tolerated.

Since the game has been out for several years, its CPU demands are modest. The 1080p data shows that the Ultra preset is already smooth, so the GPU is not under strain at 1080p. The scaling pattern suggests that the GPU is the main factor at 1440p and 4K, so for those resolutions the correct approach is to lower the preset to keep the framerate above 60 fps.

Measured FPS Breakdown

This table is a complete listing of the included results for Thief at the three resolutions and four settings.

| Resolution | Settings | Average FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

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

| 1920x1080 | Low | 119 | – | – |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 107 | 91 | 124 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 97 | – | – |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 96 | – | – |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 105 | – | – |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 95 | 81 | 109 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 74 | – | – |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 70 | – | – |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 75 | – | – |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 57 | 48 | 66 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 43 | – | – |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 41 | – | – |

Minimum and maximum values are reported only for the Medium preset, so those columns are others. The table shows that the FPS decreases in every setting when the resolution steps up, and the drop is consistent. Particularly notable is the 4K row, where the Ultra preset returns 41 fps while the Low preset yields 75 fps. The data also illustrate that the combination is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 1440p offering smoother frames on High (74 fps) or Medium (95 fps), and 4K viable only with Low settings.