Thief

# Thief: Intel Core i7-14700F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER

The Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER delivers a playable but resolution-sensitive experience in Thief, a 2014 stealth title. At 1080p, the combination pushes well past 90 FPS on every preset, but 4K Ultra drops to 38 FPS, revealing a clear GPU bottleneck as resolution climbs. The combo ranks 2091st out of 3720 tested configurations, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database, though the CPU's 20 cores and 28 threads ensure it is never the limiting factor in this older title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep and predictable decline as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 171 FPS, which drops to 118 FPS at 2560x1440 and further to 69 FPS at 3840x2160. That represents a 59.6% reduction from 1080p to 4K on Low settings, a substantial hit that points directly at the GPU as the primary constraint. The RTX 2070 SUPER's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are being taxed heavily at higher pixel counts, even in a game from 2014.

On High settings, the scaling pattern is similar but the absolute numbers are lower. The system delivers 99 FPS at 1080p, 68 FPS at 1440p, and 40 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 31.3%, and from 1440p to 4K is another 41.2%. This non-linear scaling suggests that memory bandwidth and fill rate become increasingly strained as pixel count grows. The RTX 2070 SUPER's pixel rate of 113.3 GPixel/s and texture rate of 283.2 GTexel/s are respectable for its generation, but they are clearly insufficient for 4K Ultra in this title.

Medium settings show the most complete data, with min and max FPS recorded at every resolution. At 1080p Medium, the average is 130 FPS with a minimum of 111 and maximum of 150. Moving to 1440p Medium yields 89 FPS average with a range of 76 to 103. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 52 FPS with a range of 45 to 60. The consistency of the frame pacing, as evidenced by the narrow min-max spread, indicates that the system is not experiencing CPU-related stutters; rather, it is a steady, predictable GPU-bound decline.

Ultra settings produce the lowest frame rates across the board. The system manages 94 FPS at 1080p, 65 FPS at 1440p, and 38 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is particularly telling — a 59.6% drop from 1080p Ultra. This is a classic GPU-limited scenario where the RTX 2070 SUPER's 2560 shading units and 64 ROPs are simply overwhelmed by the pixel throughput required at 3840x2160. The data strongly indicates that for 4K play, users should stick to Low or Medium settings, while 1080p and 1440p are comfortable at any preset.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, running on the Intel Socket 1700 platform. Its base clock of 2.10 GHz and boost clock of 5.40 GHz provide substantial single-threaded performance, which is crucial for older games like Thief that often rely on a few heavily loaded threads. The processor's Cinebench R23 scores of 35,122 multi-core and 4,958 single-core place it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs tested, indicating top-tier performance.

In Thief, the CPU's role is minimal at higher resolutions because the GPU becomes the bottleneck first. The data shows that at 1080p Low, where the GPU has less work to do, the CPU must keep up with frame rates exceeding 170 FPS. The i7-14700F's boost clock of 5.40 GHz and 33 MB of shared L3 cache help maintain high minimum frame rates in this scenario. The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 4,257 and data encryption score of 30,144 suggest strong per-core performance that can handle the game's logic and AI without becoming a limiting factor.

At 4K, the CPU is effectively idle relative to the GPU. The frame rates at 4K Ultra (38 FPS) and 4K High (40 FPS) are so low that even a modestly performing CPU would not be stressed. However, the i7-14700F's 20 cores and 28 threads provide headroom for background tasks and future titles that may utilize more threads. The processor's 65 W TDP is modest for a 20-core part, and its ability to boost to 5.40 GHz on a single core ensures that the game's primary thread is never starved.

The nearest rival comparisons for the CPU show it performing within 1% of several high-end server and desktop parts. The Intel Xeon 6505P is 0.2% ahead, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is 0.6% behind. This tight grouping indicates that the i7-14700F is not the differentiator in Thief's performance; the GPU is. The CPU's Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 14,751 and Geekbench multi-core score of 19,620 are excellent, but they do not translate into meaningful FPS gains in a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 2091st out of 3720 tested combos in Thief, placing it in the 56.2nd percentile of all configurations. This ranking reflects a pairing that is slightly below the median performance level for this game. The rank is driven almost entirely by the GPU, as the CPU is in the 91st percentile of all processors, while the GPU is only in the 65th percentile of all graphics cards.

The GPU's nearest rivals provide context for its performance level. The NVIDIA Quadro M4000M is 1% ahead, the RTX 3070 Mobile is 1.2% ahead, and the Intel Arc B570 is 1.3% ahead. These deltas are small, indicating that the RTX 2070 SUPER sits in a crowded performance band. The Intel Arc A750 is 1.5% ahead, which is notable given that it is a newer architecture. However, in Thief specifically, the RTX 2070 SUPER's Turing architecture with 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores does not provide any advantage because the game predates ray tracing and DLSS.

The combo's rank of 2091 out of 3720 suggests that many other configurations deliver better frame rates in Thief. This is expected given the GPU's age and the fact that Thief is a 2014 title that favors high single-threaded CPU performance and moderate GPU demands. The system's 1080p performance is excellent, with all presets exceeding 94 FPS, but the rank is pulled down by weaker 4K results. The data shows that the combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it ranks competitively, rather than 4K, where it falls behind many newer GPUs.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Thief?

A: The data shows 2560x1440 as the sweet spot. At High settings, the system averages 68 FPS, and at Medium it reaches 89 FPS. These are playable frame rates with good visual quality. At 1080p, the system exceeds 94 FPS on all presets, but 1440p offers a better balance of image clarity and performance.

Q: Can this system handle 4K in Thief?

A: Yes, but only on lower presets. At 4K Low, the average is 69 FPS, and at 4K Medium it is 52 FPS. High and Ultra settings produce 40 FPS and 38 FPS respectively, which may be too choppy for some players. The RTX 2070 SUPER's 8 GB VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 4K, but the GPU's compute power limits higher presets.

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

A: The Intel Core i7-14700F is within 1% of three comparable processors. The Intel Xeon 6505P is 0.2% faster, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is 0.6% slower and the AMD EPYC 7313P is 0.8% slower. This indicates that the CPU is not a performance differentiator in Thief; the GPU determines the outcome.

Q: Is the RTX 2070 SUPER a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: No. At 1080p, the system achieves 171 FPS on Low, 130 FPS on Medium, 99 FPS on High, and 94 FPS on Ultra. These results indicate that the GPU has sufficient headroom at this resolution, and the CPU's 5.40 GHz boost clock and 28 threads are more than adequate to feed it.

Q: What frame rates can I expect on Medium settings at 1440p?

A: The measured data shows an average of 89 FPS with a minimum of 76 FPS and a maximum of 103 FPS. This is a smooth experience for a stealth game, with no significant frame dips. The narrow min-max range suggests consistent performance without stuttering.

Q: How does this combo rank against all tested configurations?

A: It ranks 2091st out of 3720 combos tested in Thief. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the database. The ranking reflects the GPU's 65th percentile performance, which is the limiting factor, rather than the CPU's 91st percentile standing.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is based on the TU104 chip with Turing architecture, manufactured on a 12 nm process at TSMC. It features 2,560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, with a base clock of 1605 MHz and a boost clock of 1770 MHz. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a critical specification for Thief's texture-heavy environments.

In Thief, the GPU is the dominant bottleneck at all resolutions above 1080p. The data shows that reducing settings from Ultra to Low at 4K improves performance from 38 FPS to 69 FPS, an 81.6% gain. This demonstrates that the GPU's shading units and ROPs are the limiting factor, not the memory subsystem. The RTX 2070 SUPER's 9.062 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is modest by modern standards, and Thief's pixel shaders are demanding enough to saturate these resources at high resolutions.

The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 18,169 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,651 place it in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all within 1.5% of its average benchmark score, with the Intel Arc B570 and Arc A750 slightly ahead. This tight grouping means that the RTX 2070 SUPER is neither a standout nor a laggard in its performance class. For Thief specifically, the GPU's DirectX 11 score of 151 and DirectX 12 score of 67 from PassMark indicate that it handles the older API well, which is relevant since Thief was released before DirectX 12 became standard.

The GPU's 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores are unused in Thief, as the game does not support ray tracing or DLSS. This means the RTX 2070 SUPER's Turing architecture advantages are wasted in this title, and it performs more like a traditional rasterization GPU. The 13,600 million transistors on a 545 mm² die are substantial, but the 12 nm process limits clock speeds compared to newer 10 nm or 7 nm parts. The GPU's 215 W TDP and recommended 550 W power supply are reasonable for the performance on offer.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which settings to use for the best experience. At 1920x1080, every preset is playable, with Ultra delivering 94 FPS and Low reaching 171 FPS. For the best visual quality at 1080p, Ultra is the obvious choice, as the 94 FPS average is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The CPU's high single-thread performance ensures that even the most demanding scenes do not cause frame drops.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation shifts to High settings, which produce 68 FPS. This is a solid frame rate for a stealth game, where precise timing is less critical than in competitive shooters. Medium settings at 1440p yield 89 FPS, which is smoother but requires sacrificing some visual fidelity. Ultra at 1440p drops to 65 FPS, which is still playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. The data suggests that High is the optimal balance at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the choices are more constrained. Low settings produce 69 FPS, which is playable, while Medium yields 52 FPS, which is acceptable but not ideal for fast-paced moments. High and Ultra produce 40 FPS and 38 FPS respectively, which are borderline for a game that rewards stealth and precision. The recommendation for 4K is to use Low or Medium settings, depending on whether frame rate or visual quality is prioritized. The RTX 2070 SUPER's 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for 4K textures, but the GPU's compute power is the limiting factor.

For the best overall experience across all resolutions, Medium settings at 1440p offer the most consistent performance. The measured data shows 89 FPS average with a narrow 76-103 FPS range, indicating stable frame pacing. This configuration avoids the visual compromises of Low settings while maintaining a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The 4K Medium result of 52 FPS is also respectable, making this preset the most versatile choice for users who switch between resolutions.