Thief

The benchmark data for Thief with the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 reveals a configuration that scales predictably across resolutions, with the GPU consistently acting as the primary bottleneck at higher settings. The measured frame rates show a clear hierarchy where 1080p delivers triple-digit performance across all presets, while 4K strains the combination, particularly at Ultra settings. This analysis breaks down the numbers to explain where the limits lie and which settings offer the most balanced experience.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 demonstrates a steep performance curve that highlights the GPU's workload. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 144.9 FPS at 1080p to 102.9 FPS at 1440p, then falls further to 62.9 FPS at 4K. This represents a 43% reduction from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the rendering load scales significantly with pixel count. The RTX 4070’s 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth appear sufficient for the game's demands, but the raw compute throughput becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The scaling pattern is more aggressive at lower settings. At Low preset, the 1080p result of 217.5 FPS drops to 176 FPS at 1440p and 105 FPS at 4K. This 52% decline from 1080p to 4K suggests that even when graphical effects are minimized, the pixel fill rate and shader workload still dominate. The data implies that the RTX 4070, with its 5888 shading units and 158.4 GPixel/s pixel rate, is well-suited for 1440p gaming but begins to show its limits at 4K when settings are raised.

Ultra settings amplify the resolution penalty. The 1080p Ultra average of 137.9 FPS drops to 94.6 FPS at 1440p and 55.9 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is barely above the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that users targeting 4K should expect occasional dips in demanding scenes. The scaling between 1440p and 4K at Ultra shows a 41% performance loss, which is consistent across presets and confirms that the GPU is the limiting component once resolution increases.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070’s specifications directly explain the observed frame rates. Its boost clock of 2475 MHz and 29.15 TFLOPS FP32 performance provide the computational headroom for Thief’s stealth-based rendering, which relies heavily on shadow and lighting effects. The 12 GB VRAM capacity is ample for this 2014 title, even at 4K resolution, meaning memory capacity is not a constraint in any measured scenario.

The GPU’s 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores are present but largely unused in this game, as Thief was released before ray tracing became a standard feature. The benchmark results reflect traditional rasterization performance, where the RTX 4070’s 184 texture mapping units and 64 ROPs handle texture filtering and pixel output. The 455.4 GTexel/s texture rate correlates with the smooth performance at 1080p and 1440p, where the GPU can process geometry and textures without stalling.

Comparing the RTX 4070 to its nearest rivals, the data shows a tight grouping. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 scores 37507 in average benchmarks, just 0.6% higher than the RTX 4070’s 37283 average. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile scores 38135, which is 2.2% higher, while the AMD Radeon RX 5300M lags at 36371, a 2.5% deficit. These small margins indicate that the RTX 4070 sits comfortably in its performance tier, and the measured FPS in Thief aligns with this positioning.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows suggest that Medium settings offer the best balance between visual fidelity and performance. At 1440p, Medium produces 134.9 FPS, which is 31% higher than High settings at 102.9 FPS and 42% higher than Ultra at 94.6 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium at 1440p costs only 41 FPS (from 176 to 134.9), while the jump from Medium to High costs 32 FPS. This diminishing return pattern indicates that Medium captures most of the visual improvements without the steep performance penalty of higher presets.

For 1080p users, High settings at 144.9 FPS are the recommended starting point, as they provide a 7 FPS improvement over Ultra while maintaining a comfortable margin above 120 FPS. The 1080p Medium result of 190.8 FPS is excessive for most displays and suggests that users with 144 Hz monitors should opt for High or Ultra to maximize visual quality. The 1080p Ultra result of 137.9 FPS still exceeds the 120 FPS threshold, making it viable for competitive play.

At 4K, the choice narrows significantly. Low settings at 105 FPS are the only preset that maintains a fluid experience, while Medium at 78.1 FPS and High at 62.9 FPS are playable but require a tolerance for occasional frame dips. The 4K Ultra result of 55.9 FPS falls below the 60 FPS standard, making it unsuitable for most users unless they prioritize visual fidelity over smoothness. The data suggests that 4K gaming with this combo is best served by Low or Medium settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700K and RTX 4070 combination ranks 228th out of 1642 tested combos in Thief, placing it in the top 14% of all configurations. This percentile position is respectable but not elite, reflecting the mid-to-high-end nature of the RTX 4070 within the broader GPU landscape. The combo’s ranking is influenced by the CPU’s strong single-thread capabilities, as Thief is a title from 2014 that does not heavily utilize multi-core processors.

The i7-14700K’s benchmark scores support this interpretation. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 44534 and single-core score of 6287 place it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, with nearest rivals like the Intel Core i7-14700KF scoring 70104 average (0% difference) and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X scoring 70420 (0.5% higher). These marginal differences suggest that CPU choice has minimal impact on Thief’s frame rates, as the game is not CPU-bound at the tested resolutions.

The combo’s rank of 228 indicates that while the RTX 4070 is capable, there are 227 faster configurations in the database, likely featuring higher-tier GPUs like the RTX 4080 or RTX 4090. The ranking also reflects the GPU’s 81st percentile standing among all GPUs, which places it above average but not in the top tier. For Thief, this translates to strong 1080p and 1440p performance, with 4K requiring compromises.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K’s 20 cores and 28 threads are far more than Thief can utilize, given its 2014 release date. The game’s engine was designed for quad-core processors, so the CPU’s 3.40 GHz base clock and 5.60 GHz boost clock provide ample single-thread performance. The Passmark single-thread score of 4472 and Geekbench single-core score of 2932 confirm that this CPU excels at the type of sequential workloads that Thief presents.

The CPU’s 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache reduce memory latency, which can help maintain consistent frame pacing in scenes with complex AI and physics. However, the benchmark data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as evidenced by the frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p Low settings, the 217.5 FPS result approaches the CPU’s ability to feed the GPU, but the CPU’s 96th percentile ranking means it never becomes a bottleneck in this title.

The i7-14700K’s 125 W TDP and 10 nm process node contribute to its efficiency, but these specifications have no direct impact on Thief’s frame rates. The CPU’s nearest rivals, including the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 with a 1.4% higher average score, show that the i7-14700K is competitive but not dominant in synthetic benchmarks. In Thief, the CPU’s role is secondary, with the RTX 4070 determining the majority of performance across all tested settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full settings range is playable. Low settings produce 217.5 FPS, Medium produces 190.8 FPS, High produces 144.9 FPS, and Ultra produces 137.9 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 79.6 FPS, showing a 37% performance penalty for maximum visual quality. The 1080p results indicate that the RTX 4070 is never the limiting factor at this resolution, as even Ultra settings maintain frame rates well above standard 60 Hz displays.

At 2560x1440, the performance gap between settings widens. Low settings deliver 176 FPS, Medium delivers 134.9 FPS, High delivers 102.9 FPS, and Ultra delivers 94.6 FPS. The 81.4 FPS spread from Low to Ultra represents a 46% penalty, showing that the GPU begins to feel the resolution increase. The 1440p High result of 102.9 FPS is just above the 100 FPS mark, making it a solid choice for high-refresh-rate monitors.

At 3840x2160, the results show a clear division. Low settings manage 105 FPS, Medium hits 78.1 FPS, High reaches 62.9 FPS, and Ultra drops to 55.9 FPS. The 49.1 FPS spread from Low to Ultra is the smallest relative difference (47% penalty) across resolutions, indicating that the GPU is heavily constrained at 4K regardless of settings. The 4K High result of 62.9 FPS is technically above 60 FPS, but users should expect variability in complex scenes. The 4K Ultra result is the only configuration that falls below the 60 FPS standard, making it a niche choice for users who prioritize resolution over smoothness.