Thief

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 presents a fascinating case study in Thief, a 2014 stealth title that clearly responds well to modern hardware. The combination of a 20-core, 28-thread Raptor Lake processor and the Ada Lovelace GPU produces a dataset that reveals distinct performance ceilings depending on resolution and settings. The data suggests a system that is overwhelmingly powerful for this game, yet the scaling patterns expose where each component's influence wanes and where it dominates.

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

The Core i7-14700KF is a desktop processor built on the Raptor Lake architecture, featuring a substantial 20 cores and 28 threads. Its base clock of 3.40 GHz can boost up to 5.60 GHz, providing significant single-thread headroom that older games like Thief often rely upon. In synthetic benchmarks, the processor demonstrates immense capability, scoring 44,557 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 6,290 in single-core tests. Its average benchmark score of 70,104 places it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, with nearest rivals including the Intel Core i7-14700K (avg score 70,074, deltaPct 0) and AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (avg score 70,420, deltaPct -0.4). This indicates the CPU is performing at the very top tier of available processors.

In the context of Thief, the CPU's role appears to be that of an enabler rather than a bottleneck at most settings. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 219.4 FPS, a figure that is likely constrained by the game engine's frame pacing or the GPU's raw speed rather than the CPU's limits. The processor's 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache are more than sufficient for a game of this era. The data shows that even at 4K Ultra, where the GPU load is highest, the CPU is not holding back the average frame rate, which sits at 60.4 FPS. The CPU's high single-core score of 633 in Cinebench R15 suggests that it can handle the game's logical threads with ease, leaving the RTX 4070 as the primary determinant of performance in most scenarios.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combined system ranks 221st out of 1,642 tested combinations in Thief. This places it in the top tier of all recorded configs, though it is not the absolute best. The rank of 221 indicates that while this pairing is exceptionally strong, there are other combinations—likely with higher-tier GPUs or CPUs—that achieve higher average frame rates at the tested settings. The data is measured, confirming that these are actual run results rather than projections.

The rank suggests a system that is highly capable but not overkill to the point of being the top performer. Given that the CPU sits in the 96th percentile and the GPU in the 81st percentile, the combo's rank of 221 out of 1,642 (roughly top 13.5%) is logically consistent. It implies that the GPU is the more limiting factor in this pairing, as many combos ranked above it likely feature GPUs with higher benchmark scores. The deltaPct values for the GPU's rivals show it is closely matched with the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (avg score 37,507, deltaPct -0.6), yet the i7-14700KF's massive CPU lead over those systems' processors does not translate into a higher combo rank, reinforcing that Thief is heavily GPU-bound at the tested settings.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The frame rate scaling across resolutions is a textbook example of GPU-bound behavior. Moving from 1080p to 1440p and then to 4K reveals a consistent drop in average FPS that aligns with the increase in pixel count. At High settings, the system produces 146.5 FPS at 1080p, which falls to 103.7 FPS at 1440p (a 29.2% drop) and then to 60.4 FPS at 4K (a 41.8% drop from 1440p). This pattern is consistent across all settings presets, indicating that the RTX 4070 is the primary limiter.

The data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck even at 1080p Low, where the FPS of 219.4 is the highest in the entire dataset. If the CPU were limiting, we would expect to see a plateau in FPS as resolution decreases, but the continuous increase from 4K to 1080p suggests the GPU has more headroom at lower resolutions. The 12 GB of VRAM on the RTX 4070 is also not a limiting factor, as the game's demands are well below that capacity at all resolutions. The scaling indicates that for players targeting 4K Ultra, the system will hover around 60 FPS, while 1080p players can enjoy frame rates well above 200 FPS on Low settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. With Low settings, the average FPS is 219.4, which is the peak performance observed. Medium settings reduce this to 193.6 FPS, while High settings drop it further to 146.5 FPS. Ultra settings yield 138.1 FPS, which is still exceptionally smooth for a stealth game. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 81.3 FPS, showing that the settings have a significant impact on performance.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show a clear step down. Low settings produce 176.5 FPS, Medium achieves 132.9 FPS, High manages 103.7 FPS, and Ultra drops to 94.3 FPS. This resolution is a sweet spot for the system, as even Ultra settings maintain an average above 90 FPS. At 3840x2160, the performance becomes more demanding. Low settings yield 102.9 FPS, which is still smooth. Medium settings drop to 77.3 FPS, High settings to 60.4 FPS, and Ultra settings to exactly 60.0 FPS. The 4K Ultra figure is notable for being precisely at the threshold of common 60 Hz displays, suggesting that the game is playable but with no headroom for frame drops.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is a 5 nm Ada Lovelace GPU with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. Its boost clock of 2475 MHz and base clock of 1920 MHz drive a massive 29.15 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 26,927 in Passmark G3D, placing it in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 (avg score 37,507, deltaPct -0.6) and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (avg score 38,135, deltaPct -2.2).

The GPU's role in Thief is clearly the dominant factor in determining frame rates. The 12 GB VRAM is more than adequate for the game, even at 4K Ultra, and the memory bandwidth is not a constraint. The data shows that the GPU scales predictably with resolution, and the differences between settings at each resolution are substantial. For instance, at 4K, the jump from Low (102.9 FPS) to Ultra (60.0 FPS) represents a 41.7% reduction in performance, which is consistent with the GPU's compute load increasing. The RTX 4070's architecture is well-suited for this DirectX 12 Ultimate title, and its performance in Thief is in line with its overall benchmark standing.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution. At 1080p, the Ultra preset is highly recommended, as it maintains an average of 138.1 FPS, which is far above the threshold for smooth gameplay. The gap between Ultra and High at 1080p is only 8.4 FPS, so choosing Ultra for the visual fidelity is a clear win. At 1440p, the Ultra preset also remains viable with 94.3 FPS, but the High preset at 103.7 FPS offers a slightly higher frame rate with a marginal visual compromise. For players with 1440p displays, High settings provide the best balance, as they stay above 100 FPS.

At 4K, the decision is more nuanced. The High preset yields 60.4 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold, while Ultra dips to exactly 60.0 FPS. The data suggests that High settings are the better choice at 4K, as they provide a slight frame rate buffer while still delivering high visual quality. The Medium preset at 4K (77.3 FPS) could be considered if a higher frame rate is desired, but the visual trade-off may not be worth it. For the absolute best experience on this system, playing at 1440p with High settings offers a 103.7 FPS average, which combines high fidelity with a frame rate that exceeds most displays' refresh rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achievable with this combo?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 219.4, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: How does the CPU perform in synthetic benchmarks relative to its rivals?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700KF has an average benchmark score of 70,104, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-14700K (70,074, deltaPct 0) and slightly lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (70,420, deltaPct -0.4).

Q: Is the RTX 4070's performance in Thief limited by its VRAM?

A: No, the data shows no indication of VRAM limitation. The GPU's 12 GB VRAM is sufficient, as the game's performance scales consistently with resolution and settings without any anomalies.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations in this game?

A: This combo ranks 221st out of 1,642 tested combinations, placing it in the top tier of all recorded configs.

Q: At 4K, which settings preset provides the highest frame rate above 60 FPS?

A: The High preset at 3840x2160 provides an average of 60.4 FPS, which is the highest frame rate above the 60 FPS threshold, as the Ultra preset averages exactly 60.0 FPS.

Q: How much does the frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K on High settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 146.5 at 1920x1080 to 60.4 at 3840x2160 on High settings, representing a substantial decrease of 86.1 FPS.