Thief

Thief, the 2014 stealth classic, still serves as a demanding benchmark for modern hardware. The data for the Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER reveals a configuration that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet shows signs of CPU limitation at 1080p. This combination ranks 75th out of 1642 tested combos, placing it in the top 4.6% of all systems tested, which is a strong indicator of its overall capability for this title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frames per second (FPS) data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases, but the rate of that drop-off tells a compelling story about system balance. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 220.7 FPS. Moving to 1440p, that figure drops to 192.8 FPS, a decline of approximately 12.6%. However, the jump to 4K is far more punishing, with the average falling to 123.9 FPS, a significant 35.7% reduction from the 1440p result.

This pattern is consistent across all settings presets. For instance, at High settings, the transition from 1080p (176.9 FPS) to 1440p (120.9 FPS) represents a 31.6% drop, while the move from 1440p to 4K (67.8 FPS) is another 43.9% decline. The data implies that the game becomes exponentially more demanding on the GPU as pixel count increases. The relatively smaller delta between 1080p and 1440p, especially at lower settings, suggests that the CPU is still capable of feeding the GPU at those resolutions, but the massive increase in pixel workload at 4K places the entire burden squarely on the graphics card.

The scaling from High to Ultra at 4K is minuscule (67.8 FPS to 69.1 FPS), which indicates that the Ultra preset might be introducing settings that are more visually subtle but computationally expensive, or that the GPU is hitting a hard performance ceiling. The data suggests that for this specific game and combo, the limiting component is definitively the GPU at 4K, while the CPU plays a more significant role in enabling high frame rates at 1080p.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is a 16 GB GDDR6X card with a 256-bit memory bus, providing 672.3 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock is rated at 2610 MHz. These specifications are crucial for understanding Thief's performance, a game known for its complex lighting and shadow effects. The 16 GB frame buffer is particularly relevant; at 4K Ultra settings, the game's asset streaming and texture detail can consume significant VRAM, and the data shows the card maintains a playable 69.1 FPS average, suggesting it has sufficient memory headroom for this title.

The GPU's raw compute power, rated at 44.10 TFLOPS for FP32 operations, is what drives the high frame rates seen at lower resolutions. The data shows a clear correlation between resolution and performance, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p Low, the card is able to render an average of 220.7 FPS, which reflects its raw throughput. However, as the resolution increases, the sheer number of pixels that need to be shaded and textured increases exponentially, and the 44.10 TFLOPS figure becomes the primary bottleneck.

The GPU's percentile rank of 86th among all tested GPUs and its near-rivalry with cards like the NVIDIA CMP 50HX (which has a deltaPct of -0.7) and NVIDIA RTX A2000 (1.6 deltaPct) in synthetic benchmarks doesn't fully convey its gaming prowess in this specific title. The measured FPS data for Thief shows that the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is more than capable of delivering high refresh-rate experiences at 1440p, where it posts a 192.8 FPS average on Low settings. The card's performance at 4K, while lower, remains within the bounds of smooth gameplay for a title from 2014, indicating that its architecture is well-suited to this game's engine.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, with a 33 MB shared L3 cache. While Thief is not a title that will utilize all 28 threads, the high boost clock and substantial cache are critical for maintaining high minimum frame rates and ensuring the GPU is fed with data, particularly at 1080p where the CPU is less likely to be the bottleneck.

The CPU's benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44557 and a single-core score of 6290. This single-core performance is vital for gaming. The data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is doing a significant amount of work. The jump from 1080p Low (220.7 FPS) to 1440p Low (192.8 FPS) is a 12.6% drop, but the drop from 1440p Low to 4K Low (123.9 FPS) is much steeper. This indicates that while the CPU is capable of pushing well over 200 FPS in this game, the GPU begins to struggle more as the resolution increases.

The processor's 96th percentile ranking among all CPUs and its close benchmark rivalry with the Intel Core i7-14700K (0% deltaPct) and AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (-0.4% deltaPct) place it at the top tier of gaming processors. For Thief, the data implies that the i7-14700KF is more than sufficient to avoid being the primary limiting factor at standard gaming resolutions. It is only in the most extreme CPU-bound scenarios, such as 1080p with very low graphical settings, that its influence on the final frame rate becomes more apparent, as the GPU has spare capacity and the CPU's ability to process game logic and draw calls becomes the determining factor.

Settings Recommendations

Analyzing the measured FPS rows, the optimal experience depends heavily on the target resolution. For 4K (3840x2160), the High preset offers an average of 67.8 FPS, while the Ultra preset yields 69.1 FPS. The difference in frame rate is negligible, yet the visual fidelity jump from High to Ultra is often minimal for a significant performance cost. Given that the data shows only a 1.3 FPS difference, the Ultra preset might be preferred for the absolute best image quality since the performance penalty is almost non-existent. However, the Medium preset at 91.1 FPS provides a much smoother experience, which could be argued as the better choice for gameplay fluidity over marginal visual gains.

At 1440p (2560x1440), all presets are highly playable. The High preset at 120.9 FPS and the Ultra preset at 115.1 FPS are both excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Low preset at 192.8 FPS is only useful for competitive play where frame rate is prioritized over visuals. The Medium preset at 158.3 FPS offers a good balance. For most users at 1440p, the High or Ultra presets are recommended, as they maintain frame rates well above 100 FPS while providing the full visual experience Thief has to offer.

For 1080p (1920x1080), the CPU begins to show its strength. The Ultra preset still achieves a high 162.7 FPS, while the High preset is at 176.9 FPS. The Low preset hits 220.7 FPS, which is likely near the engine's or the CPU's practical limit. Since even the Ultra preset provides a frame rate far exceeding the refresh rate of most standard monitors, it is the clear recommendation at this resolution. The data suggests that users with 1080p displays can max out the game's settings without any concern for performance degradation.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER achieves a rank of 75 out of 1642 tested combos in Thief. This places it in the top 4.6% of all systems, a signal of its high-end status. This ranking is a composite of the CPU's 96th percentile and the GPU's 86th percentile performance, but the in-game result shows that this pairing is particularly effective for this title, likely due to the CPU's strong single-thread performance complementing the GPU's high raw throughput.

While the individual components have close rivals in synthetic benchmarks (the CPU is within 0.4% of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, and the GPU is within 2.1% of the Intel Arc A550M), the combo's rank in this specific game is what matters. The data implies that this system is not just powerful on paper, but it delivers that power in real-world gaming scenarios. The 75th rank suggests that only a handful of other configurations, likely featuring even more powerful GPUs like the RTX 4090 or potentially newer generations, are able to outperform this system in Thief. This is a strong result for a system based on the previous generation's high-end hardware.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data provides the exact measured average FPS for each resolution and settings preset combination:

• 3840x2160 (4K):
• Low: 123.9 FPS
• Medium: 91.1 FPS
• High: 67.8 FPS
• Ultra: 69.1 FPS
• 2560x1440 (1440p):
• Low: 192.8 FPS
• Medium: 158.3 FPS
• High: 120.9 FPS
• Ultra: 115.1 FPS
• 1920x1080 (1080p):
• Low: 220.7 FPS
• Medium: 199.0 FPS
• High: 176.9 FPS
• Ultra: 162.7 FPS

This breakdown clearly illustrates the performance hierarchy. The 1080p results show a spread of 57.9 FPS from Low to Ultra, while the 4K results show a much tighter spread of 56.1 FPS. This suggests that at 4K, the GPU is the sole limiter, and the graphical preset has a smaller relative impact on the final frame rate compared to the resolution itself.

FAQ

Q: Is the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER capable of running Thief at 4K with high settings?

A: Yes. The measured data shows an average of 67.8 FPS at 4K with the High preset. While not a high-refresh-rate experience, it is perfectly smooth for a stealth game.

Q: What is the best resolution to play Thief on with this hardware for maximum frame rate?

A: According to the data, 1080p provides the highest frame rates, with an average of 220.7 FPS on Low settings and 162.7 FPS on Ultra, making it ideal for very high refresh rate displays.

Q: How much of a performance drop is there from 1080p to 4K?

A: At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 220.7 FPS at 1080p to 123.9 FPS at 4K, a decrease of 96.8 FPS. At High settings, it drops from 176.9 FPS to 67.8 FPS, a decrease of 109.1 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck in this system for Thief?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K, where the frame rates are significantly lower. At 1080p, the CPU's performance is sufficient to allow the GPU to output very high frame rates, but the GPU is still the limiting factor for the highest settings.

Q: How does this specific combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: This combination of CPU and GPU ranks 75th out of 1642 tested combos in Thief, placing it in the top 4.6% of all systems tested.

Q: What is the difference in performance between the High and Ultra presets at 4K?

A: The measured difference is minimal. The High preset averages 67.8 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 69.1 FPS, showing that the Ultra preset has a negligible performance cost in this specific scenario.