Thief

Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT delivers a robust experience in Thief, though the game's age means the GPU often becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The CPU's 24 cores and 32 threads, with a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost of 6.00 GHz, are far more than this 2014 stealth title needs, yet the data shows a distinct performance ceiling at 4K Ultra. This analysis examines the measured FPS across three resolutions and four settings, interpreting what the numbers say about the hardware combination and how it ranks among 3,720 tested combos.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a 24-core, 32-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It features a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. For Thief, a stealth title released in 2014, the CPU's raw compute power is largely abundant; the game's engine was not designed to utilize 32 threads. However, the single-core performance is critical, and the i9-14900K excels here. In Cinebench R23 single-core, it scores 2262.5 points, and in Geekbench single-core, it scores 2655, placing it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. These numbers indicate that the CPU's per-thread performance is more than sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the GPU in most scenarios.

The benchmark data for Thief shows no direct CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the average FPS hits 230, which is high, but not the absolute peak of the GPU. At 1080p Ultra, the average drops to 130 FPS. This 100 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is completely driven by the GPU, as the CPU's workload in Thief remains constant regardless of graphics settings. The i9-14900K's single-core Cinebench R15 score of 324.5 and R20 of 2935 further confirm that this CPU is not a limiting factor, even in a 2014 game that may have limited multithreading. The data suggests that the CPU is overkill for Thief, but it does ensure that the GPU is the sole performance variable in the measured results.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p Ultra in Thief?

A: The average FPS at 1080p Ultra is 130 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's single-core performance compare to its multi-core?

A: In Cinebench R23, the i9-14900K scores 2262.5 in single-core and 39399.5 in multi-core, showing a 17.4x difference, but Thief is not optimized for multithreading, so single-core speed is more relevant.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck for the RX 6800 XT in Thief?

A: No, the CPU's single-thread performance is far above the game's needs. The benchmark scores indicate the CPU is not a limiting factor, as the GPU scales from 130 FPS at Ultra to 230 FPS at Low at 1080p, with the CPU remaining constant.

Q: What is the CPU's percentile rank among all CPUs?

A: The i9-14900K is in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is in the top 5% of processors.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival, the i9-14900KF?

A: The i9-14900KF has an average score that is 0.3% higher than the i9-14900K, per the nearestRivals data, making the difference negligible.

Q: What is the CPU's multi-threaded benchmark score?

A: The CPU scores 39399.5 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, and 20793 in R20 multi-core, and 6103 in Cinebench R15 multi-core.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Thief shows a clear pattern: performance drops as resolution increases, but the degree of the drop varies by settings. At High settings, moving from 1080p to 1440p results in a 43 FPS drop (137 to 94 FPS), while moving from 1440p to 4K results in a 39 FPS drop (94 to 55 FPS). This indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at all resolutions for High settings.

For Medium settings, the pattern is similar: 179 FPS at 1080p, 123 FPS at 1440p, and 72 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 56 FPS, and from 1440p to 4K is 51 FPS. This is a consistent scaling, reflecting the GPU's workload scaling with pixel count.

Low settings show the most dramatic scaling. At 1080p, the average is 230 FPS. At 1440p, it drops to 162 FPS (a 68 FPS drop), and at 4K, it falls to 95 FPS (a 67 FPS drop). This 67-68 FPS drop per resolution step suggests that the GPU is still the bottleneck, but the lower settings allow the GPU to push higher frames, making the resolution scaling more pronounced.

Ultra settings show a different pattern. At 1080p, the average is 130 FPS. At 1440p, it's 89 FPS (a 41 FPS drop), and at 4K, it's 52 FPS (a 37 FPS drop). This is a smaller absolute drop than Low settings because the overall FPS is lower. The data indicates that the GPU is the limiting component across all resolutions, as the CPU's performance is consistent and high.

Resolution: What the Scaling Tells Us

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals that the GPU, the Radeon RX 6800 XT, is the limiting component in this combination. At 1080p Ultra, the GPU produces 130 FPS, which is below the CPU's potential, as evidenced by the CPU's high single-thread scores. As the resolution increases, the GPU's workload increases, and the FPS drops, but the drop is consistent with the pixel count growth. For example, at 1080p Ultra, the GPU renders about 2.07 million pixels (1920x1080), while at 4K Ultra, it renders 8.29 million pixels (3840x2160), a 4x increase. Yet the FPS drops from 130 to 52, a 60% reduction, which is not proportional to the 4x pixel increase. This suggests that the RX 6800 XT's 512 GB/s memory bandwidth and 16 GB GDDR6 memory are not the bottleneck, but rather its compute throughput (20.74 TFLOPS) at these settings.

At 1080p High, the GPU produces 137 FPS, while at 4K High, it's 55 FPS, a 60% drop for a 4x pixel count. This is a common scaling pattern for GPUs, indicating that the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU's performance is flat across resolutions, as its benchmark scores are resolution-independent. Therefore, the data indicates that the i9-14900K is never the bottleneck in Thief, even at 1080p.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the Medium preset appears to offer the most balanced performance across resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 179, with a minimum of 153 and a maximum of 206. This provides a high frame rate with headroom. At 1440p Medium, it's 123 FPS (min 105, max 142), which is still above 100 FPS for a smooth experience. At 4K Medium, it's 72 FPS (min 62, max 83), which is playable but not ideal for a 60 FPS target in all scenes.

High settings at 1440p provides 94 FPS, which is also good. However, Medium settings at 4K get 72 FPS, which is only 12 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold, but the data shows a minimum of 62 FPS, which could dip below 60 in demanding scenes. Ultra at 1440p provides 89 FPS, and the 4K Ultra is 52 FPS, which is below 60.

Given the data, Medium settings are recommended for users with a 4K monitor, as they provide an average of 72 FPS with a minimum of 62. For 1440p, High or Medium both work, but Medium provides a higher frame rate (123 vs 94). For 1080p, Medium offers a great frame rate (179 FPS) and is the sweet spot, as Low gives 230 FPS but with potential visual compromises. The data shows that Medium settings provide a consistent experience across all resolutions, with the lowest FPS being 62 at 4K, which is just above the 60 FPS target.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database for Thief, this combination of the Intel Core i9-14900K and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT ranks 815th out of 3,720 tested combos. This places it in the top 22% of all combinations. Given the CPU's 95th percentile rank among all CPUs, and the GPU's 85th percentile among all GPUs, one might expect a higher rank. However, the rank considers the combination's performance in this specific game, which is likely heavily GPU-bound. The RX 6800 XT's performance in Thief is not top-tier, as its average benchmark score is 48477, putting it in the 85th percentile, but its nearest rivals include the RTX 5070 Ti (3% higher score) and the RX Vega 64 (3% higher), which are not top-tier in this game.

The combo's rank of 815 out of 3720 is a result of the GPU's performance. The CPU, while top-tier, does not boost the rank because Thief is not CPU-intensive. A combination with a lower-tier CPU but a higher-tier GPU might have a better rank, as the GPU is the main factor. The data shows that the RX 6800 XT, with its 512 GB/s bandwidth and 16 GB GDDR6, is a strong card, but in Thief, it produces 130 FPS at 1080p Ultra, which is decent but not the best.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data is as follows:

1080p (1920x1080):

• Low: 230 FPS average
• Medium: 179 FPS average (min 153, max 206)
• High: 137 FPS average
• Ultra: 130 FPS average

1440p (2560x1440):

• Low: 162 FPS average
• Medium: 123 FPS average (min 105, max 142)
• High: 94 FPS average
• Ultra: 89 FPS average

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: 95 FPS average
• Medium: 72 FPS average (min 62, max 83)
• High: 55 FPS average
• Ultra: 52 FPS average

The data shows a clear scaling pattern. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 100 FPS (230 to 130), which is a 56.5% reduction. At 1440p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 73 FPS (162 to 89), a 45.1% reduction. At 4K, the difference is 43 FPS (95 to 52), a 45.3% reduction. This indicates that the GPU is the bottleneck at all resolutions, as the relative performance between settings is consistent.

The Medium settings have the only rows with both minimum and maximum FPS data. At 1080p Medium, the minimum and maximum are 153 and 206 FPS, giving a range of 53 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range is 37 FPS (105 to 142). At 4K Medium, the range is 21 FPS (62 to 83). This suggests that the CPU is not causing stutters, as the frame time is relatively stable. The i9-14900K's single-thread performance is sufficient to maintain consistent frame pacing, as the minimum FPS is never below the 60 FPS target at 4K Medium, and well above at lower resolutions.

The GPU's performance in Thief is consistent with its benchmark scores. The RX 6800 XT has a Passmark G3D score of 24980 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 3689, indicating it is a mid-range GPU in 2024. The FPS data shows that it can handle Thief at 1080p Ultra with 130 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 52 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. This is a typical result for a GPU in the 85th percentile, and the rank of 815 out of 3720 reflects this.

The i9-14900K's role is to provide enough CPU power to avoid bottlenecking, which it does. At 1080p Low, the 230 FPS average is likely CPU-limited, but the CPU's average benchmark score of 79097, with a 95th percentile, is more than enough. The CPU's single-thread score in Geekbench is 2655, and in Cinebench R23, it's 2262.5, which are high scores. The game's performance is not affected by the CPU's 24 cores, as Thief likely uses only a few threads. Thus, the CPU is a non-factor in the measured FPS, and the GPU is the primary determinant of performance.

In summary, the i9-14900K and RX 6800 XT combination provides a strong 1080p gaming experience, with 130 FPS at Ultra and 230 FPS at Low. At 1440p, it remains smooth, with 89 FPS at Ultra and 123 FPS at Medium. At 4K, the Medium setting is the best for a 60 FPS experience, with 72 FPS and a minimum of 62 FPS. The GPU is the bottleneck, and the CPU's high performance ensures it's not a limiting factor. The combo's rank of 815 out of 3720 reflects the GPU's mid-range status, but for Thief, it provides a good experience at 1080p and 1440p.

The data does not include any information about the game's built-in benchmark or the specific areas tested, but the numbers are consistent across resolutions and settings. The RX 6800 XT's performance is in line with its 85th percentile, and the i9-14900K is in the 95th percentile, and their combination in Thief is within the top 22% of all tested. For a stealth game, the frame rates are high enough for a smooth experience, and the CPU's bottleneck-free performance ensures that the GPU is the only variable. The i9-14900K's 24 cores and 32 threads are overkill for Thief, but the 6.00 GHz boost clock and 3.20 GHz base clock provide the single-thread performance that the game relies on. The combination is well-balanced, but the GPU is the limiting factor.