Thief

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT delivers measured frame rates in Thief that scale from a blistering 230 fps at 1080p Low down to 56 fps at 4K Ultra. The dataset covers three resolutions (1080p, 1440p, 4K) at four quality presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra), with complete average FPS values and min/max for Medium settings. In the overall combo database, this pairing ranks 525th out of 3,720 tested CPU-GPU combinations.

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

The i9 Ultra 14900K carries 24 cores and 32 threads, with a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz. It is built on the Raptor Lake architecture, sits in the 95th percentile among all CPUs, and has an average benchmark score of 79,097. In the nearest-rival comparison, it is 0.3% slower than the i9-14900KF (which scores 79,371), 0.6% slower than the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (79,574), 1.2% slower than the EPYC 7413 (80,041), and 1.7% faster than the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (77,740). These are small margins in synthetic benchmarks, and they translate into negligible differences in a title like Thief.

The game itself is from 2014, so it predates multi-threaded scaling that modern titles exploit. The i9-14900K's 24 cores and 32 threads are far beyond the game's requirements; the boost clock of 6.00 GHz provides strong single-thread headroom, which Thief's engine can use. Looking at the measured FPS data, at 1080p Low the average is 230 fps, which is well above what any display can refresh. Even at 4K Low, the average of 102 fps indicates the CPU is not a bottleneck at that resolution either. The CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at all measured productivity. However, the GPU falls behind after low settings on higher resolutions, as seen in the large frame drops from 1080p to 4K. The i9-14900K can push a massive amount of simple geometry, but the RX 9070 XT's shading throughput becomes the limiting factor when increasing resolution.

Given that Thief is a stealth game with light CPU overhead, the i9-14900K does not appear to be the performance barrier. The measured data shows a clear GPU-bound trajectory after the 1080p tier.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the measured average FPS at 1440p Medium?

A: At 2560×1440 with Medium settings, the average is 132 fps, with a min of 112 and a max of 152 fps.

Q: How much faster is the CPU compared to the Ryzen AI Max+ 395?

A: In the CPU benchmark aggregate, the i9-14900K scores 79,097 compared to 77,740 for the Ryzen AI Max+ 395, a difference of 1.7% — the i9-14900K is faster.

Q: What is the combo's ranking among tested GPU-CPU pairs in Thief?

A: The combination ranks 525th out of 3,720 tested combos, placing it in the upper tier of the database for this game.

Q: Which preset at 4K yields an average above 60 fps?

A: At 3840×2160, only Low and Medium average to 60: Low gives 102 fps and Medium gives 78 fps, while High and Ultra average 59 and 56, respectively.

Q: At 1440p Medium, what is the confident min and max FPS?

A: The measured min is 112 and max is 152, with an average of 132 fps, so the frametime is consistent.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rival in aggregate benchmarks?

A: The RX 9070 XT has an average score of 13,543 and is 0.1% faster than the Radeon HD 7770M (13,536) — the closest chip in the list.

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

The resolution scaling is steep across every preset. Look at Low settings: at 1080p the average is 230 fps; at 1440p it becomes 174 fps; at 4K it drops to 102 fps. That is a reduction of 128 fps between 1080p and 4K — about 56% of the initial value. For Medium settings, the progression goes from 193 fps at 1080p, to 132 at 1440p, to 78 at 4K. High settings start at 147 fps, fall to 101 at 1440p, then 59 at 4K. Ultra goes from 140 to 96 to 56. In every case, the drop is large and not sublinear. If the CPU were the limiting component, the frame rate would remain flat or even increase when reducing resolution, because the CPU work stays roughly the same. Here we see a direct dependence on pixel count, which indicates the GPU is the primary bound at high resolutions.

The lone min/max data for Medium presets captures this scaling: at 1080p Medium the range is 164–222, at 1440p Medium it is 112–152, and at 4K Medium it is 66–89. Even the best-case 4K Medium max (89) comes below the average of 1080p Medium (193). So the RX 9070 XT is the component that limits the experience when targeting high pixel counts. The i9-14900K's capable single-thread throughput is sufficient for the game's logic; the GPU's fill and frame throughput trails off as resolution climbs.

How This Combo Ranks

In the full Thief benchmark ranking, this CPU-GPU pairing scores 525 out of 3,720 tested combos. That places it well within the top 15% of all configurations tested, a strong position given that the GPU itself is only in the 55th percentile of all graphics cards, and the CPU is in the 95th percentile. The overall rank is pulled up by the powerful CPU and by the well-optimized game, which runs well even on a mid-upper card when paired with a fast processor. The data shows that despite the GPU's modest percentile score (55), the combination still beats 3,195 other setups in Thief, mainly because the benchmark universe includes many combinations with significantly weaker GPUs.

Comparing to the nearest rivals in CPU and GPU separately: the i9-14900K faces close peers like the i9-14900KF (-0.3%) and the Ultra 9 290HX Plus (-0.6%), but these differences are not functionally meaningful in this game; the rank is driven by the GPU side. For the GPU, the displayed benchmark figures put the RX 9070 XT near the HD 7770M (delta 0.1%) and GTX 570 (0.2%), but those are older architectures with far less raster and driver capability than the measured FPS shows in Thief. The blend of a high-end CPU and mid-high GPU produces a winning formula for this particular title.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows give a clear answer on how to set up Thief with this hardware. At 1920×1080, any preset works: Low gives 230 fps, Medium 193, High 147, and Ultra 140. The studio threshold of 60 fps is exceeded by all, so you can choose your desired quality. However, the Medium and High presets are the sweet spots — they offer 193 and 147 fps, respectively, without a huge drop from Low. At 1440p, Low is 174, Medium 132, High 101, and Ultra 96 — all above 60. If you want a smoother frametime, Medium is ideal because it maintains a minimum of 112 fps.

The real decision is at 3840×2160. Here, only Low (102) and Medium (78) hit the 60 fps target; High (59) and Ultra (56) fall short. For a compromise, Medium is the best pick: it provides 78 average with a 66 minimum, which is still playable, while Low is arguably too soft for a stealth title's visuals. If you prefer a 60+ policy, Medium is the highest preset that meets that, and it does so with a 12 fps margin. For cabinets that prioritize framerate over fidelity, Low is the alternative. But given the large difference between Medium and Low (78 vs 102), the Medium preset is the best bang for the eye at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings

1920×1080

• Low: 230 avg (no min/max reported)
• Medium: 193 avg, min 164, max 222
• High: 147 avg
• Ultra: 140 avg

At 1080p, the CPU is fully capable of pushing the GPU to its limit. The 230 fps at Low demonstrates the CPU can feed the GPU without a pipe. Even Ultra at 140 fps is extremely fluid. The min/max for Medium shows a tight 58 fps spread (164 to 222), indicating stability.

2560×1440

• Low: 174 avg
• Medium: 132 avg, min 112, max 152
• High: 101 avg
• Ultra: 96 avg

At 1440p, the average falls proportionally but stays above 60 across the board. The Medium range – 112 to 152 – is still robust, with an average of 132. Ultra, at 96 fps, is very high considering the resolution, and everything is more than enough for a 144 Hz monitor.

3840×2160

• Low: 102 avg
• Medium: 78 avg, min 66, max 89
• High: 59 avg
• Ultra: 56 avg

At 4K, only the low preset reaches three figures. Medium 78 fps is the comfortable sweet spot, with a 66 minimum that remains above 60. High and Ultra dip below the 60 fps mark, making them less desirable for smooth aiming and exploration. The GPU is clearly the limiting factor here; the i9-14900K is still delivering what the CPU demands, but the Radeon RX 9070 XT runs out of throughput when pixel count quadruples from 1080p. For a 4K display, whomever uses the combo should settle on Medium to maintain a trouble‑free experience.