Thief

# Intel Core Ultra 5 125H + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 in Thief: Benchmark Analysis

This combination of Intel's Core Ultra 5 125H mobile processor and NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 4060 laptop GPU delivers a solid 1080p and 1440p experience in Thief, though 4K gaming demands compromised settings. The combo ranks 1694th out of 2851 tested configurations for this title, placing it in the upper-middle tier of all possible pairings. Benchmark data shows the pairing is well-balanced for a 2014 stealth classic, with the GPU handling most of the heavy lifting at higher resolutions while the CPU keeps frame rates high at lower settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of Intel Core Ultra 5 125H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 sits at position 1694 out of 2851 tested combos in Thief, which translates to roughly the 41st percentile of all configurations tested. This mid-pack ranking reflects a pairing that is neither at the bleeding edge nor struggling to run the game. The CPU component, when measured against all processors in the database, lands at the 79th percentile with an average benchmark score of 27507, placing it just 0.1% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 (27535) and 0.3% behind both the Intel Core i5-12600K and AMD Ryzen 7 5700X (each at 27578). Conversely, it runs 0.5% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355G (27382).

The GPU side tells a different story. The RTX 4060 sits at the 61st percentile among all GPUs with an average score of 17639. Its closest rival, the AMD Radeon HD 7790, scores 17666—a mere 0.2% difference. The AMD Radeon 780M trails by 0.3% at 17588, while the AMD Radeon Pro 560 and Pro 460 sit 0.5% and 0.7% behind respectively. This clustering suggests the RTX 4060 is positioned in a dense performance band where small benchmark deltas translate to meaningful in-game differences.

What the rank data reveals is that this combo is better suited to mainstream resolutions. The GPU's 61st percentile standing indicates it is not a top-tier part, yet the CPU's stronger 79th percentile shows headroom that becomes apparent in CPU-bound scenarios. In Thief, a game from 2014, the balance tilts toward the GPU at higher resolutions, which explains why the combo's overall rank is lower than the CPU's percentile alone would suggest.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using TSMC's 5 nm process, with a chip containing 18,900 million transistors on a 159 mm² die. It operates at a base clock of 1830 MHz and boosts to 2460 MHz. Memory runs at 2125 MHz with 17 Gbps effective speed across an 8 GB GDDR6 bus that is 128 bits wide, yielding 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth. These specifications matter for Thief because the game's shadow-heavy environments and texture streaming benefit from both raw compute and memory throughput.

The GPU's 3072 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units provide the pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 236.2 GTexel/s that drive the game's rendering pipeline. With 24 ray tracing cores and 96 tensor cores present but largely unused in a 2014 title, the card's 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is the more relevant metric for Thief's traditional rasterization workload.

In practical terms, the RTX 4060 demonstrates clear scaling across settings at each resolution. At 1080p, average frame rates range from 164 fps at Low to 90 fps at Ultra, showing that even the most demanding preset remains highly playable. The 1440p results show a narrower band—113 fps at Low down to 62 fps at Ultra—while 4K sees the GPU struggle more visibly: 66 fps at Low but only 36 fps at Ultra. The VRAM allocation of 8 GB appears sufficient for Thief's needs, as the game does not push beyond this capacity even at 4K Ultra based on the measured performance data.

The GPU's benchmark scores reinforce its mid-range standing. Passmark G3D score of 19545 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2302 indicate a part that handles modern APIs well, but Thief's older engine does not leverage these newer features. Geekbench OpenCL score of 95057 and Vulkan score of 48643 show compute capability that remains largely untapped in this title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H features 14 cores and 18 threads based on the Meteor Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel's 7 nm process. It runs at a base clock of 3.60 GHz with a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. The cache hierarchy includes 112 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. This configuration supports DDR5 memory on a dual-channel bus with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth, and the chip connects via PCIe Gen 5.

For Thief, a game that primarily relies on a few threads for game logic and physics, the CPU's single-thread performance is more critical than its multi-thread capability. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1647.5 and multi-core score of 12804.5 show a processor that is strong in both domains, though the single-core result is what matters most for this title's frame pacing. Passmark single-thread score of 3399 alongside a multithread score of 21100 further confirms this split.

The CPU's 79th percentile ranking among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 27507, means it has ample headroom for Thief's demands. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 164 fps, which suggests the CPU is not a limiting factor at lower graphical loads. However, at 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 36 fps, indicating the GPU becomes the bottleneck as resolution increases.

The processor's 28 W TDP classifies it as a mobile part, yet its performance rivals desktop chips from a few generations prior. The nearest rivals in the CPU benchmark database include the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 and Intel Core i5-12600K, both desktop parts, with the Core Ultra 5 125H trading blows within 0.3% of each. This places the mobile chip in surprisingly competitive territory for Thief's CPU-bound sections.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its strongest results. Low settings produce an average of 164 fps, Medium reaches 125 fps with a minimum of 106 fps and maximum of 143 fps, High achieves 95 fps, and Ultra drops to 90 fps. The gap between Low and Ultra is 74 fps, representing a 45% reduction in frame rate when maxing out settings. Even at Ultra, the 90 fps average comfortably exceeds 60 fps for smooth gameplay.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain playable but show more compression. Low settings average 113 fps, Medium hits 86 fps with a range of 73 to 98 fps, High reaches 65 fps, and Ultra settles at 62 fps. The delta from Low to Ultra is 51 fps, or 45%, matching the 1080p scaling pattern almost exactly. The minimum frame rates recorded at Medium (73 fps) indicate that even during demanding scenes, the experience stays fluid.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to show its limits. Low settings average 66 fps, Medium drops to 50 fps with a minimum of 43 fps and maximum of 58 fps, High falls to 38 fps, and Ultra manages only 36 fps. The 43 fps minimum at Medium suggests occasional stutters below the 60 fps threshold, while Ultra's 36 fps average is borderline for a stealth game requiring precise timing.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: each resolution step from 1080p to 1440p reduces frame rates by roughly 30-40%, while the jump from 1440p to 4K cuts performance nearly in half. This scaling behavior is typical for a GPU-bound scenario, where pixel throughput becomes the limiting factor.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Thief?

A: Based on measured data, 1920x1080 and 2560x1440 both provide playable frame rates across all settings. At 1080p, even Ultra averages 90 fps, while 1440p Ultra averages 62 fps. The 4K resolution only exceeds 60 fps at Low settings (66 fps), making it less suitable for higher presets.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its closest GPU rivals in this game?

A: The RTX 4060's average benchmark score of 17639 is 0.2% behind the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (17666) and 0.3% ahead of the AMD Radeon 780M (17588). In Thief's measured FPS, this translates to performance that is competitive with these parts, though in-game results will depend on specific driver optimizations.

Q: Is the Core Ultra 5 125H a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests not. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 164 fps, which is high enough that the GPU is likely the limiting factor. The CPU's 79th percentile ranking and Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 12804.5 indicate sufficient headroom for Thief's CPU demands.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The measured average is 36 fps at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This is below the 60 fps threshold and may impact gameplay responsiveness. For a better 4K experience, Medium settings yield 50 fps with a minimum of 43 fps.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Core Ultra 5 125H scores 27507 on average, which is 0.1% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 (27535) and 0.3% behind both the Intel Core i5-12600K and AMD Ryzen 7 5700X (each 27578). It is 0.5% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355G (27382).

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM cause issues in Thief?

A: Based on the measured FPS data, there is no indication of VRAM-related stuttering or performance drops. The game's 2014 release date means its texture requirements are well within the 8 GB GDDR6 capacity, even at 4K Ultra settings.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, Medium settings at 2560x1440 provide the most compelling experience. The measured 86 fps average with a 73 fps minimum ensures smooth gameplay while maintaining moderate graphical fidelity. At this setting, the frame rate is 39% higher than High settings (65 fps) and only 26% lower than Low (113 fps), making it the sweet spot for responsive stealth gameplay.

At 1920x1080, High settings deliver 95 fps average, which is only 5 fps lower than Ultra (90 fps) but offers better visual quality than Medium (125 fps). The 5 fps difference between High and Ultra is negligible, so High provides nearly identical performance with slightly reduced graphical effects. For players prioritizing maximum frame rates, Low at 164 fps offers a competitive advantage in fast-paced sequences.

The 4K resolution is best reserved for Low settings, where 66 fps remains playable. Medium at 4K drops to 50 fps with a 43 fps minimum, which may cause noticeable hitches during action scenes. High and Ultra at 4K (38 and 36 fps respectively) are not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Considering the game's stealth-focused mechanics, where reaction time matters during close encounters, the 1440p Medium setting offers the best compromise. It maintains a frame rate well above 60 fps while providing enough resolution to spot guards and environmental details. The measured minimum of 73 fps ensures that even the most demanding scenes stay fluid.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K reveals a predictable pattern for this combo. At Low settings, the averages are 164 fps at 1080p, 113 fps at 1440p, and 66 fps at 4K. This represents a 31% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 42% drop from 1440p to 4K. The Medium settings show similar scaling: 125 fps, 86 fps, and 50 fps, with drops of 31% and 42% respectively.

High settings follow the same trend: 95 fps at 1080p, 65 fps at 1440p, and 38 fps at 4K, with 32% and 42% reductions. Ultra settings produce 90 fps, 62 fps, and 36 fps, with 31% and 42% drops. This consistent pattern—roughly one-third reduction from 1080p to 1440p and another 40% reduction to 4K—strongly indicates the GPU is the primary limiting factor.

The CPU's contribution becomes evident when comparing the 1080p to 1440p scaling. The 31% average drop is slightly less than the full pixel-count increase of 78% (from 2.07 million to 3.69 million pixels), suggesting the CPU helps maintain frame rates at moderate resolutions. However, the 42% drop from 1440p to 4K (which represents a 125% pixel increase) shows the GPU's bandwidth and fill rate constraints take over at higher resolutions.

This scaling behavior means players targeting 4K must accept significant compromises. The 66 fps at Low settings is barely playable, while Medium's 50 fps average with a 43 fps minimum risks frame pacing issues. For the best experience, 1440p with Medium or High settings provides the optimal balance of resolution and performance.