Thief

The data for Thief on this platform pairs an Intel Core Ultra 5 125H with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile, placing the combo at rank 1954 out of 3720 tested configurations. This mid-pack standing is intriguing given the hardware involved, and the measured FPS reveals a system that scales predictably across resolutions. The RTX 4070 Mobile’s 8 GB of VRAM and the CPU’s 14 cores create an interaction worth dissecting, especially at 4K where the GPU workload increases dramatically. The following analysis breaks down the benchmark rows to understand where this combo excels, where it struggles, and what settings deliver the most playable experience.

FAQ

*Q: What is the overall performance rank of this CPU and GPU combo in Thief?*

A: The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile ranks 1954 out of 3720 tested combos, placing it in the 52nd percentile of all configurations tested for this game. This suggests a slightly above-average standing, but not a top-tier result.

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

A: The Core Ultra 5 125H posts a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 12804.5. Its closest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800, scores 27535, showing a delta of -0.1% for the Intel chip, meaning the Intel is effectively tied with the AMD. It is also just 0.3% behind the Intel Core i5-12600K and AMD Ryzen 7 5700X, which both score 27578.

Q: What is the maximum average FPS recorded at 1080p for this system?

A: The highest average FPS at 1920x1080 is 164, achieved with the Low settings preset. This drops to 106 on High and 101 on Ultra, indicating that the graphics settings have a significant impact on frame rates even at the lowest resolution tested.

Q: Does the GPU's benchmark score align with its nearest competitors?

A: The RTX 4070 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 27435. This is virtually identical to the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT, which scores 27425 and shows a deltaPct of 0. It is also only 0.5% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, which scores 27565.

Q: Is there a large performance drop between 1440p and 4K on High settings?

A: Yes, the data shows a substantial drop. At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average FPS is 73. Moving to 3840x2160 at the same High preset, the average FPS falls to 43. This represents a 30 FPS decline, which is approximately a 41% reduction in frame rate.

Q: What is the single-core performance of the Core Ultra 5 125H?

A: The CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1647.5. This is a much lower score compared to its multi-core result, highlighting that while the processor has strong multi-threaded capabilities, its single-threaded performance is less impressive.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering a memory bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is a key factor in the game's performance, particularly at higher resolutions. The GPU has a base clock of 1395 MHz and a boost clock of 1695 MHz, with 4608 shading units available to process the game's graphics. The FP32 performance is listed at 15.62 TFLOPS, which provides a baseline for its raw compute power.

In Thief, the GPU’s role becomes more critical as resolution increases. At 1080p, the GPU has headroom, but the data suggests it is not the primary bottleneck. For instance, at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system hits 164 FPS, showing the GPU can handle a light load easily. However, the 8 GB VRAM buffer becomes a more significant constraint at 4K. The drop from 56 FPS at Medium to 43 FPS at High, and further to 41 FPS at Ultra, indicates that the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are being taxed heavily. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 33 FPS (74 vs 41), while at 1080p that same gap is 63 FPS (164 vs 101), demonstrating that the GPU's performance scaling diminishes as the pixel count rises.

The benchmark data shows the RTX 4070 Mobile's average score of 27435 is on par with the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT and just 0.5% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090. This suggests the mobile 4070 delivers desktop-class performance in this title, but the 4K results are far from playable at high presets. The GPU’s 73rd percentile ranking among all GPUs indicates it is a solid performer, yet the measured FPS at 3840x2160 on Ultra (41 FPS) reveals that a higher-end solution is necessary for a fluid 4K experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core Ultra 5 125H and RTX 4070 Mobile ranks 1954 out of 3720 tested combinations for Thief. This position in the upper-middle of the pack suggests the pairing is balanced but not exceptional. The CPU's average benchmark score is 27507, which places it in the 79th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU's average score is 27435, putting it in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs. This close performance percentile between the two components indicates a well-matched system where neither part is dramatically holding the other back.

When comparing the CPU to its nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 5 125H is effectively tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 5800, showing a deltaPct of -0.1%. This means that in synthetic benchmarks, the Intel chip is virtually indistinguishable from the AMD offering. The GPU also shows a similar trend, with a 0% deltaPct compared to the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT. This near-identical performance between the CPU and GPU against their respective rivals suggests that the overall combo ranking is a direct reflection of this balanced, mid-tier hardware.

The rank of 1954 implies that over 1700 other combos perform better in Thief. This is likely due to the presence of higher-end desktop GPUs or CPUs with stronger single-threaded performance. The data shows the combo is capable of high frame rates at 1080p, but it falls behind more potent setups at 4K. The rank is not a measure of failure but rather a positioning tool. It tells us that this laptop-specific pairing is competitive with mid-range desktop alternatives, yet it lacks the raw power found in the top 20% of configurations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system performs admirably, with the Low preset achieving an average of 164 FPS. The Medium preset delivers 140 FPS, while High and Ultra produce 106 and 101 FPS, respectively. The minimum FPS recorded at 1080p Medium is 119, with a maximum of 161, indicating a stable frame delivery with only minor fluctuations.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain playable but show a clear drop. The Low preset yields 126 FPS, Medium hits 96 FPS, and High and Ultra are nearly identical at 73 and 70 FPS. The 1440p Medium preset shows a minimum of 82 FPS and a maximum of 110, suggesting that while the average is solid, there are moments of higher variance. This resolution is the sweet spot for this combo, offering a good balance between visual fidelity and fluidity.

At 3840x2160, the GPU begins to struggle. The Low preset manages 74 FPS, which is acceptable, but Medium drops to 56 FPS. High and Ultra are nearly unplayable for fast-paced action, with averages of 43 and 41 FPS, respectively. The 4K Medium preset has a minimum of 48 FPS and a maximum of 65 FPS, showing that even at this setting, the frame rate can dip below the 60 FPS threshold. The data clearly shows a linear degradation as resolution increases, with the most severe drop occurring between 1440p and 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal experience depends heavily on the target resolution. For 1920x1080, the High preset at 106 FPS is an excellent choice, as it provides a significant visual upgrade over Medium (140 FPS) while still maintaining a frame rate well above 100. The Ultra preset at 101 FPS is also viable, but the 5 FPS gain from High to Ultra is marginal, making High the more efficient choice for a smoother experience. The Low preset at 164 FPS is unnecessary unless the user prioritizes maximum refresh rate over all else.

For 2560x1440, the High preset at 73 FPS is the most balanced option. The Medium preset offers 96 FPS, but the jump to High provides a noticeable image quality improvement without a catastrophic FPS loss. The Ultra preset at 70 FPS is playable but offers only a 3 FPS advantage over High, which is not worth the potential for more frequent frame drops. The data shows that at 1440p, the system is well-suited for High settings, delivering a stable experience above the 60 FPS target.

At 3840x2160, the recommendations become more restrictive. The Medium preset at 56 FPS is the only setting that approaches playability, but it still falls short of a consistent 60 FPS. The Low preset at 74 FPS is the only way to achieve a smooth 4K experience, but this requires a significant sacrifice in visual quality. The High and Ultra presets, at 43 and 41 FPS, are not recommended for anything other than screenshots or slow-paced exploration. For the best overall experience, the data suggests that 1440p High is the sweet spot, offering a high level of detail with a comfortable frame rate.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H features 14 cores and 18 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. This is a mobile processor with a TDP of 28 W, built on the Meteor Lake architecture using a 7 nm process. Its cache configuration includes an 18 MB shared L3 cache, which is crucial for gaming performance where data needs to be accessed quickly. The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are strong, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 12804.5.

In Thief, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU at higher resolutions, but it still provides a solid foundation. The single-core score of 1647.5 in Cinebench R23 is modest, and for a game released in 2014, the primary thread performance is more critical than multi-core scaling. The data shows that at 1080p, the system is likely CPU-bound at low settings, as the FPS hits 164, which is high but not exceptionally so for a modern GPU. This suggests the CPU can deliver enough frames to keep the GPU fed, but it may not be the limiting factor.

Comparing the CPU to its rivals, the Core Ultra 5 125H is nearly identical in average benchmark score to the AMD Ryzen 7 5800, with a deltaPct of -0.1%. This means that in a CPU-bound scenario, this Intel chip would perform on par with the AMD desktop processor. However, the game's engine may not fully utilize all 18 threads, meaning the CPU's 14-core count is less important than its per-core speed. The boost clock of 4.50 GHz is adequate for this title, but the data suggests that the GPU is the primary driver of performance differences across settings and resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is significant and reveals the system's bottleneck. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 106 at 1920x1080 to 73 at 2560x1440, and then to 43 at 3840x2160. This represents a 59% decrease in frame rate from 1080p to 4K. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is even more dramatic, with a 41% drop, indicating that the GPU is struggling to fill the additional pixels.

The pattern is consistent across all presets. On Low settings, the FPS goes from 164 at 1080p to 126 at 1440p and 74 at 4K. This shows a 55% drop from the lowest to highest resolution. The fact that the relative drop is similar across all settings suggests that the GPU's memory bandwidth and shading units are the limiting factor. The 8 GB VRAM is also a concern at 4K, as the game may be swapping data, but the data does not show a sudden cliff, indicating that the 256.0 GB/s bandwidth is the primary constraint.

These scaling numbers point to a clear conclusion: the RTX 4070 Mobile is a 1440p-class GPU for Thief, not a 4K one. The data shows that 4K performance is only viable on Low settings, while the 1440p High preset provides the best combination of visual quality and frame rate. The CPU's performance is relatively consistent across resolutions, as the FPS drop is almost entirely attributable to the GPU workload. This confirms that for this game, the RTX 4070 Mobile is the determining factor in overall performance, with the Core Ultra 5 125H providing sufficient support without becoming a bottleneck at any tested resolution.