Thief

Thief, a 2014 stealth title, is often used as a legacy benchmark due to its demanding rendering and atmospheric effects. For the combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, the measured data reveals a system that is exceptionally capable at 1080p and 1440p, but begins to show its limits at 4K. The data indicates this pairing ranks 962nd out of 2851 tested combinations, placing it in the upper third of all systems tested for this game. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, settings, and the roles of the CPU and GPU in achieving these results.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Thief with this CPU and GPU combo for a high refresh rate experience?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1080p is the only resolution where the average frame rate exceeds 200 FPS, hitting 209 FPS on Low settings. At 1440p, the average FPS on High settings (83 FPS) is still very playable, but 4K High settings (49 FPS) will not satisfy high refresh rate (120Hz+) displays.

Q: How does the RTX 3070's performance in Thief compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 17208. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, has a score of 17083, which is a 0.7% difference. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 scores 17037 (1% difference), and the AMD Radeon HD 7970M scores 17019 (1.1% difference). This indicates the RTX 3070 performs on par with these specific cards in general benchmarks.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 a bottleneck for the RTX 3070 in Thief?

A: The benchmark data suggests it is not a bottleneck at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the system achieves very high frame rates (121 FPS on High), and the FPS scales significantly with resolution drops, indicating the GPU is the primary limiting factor. The CPU's performance, with a 25891 multi-core score and 3655 single-core score in Cinebench R23, is more than sufficient for this title.

Q: What is the performance difference between High and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: The measured data shows that moving from High to Ultra settings at 1440p results in a 4 FPS average drop, from 83 FPS to 79 FPS. This is a very small decrease, making Ultra a viable option at this resolution if you want the highest visual quality.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Thief?

A: Yes, but not at the highest settings. The data shows 4K performance ranges from 46 FPS on Ultra to 84 FPS on Low settings. For a smooth 60 FPS experience, you would need to use Medium settings, which yields an average of 64 FPS with a minimum of 54 FPS.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has an average benchmark score of 36938, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, has an average score of 36945, showing a 0% deltaPct. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D is 0.2% slower, and the Intel Core i9-12900T is 0.5% slower, indicating they are all very closely matched in overall synthetic benchmarks.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the primary driver of frame rates in Thief, particularly at higher resolutions. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. This is a crucial specification for a game like Thief, which features large, detailed environments and complex textures. The 8 GB capacity is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the data suggests it becomes a limiting factor at 4K, where the frame rates drop significantly.

The GPU's clock speeds are listed as a base of 1500 MHz and a boost of 1725 MHz. This boost clock is what the GPU will typically achieve under load, and it contributes to the card's overall compute power of 20.31 TFLOPS FP32. This raw power is what allows the card to produce high frame rates. For instance, at 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 209 FPS, showcasing the GPU's ability to handle the game's rendering demands with ease when visual effects are reduced. The performance scales down as settings increase, with the card producing 121 FPS at 1080p High and 115 FPS at 1080p Ultra.

The RTX 3070 sits in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17208. Its closest competitor in the data is the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, which is 0.7% slower in average score. This indicates that the 3070 is a solid mid-to-high-range performer. In Thief, this translates to excellent playability at 1080p and 1440p. The data shows that at 1440p, the average FPS on High settings is 83, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. Even at 4K, the card can manage an average of 64 FPS on Medium settings, showing that it has enough power for 4K gaming if settings are adjusted appropriately.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how different settings presets affect performance. For this system, the choice of settings is heavily dependent on the target resolution and desired frame rate.

At 1080p, the system is so powerful that even the highest settings are not a challenge. The data shows an average of 115 FPS on Ultra, 121 FPS on High, and 159 FPS on Medium. For a competitive or high-refresh-rate experience, Medium settings provide a significant boost to 159 FPS. However, for the best visual fidelity, Ultra settings at 115 FPS are still an excellent experience and are the recommended choice for most users.

At 1440p, the situation is similar, but the gap between settings narrows. Ultra settings yield an average of 79 FPS, while High settings provide 83 FPS. The difference is minimal, making High the recommended preset for a slightly better frame rate with a negligible visual difference. If you have a 144Hz monitor, you would need to drop to Low settings to get closer to that target, which produces 143 FPS.

At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The data shows a significant drop in performance across all settings. To achieve a playable 60 FPS, you must use Medium settings, which deliver an average of 64 FPS with a minimum of 54 FPS. High settings drop to 49 FPS, and Ultra to 46 FPS, which are not ideal for a smooth experience. For the best balance of visual quality and performance at 4K, Medium settings are the recommended choice.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is a detailed breakdown of the measured average FPS for the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 in Thief.

1920x1080:

• Low: The system achieves a very high average of 209 FPS. This indicates the game is not heavily taxing the hardware at this resolution and settings combination.
• Medium: The average FPS drops to 159 FPS, with a minimum of 135 FPS and a maximum of 182 FPS. This shows a solid performance level for high refresh rate gaming.
• High: At High settings, the average FPS is 121. This is a significant drop from Medium but still provides a very smooth experience.
• Ultra: The highest settings at 1080p produce an average of 115 FPS. This is only a 6 FPS drop from High, making Ultra the best choice for visual quality without a major performance penalty.

2560x1440:

• Low: The average FPS is 143, which is excellent for a 1440p resolution and indicates the system has plenty of headroom.
• Medium: The average FPS is 109, with a minimum of 92 FPS and a maximum of 125 FPS. This is a very playable range.
• High: The average FPS drops to 83. This is still well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay and is a good target for most users.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 79. This is a minor drop from High, showing that the Ultra preset is also a viable option at this resolution.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: The average FPS is 84. This is the only 4K setting that provides a high-refresh-rate experience.
• Medium: The average FPS drops to 64, with a minimum of 54 FPS and a maximum of 74 FPS. This is the recommended setting for a stable 60 FPS experience.
• High: The average FPS is 49. This is below the 60 FPS target and may feel less smooth.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 46. This is the most demanding setting and only suitable for users who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and reveals the nature of the system's bottleneck. At 1080p High settings, the average FPS is 121. At 1440p High, it is 83, and at 4K High, it drops to 49. This scaling is not linear. The drop from 1080p to 1440p represents a 31% decrease in frame rate, while the drop from 1440p to 4K represents a 41% decrease. This is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering resolution is the primary factor limiting performance.

The data indicates that the RTX 3070 is the limiting component in this system for Thief. The CPU, with its 10 cores and 10 threads, is more than capable of feeding the GPU with data. This is supported by the fact that the CPU scores in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see a smaller difference in frame rates between resolutions, as the CPU's workload would remain relatively constant. Instead, the frame rates scale inversely with resolution, which is the expected behavior for a GPU-bound workload. The 8 GB of VRAM on the RTX 3070 may also contribute to the steep 4K performance drop, as the memory bandwidth and capacity are pushed to their limits.

CPU Role

While the GPU is the primary driver of frame rates in Thief, the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 plays a crucial supporting role. This CPU features 10 cores and 10 threads, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. In a game like Thief, which is not known for being heavily multi-threaded, the high boost clock is more important than the core count for ensuring high minimum frame rates and avoiding stutters.

The CPU's benchmark scores show it is a very strong performer. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 25891, and its single-core score is 3655. For gaming, the single-core performance is often the most relevant metric. A strong single-core score ensures that the game's main logic thread can run efficiently, allowing the GPU to work at its full potential. The data supports this, as the system is able to achieve high frame rates at 1080p, indicating the CPU is not holding the GPU back.

The Ultra 5 225's 20 MB of shared L3 cache is also a benefit, as it allows for faster access to frequently used data. The CPU is a modern part with an 85th percentile ranking, and its performance is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, like the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, which has a 0% deltaPct in average benchmark score. This means that in this system, the CPU is providing a solid foundation, and all measured performance differences in Thief can be attributed to the GPU and its settings. The CPU's role is to keep the GPU fed with data, and the benchmark results confirm it does so effectively.