Thief

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

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread desktop processor built on the Arrow Lake-S architecture and manufactured on a 3 nm process. Its base clock runs at 3.30 GHz with a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. The CPU has a 65 W TDP, uses the Intel Socket 1851, and supports dual-channel DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. The cache layout includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3. Integrated graphics are present in the form of Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 16 execution units.

In synthetic multi-threaded workloads, the chip scores 25891 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 3655 in single-core. PassMark multi-thread results show 30459, with single-thread at 4412. The CPU's average benchmark score is 36938, placing it in the 85th percentile among all CPUs. The nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F with an average score of 36945 (0% delta), the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D at 37018 (-0.2% delta), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 at 37093 (-0.4% delta), and the Intel Core i9-12900T at 37112 (-0.5% delta). These deltas are negligible, indicating the Ultra 5 225 sits in a tightly packed performance tier where no single chip holds a meaningful lead.

For a game like Thief, released in 2014, the CPU's 10 cores and 10 threads are far beyond what the game's engine was designed to utilize. Thief's stealth genre relies on CPU-driven AI, physics, and world simulation, but the 2014-era engine typically scales well with high single-thread performance. The Ultra 5 225's 4.90 GHz boost clock and strong single-core scores (3655 in Cinebench R23 single-core, 4412 in PassMark single-thread) provide ample headroom for the game's logic threads. The measured FPS results confirm that the CPU is not a limiting factor: at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo reaches 216 FPS average, which is the highest recorded result in the dataset. This indicates the CPU can feed the GPU with frames far beyond what Thief's engine typically demands.

The 10-core configuration with no simultaneous multi-threading means each core handles one thread. For a game from 2014, this is irrelevant because Thief rarely uses more than a few cores. The CPU's 20 MB of shared L3 cache is more than sufficient for the game's working set. The dual-channel DDR5 memory at 102.4 GB/s bandwidth is also not a constraint, as Thief's memory footprint is modest by modern standards. The data shows that the CPU role in this combo is to deliver high single-thread performance and maintain frame pacing, which it does effectively across all tested resolutions.

GPU Role - VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 uses the AD103 chip on the Ada Lovelace architecture, manufactured on a 5 nm process. It has a base clock of 2205 MHz and a boost clock of 2505 MHz. Memory runs at 1400 MHz with 22.4 Gbps effective speed. The GPU has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth. The shader configuration includes 9728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, 112 ROPs, 76 ray tracing cores, and 304 tensor cores. Pixel rate is 280.6 GPixel/s, texture rate is 761.5 GTexel/s, and FP32 performance is 48.74 TFLOPS. The card is triple-slot, uses a 1x 16-pin power connector, and has a 320 W TDP with a suggested 700 W PSU. It supports PCIe 4.0 x16 and offers display outputs of 1x HDMI 2.1 and 3x DisplayPort 1.4a.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 4080 scores 34457 in PassMark G3D, 20671 in PassMark GPU compute, 214739 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 263779 in Geekbench Vulkan. The average benchmark score is 54247, placing it in the 86th percentile among all GPUs. The nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER at 54209 (0.1% delta), the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X at 54828 (-1.1% delta), the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB at 55698 (-2.6% delta), and the AMD Radeon 8060S at 55757 (-2.7% delta). The RTX 4080 sits essentially at parity with the 4080 SUPER, while the AMD options trail by 1.1% to 2.7%, which is within run-to-run variance for most games.

For Thief, the RTX 4080's 16 GB of VRAM is far more than the game requires. Thief from 2014 uses textures that fit comfortably within even 4 GB of VRAM, so the 16 GB capacity is irrelevant to performance in this title. The GPU's boost clock of 2505 MHz and 716.8 GB/s memory bandwidth are the relevant factors. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo delivers 72 FPS average, which is the lowest recorded result. This shows that even at 4K Ultra, the RTX 4080 maintains playable frame rates. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the GPU reaches 216 FPS average, suggesting the frame rate is capped by the CPU or engine rather than the GPU.

The RTX 4080's 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores are features that Thief does not use, since the game predates hardware ray tracing and DLSS. The DirectX 12 Ultimate support is also irrelevant because Thief runs on an older DirectX API. The measured data shows the GPU's raw rasterization performance, driven by its 9728 shading units and high clocks, is what determines the frame rates. The GPU's role here is to push high frame rates at every resolution, and the data confirms it does so with room to spare.

How This Combo Ranks

The combined Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 configuration ranks 145th out of 3720 tested combos in the database for Thief. This places the combo in the top 3.9% of all tested configurations, based on the rank of 145 and total of 3720. The rank reflects the measured FPS across all tested resolutions and settings, weighted by the database's ranking algorithm. The high rank indicates that this pairing delivers excellent performance in Thief, which is consistent with the individual benchmark percentiles (85th for CPU, 86th for GPU).

The combo's rank of 145 out of 3720 means there are 144 configurations that outperform it in this game. Given that the RTX 4080 sits near the top of the GPU performance distribution (86th percentile), the configurations ahead of it likely use faster GPUs such as the RTX 4090 or higher-clocked variants of the 40-series. The CPU's position at the 85th percentile is also strong, but not top-tier, so some combos with higher-end CPUs and the same GPU could theoretically rank higher if the game benefits from faster single-thread performance. However, the measured FPS data shows that Thief is not CPU-bound in this combo, so the rank is likely determined by GPU performance differences.

The delta between the RTX 4080 and its nearest rivals is small. The RTX 4080 SUPER has a 0.1% higher average score, which is within noise. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X trails by 1.1%, the RX 6750 GRE 12 GB by 2.6%, and the Radeon 8060S by 2.7%. These margins are unlikely to change the rank by more than a few positions in a game like Thief. The combo's rank of 145 is therefore primarily a function of the RTX 4080's strong rasterization performance, with the CPU providing sufficient support to avoid bottlenecking.

The database's measured FPS data (not synthetic estimates) confirms that the combo is well-balanced for Thief. At 1920x1080 Low, the 216 FPS average is close to the maximum refresh rate of most monitors, meaning the combo can max out high-refresh displays. At 3840x2160 Ultra, the 72 FPS average is smooth on a 60 Hz display and borderline for 120 Hz panels. The rank of 145 out of 3720 reflects this balance: the combo is not the absolute fastest, but it is well above average and capable of handling the game at high settings across all resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). All results are average FPS unless otherwise noted. The data is measured, not simulated.

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers:

• Low: 216 FPS average
• Medium: 196 FPS average, with a minimum of 166 FPS and maximum of 225 FPS
• High: 177 FPS average
• Ultra: 174 FPS average

The gap between Low and Medium is 20 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is only 3 FPS. This suggests that the Ultra preset adds settings that have minimal performance impact over High at 1080p. The minimum FPS at Medium (166) shows that even the worst frame drops remain well above 60 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the results are:

• Low: 191 FPS average
• Medium: 169 FPS average, with a minimum of 144 FPS and maximum of 195 FPS
• High: 129 FPS average
• Ultra: 123 FPS average

The transition from Low to Medium costs 22 FPS, while High to Ultra costs only 6 FPS. The minimum FPS at Medium (144) is exactly at the threshold for 144 Hz monitors, meaning the combo can sustain a 144 Hz refresh rate at Medium settings. The High and Ultra results (129 and 123 FPS) are still smooth on 120 Hz displays.

At 3840x2160, the results are:

• Low: 131 FPS average
• Medium: 100 FPS average, with a minimum of 85 FPS and maximum of 114 FPS
• High: 76 FPS average
• Ultra: 72 FPS average

At 4K, the scaling is steeper. Low to Medium costs 31 FPS, Medium to High costs 24 FPS, and High to Ultra costs only 4 FPS. The minimum FPS at Medium (85) remains above 60, so 4K Medium is fully playable on 60 Hz displays. High and Ultra both stay above 70 FPS, which is acceptable for 60 Hz but not for 120 Hz panels.

Comparing across resolutions at the same setting:

• Low: 216 FPS at 1080p, 191 FPS at 1440p, 131 FPS at 4K. This is a 39% drop from 1080p to 4K.
• Medium: 196 FPS at 1080p, 169 FPS at 1440p, 100 FPS at 4K. This is a 49% drop from 1080p to 4K.
• High: 177 FPS at 1080p, 129 FPS at 1440p, 76 FPS at 4K. This is a 57% drop from 1080p to 4K.
• Ultra: 174 FPS at 1080p, 123 FPS at 1440p, 72 FPS at 4K. This is a 59% drop from 1080p to 4K.

The increasing drop percentages at higher settings indicate that the GPU becomes more heavily loaded as resolution and settings increase, which is expected. The RTX 4080 maintains playable frame rates at all combinations, with the lowest result being 72 FPS at 4K Ultra.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Thief?

A: The highest recorded average is 216 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The next highest is 196 FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings.

Q: Can this combo run Thief at 4K with Ultra settings smoothly?

A: Yes, but only on a 60 Hz display. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 72 FPS, which is above 60 but below the 120 FPS threshold needed for 120 Hz monitors.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has an average benchmark score of 36938. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F scores 36945 (0% delta), the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D scores 37018 (-0.2%), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 scores 37093 (-0.4%), and the Intel Core i9-12900T scores 37112 (-0.5%). All are within 0.5% of each other.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The only minimum FPS values recorded are at Medium settings: 166 FPS at 1920x1080, 144 FPS at 2560x1440, and 85 FPS at 3840x2160. The other settings presets do not have minFPS data in the database.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54247. The RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54209 (0.1% delta), the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828 (-1.1%), the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698 (-2.6%), and the AMD Radeon 8060S scores 55757 (-2.7%). The RTX 4080 is effectively tied with the 4080 SUPER and ahead of the AMD options.

Q: What is the combo's rank in the database for Thief?

A: The combo ranks 145th out of 3720 tested configurations, placing it in the top 3.9% of all tested combos for this game.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and refresh rate.

At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers 196 FPS average with a minimum of 166 FPS, which is sufficient for any 144 Hz or 240 Hz monitor. The High preset at 177 FPS is also viable for 144 Hz displays. The Ultra preset at 174 FPS is nearly identical to High (only 3 FPS slower), so choosing Ultra over High at 1080p costs almost nothing in performance. The Low preset at 216 FPS is unnecessary unless the user has a 240 Hz display and wants maximum frame rates, but the visual quality loss is significant. The best experience at 1080p is Ultra, since the 174 FPS average still exceeds 144 Hz refresh rates and the visual fidelity is the highest available.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset delivers 169 FPS average with a minimum of 144 FPS, which exactly matches 144 Hz monitors. The High preset at 129 FPS is better suited for 120 Hz displays, and the Ultra preset at 123 FPS is also acceptable for 120 Hz. The Low preset at 191 FPS is overkill for 144 Hz and sacrifices too much visual quality. The best experience at 1440p is Medium for 144 Hz users, since the minimum FPS of 144 ensures no dropped frames. For 120 Hz users, High or Ultra both work, but High offers a 6 FPS advantage over Ultra with minimal visual difference.

At 3840x2160, the Medium preset delivers 100 FPS average with a minimum of 85 FPS, which is above 60 Hz and below 120 Hz. The High preset at 76 FPS and Ultra at 72 FPS are both suitable for 60 Hz displays. The Low preset at 131 FPS is the only option that approaches 120 Hz at 4K, but the visual quality degradation is substantial. For 4K users with 60 Hz monitors, the Ultra preset at 72 FPS provides the best visual experience without dropping below 60 FPS. For 4K users with 120 Hz displays, no preset reaches 120 FPS; the Medium preset at 100 FPS is the closest, but the user would need to accept a lower refresh rate or choose a lower resolution.

The data shows that Thief scales well across all settings and resolutions with this combo. The RTX 4080's 16 GB VRAM and high bandwidth ensure that texture quality and memory bandwidth are never bottlenecks. The CPU's strong single-thread performance prevents frame drops in CPU-intensive scenes. The most balanced configuration is 2560x1440 with Medium settings, which delivers 169 FPS average and a 144 FPS minimum, matching the refresh rate of common gaming monitors while maintaining good visual quality. For users prioritizing visual fidelity over frame rate, 3840x2160 with Ultra settings at 72 FPS is a viable choice on 60 Hz displays.