Thief

Thief, the 2014 stealth classic, remains a demanding title even for modern hardware. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 across three resolutions and four quality presets. The data reveals a configuration that is well-balanced at 1080p and 1440p, but which begins to show its limits at 4K, particularly with the highest visual settings. The benchmark results indicate a system capable of delivering smooth frame rates in most scenarios, with specific trade-offs at the extreme end of the spectrum.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable decline in performance as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the High preset, the average frame rate drops from 107 FPS at 1080p to 73 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 34 FPS. Moving to 4K, the average falls further to 43 FPS, representing a 64 FPS drop from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern is typical for a game like Thief, where the GPU's workload increases significantly with the number of rendered pixels.

At the Low preset, the performance headroom is much more substantial. The system achieves an average of 184 FPS at 1080p, which drops to 126 FPS at 1440p and 74 FPS at 4K. This suggests that at lower settings, the game becomes less GPU-bound, and the scaling between resolutions is more linear. The fact that the 4K Low result (74 FPS) is nearly identical to the 1440p High result (73 FPS) indicates that the RTX 4060 has a specific performance ceiling for this game, and settings adjustments are the primary lever to manage it.

The most telling data point for understanding the limiting component is the 4K Ultra result. Here, the average FPS falls to 41, which is below the 43 FPS seen at 4K High. This small difference between High and Ultra at 4K suggests that the GPU is almost entirely saturated. The RTX 4060, with its 8 GB of VRAM and 128-bit memory bus, is the primary bottleneck at this resolution, struggling to maintain playable frame rates with the most demanding visual settings. The CPU, in contrast, has ample headroom at this point.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. With a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, its single-threaded performance is a strong asset for a game like Thief. The data supports this, as the CPU's single-core benchmark scores are robust (468 in Cinebench R15, 4648 in Cinebench R23), and its overall percentile rank of 90 places it well above the average CPU. In this configuration, the CPU is not the limiting factor at any tested resolution or setting.

The role of the CPU is most apparent at lower resolutions where the GPU has less work to do. At 1080p with the Low preset, the system achieves 184 FPS. This high frame rate is enabled by the CPU's ability to feed the GPU with enough data to maintain such a high output. If the CPU were weaker, the frame rate would likely plateau at a lower number, regardless of the GPU's potential. The benchmark results show no such plateau, indicating the Core Ultra 5 245 is more than capable of handling the game's logic and draw calls at high frame rates.

Furthermore, the CPU's benchmark scores relative to its nearest rivals show it is a competitive part. Its average benchmark score of 48995 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (49196, -0.4% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (49228, -0.5% delta). It is also slightly ahead of the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (48698, 0.6% delta) and the Intel Core i5-14600K (48618, 0.8% delta). This indicates that for CPU-bound scenarios, the Core Ultra 5 245 provides performance on par with these other high-end processors, ensuring the system's overall capability is not hampered by the processor.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear guide for the optimal settings at each resolution. For players targeting a standard 60 FPS experience, the High preset is the recommended choice for both 1080p and 1440p. At 1080p, High delivers an average of 107 FPS, which is more than sufficient for smooth gameplay. At 1440p, High drops to 73 FPS, still comfortably above the 60 FPS target. This preset provides a strong balance between visual fidelity and performance.

For those with high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p, the Medium preset offers an excellent option, delivering an average of 140 FPS with a minimum of 119 FPS. This ensures a consistently high frame rate that can take advantage of 120Hz or 144Hz displays. The Low preset at 1080p pushes performance to 184 FPS, but the visual quality trade-off is significant. At 1440p, the Medium preset also works well, with an average of 96 FPS and a minimum of 82 FPS.

The 4K resolution presents a challenge for this configuration. The High preset, with an average of 43 FPS, is not ideal for smooth play. The Ultra preset is even more demanding, averaging only 41 FPS. To achieve a more playable frame rate at 4K, the Low preset is the only viable option, delivering an average of 74 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K averages 56 FPS, which is playable but may not be consistent enough for some users. The data suggests that for a 60 FPS target at 4K, users should select the Low or Medium preset, as the higher settings are too demanding for the RTX 4060.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this CPU and GPU combination?

A: The highest average frame rate measured is 184 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 1440p with High settings?

A: Yes. The benchmark results show an average of 73 FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings, which is above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the 4K Ultra performance compare to the 1080p High performance?

A: The 4K Ultra preset averages 41 FPS, which is a 66 FPS drop from the 107 FPS average seen at 1080p High. This indicates a significant performance cost for the higher resolution and settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K. The small difference in average FPS between High (43 FPS) and Ultra (41 FPS) at 4K indicates the GPU is fully saturated and cannot keep up with the rendering demands.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 1440p?

A: The minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 2560x1440 is 82 FPS.

Q: How does the Core Ultra 5 245's average benchmark score compare to the Intel Core i5-14600K?

A: The Core Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score of 48995, which is 0.8% higher than the Intel Core i5-14600K's score of 48618.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is the sole graphics processor in this configuration. Its role is critical, as it is the component that ultimately determines the visual quality and frame rate ceiling, especially at higher resolutions. The GPU's architecture is Ada Lovelace, and it features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s. These specifications directly correlate with the performance scaling observed in the data.

The GPU's benchmarks place it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17639. Its performance is closely matched by the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (17666, -0.2% delta), the AMD Radeon 780M (17588, 0.3% delta), and the AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17551, 0.5% delta). This shows that the RTX 4060 is a solid mid-range performer, but it is not a high-end part. This is evident in Thief, where the 4K performance is the weakest point.

The GPU's memory configuration is a significant factor in its 4K performance. The 8 GB VRAM capacity can be a limiting factor at 3840x2160 with high-resolution textures, which is likely why the Ultra preset's average FPS (41) is so close to the High preset's (43). The game may be hitting a memory bandwidth or capacity wall, preventing the GPU from processing frames faster. At 1080p and 1440p, this is less of an issue, and the GPU's raw compute power (15.11 TFLOPS FP32) is sufficient to deliver high frame rates.

The RTX 4060's clock speeds, with a base of 1830 MHz and a boost of 2460 MHz, are typical for the 40-series lineup. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2302 and the Geekbench OpenCL score of 95057 provide additional context for its compute capabilities. In Thief, the GPU's performance is the deciding factor for the experience at 4K, where users must compromise on settings to achieve playable frame rates, while at 1080p and 1440p, it provides a very enjoyable experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

This section details the exact average frame rates measured for the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination in Thief.

1920x1080

• Low: The average FPS is 184.
• Medium: The average FPS is 140, with a minimum of 119 and a maximum of 161.
• High: The average FPS is 107.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 101.

2560x1440

• Low: The average FPS is 126.
• Medium: The average FPS is 96, with a minimum of 82 and a maximum of 110.
• High: The average FPS is 73.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 70.

3840x2160

• Low: The average FPS is 74.
• Medium: The average FPS is 56, with a minimum of 48 and a maximum of 65.
• High: The average FPS is 43.
• Ultra: The average FPS is 41.

The data clearly shows the performance hierarchy across the presets. The Ultra preset is consistently the most demanding, while the Low preset offers the highest frame rates. The gap between presets narrows as resolution increases, particularly between High and Ultra at 4K, where the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The Medium preset at each resolution provides a balanced middle ground, with the 1440p Medium result (96 FPS) offering a particularly good experience for most users. The overall combo rank of 1398 out of 2851 tested combinations places this system in the top half of configurations, indicating a capable, if not top-tier, gaming setup for this title.