Thief

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination delivers a remarkably fluid experience in Thief, a 2014 stealth title that remains demanding at high resolutions. The measured data shows this pairing is more than capable of handling the game’s engine, with performance scaling predictably across settings and resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured frames per second (FPS) to determine the optimal configuration, the role of each component, and how this specific combo stacks up against the broader database of tested systems.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark rows for this combo provide clear guidance on which preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset achieves an average of 156 FPS, which is more than sufficient for smooth gameplay on high-refresh-rate monitors. However, the Medium preset reaches 203 FPS, and Low pushes to 225 FPS. The jump from Ultra to Medium yields a 47 FPS increase, which is substantial, but the visual cost of dropping from Ultra to Medium is noticeable in a game like Thief where shadows and lighting are key to the stealth atmosphere.

The most compelling argument for a specific preset comes from the 2560x1440 data. Here, the Ultra preset averages 107 FPS, while High achieves 112 FPS, a difference of only 5 FPS. This suggests that the High preset is effectively a "sweet spot" at 1440p, delivering nearly the same performance as Ultra with presumably a minor reduction in some effects. The Medium preset at 1440p jumps to 147 FPS, but the 35 FPS gain over High comes with a more significant visual downgrade.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes. The High preset averages 66 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. The Ultra preset drops to 63 FPS, a marginal difference. The Medium preset at 87 FPS is a much better target for 4K, providing a 24 FPS improvement over High while likely retaining most of the game's visual identity. The Low preset, at 114 FPS, is a clear outlier in terms of performance but sacrifices too much visual quality for a game that relies on atmospheric detail.

Given these numbers, the data suggests that the High preset is the most balanced choice across all resolutions. At 1080p and 1440p, it provides high frame rates (164 and 112 FPS respectively) without the performance cliff seen at 4K. At 4K, while it drops to 66 FPS, it remains the most visually consistent option for players who prioritize image quality over raw frame rate. For those with 4K displays who prefer smoother motion, the Medium preset at 87 FPS is the pragmatic alternative, offering a 32% performance uplift over High with a moderate visual trade-off.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the primary driver of Thief's frame rates, as evidenced by the performance scaling with resolution. The GPU features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. In a game from 2014, this memory configuration is more than ample for the textures and assets used, even at 4K resolution. The data shows no signs of VRAM limitations, as the frame rates scale smoothly with resolution increases, indicating the GPU's compute and memory subsystems are handling the workload without bottlenecks.

The RTX 4070 SUPER's clock speeds are also a factor. With a base clock of 1980 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz, the GPU can sustain high throughput. The measured FPS at 1080p with the Low preset (225 FPS) suggests the GPU is not being fully utilized at lower resolutions, as the CPU likely becomes the limiting factor at such high frame rates. However, at 4K, the GPU's raw compute power becomes dominant. The transition from 1080p Low (225 FPS) to 4K Low (114 FPS) shows a 111 FPS drop, which is a direct consequence of the increased pixel count demanding more from the GPU's 7168 shading units.

The GPU's position relative to its peers is solid. According to the benchmark data, the RTX 4070 SUPER scores 29995 in Passmark's G3D test, placing it in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB, has a score of 43262, a delta of -0.1%, indicating near-identical performance in synthetic tests. This context suggests that the RTX 4070 SUPER is a high-tier performer, and its real-world results in Thief align with that standing, delivering playable frame rates at all tested settings and resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data reveals a clear pattern of how performance degrades as resolution increases, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario. From 1920x1080 to 2560x1440, the average FPS across all settings drops by roughly 32% (e.g., High goes from 164 to 112 FPS, Medium from 203 to 147 FPS). This is a substantial reduction, but the resulting frame rates remain highly playable. The scaling from 1440p to 3840x2160 is even more pronounced, with average FPS dropping by another 41% (e.g., High goes from 112 to 66 FPS, Medium from 147 to 87 FPS).

This scaling behavior indicates that the RTX 4070 SUPER is the limiting component as resolution increases. At 1080p, the CPU can keep up with the GPU's output, as seen in the relatively small gap between Low (225 FPS) and Ultra (156 FPS) presets, a difference of 69 FPS. At 4K, the gap between Low (114 FPS) and Ultra (63 FPS) is 51 FPS, but the absolute frame rates are lower, showing that the GPU is working harder to fill the additional pixels.

For a game like Thief, which was released before the era of 4K gaming, the 4K performance is still impressive. The Low preset at 4K (114 FPS) is faster than the Ultra preset at 1440p (107 FPS), which highlights the GPU's headroom. The data suggests that the RTX 4070 SUPER is well-suited for 1440p gaming, where it can maintain high frame rates with Ultra settings, and is still capable of 4K gaming at reduced settings. Players targeting 4K should expect to use the Medium or High preset to stay above 60 FPS, while 1080p and 1440p users can maximize settings without concern.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and RTX 4070 SUPER holds a rank of 213 out of 2851 combos for Thief. This places it in the top 7.5% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing. The percentile ranking is a composite measure of the combo's overall performance, and a rank of 213 indicates that the system is capable of running the game at high settings across most resolutions, as the measured FPS confirms.

The CPU's contribution to this rank is noteworthy. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score of 48995, placing it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, has a score of 49196, a delta of -0.4%, meaning the Intel chip is essentially on par with its closest competitor. The CPU's 14 cores and 14 threads (no hyper-threading) are sufficient for Thief's engine, which is not heavily multithreaded, but the high single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648) ensures it does not bottleneck the GPU.

The combo's rank of 213, while strong, is not at the very top of the list, which is expected given that higher-end GPUs (e.g., RTX 4090-class) would achieve higher frame rates. However, the data shows that this combo provides a well-rounded experience, with no obvious weak points in the measured results. The rank reflects a system that is more than capable of delivering a smooth experience in Thief at any resolution, making it a solid choice for this game.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 is the ideal resolution for this pairing. At 1440p, the Ultra preset averages 107 FPS, and the High preset averages 112 FPS, both of which are well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. While 1080p offers higher frame rates (up to 225 FPS on Low), the visual clarity of 1440p is a better trade-off for a stealth game where detail matters.

*Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Thief?*

A: Yes, but with some caveats. At 3840x2160, the Medium preset averages 87 FPS, which is playable, while the High preset drops to 66 FPS. The Ultra preset is the weakest at 63 FPS. For a stable 60+ FPS experience at 4K, the Medium preset is the recommended choice based on the measured data.

Q: How does the RTX 4070 SUPER compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER's Passmark G3D score is 29995. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB, scores 43262, a delta of -0.1%. This indicates that the two GPUs have nearly identical performance in synthetic tests, meaning the RTX 4070 SUPER is a top-tier performer relative to its peers.

*Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 a bottleneck for the RTX 4070 SUPER in Thief?*

A: Based on the FPS scaling, the CPU is not a bottleneck at higher resolutions. The frame rate drops significantly from 1080p to 4K, which is a sign of GPU-bound performance. At 1080p Low, the CPU allows the GPU to reach 225 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, the GPU limits the frame rate to 63 FPS. The CPU's 90th percentile ranking and high single-thread score support its ability to keep up.

*Q: What is the combo's rank compared to other tested systems for Thief?*

A: The combo ranks 213 out of 2851 tested configurations, placing it in the top 7.5%. This is a strong performance, indicating that the system is well-matched for the game's requirements and delivers consistently high frame rates across all settings and resolutions.

*Q: Does the 12 GB VRAM of the RTX 4070 SUPER cause any issues in Thief?*

A: No. The measured FPS data shows no evidence of VRAM-related stuttering or performance drops. The game's engine, released in 2014, does not require the memory capacity or bandwidth that modern titles do, and the 504.2 GB/s bandwidth is more than sufficient for the game's textures and geometry.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average FPS (and min/max where recorded) for each resolution and settings preset:

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|---------|---------|

| 1920x1080 | Low | 225 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 203 | 173 | 234 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 164 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 156 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 194 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 147 | 125 | 169 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 112 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 107 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 114 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 87 | 74 | 100 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 66 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 63 | - | - |

At 1080p, all presets are above 150 FPS, making the game exceptionally fluid. The Medium preset's min FPS of 173 ensures no perceptible drops. At 1440p, the Ultra and High presets remain above 100 FPS, while Low reaches 194 FPS. The 4K results are more varied, with Low at 114 FPS being the only preset that clears the 100 FPS mark. The Medium preset at 4K has a min FPS of 74, which is still playable, but the High and Ultra presets dip to the mid-60s, which may be noticeable on high-refresh-rate displays.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 plays a supporting role in this combo, but its performance characteristics are essential for achieving the higher frame rates seen at 1080p. The CPU has 14 cores and 14 threads, a configuration that lacks simultaneous multithreading but still provides ample parallelism for Thief's engine. The base clock of 3.50 GHz and boost clock of 5.10 GHz are high, and the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648 indicates excellent per-thread performance, which is critical for a game that may not scale perfectly across all cores.

The CPU's benchmark scores are robust. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 32924 and Passmark multithread score of 38706 demonstrate strong multi-threaded capabilities. However, in Thief, the data suggests that the CPU's primary job is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. At 1080p Low, the FPS reaches 225, which is close to the GPU's maximum output, and the CPU is likely the limiting factor at that point. As resolution increases, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and the CPU's load decreases, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling.

The CPU's position in the market is solid, with a 90th percentile ranking among all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, has a nearly identical average score (49196 vs. 48995), indicating that the Ultra 5 245 is a competitive mid-range to high-end processor. In this game, the CPU does not negatively impact the experience; it provides enough headroom for the RTX 4070 SUPER to perform at its best, especially at 1440p and 4K where the GPU's workload dominates.