Thief

Thief, a 2014 stealth title, is analyzed here with the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. The data reveals a combination that delivers exceptionally high frame rates across all tested resolutions and settings, with the RTX 4090's immense power ensuring that the game is rarely a burden. The analysis will explore the measured performance, scaling behaviors, and the distinct roles of the CPU and GPU in producing these results.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this combination?

A: The peak average FPS recorded is 168, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This demonstrates the combo's ability to push far beyond the limits of standard high-refresh-rate displays at the lowest resolution.

Q: How does the combo rank among all other tested system combinations?

A: This specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 holds the rank of 962 out of 3720 tested combos in Thief. This places it in the top percentile of systems, indicating it is one of the more capable configurations for this game.

Q: What is the performance difference at 4K between High and Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 resolution, the average frame rate drops from 60 FPS on High settings to 57 FPS on Ultra settings. This 3 FPS difference is minor, suggesting that the visual fidelity gain from Ultra is nearly free in terms of performance at this resolution.

Q: What is the lowest average frame rate recorded in the data?

A: The lowest average frame rate observed is 57 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings. Even in this most demanding scenario, the system maintains a playable frame rate, never dipping below the 60 FPS target except under the most extreme preset.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the average frame rate scales from 148 FPS on Low settings down to 97 FPS on Ultra settings. This represents a substantial 51 FPS difference, showing that the Ultra preset carries a significant performance cost compared to the Low preset.

Q: Does the data provide minimum FPS values for all settings?

A: No, the data is incomplete. Minimum and maximum FPS values are only provided for the Medium settings at each resolution. For example, at 1920x1080 Medium, the FPS ranges from 129 to 175, while other presets only have an average FPS value.

How This Combo Ranks

The data places this combination at rank 962 out of 3720 tested system configurations for Thief. This ranking, while not at the very top, places it in the 74th percentile of all tested combos. It signifies that this system is more capable than roughly three-quarters of the other combinations tested, a strong result for a mobile CPU paired with a flagship desktop GPU.

The ranking reflects the balance between the two components. The RTX 4090 is a dominant force, but the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, with its 16 cores and 22 threads, is no slouch. Its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15028 and a single-core score of 1743, show it is a highly capable processor. The combo's rank suggests that while the GPU is the primary driver of frame rates, the CPU is more than sufficient to keep up, preventing it from becoming a significant bottleneck even at lower resolutions where CPU load is higher.

Comparing the individual components to their nearest rivals further contextualizes the system's standing. The CPU's average benchmark score of 32697 is nearly identical to that of the Intel Core i5-14600T, with a deltaPct of 0. This indicates that in general processing power, the Ultra 7 155H trades blows with that desktop chip. Similarly, the GPU's average benchmark score of 60347 is on par with the Intel Arc Pro A60, which has a deltaPct of 0. This is a strange pairing in terms of market segment, but the data shows their overall compute scores are equivalent, even if their gaming performance characteristics differ wildly. The combo's rank in Thief, however, is a more direct measure of its gaming capability, and it shows that this specific pairing is a formidable one.

Resolution Scaling

The scaling of performance from 1080p to 4K reveals the expected trend of decreasing frame rates with increasing resolution. This is primarily due to the growing load on the GPU as pixel count increases. The data shows a clear and consistent drop in average FPS for every setting preset when moving from a lower to a higher resolution.

For instance, at High settings, the average FPS drops from 138 at 1920x1080 to 101 at 2560x1440, and finally to 60 at 3840x2160. This represents a 56% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is also steep, with a 41% drop. This pattern is classic GPU-bound behavior; the RTX 4090 is being tasked with rendering an exponentially larger number of pixels, and its performance scales down accordingly.

The fact that the frame rate drops by nearly half when moving from 1080p to 4K strongly implies that the GPU is the limiting component at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU has a more significant role in feeding the GPU, but as resolution increases, the sheer pixel-pushing workload falls almost entirely on the GPU. The 24 GB of VRAM and 1.01 TB/s of memory bandwidth on the RTX 4090 are ample for this task, but the sheer processing power required to fill 4K frames is what ultimately caps the performance. This is a textbook example of resolution-dependent scaling, where the GPU's workload grows disproportionately faster than the CPU's.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. The highest performance is found at 1920x1080, where the average FPS ranges from 135 on Ultra to 168 on Low. The Medium preset sits between these, with an average of 152 FPS and a range of 129 to 175 FPS. Even the most demanding setting at this resolution, Ultra, maintains an average of 135 FPS, which is exceptionally smooth.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates remain very high. The Low preset achieves an average of 148 FPS, while the High preset hits 101 FPS. The Ultra preset is still playable, with an average of 97 FPS. The Medium preset shows an average of 133 FPS, with a range of 113 to 153 FPS. The performance is consistently above the 60 FPS threshold, making this resolution a sweet spot for high-refresh-rate gaming.

At 3840x2160, the performance is still very respectable, though the top-tier presets begin to approach the 60 FPS mark. The Low preset achieves an average of 103 FPS. The Medium preset averages 78 FPS, with a range of 67 to 90 FPS. The High preset averages exactly 60 FPS, while the Ultra preset is the most demanding, with an average of 57 FPS. This data shows that the system can handle 4K gaming, but users seeking a locked 60 FPS or higher will need to adjust settings from the maximum presets.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the undisputed powerhouse of this configuration. Its specifications are staggering, including 16384 shading units, 128 RT cores, and 512 tensor cores. The GPU is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture and is fabricated on a 5 nm process. Its performance in this game is largely dictated by its raw compute power and memory subsystem.

The RTX 4090's 24 GB of GDDR6X memory, paired with a 384-bit bus width, provides a staggering 1.01 TB/s of memory bandwidth. This is a crucial asset for Thief, which can be demanding on memory at high resolutions and with high-quality textures. The data suggests that this memory capacity is not a limiting factor; even at 4K Ultra, the game does not appear to run out of memory, as the performance drop is more attributable to compute load than memory capacity.

The GPU's clock speeds, with a base of 2235 MHz and a boost of 2520 MHz, are high for a graphics card. This, combined with its massive shader count, results in a theoretical FP32 performance of 82.58 TFLOPS. This immense compute power is what allows the system to achieve such high frame rates. The PassMark G3D score of 38194 and a percentile ranking of 88 among all GPUs further confirm its top-tier status. In Thief, the GPU's role is to render the game's environments and effects, and its performance is the primary driver of the frame rates at all resolutions, especially at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the user's resolution and performance target. For a 4K display, the data suggests that the High preset, with an average of 60 FPS, is the most balanced choice. The Ultra preset, at 57 FPS, is only slightly slower but may introduce more demanding effects. The Medium preset, at 78 FPS, provides a comfortable margin over 60 FPS for those who prefer a smoother experience. For a strict 60 FPS target, High is the best choice; for a more consistent 60+ FPS, Medium is preferable.

For 2560x1440 displays, the system has ample headroom. The High preset delivers 101 FPS, which is ideal for a 100Hz or 144Hz monitor. The Ultra preset, at 97 FPS, is also excellent and offers the best visual quality while still maintaining near-triple-digit frame rates. Users with a 144Hz or higher refresh rate monitor could even consider the Medium preset, which averages 133 FPS, to maximize smoothness.

At 1920x1080, the system is so powerful that almost any setting is viable. The Ultra preset averages 135 FPS, which is sufficient for a 144Hz display. The High and Medium presets, at 138 and 152 FPS respectively, are also excellent. The Low preset, at 168 FPS, offers the highest possible frame rate for competitive play or for use with very high refresh rate monitors (e.g., 165Hz+). Ultimately, the recommendation for 1080p is to prioritize visual quality, as even the Ultra preset provides a high refresh rate experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H plays a supporting but essential role in this system. As a mobile processor with 16 cores and 22 threads, it is a highly capable chip. Its architecture, Meteor Lake, is built on a 7 nm process. While it is not a desktop flagship, its performance is more than adequate to avoid bottlenecking the RTX 4090 in most scenarios.

The CPU's benchmark scores are strong, with a PassMark multi-thread score of 24873 and a single-thread score of 3468. Its Cinebench R23 scores of 15028 multi-core and 1743 single-core also show solid performance. These scores indicate that the CPU can handle the game's logic, physics, and AI calculations without becoming a limiting factor. The fact that the frame rate scaling is so heavily dependent on resolution suggests that the CPU is keeping up with the GPU's demands.

At 1080p, where the CPU load is proportionally higher, the system still achieves its highest frame rates (135-168 FPS). This indicates that the Ultra 7 155H is powerful enough to feed the RTX 4090 even at lower resolutions. If the CPU were a significant bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau or even drop at 1080p instead of being the highest recorded. The data shows no such plateau, confirming that the CPU is performing its role effectively and allowing the GPU, which is the primary driver of the experience, to run at its full potential.