Thief

This combo—the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060—delivers a solid but not spectacular performance profile in Thief, a 2014 stealth title that remains surprisingly demanding at higher settings. The data shows the pairing lands at rank 2242 out of 3720 tested combos, placing it in the 60th percentile of all systems evaluated. That mid-pack standing is largely explained by the GPU's position in the broader hierarchy, as the RTX 4060 sits at the 61st percentile among all graphics cards, while the CPU holds a stronger 84th percentile ranking among all processors. This asymmetry suggests the graphics card is the primary limiter in this pairing, a hypothesis the resolution scaling data strongly supports.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2242 out of 3720 tested configurations places this system just past the midpoint of the database, which is a nuanced result for a mobile CPU paired with a mainstream desktop-class GPU. The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H brings substantial compute power to the table—its average benchmark score of 34083 places it within 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, a well-regarded desktop processor, and it is effectively tied with the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (deltaPct of -0.4%). This indicates the CPU is not a bottleneck in most gaming scenarios, as its multi-threaded performance rivals desktop parts from just a few years ago.

However, the GPU tells a different story. The RTX 4060's average benchmark score of 17639 places it just 0.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon HD 7790, a card from a much older generation, and only 0.3% behind the integrated AMD Radeon 780M. This is a striking data point—it suggests that in pure compute terms, the RTX 4060 is not dramatically faster than some integrated graphics solutions, though its dedicated VRAM and drivers likely help in real gaming workloads. The percentile ranking of 61 for the GPU versus 84 for the CPU confirms that the graphics card is the weaker link in this pairing.

In the context of Thief specifically, the measured FPS data shows the combo can handle 1080p and 1440p well, but struggles at 4K. The rank of 2242 suggests that many other combinations of CPUs and GPUs deliver better performance in this title, likely due to the GPU's mid-tier positioning. The data implies that for a game from 2014, this modern pairing should theoretically excel, but the RTX 4060's modest memory bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s and 8 GB VRAM become limiting factors at higher resolutions. The combination is not a top-tier performer, but it is far from the bottom—it sits comfortably in the middle of the pack, which is a reasonable expectation for a mobile CPU with a 115 W GPU.

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score of 34083 is 0.3% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H (33989), 0.4% lower than the AMD EPYC 4244P (34220), and 0.4% lower than the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 (34222). It is also 0.5% lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X (34260), which indicates the 165H is essentially performance-equivalent to these four processors in aggregate workloads.

Q: What is the RTX 4060's position relative to other GPUs in the database?

A: The GPU has an average benchmark score of 17639, placing it at the 61st percentile of all graphics cards. Its closest rival is the AMD Radeon HD 7790 with a score of 17666 (a deltaPct of -0.2%), meaning the 4060 is slightly slower. It is 0.3% faster than the AMD Radeon 780M (17588) and 0.5% faster than the AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17551), showing a very tight cluster of performance around this tier.

*Q: Does the combo perform better at 1080p or 1440p in Thief?*

A: The measured data shows a clear preference for lower resolutions. At 1080p with High settings, the average FPS is 95, while at 1440p High it drops to 65. The gap narrows at Low settings—1080p yields 164 FPS, and 1440p yields 113 FPS—but the trend is consistent across all settings, with 1080p always delivering at least 30 FPS more than 1440p.

*Q: Is the CPU or GPU more responsible for the performance seen in Thief?*

A: The data strongly indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU's 84th percentile ranking and multi-threaded scores (e.g., 14551 in Cinebench R23 multi-core) far exceed what Thief would require from a 2014 title. The GPU's 61st percentile ranking and the steep FPS drops at higher resolutions point to the RTX 4060 as the bottleneck, particularly at 4K where Ultra settings only achieve 36 FPS.

*Q: What are the best and worst measured results for this combo in Thief?*

A: The best result is at 1080p with Low settings, achieving an average of 164 FPS. The worst is at 4K with Ultra settings, where the average drops to 36 FPS. The range between these extremes—128 FPS—demonstrates how heavily resolution and settings impact this particular hardware combination.

*Q: How does the combo's rank in Thief compare to its component percentiles?*

A: The combo ranks 2242 out of 3720 (approximately the 60th percentile), which is closely aligned with the GPU's 61st percentile but well below the CPU's 84th percentile. This suggests the overall game performance is being dragged down by the GPU, rather than the CPU failing to keep up.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario, where the graphics card becomes increasingly overwhelmed as pixel count rises. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at High settings, the average FPS drops from 95 to 65, a 31.6% reduction. Scaling further to 4K, the average falls to 38 FPS, which is a 60% drop from the 1080p baseline. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU that lacks the raw fill rate and bandwidth to handle higher resolutions in a game with complex lighting and shadow effects like Thief.

The pattern holds across all settings, but the relative drops vary. At Low settings, 1080p yields 164 FPS, 1440p produces 113 FPS (a 31.1% drop), and 4K manages 66 FPS (a 59.8% drop from 1080p). The consistency of these percentages—roughly 31% for the 1080p-to-1440p step and 60% for the 1080p-to-4K step—indicates that the limiting component is resolution-dependent rather than settings-dependent. This is a strong signal that the GPU's memory interface (128-bit bus) and bandwidth (272.0 GB/s) are the primary constraints, as higher resolutions require proportionally more memory throughput.

The CPU's role in this scaling is minimal, as evidenced by the fact that the FPS drops are almost perfectly linear with pixel count increases. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see smaller FPS differences at lower resolutions where the CPU is more likely to be the limiting factor, but the data shows 1080p Low achieving 164 FPS—well above what most CPUs would cap at for a 2014 game. The RTX 4060's 8 GB VRAM also becomes a concern at 4K, where the Ultra preset's 36 FPS average suggests the card is running out of memory or bandwidth headroom. The data implies that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K reserved for less demanding titles or lower settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers smooth performance across all presets. Low settings average 164 FPS, which is exceptionally high for any title and indicates the CPU is not holding back the GPU. Medium settings reduce the average to 125 FPS, with a minimum of 106 FPS and a maximum of 143 FPS, showing a tight frame time distribution. High settings average 95 FPS, maintaining playability for fast-paced stealth sequences. Ultra settings still manage 90 FPS, which is remarkable for a 2014 game with modern hardware, though the drop from Medium to Ultra is only 35 FPS, suggesting diminishing returns at higher presets.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains respectable but the GPU's limitations become more apparent. Low settings average 113 FPS, which is still above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. Medium settings drop to 86 FPS, with a minimum of 73 FPS and a maximum of 98 FPS, indicating occasional dips but generally stable performance. High settings average 65 FPS, which is playable but begins to show the strain of higher resolution. Ultra settings fall to 62 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS target but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings average 66 FPS, which is acceptable but shows a significant drop from the 113 FPS at 1440p. Medium settings average 50 FPS, with a minimum of 43 FPS and a maximum of 58 FPS, which means frame pacing will be noticeable during gameplay. High settings drop to 38 FPS, making the game feel sluggish. Ultra settings average 36 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth motion and indicates the GPU is severely constrained at this resolution. The spread from Low to Ultra at 4K is only 30 FPS, compared to 74 FPS at 1080p, showing that the GPU is the dominant factor at 4K regardless of settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data suggests that the optimal experience for this combo is at 1440p with Medium settings, where the average FPS of 86 provides a good balance between visual fidelity and smoothness. The minimum of 73 FPS ensures that even the most demanding scenes remain above the 60 FPS threshold, and the maximum of 98 FPS shows the system has some headroom. This configuration leverages the GPU's capabilities without pushing it to the point of diminishing returns, as evidenced by the 21 FPS difference between Medium and High at 1440p (86 vs 65 FPS).

For players prioritizing maximum frame rates, 1080p with Low settings delivers 164 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors. However, the jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 39 FPS (164 to 125), which may be too steep for some users. The Medium preset at 1080p still offers 125 FPS, which is more than sufficient for most displays and provides better visual quality. At 1440p, the Low preset (113 FPS) is a viable alternative to Medium (86 FPS) if frame rate is the primary concern, though the visual difference between these settings is typically modest.

The Ultra preset is only recommended for 1080p, where it achieves 90 FPS. At 1440p, Ultra drops to 62 FPS, which is borderline, and at 4K it falls to 36 FPS, which is unplayable. The data shows that High settings at 1080p (95 FPS) offer a better balance than Ultra at 1440p (62 FPS), as the frame rate difference of 33 FPS is more impactful than the resolution increase from 1080p to 1440p. For 4K, the Low preset at 66 FPS is the only playable option, but it sacrifices too much visual quality to be recommended when 1440p Medium provides a superior experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H is a 16-core, 22-thread processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth provide ample resources for gaming workloads. The CPU's benchmark scores are impressive—Cinebench R23 multi-core yields 14551, and single-core 1759—which places it comfortably above the requirements of a 2014 title like Thief. The 84th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms that the processor is not the limiting factor in this combo.

In Thief, the CPU's role is largely to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations, and the data shows it performs this task effortlessly. The fact that 1080p Low achieves 164 FPS indicates the CPU can handle high frame rates without bottlenecking, as this frame rate is well above what most games from 2014 would demand. The PassMark multi-thread score of 25933 and single-thread score of 3509 further support this, showing strong performance in both heavily threaded and lightly threaded workloads. The CPU's 16 cores and 22 threads are more than sufficient for Thief's engine, which was designed for the 4-core/8-thread era.

The nearest rival data reveals that the 165H is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X (deltaPct of -0.5%), a desktop CPU with 8 cores and 16 threads. This parity in synthetic benchmarks suggests that the mobile 165H can match desktop performance from a few generations ago, which reflects its efficiency given its 28 W TDP. In games like Thief, this CPU headroom means that performance will be dictated almost entirely by the GPU, as confirmed by the resolution scaling data. The CPU's boost clock of 5.00 GHz is particularly useful for single-threaded game logic, and its 3.80 GHz base clock ensures consistent performance under sustained loads.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process, featuring 3072 shading units, 96 texture mapping units, and 48 raster operation units. Its base clock of 1830 MHz and boost clock of 2460 MHz are respectable for a mid-range card, but its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 272.0 GB/s bandwidth is the limiting factor in Thief's higher resolutions. The GPU's 61st percentile ranking among all graphics cards and average benchmark score of 17639 place it in the mid-range tier, which is reflected in its performance at 4K.

In Thief, the GPU's role is dominant, as evidenced by the steep FPS drops with increasing resolution. The card's 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the memory bandwidth becomes a bottleneck at 4K. The 128-bit memory interface is narrow for a card in this class, and the 272.0 GB/s bandwidth is insufficient to feed the 3840x2160 pixel count at higher settings. The 8 GB VRAM also likely contributes to the 4K Ultra performance of 36 FPS, as the game's textures and shadow maps at Ultra settings may exceed the available memory.

The GPU's nearest rivals highlight its position in the market: it is 0.2% slower than the AMD Radeon HD 7790, a card from 2013, and 0.3% faster than the AMD Radeon 780M integrated graphics. This data suggests that while the RTX 4060 has modern features like ray tracing cores (24) and tensor cores (96), its raw compute performance is not dramatically higher than older or integrated solutions. However, in Thief, a game that does not heavily utilize these modern features, the GPU's performance is determined by its rasterization and memory throughput. The measured FPS at 1080p Medium (125 FPS) and 1440p Medium (86 FPS) show that the card is well-suited for mainstream resolutions, but the 4K results (50 FPS Medium, 36 FPS Ultra) indicate its limitations at higher pixel counts.