Thief

Thief, the 2014 stealth title, presents an interesting case study for the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER pairing. The measured frame rates reveal a system that is remarkably capable at high resolutions, yet the scaling patterns expose where the bottleneck truly lies. This analysis breaks down the measured performance data, focusing on how the CPU and GPU contribute to the final experience across different settings and resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The progression from 1080p to 4K paints a clear picture of a GPU-bound workload at higher resolutions. At 1080p with High settings, the system produces 164 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops this to 112 FPS, a 31.7% reduction, and then further to 66 FPS at 4K, a 41.1% reduction from the 1440p figure. This steep, consistent decline as pixel count increases is the classic signature of the graphics card becoming the primary limiting factor. The GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are being taxed more heavily with each resolution step.

The data at Low settings reinforces this. The system hits 230 FPS at 1080p, 194 FPS at 1440p, and 114 FPS at 4K. While the absolute numbers are higher, the percentage drop from 1440p to 4K is still a substantial 41.2%. Even when the graphical load is minimized, the resolution scaling remains steep, indicating that the RTX 4070 SUPER's compute units are saturated by the sheer number of pixels at 4K.

However, the story changes when looking at the CPU's potential ceiling. At 1080p with Low settings, the frame rate reaches 230 FPS. This is the highest measured result in the entire dataset. The fact that it does not go higher suggests that at this low-resolution, low-detail setting, the CPU is beginning to exert its influence. The Core Ultra 7 265, with its 20 cores and 20 threads, is likely providing enough instruction throughput, but the engine's single-threaded performance or the game's engine limitations could be preventing a higher frame cap. The 1080p Medium result of 208 FPS, which is lower than the Low setting, further confirms that the GPU is still doing most of the work, but the CPU is no longer the sole bottleneck.

The implication is that for a game like Thief, which is not a modern esports title, the RTX 4070 SUPER is well-matched to the CPU for 1440p and 4K gaming. The resolution scaling data shows that users targeting 4K will see the GPU fully utilized, while those chasing extreme frame rates at 1080p might find the CPU's single-core performance to be a secondary constraint. The 4K Ultra setting, at 63 FPS, shows the GPU is working at its hardest, and the resolution scaling from 1080p Ultra (156 FPS) to 4K Ultra (63 FPS) is a 59.6% performance loss, a massive hit that only a top-tier GPU could mitigate.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. This combination of high core count and high boost clock is unusual; most CPUs with 20 cores have lower boost frequencies. The benchmark data shows a strong passmark multithread score of 49,682 and a single-thread score of 4,689. This positions the CPU in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a very high-performing processor overall.

In Thief, the CPU's role is most apparent at 1080p with Low settings. The 230 FPS result is likely near the engine's practical limit for this configuration. The CPU's 30 MB of shared L3 cache and 3 MB per-core L2 cache are sufficient for the game's data needs, but the title's age means it may not be optimized for a 20-thread workload. The game was released in 2014, a time when 4-core, 8-thread CPUs were the enthusiast standard. The data suggests that the Core Ultra 7 265's massive multi-threading capability is largely untapped; the game likely uses only a handful of cores effectively.

The cinebench r23 multi-core score of 42,216 is impressive, but it does not translate into a linear FPS gain in a game that is likely single-threaded or lightly threaded. The passmark single-thread score of 4,689 is more relevant here. The 5.30 GHz boost clock is the key asset, as it provides the high per-core performance that older game engines require. Compared to its nearest rivals, the CPU's average benchmark score of 64,640 is nearly identical to the AMD EPYC 4464P (64,823, -0.3% delta) and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F (64,438, 0.3% delta). This shows that the 265 is a mid-pack performer among its closest peers in general compute, but its architecture is what matters for gaming.

The data indicates that for Thief, the CPU is a strong but not limiting partner. It has enough raw power to feed the GPU at 1080p, but its potential is capped by the game's engine. The 20 threads are a future-proofing measure, but they do not provide a tangible benefit in this specific title. The CPU's performance is sufficient to avoid being a bottleneck at 1440p and 4K, where the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The "Ultra" settings at 1080p (156 FPS) versus "High" at 1080p (164 FPS) shows only an 8 FPS difference, suggesting CPU headroom exists, but the GPU's workload is still the primary variable.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the undisputed performance driver in this pairing, especially at higher resolutions. With 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, it offers a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. Its boost clock of 2475 MHz and 7,168 shading units give it substantial compute power. The GPU's 56 RT cores and 224 tensor cores are present, but a 2014 game like Thief does not utilize ray tracing or DLSS, so these features are irrelevant to the measured performance.

The GPU's role is most clearly defined by the resolution scaling data. At 4K, the performance gap between settings is stark: 114 FPS at Low, 87 FPS at Medium, 66 FPS at High, and 63 FPS at Ultra. This 45% drop from Low to Ultra at 4K shows how the GPU's shader units and memory bandwidth are increasingly taxed by higher fidelity effects like shadows and textures. The 12 GB VRAM buffer is not a concern at these settings, as Thief's texture budgets are modest by modern standards.

The GPU's benchmark scores are solid, with a passmark G3D score of 29,995 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 172,795. It sits in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB (43,262 avg score, -0.1% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile (43,268 avg score, -0.1% delta). This indicates that the RTX 4070 SUPER is a strong performer, but it is not at the very top of the stack. In Thief, its performance is more than adequate, but the 4K Ultra result of 63 FPS shows that it is not overkill for this resolution.

The data suggests the GPU is the definitive bottleneck at 4K and 1440p. The fact that the 4K Medium result (87 FPS) is higher than the 1440p Ultra result (107 FPS) is expected, as the settings have a more direct impact on GPU load than resolution alone. The GPU's 220W TDP and dual-slot design are typical for its class, but its performance is what matters. The 35.48 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is being fully utilized in this game at high resolutions, and the results show a smooth, playable experience at 4K High.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system's capabilities. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows:

• Low: 230 FPS average
• Medium: 208 FPS average, with a minimum of 177 FPS and a maximum of 240 FPS
• High: 164 FPS average
• Ultra: 156 FPS average

At 2560x1440, the frame rates scale down:

• Low: 194 FPS average
• Medium: 147 FPS average, with a minimum of 125 FPS and a maximum of 169 FPS
• High: 112 FPS average
• Ultra: 107 FPS average

At 3840x2160, the system remains playable:

• Low: 114 FPS average
• Medium: 87 FPS average, with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS
• High: 66 FPS average
• Ultra: 63 FPS average

The 1080p Medium setting shows a minimum of 177 FPS, which is still far above the 60 FPS threshold. The 1440p Medium setting maintains a minimum of 125 FPS, indicating no severe frame drops. The 4K Medium setting has a minimum of 74 FPS, which is still comfortable for a stealth game. The data shows a consistent pattern: Medium settings offer a significant performance headroom over High and Ultra, while still providing a substantial visual upgrade over Low. The maximum FPS values at 1080p Medium (240 FPS) and 1440p Medium (169 FPS) suggest that the GPU can burst to high frame rates, but the average is more indicative of sustained performance.

The gap between High and Ultra settings is minimal at all resolutions. At 4K, the difference is only 3 FPS (66 vs 63). At 1440p, it is 5 FPS (112 vs 107). At 1080p, it is 8 FPS (164 vs 156). This indicates that Ultra settings do not add a significant load in Thief, and the visual differences are likely subtle. The Medium preset, however, offers a much larger performance jump: from High to Medium, the FPS increases by 32% at 1080p (164 to 208), 31% at 1440p (112 to 147), and 32% at 4K (66 to 87). This makes Medium the clear sweet spot for high refresh rate gaming.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and RTX 4070 SUPER combination ranks 282nd out of 3,720 tested combos in Thief. This places it in the top 7.6% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU's high single-thread performance and the GPU's robust rasterization capabilities. The fact that it is not higher in the rankings is likely due to the presence of more powerful GPUs, such as the RTX 4090 or newer RTX 50-series cards, which would push the 4K frame rates higher.

The ranking suggests that this combo is well-above average for a game from 2014. The data implies that a system with a weaker GPU would see significantly lower 4K performance, while a system with a stronger CPU would not see a meaningful improvement in Thief. The 282nd rank out of 3,720 indicates that there are 2,538 weaker combos and 281 stronger ones. This is a very good result, but it also shows that for those seeking absolute maximum performance at 4K Ultra, a more powerful GPU than the RTX 4070 SUPER would be required.

The combo's rank confirms the RTX 4070 SUPER's strength, as the CPU's 20 threads are largely irrelevant for this title. The ranking would likely be similar if paired with a 6-core CPU, as long as the single-thread performance was comparable. The data suggests that the GPU is the primary driver of this rank, and the CPU is a supporting player. For users with a 1440p 144Hz monitor, this combo is overqualified, as it can push frame rates well beyond 144 FPS on Medium settings. For 4K 60Hz users, it is a near-perfect match, delivering 66 FPS on High and 63 FPS on Ultra.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate this combo achieves in Thief?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 230 FPS at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is this system capable of 4K gaming in Thief?

A: Yes, it is fully playable at 4K. The average frame rates are 63 FPS on Ultra, 66 FPS on High, 87 FPS on Medium, and 114 FPS on Low settings.

Q: How much faster is Medium settings compared to High at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset delivers an average of 147 FPS, which is 35 FPS higher than the High preset's 112 FPS, a 31% performance increase.

Q: What is the minimum frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest minimum frame rate recorded is 74 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Medium settings.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threading affect Thief's performance?

A: The CPU has 20 cores and 20 threads, but Thief's engine is not designed to utilize that many threads. The high boost clock of 5.30 GHz is more important for this game's single-threaded nature.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 282nd out of 3,720 tested combinations, placing it in the top 7.6% of all systems tested for Thief.

Settings Recommendations

For the best overall experience, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation across all resolutions. At 1080p, it provides a 208 FPS average, which is 44 FPS higher than High and 52 FPS higher than Ultra. At 1440p, the Medium preset delivers 147 FPS, ensuring a fluid experience on high refresh rate monitors. At 4K, Medium yields 87 FPS, which is a dramatic improvement over the 66 FPS of High settings, and it maintains a minimum of 74 FPS, avoiding any noticeable stutter.

For users with a 60Hz 4K display, the High preset is a viable option, as it holds an average of 66 FPS. However, the Ultra preset, at 63 FPS, is only marginally lower and may offer slightly better visual fidelity. The performance delta between High and Ultra is so small (3-8 FPS) that the choice is purely a matter of visual preference, as the data shows the GPU can handle both.

For competitive or high-refresh-rate play at 1080p, the Low preset offers the highest possible frame rate at 230 FPS, but the Medium preset's 208 FPS average is a better trade-off, as it likely includes improved textures and effects that are worth the 22 FPS loss. The data suggests that Medium provides the best balance of visual quality and performance, making it the default choice for most users. The High preset is only recommended for those who prioritize image quality over frame rate and are playing on a 60Hz display, as the difference between High and Ultra is negligible.