Thief

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti combination delivers a benchmark performance profile in Thief that is defined by high average frame rates across all tested resolutions, with the GPU acting as the primary scaling factor as resolution increases. The data shows a combo ranking in the 96th percentile among all tested configurations, and the measured FPS figures indicate that this pairing is well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p and 1440p gameplay, while still providing playable 4K performance at maximum settings.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake-S architecture, built on a 3 nm process at TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. This CPU features a 30 MB shared L3 cache, along with 192 KB L1 and 3 MB L2 cache per core. For a game like Thief, which is a stealth title from 2014, the workload is typically not heavily multi-threaded, but the high boost clock and substantial cache hierarchy contribute to strong single-thread performance. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5960 and multi-core score of 42216 illustrate its capability, with the single-core result being particularly relevant for older game engines that rely on fewer threads.

The processor’s 20 cores are split into performance and efficiency groups, though the FACT PACK does not specify the exact distribution. However, the benchmark data shows a PassMark single-thread score of 4689 and a PassMark multi-thread score of 49682, indicating robust performance in both categories. In Thief, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic, and the data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is not the limiting factor. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 230 FPS average, a figure that is likely near the engine’s practical limit. At Ultra settings at 1080p, the average drops to 169 FPS, but this is still far above refresh-rate thresholds for most displays.

The CPU’s memory support includes DDR5 with dual-channel configuration and a memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s. This bandwidth is sufficient for a game from 2014, which does not require the massive memory throughput demanded by modern open-world titles. The CPU also integrates Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 32 execution units, but for gaming with a discrete RTX 5070 Ti, the integrated GPU is irrelevant. The processor’s percentile ranking of 93 among all CPUs indicates it is in the top 7% of tested processors, which aligns with its observed ability to drive high frame rates in Thief.

The relationship between CPU and GPU in this combo is one where the CPU is rarely the bottleneck. At 1080p Low settings, the 230 FPS average is more likely constrained by the game’s engine or the GPU’s ability to process frames at that rate. The CPU’s boost clock of 5.30 GHz provides the single-thread speed necessary for older titles, and its 20 threads ensure that any background tasks or lightly-threaded game processes are handled without issue. The data does not show any scenario where the CPU’s performance would cause a significant frame rate drop, as even the most demanding setting (4K Ultra) yields 68 FPS average, which is still playable.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti ranks 114th out of 2851 tested combos in Thief, placing it in the top 4% of all configurations. This rank is a strong indicator of overall performance, but it is important to note that the rank is a composite measure that accounts for all tested settings and resolutions. The high ranking suggests that this combo is among the faster options for this game, but it does not necessarily mean it is the absolute best for every scenario, as the measured FPS varies significantly by resolution and settings.

The combo rank of 114 out of 2851 means that 2737 other combinations perform worse, while 113 perform better. This places the pairing in the 96th percentile of all tested combos. The data does not specify which combos rank higher, but it is reasonable to infer that those would include more powerful GPUs or CPUs, such as higher-end RTX 50-series cards or flagship processors. However, for the price point and performance class of the RTX 5070 Ti, this rank is excellent.

The ranking also reflects the balance between CPU and GPU. A less capable CPU might bottleneck the RTX 5070 Ti at lower resolutions, dragging the combo rank down. Conversely, a weaker GPU would fail to deliver high frame rates at 4K. The fact that this combo achieves a top-4% rank suggests that the Core Ultra 7 265 provides enough headroom to keep the GPU fed across all tested scenarios. In comparison to the CPU’s nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 7 265 has an average benchmark score of 64640, which is 0.3% above the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F and 0.7% above the AMD EPYC 7343, but 0.3% below the AMD EPYC 4464P and 0.7% below the AMD EPYC 9124. These deltas are negligible in gaming terms, meaning the CPU is essentially on par with its closest competitors.

The GPU’s nearest rivals show a different picture. The RTX 5070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 49957, which is 0.1% above the AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 and 0.4% above the Intel Arc A550M, but 2% below the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT and 3.1% above the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT. In Thief, the RTX 5070 Ti’s performance is clearly sufficient to secure a high combo rank, and the game’s age means that even older high-end GPUs can perform well. The combo rank of 114 reflects the fact that this pairing is well-matched for this specific title, with no obvious weak link in the chain.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a clear scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 177 at 1080p to 121 at 1440p, a reduction of 56 FPS, and then to 71 at 4K, a further reduction of 50 FPS. This represents a 60% drop from 1080p to 4K. At Low settings, the drop is even more pronounced in absolute terms: from 230 FPS at 1080p to 203 FPS at 1440p (a 27 FPS drop) and then to 124 FPS at 4K (a 79 FPS drop from 1440p). The Low settings 4K figure of 124 FPS is still high, but the relative decline from 1080p is 46%.

This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting component at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU is able to push frame rates high enough that the GPU becomes the bottleneck, especially at Low settings where the rendering load is minimal. The 230 FPS at 1080p Low is likely near the engine’s maximum frame rate cap or the GPU’s pixel throughput limit. As resolution increases, the GPU must process more pixels, and the frame rate drops accordingly. The fact that the frame rate at 4K Low (124 FPS) is still higher than the frame rate at 1080p Ultra (169 FPS) suggests that the GPU has significant headroom, but that the game’s settings have a substantial impact on rendering load.

The Medium settings data provides minimum and maximum FPS figures, which offer additional insight. At 1080p Medium, the average is 208 FPS, with a minimum of 177 and a maximum of 240. At 1440p Medium, the average is 159 FPS, with a minimum of 136 and a maximum of 183. At 4K Medium, the average is 94 FPS, with a minimum of 80 and a maximum of 108. The spread between minimum and maximum is relatively consistent across resolutions, suggesting that frame time variance is not a major issue. The drop from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings is 114 FPS, a 55% reduction, which aligns with the High settings trend.

The resolution scaling data strongly implies that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau at lower resolutions, with 1080p and 1440p producing similar FPS. Instead, the frame rates scale almost linearly with the number of pixels, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The RTX 5070 Ti, with its 16 GB of GDDR7 memory and 896.0 GB/s bandwidth, is well-equipped to handle 4K rendering, but the game’s age means that it does not use advanced features like ray tracing, which would further tax the GPU. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the combo still averages 68 FPS, which is playable, but the performance curve indicates that 1080p and 1440p are the sweet spots for high-refresh-rate gaming.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings levels. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. With Low settings, the average FPS is 230, with no minimum or maximum provided. At Medium settings, the average is 208 FPS, with a minimum of 177 and a maximum of 240. High settings yield an average of 177 FPS, and Ultra settings produce an average of 169 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 61 FPS, which represents a 27% reduction in performance when going from the lowest to the highest settings. This is a relatively modest drop, indicating that the GPU has enough headroom to handle the increased rendering load at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show a clear step down. Low settings average 203 FPS, Medium settings average 159 FPS (with a minimum of 136 and a maximum of 183), High settings average 121 FPS, and Ultra settings average 116 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 87 FPS, a 43% reduction. This is a larger percentage drop than at 1080p, which is expected as the GPU becomes more stressed with the increased pixel count. The 1440p Ultra figure of 116 FPS is still smooth for most displays, and the 1440p High figure of 121 FPS is nearly identical, suggesting that the difference between High and Ultra settings is minimal at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates drop further, but remain playable. Low settings average 124 FPS, Medium settings average 94 FPS (with a minimum of 80 and a maximum of 108), High settings average 71 FPS, and Ultra settings average 68 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 56 FPS, a 45% reduction. The 4K Ultra figure of 68 FPS is the lowest average recorded, but it is still above the 60 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for smooth gameplay. The 4K Low figure of 124 FPS shows that the GPU is capable of high frame rates at 4K if settings are reduced, which may appeal to players with high-refresh-rate 4K monitors.

Across all resolutions, the Medium settings data provides the only minimum and maximum FPS figures. At 1080p Medium, the minimum of 177 FPS and maximum of 240 FPS indicate a spread of 63 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the minimum of 136 FPS and maximum of 183 FPS show a spread of 47 FPS. At 4K Medium, the minimum of 80 FPS and maximum of 108 FPS have a spread of 28 FPS. The narrowing spread at higher resolutions suggests that frame time consistency improves as the GPU becomes the bottleneck, which is typical behavior. The data does not provide minimum or maximum figures for Low, High, or Ultra settings, so the Medium settings are the only basis for assessing frame time variance.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, using the GB203 chip fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 896.0 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 2295 MHz and a boost clock of 2452 MHz, with memory clocked at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). The RTX 5070 Ti also includes 70 ray tracing cores and 280 tensor cores, though Thief does not utilize ray tracing, so these features have no direct impact on the game’s performance. The GPU’s FP32 performance is 43.94 TFLOPS, and its texture rate is 686.6 GTexel/s, which are ample for a game from 2014.

The 16 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for Thief, which was released in 2014 and has modest VRAM requirements. Even at 4K Ultra settings, the game is unlikely to use more than a few gigabytes of VRAM, so the RTX 5070 Ti’s memory capacity is not a limiting factor. The memory bandwidth of 896.0 GB/s is also far above what the game requires, ensuring that texture streaming and memory access are not bottlenecks. The GPU’s pixel rate of 235.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 686.6 GTexel/s are key specifications for a game like Thief, which relies on rasterization rather than ray tracing.

The GPU’s benchmark scores provide context for its performance. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 6604, and in Geekbench Vulkan, it scores 225122. The PassMark G3D score is 32974, with a PassMark GPU Compute score of 20203. These scores indicate that the RTX 5070 Ti is a high-performance GPU, ranked in the 86th percentile among all GPUs. However, its nearest rivals include older cards like the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT and RX 6800 XT, which have similar average benchmark scores (50951 and 48477, respectively). The RTX 5070 Ti’s average benchmark score of 49957 is 2% below the RX 6900 XT and 3.1% above the RX 6800 XT, showing that it is in the same performance tier as these previous-generation flagship cards.

In Thief, the GPU’s role is to render the game’s geometry and effects, and the measured FPS data shows that it performs admirably. The fact that the combo achieves 169 FPS at 1080p Ultra and 68 FPS at 4K Ultra indicates that the GPU is the primary driver of performance, with the CPU providing sufficient support. The RTX 5070 Ti’s boost clock of 2452 MHz is high, and the GPU maintains high frame rates even at maximum settings. The data does not show any scenario where the GPU’s VRAM capacity or bandwidth causes a performance issue, and the 16 GB of GDDR7 memory ensures that the card will remain relevant for future titles with higher memory requirements.

FAQ

Q: What is the combo rank for the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 and RTX 5070 Ti in Thief?

A: This combination ranks 114th out of 2851 tested combos, placing it in the top 4% of all configurations tested for this game.

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 68, which is playable but lower than the 1440p and 1080p results.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 Ti compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT?

A: The RTX 5070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 49957, which is 2% lower than the RX 6900 XT’s score of 50951.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in Thief?

A: The highest average FPS is 230, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance at 1080p?

A: The data shows that at 1080p, the GPU is the limiting factor, as frame rates scale with settings (from 230 FPS at Low to 169 FPS at Ultra), indicating the CPU has sufficient headroom.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the RTX 5070 Ti?

A: The RTX 5070 Ti has a memory bandwidth of 896.0 GB/s, provided by 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus.