Thief

Thief on the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX with the AMD Radeon 760M presents a challenging performance profile. The data shows a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited, where the integrated graphics become the decisive bottleneck at every resolution and settings level. The combination ranks 2840 out of 2851 tested combos in this game, placing it in the bottom percentile of systems, a position driven almost entirely by the Radeon 760M's capabilities. The CPU, a 20-core Arrow Lake-HX part, is far more capable than the GPU, but its strengths are largely irrelevant to Thief's performance outcome, as the frame rates never approach levels where processor throughput would matter.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent, confirming that the AMD Radeon 760M is the limiting component across the board. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 53 FPS at 1920x1080 to 36 FPS at 2560x1440, a 32% reduction, and then to 21 FPS at 3840x2160, a further 42% drop. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU that is saturated by pixel throughput; the integrated graphics simply cannot maintain its 1080p workload when the pixel count more than doubles.

The behavior at higher settings reinforces this conclusion. At Medium settings, the average FPS at 1080p is 40, which drops to 28 at 1440p and 16 at 4K. The 4K result here represents a 60% loss compared to 1080p. At High settings, the progression is 31 FPS at 1080p, 21 FPS at 1440p, and 12 FPS at 4K. The 4K High result is a 61% drop from the 1080p figure. Ultra settings show the same trend: 29 FPS at 1080p, 20 FPS at 1440p, and 12 FPS at 4K. The data indicates that the Radeon 760M's rendering pipeline is exhausted by the demands of 4K, regardless of the visual preset.

The frame rate deltas between resolutions reveal that the GPU's compute and memory resources are the primary constraint. Since the Radeon 760M uses System Shared memory, its bandwidth is "System Dependent," and the increased memory pressure at higher resolutions likely exacerbates the performance collapse. The gap between 1440p and 4K is consistently larger than the gap between 1080p and 1440p, suggesting a non-linear scaling penalty as the GPU approaches its effective limits. For this system, 1080p is the only resolution where playable frame rates are achievable, and even then, only at lower settings. The 4K results, with averages of 12-21 FPS, are effectively unusable for gameplay, indicating a component that is not designed for high-resolution rendering.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal configuration for this hardware is Low settings at 1920x1080. The average frame rate of 53 FPS is the only result that approaches a smooth experience, and it provides a substantial performance buffer over the next best option. Stepping up to Medium settings at 1080p yields 40 FPS on average, which is a 24.5% reduction in performance. While this is a more visually appealing preset, the 13 FPS loss is significant and may push the experience below the threshold for comfortable play in a stealth title where consistent frame pacing matters.

The data shows that High and Ultra settings at 1080p are not advisable. High settings average 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 29 FPS. Both are below the 30 FPS mark, which is generally considered the minimum for acceptable playability. The difference between High and Ultra is only 2 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset offers no meaningful performance advantage over High, but both are too demanding for the Radeon 760M to maintain a solid frame rate. The performance characteristics at 1440p and 4K are uniformly poor, with the best result being 36 FPS at 1440p Low, and every other configuration falling below 30 FPS.

The measured rows indicate that the jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 13 FPS, while the jump from Medium to High costs 9 FPS, and the jump from High to Ultra costs only 2 FPS. This suggests that the visual quality gains from High to Ultra are achieved with minimal performance impact, but the base performance at High is already too low. The recommendation is clear: play at 1080p with Low settings to secure the highest frame rate. If visual fidelity is prioritized over smoothness, Medium settings at 1080p is the only viable alternative, accepting a frame rate in the 30-40 FPS range. All other settings and resolution combinations are too demanding for the integrated GPU to provide a satisfactory experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX is a high-end mobile processor with 20 cores and 20 threads, based on the Arrow Lake architecture. Its benchmark scores are relatively strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 40642 and a single-core score of 5737. It sits in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 63173 places it in direct competition with parts like the Intel Core i7-13790F, which is only 0.1% faster. This CPU is clearly not the bottleneck in Thief.

The game's frame rates are so low, particularly at higher resolutions, that the CPU is likely idling, waiting for the GPU to finish rendering each frame. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 12, which means the CPU has ample time to prepare the next frame. The CPU's 5.30 GHz boost clock and 30 MB of shared L3 cache are more than sufficient for a game from 2014. The Passmark single-thread score of 4500 indicates strong per-core performance, which is relevant for a game that may not scale perfectly across all 20 cores.

The data suggests that the CPU's role in this specific configuration is to ensure that it does not further degrade performance. It is not a contributing factor to the low frame rates, but rather a passive observer. The bottleneck is entirely on the GPU side. Even at 1080p Low, where the system achieves its best average of 53 FPS, the CPU is unlikely to be stressed. The game's release date of 2014 means it was designed for the hardware of that era, and the 265HX vastly exceeds those requirements. The CPU's high multi-threaded performance, evidenced by a Passmark multithread score of 47985, is irrelevant here because the GPU cannot feed it enough frames. In this pairing, the CPU is a surplus asset that cannot overcome the GPU's limitations.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average frame rate this system can achieve in Thief?

A: The best measured average frame rate is 53 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Can this system run Thief at 4K resolution?

A: The data shows it cannot run 4K at a playable frame rate. At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 21 at Low settings to 12 at High and Ultra settings.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX has an average benchmark score of 63173. Its closest rival, the Intel Core i7-13790F, scores 63080, making the 265HX 0.1% faster.

Q: Is the AMD Radeon 760M a strong performer relative to other GPUs?

A: No. The Radeon 760M is in the 35th percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 6019 is nearly identical to that of the AMD Radeon RX 6400, which is 0.3% faster.

Q: What is the performance difference between Medium and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Medium settings average 40 FPS, while Ultra settings average 29 FPS. This represents a performance drop of 11 FPS when moving from Medium to Ultra.

Q: Does the system have dedicated VRAM for the GPU?

A: No. The AMD Radeon 760M uses "System Shared" memory, meaning its VRAM size, type, and bus width are all shared with the system memory, and its bandwidth is "System Dependent."

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 760M is an integrated graphics processor based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture, built on a 4 nm process. It has 512 shading units, 32 texture mapping units, and 16 raster output pipelines. Its performance is modest, placing it in the 35th percentile of all GPUs. The data shows that this GPU is the primary and overwhelming bottleneck in Thief, dictating the performance ceiling at all resolutions.

The GPU's memory configuration is a critical weakness. It relies on System Shared memory, which means its bandwidth is "System Dependent." This is a significant disadvantage in a game like Thief, where texture streaming and memory bandwidth can impact frame rates. The GPU's boost clock of 2599 MHz is relatively high, but it cannot compensate for the lack of dedicated high-bandwidth VRAM. The measured frame rates reflect this, with the system unable to maintain 60 FPS at any settings combination.

The GPU's benchmark scores are consistent with its low percentile ranking. Its Passmark G3D score is 5310, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is a very low 400. In terms of direct rivals, the Radeon 760M is statistically tied with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770M, which is 0.3% faster, and the AMD Radeon RX 6400, which is also 0.3% faster. This puts its raw compute power in the range of older dedicated GPUs, which is not sufficient for modern gaming at high resolutions.

In Thief, the GPU's role is to render each frame, and the data shows it struggles with even the lowest settings at 1440p and above. At 1080p, it can manage 53 FPS on Low, but the frame rate quickly deteriorates as settings are increased. The 4K results, with averages of 12-21 FPS, are a clear indication that the GPU's pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth are far too low for such a high resolution. The GPU is the sole reason for the system's rank of 2840 out of 2851 combos, and its limitations are the defining factor of this hardware pairing's performance in Thief.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the system's performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system achieves its best results. Low settings produce an average of 53 FPS. Medium settings average 40 FPS, with a minimum of 34 FPS and a maximum of 46 FPS. High settings average 31 FPS. Ultra settings average 29 FPS. The 1080p results are the only ones where the system approaches playability, with Low settings being the sole configuration that breaks the 50 FPS barrier.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance drops significantly. Low settings average 36 FPS. Medium settings average 28 FPS, with a minimum of 23 FPS and a maximum of 32 FPS. High settings average 21 FPS. Ultra settings average 20 FPS. At this resolution, no preset achieves a 30 FPS average, with only the Low preset staying above that mark. The 1440p results are consistently below what would be considered a smooth experience.

At 3840x2160, the system's performance collapses. Low settings average 21 FPS. Medium settings average 16 FPS, with a minimum of 14 FPS and a maximum of 19 FPS. High settings average 12 FPS. Ultra settings average 12 FPS. The 4K results are uniformly poor, with the highest average being 21 FPS on Low settings. The data shows a clear and consistent degradation in performance as resolution increases, confirming the GPU's inability to handle higher pixel counts. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is large, and the gap between 1440p and 4K is even more pronounced, highlighting the non-linear scaling penalty of the integrated GPU.