Thief

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H paired with the AMD Radeon 880M is a mobile combination designed for thin-and-light laptops where integrated graphics carry the visual load. In Thief, a 2014 stealth title, the data shows this combo can deliver playable frame rates at 1080p with adjusted settings, but struggles at higher resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured performance to help you set expectations and choose the best in-game settings for your hardware. The benchmark results indicate that this is a combination where the integrated GPU is the primary bottleneck, and the CPU has more than enough headroom to handle the game's logic and physics.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for playing Thief with this hardware?

A: The measured data shows that 1920x1080 with Low settings delivers an average of 73 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded. For a better balance of visual quality and performance, 1920x1080 with Medium settings provides an average of 55 FPS, with a minimum of 47 FPS and a maximum of 63 FPS.

Q: Can I play Thief at 2560x1440 resolution with this combo?

A:** Yes, but with compromises. At 2560x1440 with Low settings, the average frame rate is 50 FPS. At Medium settings, the average drops to 38 FPS, and at High settings, it averages 29 FPS. Ultra settings are not recommended, as the average falls to 27 FPS.

Q: Is this a good combo for 4K gaming in Thief?

A: No, the measured results indicate that 4K gaming is not viable. At 3840x2160, even Low settings only achieve an average of 29 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 16 FPS. The frame rates are too low for a playable experience.

Q: How does the AMD Radeon 880M perform in a newer game like this?

A: The data shows the GPU is an integrated solution with a 43rd percentile ranking among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX and the AMD Radeon R9 M375X, indicating its performance is comparable to older, mid-range discrete mobile GPUs.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H a high-performing CPU?

A: Yes, the CPU has an 85th percentile ranking against all CPUs. In multi-core benchmarks like Cinebench R23, it scores 17984.5, and in Geekbench multicore it scores 11657. This shows a strong processor, but its performance is not a limiting factor in the game's frame rates, as the integrated graphics are the bottleneck.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between High and Ultra settings at 1920x1080?

A: At 1920x1080, the High preset averages 42 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 40 FPS. The difference is minimal, with only 2 FPS separating them, making the Ultra preset a viable option if you want a slight visual bump without a major performance hit.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon 880M is an integrated graphics processor based on the RDNA 3.5 architecture, built on a 4 nm process. It contains 768 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 16 ROPs. Its boost clock reaches 2900 MHz, and it has 12 ray tracing cores. The memory is system shared, meaning the system's RAM is used for video memory, and the memory bandwidth is system dependent. The GPU's compute power is rated at 4.454 TFLOPS for FP32, which is a modest figure.

In the context of Thief, this GPU's role is the primary limiting factor for the measured frame rates. The game's performance scales directly with resolution and settings, a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. As the resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, the frame rates drop significantly. For example, at Low settings, the average FPS drops from 73 at 1080p to 50 at 1440p, and then to 29 at 4K. This pattern indicates that the GPU's shading units and texture units are being saturated by the increased pixel count and detail levels.

The GPU's benchmark scores reflect its level of performance. In the Passmark G3D test, it scores 7615, and in Geekbench Vulkan, it scores 40006. Its percentile vs all GPUs is 43%, indicating it performs above average compared to all GPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX and the NVIDIA GeForce MX330, which shows its performance is in the range of mid-range mobile GPUs from several years ago.

The GPU's 16 ROPs are a particular bottleneck for a game like Thief, which is a stealth title with heavy use of post-processing effects at higher settings. The pixel rate is 46.40 GPixel/s, and the texture rate is 139.2 GTexel/s. These numbers are adequate for 1080p gaming, but they cause the 4K performance to become unplayable. For Thief, the GPU's limitations are the main reason the Medium preset at 1080p shows a min FPS of 47 and a max of 63, which is a range that is fairly steady.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H is a 16-core, 22-thread processor with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. It sits in the Core Ultra Series 1, based on the Meteor Lake architecture, and is built on a 7 nm process. It has a 24 MB shared L3 cache, and a dual-channel memory bus with a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. The CPU's performance is not the limiting factor in Thief, as the game's frame rates are more likely to be limited by the GPU.

The CPU's benchmark scores are strong. In Cinebench R23 it scores 17984.5 in multi-threaded tests, and 1810.5 in single-threaded tests. In Geekbench 6, it scores 11657 multi-core and 1794 single-core. The data compression score is 339489, which is a good indicator of the CPU's ability to handle the game's asset loading and decompression. The CPU's percentile ranking is 85th, meaning it outperforms most CPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 and Intel Core 7 250H, have average benchmark scores within 0.7% of each other, showing this is a very high end mobile processor.

In Thief, the CPU's role is to handle the game's AI, physics, and game logic. The game is not a multi-threaded monster, so the CPU's 22 threads are more than enough. The CPU's single-thread performance is also strong, with a Cinebench R15 score of 264.5, which is important for the game's main thread. The data shows that the CPU is not the bottleneck, as the frame rates are similar across different resolutions when the settings are the same. For example, at 1080p Low, the average is 73 FPS, while at 1440p Low, it is 50 FPS, and at 4K Low, it is 29 FPS. This is the classic pattern of a GPU-bound scenario, where the CPU has enough performance to feed the GPU.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H and the AMD Radeon 880M ranks 3633 out of 3720 tested combos for Thief. This places it in the bottom 5% of all combinations in the database. This low rank is a reflection of the integrated GPU's performance, which is not enough to provide a high frame rate experience in the game. The CPU's high performance is offset by the GPU's limited capabilities, making the overall combination one of the weakest tested.

The rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's performance. In a game like Thief, which has a modest system requirement, the integrated GPU is a major limiting factor. The 880M's performance is comparable to a mid-range mobile GPU from 2012, as its nearest rivals include the GTX 675MX. While the CPU is a top-tier processor, the combo's overall ranking is heavily weighted by the GPU.

The data indicates that this combination is best suited for 1080p gaming at low to medium settings. The 50th percentile of the CPU's performance shows it can handle the game, but the GPU's 43rd percentile is the limiting factor. The rank of 3633 out of 3720 is a clear signal that this is not a gaming powerhouse, but it can still deliver a playable experience if expectations are adjusted.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the best experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with Medium settings. This provides an average of 55 FPS with a minimum of 47 FPS and a maximum of 63 FPS, ensuring a consistent frame rate. The Medium preset is the sweet spot, as it offers a balance between visual quality and performance. At 1080p, the High preset averages 42 FPS, which is still playable, but the Ultra preset averages 40 FPS, which is only a 2 FPS improvement over High, so the Ultra settings are a viable choice if you want the best visuals.

For users with a 2560x1440 monitor, Low settings are the only way to get a playable frame rate, with an average of 50 FPS. Medium settings at 1440p drop to 38 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. High and Ultra are not recommended at this resolution, as they drop to 29 and 27 FPS respectively. 4K is not a viable option, with the best case being Low at 29 FPS, which is too low for a smooth experience.

The data suggests the best experience is at 1080p. The Medium preset is the best choice for a mix of visuals and frame rate. If you want a bit more visual fidelity, High settings at 1080p is a good pick, as it only costs 13 FPS compared to Low, but offers more detail.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo shows a clear performance curve across resolutions and settings.

3840x2160 (4K)

• Low: 29 FPS average
• Medium: 22 FPS average (min 19, max 26)
• High: 17 FPS average
• Ultra: 16 FPS average

At 4K, the GPU is severely stressed. The frame rate drops from 29 FPS at Low to just 16 FPS at Ultra, a 45% reduction. The minimum FPS at Medium is 19, which is below playable levels.

2560x1440 (1440p)

• Low: 50 FPS average
• Medium: 38 FPS average (min 32, max 43)
• High: 29 FPS average
• Ultra: 27 FPS average

At 1440p, the performance is better than 4K but still limited. Low settings provide a playable 50 FPS. Medium drops to 38 FPS, and High/Ultra fall below 30 FPS, making them less than ideal.

1920x1080 (1080p)

• Low: 73 FPS average
• Medium: 55 FPS average (min 47, max 63)
• High: 42 FPS average
• Ultra: 40 FPS average

At 1080p, the best performance is seen. Low offers a very smooth 73 FPS, while Medium provides a solid 55 FPS. High and Ultra are both playable, with averages of 42 FPS and 40 FPS respectively. The Medium preset's min FPS of 47 and max of 63 show a consistent frame rate.

The data indicates that the combo can handle the game at 1080p with a good balance of quality and speed. The scaling is linear, with the GPU being the main limiting factor. The results are measured, not estimated, providing a reliable picture of what to expect.