Thief

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 delivers a performance profile in Thief that is clearly constrained by the graphics card at higher resolutions, while the processor provides ample headroom at lower settings. The measured data reveals a consistent scaling pattern: as resolution increases, the frame rate drops proportionally, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck in most scenarios. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, examines the roles of the GPU and CPU, and provides actionable recommendations based solely on the provided benchmark data.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Thief shows a predictable and steep decline as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the "Low" settings preset, the average frame rate drops from 135 FPS at 1080p to 93 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 42 FPS, and then further to 55 FPS at 4K, a 42 FPS drop from 1440p. This pattern indicates that even at the lowest graphical load, the RTX 5050 struggles to maintain high frame rates as pixel count grows, moving from a very smooth experience to a merely playable one.

The scaling at "High" settings reinforces this GPU-bound behavior. At 1080p, the combo produces 78 FPS, which falls to 54 FPS at 1440p (a 24 FPS drop) and then to 32 FPS at 4K (a 22 FPS drop). The percentage reduction from 1080p to 4K is substantial, with the average frame rate dropping by approximately 59% at High settings. This steep curve suggests that the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are saturated quickly, limiting performance regardless of the CPU's capability.

At the most demanding "Ultra" preset, the resolution scaling becomes even more pronounced. The average FPS at 1080p is 75, dropping to 51 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 30 FPS at 4K. The 4K result is barely above the threshold for playability, showing that this combination is not suitable for maximum settings at high resolutions. The data indicates that the limiting component is consistently the GPU; the CPU's high core count and boost clock do not compensate for the graphics card's inability to process pixels fast enough at higher resolutions.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is generally a reduction of roughly 30-35% across all settings, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario. However, the scaling from 1440p to 4K shows a more dramatic drop, often exceeding 40%, suggesting that the memory bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s becomes a critical constraint at 4K. Overall, the data strongly suggests that for optimal performance, users should target 1080p or 1440p, as 4K results in average FPS figures that are consistently below 60, even at Low settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is the dominant factor in these benchmark results. Its specifications include 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has a base clock of 2317 MHz and a boost clock of 2572 MHz, with 2560 shading units and 32 ROPs. These specifications position the RTX 5050 as a mid-range mobile GPU, and the measured FPS in Thief aligns with this classification.

The GPU's performance percentile is 66, meaning it outperforms 66% of all GPUs in the database. However, its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (with a deltaPct of 1.6), are desktop-class parts, indicating that the mobile RTX 5050 competes with older desktop hardware. In Thief, this translates to average FPS that are adequate for 1080p gaming but fall short of high refresh rates at higher resolutions. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for this 2014 title, as the game's textures are not likely to exceed this limit, but the memory bus width limits the data throughput needed for 4K rendering.

The clocks are relatively high for a mobile part, but the measured FPS indicates that raw compute power is not the issue; rather, the memory subsystem and the number of ROPs (32) are the limiting factors. For instance, at 1080p with Medium settings, the combo achieves 103 FPS, but this drops to 41 FPS at 4K with the same settings. This 60% performance loss is a direct result of the GPU's inability to fill pixels at 4K resolutions, a task that requires more than 4 times the pixel throughput of 1080p.

The RTX 5050's FP32 performance is listed at 13.17 TFLOPS, which is modest by modern standards. In Thief, a game that relies on shader complexity, this translates to playable frame rates at lower resolutions but a struggle to maintain 60 FPS at 1440p on High settings (54 FPS). The data shows that the GPU is the bottleneck in nearly all measured scenarios, as the CPU never appears to limit performance, even at 1080p Low where the frame rate reaches 135 FPS. The GPU's role is clear: it provides a baseline performance level that cannot be overcome by the CPU, making it the primary target for any performance tuning.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo in Thief?*

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 135 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 4K resolution?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is 55 FPS at Low settings. All other settings at 4K produce averages below 41 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT?

A: The RTX 5050 has an average benchmark score of 21035, which is 1.6% lower than the RX 5600 XT's score of 20713. This indicates they are very close in overall performance.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Ultra and Low settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset yields an average of 51 FPS, while the Low preset yields 93 FPS, a difference of 42 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. For example, at 1080p Low, the FPS is 135, but this is likely CPU-limited in a lighter scene; however, the consistent drop across resolutions points to GPU saturation, as the CPU has high single-thread performance.

Q: What are the minimum FPS values recorded at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the minimum FPS are 87 at 1080p, 60 at 1440p, and 35 at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across all settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 135 FPS, which is the highest score in the dataset. The Medium preset averages 103 FPS, with a minimum of 87 and a maximum of 118. High settings average 78 FPS, and Ultra averages 75 FPS. This shows a clear hierarchy, with Low being the only preset that exceeds 120 FPS, while Ultra still maintains a smooth 75 FPS, indicating that 1080p is the sweet spot for high refresh rates.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS figures are lower but still respectable. Low settings average 93 FPS, Medium averages 71 FPS (with a min of 60 and max of 81), High averages 54 FPS, and Ultra averages 51 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra is minimal at 3 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset's additional graphical features do not significantly tax the GPU at this resolution. The 1440p results show that this combo is capable of 60+ FPS only on Low and Medium settings, making it a viable resolution for competitive play but not for maximum quality.

At 3840x2160, performance drops significantly. Low settings average 55 FPS, Medium averages 41 FPS (with a min of 35 and max of 48), High averages 32 FPS, and Ultra averages 30 FPS. None of these results reach 60 FPS, and the Ultra preset is essentially unplayable for smooth gameplay. The data shows that 4K is only feasible on Low settings, and even then, the average FPS is marginal. The min FPS values at 4K Medium (35) indicate that frame times can spike, leading to potential stuttering. This breakdown confirms that the combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K reserved for less demanding titles or lower settings.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combos for Thief, this configuration of the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 ranks 2982 out of 3720 total combos. This places it in the bottom 20% of all tested systems, which is a surprising result given the CPU's high performance. The combo's rank is likely dragged down by the GPU's modest performance, as the RTX 5050 is not a high-end part, and its percentile of 66 reflects that it is slightly above average but not exceptional.

The CPU itself has a percentile of 94, meaning it outperforms 94% of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Xeon w5-3525, has an average score of 67673, which is only 0.3% higher than the Ultra 9 275HX's score of 67469. This shows that the CPU is a top-tier part. However, the GPU's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, has a score that is 1.6% lower, placing the RTX 5050 at a slight disadvantage. The combination of a top-tier CPU with a mid-range GPU results in a system that is unbalanced for gaming, and the rank of 2982 reflects this mismatch.

The rank of 2982 out of 3720 indicates that many other combos, likely featuring more powerful GPUs with similar or weaker CPUs, achieve better performance in Thief. This is a game that is heavily GPU-dependent, as shown by the resolution scaling, so the CPU's high benchmark scores do not translate to a high game rank. The data suggests that for this specific title, the GPU is the determining factor for the combo's ranking, and the RTX 5050's performance is not sufficient to place the system in the upper echelons of the database.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is a powerful mobile processor with 24 cores and 24 threads, based on the Arrow Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with a 36 MB L3 cache. Its benchmark scores are impressive, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35589 and a single-core score of 2204. The CPU's percentile of 94 indicates it is a high-end part, and its nearest rivals are server-class processors like the AMD EPYC 4484PX, which it trails by only 0.5%.

In Thief, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU. The game's engine, released in 2014, is likely not optimized for multi-core processors, meaning the 24 cores are not fully utilized. However, the high single-thread performance (a Passmark single-thread score of 4713) ensures that the CPU does not become a bottleneck in most scenes. This is evident from the fact that at 1080p Low, the FPS reaches 135, which is likely near the CPU's limit for this game, but the GPU is still capable of pushing higher if the CPU could handle it.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s and dual-channel DDR5 support provide sufficient data transfer for the GPU, but the game does not appear to be memory-latency sensitive. The data shows that the CPU does not limit performance in any of the measured scenarios, as the FPS drops consistently with resolution increases, which is a classic sign of GPU saturation. The CPU's high boost clock of 5.40 GHz is likely beneficial for the game's single-threaded aspects, but the overall frame rates are determined by the GPU. Therefore, the CPU provides a solid foundation, but its contribution to the final FPS numbers is minimal compared to the graphics card.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user's target resolution and frame rate preference. For a smooth 60+ FPS experience, the 1920x1080 resolution with Medium settings is the best choice, yielding an average of 103 FPS with a minimum of 87 FPS. This provides a significant margin above 60 FPS, ensuring consistent performance. High settings at 1080p also provide a good experience with 78 FPS, but Ultra settings at 75 FPS offer little benefit over High, making High the more efficient choice for higher visual fidelity without a large FPS penalty.

At 2560x1440, users should stick to Low or Medium settings to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings average 93 FPS, which is smooth, while Medium averages 71 FPS, which is still above 60. High and Ultra settings at 1440p (54 FPS and 51 FPS respectively) are not recommended for fast-paced gameplay, as they dip below the 60 FPS threshold. For a balance between visual quality and performance, Medium at 1440p is the recommended preset, as it offers a 71 FPS average with a minimum of 60 FPS, ensuring no major drops.

At 3840x2160, the data does not support any settings for a fully smooth experience. Low settings provide the best average at 55 FPS, but this is still below 60, and the lack of min FPS data for Low settings means there could be stutters. Medium settings at 4K average 41 FPS with a min of 35, which is not ideal. Given the significant FPS drops at 4K, it is advisable to avoid this resolution entirely for this game and instead use 1440p or 1080p. The best overall experience, balancing quality and performance, is 1080p with High settings, which delivers 78 FPS and looks significantly better than Low or Medium, or 1440p with Medium for a sharper image at 71 FPS.