Thief

Thief, a 2014 stealth title, runs on a vast range of hardware, but the data for the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination reveals a clear performance profile. The measured frame rates across three resolutions and four quality presets show a system that is decisively GPU-bound at higher settings, while the powerful 24-core processor ensures the game never becomes CPU-limited. The results indicate that this pairing delivers a smooth experience at 1080p and 1440p, but requires careful settings adjustments for a playable frame rate at 4K.

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

The Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX is a mobile processor with 24 cores and 24 threads, built on the Arrow Lake architecture using a 3 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with a TDP of 55 W. The CPU's 36 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR5 memory are key attributes, but for Thief, the most relevant metric is its massive multi-threaded capability. The benchmark data shows a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35589 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 20795, placing it in the 94th percentile against all CPUs. This level of performance means that in a game like Thief, which was designed for the hardware of its era, the CPU is essentially a non-factor in limiting frame rates.

The data supports this conclusion. At 1080p with Low settings, the system produces an average of 181 FPS. This high frame rate is a direct result of the CPU's ability to feed frames quickly when the GPU is not under heavy load. The core count and high boost clock ensure that even the most demanding game logic and draw calls are handled with minimal latency. The single-threaded performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2204 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4713, is equally strong, which is crucial for older games that may not utilize many cores efficiently. Thief is not a modern multi-threaded title, so the 24 cores provide a massive headroom that is never fully exercised.

The nearest rivals for this CPU, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Xeon w5-3525, which is 0.3% slower, and the AMD EPYC 4484PX, which is 0.5% slower. These are workstation-class processors, indicating the 275HX sits at the top of the mobile performance tier. In the context of Thief, this means the processor’s role is to provide an unshakeable foundation. The measured FPS differences between settings and resolutions are almost entirely attributable to the GPU's workload, not the CPU. For instance, the drop from 124 FPS at 1440p Low to 105 FPS at 1080p High is a 19 FPS decrease, which is a GPU-side effect of increased pixel shading and texture complexity. The CPU data suggests it could push far beyond these numbers if the GPU were capable.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is the primary driver of the frame rates seen in this benchmark. It features 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is 2512 MHz, and it has 6144 shading units. The GPU's 82nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, based on an average benchmark score of 40377, shows it is a high-end part, but the measured results in Thief reveal its limits at higher resolutions. The RTX 5070's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (0.1% slower) and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (0.8% slower), which are also professional-grade cards, but the RTX 5070's gaming architecture is more relevant here.

In Thief, the GPU's role is paramount. The data shows a clear scaling pattern. At 1080p, the RTX 5070 can handle even the most demanding preset. The Ultra preset yields an average of 100 FPS, while High produces 105 FPS, and Medium 138 FPS. The GPU is the bottleneck at these settings, but it is a bottleneck that delivers playable results. However, when resolution increases to 1440p, the load on the GPU intensifies. The Ultra preset drops to 68 FPS, and High drops to 72 FPS. While still playable, the frame rates are lower, indicating the GPU is working harder. At 4K, the GPU's limitations become apparent. The Ultra preset averages 40 FPS, and High averages 42 FPS. The Medium preset, with a 47 FPS minimum, is the only 4K option that maintains a consistently playable frame rate.

The 12 GB of VRAM is not a limiting factor at these settings, as Thief is not a VRAM-heavy title. The core clock speed and the number of shading units are the primary determinants of performance. The data indicates that the RTX 5070 is a capable 1080p and 1440p card for this game, but it is not a 4K card for high-end settings. The difference between the 4K Low (73 FPS) and 4K High (42 FPS) settings is 31 FPS, which highlights the significant cost of higher-quality textures and effects on the GPU. This is a classic example of a GPU-bound scenario, where the CPU waits for the GPU to finish rendering each frame.

FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate achieved by this CPU and GPU combination in Thief?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 181 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the combo fail to maintain a 60 FPS average?

A: The data shows that at 3840x2160 resolution, both the Ultra (40 FPS) and High (42 FPS) presets fall below 60 FPS. The Medium preset also falls short with an average of 56 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5070's performance at 1440p High compare to its performance at 1080p High?

A: At 1440p High, the average frame rate is 72 FPS, which is 33 FPS lower than the 105 FPS average achieved at 1080p High. This represents a significant performance drop due to the increased resolution.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX or the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 the limiting factor in this game?

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the limiting factor. This is evident because frame rates scale significantly with resolution and settings changes, while the CPU's high core count and clock speeds prevent it from being a bottleneck, even at high frame rates like 181 FPS.

Q: What is the lowest average frame rate recorded for this combination?

A: The lowest average frame rate is 40 FPS, which is measured at 3840x2160 resolution with the Ultra settings preset.

Q: Does the RTX 5070 have a higher average benchmark score than the AMD Radeon Pro 580?

A: Yes, the RTX 5070's average benchmark score is 40377, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 580's score of 40318.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For this combination, the ideal settings depend heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the data shows that the Ultra preset is the best choice. It delivers an average of 100 FPS, which is well above the smoothness threshold, and provides the highest visual fidelity. The High preset is only 5 FPS faster at 105 FPS, making the visual upgrade of Ultra worth the minor performance cost. The Medium preset at 138 FPS offers a higher frame rate, but the jump from Medium to Ultra is more significant for image quality than the drop from 138 to 100 FPS is for perceived smoothness.

Moving to 2560x1440, the High preset at 72 FPS is the recommended balance. It offers a clear visual improvement over Medium (94 FPS) while remaining comfortably playable. The Ultra preset at 68 FPS is also viable, but the 4 FPS difference from High is marginal, and High may offer more stability. The Low preset at 124 FPS is unnecessarily sacrificing visual quality for a frame rate that is not needed at this resolution. The data suggests that High is the sweet spot, providing a 72 FPS average that is smooth and detailed.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes. The Ultra preset at 40 FPS and High at 42 FPS are not smooth enough for a consistent experience. The Medium preset is the only viable option, producing an average of 56 FPS with a minimum of 47 FPS. While not hitting a solid 60 FPS, the Medium preset at 4K provides the best playable experience. The Low preset at 73 FPS is an alternative, but it sacrifices too much in terms of texture detail and effects. For 4K, the recommendation is to use the Medium preset, as it is the highest quality setting that maintains a frame rate close to the playable threshold.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is ranked 1938 out of 3720 tested combos for Thief. This places it in the top 52% of all tested systems, which is a solid, mid-to-upper tier ranking. This ranking is surprising given the high-end nature of both components, but it reflects the fact that Thief is an older game where many modern high-end parts may not be fully utilized, or where other, more specialized combinations may have an edge. The data shows that this combo is not at the top, but it is also far from the bottom.

The rank suggests that while the hardware is powerful, the game's engine may not scale perfectly with the new architecture, or that other tested combos with faster single-core performance or different GPU configurations achieve higher average FPS. The CPU's multi-core might be overkill for this title, and the GPU's performance, while strong, is not the absolute fastest. The 3720 combos include a wide range of hardware, and this specific pairing lands in the middle of the pack. This indicates that for Thief, there is room for improvement, perhaps with a higher-end GPU, but the current setup is far from inadequate. The rank of 1938 out of 3720 is a data point that shows the combo is slightly above average in the overall distribution of tested systems.

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

The complete set of measured data is as follows. At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 181 FPS. The Medium preset averages 138 FPS, with a minimum of 117 FPS and a maximum of 158 FPS. The High preset averages 105 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 100 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 124 FPS. The Medium preset averages 94 FPS, with a minimum of 80 FPS and a maximum of 109 FPS. The High preset averages 72 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 68 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 73 FPS. The Medium preset averages 56 FPS, with a minimum of 47 FPS and a maximum of 64 FPS. The High preset averages 42 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 40 FPS.

These numbers show a consistent scaling pattern. For each resolution, the average FPS decreases as the settings increase from Low to Ultra. The frame rates are highest at 1080p and lowest at 4K. The difference between the Low and Ultra presets is most pronounced at 1080p, where the gap is 81 FPS, and least pronounced at 4K, where the gap is 33 FPS. This suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU and GPU have more headroom, allowing for a wider spread in performance across settings.

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

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is a clear indicator of a GPU-bound system. For the High preset, the average frame rate goes from 105 FPS at 1080p to 72 FPS at 1440p, a decrease of 31.4%. Moving to 4K, the average drops to 42 FPS, which is a 60% decrease from the 1080p figure. This dramatic reduction in frame rate as resolution increases is the hallmark of a GPU bottleneck. The GPU is required to process four times as many pixels at 4K compared to 1080p, and the RTX 5070 simply does not have the raw fill rate to maintain the same performance.

For the Ultra preset, the scaling is similar. The frame rate drops from 100 FPS at 1080p to 68 FPS at 1440p, a 32% decrease, and then to 40 FPS at 4K, a 60% decrease. The consistent percentage drops across different presets confirm that the GPU is the limiting factor. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the frame rate to be more consistent across resolutions, as the CPU's workload does not change significantly with resolution. The fact that the FPS halves from 1080p to 4K for both High and Ultra presets proves that the RTX 5070's rendering capabilities are the primary constraint. The CPU, with its 24 cores and high clock speeds, is able to keep up with the GPU's demands at all resolutions, but the GPU cannot keep up with the increasing pixel count. This analysis indicates that for 4K gaming in Thief, a more powerful GPU would be necessary to achieve higher frame rates, while the current CPU would not need an upgrade.