Thief

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus paired with the Intel Arc B580 presents a unique combination in the benchmark database for Thief. This pairing of a top-tier 24-core processor with a mid-range graphics card yields a dataset that clearly illustrates where the performance bottleneck lies in this 2014 stealth title. The measured FPS across resolutions and presets provides a clear picture of the system's capabilities and limitations, making it a valuable case study in CPU versus GPU scaling.

FAQ

*Q: What is the overall performance ranking of this CPU and GPU combo in Thief?*

A: The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and the Intel Arc B580 ranks 2138 out of 2851 tested combos in the database for this game. This places it in the lower-middle portion of all possible pairings, indicating that while it can achieve playable frame rates, it is far from the top of the performance charts.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus compare to its closest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K?

A: In the CPU benchmark averages, the Core Ultra 9 290K Plus scores 84003, which is a marginal 0.2% higher than the Core Ultra 9 285K's average score of 83807. This indicates that the 290K Plus offers a negligible performance advantage over its direct predecessor in general processing tasks.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Arc B580 and the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP?

A: The Arc B580's average benchmark score is 23021, while the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP scores 23061. The data shows the Arc B580 is 0.2% slower than the RX 580 2048SP, placing them in a very similar performance tier according to the benchmark database.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the Arc B580 achieve its highest average frame rate?

A: The highest measured average frame rate for this combo is 150 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is significantly higher than the next tier, which is 114 FPS at 1080p with Medium settings.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS recorded for the 1440p Medium preset?

A: For the 2560x1440 resolution with Medium settings, the measured average FPS is 78. The frame rate fluctuates with a minimum of 66 FPS and a maximum of 90 FPS, indicating a 24 FPS variance during gameplay.

Q: How does the combo's CPU performance rank against all other CPUs in the database?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a very strong processor, sitting in the 96th percentile among all CPUs tested. This high percentile confirms that the CPU's processing power is a major strength of this combo, unlikely to be the primary limiting factor in most gaming scenarios.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B580, built on the Xe2-HPG architecture, is the sole graphics processor in this configuration. Its role in rendering Thief is defined by its memory subsystem and clock speeds, which directly influence the frame rates observed in the benchmark data. The GPU comes equipped with 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s. This is a substantial amount of memory, which is more than sufficient for a game released in 2014, even at 4K resolution with Ultra settings.

The Arc B580's base and boost clocks are both set at 2670 MHz. This fixed clock speed means the GPU operates at a consistent frequency under load, providing predictable performance. The combination of the high memory bandwidth and the 2670 MHz core clock allows the GPU to handle the geometry and texture workloads of Thief without significant memory-related stutters. The GPU's compute capabilities, measured at 13.67 TFLOPS for FP32, provide a theoretical ceiling for its shading and compute work.

However, the benchmark results show that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution and settings increase. At 1080p with Low settings, the system reaches 150 FPS, suggesting the CPU is feeding the GPU well. As the resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, the average FPS drops significantly, indicating the GPU's rendering throughput is being saturated. The GPU's 80 ROPs and 160 TMUs are responsible for pixel output and texture filtering, and these units appear to be the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The data suggests that while the 12 GB VRAM capacity is not an issue, the raw processing power of the Arc B580 is what caps performance in Thief, especially when aiming for higher visual fidelity.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 2138 out of 2851 tested combinations places it in the 25th percentile of all possible pairings in the database for Thief. This is a low rank, but it is important to contextualize this figure. The ranking is against all combos, many of which include much more powerful graphics cards like the RTX 3080 or RTX 2080, which are direct rivals to the Arc B580 in the GPU benchmark scores. The CPU, however, is a top-tier part. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus sits in the 96th percentile of all CPUs and outperforms its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, by 0.2%.

This creates a significant imbalance. The CPU is more than capable of driving high frame rates, but the Arc B580's performance, which is on par with older cards like the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP, holds the combo back. The GPU's average benchmark score is 23021, which is within a 1% margin of the RTX 2080 and the RTX 3080, yet these cards typically deliver much higher gaming performance. This suggests the database's average score for the Arc B580 may not fully capture its gaming potential, or that Thief specifically is not a title where it excels. The low combo rank is a direct result of the GPU's mid-range standing, despite the CPU's high-end status. The pairing of a 96th percentile CPU with a 68th percentile GPU results in a system that performs well below the sum of its parts, as the CPU's potential is left untapped at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Thief reveals a consistent pattern across all resolutions. At 1920x1080, the performance is strong, starting at 150 FPS on Low settings. This drops to 114 FPS on Medium, 87 FPS on High, and 83 FPS on Ultra. The 1080p Medium preset shows a minimum FPS of 97 and a maximum of 131, indicating a 34 FPS range.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease. The Low preset yields 103 FPS, which is a 31% reduction from the 1080p Low result. The Medium preset averages 78 FPS, with a minimum of 66 and a maximum of 90. High settings produce 60 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 57 FPS. The transition from High to Ultra at 1440p only costs 3 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset's additional effects are not heavily taxing the GPU at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the performance takes a significant hit. The Low preset averages 61 FPS, which is just above the playable threshold. Medium settings average 46 FPS, with a minimum of 39 and a maximum of 53. High settings average 35 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 33 FPS. The data shows that at 4K, only the Low preset is reliably playable, while Medium and above will suffer from noticeable stuttering and reduced fluidity. The variance between minimum and maximum FPS at 4K Medium (39 to 53) indicates a lack of consistency that could be distracting in a stealth game that requires precise movement.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K is a clear indicator of the GPU's limitations. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 150 at 1080p to 103 at 1440p, a decrease of 47 FPS. From 1440p to 4K, it drops from 103 to 61, another 42 FPS reduction. The total drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 89 FPS, which represents a 59% reduction in frame rate.

For the High preset, the scaling is even steeper in relative terms. The average FPS goes from 87 at 1080p to 60 at 1440p, a 27 FPS drop, and then to 35 at 4K, a further 25 FPS drop. The 4K High result is only 40% of the 1080p High result. This pattern strongly suggests that the system is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rate would remain relatively constant as resolution increases, since the CPU's workload for game logic and draw calls does not change significantly with resolution.

The data shows that the frame rate drops almost linearly with the increase in pixel count. The number of pixels at 4K is approximately 2.25 times that of 1440p, and we see a corresponding drop in FPS for the Low preset (103 to 61, which is roughly 59% of the 1440p value). This is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus, with its 24 cores and boost clock of 5.80 GHz, is not being stressed by Thief. Its high benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731, are irrelevant here because the game is not requesting that level of processing power. The 2670 MHz clock of the Arc B580 is simply not fast enough to maintain high frame rates as the pixel fill rate demand increases. The conclusion is that the Arc B580 is the definitive limiting component at 1440p and 4K, while the CPU has ample headroom.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and the desired frame rate. For a smooth 60+ FPS experience, the data shows that 1080p is the ideal resolution for this pairing. At 1080p, the High preset delivers 87 FPS, which is excellent for a stealth title. Even the Ultra preset at 1080p, with an average of 83 FPS, provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold, allowing for maximum visual quality without sacrificing playability.

At 2560x1440, the choices become more constrained. The Low preset delivers 103 FPS, but this comes at a significant visual cost. The Medium preset, averaging 78 FPS, is the best balance of visual fidelity and performance at this resolution. The High preset at 60 FPS is playable, but it leaves no headroom for demanding scenes, as the minimum FPS could dip below 60. The Ultra preset, at 57 FPS, is marginally below the ideal threshold and not recommended for consistent smoothness.

For 3840x2160, the options are limited. The Low preset is the only one that achieves a playable average FPS of 61. The Medium preset at 46 FPS will be noticeably choppy, and the High and Ultra presets, at 35 FPS and 33 FPS respectively, are not suitable for a game that requires precision and quick reactions. The data suggests that 4K gaming with this combo is only viable with the Low preset. The 12 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor, as even the highest settings would not exceed that capacity in this 2014 title, but the GPU's processing power is insufficient.

A reasonable recommendation is to play Thief at 1080p with High or Ultra settings for the best experience, or at 1440p with the Medium preset. The jump from Medium to High at 1440p costs 18 FPS, which is a significant sacrifice for the visual improvements. At 4K, users should accept Low settings to maintain a stable frame rate. The data does not support using any higher preset at 4K, as the resulting frame rates would compromise the gameplay experience.