Thief

Thief, the 2014 stealth title, remains a demanding benchmark for modern hardware, particularly at higher resolutions. This analysis examines the measured performance of the Intel Core Ultra X7 368H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 across a range of settings. The data reveals a system capable of high refresh rate gaming at 1080p, but one that begins to show its limitations as resolution and graphical fidelity increase. The measured FPS figures show a clear and consistent scaling pattern that highlights the shifting balance between CPU and GPU load.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combo shows a predictable, yet steep, drop as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At 1080p with High settings, the system achieves an average of 105 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same High settings, the average FPS falls to 72, a reduction of 33 FPS. At 4K (3840x2160) with High settings, the average drops further to 42 FPS. This trajectory is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions; the workload on the graphics card increases exponentially with pixel count, outpacing the capabilities of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 for this specific title.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly severe. The 72 FPS average at 2560x1440 drops by 30 FPS to just 42 FPS at 3840x2160 on High settings. This nearly 42% reduction in frame rate for a 2.25x increase in pixel count indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at 4K. The RTX 5070, with its 12 GB of GDDR7 memory, is being pushed to its limits. The data suggests that for a consistently smooth experience at 4K, players would need to significantly lower graphical settings.

At 1080p, the picture is different. The highest average FPS recorded is 181 at Low settings, which jumps to 138 at Medium and 105 at High. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is substantial, from 181 FPS down to 100 FPS. This wide spread indicates that at this resolution, the CPU, the Intel Core Ultra X7 368H, has enough headroom to feed the GPU, and the performance is largely dictated by the graphics settings. The CPU's 16 cores and 5.00 GHz boost clock are sufficient to avoid becoming a bottleneck at these frame rates.

The nature of the limiting component becomes clear when observing the frame rate drop between 1440p and 4K. At 1440p High, the system averages 72 FPS, but at 4K High, that number plummets to 42 FPS. This is a far steeper decline than the one seen when moving from 1080p to 1440p, where the FPS only dropped from 105 to 72. The escalating penalty at higher resolutions strongly suggests that the RTX 5070's rendering capabilities are the constraint. The game's engine, even at these settings, is placing an immense load on the GPU's shading units, TMUs, and ROPs, which are all being saturated.

The Ultra settings at 4K produce the lowest average FPS of the entire dataset at 40 FPS. This is only a 2 FPS drop from the High preset's 42 FPS, which is a surprisingly small margin. This suggests that the difference in graphical load between High and Ultra at 4K is not as significant as other factors, or that the system is so heavily GPU-bound that the additional settings have a diminished impact. The 4K Medium preset offers a more playable 56 FPS average, with a minimum of 47 FPS, which is a more viable option for 4K play.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is the central component in this system's gaming performance. Its specifications, including a base clock of 2325 MHz and a boost clock of 2512 MHz, are key to its output. The GPU's 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s, which is crucial for handling the high-resolution textures and geometry in Thief. The benchmark results show the GPU's overall capability with a Passmark G3D score of 29137 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5077, placing it in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU's role becomes more pronounced as resolution scales. At 1080p, the RTX 5070 is not fully taxed. The 181 FPS average at Low settings and 138 FPS at Medium show that the card has considerable spare capacity. However, the 100 FPS average at Ultra settings demonstrates that even at 1080p, the most demanding settings can start to pressure the card. The passmark DirectX 11 score of 277 is particularly relevant, as it is an older API that Thief uses, and the card's performance here is a strong indicator of its capability in this specific title.

At 1440p, the GPU's workload increases significantly. The 124 FPS average at Low settings shows the card is still capable of high refresh rates, but the High and Ultra presets, at 72 and 68 FPS respectively, indicate a more balanced load. The GPU is now the primary driver of performance. The 4K results confirm this, with the card struggling to maintain high frame rates. The 73 FPS average at Low settings is the only 4K result that approaches playable smoothness, while High (42 FPS) and Ultra (40 FPS) presets fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

The effective memory clock of 28 Gbps and the 672.0 GB/s bandwidth are critical for the 4K performance. Thief's detailed environments and lighting effects require large amounts of data to be streamed quickly. The 12 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for this game, but the bandwidth is likely the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The benchmark results indicate that the RTX 5070 is a powerful card, but Thief's engine, with its reliance on DirectX 11, does not allow it to reach the heights seen in more modern titles. The GPU's FP32 performance of 30.87 TFLOPS is substantial, yet the game's draw calls and shading complexity still result in the observed performance ceiling.

The performance scaling of the RTX 5070 in Thief is consistent with its specifications. The card's 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores are advanced features, but they are not heavily utilized in this 2014 title, which was released before these technologies became mainstream. The game's performance is therefore more dependent on the raw rasterization power of the card, which is represented by its 6144 shading units and 80 ROPs. The texture rate of 482.3 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 201.0 GPixel/s are the key metrics for this workload, and they ultimately define the frame rates seen in the 4K benchmarks.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra X7 368H is a mobile processor with 16 cores and 16 threads, a configuration that is well-suited for modern multitasking and multi-threaded applications. Its base clock of 2.00 GHz and boost clock of 5.00 GHz provide a wide dynamic range for performance. The CPU's L3 cache is 18 MB (shared), and its memory support for LPDDR5X with a bandwidth of 153.6 GB/s ensures data can be fed to the cores quickly. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU shows strong results, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28221 and a single-core score of 3984, placing it in the 87th percentile of all CPUs.

In Thief, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p where frame rates are high. The 181 FPS average at Low settings and 138 FPS at Medium suggest that the CPU is able to process the game's logic and draw calls efficiently. The high boost clock of 5.00 GHz is beneficial for the game's single-threaded performance, which is often a bottleneck in older titles. The CPU's Passmark single-thread score of 4005 is a strong indicator of this capability. Even at 1080p Ultra, with a 100 FPS average, the CPU appears to be keeping up with the GPU's output.

The data suggests that the CPU's influence wanes as resolution increases. At 1440p and 4K, the frame rate is predominantly determined by the GPU. The CPU is still working to prepare frames, but it is not the limiting factor. The difference between the 1440p and 4K results at the same settings is large, pointing to the GPU being the bottleneck. For instance, at High settings, the CPU would be feeding the GPU at 1440p, but the GPU can only manage 72 FPS. At 4K, the GPU is even more strained, producing just 42 FPS, while the CPU likely has spare capacity.

The CPU's 16 cores and 16 threads are more than sufficient for a game like Thief, which was released in an era of quad-core CPUs. The game's engine is not likely to utilize more than a few cores effectively. The high single-core performance, as evidenced by the Cinebench R15 single-core score of 401, is what matters most. This, combined with the high boost clock, ensures that the CPU does not hinder performance at any resolution. The benchmark results show a system where the CPU is a capable partner, but not the star of the show for gaming at higher resolutions.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 153.6 GB/s is another factor that supports its role. This is sufficient to feed the 16 cores with data, and it is more than enough for the demands of a game like Thief. The LPDDR5X memory support is a modern feature that ensures the CPU is not starved for data. The Passmark data compression score of 312927 and integer math score of 88083 indicate the CPU's strong general processing power, which helps in the background tasks of game rendering, such as physics and AI calculations. However, the core rendering workload is firmly on the GPU.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra X7 368H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 achieves a rank of 1453 out of 2851 tested combos for Thief. This places it in the middle of the pack, a positioning that is reflective of its performance profile. The combo rank of 1453 means that approximately half of the tested systems perform better in this game, and half perform worse. This is a significant data point, as it contextualizes the measured FPS figures against a wide array of other hardware pairings.

The GPU's individual performance, while strong, is not top-tier. Its average benchmark score of 40377 and its percentile rank of 82 place it above the majority of GPUs, but its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon Pro 580 and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100, have very similar average scores (40318 and 40063, respectively). The data shows that the RTX 5070 is only 0.1% faster than the Radeon Pro 580 and 0.8% faster than the WX 7100. This indicates that in a game like Thief, the RTX 5070's performance is on par with these older workstation cards, and the combo's rank is likely held back by this factor.

The CPU contributes to the overall ranking, but its performance is also not exceptional. The Intel Core Ultra X7 368H has an average benchmark score of 40518, which is almost identical to its nearest rival, the Intel Core 7 253PE, which scores 40557 (a -0.1% difference). The CPU's performance is also very close to the AMD Ryzen 9 7940H, which is only 0.2% faster. This tight grouping of scores means that the CPU is not providing a significant advantage in this game over its direct competitors. The combo's rank of 1453 is a result of this mid-tier CPU and GPU performance.

The rank of 1453 also needs to be considered in light of the game's age. Thief is from 2014, and its engine has specific quirks and bottlenecks. A modern GPU like the RTX 5070 may not be fully utilized due to the game's older DirectX 11 API. The Passmark DirectX 11 score of 277 for the GPU is a relevant metric here, as it shows the card's performance in this specific API. The combination of a strong CPU and a strong GPU is not enough to overcome the engine's limitations, which is a reason why the combo does not rank higher. The data suggests that this system is a solid performer, but it is not a top-tier combination for this particular title.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings for this combo?

A: The measured average FPS for the Intel Core Ultra X7 368H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 at 1920x1080 with High settings is 105 FPS.

Q: How does the system perform at 4K resolution with Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the system produces an average FPS of 40, which is the lowest average FPS recorded in the dataset for this combo.

Q: What is the peak average FPS recorded for this hardware combination?

A: The highest average FPS is 181, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the primary bottleneck at 4K resolution?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K. The frame rate drops significantly compared to 1440p (e.g., from 72 FPS to 42 FPS at High settings), while the CPU has sufficient performance to handle the game's logic at lower resolutions.

Q: How does this combo's overall rank compare to other tested systems in Thief?

A: This combo ranks 1453 out of 2851 tested combinations, placing it in the middle of the database for this game.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS recorded is 80, with an average of 94 FPS and a maximum of 109 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact measured average frame rates for this system across all tested resolutions and settings. The data is taken directly from the benchmark results.

| Resolution | Settings | Average FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|:--- |:--- |:--- |:--- |:--- |

| 3840x2160 | High | 42 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 73 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 56 | 47 | 64 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 40 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | High | 72 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 124 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 94 | 80 | 109 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 68 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | High | 105 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 181 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 138 | 117 | 158 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 100 | - | - |

At 1080p, the system demonstrates a wide range of performance, from a highly playable 181 FPS at Low settings to a still-smooth 100 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset offers a balanced 138 FPS, with a minimum of 117 FPS and a maximum of 158 FPS. This shows that at this resolution, the combo is capable of high refresh rate gaming across all settings.

Moving to 1440p, the performance remains strong for most settings. Low settings yield a 124 FPS average, while Medium drops to 94 FPS. High and Ultra settings produce 72 FPS and 68 FPS, respectively, which are still playable but represent a step down from the 1080p experience. The Medium preset's frame time variance is also notable, with a minimum of 80 and a maximum of 109 FPS.

At 4K, the system's limitations are clear. The Ultra preset produces a 40 FPS average, and High is only slightly better at 42 FPS. These are not ideal for a smooth gaming experience. Medium settings offer a more acceptable 56 FPS average, with a minimum of 47 FPS. Low settings are the only way to achieve a consistently high frame rate at 4K, with a 73 FPS average. These figures underscore the fact that the RTX 5070 is the bottleneck at this resolution, and significant graphical compromises are necessary to maintain playable performance.