Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 delivers a playable Hitman 2 experience across most settings, but the data clearly shows that Ultra presets are reserved for lower resolutions. The sweet spot is Medium at 1440p or High at 1080p, where frame rates remain fluid without the steep performance penalty of Ultra. At 4K, only the Low preset approaches playability, while the Ultra preset drops to a slideshow-like 26 FPS average, making it unusable for any serious play session.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a clear hierarchy of presets, and the data points to Medium as the most balanced option overall. At 1920x1080, Medium delivers 136 FPS average, which is 44% higher than High’s 103 FPS and 79% higher than Ultra’s 76 FPS. The gap between Medium and Low at 1080p is 46 FPS (182 vs 136), meaning Medium retains a substantial portion of the performance headroom while offering better visual fidelity. For users prioritizing smoothness, Low at 1080p hits 182 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh monitors, but the visual trade-off is unnecessary given Medium’s still-high frame rate.

At 2560x1440, Medium again stands out with 87 FPS average, while High drops to 66 FPS and Ultra falls to 49 FPS. Low at 1440p produces 116 FPS, but the 29 FPS difference between Low and Medium is a moderate sacrifice for improved visuals. The data suggests that 1440p Medium is the ideal balance for this combo—it clears the 60 FPS threshold comfortably and leaves headroom for demanding scenes. High at 1440p is borderline playable at 66 FPS, but the drop from Medium is 24%, making it a less attractive choice unless visual quality is paramount.

At 3840x2160, the situation becomes restrictive. Medium manages 46 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS standard, while High falls to 35 FPS and Ultra to 26 FPS. Low at 4K produces 62 FPS, making it the only preset that reaches playable territory. For 4K users, the recommendation is unambiguous: Low is the only viable preset, and even then, the 62 FPS average leaves little margin for frame drops in action-heavy sequences. The min FPS data for 4K Medium is 39 FPS, indicating that the experience can dip well below the average, reinforcing that 4K is not this combo’s strength.

For the best experience per the measured rows, 1080p Medium or 1440p Medium offers the highest frame rates while maintaining reasonable quality. Ultra should be avoided at all resolutions except perhaps 1080p, where 76 FPS is still playable but not ideal. The data shows that this CPU-GPU pairing is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with Medium as the default recommendation for most users.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 brings 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding 624.1 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is generous for a game like Hitman 2, which was released in 2018 and does not demand excessive VRAM at the tested settings. The GPU’s 2560 shading units and 96 ROPs, paired with a boost clock of 2459 MHz, provide the raw throughput needed to push high frame rates at lower resolutions. The game clock of 2041 MHz represents the sustained performance level, and the data shows that this translates into strong 1080p results.

The GPU’s role becomes more evident when examining the FPS scaling across resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 182 FPS, which is likely CPU-bound given the Ryzen 5 2600’s six cores and twelve threads. The GPU has ample headroom at this setting, as evidenced by the massive jump to 182 FPS from High’s 103 FPS. At 4K Ultra, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, with only 26 FPS average, indicating that the RX 7700’s compute capabilities are insufficient for the extreme pixel count and settings.

The RX 7700’s 16 GB VRAM is not a bottleneck in any measured scenario—Hitman 2’s requirements are well below this capacity. The GPU’s memory bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s is more than adequate for the game’s textures and geometry. The architecture, RDNA 3.0 on a 5 nm process, supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, which Hitman 2 can utilize, though the game’s age means it does not stress modern features like ray tracing. The measured FPS at 1080p High (103 FPS) and 1440p High (66 FPS) shows a typical GPU-bound progression, where the pixel count directly impacts performance.

The data indicates that the RX 7700 is a capable mid-range card for this game, but its performance ceiling is reached at 4K Medium (46 FPS). The GPU’s 200 W TDP and dual-slot design are not relevant to the measured results, but they do suggest that thermal throttling is unlikely to be a factor in these benchmarks. The clocks—base 1900 MHz, boost 2459 MHz—are consistent with a card that can sustain high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, as evidenced by the 136 FPS at 1080p Medium. Overall, the GPU dominates the performance profile at 4K, while at 1080p, the CPU may occasionally limit the highest frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of AMD Ryzen 5 2600 and AMD Radeon RX 7700 ranks 1371 out of 3001 tested combos in Hitman 2, placing it in the 54th percentile of all configurations. This mid-tier ranking reflects a balanced pairing: the CPU is older (2018) but still capable, while the GPU is newer (2025) and provides solid rasterization performance. The combo’s position suggests that it outperforms roughly half of all tested systems, which is reasonable given the CPU’s age relative to the GPU’s modernity.

The CPU alone has a percentile of 75 versus all CPUs, indicating it outperforms three-quarters of processors in general benchmarks. However, in gaming workloads like Hitman 2, the Ryzen 5 2600’s Zen+ architecture may not scale as well as newer designs. The GPU’s percentile is 58 versus all GPUs, meaning it beats 58% of graphics cards in synthetic tests. The combination of a 75th-percentile CPU with a 58th-percentile GPU yields a rank that is slightly below the average of the two, suggesting that Hitman 2’s engine is more sensitive to GPU performance than CPU performance.

The combo’s rank of 1371 out of 3001 means it is in the upper half of all tested configurations. This is a respectable position for a setup that pairs a six-core CPU from 2018 with a current-generation GPU. The CPU’s nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V (0.2% faster), Intel Core i9-11900H (0.5% faster), and AMD EPYC 9454 (1.2% faster), showing that the Ryzen 5 2600 remains competitive in general benchmarks despite its age. The GPU’s nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon R9 370X (0.1% slower), AMD Radeon RX 9060 (1% faster), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (1.7% faster), indicating that the RX 7700 sits in a tight performance band around these cards.

In Hitman 2 specifically, the combo’s ranking is influenced by both components. At 1080p, the high frame rates (up to 182 FPS on Low) push the combo into territory that many older CPUs cannot reach, but at 4K Ultra, the 26 FPS result drags the overall experience down. The rank of 1371 reflects a system that can handle esports-level frame rates at lower settings but struggles with extreme graphical loads. This is a typical profile for a mid-range combo, and the data does not indicate any bottleneck that would severely impair performance at the recommended settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its strongest results. Low settings produce 182 FPS average, which is the highest measured frame rate in the entire dataset. Medium drops to 136 FPS, with a min of 116 FPS and max of 157 FPS, showing that the game remains fluid even during demanding scenes. High settings yield 103 FPS, while Ultra falls to 76 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra spans 106 FPS, with the largest single drop occurring between Low and Medium (46 FPS). This suggests that the Medium preset introduces significant visual effects that impact performance, while the step from High to Ultra costs 27 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the pattern shifts. Low produces 116 FPS, Medium 87 FPS (min 74, max 100), High 66 FPS, and Ultra 49 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 29 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 17 FPS. Compared to 1080p, the 1440p results are approximately 36-38% lower across all presets, which is consistent with the increased pixel count. The min FPS for 1440p Medium is 74, which is still above 60, indicating that the combo can maintain playable frame rates even in heavier scenes.

At 3840x2160, the performance falls off sharply. Low yields 62 FPS, Medium 46 FPS (min 39, max 53), High 35 FPS, and Ultra 26 FPS. The 4K Low result is the only one that clears 60 FPS, and even then, it is barely above the threshold. Medium at 4K has a min of 39 FPS, which would cause noticeable stuttering in fast-paced gameplay. High and Ultra at 4K are effectively unplayable, with averages below 40 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K is severe: Low drops from 182 to 62 FPS (66% reduction), Medium from 136 to 46 FPS (66% reduction), High from 103 to 35 FPS (66% reduction), and Ultra from 76 to 26 FPS (66% reduction). This consistent 66% drop across all presets indicates that the GPU is the primary limiter at 4K, as the relative performance loss is uniform.

The measured data includes min and max FPS only for Medium presets across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the range is 116-157 FPS, a 41 FPS spread. At 1440p Medium, the range is 74-100 FPS, a 26 FPS spread. At 4K Medium, the range is 39-53 FPS, a 14 FPS spread. The narrowing range at higher resolutions suggests that GPU bottlenecks reduce frame time variance, while at 1080p, CPU limitations may cause more significant fluctuations.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is remarkably consistent across all settings, at approximately 66% reduction. This uniformity is a strong indicator that the GPU is the limiting component at higher resolutions, as the rendering load scales directly with pixel count. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 182 FPS, which is likely near the CPU’s maximum frame output for this game. When moving to 1440p Low, the FPS drops to 116, a 36% reduction, and then to 62 at 4K Low, another 47% reduction from 1440p. The GPU’s ability to handle the increased pixel count diminishes as resolution rises, confirming that the RX 7700 is the primary bottleneck at 4K.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is less severe but still significant. At Medium, 1080p yields 136 FPS, while 1440p yields 87 FPS, a 36% drop. At High, the drop is from 103 to 66 FPS (36%), and at Ultra, from 76 to 49 FPS (36%). This consistent 36% reduction from 1080p to 1440p suggests that the GPU is already becoming the limiting factor at 1440p, as the CPU’s performance headroom at 1080p is not fully utilized. The CPU, with six cores and twelve threads, has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost of 3.90 GHz, which is sufficient for Hitman 2’s AI and physics at 1080p, but the GPU’s workload increases disproportionately with resolution.

From 1440p to 4K, the drop is steeper. At Medium, it goes from 87 to 46 FPS (47% reduction), at High from 66 to 35 (47%), and at Ultra from 49 to 26 (47%). This steeper decline indicates that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and compute units are overwhelmed by the 4K pixel count. The RX 7700’s 624.1 GB/s bandwidth and 25.18 TFLOPS FP32 performance are not sufficient for 4K Ultra, as evidenced by the 26 FPS result. The data clearly shows that this combo is a 1080p and 1440p performer, with 4K only viable at Low settings.

The limiting component analysis points to the GPU at 1440p and above. At 1080p, the CPU may impose a ceiling, given that Low settings (182 FPS) are likely near the Ryzen 5 2600’s maximum for this game. However, the consistent 36% drop from 1080p to 1440p suggests that the GPU starts to dominate at 1440p, and the 47% drop from 1440p to 4K confirms that the GPU is the sole limiter at 4K. The CPU’s 16 MB L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory are adequate for the game’s streaming requirements, but they do not scale with resolution. In summary, the data indicates that the RX 7700 is the bottleneck at 4K, while the Ryzen 5 2600 may be the bottleneck at 1080p Low.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset for 1080p gaming?

A: Medium provides 136 FPS average, which is 79% higher than Ultra’s 76 FPS and only 46 FPS lower than Low’s 182 FPS. Medium offers the best balance of visual quality and performance at 1080p.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming?

A: Only at Low settings, which yields 62 FPS average. Medium drops to 46 FPS, and Ultra falls to 26 FPS, making those presets unplayable for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 2600 is 0.2% faster than the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V and 0.5% faster than the Intel Core i9-11900H, but 0.7% slower than the Intel Xeon D-1746TER and 1.2% slower than the AMD EPYC 9454.

Q: What is the GPU’s performance relative to similar cards?

A: The RX 7700 is 0.1% faster than the AMD Radeon R9 370X, 1.1% faster than the AMD Radeon Pro W5500, but 1% slower than the AMD Radeon RX 9060 and 1.7% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1440p?

A: The data shows a consistent 36% FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p across all presets, indicating that the GPU becomes the limiting factor at 1440p, as the CPU has sufficient headroom at 1080p.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1440p Medium?

A: The average is 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 FPS and maximum of 100 FPS, ensuring that the game stays above 60 FPS even in demanding scenes.