Hitman 2

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 ranks 605th out of 1795 tested combinations in Hitman 2, placing it in the 66th percentile of all tested systems. This is a strong result for a combination pairing a 2018-era mid-range CPU with a 2020-era high-end GPU, though the ranking reveals a notable bottleneck: the CPU holds back the GPU in several scenarios. The RTX 3080 sits in the 80th percentile of all GPUs, while the Ryzen 5 2600 sits in the 77th percentile of all CPUs, so both components are above-average performers individually. However, the rank of 605 indicates the combo underperforms relative to what the GPU alone could achieve with a stronger processor. The data shows the RTX 3080's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE (0.9% faster) and the AMD Radeon Pro Duo (0.2% faster), while the AMD Radeon 880M is 0.4% slower and the RTX 5070 Ti Mobile is 1% slower. For the CPU, the Intel Core i5-1345U is 0.4% faster, the Intel Core i5-11600KF is 0.6% faster, while the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U is 0.6% slower and the Intel Core i7-10700F is 0.7% slower. The combo's rank of 605 suggests it outperforms roughly two-thirds of all tested configurations in this specific game, which is respectable given the generational mismatch between the two components.

FAQ

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 2600 a bottleneck for the RTX 3080 in Hitman 2?

A: Yes, particularly at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 195.3 FPS, but the gap between 1080p and 1440p at Low settings is only 47.2 FPS (from 195.3 to 148.1), suggesting CPU limitations. At 4K Ultra, the combo drops to 34.5 FPS, where the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Hitman 2?

A: 1440p High provides the best balance, delivering 84.6 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold while maintaining visual quality. At 1080p High, the combo hits 130.3 FPS, but 1440p High offers a more immersive experience without sacrificing smoothness.

Q: How does the RTX 3080's 10 GB VRAM affect performance?

A: The 10 GB GDDR6X memory with 760.3 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for all tested settings in Hitman 2. The game uses less than 10 GB even at 4K Ultra, as evidenced by the playable (though not ideal) 34.5 FPS at that setting. The memory bus width of 320 bit and 19 Gbps effective memory clock provide ample bandwidth for this title.

Q: How does the CPU's 6-core/12-thread configuration impact gameplay?

A: The Ryzen 5 2600's 6 cores and 12 threads with a 3.40 GHz base and 3.90 GHz boost clock deliver a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11186 and single-core score of 1579. These scores indicate the CPU can handle Hitman 2's threading, but the 1080p results show the CPU limits maximum FPS, as lowering resolution from 1440p to 1080p at Low settings only yields a 47.2 FPS increase (from 148.1 to 195.3), rather than the proportional jump expected from a GPU-bound scenario.

Q: Is the combo better suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p or 1440p gaming?

A: For high refresh rates, 1080p Medium delivers 169.1 FPS and 1080p Low delivers 195.3 FPS, both exceeding 144 Hz. At 1440p, only Low settings (148.1 FPS) approach 144 Hz. The sweet spot for 1440p 60+ FPS is Medium (110.6 FPS) or High (84.6 FPS).

Q: What is the expected performance at 4K?

A: At 4K, the combo delivers 80 FPS on Low, 55.8 FPS on Medium, 47 FPS on High, and 34.5 FPS on Ultra. This indicates 4K gaming is viable only at Low settings for smooth play, with Medium being borderline acceptable for slower-paced stealth gameplay.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic CPU-GPU bottleneck shift. At Low settings, the combo delivers 195.3 FPS at 1080p, 148.1 FPS at 1440p, and 80 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p drop of 47.2 FPS (24.2%) is smaller than the 1440p to 4K drop of 68.1 FPS (46%), indicating the CPU begins to limit at lower resolutions. At High settings, the progression is 130.3 FPS at 1080p, 84.6 FPS at 1440p, and 47 FPS at 4K — here the 1080p to 1440p drop is 45.7 FPS (35.1%) and the 1440p to 4K drop is 37.6 FPS (44.4%). The Ultra preset shows the most GPU-bound behavior: 92.8 FPS at 1080p, 62.9 FPS at 1440p, and 34.5 FPS at 4K, with nearly linear scaling from 1440p to 4K (45.1% drop). This pattern confirms that the RTX 3080 becomes the primary limiting component at 4K and at higher settings, while the Ryzen 5 2600 constrains maximum frame rates at 1080p, particularly at Low and Medium settings where the GPU has spare capacity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the combo delivers 195.3 FPS on Low, 169.1 FPS on Medium, 130.3 FPS on High, and 92.8 FPS on Ultra. The delta between Low and Ultra is 102.5 FPS, demonstrating that settings have a massive impact at this resolution. At 1440p, performance drops to 148.1 FPS on Low, 110.6 FPS on Medium, 84.6 FPS on High, and 62.9 FPS on Ultra — the Low-to-Ultra delta here is 85.2 FPS. At 4K, the combo achieves 80 FPS on Low, 55.8 FPS on Medium, 47 FPS on High, and 34.5 FPS on Ultra, with a Low-to-Ultra delta of 45.5 FPS. The data shows that moving from 1080p to 1440p at the same settings costs between 24.2% (Low) and 32.2% (High) of frame rate. Moving from 1440p to 4K costs between 46% (Low) and 45.1% (Ultra). Notably, the 1080p Ultra result of 92.8 FPS is higher than the 1440p High result of 84.6 FPS, but the 1440p Medium result of 110.6 FPS exceeds 1080p Ultra, suggesting that resolution and settings trade-offs can be optimized based on display capabilities.

Settings Recommendations

For 1440p displays, the High preset at 84.6 FPS provides the best experience — it maintains smooth gameplay above 60 FPS while delivering substantially better visual quality than Medium (110.6 FPS) or Low (148.1 FPS). The Ultra preset at 62.9 FPS is also viable for players who prioritize image quality over headroom, but the 21.7 FPS drop from High to Ultra may not justify the visual gains in a stealth game where motion clarity matters. For 1080p displays, the High preset at 130.3 FPS is the recommended choice, as it offers excellent smoothness for fast camera movements while leaving headroom above 120 FPS. The Medium preset at 169.1 FPS is optimal for competitive play or high-refresh-rate 144 Hz monitors, but the visual compromise is significant. For 4K displays, only the Low preset at 80 FPS provides comfortable gameplay; Medium at 55.8 FPS is borderline acceptable for stealth sections but may feel sluggish during action sequences. The Ultra preset at 34.5 FPS is not recommended for playable frame rates, and High at 47 FPS is only suitable for screenshot purposes or very patient players.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 brings 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Zen architecture (Zen+ Pinnacle Ridge), manufactured on a 12 nm process. Its 3.40 GHz base clock and 3.90 GHz boost clock, combined with 16 MB shared L3 cache, deliver a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11186 and single-core score of 1579. In PassMark tests, the CPU scores 13160 in multi-thread and 2239 in single-thread, with a notable 187062 in data compression and 12429 in data encryption. The 65W TDP and unlocked multiplier indicate this is a power-efficient, overclockable part. In Hitman 2, the CPU's impact is most visible at 1080p: the gap between Low (195.3 FPS) and Medium (169.1 FPS) is only 26.2 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 38.8 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 37.5 FPS. This non-linear scaling suggests the CPU can feed the GPU adequately at Low settings but becomes a limiting factor as settings increase. The CPU's percentile ranking of 77 places it near the Intel Core i5-1345U (0.4% faster) and Intel Core i5-11600KF (0.6% faster), while being 0.6% faster than the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U and 0.7% faster than the Intel Core i7-10700F.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is built on the Ampere architecture with the GA102 chip, manufactured on Samsung's 8 nm process with 28,300 million transistors on a 628 mm² die. Its 10 GB GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus provides 760.3 GB/s bandwidth, while the 8704 shading units, 272 TMUs, and 96 ROPs deliver 29.77 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. The GPU's 1440 MHz base and 1710 MHz boost clocks, with memory running at 19 Gbps effective, place it in the 80th percentile of all GPUs. In PassMark, the GPU scores 25086 in G3D and 14397 in compute, with 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 at 4407. The RTX 3080's role in Hitman 2 becomes dominant at 4K and at higher presets. At 4K, the GPU limits performance across all settings, with the Low-to-Ultra range spanning 80 to 34.5 FPS. The GPU's nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE, is 0.9% faster, while the AMD Radeon Pro Duo is 0.2% faster; the AMD Radeon 880M is 0.4% slower and the RTX 5070 Ti Mobile is 1% slower. The 10 GB VRAM proves sufficient for Hitman 2 at all tested settings, as no VRAM-related stuttering or crashes are indicated in the measured data. The GPU's 320W TDP and 700W suggested PSU indicate a power-hungry component, but its performance in this title justifies the requirement for a capable power supply.