Hitman 2

Based on the measured data, the AMD Ryzen 5 2600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 combination delivers a highly playable Hitman 2 experience at 1080p and 1440p, but it struggles to maintain fluid frame rates at 4K Ultra settings. The pairing ranks in the 55th percentile of all tested combos, indicating a solid mid-pack performance that is well-balanced for the game's engine at lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1669 out of 3711 tested combinations in Hitman 2, placing it in the top 45% of all systems evaluated. This position reflects a capable pairing that leverages the strengths of both components without one becoming a severe bottleneck at mainstream resolutions. The data shows that this ranking is achieved primarily through strong 1080p performance, where the system delivers an average of 104 FPS on High settings, a figure that comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

However, the ranking is tempered by the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate drops to a marginal 26 FPS, which is below the playable threshold for most users. This wide performance spread across resolutions and settings is the defining characteristic of this combo's rank. It is not a top-tier performer capable of maxing out every setting at any resolution, but it is far from a low-end configuration. The measured scores indicate that the combo is optimized for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p and solid 60+ FPS gameplay at 1440p, which aligns with its mid-pack standing. The system's overall rank suggests that in the broader context of all tested hardware, it offers a balanced experience that prioritizes frame rate over absolute visual fidelity at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is the primary driver of Hitman 2's visual output, and its 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, is sufficient for the game's asset streaming at 1080p and 1440p. The GPU's boost clock of 2497 MHz and base clock of 2280 MHz, based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, deliver the raw computational power needed for the game's complex lighting and shadow calculations. Benchmark results show the GPU has a PassMark G3D score of 20891 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3628, which are strong indicators of its DirectX 12 performance.

In Hitman 2, the GPU's role becomes increasingly critical as resolution scales. At 1080p, the GPU is often underutilized, as frame rates reach 183 FPS on Low settings, suggesting the CPU is keeping pace with the GPU's output. However, at 4K, the GPU becomes the definitive limiting factor. The average FPS at 4K High is only 35, which is a stark contrast to the 104 FPS at 1080p High. This indicates that the RTX 5060's memory bandwidth and shading units are saturated by the higher pixel count. The GPU's 8 GB VRAM is adequate for the textures used in Hitman 2, but the 128-bit bus width limits the data throughput needed for 4K resolution. The data confirms that while the GPU is capable of high frame rates at lower resolutions, its performance ceiling is reached at 4K, where it can only manage an average of 62 FPS on Low settings.

Resolution Scaling

The scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a significant performance drop that highlights the GPU as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at High settings, the average frame rate decreases from 104 FPS to 66 FPS, a reduction of approximately 37%. This is a substantial drop that indicates the GPU is beginning to feel the pressure of additional pixels. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is even more severe, with the average frame rate falling from 66 FPS to 35 FPS at High settings, a further 47% reduction.

This pattern is consistent across all settings presets. At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 137 at 1080p to 88 at 1440p, and then to 47 at 4K. The data shows that the drop from 1440p to 4K is consistently more pronounced than the drop from 1080p to 1440p, which is a clear sign that the GPU is running out of processing power. The CPU, an AMD Ryzen 5 2600 with 6 cores and 12 threads, does not exhibit a similar scaling issue; its performance is more consistent across resolutions. This is evidenced by the fact that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 183 FPS, but at 4K Low, it still manages 62 FPS. The 4K Low result is higher than the 1440p High result, which underscores that the GPU is the limiting factor in higher-resolution scenarios. The data suggests that the ideal resolution for this combo is 1080p, where the GPU can maintain high frame rates across all settings, and 1440p is viable for high-refresh-rate monitors as long as settings are kept to High or below.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset for this combo depends on the target resolution and frame rate preference. For 1080p gaming, the High preset is the best balance of visual quality and performance, delivering an average of 104 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and leaves headroom for demanding scenes. The Ultra preset at 1080p is also viable, with an average of 76 FPS, but the data shows a significant drop from High, which suggests that the extra visual fidelity comes at a high cost. For players prioritizing maximum frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p yields an average of 183 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play or high-refresh-rate displays.

At 1440p, the High preset is the recommended choice, as it provides an average of 66 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The Medium preset is a safer option for maintaining smoother gameplay, with an average of 88 FPS and a minimum of 75 FPS, ensuring consistent performance. The Ultra preset at 1440p is not recommended, as the average frame rate drops to 49 FPS, which can lead to noticeable stuttering in action-heavy sequences. For 4K resolution, the data indicates that the Low preset is the only option that provides a playable experience, with an average of 62 FPS. The High preset at 4K yields only 35 FPS, which is not suitable for smooth gameplay. Therefore, the overall recommendation is to use the High preset at 1080p for the best experience, or the Medium preset at 1440p for a balance of quality and performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a comprehensive view of the combo's performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080 resolution, the Low settings preset delivers the highest average frame rate of 183 FPS. The Medium preset achieves an average of 137 FPS, with a minimum of 117 FPS and a maximum of 158 FPS, indicating a stable performance range. The High preset yields an average of 104 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to an average of 76 FPS. These figures show a clear progression where each step up in settings costs a significant number of frames.

At 2560x1440 resolution, the performance scales down proportionally. The Low preset delivers an average of 117 FPS, which is still excellent for high-refresh-rate gaming. The Medium preset achieves an average of 88 FPS, with a minimum of 75 FPS and a maximum of 101 FPS. The High preset provides an average of 66 FPS, which is playable but leaves little headroom. The Ultra preset drops to an average of 49 FPS, which is below the ideal playable threshold.

At 3840x2160 resolution, the GPU's limitations become apparent. The Low preset is the only option that offers a smooth experience, with an average of 62 FPS. The Medium preset achieves an average of 47 FPS, with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 54 FPS. The High preset drops to an average of 35 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to an average of 26 FPS. These numbers confirm that 4K gaming is not a viable option for this combo at high or ultra settings, as the frame rates are too low for a consistent experience.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, plays a crucial role in ensuring the GPU is fed with enough data to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions. The CPU's base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 3.90 GHz, based on the Zen architecture, provide adequate single-threaded performance for Hitman 2's game logic. Benchmark results show the CPU has a Geekbench single-core score of 1154 and a Cinebench R15 single-core score of 157.3, which are sufficient for the game's AI and physics calculations.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are also evident, with a Cinebench R15 multi-core score of 1248 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 5648. This helps in scenes with many NPCs or complex interactions. The data shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck at 1080p, as the system achieves 183 FPS on Low settings, which is a frame rate that would typically be limited by the CPU. At 1440p and 4K, the CPU's role diminishes as the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The CPU's performance relative to its rivals is average, with a percentile rank of 75 among all CPUs. It is slightly faster than the Intel Core i9-11900H by 0.5% and slower than the AMD EPYC 9454 by 1.2%, indicating that it is a competent mid-range processor that pairs well with the RTX 5060 without causing significant frame drops in Hitman 2.