Hitman 2

Hitman 2, a stealth classic from 2018, presents a fascinating stress test for modern hardware. This analysis examines the pairing of AMD's Ryzen 5 2600, a six-core processor from the 2000 series, with NVIDIA's flagship GeForce RTX 5090, a Blackwell 2.0 architecture behemoth. The measured data reveals a significant generational imbalance, where the 2018 CPU often limits the 2025 GPU's potential. The following sections break down the performance metrics across resolutions and settings, offering a quantitative look at how this specific combination handles the game's demands.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data across resolutions tells a clear story about system bottlenecks. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 197 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 170 FPS, a 13.7% reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls to 117 FPS, which is a 40.6% decrease from the 1080p figure. This steep drop as resolution increases suggests that while the CPU is capable of high frame rates, the GPU's workload becomes the limiting factor at higher pixel counts.

The scaling pattern changes dramatically with higher graphical presets. At Ultra settings, the frame rates are 143 FPS at 1080p, 91 FPS at 1440p, and 49 FPS at 4K. The 1440p to 4K transition at Ultra represents a 46.2% performance loss, which is more severe than the 36.3% drop seen when going from 1080p to 1440p. This non-linear scaling indicates that the RTX 5090 is being increasingly taxed by the combination of resolution and pixel shader complexity, while the CPU's influence wanes as the GPU takes longer to render each frame.

Comparing the Low and Ultra presets at each resolution reveals the GPU's headroom. At 1080p, the difference between Low (197 FPS) and Ultra (143 FPS) is 54 FPS, a 27.4% gap. At 4K, the gap between Low (117 FPS) and Ultra (49 FPS) widens to 68 FPS, a 58.1% difference. The data implies that at 1080p, the Ryzen 5 2600's single-thread performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R15 single-core score of 157.3, prevents the RTX 5090 from fully stretching its legs, as the gap between presets is smaller than at 4K. At 4K, the GPU's rendering capabilities become the dominant constraint, and the preset choice has a much larger impact on the final frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear hierarchy for the best experience. For players targeting 60 FPS or higher, the Medium preset at 1440p offers an excellent balance, achieving 153 FPS with a minimum of 130 FPS. This is a significant jump from the High preset at the same resolution, which only manages 124 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum frame rate of 130 FPS ensures a smooth experience, avoiding the dips that might be perceptible in other configurations.

At 4K, the options are more constrained. The High preset yields 66 FPS, which is playable but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes. The Medium preset at 4K provides 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS, making it the superior choice for 4K gaming. The Ultra preset at 4K falls to 49 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and likely to feel less fluid. The data suggests that for this specific CPU-GPU combo, the Medium preset is the sweet spot for 4K, delivering a 77.6% performance increase over Ultra while maintaining a minimum frame rate above 70 FPS.

For 1080p users, the High preset at 160 FPS is a strong recommendation, as it offers a substantial visual upgrade over Medium (178 FPS) with only an 18 FPS penalty. The Ultra preset at 143 FPS remains viable for those prioritizing visual fidelity, as it still maintains a high average frame rate. The key insight is that the Ryzen 5 2600, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, can push high frame rates at 1080p, but the RTX 5090's power is best utilized at higher resolutions where the Medium preset provides the most stable and high-performing experience.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the clear performance driver in this pairing, particularly at higher resolutions. Its 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus provides a massive 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth, which is crucial for the high-resolution textures in Hitman 2. The data shows that at 4K, the GPU's capabilities are fully exercised, with a 66 FPS average on High settings. The card's boost clock of 2407 MHz and its 21,760 shading units allow it to handle the game's complex lighting and geometry, but its performance is often capped by the CPU, especially at lower resolutions.

The GPU's compute potential, as measured by its Passmark G3D score of 39,650 and its 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance, is immense. However, in Hitman 2, the actual frame rates at 1080p (197 FPS on Low) suggest that the game's engine is not fully utilizing the GPU's parallel processing power. The variance between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p (54 FPS) is far less than at 4K (68 FPS), indicating that the CPU is the primary limiter in the former case. The RTX 5090's 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs confirms its top-tier status, but its performance in this game is tied to the resolution and the CPU's ability to feed it data.

The GPU's memory capacity of 32 GB is more than sufficient for Hitman 2, which was released in 2018 and does not have the same memory demands as modern titles. The bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s is also overkill for this game, as evidenced by the fact that the performance scales more with resolution than with memory speed. The benchmark results indicate that the RTX 5090 is a future-proof component, but in this specific pairing, its full potential is only realized at 4K, where it can finally stretch its legs and deliver the high frame rates that its specifications suggest.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 5 2600 and RTX 5090 ranks 425th out of 3,711 tested combos for Hitman 2, placing it in the top 11.5% of all configurations. This ranking is impressive given the age of the CPU, but it is also a signal of the GPU's dominance. The data shows that the combo outperforms the vast majority of systems, but it is not among the elite, which likely feature newer, higher-clocked CPUs that can better keep up with the GPU.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 75th among all CPUs suggests it is a solid performer, but its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V and the Intel Core i9-11900H, have similar average benchmark scores (21,440 and 21,367, respectively) with delta percentages of 0.2% and 0.5%. This indicates that the Ryzen 5 2600 is in a performance tier with these processors, but none of them are top-tier for gaming. The combo's rank is likely pulled down by the CPU's single-thread performance, which is critical for Hitman 2's game logic and AI.

The ranking of 425th suggests that while the RTX 5090 can brute-force its way to high frame rates, the system is not optimized for the game's CPU-bound scenarios. For context, the top combos likely feature CPUs with much higher single-core scores, such as those in the 90th percentile or above. The data implies that upgrading the CPU to a more modern part would significantly improve this combo's rank, as the GPU is already near the top of its class. The 3,711 tested combos include a wide range of hardware, and this pairing's position shows that it is a capable, but not ultimate, gaming machine for Hitman 2.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.90 GHz. Its benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R15 multi-core score of 1,248 and a single-core score of 157.3, place it in the 75th percentile of all CPUs. In Hitman 2, this CPU is the bottleneck at lower resolutions, as evidenced by the fact that at 1080p, the difference between Low and High settings is only 37 FPS (197 vs 160), while at 4K, the difference is 51 FPS (117 vs 66).

The CPU's multi-threading capabilities are sufficient to handle the game's broad simulation, but its single-thread performance is lacking for high-refresh-rate gaming. At 1080p Low, the 197 FPS average suggests that the CPU is working near its limit, as the GPU is not fully utilized. The fact that the 4K Low setting produces 117 FPS, which is 80 FPS lower than 1080p Low, indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, but the CPU's inability to push higher frame rates at 1080p is a clear constraint.

The CPU's L3 cache of 16 MB (shared) and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with a bandwidth of 46.9 GB/s are modest by modern standards. The Passmark single-thread score of 2,239 is low compared to newer CPUs, and this directly impacts Hitman 2's performance in crowded scenes where the game's AI and physics calculations are processed. The data suggests that the Ryzen 5 2600, while still a functional gaming CPU, is holding back the RTX 5090 in this title, particularly for players targeting frame rates above 144 FPS at 1080p or 1440p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the frame rates are consistently high across all settings, starting with 197 FPS on Low and dropping to 178 FPS on Medium, 160 FPS on High, and 143 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 151 FPS and a maximum of 204 FPS, indicating good frame pacing. The transition from Low to Ultra represents a 27.4% performance reduction, but all settings are playable for competitive or casual play.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. Low settings yield 170 FPS, while Medium drops to 153 FPS with a minimum of 130 FPS and a maximum of 176 FPS. High settings produce 124 FPS, and Ultra falls to 91 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 79 FPS, a 46.5% reduction. This resolution is a good middle ground, offering high frame rates on lower presets and playable frame rates on higher ones.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is heavily taxed. Low settings manage 117 FPS, which is still high, but Medium drops to 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 101 FPS. High settings yield 66 FPS, and Ultra falls to 49 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 68 FPS, a 58.1% reduction. The data shows that for a consistent 60 FPS experience at 4K, the Medium preset is the highest that can be recommended, as High and Ultra fall below the target threshold. The minimum frame rate of 74 FPS on Medium ensures that 4K gaming is smooth, while the Ultra preset's 49 FPS average is likely to be a stuttery experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve 60+ FPS?

A: The data shows that all resolutions can achieve over 60 FPS, but at 4K, only the Low (117 FPS) and Medium (87 FPS) presets exceed this threshold. High (66 FPS) and Ultra (49 FPS) at 4K fall below or near the 60 FPS mark.

Q: How much faster is the RTX 5090 at 1080p compared to 4K on the same settings?

A: At Low settings, the 1080p average of 197 FPS is 80 FPS higher than the 4K average of 117 FPS, representing a 68.4% increase. At High settings, the 1080p average of 160 FPS is 94 FPS higher than the 4K average of 66 FPS, a 142.4% increase.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 2600 a bottleneck for the RTX 5090 in this game?

A: Yes, the data indicates a bottleneck at lower resolutions. At 1080p, the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra is only 54 FPS, while at 4K, the difference is 68 FPS. This suggests the CPU limits performance at 1080p, as the GPU has more headroom to render at higher settings.

Q: What is the CPU's multi-threaded performance compared to its rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 2600 has an average benchmark score of 21,484. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 5 228V, scores 21,440, a delta of 0.2%, while the Intel Core i9-11900H scores 21,367, a delta of 0.5%. This shows they are nearly identical in multi-threaded tasks.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo at 1440p Medium?

A: The measured minimum FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings is 130 FPS, with an average of 153 FPS and a maximum of 176 FPS.

Q: Does the combo rank highly among all tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 425th out of 3,711 tested combos for Hitman 2, placing it in the top 11.5% of all configurations tested. This is a strong showing, but not top-tier, due to the CPU's age.