Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT delivers a wide range of frame rates in Hitman 2, from 257.5 FPS at 1080p Low to 37 FPS at 4K Ultra. The measured data shows a system that is clearly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the CPU holds its own at lower settings. This analysis walks through the component roles, settings trade-offs, and scaling behavior using only the provided benchmark results.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 5 5500 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. It has a 65 W TDP and is built on TSMC's 7 nm process. Its cache layout includes 64 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and 16 MB L3. The CPU supports DDR4 memory in dual-channel mode with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. It uses PCIe Gen 3 and has an unlocked multiplier. The launch MSRP is $159.

In synthetic benchmarks, the 5500 scores 16,429 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2,319 in single-core. Its 3DMark scores range from 836 (single-thread) to 5,411 (max threads). The average benchmark score is 20,875, placing it in the 79th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12500, scores 20,897, a delta of -0.1%, meaning the two are effectively tied. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE and AMD EPYC 7J13 are also within 0.1% of the 5500's average score.

For Hitman 2, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p Low, where the combo reaches 257.5 FPS. This high frame rate suggests the 6-core/12-thread configuration is sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions. The single-thread score of 2,319 in Cinebench R23 indicates strong per-core performance, which is relevant for game logic and AI. The 16 MB L3 cache and 12 threads provide ample headroom for modern titles. At 1080p, the CPU is likely the limiting factor only at the very highest frame rates, but the data shows it can sustain over 250 FPS at Low settings.

GPU Role

The Radeon RX 7900 XT is a high-end GPU based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture, with a Navi 31 chip. It has 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus, delivering 800.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The base clock is 1387 MHz, the boost clock is 2394 MHz, and the game clock is 2025 MHz. Memory runs at 2500 MHz (20 Gbps effective). The GPU has 5,376 shading units, 336 TMUs, and 192 ROPs, along with 84 ray-tracing cores. It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4. The launch MSRP is 899 USD.

In synthetic tests, the 7900 XT scores 29,009 in Passmark G3D and 16,828 in GPU compute. Its average benchmark score is 38,358, placing it in the 82nd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile, scores 38,349, a delta of 0%. The NVIDIA CMP 70HX and RTX 4080 Mobile are within 0.6% of the 7900 XT's score.

In Hitman 2, the GPU's impact is clear at 4K. At Ultra settings, the combo averages 37 FPS; at High, 52.1 FPS; at Medium, 66.4 FPS; and at Low, 84.3 FPS. The 20 GB VRAM and 800 GB/s bandwidth are more than sufficient for this game, but the raw compute power determines the frame rate at high resolutions. The data shows that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution increases, with the 4K Ultra result falling below 40 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a clear picture of how each preset performs at each resolution. At 1080p, all four presets exceed 100 FPS: Low 257.5, Medium 188.7, High 144.1, and Ultra 106.6. Even Ultra maintains a comfortable frame rate, so players can use the highest preset without concern.

At 1440p, the situation is similar. Low delivers 161.3 FPS, Medium 124.6, High 90.5, and Ultra 71.2. All presets stay above 60 FPS, but the gap between High and Ultra is notable: 90.5 vs 71.2, a difference of 19.3 FPS. For a balance of visual quality and smoothness, High is the recommended preset at 1440p, as it remains well above 60 FPS while offering a significant improvement over Medium.

At 4K, the options narrow. Low produces 84.3 FPS, Medium 66.4, High 52.1, and Ultra 37. Only Low and Medium exceed 60 FPS. Medium is the highest preset that maintains a playable frame rate, with 66.4 FPS. High and Ultra fall below 60, making them less suitable for smooth gameplay. Therefore, the data suggests Medium as the best 4K preset for this combo.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the Ryzen 5 5500 and RX 7900 XT ranks 395th out of 1,795 tested combinations in Hitman 2. This places it in the top 22% of all combos, or the 78th percentile. The CPU's individual percentile is 79, and the GPU's is 82, so the combo's rank is consistent with the component-level performance. The CPU's nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12500, has a delta of -0.1%, meaning the 5500 is essentially tied with it. The GPU's nearest rival, the RTX 5080 Mobile, has a delta of 0%, indicating identical average scores. This alignment suggests that the combo's overall ranking is driven by both components performing near their expected levels.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals the limiting component. For Low settings, the combo goes from 257.5 FPS at 1080p to 161.3 at 1440p (a 37% reduction) and then to 84.3 at 4K (a 48% reduction from 1440p). For High settings, the progression is 144.1 → 90.5 → 52.1, with drops of 37% and 42%. Medium goes from 188.7 → 124.6 → 66.4, drops of 34% and 47%. Ultra goes from 106.6 → 71.2 → 37, drops of 33% and 48%.

The consistent pattern—roughly a third reduction from 1080p to 1440p and nearly half from 1440p to 4K—indicates that the GPU is the primary scaling factor. The CPU's performance is not resolution-dependent, so the frame rate decline is almost entirely attributable to the GPU's rendering load. At 1080p, the CPU is more likely to be the bottleneck, as evidenced by the very high frame rates at Low settings. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting component, with even Low settings dropping to 84.3 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset for 4K gameplay?

A: Medium provides 66.4 FPS, which is the highest preset that stays above 60 FPS. High and Ultra fall to 52.1 and 37 FPS, respectively.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5500 compare to its closest rival?

A: The 5500 has an average benchmark score of 20,875, while the Intel Core i5-12500 scores 20,897, a delta of -0.1%. The two are effectively tied.

Q: What is the GPU's memory configuration?

A: The RX 7900 XT has 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 800.0 GB/s.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations?

A: It ranks 395th out of 1,795 combos, placing it in the top 22%.

Q: At 1080p, what is the frame rate on Ultra settings?

A: The combo achieves 106.6 FPS at 1080p Ultra.

Q: What is the CPU's boost clock?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500 has a boost clock of 4.20 GHz.