Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER delivers a compelling 1080p and 1440p experience in Hitman 2, with the game's engine showing strong scaling across lower resolutions. The measured data reveals a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher settings and resolutions, but one where the CPU keeps pace admirably at 1080p with lower presets. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS numbers, examines the roles of the CPU and GPU, and provides practical settings recommendations for this specific combination.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K shows a clear story about which component is the limiting factor in this combination. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 149 FPS at 1920x1080 to 95 FPS at 2560x1440, then to 51 FPS at 3840x2160. That is a 36% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 46% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The scaling is nearly linear, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound workload. The render resolution increases are directly translating into lower frame rates, meaning the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is doing the heavy lifting.

The pattern is even more pronounced at Low settings. At 1080p Low, the system produces an average of 263 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 168 FPS, and at 4K Low the average is 90 FPS. The percentage drops are 36% and 46% respectively, very similar to the High settings. This consistency across settings strongly indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck even when the graphical load is minimal. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see a smaller FPS difference when moving from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings, because the CPU's workload does not change with resolution. The fact that the FPS drops by about a third at each step at Low settings confirms the RTX 4070 SUPER is the limiting component.

The gap between the highest and lowest resolutions is substantial. At Ultra settings, the average FPS at 1080p is 110, while at 4K it is 37 FPS. That is a 66% reduction. This large scaling factor indicates that the game is not CPU-limited at 1080p Ultra, contrary to what some might expect. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is able to feed the GPU enough at 1080p Ultra to produce 110 FPS, but the RTX 4070 still has more headroom at 4K. The data indicates this is a balanced pairing for 1080p and 1440p, with the GPU clearly being the limiting component at 4K.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is a 12 GB GDDR6X card with a 192-bit memory bus and 504.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth. Its boost clock is 2475 MHz, with a base clock of 1980 MHz. In Hitman 2, the 12 GB memory allocation is sufficient for all tested settings, even at 4K Ultra, which is why we do not see any stuttering or unusual FPS drops associated with memory limitations. The 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth is a strong figure for the Ada Lovelace architecture, and the game responds well to it, as the performance scales predictably with the render resolution.

The GPU's memory subsystem is adequate for all settings tested. With 12 GB of GDDR6X, the card will not be at risk of running out of memory in this game, even at 4K with Ultra presets. The 192-bit memory bus is a balanced choice for this class of card.

The RTX 4070 SUPER’s 35.48 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 56 RT cores are not fully utilized in Hitman 2, as the game does not feature heavy ray tracing effects. The measured FPS data shows a steady progression from Low to Ultra settings, reflecting the GPU's raw compute power at each quality level. For instance, at 4K, the average FPS is 90 at Low, 67 at Medium, 51 at High, and 37 at Ultra. That is a 59% difference between Low and Ultra at the same resolution.

The GPU's role is clearly defined in the benchmark results. At 1080p Low, the 263 FPS average shows the RTX 4070 Ti is not being fully taxed, but the CPU may be reaching its limits in terms of frame pacing. At 4K Ultra, the 37 FPS average shows the GPU is working at full capacity, rendering complex scenes with all detail levels maxed out.

Settings Recommendations

For this CPU and GPU combination, the 1440p Medium settings offer the best balance of visual quality and performance. The measured data shows an average of 126 FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings, with a minimum of 107 FPS and a maximum of 145 FPS. This is a smooth experience for fast-paced gameplay, and the 107 FPS minimum ensures there are no major FPS dips.

At 1080p, High settings provide an average of 149 FPS, which is also an excellent experience for competitive play. The data shows no minimum FPS value for High settings, but the average is well above 144 Hz refresh rates. For players with 144 Hz monitors, 1080p High is the recommended preset. For 1440p users, the Medium preset is a better choice than High, because the 126 FPS average is significantly higher than the 95 FPS average of High. The jump from High to Medium at 1440p results is a 33% increase in average FPS, which is a more noticeable improvement than the visual difference between the two presets.

At 4K, the RTX 4070 SUPER is best paired with Low or Medium settings. The Low setting yields an average of 90 FPS, whereas Medium yields 67 FPS. The 4K Ultra preset is not recommended, as the average of 37 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth 4K gaming. The 4K High setting, with its 51 FPS average, sits in an uncomfortable middle ground, so Low or Medium are the better options for 4K.

The data also reveals a clear trend. The High preset at 1080p (149 FPS) is nearly identical in performance to the Low preset at 1440p (168 FPS). Choosing 1440p Low provides a sharper image with only a 13% reduction in frame rate compared to 1080p High. This is a good trade-off for players who prefer resolution over graphical effects. Similarly, the Medium preset at 1080p (197 FPS) is a strong choice for high-refresh-rate gaming, and the Ultra preset at 1080p (110 FPS) is viable for those who want maximum visual quality without dropping below 100 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings presets, providing a full view of the game's performance.

At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are as follows: Low settings produce 263 FPS, Medium settings produce 197 FPS, High settings produce 149 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 110 FPS. The Medium preset has a recorded minimum of 168 FPS and a maximum of 227 FPS. This 1080p breakdown shows a clear linear scaling from Ultra to Low, with the Low preset nearly 140% faster than Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the average frame rates are: Low settings produce 168 FPS, Medium settings produce 126 FPS, High settings produce 95 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 70 FPS. The Medium preset has a minimum of 107 FPS and a maximum of 145 FPS. The 1440p results show a similar pattern, with the Low preset being 140% faster than Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are: Low settings produce 90 FPS, Medium settings produce 67 FPS, High settings produce 51 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 37 FPS. The Medium preset has a minimum of 57 FPS and a maximum of 77 FPS. The 4K results show that the game is playable at Low and Medium, but High and Ultra are not recommended due to lower frame rates.

The data shows that the 1080p Medium preset's minimum FPS of 168 is higher than the 1440p High average of 95, which is a significant performance gap. The 1440p Medium preset's minimum FPS of 107 is also higher than the 4K High average of 51. This indicates that the game is very responsive to resolution changes, and players should choose their resolution carefully based on their refresh rate.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti combination ranks 667th out of 3711 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places it in the top 18% of all tested combinations. This ranking is a strong result for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU, and it shows that the combination is well-balanced for this game.

The ranking reflects the overall performance of the 128 measured FPS points. The combo’s performance is limited by the CPU in some scenarios, but the GPU is the primary driver of the high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p. The 667th rank out of 3711 combos indicates that the system is in the top percentile of tested hardware.

The combo rank is a single number that captures the average performance across all settings and resolutions. It does not tell the whole story, as the experience varies from 263 FPS at 1080p Low to 37 FPS at 4K Ultra. However, the overall rank is a useful summary for comparing against other hardware combinations. The rank of 667 suggests that this system outperforms a majority of tested systems in Hitman 2.

The system's performance is further supported by the individual component rankings. The CPU has a percentile of 73%, and the GPU has a percentile of 83%. The combination of a 73rd percentile CPU and an 83rd percentile GPU results in a 667th rank out of 3711 combos, which is exactly in the top 18%.

CPU Role

The AMD 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 16 MB of L3 cache and a TDP of 65 W. The CPU supports DDR4 memory with a dual-channel bus. In Hitman 2, the processor is not a bottleneck at 1080p and 1440p, as the FPS data shows.

The CPU's role is particularly evident at 1080p Low settings, where the average FPS is 263. This high frame rate is a result of the CPU's ability to feed the GPU with enough data. The 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient for Hitman 2's engine, which is not heavily multi-threaded. The 3.60 GHz base clock and 4.20 GHz boost clock provide strong single-thread performance, which is crucial for this game.

The CPU's performance is also reflected in its benchmark scores. It achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16,429 and a single-core score of 2,319. These scores are comparable to the Intel Core i5-12500, which has an average score of 19,668 and a deltaPct of -0.4% relative to the Ryzen 5 5500. The Ryzen 5 5500's single-core performance is strong, as shown by the 3DMark single-thread score of 836.

The CPU is not the limiting factor in most scenarios. At 1080p Low, the 263 FPS average is a result of the GPU's high performance, but the CPU is likely the limiting factor. If the CPU were more powerful, the frame rate might be higher, but the data does not measure this. The CPU's role is to keep up with the GPU, and it does at all resolutions tested.

The Ryzen 5 5500's strong performance is a match for the RTX 4070 SUPER. The 6-core processor is sufficient for Hitman 2's requirements, and the 12 threads help with background tasks. The CPU's 16 MB of L3 cache is beneficial for gaming, as it reduces the need to access system memory. The 3.60 GHz base clock and 4.20 GHz boost clock are appropriate for the game's engine.

The CPU's nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430, the Intel Core i5-12500, the Intel Core i7-10700F, and the Intel Core i5-11600KF. The Ryzen 5 5500's avg benchmark score is 19,593, which is -0.1% from the Ryzen AI 5 430 and -0.4% from the Core i5-12500. This shows that the Ryzen 5 5500 is a solid mid-range CPU. Its 73rd percentile rank means it outperforms 73% of all CPUs. The CPU's performance in Hitman 2 is likely similar to these rivals, given the similar scores.

The processor's architecture, Zen 3, is known for strong IPC improvements over previous generations. This IPC gain is what allows the 6-core CPU to keep up with the RTX 4070 SUPER in Hitman 2. The game is not a multi-threaded stress test, so the 6-core/12-thread configuration is enough.

The system's measured performance in Hitman 2 is the result of the combination of these two components. The data shows that the Ryzen 5 5500 provides enough CPU performance to support the RTX 4070 SUPER's capabilities at 1080p and 1440p. At 4K, the CPU's performance is less of a factor, as the GPU takes over the limiting role. This is a balanced combination that offers high frame rates at the most common resolutions.

The CPU's power consumption is 65W, which is modest for a 6-core processor. This low power draw means it does not generate excessive heat, which is a plus for system builders. The 7 nm process node and TSMC foundry are evidence of the CPU's modern design. The 10,700 million transistors on a 180 mm² die highlight the efficiency of the Zen 3 architecture.

The Ryzen 5 5500 is a capable processor for this game, and the benchmark data confirms it does not bottleneck the RTX 4070 SUPER in Hitman 2. The 1080p results are particularly strong, with 263 FPS at Low settings, demonstrating the CPU's capability of keeping up with the GPU's output. The 4K results are more GPU-bound, but the CPU still delivers a playable 90 FPS at Low settings. The combination of the Ryzen 5 5500 and RTX 4070 SUPER yields a good performance in Hitman 2, which is the 667th best combo out of 3711. This is a strong showing.