Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 pairing delivers a dramatic performance curve in Hitman 2 that clearly illustrates the shifting balance between CPU and GPU workload as resolution climbs. At 1080p, the combination is heavily CPU-bound at lower settings, while at 4K, the GPU becomes the dominant constraint, creating a predictable but steep performance degradation. The data shows a 165 FPS gap between the lowest and highest resolution at Low settings, which narrows to 83 FPS at Ultra, revealing how the game’s engine scales with pixel count and graphical complexity. This analysis breaks down the measured results to show exactly where this combo excels and where it struggles.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K produces a severe and consistent drop in frame rates across all settings, indicating that the RTX 4080’s rendering load grows faster than the CPU’s ability to feed it frames. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 288 at 1920x1080 to 103 at 3840x2160, a reduction of 185 FPS, or roughly 64%. This steep decline suggests that even at minimal graphical fidelity, the 4K pixel count overwhelms the GPU’s shader throughput, while the Ryzen 5 5600’s six cores remain underutilized. The scaling from 1440p to 4K at Low is less punishing, dropping from 193 to 103 FPS, which still represents a 47% loss, but the 1080p to 1440p step is the most brutal, with a 95 FPS collapse.

At Medium settings, the pattern holds but with slightly less volatility. The measured range from 227 FPS at 1080p to 77 FPS at 4K shows a 150 FPS total drop, with the 1440p result of 145 FPS sitting almost exactly midway. This linear-ish progression indicates that the Medium preset adds enough GPU work to mask some of the CPU bottleneck seen at Low, but the 4K figure of 77 FPS still falls well below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, highlighting the RTX 4080’s limits with this older title at high pixel densities.

High settings exaggerate the resolution penalty further. The 1080p average of 172 FPS drops to 110 FPS at 1440p and then to 58 FPS at 4K, a cumulative decline of 66% from the lowest to highest resolution. The 4K result is particularly telling, as it sits just below the 60 FPS target, making the experience borderline playable but not ideal for competitive or fast-paced play. Ultra settings show the most severe scaling, with 126 FPS at 1080p falling to 81 FPS at 1440p and then to a paltry 43 FPS at 4K, a 66% reduction that makes the highest preset essentially unplayable at native 4K without upscaling or reduced settings.

The limiting component shifts clearly across these resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU’s single-thread performance, evidenced by a 3dmark single thread score of 882 and a passmark single thread of 3256, appears to be the ceiling, as the GPU can push far beyond 200 FPS when unconstrained. At 4K, the RTX 4080’s 48.74 TFLOPS FP32 throughput and 716.8 GB/s memory bandwidth become the bottleneck, with the CPU’s 32 MB L3 cache and 6 cores proving sufficient to keep up with the reduced frame rates. This inverse relationship is the classic signature of a balanced pairing that tilts CPU-bound at low resolutions and GPU-bound at high ones.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 5 5600 and RTX 4080 achieves a rank of 342 out of 3711 tested combos in Hitman 2, placing it in the top 9.2% of all pairings in the benchmark database. This percentile position reflects the strength of the GPU more than the CPU, as the RTX 4080 sits in the 86th percentile among all GPUs, while the Ryzen 5 5600 ranks in the 74th percentile among CPUs. The combo’s overall rank suggests that the RTX 4080’s raw power compensates for the mid-range CPU, allowing the pairing to outperform many systems with stronger processors but weaker graphics cards.

The CPU’s nearest rivals highlight its position in the broader market. The Ryzen 5 5600’s average benchmark score of 20468 is nearly identical to the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, which scores 20454, a delta of just 0.1%. Similarly, the AMD Ryzen 5 8500G trails by 0.2% with a score of 20425, and the AMD EPYC 9454P matches the 8500G at 20422, also 0.2% behind. The closest competitor, the AMD EPYC 7713, scores 20363, a 0.5% deficit. These minuscule differences mean that swapping the 5600 for any of these rivals would produce no measurable change in Hitman 2 performance, confirming that the CPU is not the limiting factor in most scenarios.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4080’s average score of 54247 places it in a tight cluster with its immediate competitors. The RTX 4080 SUPER leads by a hair at 54209, a delta of 0.1% that is statistically negligible. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828, which is 1.1% higher, while the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB and AMD Radeon 8060S post scores of 55698 and 55757, respectively, representing 2.6% and 2.7% advantages. These small deltas indicate that the RTX 4080 is not the fastest GPU in its class, but the differences are so minor that in-game frame rates would be nearly identical, especially given the resolution scaling patterns observed in Hitman 2.

The combo’s rank of 342 is impressive given the CPU’s age, but it does not crack the top 300. Systems with newer high-end CPUs like the Ryzen 7000 or 9000 series, paired with the same RTX 4080, would likely rank higher due to better single-thread performance, which matters at 1080p. However, the data shows that at 4K, where the GPU is the bottleneck, the CPU’s rank becomes irrelevant, and the combo’s position would remain stable regardless of processor choice.

GPU Role

The RTX 4080’s 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus delivers 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth, which proves sufficient for Hitman 2’s demands even at 4K Ultra, where the 43 FPS average suggests the GPU is fully saturated. The memory clock runs at 1400 MHz, translating to 22.4 Gbps effective, and this high-speed VRAM is critical for handling the game’s large textures and complex scenes at high resolutions. The 9728 shading units and 304 texture mapping units provide ample parallel processing power, but the 112 ROPs appear to be a limiting factor at 4K, as the pixel rate of 280.6 GPixel/s struggles to fill the 8.3 million pixels of a 4K frame at high settings.

The GPU’s boost clock of 2505 MHz, up from a base of 2205 MHz, allows for significant dynamic frequency scaling during lighter scenes, which helps maintain frame rates at 1440p and below. The 320 W TDP and triple-slot cooler indicate that thermal throttling is unlikely in most cases, allowing the card to sustain its boost clock for extended periods. The 5 nm process node and 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die provide efficiency gains over previous generations, but Hitman 2’s age means the game does not fully utilize the Ada Lovelace architecture’s features, such as the 76 RT cores or 304 tensor cores, which remain idle in this non-ray-traced title.

The GPU’s benchmark scores reinforce its strong position. The 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6567 and the Geekbench Vulkan score of 263779 both place the card in the upper echelon, while the Passmark G3D score of 34457 confirms its DirectX 11 prowess, which is relevant for Hitman 2’s engine. The GPU’s percentile rank of 86 means it outperforms 86% of all GPUs, and its average score of 54247 is within 0.1% of the RTX 4080 SUPER, indicating that users are getting nearly identical performance to the newer variant. The 16 GB VRAM capacity is particularly beneficial for 4K gaming, as it prevents texture swapping and stuttering that would plague 8 GB or even 12 GB cards in this scenario.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 288 FPS, which is the highest measured result in the entire dataset, indicating that the CPU is the primary driver at this resolution. Medium settings yield 227 FPS average with a minimum of 193 FPS and maximum of 261 FPS, showing tight frame pacing. High settings drop to 172 FPS, while Ultra settings still manage 126 FPS, all well above the 144 Hz refresh rate that most competitive gamers target. The 162 FPS spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p demonstrates the GPU’s headroom but also suggests that the Ryzen 5 5600’s single-thread performance, with a 3dmark single thread score of 882, caps the upper limit.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down predictably. Low settings average 193 FPS, a 33% drop from 1080p, while Medium settings hit 145 FPS with a minimum of 123 FPS and maximum of 167 FPS. High settings deliver 110 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 81 FPS, which is still above the 60 FPS threshold. The 112 FPS gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p narrows compared to 1080p, indicating that the GPU is beginning to exert more influence on the results. The Medium preset’s 123 FPS minimum ensures that even during demanding scenes, the frame rate remains smooth, making 1440p the sweet spot for this combo with high refresh rate monitors.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops dramatically. Low settings average 103 FPS, which is the only preset at 4K to exceed 100 FPS, while Medium settings average 77 FPS with a minimum of 66 FPS and maximum of 89 FPS. High settings fall to 58 FPS, just below the 60 FPS target, and Ultra settings plummet to 43 FPS, making the game nearly unplayable at max fidelity. The 60 FPS gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is the smallest of all resolutions, confirming that the GPU is the sole limiting factor. The Medium preset’s 66 FPS minimum is the only sub-4K result that dips below 60 FPS, suggesting that even Medium settings can experience brief stutters in complex scenes.

Settings Recommendations

For 4K gaming, Medium settings provide the best balance of visual quality and performance, with an average of 77 FPS and a minimum of 66 FPS that keeps the experience above the critical 60 FPS threshold. Low settings at 4K offer a higher 103 FPS average but sacrifice too much visual fidelity, while High settings at 58 FPS and Ultra at 43 FPS are too inconsistent for smooth play. The Medium preset’s min-max range of 66-89 FPS shows acceptable frame pacing, making it the recommended choice for 4K displays.

At 1440p, High settings deliver 110 FPS average, which is ideal for 144 Hz monitors, while Ultra settings at 81 FPS remain playable but may not fully utilize high refresh rates. Medium settings at 145 FPS are the best choice for competitive play, as the 123 FPS minimum ensures no drops below 120 FPS. For users prioritizing visual fidelity over frame rate, Ultra at 1440p is viable, but the 81 FPS average leaves headroom for future driver optimizations.

At 1080p, High settings at 172 FPS and Ultra at 126 FPS both provide excellent experiences, with the latter offering the best visual quality without sacrificing playability. Low settings at 288 FPS are only useful for benchmarking or esports scenarios where frame rate is paramount. The Medium preset at 227 FPS is a strong middle ground, but the 193 FPS minimum still exceeds most monitor refresh rates, making High settings the most balanced choice for 1080p gaming.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1440p with High settings provides the best balance, delivering 110 FPS average, which is well above the 60 FPS target and suitable for high refresh rate displays. At 4K, only Medium settings maintain a playable 77 FPS average with a 66 FPS minimum.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its closest rival in this game?

A: The RTX 4080’s average benchmark score of 54247 is within 0.1% of the RTX 4080 SUPER, which scores 54209. This negligible delta means there is no measurable difference in Hitman 2 performance between the two cards.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 5600 a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: Yes, at 1080p Low settings the combo achieves 288 FPS, which is likely CPU-limited given the 3dmark single thread score of 882. The CPU’s percentile rank of 74 versus the GPU’s 86 confirms that the processor is the weaker component.

Q: Can this combo run Hitman 2 at 4K Ultra settings?

A: No, the measured average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 43 FPS, which falls well below the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay. Users would need to reduce settings to Medium or lower to achieve playable frame rates at 4K.

Q: What is the frame time consistency at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the minimum FPS values are 193 at 1080p, 123 at 1440p, and 66 at 4K. These minimums represent the worst-case scenarios, and the spread between min and max FPS indicates acceptable frame pacing, particularly at 1440p where the 123 minimum ensures smooth play.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 342 out of 3711 tested combinations in Hitman 2, placing it in the top 9.2% of all systems. This high rank is primarily driven by the RTX 4080’s 86th percentile GPU performance, which compensates for the CPU’s lower 74th percentile ranking.