Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X paired with the AMD Radeon RX 580 is a study in imbalance when running Hitman 2. The data shows a modern, high-end processor from the 7000 series (launch MSRP $299) constrained by a 2017-era graphics card from the Polaris lineup (launch MSRP 229 USD). While the CPU delivers top-tier synthetic scores, the GPU’s architecture limits the combo’s real-world frame rates, particularly at higher resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured performance data to determine where this pairing is viable and where it falls short.

FAQ

Q: What average frame rate can I expect at 1920x1080 with High settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 44.2 FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings. This is a playable frame rate for a stealth game, though not exceptionally smooth. The frame rate is significantly lower than the 74.6 FPS achieved at Low settings, indicating a substantial performance cost for the visual upgrades in the High preset.

Q: Is this combo capable of 4K gaming in Hitman 2?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are below acceptable playability thresholds. The best result at 4K is 28.2 FPS on Low settings, which drops to 20 FPS on Medium, 17.2 FPS on High, and a mere 10.1 FPS on Ultra. The data clearly shows that 4K resolution is not a viable option for this pairing.

Q: How does the CPU’s performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 7600X's average benchmark score is 26272, placing it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850U, has a nearly identical average score of 26262, showing a delta of 0%. The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X is also close with a score of 26214 (a 0.2% delta), indicating the 7600X offers competitive raw processing power.

Q: How does the GPU’s performance compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Radeon RX 580 has an average benchmark score of 13559, which puts it in the 53rd percentile of all GPUs. Its direct rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570, scores 13564, a 0% delta. This suggests the RX 580 performs in the same tier as much older graphics cards, highlighting its age and limited capabilities for modern gaming workloads.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a smooth experience at 2560x1440?

A: The data suggests that Low settings at 2560x1440, yielding 50.3 FPS, is the only preset that provides a consistently fluid experience. The Medium preset drops to 36.9 FPS, and High falls to 25.4 FPS, both of which may feel choppy for gameplay. Ultra is not viable at 19.8 FPS.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The measured data shows a significant performance gap. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 74.6 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to 33.5 FPS. This represents a drop of over half the frame rate. The High preset (44.2 FPS) and Medium preset (56.7 FPS) fall between these two extremes.

Settings Recommendations

The data indicates that the optimal experience balance for this combo is found at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This configuration yields the highest average frame rate of 74.6 FPS, ensuring smooth and responsive gameplay. While the Medium preset at 56.7 FPS is still playable, the jump to Low provides a more substantial performance buffer for a stealth title where consistent frame pacing is valuable.

At 2560x1440, the situation is more constrained. The Low preset is the only viable option, producing 50.3 FPS. While this is smoother than the 1080p Medium result, the visual clarity gain from the higher resolution may not be worth the potential for frame drops in busy scenes. The Medium (36.9 FPS) and High (25.4 FPS) presets at this resolution are generally not recommended for a comfortable experience.

For 3840x2160, no preset is recommended. The best-case scenario is 28.2 FPS on Low, which is below the threshold for acceptable smoothness in an action-stealth game. The Ultra preset at 10.1 FPS is effectively a slideshow. Users should avoid this resolution entirely with this hardware to maintain any semblance of playability.

How This Combo Ranks

The benchmark data shows this combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X and AMD Radeon RX 580 ranks 1679 out of 1795 tested combos for Hitman 2. This places the pairing in the bottom 7% of all tested systems, a poor showing that underscores the significant bottleneck created by the graphics card. The ranking is directly attributable to the GPU’s low percentile score of 53, as the CPU is in the top 17% of all tested processors.

The disparity between the components is stark. While the Ryzen 5 7600X is a top-tier performer in synthetic tests, its power is largely wasted in this configuration. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 13559, which rivals the performance of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570, is insufficient to feed the CPU’s processing capabilities in a gaming workload. This results in the low overall ranking and confirms that the RX 580 is the primary factor limiting the system's performance in Hitman 2.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data reveals a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the frame rates range from 74.6 FPS (Low) to 33.5 FPS (Ultra). The Medium preset delivers 56.7 FPS, and High yields 44.2 FPS. This shows a steady decline in performance as visual fidelity increases, with a 41.1 FPS difference between the lowest and highest settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. The Low preset is the only one to break the 50 FPS barrier, hitting 50.3 FPS. The Medium preset produces 36.9 FPS, and High drops to 25.4 FPS. The Ultra preset is the weakest at this resolution, achieving only 19.8 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra here is 30.5 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates. The Low preset produces 28.2 FPS, which is the highest score at this resolution. Medium follows at 20 FPS, High at 17.2 FPS, and Ultra at 10.1 FPS. The performance penalty for increasing resolution is severe, making 4K gaming impossible with this setup.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is the definitive performance bottleneck in this configuration. Its specifications, such as the 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus providing 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth, are not sufficient for the demands of Hitman 2 at higher settings and resolutions. The GPU’s compute power, rated at 6.175 TFLOPS FP32, is also a limiting factor, as evidenced by its benchmark scores.

The GPU’s percentile rank of 53 and its average benchmark score of 13559, which is virtually identical to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570, clearly show its age. The data indicates that even the Low preset at 1080p, which yields 74.6 FPS, is likely pushing the card to its limits. The dramatic frame rate drops at higher resolutions and settings are a direct result of the Polaris 20 chip's inability to handle the increased rendering load, making it the clear culprit for the combo's low overall ranking.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X provides a robust foundation for gaming, but its performance is heavily underutilized in this pairing. With 6 cores and 12 threads, a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache, the CPU is more than capable of handling the game's logic. Its synthetic benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 24128 and a single-core score of 3406, place it in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs.

The data strongly suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor. The CPU's average benchmark score of 26272 is virtually tied with its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X. However, the combo's poor ranking in Hitman 2 indicates that the CPU's power is being wasted, as the GPU cannot produce frames fast enough to keep it busy. This is a classic case of a high-end processor being held back by an entry-level graphics card from a previous generation.