Hitman 2

# CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor built on the Zen 4 architecture (codenamed Raphael) using TSMC's 5 nm process. It runs at a base clock of 4.70 GHz and boosts to 5.30 GHz, with a 105 W TDP. This CPU sits in the 79th percentile of all processors in the benchmark database, with an average benchmark score of 27,636.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's contribution is best understood through the measured FPS data. At 1080p Low settings, the combo delivers 145 FPS average, which is the highest frame rate recorded across all configurations. This indicates the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU well beyond typical display refresh rates at lower resolutions. The single-thread performance is strong, as evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1,965 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2,603. Hitman 2's stealth gameplay and AI-driven crowds benefit from solid single-thread performance, and the 7600X's 5.30 GHz boost clock provides that headroom.

The 6-core/12-thread configuration is sufficient for Hitman 2's engine, which scales reasonably across multiple threads. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 6,879 and max-thread score of 6,845 show consistent scaling as thread count increases, suggesting the CPU can handle parallel workloads without significant bottlenecks. The L3 cache is 32 MB shared, which helps with repeated data access patterns common in game logic.

Comparing to nearest rivals, the Ryzen 5 7600X is effectively tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and Intel Core i5-12600K (both with a 0.2% delta in average score), and it sits 0.4% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800. This means in synthetic benchmarks, these CPUs are virtually indistinguishable, but in Hitman 2, the 7600X's higher boost clock gives it an edge in scenarios where single-thread performance matters most.

The CPU's memory support for DDR5 and dual-channel configuration with 83.2 GB/s bandwidth ensures that memory throughput doesn't become a limiting factor in this game. The PCIe Gen 5 support (24 lanes) also future-proofs the platform, though Hitman 2 itself doesn't heavily leverage PCIe bandwidth.

# GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with the TU106 chip, fabricated on TSMC's 12 nm process. It features 2,176 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1470 MHz and boosts to 1650 MHz. Memory consists of 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU sits in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18,093.

In Hitman 2, the GPU's role becomes dominant as resolution increases. At 4K Ultra settings, the combo drops to 21 FPS average, which is unplayable. At 4K High, it manages 28 FPS, still below the playable threshold. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for Hitman 2's textures at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K Ultra, the memory bandwidth and shading power are clearly insufficient.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database show interesting relationships. The RTX 2060 SUPER is 0.4% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile in average score, 0.5% behind the AMD Radeon Pro 5700, 1.5% behind the AMD Radeon RX 460, and 1.6% behind the Intel Arc A770M. These deltas are small, indicating the RTX 2060 SUPER performs at a similar level to these cards in synthetic tests. However, in Hitman 2, the measured FPS tells a more nuanced story about real-world gaming performance.

The GPU's FP32 performance of 7.181 TFLOPS and texture rate of 224.4 GTexel/s are modest by modern standards, which explains the frame rate collapse at 4K. The pixel rate of 105.6 GPixel/s also constrains high-resolution performance. At 1080p, the GPU can push 60 FPS at Ultra (60 FPS average), but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 21 FPS — a 65% reduction.

The RTX 2060 SUPER supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), which is relevant for Hitman 2's DX12 mode. The 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores are present but not heavily utilized in this game, which primarily relies on rasterization. The 175 W TDP and dual-slot design are typical for this performance class.

# Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. Starting at 1080p Low with 145 FPS average, the performance drops to 93 FPS at 1440p Low (a 36% reduction) and further to 49 FPS at 4K Low (a 66% reduction from 1080p). This scaling behavior indicates that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

At Medium settings, the progression is consistent: 109 FPS at 1080p, 69 FPS at 1440p (37% drop), and 37 FPS at 4K (66% drop). The consistency across settings suggests the resolution scaling is purely GPU-limited, as the CPU's workload remains relatively constant while the GPU's pixel output requirements increase.

The High settings show a similar pattern: 82 FPS at 1080p, 52 FPS at 1440p (37% drop), and 28 FPS at 4K (66% drop). At Ultra settings, the drop is even more pronounced: 60 FPS at 1080p, 39 FPS at 1440p (35% drop), and 21 FPS at 4K (65% drop). This uniform scaling percentage across all settings strongly indicates the GPU is the limiting factor.

The fact that the CPU can maintain high frame rates at 1080p Low (145 FPS) proves it is not a bottleneck at lower resolutions. If the CPU were limiting, we would expect to see a plateau effect where FPS stops increasing as settings are lowered at a given resolution. Instead, the FPS continues to rise as settings drop, confirming GPU-bound behavior.

# FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1080p is the only resolution where all settings remain playable. At 1440p, only Low and Medium settings exceed 60 FPS (93 and 69 FPS respectively), while High and Ultra fall below 60 FPS (52 and 39 FPS). At 4K, all settings fall below 50 FPS, making it unsuitable for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 7600X compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The 7600X has an average benchmark score of 27,636, which is 0.2% higher than both the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and Intel Core i5-12600K, and 0.4% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 5800. This places it in a virtual tie with these CPUs for overall performance, though its 5.30 GHz boost clock provides an advantage in single-threaded workloads.

Q: Is the RTX 2060 SUPER's 8 GB VRAM enough for Hitman 2?

A: At 1080p and 1440p, the 8 GB VRAM is sufficient, as evidenced by playable frame rates across all settings at 1080p. At 4K, the VRAM capacity isn't the primary issue — the GPU's compute and bandwidth limitations are the main constraints, as shown by the 49 FPS at Low settings versus 21 FPS at Ultra settings.

Q: What is the minimum FPS at 1440p Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the measured minimum FPS is 59, with an average of 69 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS. This makes 1440p Medium the highest resolution/settings combination that maintains a minimum above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the combo rank among tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 2,631 out of 3,711 total combinations tested in Hitman 2, placing it in the lower third of all tested systems. This is consistent with the GPU's 62nd percentile ranking and the CPU's 79th percentile ranking, indicating the GPU is the weaker component.

Q: What are the CPU's multithreaded performance characteristics?

A: The Ryzen 5 7600X scores 15,236 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 13,858 in Geekbench multicore. The 3DMark scores show scaling from 2,028 (2 threads) to 6,879 (16 threads), demonstrating efficient thread utilization across its 6 cores and 12 threads.

# Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

1080p (1920x1080):

• Low settings: 145 FPS average (the highest measured FPS in the entire dataset)
• Medium settings: 109 FPS average, 92 FPS minimum, 125 FPS maximum
• High settings: 82 FPS average
• Ultra settings: 60 FPS average

1440p (2560x1440):

• Low settings: 93 FPS average
• Medium settings: 69 FPS average, 59 FPS minimum, 80 FPS maximum
• High settings: 52 FPS average
• Ultra settings: 39 FPS average

4K (3840x2160):

• Low settings: 49 FPS average
• Medium settings: 37 FPS average, 31 FPS minimum, 43 FPS maximum
• High settings: 28 FPS average
• Ultra settings: 21 FPS average

The only configuration with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values is Medium settings across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the minimum of 92 FPS and maximum of 125 FPS show a 33 FPS variance. At 1440p Medium, the variance is 21 FPS (59 to 80). At 4K Medium, the variance narrows to 12 FPS (31 to 43), indicating that frame pacing becomes more consistent as GPU utilization increases.

The step from Low to Medium settings at each resolution costs approximately 25-30% of performance. From Medium to High, the drop is another 25% roughly. The step from High to Ultra is the steepest, costing approximately 27% at 1080p (82 to 60 FPS), 25% at 1440p (52 to 39 FPS), and 25% at 4K (28 to 21 FPS). This suggests Ultra settings carry a disproportionate performance penalty relative to the visual upgrade.

# Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For 1080p, the Ultra preset at 60 FPS average is viable if you prioritize visual fidelity and have a 60 Hz display. The High preset at 82 FPS offers a better balance for 75 Hz or 144 Hz displays, providing a 37% performance uplift over Ultra while still delivering strong visuals. The Medium preset at 109 FPS is excellent for high-refresh-rate gaming, and the Low preset at 145 FPS is ideal for competitive play or 144 Hz displays where maximum frame rate matters most.

For 1440p, the Medium preset at 69 FPS average with a 59 FPS minimum is the only configuration that consistently stays above 60 FPS. This makes it the recommended choice for 1440p gaming. The High preset at 52 FPS is playable on a 60 Hz display if you can tolerate occasional drops below 50 FPS, but the Medium preset provides a smoother experience. The Low preset at 93 FPS is the best option for 1440p high-refresh-rate monitors, though the visual compromise may not be worth it for a stealth game where detail matters.

For 4K, no preset is truly playable. The Low preset at 49 FPS is borderline, but the Medium preset at 37 FPS and below falls into unplayable territory. The Ultra preset at 21 FPS is entirely unusable. If you must play at 4K, the Low preset is the only viable option, and even then, the experience will be suboptimal.

The overall recommendation is to target 1080p High or Ultra for the best visual experience, or 1440p Medium for a balance of resolution and performance. The data shows that 1080p Medium (109 FPS) and 1440p Medium (69 FPS) are the sweet spots for this combo, offering smooth gameplay without excessive visual compromise. Given that the combo ranks 2,631 out of 3,711 configurations, it's clear this system is best suited for 1080p gaming with high settings, or 1440p with medium settings. Pushing to 4K should be avoided unless you're willing to accept Low settings and sub-50 FPS performance.