Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER delivers a highly capable Hitman 2 experience, but the data shows that the "Ultra" preset is a trap at higher resolutions. The measured FPS across all settings and resolutions indicates that this combo is best utilized with the "High" preset, which offers the optimal blend of visual fidelity and frame rate. At 1440p, the High preset achieves 113.1 FPS, which is comfortable for high-refresh-rate displays, while the Ultra preset drops to 80.3 FPS—a significant 29% reduction for marginal visual gains. At 4K, the High preset maintains 57.2 FPS, which is playable, but the Ultra preset falls to 43.8 FPS, which dips below the 60 FPS threshold that many players target. The "Medium" preset is a viable fallback if you need to push higher frame rates, delivering 142.5 FPS at 1440p and 76.6 FPS at 4K. Low settings are only recommended for competitive play or extreme frame rate targets, as they push the engine to its limits.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark results clearly show that the "High" preset is the sweet spot for this hardware combination. At 1080p, High settings deliver 174 FPS, which is more than enough for any monitor, while the Ultra preset still provides 125.5 FPS—a solid number but not worth the 28% performance hit. The story changes at 1440p, where High settings hit 113.1 FPS, making it the ideal choice for 144Hz displays. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 80.3 FPS, which is still smooth but leaves performance on the table. At 4K, the High preset's 57.2 FPS is the minimum viable experience for a cinematic stealth game, whereas Ultra at 43.8 FPS will feel sluggish during crowded crowd scenes. The Medium preset is a strong alternative for 4K if you prefer higher frame rates, offering 76.6 FPS, which is a 34% improvement over High. The data suggests that players with 4K displays should start with Medium and tweak up to High if their panel supports adaptive sync. For 1080p and 1440p users, High is the definitive recommendation, as it balances the CPU and GPU loads without introducing stutter.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 5 7600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its benchmark scores indicate strong single-thread performance, which is critical for Hitman 2's game logic and AI systems. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3406 and Geekbench single-core score of 2892 demonstrate that this CPU can handle the per-thread demands of the stealth genre. The multi-threaded performance is also robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 24128, but Hitman 2 does not appear to be heavily multi-threaded based on the frame rate scaling. The CPU's 32 MB of shared L3 cache and DDR5 memory support with 83.2 GB/s bandwidth help feed the GPU efficiently. In the measured results, the CPU is not the bottleneck at lower resolutions, as evidenced by the 299.9 FPS at 1080p Low settings. However, as resolution increases, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, and the CPU's headroom ensures that frame times remain consistent. The processor's 105W TDP and unlocked multiplier make it a practical choice for gaming, and its 83rd percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms it is above average for this workload.

GPU Role

The RTX 4080 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing, featuring 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus with 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth. Its Ada Lovelace architecture, with 10240 shading units and 80 RT cores, provides substantial raw compute power, reflected in its 52.22 TFLOPS FP32 performance. The GPU's boost clock of 2550 MHz and memory clock of 1438 MHz (23 Gbps effective) are well-suited for Hitman 2's detailed environments. The benchmark data shows that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K, where the High preset yields 57.2 FPS—a 67% drop from the 174 FPS at 1080p High. This scaling indicates that the game's visual effects, such as reflections and shadows, are heavily GPU-dependent. The 16 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for Hitman 2, even at 4K Ultra, as the game does not push memory limits based on the consistent performance deltas between settings. The GPU's 88th percentile ranking among all GPUs places it in the top tier, and its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, trails by only 0.2% in average benchmark score, showing this is a high-end part. The 320W TDP and triple-slot design are notable, but performance-wise, the RTX 4080 SUPER is clearly the driving force behind the higher frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Ryzen 5 7600X and RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 131st out of 1795 tested combos for Hitman 2, placing it in the top 7.3% of all configurations. This ranking is impressive given the game's release date in 2018, as newer CPUs and GPUs have entered the market since then. The combo's percentile position suggests that it outperforms the vast majority of systems, but there is room above it for more powerful pairings, such as those with flagship CPUs or higher-tier GPUs. The CPU's nearest rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X, have nearly identical average benchmark scores, with a deltaPct of 0.2%, meaning the 7600X is not leaving performance on the table. The GPU's closest competitors, like the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, are within 0.2% to 2.9% in average score, so the RTX 4080 SUPER is well-positioned. The rank of 131 indicates that while this is a high-end setup, it is not the absolute peak, and players seeking maximum frame rates at 4K Ultra might consider more powerful GPUs. However, for the vast majority of Hitman 2 playstyles, this combo delivers a premium experience without hitting diminishing returns.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear GPU-bound behavior. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 174 at 1080p to 113.1 at 1440p (a 35% decrease) and then to 57.2 at 4K (a further 49% decrease). This steep decline is characteristic of a game that is heavily reliant on pixel throughput and fill rate, which are GPU-limited. The Low preset shows a similar pattern, with 299.9 FPS at 1080p dropping to 193.5 at 1440p and 101 at 4K, indicating that even at minimal settings, the GPU is still the primary constraint. The Ultra preset follows the same trend, with 125.5 FPS at 1080p, 80.3 at 1440p, and 43.8 at 4K. The consistent 4K-to-1080p ratio of roughly 0.33 to 0.35 across all presets suggests that the CPU is not introducing bottlenecks at any resolution. The CPU's strong single-thread performance ensures that frame pacing remains stable, but the data clearly shows that the RTX 4080 SUPER's workload scales with resolution. For players targeting 4K, the Medium preset at 76.6 FPS is the most reasonable choice, as it maintains playability without sacrificing too much visual quality. The scaling also indicates that this combo is best suited for 1440p gaming, where High settings provide a near-ideal balance of speed and fidelity.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for this combo at 1440p?

A: The High preset is the best choice, delivering 113.1 FPS at 1440p. The Ultra preset drops to 80.3 FPS, which is a 29% performance loss for marginal visual improvements, making High the optimal balance.

Q: Can this system run Hitman 2 at 4K 60 FPS?

A: At 4K with the High preset, the average FPS is 57.2, which is below the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset achieves 76.6 FPS at 4K, so you can hit 60 FPS by using Medium settings or by lowering a few specific options.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the system is not CPU-bound, as evidenced by the 299.9 FPS on Low settings. The CPU's strong single-thread performance (Geekbench single-core score of 2892) ensures it can keep up, and the GPU becomes the limiting factor even at 1080p Ultra.

Q: How does this combo compare to similar hardware?

A: This combo ranks 131st out of 1795 tested combinations, placing it in the top 7.3%. The CPU is within 0.2% of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X in average benchmark score, while the GPU is within 0.2% of the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT.

Q: What is the performance difference between High and Ultra settings?

A: Across all resolutions, the Ultra preset is significantly heavier. At 1080p, High yields 174 FPS versus 125.5 FPS for Ultra, a 28% difference. At 4K, High produces 57.2 FPS versus 43.8 FPS for Ultra, a 23% reduction.

Q: Should I use the Low preset for competitive play?

A: The Low preset at 1080p delivers 299.9 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. However, the Medium preset at 224 FPS is still very fast and offers better visuals, so Low is only necessary for the absolute highest frame rates.