Hitman 2

# CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor built on the Zen 4 (Phoenix) architecture, manufactured on a 4 nm process by TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, drawing a 65 W TDP. The processor's cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 16 MB of L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU demonstrates strong scaling from its dual-thread score of 1874 in 3DMark to a max-thread score of 6165, indicating that the 12 threads are effectively utilized as workload parallelism increases.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and handle game logic, AI routines, and physics calculations. The single-thread performance, measured at 951 in 3DMark single-thread and 2943 in Cinebench R23 single-core, is critical for this title, as Hitman 2's engine benefits significantly from high per-core throughput. The 4.70 GHz boost clock ensures that the processor can maintain high frequencies during gameplay, which translates into consistent frame pacing. The multi-threaded capability, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 20851, provides headroom for background tasks and any additional threads the game spawns, though the game's reliance on fewer, faster cores means the single-thread performance is the more decisive factor.

The CPU sits in the 82nd percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 25064. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X with a nearly identical score of 25057 (0% delta), the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340 at 25099 (-0.1% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F at 24993 (0.3% delta). This placement indicates that the 8400F is competitive with these older and newer parts, though none of these rivals are specifically highlighted in Hitman 2's measured results, emphasizing that the CPU's performance in this game is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the paired GPU at most settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data for Hitman 2 with this CPU-GPU combination reveals a clear trade-off between visual fidelity and frame rate across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 207 FPS, while Medium yields 156.9 FPS and High produces 114.5 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 85.4 FPS. Given that the game is a stealth title where smooth motion and quick reaction times matter, the High preset at 1080p offers an excellent balance: it maintains well above the 60 FPS threshold while providing substantially better visual quality than Low or Medium. The data indicates that High at 1080p is the sweet spot for competitive play, as the 114.5 FPS average leaves enough headroom for demanding scenes without sacrificing visual clarity.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales similarly: Low averages 133 FPS, Medium 99.9 FPS, High 72.3 FPS, and Ultra 52.5 FPS. Here, the Medium preset is the recommended choice for a smooth experience, as it stays above 90 FPS while offering improved textures and effects over Low. The High preset at 72.3 FPS is also viable for players prioritizing image quality, but the Medium preset provides a more comfortable margin above 60 FPS, reducing the risk of drops during crowded or explosion-heavy sequences. Ultra at 1440p falls below 60 FPS, making it less desirable for consistent gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes more constrained: Low averages 69.3 FPS, Medium 53 FPS, High 38.8 FPS, and Ultra 31.4 FPS. For 4K gaming, the Low preset is the only option that maintains a playable frame rate above 60 FPS, and it does so at 69.3 FPS. Players seeking higher visual fidelity at 4K will need to accept sub-60 FPS performance, as the Medium preset at 53 FPS is borderline, and High and Ultra are below 40 FPS. The data suggests that the optimal experience across all resolutions is achieved by selecting High at 1080p or Medium at 1440p, depending on the display's native resolution.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is built on the Ampere architecture with a GA104 chip, fabricated on Samsung's 8 nm process. It features 8 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a memory bandwidth of 608.3 GB/s. The GPU's base clock is 1575 MHz with a boost clock of 1770 MHz, and its memory operates at 1188 MHz with a 19 Gbps effective data rate. The card includes 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 96 raster operation units, along with 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores. Its FP32 performance is rated at 21.75 TFLOPS, and the GPU has a TDP of 290 W, requiring a 600 W suggested power supply.

In Hitman 2, the GPU is the primary determinant of frame rates at higher resolutions and settings. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is adequate for the game's textures at 1080p and 1440p, though at 4K with Ultra settings, memory pressure may contribute to the lower 31.4 FPS average observed. The high memory bandwidth of 608.3 GB/s ensures that texture streaming and scene data are delivered efficiently, which is crucial for the game's detailed environments and crowds. The GPU's compute capabilities, reflected in its Passmark G3D score of 23356 and Geekbench OpenCL score of 137518, support the game's lighting and shadow calculations.

The GPU ranks in the 74th percentile of all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 30849. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 590 GME at 30755 (0.3% delta), the AMD Radeon RX 6700 at 31112 (-0.8% delta), and the NVIDIA Quadro M5000 at 31142 (-0.9% delta). This positioning indicates that the RTX 3070 Ti is a mid-range to upper-mid-range performer, and the measured FPS in Hitman 2 confirms that it can handle the game at high settings in 1080p and 1440p, but struggles at 4K beyond Low settings. The GPU's boost clock of 1770 MHz allows it to sustain performance under load, and the pixel rate of 169.9 GPixel/s ensures efficient rasterization for the game's geometry.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and preset combination for the smoothest gameplay?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo achieves 114.5 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides good visual quality. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 99.9 FPS is the best balance, while at 3840x2160, only Low at 69.3 FPS maintains playable frame rates.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance affect Hitman 2?

A: The Ryzen 5 8400F scores 951 in 3DMark single-thread and 2943 in Cinebench R23 single-core, which are strong results. Since Hitman 2 relies heavily on per-core throughput for game logic and AI, these scores indicate the CPU can maintain high frame rates without bottlenecking the GPU at most settings.

Q: Is the 8 GB VRAM sufficient for Hitman 2 at 4K?

A: The 8 GB GDDR6X memory is sufficient at 1080p and 1440p, but at 3840x2160, the Ultra preset drops to 31.4 FPS and High to 38.8 FPS, suggesting that VRAM capacity and bandwidth are limiting factors at higher resolutions. Low at 4K achieves 69.3 FPS, indicating the GPU can handle the resolution with reduced textures.

Q: How does this CPU compare to its nearest rivals in overall performance?

A: The Ryzen 5 8400F has an average benchmark score of 25064, which is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X at 25057 (0% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F at 24993 (0.3% delta ahead). It trails the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340 at 25099 by a 0.1% margin.

Q: What is the expected frame rate at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 72.3 FPS. This is above 60 FPS, making it a viable option for players with 1440p monitors who prefer higher visual quality over maximum frame rates.

Q: Does the GPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks align with its in-game results?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti scores 23356 in Passmark G3D and 3478 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. These scores, combined with its 74th percentile ranking, align with the in-game results: strong at 1080p and 1440p, but weaker at 4K where the measured FPS drops below 40 at High and Ultra settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti ranks 720th out of 1795 tested combinations in Hitman 2, placing it in the 60th percentile of all combos (since 720/1795 is approximately the 40th percentile from the bottom, meaning it performs better than about 60% of all tested systems). This mid-tier ranking reflects the balanced nature of the pairing: the CPU's strong single-thread performance and the GPU's solid rasterization capabilities work well together, but neither component is top-tier, and the GPU's 4K limitations pull the overall ranking down.

The combo's performance in Hitman 2 demonstrates that it is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can achieve high frame rates at medium-to-high settings. The rank of 720 out of 1795 indicates that there are many faster combinations, likely featuring higher-end GPUs like the RTX 3080 or better, or CPUs with more cores and higher clocks. However, the data also shows that this pairing is far from the bottom, outperforming more than half of all tested configurations.

The CPU's 82nd percentile ranking and the GPU's 74th percentile ranking suggest that the combo is evenly matched, with neither component severely bottlenecking the other in most scenarios. The measured FPS data supports this: at 1080p, the difference between Low (207 FPS) and Ultra (85.4 FPS) is substantial, indicating that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher settings, while the CPU maintains consistent performance across all presets. At 4K, the GPU's limitations become apparent, with even Medium settings (53 FPS) falling below the 60 FPS target, reinforcing the ranking's mid-tier placement. Overall, this combo is a capable 1080p and 1440p gaming solution, but it is not optimized for 4K gaming at high visual fidelity.