Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER combination delivers a playable but constrained experience in Hitman 2, with performance heavily dictated by graphics settings and resolution. The data shows a system capable of high refresh rates at 1080p but one that falls below 30 FPS at 4K Ultra, revealing a clear GPU bottleneck at higher resolutions.

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is a desktop processor built on the Zen 2 architecture, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads. Its base clock is 3.60 GHz, which can boost up to 4.40 GHz. With a 65 W TDP and a 32 MB L3 cache, this CPU is designed for balanced multi-threaded workloads. In the context of Hitman 2, a stealth game that relies on complex AI and simulation, the 16 threads provide ample headroom for background tasks and game logic.

Benchmark data places this CPU in the 85th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 28631. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12600, scores 28654, a delta of only -0.1%, indicating near-identical overall compute performance. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT is 0.1% ahead with 28591, while the AMD EPYC 7203P trails by 0.2% with 28583. These tight margins suggest the 3700X is well-positioned in its performance class.

For Hitman 2, the CPU's 16 threads are more than sufficient to handle the game's engine at 1080p, where the measured FPS ranges from 59.6 at Ultra to 143 at Low. At these lower resolutions, the CPU is not the primary limiting factor; the data indicates that the graphics card takes over as the main constraint. However, the CPU's single-thread performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R20 single-core score of 1131, ensures that the game's main simulation thread runs smoothly, preventing stutter even when frame rates are high.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is a Turing-architecture GPU with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1470 MHz with a boost of 1650 MHz, and the memory runs at an effective 14 Gbps. This configuration offers a solid foundation for 1080p and 1440p gaming, as the 8 GB VRAM is adequate for Hitman 2's textures at most settings.

The GPU holds the 63rd percentile among all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 19774. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN, scores 19706, a 0.3% delta, showing the 2060 SUPER is marginally faster. The RTX 2070 is 0.5% behind with 19680, while the Quadro K5200 and Tesla K40m trail by 0.8% and 1.3%, respectively. These comparisons indicate the 2060 SUPER sits at a competitive performance tier.

In Hitman 2, the GPU's role becomes dominant as resolution increases. At 4K, the average FPS drops to 27.9 on High and 21.8 on Ultra, showing the card's 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is insufficient for 4K at high detail. The 8 GB VRAM is not the bottleneck here; rather, the raw shading power limits the card. At 1080p, however, the GPU provides ample performance, with 82.2 FPS on High and 143 on Low, indicating the card excels in lower-resolution scenarios where pixel throughput is less demanding.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern across resolutions. At 1080p High, the system achieves 82.2 FPS, which drops to 54.6 at 1440p and 27.9 at 4K. This represents a 33.6% decrease from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 48.9% decrease from 1440p to 4K. Similarly, at Ultra settings, the frame rate falls from 59.6 at 1080p to 41.7 at 1440p and 21.8 at 4K.

This steep decline indicates a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU's 16 threads and 3.60 GHz base clock are sufficient to feed the GPU at 1080p, but as pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K, the RTX 2060 SUPER's 7.181 TFLOPS becomes the limiting factor. The 8 GB VRAM remains constant across resolutions, so the bottleneck is purely computational. At Low settings, the pattern holds: 143 FPS at 1080p falls to 93.2 at 1440p and 47.1 at 4K, confirming that the GPU's shading units are the constraint.

The data suggests that for a 60 FPS target, 1080p is the sweet spot, as even High settings achieve 82.2 FPS. At 1440p, only Low settings exceed 60 FPS with 93.2, while Medium and High fall to 71.8 and 54.6, respectively. At 4K, no setting reaches 60 FPS, with Low being the only option above 30 FPS at 47.1. This indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER is a 1080p-oriented card for Hitman 2, with 1440p requiring reduced settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this system to maintain 60 FPS?

A: At 1080p, all settings except Ultra achieve above 60 FPS, with High at 82.2 FPS and Medium at 108.9 FPS. At 1440p, only Low settings reach 60 FPS with 93.2 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in overall performance?

A: The Ryzen 7 3700X scores 28631 on average, which is 0.1% behind the Intel Core i5-12600's 28654. This indicates near-identical compute performance.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all graphics cards?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER sits in the 63rd percentile, with an average benchmark score of 19774, placing it above the RTX 2070 by 0.5%.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM limit performance at 4K?

A: The data does not show VRAM as the limiting factor; instead, the GPU's 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is the constraint, as FPS drops to 21.8 at 4K Ultra.

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

A: At 1080p, Low settings achieve 143 FPS while Ultra drops to 59.6 FPS, a difference of 83.4 FPS, showing a 58.3% reduction from Low to Ultra.

*Q: How does the system rank among all tested combinations in Hitman 2?*

A: The combination ranks 1261 out of 1795 total combos, indicating it is in the lower-middle tier for this game's performance.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data suggests that High settings at 1440p provide a balanced experience, offering 54.6 FPS, which is playable for a stealth game that does not require twitch reflexes. However, for a smoother experience, Medium at 1440p delivers 71.8 FPS, a 31.5% improvement over High, with only a minor visual fidelity loss. At 1080p, High is the recommended preset, as it achieves 82.2 FPS, well above the 60 FPS threshold, and provides a good balance between visual quality and performance.

Ultra settings are not recommended, as they drop below 60 FPS at 1080p (59.6 FPS) and fall to 41.7 at 1440p. At 4K, no setting is ideal, but Low at 47.1 FPS is the only option above 30 FPS, making it the only playable choice for 4K. For users prioritizing frame rate, Low at 1440p (93.2 FPS) or 1080p (143 FPS) offers the smoothest experience, but this sacrifices significant visual detail. The data shows that Medium at 1440p is the optimal compromise, providing 71.8 FPS while maintaining acceptable graphics quality.

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

1920x1080:

• Low: 143 FPS
• Medium: 108.9 FPS
• High: 82.2 FPS
• Ultra: 59.6 FPS

At 1080p, the system shows a wide spread, with Low achieving 143 FPS and Ultra dropping to 59.6. The gap between Medium and High is 26.7 FPS, while High to Ultra is a 22.6 FPS drop. This resolution is clearly GPU-bound, as even the highest settings remain playable.

2560x1440:

• Low: 93.2 FPS
• Medium: 71.8 FPS
• High: 54.6 FPS
• Ultra: 41.7 FPS

At 1440p, the frame rates compress, with Low at 93.2 FPS and Ultra at 41.7 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 21.4 FPS, and from Medium to High is 17.2 FPS. Only Low and Medium exceed 60 FPS, indicating that higher settings require a more powerful GPU.

3840x2160:

• Low: 47.1 FPS
• Medium: 38.4 FPS
• High: 27.9 FPS
• Ultra: 21.8 FPS

At 4K, all settings fall below 50 FPS, with Low at 47.1 FPS being the only option above 30 FPS. The Ultra setting at 21.8 FPS is the lowest measured, showing a 53.7% reduction from Low. This resolution is severely GPU-limited, and the RTX 2060 SUPER cannot maintain playable frame rates at higher detail levels.