Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is a formidable combination for Hitman 2, a stealth title that rewards both high frame rates and consistent performance. This pairing leverages an 8-core, 16-thread Zen 2 processor with a 32 MB L3 cache alongside a 10 GB GDDR6X memory buffer on a 320-bit bus. The data shows that this combo handles the game's crowds and complex lighting with authority, though the RTX 3080's power means that the CPU becomes the primary bottleneck at lower resolutions. The benchmark results indicate that users can expect a highly playable experience at 1440p and a solid 4K experience, provided settings are managed appropriately.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance ranking of this CPU and GPU combo in Hitman 2?

A: The Ryzen 7 3700X and RTX 3080 combo ranks 549th out of 1795 tested combinations, placing it in the upper third of all systems tested for this title.

Q: Can this combination run Hitman 2 at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 resolution, the system achieves an average of 45.4 FPS on High settings and 61.1 FPS on Medium settings. However, the Ultra preset drops to 30.2 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target most players prefer.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE?

A: The RTX 3080's average benchmark score is 35787, which is 0.9% lower than the Radeon RX 7900 GRE's score of 36101. This makes the two cards effectively equivalent in raw compute performance, with the RTX 3080 being marginally slower.

Q: What is the CPU's standing relative to its closest competitors?

A: The Ryzen 7 3700X has an average benchmark score of 28631. This places it 0.1% behind the Intel Core i5-12600 (score 28654) and 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT (score 28591). It is essentially tied with both in overall processing power.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combination?

A: The FACT PACK does not include minimum or maximum FPS data for any resolution or settings combination. Only average FPS figures are provided.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance more significantly at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the system hits 228.8 FPS on Low settings, which is a very high frame rate. This suggests the GPU is not the limiting factor at this resolution; instead, the CPU's single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2694) is likely the primary constraint, as the frame rate does not scale linearly with settings changes.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is built on the Ampere architecture with a GA102 chip and features 8704 shading units. Its memory subsystem is particularly noteworthy for a game like Hitman 2, which loads large, detailed environments. The card is equipped with 10 GB of GDDR6X memory running at 19 Gbps effective, which provides 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth over a 320-bit bus. This high bandwidth is crucial for streaming texture data at high resolutions without causing hitches.

The GPU's clock speeds are set to a base of 1440 MHz with a boost clock of 1710 MHz. The data shows that these clocks are sufficient to drive very high frame rates in Hitman 2 when the resolution is lowered. For instance, at 1080p Low settings, the system produces 228.8 FPS, indicating that the GPU has ample headroom. The card also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, which is relevant for the game's modern rendering features. With a PassMark G3D score of 25086 and a percentile ranking of 80 against all GPUs, the RTX 3080 is a high-performance part that sits just 0.2% behind the AMD Radeon Pro Duo in average score.

The relationship between VRAM and clock speed is evident in the measured results. At 4K Ultra, where the demand on VRAM and memory bandwidth peaks, the average FPS drops to 30.2. This is a steep decline from the 77.8 FPS seen at 4K Low, showing that the Ultra preset's additional effects and texture quality heavily tax the 10 GB frame buffer and the GPU's compute units. The card's 29.77 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is the engine behind the high frame rates at lower settings, but the data clearly indicates that the Ultra preset at 4K exceeds what this configuration can comfortably handle.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 130.7 FPS at 1920x1080 to 83.6 FPS at 2560x1440, and then down to 45.4 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 65.3% drop in performance from 1080p to 4K, which is consistent with the increased pixel count and the heavier load on the RTX 3080's memory bandwidth and shading units.

The scaling pattern changes depending on the settings preset. On Low settings, the system achieves 228.8 FPS at 1080p, 145.2 FPS at 1440p, and 77.8 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 36.5%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 46.4%. This indicates that at lower settings, the CPU becomes a more significant factor at 1080p, preventing the frame rate from scaling fully with the GPU's capability. At 4K Low, the GPU is still able to leverage its raw power to produce a playable 77.8 FPS.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings grows with resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low (228.8 FPS) and Ultra (97.7 FPS) is 131.1 FPS. At 1440p, the difference narrows to 83.0 FPS (145.2 vs 62.2). At 4K, the gap shrinks further to 47.6 FPS (77.8 vs 30.2). This pattern suggests that as resolution increases, the GPU becomes the sole limiting component, and the performance difference between settings presets diminishes in absolute terms, though the relative impact of Ultra settings remains severe.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 secures the 549th position out of 1795 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places it in the top 30.6% of all systems, which is a strong result for a pair of components that are not the absolute latest generation. The ranking reflects the balance between the 8-core CPU and the high-end GPU.

The CPU's performance is a key factor in this ranking. The Ryzen 7 3700X scores 28631 on average across all benchmarks, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12600, is only 0.1% faster, making them functionally identical in this game's physics and AI computations. This means the CPU is not a weak link in the chain.

The GPU's contribution is even more significant. The RTX 3080 sits in the 80th percentile of all GPUs, and its average score of 35787 is within 1% of the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE. The combo's rank of 549 is a direct result of this high GPU performance. While not a top-tier ranking, it demonstrates that this setup is well above the median system, capable of delivering high frame rates in Hitman 2 at mainstream resolutions, with the caveat that the most demanding preset at 4K will require compromises.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system provides a wide range of performance depending on the preset. On Low settings, it achieves an average of 228.8 FPS, which is far beyond what a standard 60 Hz or even 144 Hz monitor can display. Medium settings deliver 172.8 FPS, and High settings produce 130.7 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 97.7 FPS, which is still highly playable and smooth on most high-refresh-rate displays.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong. Low settings average 145.2 FPS, Medium settings hit 109.4 FPS, and High settings produce 83.6 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 62.2 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold and acceptable for most players, though it leaves little headroom for drops during intense scenes. This resolution appears to be the sweet spot for this combo, offering a balance between visual fidelity and performance.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 3080's 10 GB of memory and 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth are pushed harder. Low settings yield 77.8 FPS, which is a solid result for 4K. Medium settings drop to 61.1 FPS, still playable. High settings average 45.4 FPS, which is a significant compromise. Ultra settings at 4K are the weakest result in the dataset, with an average of just 30.2 FPS, making this preset impractical for a smooth experience.

Settings Recommendations

For the best overall experience, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 is the recommended starting point. The data shows this combination produces an average of 109.4 FPS, which is exceptionally smooth and leaves ample headroom for demanding scenes. This preset offers a significant improvement over High settings (83.6 FPS) in terms of frame rate stability, while the visual difference between Medium and High in Hitman 2 is often less pronounced than the performance cost suggests.

If the user prioritizes visual quality at 1440p, the High preset at 83.6 FPS is a strong choice. It provides a more detailed image with better shadow and texture quality while maintaining frame rates that are well-suited for a 144 Hz monitor. The Ultra preset at 62.2 FPS is also viable, but the 21.4 FPS drop from High to Ultra may not justify the visual gains for all users.

For 4K gaming, the Medium preset is the most balanced option, delivering 61.1 FPS. This is the only 4K preset that consistently stays above the 60 FPS mark. The Low preset at 77.8 FPS is even smoother and is recommended for competitive play or for users who prioritize frame rate above all else. The High and Ultra presets at 4K should be avoided for a comfortable experience, as their average frame rates of 45.4 and 30.2 FPS respectively are below what most players consider acceptable for a stealth action game.