Hitman 2

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor built on the Zen 2 architecture (codename Matisse) using a 7 nm process. It runs at a 3.60 GHz base clock and boosts up to 4.40 GHz, with 32 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support at 51.2 GB/s. This CPU sits in the 85th percentile of all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 28631. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12600, scores 28654, a delta of -0.1%, meaning the 3700X is essentially tied with that chip. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT is 0.1% behind, and the AMD EPYC 7203P is 0.2% behind.

In Hitman 2, the measured frame rates across all resolutions and settings show that this CPU has enough headroom to feed the RTX 5060, but the balance shifts depending on how heavy the graphics load is. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo hits 180.7 FPS average — that is a CPU-bound scenario where the 3700X's single-thread and multi-thread performance is being pushed hard. The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 19087 and single-core score of 2694 indicate strong sustained throughput, which matters for a game that simulates AI, crowd behavior, and complex hitman sandbox logic. The 8-core/16-thread layout is well-suited for the game's background simulation threads, while the 4.40 GHz boost clock handles the main game thread that dictates the upper frame rate ceiling.

At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 25.8 FPS — that is a clear GPU-bound situation, as the CPU is not the limiting factor when the RTX 5060 is struggling with pixel throughput. The data shows the 3700X does not bottleneck the RTX 5060 at lower resolutions; rather, the GPU's capabilities cap the performance as resolution and settings increase. The CPU's multi-threaded scores, such as 8016 in Cinebench R20 and 22458 in Passmark multithread, correlate with the game's ability to maintain consistent frame pacing in crowded areas. The 3700X's 65 W TDP and 7 nm process mean it runs cool enough to sustain boost clocks during extended sessions, which is relevant for maintaining those 180 FPS averages without thermal throttling.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 3700X compare to its closest rival in raw benchmark scores?

A: The 3700X averages 28631 across all benchmark tests, while the Intel Core i5-12600 scores 28654 — a delta of -0.1%, meaning they are statistically identical. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT is 0.1% slower, and the AMD EPYC 7203P is 0.2% slower. The 3700X sits in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, so it outperforms most processors on the market.

Q: What is the best settings preset at 1080p for this combo?

A: At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers 138.4 FPS average, while High delivers 105.2 FPS. Low gives 180.7 FPS, but that sacrifices visual quality. The sweet spot is Medium — it keeps the frame rate well above 120 FPS while retaining more graphical detail than Low. Ultra drops to 73.5 FPS, which is still playable but not ideal for a stealth game where smooth camera panning matters.

Q: Is the RTX 5060 the bottleneck at 4K Ultra?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 Ultra, the combo averages 25.8 FPS, while at 1080p Ultra it averages 73.5 FPS. The CPU's performance is constant across resolutions, so the 4K drop is entirely due to the GPU's pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth (448.0 GB/s on an 8 GB GDDR7 interface). The RTX 5060's 19.18 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is not enough to maintain playable frame rates at 4K with max settings.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested CPU+GPU pairings in Hitman 2?

A: The combination ranks 859th out of 1795 tested combos, placing it in the upper-middle tier. This means about 48% of tested systems outperform it, while 52% are slower. Given that the GPU sits in the 73rd percentile and the CPU in the 85th, the rank reflects a balanced pairing where neither component severely limits the other.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average is 66.3 FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings. This is a solid 60+ FPS experience, though not enough for high refresh rate monitors. If you want higher frame rates at 1440p, dropping to Medium gives 88.1 FPS, and Low gives 117.1 FPS.

Q: Does the 3700X hold back the RTX 5060 at any resolution?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 180.7 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's maximum achievable frame rate in this game. If a faster CPU were paired with the same GPU, that number might increase slightly, but the 3700X's 16 threads and 4.40 GHz boost clock keep it competitive. At 1440p and above, the GPU becomes the primary limiter, so the CPU has no negative impact.

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

The measured data provides four presets at each of three resolutions. For a 60 FPS target, the minimum viable setup is 1440p High at 66.3 FPS, which clears that bar comfortably. At 1080p, you have more headroom: High gives 105.2 FPS, Medium gives 138.4 FPS, and Low gives 180.7 FPS. If you own a 144 Hz monitor, 1080p Medium is the best choice — it delivers 138.4 FPS, which is close enough to the refresh rate to feel smooth, and the Medium preset retains more visual fidelity than Low. Ultra at 1080p drops to 73.5 FPS, which is still above 60 but not worth the graphical cost unless you prioritize shadows and reflections.

At 1440p, the situation changes. Medium at 88.1 FPS is the best balance for a 60-90 Hz display, while High at 66.3 FPS is acceptable for 60 Hz panels. Low at 117.1 FPS is the only option that approaches high refresh rates at this resolution, but it forces you to sacrifice too much detail for a stealth game where you need to spot enemies from distance. Ultra at 51.5 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold, so it is not recommended.

At 4K, none of the presets are ideal. Low at 62 FPS is the only preset that clears 60 FPS, but it looks noticeably worse than Medium (47.5 FPS) or High (36.1 FPS). Ultra at 25.8 FPS is unplayable. The data suggests that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combo if you want both quality and smoothness. The best experience overall is 1080p Medium (138.4 FPS) or 1440p Medium (88.1 FPS), depending on your monitor's native resolution. The 8 GB VRAM on the RTX 5060 is sufficient for these settings, as Hitman 2 is not a VRAM-heavy title at these presets.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 pairing ranks 859th out of 1795 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places it in the 48th percentile of all systems — slightly below the median. The rank is determined by actual measured frame rates across the tested presets and resolutions, not by theoretical compute power.

To contextualize this rank: the CPU is in the 85th percentile of all processors, and the GPU is in the 73rd percentile of all graphics cards. If both components performed at their percentile levels, you might expect a higher overall rank. The gap suggests that Hitman 2's performance is constrained by something beyond raw compute — possibly the game's engine is sensitive to memory latency or cache behavior, where the 3700X's 32 MB L3 cache is adequate but not exceptional. The RTX 5060's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus (448.0 GB/s bandwidth) may also limit performance in certain scenes, even though the game is not typically VRAM-bound.

Compared to the GPU's nearest rivals, the RTX 5060 is effectively tied with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT (delta 0%) and the NVIDIA Tesla M60 (delta 0.5%). The RTX 5070 Mobile is 0.6% faster in synthetic benchmarks. This means the GPU is not a standout performer in its class — it is average. The CPU's nearest rivals are all within 0.2% of its average score, so the 3700X is also mid-pack among its peers. The combination of two average-performing components yields a below-median gaming rank in this specific title.

That said, 859th out of 1795 is not a poor result — it means roughly 900 other combos are slower, and many of those use older or weaker hardware. The rank reflects that this is a competent mid-range pairing, not a high-end one. If you are building a system and see this rank, you should not expect top-tier performance in Hitman 2, but you also will not be left with an unplayable experience at reasonable settings.

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

The measured data shows a clear pattern: as resolution increases, average FPS drops consistently across all settings. At Low settings, the combo goes from 180.7 FPS at 1080p to 117.1 FPS at 1440p (a 35% drop) and then to 62 FPS at 4K (a 47% drop from 1440p). At High settings, the progression is 105.2 → 66.3 → 36.1 FPS, with respective drops of 37% and 46%. At Ultra, the numbers are 73.5 → 51.5 → 25.8 FPS, dropping 30% then 50%.

The scaling behavior reveals that the GPU is the primary limiter at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to push frame rates as high as 180.7 FPS on Low. When you double the pixel count from 1080p to 4K (3840x2160 has four times the pixels of 1920x1080), the frame rate does not quarter — it drops to roughly one-third of the 1080p value at every setting. This non-linear scaling indicates that the RTX 5060's rasterization throughput (19.18 TFLOPS FP32) and memory bandwidth (448.0 GB/s) are insufficient to maintain proportional performance as pixel count increases.

If the CPU were the bottleneck, you would expect the FPS to remain relatively flat across resolutions at each settings level. Instead, the data shows a steep decline, which is the classic signature of GPU-bound performance. At 4K Ultra, the 25.8 FPS average is barely above a slideshow, confirming that the RTX 5060 cannot handle that workload. The 8 GB GDDR7 memory is also a factor — at 4K with Ultra textures, the VRAM capacity may be exceeded, causing texture swapping that further reduces frame rates.

The practical takeaway: this combo is best used at 1080p or 1440p. At 1080p, you can play with Medium or High settings and stay above 100 FPS. At 1440p, you should stick to Medium or High to stay above 60 FPS. At 4K, only Low settings are playable, and even then at just 62 FPS. The CPU is not the limiting factor at any resolution — it has more than enough power to drive the GPU to its maximum.

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

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 180.7 FPS average — the highest frame rate measured for this combo in any configuration. This is a CPU-bound scenario, showing the 3700X's ability to push high FPS when the GPU has little work to do.
• Medium: 138.4 FPS average — a 23% drop from Low, reflecting the increased GPU load from better textures and lighting.
• High: 105.2 FPS average — a further 24% drop from Medium, still well above 100 FPS and smooth for most displays.
• Ultra: 73.5 FPS average — a 30% drop from High, but still above 60 FPS. This is the highest quality preset that remains playable at 1080p.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 117.1 FPS average — a 35% drop from 1080p Low, showing the GPU's pixel throughput becomes a factor.
• Medium: 88.1 FPS average — a 25% drop from 1080p Medium, still comfortably above 60 FPS.
• High: 66.3 FPS average — a 37% drop from 1080p High, just barely above 60 FPS.
• Ultra: 51.5 FPS average — a 30% drop from 1080p Ultra, now below 60 FPS and showing the GPU struggling with max settings.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 62 FPS average — the only 4K preset that clears 60 FPS, but it requires minimal graphical settings.
• Medium: 47.5 FPS average — a 23% drop from 1440p Medium, below the 60 FPS threshold.
• High: 36.1 FPS average — a 46% drop from 1440p High, making it difficult to play smoothly.
• Ultra: 25.8 FPS average — a 50% drop from 1440p Ultra, essentially unplayable for a stealth game that requires precise timing.

The data across all 12 measured configurations shows a consistent pattern: the RTX 5060 is the bottleneck at every resolution above 1080p Low. The CPU's performance is sufficient to deliver high frame rates in CPU-limited scenarios (1080p Low), but the GPU's compute and memory limitations cap performance as resolution and settings increase. For the best experience, target 1080p Medium (138.4 FPS) or 1440p Medium (88.1 FPS) — both offer smooth frame rates with acceptable visual quality. Avoid 4K Ultra (25.8 FPS) and 4K High (36.1 FPS) entirely, as they are below playable thresholds.