Hitman 2

# CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor built on the Zen 3 architecture (codenamed Vermeer) using TSMC's 7 nm process. It operates at a 3.40 GHz base clock and boosts up to 4.60 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a shared 32 MB L3 pool. This configuration places it in the 79th percentile among all CPUs in the database.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's 16 threads provide ample headroom for the game's AI, physics, and scene-management workloads. The game's stealth mechanics rely heavily on simulating NPC behaviors and pathfinding across large, densely populated maps — tasks that scale well with the 5700X's multi-threaded throughput. The 3dmark_16_threads score of 6858, combined with a max-thread score of 6850, indicates that the CPU maintains consistent performance as thread count increases, which suits Hitman 2's tendency to use multiple cores for crowd and guard simulations.

Single-thread performance is equally important for this title, as the game's core loop — rendering a single viewpoint with complex geometry and lighting — still depends on the primary thread. The 3dmark_single_thread score of 921 and Cinebench R23 single-core result of 1499 show solid per-core capabilities. The boost clock of 4.60 GHz ensures that the main thread can push through frame-time spikes when the player enters a new area or triggers a scripted sequence.

The CPU's nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12600K, shows an identical average benchmark score of 27578 with a 0% deltaPct, meaning these two processors are statistically indistinguishable in general-purpose workloads. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800 and Intel Core Ultra 5 125H are within 0.2% and 0.3% respectively, while the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X trails by 0.2%. For Hitman 2 specifically, this means the 5700X sits at the center of a tightly clustered group of mid-range-to-high-end desktop and mobile chips, none of which would create a meaningful CPU bottleneck at the tested resolutions.

# GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a 40-series GPU based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, fabricated on TSMC's 5 nm process with 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die. It carries 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's base clock is 2205 MHz with a boost clock of 2505 MHz, while memory runs at 1400 MHz (22.4 Gbps effective). The 9728 shading units, 304 TMUs, and 112 ROPs provide the raw pixel and texture throughput needed for high-resolution rendering.

Hitman 2 is a visually dense game — its levels feature intricate interior lighting, reflective surfaces, and large crowds. The RTX 4080's 16 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for the game's texture sets at any resolution. The measured frames show that the GPU is the dominant factor in this pairing. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 43, while the CPU alone could handle the workload far beyond that. The GPU's 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs, combined with a PassMark G3D score of 34457, places it in the upper echelon of graphics hardware.

The RTX 4080's nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, has an average score of 54209 with a 0.1% deltaPct, making them effectively equivalent. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X trails by 1.1%, while the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB and AMD Radeon 8060S are 2.6% and 2.7% behind, respectively. This indicates that the RTX 4080 sits at a clear performance tier — there is no competitor within striking distance except its own SUPER variant.

At 1080p, the GPU's 299 FPS average on Low settings suggests the RTX 4080 is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions; instead, the CPU's single-thread ceiling caps the frame rate. As resolution increases, the GPU becomes progressively more loaded, which is visible in the scaling from 1080p to 4K.

# Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a clear picture of how settings affect performance. At 4K, the jump from Low (103 FPS) to Medium (77 FPS) costs 26 FPS, and from Medium to High (58 FPS) costs another 19 FPS. The leap from High to Ultra (43 FPS) costs 15 FPS, leaving Ultra at a borderline-playable 43 FPS. For a stealth game where precision timing matters, the 66 FPS minimum recorded on 4K Medium makes that preset the safest playable option at this resolution.

At 1440p, High settings deliver 110 FPS average, which is smooth for the vast majority of displays. Medium sits at 145 FPS with a minimum of 123 FPS, and Low reaches 193 FPS. Ultra at 1440p still manages 81 FPS, which is playable but demonstrates the heavy cost of the Ultra preset. The data suggests that 1440p High offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance headroom.

At 1080p, every preset is playable. Low hits 299 FPS, Medium averages 227 FPS with a minimum of 193 FPS, High averages 172 FPS, and Ultra still reaches 126 FPS. The 1080p Ultra result of 126 FPS indicates that even the most demanding preset leaves the CPU as the primary constraint, since the GPU has ample headroom to render the scene.

The recommendation depends on the target resolution. For 4K, choose Medium — the 66 FPS minimum ensures no stutter during crowded scenes. For 1440p, High is the sweet spot. For 1080p, Ultra provides a high frame rate without sacrificing visual quality. Low settings are only necessary for extreme refresh-rate chasing, where 299 FPS at 1080p might benefit a 240 Hz or 360 Hz display.

# How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 306th out of 3711 tested combos in Hitman 2, placing it in the top 8.2% of all configurations in the database. This ranking reflects the GPU's strength — the RTX 4080's 86th percentile among GPUs is the dominant factor, while the CPU's 79th percentile is secondary.

The gap between the combo's rank (306th) and the GPU's percentile (86th) suggests that the CPU is holding the system back slightly at lower resolutions. At 1080p, where the GPU is not the bottleneck, the frame rates are limited by the CPU's single-thread performance. If paired with a faster CPU, the same GPU might achieve a higher combo rank, but the current pairing still outperforms the vast majority of tested systems.

The combo's position in the top 8.2% means it outranks roughly 3405 other combinations. This is a strong result for a mid-generation CPU paired with a high-end GPU. The 5700X's 8 cores and 16 threads are sufficient to avoid severe CPU stalls in Hitman 2, but the game's engine does not fully utilize all 16 threads, so the single-thread score of 921 becomes more relevant at high frame rates.

# Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 172 at 1080p to 110 at 1440p (a 36% reduction) and then to 58 at 4K (a 47% reduction from 1440p). This scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 4080 is becoming increasingly GPU-bound as resolution rises.

At Low settings, the drop is even steeper: from 299 FPS at 1080p to 193 FPS at 1440p (a 35% drop) and then to 103 FPS at 4K (a 47% drop from 1440p). The consistent ~35-47% reduction per resolution step suggests that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors at 4K, while the CPU remains capable of feeding the GPU frames at lower resolutions.

The Medium preset shows a similar pattern: 227 FPS at 1080p, 145 FPS at 1440p (a 36% drop), and 77 FPS at 4K (a 47% drop). The Ultra preset drops from 126 FPS at 1080p to 81 FPS at 1440p (a 36% drop) and then to 43 FPS at 4K (a 47% drop). This uniform scaling across all presets confirms that the GPU is the bottleneck at 4K, while at 1080p, the CPU's single-thread ceiling of around 299 FPS (Low) is the constraint.

The fact that 1080p Low (299 FPS) is nearly three times the 4K Low (103 FPS) highlights the GPU's resolution-dependent workload. At 1080p, the RTX 4080 has spare capacity — the CPU's 3dmark_single_thread score of 921 caps the frame rate. At 4K, the GPU's 716.8 GB/s memory bandwidth and 280.6 GPixel/s pixel rate become the determining factors.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080:

• Low: 299 FPS average (no min/max recorded)
• Medium: 227 FPS average, 193 FPS minimum, 261 FPS maximum
• High: 172 FPS average (no min/max recorded)
• Ultra: 126 FPS average (no min/max recorded)

2560x1440:

• Low: 193 FPS average (no min/max recorded)
• Medium: 145 FPS average, 123 FPS minimum, 167 FPS maximum
• High: 110 FPS average (no min/max recorded)
• Ultra: 81 FPS average (no min/max recorded)

3840x2160:

• Low: 103 FPS average (no min/max recorded)
• Medium: 77 FPS average, 66 FPS minimum, 89 FPS maximum
• High: 58 FPS average (no min/max recorded)
• Ultra: 43 FPS average (no min/max recorded)

The Medium preset is the only one with complete min/max data across all resolutions, which provides insight into frame-time stability. At 1080p Medium, the range is 193-261 FPS, a spread of 68 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range narrows to 123-167 FPS (44 FPS spread). At 4K Medium, the range compresses to 66-89 FPS (23 FPS spread). This narrowing with resolution indicates that the GPU's consistent frame pacing at higher resolutions reduces variance, while at 1080p, CPU-bound frame times introduce more fluctuation.

The minimum FPS at 4K Medium (66 FPS) is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, but the 4K High average of 58 FPS falls below it. For players targeting 60 FPS at 4K, Medium is the only viable preset, as High and Ultra average 58 FPS and 43 FPS respectively.

# FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X a bottleneck for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 in Hitman 2?

A: At 1080p, the CPU's single-thread performance limits the frame rate to approximately 299 FPS on Low settings, which is below the GPU's potential. At 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, as seen in the FPS drop from 103 (Low) to 43 (Ultra). The CPU's 79th percentile ranking versus the GPU's 86th percentile indicates a slight mismatch at lower resolutions.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 4K gameplay?

A: Medium at 4K delivers a 77 FPS average with a 66 FPS minimum, which is the only 4K preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS. High averages 58 FPS and Ultra averages 43 FPS, both below the 60 FPS target.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 54209, which is 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080's 54247. This 0.1% deltaPct places the two cards within statistical noise, meaning they perform identically in practice.

Q: Does the 5700X's 8-core/16-thread configuration help in Hitman 2?

A: The CPU's 3dmark_16_threads score of 6858 and max-thread score of 6850 show that it maintains performance across all threads, which is useful for the game's AI simulations. However, the single-thread score of 921 is more relevant for the game's main rendering thread, and the 1080p frame rate ceiling of 299 FPS suggests the primary thread is the constraint.

Q: What is the frame-time variance like at different resolutions?

A: The Medium preset shows the most complete data: at 1080p, FPS ranges from 193 to 261 (68 FPS spread); at 1440p, from 123 to 167 (44 FPS spread); and at 4K, from 66 to 89 (23 FPS spread). Higher resolutions produce tighter frame-time distribution.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations in Hitman 2?

A: The combo ranks 306th out of 3711 tested combinations, placing it in the top 8.2% of all systems. This is consistent with the GPU's strong 86th percentile ranking, while the CPU's 79th percentile is slightly lower.