Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 pairing delivers a workable but resolution-sensitive experience in Hitman 2, with 1080p and 1440p both playable at most settings while 4K requires a significant compromise on quality. This analysis uses measured frame rate data only, comparing the combo’s performance across four settings presets and three resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and steep drop as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, which indicates that the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor at higher pixel counts. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 152 FPS at 1080p to 97 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 55 FPS, and then to 52 FPS at 4K, another 45 FPS loss. This pattern—roughly a 36% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a further 46% drop from 1440p to 4K—is consistent with a graphics card that has to work progressively harder to fill more pixels, with the RTX 5050’s 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus becoming a bottleneck at the highest resolution.

At Medium settings, the scaling is similar but slightly less severe in absolute terms. The average climbs from 39 FPS at 4K to 73 FPS at 1440p and then to 114 FPS at 1080p. The gap between 1440p and 4K at Medium is 34 FPS, while the gap between 1080p and 1440p is 41 FPS. This suggests that the GPU’s compute and memory bandwidth are both being taxed at 4K, but the relative penalty for moving to 4K is smaller at Medium than at Low, likely because the lower settings reduce some of the memory pressure.

High settings show a similar trend: 29 FPS at 4K, 55 FPS at 1440p, and 86 FPS at 1080p. The jump from 4K to 1440p is 26 FPS, and from 1440p to 1080p it is 31 FPS. Ultra settings produce the lowest numbers across the board: 22 FPS at 4K, 41 FPS at 1440p, and 64 FPS at 1080p. At Ultra, the 4K result is barely playable, and even 1440p dips below 60 FPS, which indicates that this preset is too demanding for the RTX 5050 at higher resolutions.

The data points to the GPU as the limiting component at 1440p and 4K. At 1080p, the CPU’s role becomes more relevant, but the frame rates are high enough (64–152 FPS depending on settings) that the Ryzen 7 5700X3D’s 8 cores and 16 threads are sufficient to keep up. The CPU has a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, and its 96 MB of shared L3 cache helps with game logic and draw calls, but the scaling pattern here is dominated by pixel throughput. For a player targeting 1440p, the RTX 5050 is the ceiling, and for 4K, the experience is only acceptable at Low or Medium settings, with Low averaging 52 FPS and Medium 39 FPS.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 7 5700X3D is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer, built on a 7 nm process. Its base clock is 3.00 GHz, and it boosts to 4.10 GHz. The processor’s key feature for gaming is the large 96 MB shared L3 cache, which is designed to reduce memory latency and improve performance in titles that rely on frequent data access. In Hitman 2, a stealth game with complex AI and crowd simulations, this cache can help maintain consistent frame pacing, especially in scenes with many NPCs.

Benchmark results put the CPU in context. In Cinebench R23, it scores 22366 in multi-core and 3157 in single-core. In Geekbench, it scores 11086 multi-core and 1849 single-core. The single-core scores are moderate, which matters for a game like Hitman 2 that still relies on a few primary threads for game logic. However, the multi-core results show strong parallel throughput, and the 3DMark tests—6764 in 16-thread, 5357 in 8-thread, and 3097 in 4-thread—indicate that scaling from 4 to 8 to 16 threads is efficient. The single-thread 3DMark score of 804 is lower, but the game’s measured performance at 1080p, where CPU load is highest relative to GPU, shows no obvious bottleneck: even at Ultra settings, the average is 64 FPS, which is above the playable threshold.

The CPU’s nearest rivals, based on average benchmark scores, include the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D with a deltaPct of -0.1%, the AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX at -0.5%, the Intel Core i5-12450HX at +0.5%, and the Intel Core i5-11600 at +0.6%. These deltas are all within 1% of the 5700X3D’s average benchmark score of 24709, so the CPU is effectively tied with those processors in synthetic tests. In Hitman 2, the measured FPS at 1080p suggests that any of these CPUs would produce similar results when paired with the same GPU, because the RTX 5050 is likely the limiting factor at that resolution for most settings, except possibly at Low where the 152 FPS average indicates the CPU is doing more work.

The CPU’s TDP is 105 W, and it supports DDR4 memory with dual-channel configuration and a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. It uses PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes. For this game, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and manage the simulation. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the average FPS is 152, which is high enough that the CPU is not holding back the GPU. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 64 FPS, which suggests the GPU is the main constraint, but the CPU’s cache and multi-threading are sufficient to avoid severe frame drops. The CPU’s percentile rank of 77 among all CPUs indicates it is a strong performer, and its benchmark scores confirm it is well above average for gaming workloads.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 ranks 1837 out of 3001 tested combinations in Hitman 2, placing it in the 61st percentile of all combos. This is a mid-pack ranking, which aligns with the measured frame rates: the combo is capable of smooth 1080p play and decent 1440p, but it is not a top-tier pairing for 4K gaming. The rank of 1837 means that roughly 61% of tested combos perform better in this game, which is expected given that the RTX 5050 is a newer, entry-level GPU in the GeForce 50-series, while the CPU is a strong mid-range option.

The GPU’s average benchmark score is 21035, with a percentile of 66 among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL with a deltaPct of -0.6%, the AMD Radeon HD 8970M at -1%, the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT at +1.6%, and the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile at -1.6%. These deltas are small, meaning the RTX 5050 is closely matched with those GPUs in synthetic benchmarks. The RX 5600 XT, for instance, is 1.6% faster in average score, which places the RTX 5050 just below it. In Hitman 2, the measured FPS at 1440p High (55 FPS) and 1080p Ultra (64 FPS) are consistent with a GPU in this performance class.

The CPU’s rank of 1837 is not directly comparable to the GPU’s percentile, but the combo rank reflects the combined performance. Since the CPU is in the 77th percentile and the GPU is in the 66th percentile, the combo’s overall rank is dragged down by the GPU. This suggests that if a user upgraded the GPU to a faster model, the combo rank would improve significantly, while upgrading the CPU would yield less benefit. The data shows that at 1080p, the combo is still limited by the GPU at Ultra settings (64 FPS), so a faster GPU would help even at that resolution. At 1440p, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, with High settings averaging 55 FPS and Ultra 41 FPS. For 4K, the GPU is severely constrained, with all settings below 52 FPS except Low.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers an average of 152 FPS at Low settings, which is the highest measured value across all resolutions and settings. Medium settings reduce the average to 114 FPS, with a minimum of 97 FPS and a maximum of 131 FPS. High settings produce an average of 86 FPS, and Ultra drops to 64 FPS. These numbers indicate that 1080p is entirely playable at any preset, with even Ultra staying above 60 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 88 FPS, which shows that the settings presets have a large impact on performance at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the averages are lower but still playable for most settings. Low settings yield 97 FPS, Medium averages 73 FPS with a minimum of 62 FPS and a maximum of 84 FPS, High averages 55 FPS, and Ultra drops to 41 FPS. The 1440p Medium result is notable because the minimum of 62 FPS stays above the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting a stable experience. High at 55 FPS is borderline, and Ultra at 41 FPS is below the smooth-playable range. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at each setting shows a consistent reduction: Low drops by 55 FPS, Medium by 41 FPS, High by 31 FPS, and Ultra by 23 FPS. The smaller absolute drops at higher settings indicate that the GPU is already stressed at 1080p Ultra, so moving to 1440p does not penalize it as much proportionally.

At 3840x2160, the results are marginal. Low settings average 52 FPS, which is playable but not smooth. Medium averages 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 45 FPS, High averages 29 FPS, and Ultra averages 22 FPS. None of these meet the 60 FPS target, and only Low is above 30 FPS. The 4K Medium result has a wide range (33–45 FPS), indicating inconsistent frame times, which could lead to stutter in busy scenes. The 4K Ultra result of 22 FPS is essentially a slideshow for a stealth game that requires precise timing. The data shows that 4K is only viable at Low settings, and even then, the experience is not ideal for fast-paced gameplay.

The measured FPS data includes minimum and maximum values only for Medium settings at each resolution. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 97 FPS and the maximum is 131 FPS, a spread of 34 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 62 FPS and the maximum is 84 FPS, a spread of 22 FPS. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 33 FPS and the maximum is 45 FPS, a spread of 12 FPS. This narrowing spread as resolution increases suggests that the GPU’s workload becomes more consistent, but the average frame rate is too low at 4K to be comfortable.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, using the GB207 chip fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It has 2560 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, along with 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores. The base clock is 2317 MHz, and the boost clock is 2572 MHz. The memory configuration is 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 320.0 GB/s. The GPU’s pixel rate is 82.30 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 205.8 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 13.17 TFLOPS.

In Hitman 2, the GPU’s role is dominant at 1440p and 4K. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p at most settings, but at 4K, the memory capacity and bandwidth become limiting. The 128-bit bus and 320 GB/s bandwidth are modest, and the measured FPS at 4K (22–52 FPS depending on settings) reflects this. The GPU’s benchmark scores are moderate: it scores 17326 in PassMark G3D, 90334 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 89381 in Geekbench Vulkan. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 2502. These scores place it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the RX 5600 XT, which is 1.6% faster on average.

The GPU’s power requirements are modest, with a TDP of 130 W and a suggested PSU of 300 W. It uses a single 8-pin power connector and has a dual-slot design. The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, which are all relevant for Hitman 2. The boost clock of 2572 MHz is the key factor in the GPU’s performance at lower resolutions, where it can maintain high frame rates. At 1080p Low, the average of 152 FPS shows that the GPU has enough compute to handle the game’s rendering when the settings are reduced.

At 1440p, the GPU’s performance is more constrained. The 55 FPS average at High settings indicates that the GPU is working near its limits, and the 41 FPS at Ultra confirms that this preset is too heavy. The 4K results are poor across the board, with only Low reaching 52 FPS. This suggests that the RTX 5050 is best suited for 1080p and entry-level 1440p gaming, and that 4K requires significant settings reductions to be playable. The GPU’s 8 GB VRAM is also a concern for 4K, as modern games can exceed that capacity at high resolutions, but in Hitman 2, the frame rate drop from 1440p to 4K is more attributable to the GPU’s compute and bandwidth than to VRAM capacity alone.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combo in Hitman 2 depends on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers the best balance of performance and visual quality. The average of 114 FPS is well above the 60 FPS target, and the minimum of 97 FPS ensures that there are no significant drops. High settings also work at 86 FPS, but the jump from Medium to High costs 28 FPS on average, which might not be worth the visual improvement for some players. Ultra at 64 FPS is playable, but it is the lowest average at 1080p, and the frame rate could dip below 60 in demanding scenes. For a smooth and stable experience, Medium is the recommended preset at 1080p.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset again provides the best experience. The average of 73 FPS is above the 60 FPS threshold, and the minimum of 62 FPS shows that the frame rate stays consistent. Low settings offer a higher average of 97 FPS, but the visual quality is significantly reduced. High settings average 55 FPS, which is below 60 FPS and may result in noticeable stutter. Ultra at 41 FPS is too low for comfortable play. Therefore, Medium is the optimal choice at 1440p, as it delivers a playable frame rate with better graphics than Low.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more difficult. Only Low settings produce an average above 30 FPS, at 52 FPS. Medium averages 39 FPS, which is below the smooth-playable range, and High (29 FPS) and Ultra (22 FPS) are not viable. For 4K, the recommendation is to use Low settings if the player prioritizes frame rate, but even then, the experience is not ideal. A better approach would be to reduce the resolution to 1440p and use Medium settings, which provides a much smoother experience at 73 FPS. The data shows that the RTX 5050 is not suited for 4K gaming in Hitman 2, and players should either accept Low settings at 4K or drop to 1440p for a better overall experience.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot for this combo. At 1080p, it offers 114 FPS with a minimum of 97 FPS; at 1440p, it offers 73 FPS with a minimum of 62 FPS. The consistency of the minimum frame rates (97 and 62, respectively) indicates that Medium settings avoid the severe frame drops seen at higher presets. Low settings are only recommended for players who want maximum frame rates at 1080p (152 FPS) or who are forced to use 4K (52 FPS). High settings are a compromise for 1080p (86 FPS) but fall short at 1440p (55 FPS). Ultra is only usable at 1080p (64 FPS) and should be avoided at higher resolutions. The measured data strongly supports Medium as the default choice for this hardware combination.