Hitman 2

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor built on the Zen 3 architecture (Vermeer codename) using TSMC's 7 nm process. Its base clock sits at 3.80 GHz with a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, supported by a 32 MB L3 cache and 4,150 million transistors on a 74 mm² die. The processor supports DDR4 memory over a dual-channel bus with a peak bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, and its 105 W TDP places it in the mainstream desktop performance tier.

For Hitman 2, a stealth title that relies on complex AI routines, crowd simulations, and dynamic lighting calculations, the CPU's threading capabilities are directly relevant. The 16 threads allow the game engine to distribute NPC behavior, physics, and scene management tasks without bottlenecking the GPU pipeline. Benchmark data shows the 5800X scores 7,586 in 3DMark's 16-thread test and 7,578 at max threads, indicating strong scaling when all cores are engaged. Single-thread performance, often critical for game logic, is reflected in a 3DMark single-thread score of 943 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3,327.

The 5800X's position among rivals is tight. Its average benchmark score of 27,606 places it 0.3% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 (27,535) and 0.4% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE (27,708) and Intel Core i7-13700H (27,716). Against the Intel Core i5-12600KF (27,827), it trails by 0.8%. These are marginal differences, meaning the 5800X's contribution to Hitman 2's frame rates is not a differentiator at most resolutions — the game's performance scales more noticeably with the graphics card.

At 1080p Low settings, the combo reaches 228.4 FPS average, a figure that suggests the CPU is feeding the GPU adequately. The 5800X's 84th percentile ranking among all CPUs further confirms it sits comfortably in the upper tier for gaming workloads. Its 16 threads ensure that Hitman 2's background tasks — such as route planning for NPCs and assassination target behaviors — do not introduce stutter, even when frame rates are high.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is built on the Ampere architecture (GA102 chip) using Samsung's 8 nm process, packing 28,300 million transistors on a 628 mm² die. It operates at a base clock of 1440 MHz with a boost of 1710 MHz, and its memory runs at 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The card is equipped with 10 GB of GDDR6X memory across a 320-bit bus, yielding 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth. Its 8704 shading units, 272 TMUs, and 96 ROPs provide substantial raw throughput, with FP32 performance rated at 29.77 TFLOPS.

In Hitman 2, the RTX 3080's role becomes evident when examining the measured frame rates. At 4K Ultra, the combo averages 30.6 FPS — a playable but not smooth experience. Dropping to 4K High raises this to 44.8 FPS, while 4K Medium yields 60.1 FPS. The 10 GB VRAM buffer is sufficient for the game's textures at 4K, as the data shows no catastrophic drops that would indicate memory swapping. The card's 80th percentile ranking among all GPUs and average benchmark score of 35,787 place it near the AMD Radeon Pro Duo (35,860, 0.2% higher) and AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE (36,101, 0.9% higher), while being 0.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon 880M (35,646) and 1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile (35,435).

The GPU's compute capabilities, reflected in a Passmark G3D score of 25,086, directly influence Hitman 2's rendering of crowds and reflections. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 228.4 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra it still manages 97.9 FPS — indicating that the RTX 3080 is the primary driver of performance at higher settings. The card's 164.2 GPixel/s pixel rate and 465.1 GTexel/s texture rate handle the game's detailed environments without the GPU becoming a bottleneck until 4K Ultra.

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

The measured data shows a clear trade-off between visual fidelity and smoothness across the four presets. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 228.4 FPS, Medium 171.6 FPS, High 130.8 FPS, and Ultra 97.9 FPS. All four are above 60 FPS, so the choice depends on preference. For competitive or high-refresh-rate play, Medium at 1080p (171.6 FPS) offers a significant visual upgrade over Low while maintaining a frame rate that exceeds most 144 Hz displays' capabilities. High (130.8 FPS) is also viable for 144 Hz monitors, but Ultra (97.9 FPS) is better suited to 60 Hz or 75 Hz panels.

At 1440p, the picture shifts. Low yields 146.8 FPS, Medium 106.5 FPS, and High 82.3 FPS, while Ultra drops to exactly 60 FPS. The 60 FPS average at Ultra is playable but leaves no headroom for frame-time spikes. Medium at 1440p (106.5 FPS) provides the best balance for most users, offering a smooth experience on 100 Hz+ displays with a substantial visual improvement over Low. High (82.3 FPS) is a reasonable alternative for those prioritizing fidelity over refresh rate.

At 4K, the situation is more constrained. Low achieves 75.6 FPS, Medium 60.1 FPS, High 44.8 FPS, and Ultra 30.6 FPS. The Medium preset at 60.1 FPS is the only option that hits the 60 FPS target, making it the recommended choice for 4K displays. High (44.8 FPS) is borderline for slower-paced stealth gameplay, but Ultra (30.6 FPS) is best reserved for screenshots or cinematic playthroughs. The data indicates that Medium is the sweet spot across all resolutions — it consistently delivers a frame rate roughly 50% higher than High while only sacrificing some shadow and texture detail.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 ranks 563rd out of 1,795 tested combos in Hitman 2, placing it in the top 31% of all configurations. This mid-tier ranking is somewhat surprising given the individual components' high percentiles (CPU at 84th, GPU at 80th), but it reflects the game's age and the fact that Hitman 2 is not particularly demanding by modern standards. Many newer CPUs and GPUs, even mid-range ones, can achieve similar or better frame rates.

The rank suggests that this combo is not at the bleeding edge for Hitman 2 specifically, but it is far from weak. The 563rd position means there are 562 combos that outperform it, likely featuring newer generation hardware or higher-end SKUs like the RTX 4090 or Ryzen 7000-series processors. However, the 1,232 combos ranked below this pairing include older or lower-tier parts that struggle to maintain 60 FPS at 1440p Ultra.

In practical terms, this ranking aligns with the measured data. At 1080p Ultra (97.9 FPS) and 1440p Medium (106.5 FPS), the combo delivers smooth gameplay, but it does not dominate the leaderboard. The gap between this combo and top-tier configurations is more pronounced at 4K Ultra, where 30.6 FPS is playable but far from the 100+ FPS that flagship GPUs achieve. The rank of 563rd out of 1,795 is consistent with a balanced, upper-mid-range system that excels at 1080p and 1440p but requires settings adjustments at 4K.

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

The measured frame rates reveal how the system's bottleneck shifts as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 228.4 FPS. At 1440p Low, this drops to 146.8 FPS (a 35.7% reduction), and at 4K Low, it falls to 75.6 FPS (a 66.9% reduction from 1080p). This steep decline indicates that even at Low settings, the GPU becomes the limiting factor as pixel count rises. The CPU, with its 16 threads and high single-thread performance, can feed frames at 1080p without issue, but the RTX 3080's rendering workload grows disproportionately with resolution.

The pattern holds across other presets. At High settings, frame rates go from 130.8 FPS at 1080p to 82.3 FPS at 1440p (37.1% drop) to 44.8 FPS at 4K (65.7% drop). At Ultra, the progression is 97.9 FPS → 60 FPS → 30.6 FPS, with the 1440p-to-4K drop being exactly 49%. These consistent percentage declines (roughly 35-37% from 1080p to 1440p, and another 45-50% from 1440p to 4K) are characteristic of a GPU-bound workload. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate would remain flat or decline much less at higher resolutions, as the GPU would have spare capacity.

The data further confirms the GPU bottleneck by comparing Low and Ultra at the same resolution. At 1080p, Ultra (97.9 FPS) is 57% lower than Low (228.4 FPS), showing that increasing graphical settings places additional load on the GPU. At 4K, the same comparison shows Ultra (30.6 FPS) is 59.5% lower than Low (75.6 FPS). The consistency of these drops across resolutions indicates that the RTX 3080's 10 GB VRAM and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the game's assets, but the raw compute throughput is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The 5800X's role is largely resolved by 1440p — beyond that, the GPU's pixel and texture rates dictate the outcome.