Hitman 2

Hitman 2, a stealth title from 2018, presents an interesting test for the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination. The measured data reveals how this pairing handles the game’s engine across different resolutions and presets. The 8-core, 16-thread Zen 3 processor, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, pairs with the Ada Lovelace GPU, which has a base clock of 1980 MHz and a boost of 2475 MHz. This analysis will break down the measured FPS to understand where the bottlenecks lie and how to best configure the game.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is significant and reveals a clear shift in system load. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 264.9 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 Low drops that to 167.9 FPS, a reduction of 97 FPS. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls further to 91.5 FPS. This scaling pattern suggests that at lower resolutions, the game is heavily reliant on the CPU’s ability to feed frames. The Ryzen 7 5800X’s strong single-thread performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3327, is likely a key factor in achieving those high frame rates at 1080p.

The pattern continues in the High preset. At 1080p High, the average is 153.1 FPS. At 1440p High, it is 99.1 FPS, and at 4K High, it drops to 49.7 FPS. The performance hit between each resolution step is substantial. The transition from 1080p to 1440p results in a 54 FPS loss, while moving from 1440p to 4K costs another 49.4 FPS. This indicates that as resolution increases, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, with its 504.2 GB/s memory bandwidth and 12 GB of GDDR6X VRAM being taxed by the higher pixel counts.

The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling. The frame rate goes from 108.1 FPS at 1080p, to 71.3 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 35.4 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is particularly steep, a 35.9 FPS decrease. This suggests that the Ultra preset’s effects, likely including higher draw distances and more complex lighting, are far more demanding on the GPU’s compute resources. The data implies that the RTX 4070 SUPER, while powerful with its 35.48 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, is challenged at 4K with the most demanding settings.

The scaling between Low and Ultra at the same resolution also highlights the GPU’s role. At 1080p, the difference between Low (264.9 FPS) and Ultra (108.1 FPS) is 156.8 FPS. At 4K, the same settings gap is 56.1 FPS (91.5 vs 35.4). This compression of the FPS range at higher resolutions is a classic sign that the GPU is saturated. The CPU has enough headroom, but the GPU cannot render the additional visual complexity of the higher presets at 4K quickly enough. The data shows a system that is well-balanced at 1440p, but clearly GPU-bound at 4K and CPU-bound at 1080p.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear picture of which preset offers the best experience. The Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot for this hardware combination. At 1080p Medium, the average is 194.4 FPS, which is still far above the refresh rate of most monitors. At 1440p Medium, the average is 126.1 FPS, providing a smooth experience for high-refresh-rate displays. Even at 4K Medium, the average of 68.6 FPS is playable and a significant improvement over the High preset’s 49.7 FPS.

The jump from Medium to High is substantial in terms of visual fidelity, but the performance cost is also high. At 1440p, dropping from High (99.1 FPS) to Medium (126.1 FPS) grants a 27 FPS advantage. This headroom could be used to enable other features or simply ensure a more stable frame time. For players with a 144Hz monitor, the 1440p Medium setting is the only preset that consistently stays near that target, as High dips to 99.1 FPS.

The Low preset is the only way to approach maximum frame rates, hitting 264.9 FPS at 1080p. However, the visual compromise is likely too severe for a game that relies on atmosphere and environmental detail. The Ultra preset, while visually impressive, is not recommended for competitive play or for maintaining high refresh rates. At 1440p Ultra, the average of 71.3 FPS is below the 100 FPS mark that many users prefer. At 4K Ultra, the 35.4 FPS average is below the standard for a smooth experience.

Given the data, the Medium preset offers the best balance of performance and visual quality. It provides a 126.1 FPS average at 1440p, which is 27 FPS higher than High and 54.8 FPS higher than Ultra at the same resolution. This setting ensures the game remains fluid while still delivering a detailed image. For 4K users, Medium is also the recommended starting point, as it is the only preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS, hitting 68.6 FPS.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X’s specifications suggest it is more than capable for Hitman 2. With 8 cores and 16 threads, it has ample parallelism for the game’s simulation and AI systems. Its boost clock of 4.70 GHz is high, and the Zen 3 architecture is known for strong instructions-per-clock performance. The benchmark data supports this, showing a PassMark single-thread score of 3445 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3327.

The CPU’s role is most evident at 1080p with lower settings. The fact that the system can reach 264.9 FPS at 1080p Low suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this scenario. The frame rate is likely limited by the game’s engine or the GPU’s ability to process draw calls at that speed. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 7586 and the max-thread score of 7578 indicate consistent multi-threaded performance, which is beneficial for maintaining high frame rates in busy scenes.

However, the CPU’s performance does not translate into higher frame rates at 4K. The data shows that at 4K, the frame rates are much lower, and the difference between settings is more pronounced. This indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at this resolution. The CPU is likely waiting for the GPU to finish rendering frames, meaning its strong multi-threading is not fully utilized. The PassMark multi-thread score of 27732 and the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23571 show that the CPU has significant headroom, but it is not the constraining component in 4K scenarios.

The relationship between the CPU and the game’s results is one of a capable foundation. The Ryzen 7 5800X provides enough processing power to ensure that it is not the primary bottleneck at lower resolutions. Its performance percentile of 84 versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27606, places it well above the median. This allows the GPU to be the deciding factor in frame rates, which is the expected behavior for a modern gaming system.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 99.1.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 SUPER able to maintain 60 FPS at 4K?

A: At 4K with Medium settings, the average is 68.6 FPS, which is above 60. With High settings, the average drops to 49.7 FPS, and with Ultra, it falls to 35.4 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU’s single-thread performance compare to its multi-thread performance in this game?

A: The CPU’s strong single-thread performance, with a Cinebench R23 score of 3327, helps maintain high frame rates at 1080p. Its multi-thread capabilities, with a score of 23571, provide a solid base but are not the main factor at higher resolutions where the GPU is the bottleneck.

Q: What is the best preset for a 144Hz monitor at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 1440p, which averages 126.1 FPS, is the only preset that comes close to sustaining a 144Hz refresh rate. The High preset averages 99.1 FPS, and Ultra averages 71.3 FPS.

Q: How much faster is the Low preset compared to Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the Low preset averages 264.9 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 108.1 FPS. This represents a 156.8 FPS difference.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing, and its role becomes more critical as resolution increases. The GPU has 12 GB of GDDR6X VRAM on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. Its boost clock of 2475 MHz and 7168 shading units give it substantial compute throughput. The PassMark G3D score of 29995 confirms its strong performance, with a percentile of 84 versus all GPUs.

The data shows the GPU’s influence clearly. At 1080p, the frame rates are high across all settings, but the differences between presets are large, indicating that the GPU is still working to render the additional effects. At 4K, the GPU is the sole limiting factor. The 4K Ultra result of 35.4 FPS shows that the RTX 4070 SUPER is not powerful enough to handle the most demanding settings at that resolution. The 4K High result of 49.7 FPS is also below 60, suggesting that even High settings are too demanding for a smooth 4K experience.

The VRAM allocation is likely not a primary issue, as 12 GB is generally sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming. The bottleneck appears to be the raw compute performance and memory bandwidth. The transition from 1440p to 4K increases the pixel count by 2.25 times, and the frame rate drops by roughly half in most presets, which aligns with the GPU’s fill-rate limitations. The GPU’s performance in this game is strong at 1440p and below, but it is clearly stretched at 4K.

The RTX 4070 SUPER’s architecture, Ada Lovelace, supports features like DLSS, but the measured data does not include any upscaling tests. The raw performance numbers show a GPU that is excellent for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming and capable of 4K at medium settings. Its average benchmark score of 42576 places it near the top tier, but Hitman 2’s engine at 4K Ultra is a significant challenge for it.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured data provides a detailed look at performance. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are: Low 264.9 FPS, Medium 194.4 FPS, High 153.1 FPS, and Ultra 108.1 FPS. This shows a steady decline as settings increase, with a total drop of 156.8 FPS from Low to Ultra. The gap between Medium and High is 41.3 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is 45 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the results are: Low 167.9 FPS, Medium 126.1 FPS, High 99.1 FPS, and Ultra 71.3 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 96.6 FPS. The scaling is more linear here, with each settings tier costing roughly 27-28 FPS, except for the jump from High to Ultra, which costs 27.8 FPS. This suggests a balanced load between CPU and GPU at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the results are: Low 91.5 FPS, Medium 68.6 FPS, High 49.7 FPS, and Ultra 35.4 FPS. The total drop from Low to Ultra is 56.1 FPS. The scaling shows that the GPU is becoming the primary constraint. The difference between Low and Medium is 22.9 FPS, between Medium and High is 18.9 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 14.3 FPS. The diminishing returns in FPS loss at higher settings indicate that the GPU is running out of resources.

The data also shows the impact of resolution at the same settings. For example, at High settings, the frame rate goes from 153.1 FPS at 1080p to 99.1 FPS at 1440p to 49.7 FPS at 4K. This represents a 67.5% drop from 1080p to 4K. At Low settings, the drop is from 264.9 FPS to 91.5 FPS, a 65.5% reduction. These percentages are similar, suggesting that the resolution scaling is consistent regardless of the preset.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination ranks 334 out of 1795 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places it in the top 18.6% of all tested systems. The rank of 334, while solid, is not at the very top, which is expected given that there are more powerful and newer components available. The combo’s performance is strong, but it does not dominate the charts.

This ranking reflects the balance of the two components. The RTX 4070 SUPER, with its percentile of 84 versus all GPUs, is a high-end part. The Ryzen 7 5800X, also with a percentile of 84 versus all CPUs, is a capable processor. The combination of two 84th-percentile parts results in a system that is well above average but not in the top tier. The data shows that the system is capable of high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but it falls behind more expensive, higher-end combos at 4K with maximum settings.

The combo rank of 334 is likely influenced by the fact that newer CPUs and GPUs offer better performance in this specific game. However, for the vast majority of users, this ranking indicates a very playable experience. The system can handle 1440p at high refresh rates and 4K at medium settings. The ranking reflects the fact that this pairing is a solid choice for Hitman 2, offering a good balance of CPU and GPU power. It is not an entry-level system, nor is it a top-tier enthusiast build, but it sits comfortably in the upper-middle range of performance.