Hitman 2

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT is an 8-core, 16-thread processor built on the Zen 3 architecture (Vermeer codename) using a 7 nm process at TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz, and its 32 MB of shared L3 cache is typical for this generation. The CPU sits in the 81st percentile of all tested processors, with an average benchmark score of 29879. Its nearest rivals in aggregate performance are the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H (deltaPct 0), the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS (deltaPct -0.3), and the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X (deltaPct 0.6), meaning the 5800XT is essentially tied with these chips in overall compute capability.

For a stealth game like Hitman 2, the CPU's role is primarily in maintaining a stable frame rate floor during scenes with many AI-driven NPCs and complex crowd simulations. The 8-core/16-thread configuration provides substantial headroom for the game's threading model, which can utilize multiple cores for simulation tasks. Benchmark results from Cinebench R23 show a multicore score of 23794 and a single-core score of 3359, indicating strong performance in both heavily threaded and lightly threaded workloads. The single-thread score is particularly relevant for Hitman 2, as the game's main game logic thread often becomes a bottleneck in CPU-limited scenarios. The Passmark single-thread score of 3535 reinforces this, placing the 5800XT well above average for per-core performance.

The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 312 FPS on average, which is well beyond what most displays can show. Even at Ultra settings at 1080p, the average is 140 FPS. The fact that the CPU is not limiting at these frame rates is evident from the scaling pattern: moving from 1080p to 1440p at the same settings reduces FPS by roughly 30-35%, which is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario. At 4K, the frame rates drop further, confirming that the GPU becomes the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The CPU's 3DMark 16-thread score of 7683 and 8-thread score of 6141 suggest it can handle the game's parallel workloads without issue, and the data supports this — the CPU is never the limiting factor in any of the measured configurations.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the flagship of the GeForce 40-series, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering 1.01 TB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2235 MHz with a boost clock of 2520 MHz, and its memory runs at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective). The RTX 4090 sits in the 88th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 60347. Its nearest rivals in aggregate benchmarks include the Intel Arc Pro A60 (deltaPct 0), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (deltaPct 0.3), and the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (deltaPct -2.5), though these comparisons are based on synthetic workload averages rather than gaming-specific performance.

In Hitman 2, the GPU's massive 24 GB VRAM capacity is far beyond what the game requires, even at 4K Ultra settings. The game's texture budgets are modest by modern standards, and the measured FPS data shows that the RTX 4090 is never VRAM-limited. The GPU's raw compute power — 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 performance — allows it to push extremely high frame rates at lower resolutions. The Passmark G3D score of 38194 and the Geekbench Vulkan score of 271631 indicate strong overall graphical compute capability.

The measured FPS data reveals a clear GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 48, while at 1080p Ultra it is 140. This 3x increase in resolution (from 1080p to 4K, which is 4x the pixel count, though the FPS drop is less than 3x) shows that the GPU is the primary constraint at 4K. The RTX 4090's performance at 4K Medium (85 FPS average) and 4K High (65 FPS average) demonstrates that even with this flagship GPU, Hitman 2's higher settings at 4K require compromises. The GPU's 450 W TDP and triple-slot cooler design indicate it is a power-hungry component, but the benchmark results show this power is translated into meaningful frame rate gains across all tested settings.

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

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which settings preset offers the optimal balance between visual quality and performance for this specific CPU-GPU combination. At 1080p, all presets achieve playable frame rates, but the differences are stark. Low settings average 312 FPS, Medium 251 FPS, High 190 FPS, and Ultra 140 FPS. For most players, the Ultra preset at 1080p still delivers 140 FPS on average, which is smooth on high-refresh-rate displays. The Medium preset's minimum FPS of 213 (from the 1080p Medium row) suggests that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate remains well above typical display refresh rates.

Moving to 1440p, the data shows that High settings (121 FPS average) and Medium settings (160 FPS average) both provide excellent experiences. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 89 FPS average, which is still playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. The Medium preset at 1440p has a minimum FPS of 136, ensuring consistent performance. Based on the measured rows, the High preset at 1440p appears to be the sweet spot for visual fidelity and performance, as it maintains an average above 120 FPS while offering better visual quality than Medium.

At 4K, the picture changes significantly. Ultra settings average only 48 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for a smooth experience. High settings at 4K average 65 FPS, barely clearing this bar. Medium settings at 4K average 85 FPS with a minimum of 73 FPS and a maximum of 98 FPS, providing the best combination of visual quality and frame rate stability at this resolution. Low settings at 4K average 114 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play but sacrifices too much visual quality for a stealth game that benefits from detailed environments. The recommendation based on the data is to use Medium settings at 4K for the best overall experience, as the 85 FPS average with a 73 FPS minimum ensures smooth gameplay while maintaining reasonable visual quality.

# FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with Ultra settings for this combo?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 140 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS standard and suitable for high-refresh-rate displays.

Q: Does the RTX 4090's 24 GB VRAM help in Hitman 2?

A: The 24 GB VRAM is far more than Hitman 2 requires at any tested settings. The game does not appear to be VRAM-limited in any of the measured configurations, as frame rates scale consistently with resolution and settings changes.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 5800XT compare to its nearest CPU rivals in aggregate benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 7 5800XT has an average benchmark score of 29879. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H, scores 29868 (deltaPct 0), while the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS scores 29955 (deltaPct -0.3). The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X scores 29713 (deltaPct 0.6), showing the 5800XT is essentially tied with these processors.

Q: What is the minimum FPS at 4K Medium settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 73, with an average of 85 FPS and a maximum of 98 FPS. This indicates consistent performance without significant frame drops.

Q: Which resolution and settings combination provides the highest average FPS?

A: The highest average FPS is achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings, where the combo reaches 312 FPS on average. This is well beyond any display's refresh rate capabilities.

Q: How does the RTX 4090 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in aggregate benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4090 has an average benchmark score of 60347. The Intel Arc Pro A60 scores 60326 (deltaPct 0), the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 scores 60140 (deltaPct 0.3), and the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M scores 61896 (deltaPct -2.5), showing the 4090 is closely matched in synthetic benchmarks despite being a gaming-focused card.

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

The measured FPS data across resolutions reveals a consistent pattern that identifies the GPU as the primary limiting component at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 312 at 1080p to 214 at 1440p (a 31.4% decrease) and further to 114 at 4K (a 63.5% decrease from 1080p). This scaling is close to what would be expected if the GPU were the sole constraint, as the pixel count increases by 2.25x from 1080p to 1440p and by 4x from 1080p to 4K. The fact that FPS does not drop proportionally to pixel count (e.g., a 4x pixel increase only reduces FPS by 63.5% at Low settings) suggests that some other factor, likely CPU overhead, is partially mitigating the GPU load at lower settings.

At Medium settings, the pattern is similar: 251 FPS at 1080p, 160 FPS at 1440p (a 36.3% decrease), and 85 FPS at 4K (a 66.1% decrease from 1080p). The minimum FPS values at Medium settings also scale consistently: 213 at 1080p, 136 at 1440p, and 73 at 4K. These minimums represent the worst-case scenarios, and their proportional scaling (roughly 36% and 66% decreases) mirrors the average FPS scaling, indicating that the GPU is consistently the bottleneck across all scene types.

The High settings data shows 190 FPS at 1080p, 121 FPS at 1440p (a 36.3% decrease), and 65 FPS at 4K (a 65.8% decrease from 1080p). This near-identical scaling across all three settings presets strongly suggests that the GPU is the limiting component at every resolution above 1080p, and even at 1080p, the scaling pattern holds. The Ultra settings data confirms this: 140 FPS at 1080p, 89 FPS at 1440p (a 36.4% decrease), and 48 FPS at 4K (a 65.7% decrease from 1080p). The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings presets is remarkable and points to a GPU-bound scenario throughout the resolution range. The CPU's 8-core/16-thread configuration appears sufficient to feed the RTX 4090 at all tested resolutions, as evidenced by the smooth scaling that would not occur if the CPU were introducing bottlenecks at lower resolutions.

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

The measured FPS data for this combo provides a comprehensive picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average FPS of 312, the Medium preset averages 251 FPS with a minimum of 213 FPS and a maximum of 288 FPS, the High preset averages 190 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 140 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 172 FPS, representing a 55.1% reduction in average FPS when moving from the lowest to the highest quality preset. This wide spread indicates that the RTX 4090 has substantial headroom at 1080p, even at Ultra settings.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 214 FPS, the Medium preset averages 160 FPS with a minimum of 136 FPS and a maximum of 184 FPS, the High preset averages 121 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 89 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 125 FPS, a 58.4% reduction. The minimum FPS at Medium settings (136 FPS) is notably higher than the average FPS at Ultra settings (89 FPS), highlighting the performance cost of the Ultra preset. The 1440p Medium preset's minimum FPS of 136 is still above the 120 FPS threshold, making it an excellent choice for high-refresh-rate gaming.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 114 FPS, the Medium preset averages 85 FPS with a minimum of 73 FPS and a maximum of 98 FPS, the High preset averages 65 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 48 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 66 FPS, a 57.9% reduction. The Ultra preset's 48 FPS average is the only measured configuration that falls below 60 FPS, making it unsuitable for smooth gameplay on standard displays. The Medium preset's minimum FPS of 73 ensures that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate remains above 60 FPS. The High preset's 65 FPS average is marginal for 60 FPS displays, as minimum FPS values are not provided for this configuration, suggesting potential dips below the average.

# How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT combined with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 156th out of 3711 tested combos in Hitman 2, placing it in the top 4.2% of all systems tested for this game. This ranking is notable given that the RTX 4090 is an end-of-life product (released in September 2022) and the Ryzen 7 5800XT is a 2024 release, creating an interesting pairing of a current-generation CPU with a previous-generation flagship GPU. The combo's rank of 156 out of 3711 indicates that there are 155 tested combinations that achieve higher performance in Hitman 2, which is a small fraction of the total test pool.

The ranking reflects the GPU-bound nature of Hitman 2 at higher resolutions. The RTX 4090's percentile of 88 among all GPUs places it in the top 12% of graphics cards, while the CPU's percentile of 81 places it in the top 19% of processors. The combination of a top-tier GPU with a high-end CPU results in a system that sits near the top of the overall leaderboard, but the fact that it is not in the top 100 suggests that other combinations with more recent flagship GPUs or faster CPUs can achieve higher frame rates in this game. The 4K Ultra average of 48 FPS is the weakest result for this combo, and systems with more powerful GPUs (which would rank higher in the GPU percentile) would naturally achieve better 4K performance. The 1080p Low average of 312 FPS, however, demonstrates that this combo is capable of extreme frame rates when the GPU is not the primary constraint, and the ranking of 156 reflects a system that excels across most tested configurations while being slightly less competitive at the most demanding 4K Ultra settings.