Hitman 2

Hitman 2 is a stealth game that scales in a very telling way across the three resolutions tested with the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination. The data shows a clear progression from a CPU-bound scenario at 1080p to a more balanced or GPU-bound scenario at 4K, making this combo highly versatile for different display targets.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is significant but not uniform across all settings, revealing how the workload shifts between the processor and graphics card. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 312 FPS at 1920x1080 to 117 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of roughly 62.5%. This steep decline indicates that at 1080p Low, the RTX 5090 is nowhere near its limits; it's the Ryzen 7 5800XT that's dictating the pace, and once the resolution increases, the GPU starts to do more of the heavy lifting, which brings the frame rate down to a level that still is very playable.

The scaling pattern is similar at Medium settings, where the average drops from 257 FPS at 1080p to 164 FPS at 1440p, and then to 87 FPS at 4K. This is a clear sign that the graphics card is becoming the primary limiter as pixel count rises. The High preset tells a similar story: 194 FPS at 1080p drops to 124 FPS at 1440p and then to 66 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling, with averages of 143 FPS at 1080p, 91 FPS at 1440p, and 49 FPS at 4K. The 49 FPS at 4K Ultra is the only sub-60 FPS result in the entire dataset, suggesting that this setting combination is the most demanding on the system.

What this tells us is that the gap between resolutions is not constant. The difference between 1080p and 1440p is often larger than the difference between 1440p and 4K, particularly at lower settings. For example, at Low settings, the jump from 1080p to 1440p costs 93 FPS, while the jump from 1440p to 4K costs 102 FPS. This suggests that the CPU is still contributing meaningfully at 1440p, but by 4K, the GPU is almost entirely in charge. The data indicates that for a 4K 60Hz display, High settings are the realistic ceiling, while for 1440p, even Ultra is a viable option, and at 1080p, the system is capable of extreme frame rates that far exceed any high-refresh-rate monitor's capabilities.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. Its benchmark results show strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23794, but its single-thread score of 3359 is also solid. In Hitman 2, which is not known for being a heavily multi-threaded title, the single-thread performance is often the deciding factor for high frame rates at lower resolutions.

The data supports this. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 312, which is an exceptionally high number. The fact that the frame rate drops so dramatically when moving to 1440p (219 FPS) and 4K (117 FPS) at the same Low settings suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU far more frames than the GPU can render at higher resolutions. The 5800XT's 3DMark scores are also relevant; its 16-thread score of 7683 and single-thread score of 959 indicate a balanced part that can handle both the game logic and the draw calls that Hitman 2 requires.

Comparing it to its nearest rivals in the database, the Ryzen 7 5800XT is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H, which has an average benchmark score of 29868, resulting in a deltaPct of 0. The 5800XT is also 0.6% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, which has a score of 29713. However, it is 0.3% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS and AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS, which both score 29955. This puts the 5800XT in a tight pack of processors with similar average performance, meaning that in CPU-bound scenarios, the choice between these chips would likely not produce a noticeable difference in Hitman 2's frame rates.

The 5800XT's 32 MB of shared L3 cache is a notable advantage for gaming, as it helps keep frequently accessed data close to the cores. While the game's engine may not be designed to take full advantage of 8 cores, the high boost clock and solid per-core performance ensure that the CPU is not a bottleneck until the frame rates exceed 300 FPS at 1080p. In this specific combo, the CPU's role is to enable those triple-digit frame rates at lower resolutions, while at 4K, it steps back to let the RTX 5090 dictate the final output.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 achieves a combo rank of 112 out of 3711 total combos. This places it in the top 3% of all tested systems, which is an excellent result. The rank reflects the overall performance of the system across various benchmarks and games, and in Hitman 2 specifically, the measured FPS numbers confirm that this is a top-tier configuration.

The high rank is largely driven by the RTX 5090's dominance. The GPU sits in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs and has an average benchmark score of 79842. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB, which scores 79605 and is 0.3% slower, and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, which scores 78940 and is 1.1% slower. The RTX 5090 is also 1.4% faster than the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X, which scores 80959. While these rivals are not typical gaming GPUs, the comparison shows that the 5090 is at the top of the performance hierarchy.

On the CPU side, the Ryzen 7 5800XT is in the 81st percentile of all CPUs. This is a strong showing, but it is not the absolute best. The CPU's average benchmark score of 29879 is very close to its rivals, which means that the GPU is doing most of the work to secure the high combo rank. In Hitman 2, the data suggests that this combo is overkill for 1080p, where the CPU limits performance, but it is perfectly balanced for 4K, where the GPU is the primary driver. The rank of 112 indicates that there are 111 other combos that perform better in aggregate, but many of those likely feature even newer or more expensive CPUs that would offer marginal gains in this specific game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this combo's performance in Hitman 2. At 1920x1080, the system delivers an average of 312 FPS on Low settings, 257 FPS on Medium, 194 FPS on High, and 143 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset also has a recorded min FPS of 218 and a max FPS of 295, which shows a tight frame time distribution. These numbers are all exceptionally high, and even the minimum average at Ultra is well above the refresh rate of most monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are 219 FPS on Low, 164 FPS on Medium, 124 FPS on High, and 91 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset again has detailed data, with a min of 140 FPS and a max of 189 FPS. The performance here is still very strong, with even the Ultra preset staying above 90 FPS, making it a great choice for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 128 FPS, which is substantial, but the overall experience is smooth regardless of the preset.

At 3840x2160, the system averages 117 FPS on Low, 87 FPS on Medium, 66 FPS on High, and 49 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset has a min of 74 FPS and a max of 101 FPS. This is where the system starts to show its limits. While Low and Medium are still comfortably playable, High is borderline for a 60Hz display, and Ultra falls below the 60 FPS threshold. The data shows a clear pattern: the RTX 5090 is powerful enough to handle 4K, but the demands of Ultra settings are too much for it to maintain a high frame rate in this game.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 4K in Hitman 2?

A: Yes, the data shows an average of 66 FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings. However, the Ultra preset only averages 49 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to avoid a CPU bottleneck?

A: At 1920x1080, the frame rates are extremely high (e.g., 312 FPS on Low), which suggests the CPU is the main limiter. Moving to 2560x1440 or 3840x2160 shifts the load to the GPU, making the system more balanced. For a pure GPU-bound scenario, 4K is the best choice.

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

A: The data shows it is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H, with a deltaPct of 0. It is 0.6% faster than the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X, but 0.3% slower than the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS and AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS.

Q: Is the RTX 5090's performance in this game significantly better than its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score of 79842. It is 0.3% faster than the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB and 1.1% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT. It is 1.4% slower than the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average is 49 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings. This is the only measured result that falls below 60 FPS.

Q: Does the Medium preset offer a good balance of performance and quality?

A: Yes, at all three resolutions, the Medium preset provides a significant frame rate boost over High and Ultra. For example, at 4K, Medium averages 87 FPS compared to 66 FPS on High and 49 FPS on Ultra, while presumably offering better visual quality than Low.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 4K gaming, the High preset is the recommended choice, as it delivers an average of 66 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS mark. While Ultra offers better visuals, the drop to 49 FPS makes the game feel less smooth. If a player prioritizes frame rate over absolute visual fidelity, the Medium preset at 4K is a strong alternative, averaging 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS, ensuring a consistent experience.

For 2560x1440 users, the Ultra preset is the best pick, as the data shows an average of 91 FPS. This is high enough to take advantage of 144Hz monitors and provides the best image quality. The High preset at 124 FPS is also excellent if a player wants extra headroom for demanding scenes, but the Ultra preset's performance is more than sufficient. The Low and Medium presets are not recommended here, as they would leave visual quality on the table for no meaningful frame rate gain.

At 1920x1080, the system is capable of massive frame rates, so the recommendation is to use the highest settings possible. The Ultra preset averages 143 FPS, which is still exceptionally smooth and will max out most high-refresh-rate monitors. The High preset at 194 FPS is the choice for competitive players who want the absolute lowest input latency, but the visual difference between High and Ultra is often noticeable. In summary, the data suggests that this combo is best used at 1440p Ultra for a balanced experience, but it can also handle 4K High for a more visually demanding setup.