Hitman 2

Hitman 2 with the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 delivers a highly playable experience at 1080p and 1440p, but the demands of 4K resolution prove too much for the graphics card at higher presets. The benchmark data shows a clear stratification between resolutions, with the system transitioning from a high-refresh-rate champion at 1920x1080 to a 60 FPS-capable machine at 2560x1440, and finally to a 30-60 FPS compromise at 4K. The GPU is the primary bottleneck in this configuration, especially as resolution scales upward, while the 8-core processor provides ample headroom even at lower settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings profile depends entirely on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 1920x1080, the "High" preset is the standout choice. It delivers an average of 104 FPS, which is only 33 FPS lower than the "Low" preset's 183 FPS but provides a significantly better visual experience. The "Medium" preset at 137 FPS is also viable for users with 144Hz displays, but the jump from "Medium" to "High" costs just 33 FPS while offering superior image quality. The "Ultra" preset at 76 FPS remains playable and is suitable for users prioritizing visuals over frame rate, but it represents a 28 FPS drop from "High" for diminishing returns.

At 2560x1440, the "High" preset is the recommended balance. It achieves an average of 66 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. The "Medium" preset at 88 FPS offers a more comfortable margin for high-refresh-rate monitors, but the "Low" preset at 117 FPS is overkill unless competitive play demands maximum frame rates. The "Ultra" preset at 49 FPS dips below the 60 FPS threshold and is not recommended for this resolution unless the user is willing to tolerate occasional stutter.

For 3840x2160, the data presents a challenging scenario. The "Low" preset is the only setting that achieves a playable average of 62 FPS. The "Medium" preset at 47 FPS is borderline, and the "High" preset at 35 FPS is too sluggish for a stealth-action game that benefits from responsive controls. The "Ultra" preset at 26 FPS is unplayable. Therefore, the "Low" preset is the only viable option for 4K gaming with this hardware, and even then, the experience will not be ideal. Users with 4K displays should consider dropping to 1440p for a better experience.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Hitman 2 at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but only with significant compromises. The benchmark data shows an average of 62 FPS at 3840x2160 with the "Low" preset. However, the "Medium" preset drops to 47 FPS, and the "High" preset falls to 35 FPS, making them less viable for smooth gameplay. The "Ultra" preset at 26 FPS is not recommended.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 144Hz monitor at 1080p?

A: The "Medium" preset at 137 FPS is the only option that consistently stays above 144 FPS is not available in the data; the closest is the "High" preset at 104 FPS. For a stable 144Hz experience, the "Low" preset at 183 FPS provides the necessary headroom, but the "Medium" preset at 137 FPS is a better visual trade-off for users with adaptive sync displays.

Q: How does the CPU's core count affect performance in this game?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 has 8 cores and 16 threads, with a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. The benchmark results show that the system can achieve 183 FPS at 1080p "Low" settings, indicating the CPU is not a limiting factor at lower resolutions. The GPU becomes the bottleneck as resolution increases, suggesting the CPU provides more than enough processing power for this title.

Q: Is the RTX 5060 a bottleneck for the Ryzen 7 7700 in this game?

A: Yes, the data indicates the GPU is the primary constraint. At 1920x1080 "Low" settings, the average FPS is 183, but at 3840x2160 "Low" settings, it drops to 62. This 121 FPS reduction across resolution scaling points to the GPU being the limiting component, as the CPU's performance would not degrade in this manner.

Q: What is the average FPS difference between "Low" and "Ultra" settings at 1440p?

A: The measured data shows a 68 FPS difference. The "Low" preset averages 117 FPS, while the "Ultra" preset averages 49 FPS. This large gap highlights the significant GPU load increase from the "Ultra" preset's visual effects.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 1669 out of 3711 tested combinations, placing it in the middle of the pack. This ranking reflects a balanced pairing that performs well at mainstream resolutions but is not a top-tier system for extreme settings.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, is a capable processor for Hitman 2. Its base clock of 3.80 GHz and boost clock of 5.30 GHz, built on the Zen 4 architecture, provide strong single-thread and multi-thread performance. The CPU's benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 18760 and a single-core score of 1930, suggest it can handle the game's AI and simulation workloads without issue.

In this specific configuration, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with enough data to keep it busy. The data shows that at 1920x1080 "Low" settings, the system achieves 183 FPS, which is a high frame rate that indicates the CPU is not limiting performance. Even at the "Ultra" preset at 1080p, the system manages 76 FPS, showing that the CPU can maintain high frame rates when the GPU load is lower. However, as the resolution increases to 2560x1440 and 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and the CPU's utilization likely decreases.

The Ryzen 7 7700's 32 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR5 memory help ensure that game data is readily available. Its PassMark multi-thread score of 34470 and single-thread score of 4063 place it in the 87th percentile among all CPUs, confirming its strong position. For Hitman 2, a title that is not known for extreme CPU demands, this processor provides ample headroom, allowing the GPU to be the determining factor for overall performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 ranks 1669 out of 3711 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places it in the 45th percentile, meaning about 45% of tested systems perform better. This ranking is not surprising given the GPU's position in the market; the RTX 5060 has an average benchmark score of 26331 and sits in the 72nd percentile of all GPUs.

The CPU, however, is a stronger component. The Ryzen 7 7700 has an average benchmark score of 40081 and sits in the 87th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 (0.1% faster), Intel Core 5 221E (0.2% slower), and AMD Ryzen 9 270 (0.4% slower). This indicates the CPU is not the weak link in this pairing.

The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon 860M (0.3% slower) and NVIDIA GeForce MX550 (0.3% slower), show that the RTX 5060 is in a competitive tier, but it is not a high-end card. The combo's mid-pack ranking reflects the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions. The data suggests that this system is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can achieve high frame rates, but it will struggle to maintain playable performance at 4K with high settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and dramatic drop as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the "High" preset, the average FPS falls from 104 at 1080p to 66 at 1440p, a 38 FPS reduction, and then to 35 at 4K, another 31 FPS reduction. This pattern is consistent across all settings presets.

This steep decline in performance strongly indicates that the GPU is the limiting component. The RTX 5060 has 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, which is a modest configuration for 4K gaming. As the resolution increases, the GPU must render more pixels, and the memory bandwidth and processing power become the primary constraints. The CPU's performance does not degrade with resolution, so the 121 FPS drop from 1080p "Low" to 4K "Low" can only be attributed to the GPU.

The data reveals a more pronounced scaling penalty at the "Ultra" preset. From 1080p to 1440p, the FPS drops from 76 to 49, a 27 FPS reduction, and then to 26 at 4K, another 23 FPS drop. This shows that the "Ultra" preset's additional graphical features are disproportionately taxing on the GPU at higher resolutions. For users aiming for 60 FPS, the system can only achieve this at 1440p with the "High" preset or at 1080p with the "Ultra" preset. At 4K, only the "Low" preset manages to stay above 60 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table summarizes the average FPS data for each resolution and settings preset:

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|

| 1920x1080 | Low | 183 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 137 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 104 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 76 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 117 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 88 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 66 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 49 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 62 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 47 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 35 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 26 |

At 1920x1080, the system delivers a wide range of performance. The "Low" preset at 183 FPS is ideal for competitive play, while the "Medium" preset at 137 FPS and "High" preset at 104 FPS offer excellent balance for most users. The "Ultra" preset at 76 FPS remains smooth and is suitable for those who prioritize visual fidelity. The minimum FPS data for the "Medium" preset shows a floor of 117 FPS, indicating consistent performance.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain respectable. The "Low" preset at 117 FPS is still very fast, and the "Medium" preset at 88 FPS provides a solid experience. The "High" preset at 66 FPS is the recommended setting for a 60 FPS target, while the "Ultra" preset at 49 FPS may cause noticeable stutter. The "Medium" preset minimum FPS is 75, showing that drops are possible but not severe.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly. The "Low" preset at 62 FPS is the only playable option, and even it is not ideal for a smooth experience. The "Medium" preset at 47 FPS and "High" preset at 35 FPS are below the 60 FPS threshold and will result in a less responsive game. The "Ultra" preset at 26 FPS is not viable for gameplay. The data clearly shows that 4K gaming is beyond the capabilities of this GPU for this title, except at the lowest settings.