Hitman 2

Hitman 2, a 2018 stealth title, shows remarkable scaling behavior on the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti combination. The benchmark data reveals a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, but transitions to a more balanced state at 1080p. The measured frame rates across three resolutions and four quality presets provide a clear picture of where each component’s headroom lies, and the results are surprisingly consistent for a game of this era.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and tells a clear story about the limiting component. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 166.9 at 1920x1080 to 103.3 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 63.6 FPS or roughly 38%. Moving from 1440p to 4K (3840x2160) drops the average further to 55 FPS, a 46.8% decline from the 1440p figure. This steep, consistent decline indicates the RTX 5070 Ti is the primary bottleneck as pixel count rises, with the Ryzen 7 7700 having ample headroom to feed the GPU.

The scaling pattern is even more pronounced at the lowest settings. At Low preset, the system delivers 291 FPS at 1080p, which falls to 186.5 FPS at 1440p and then to 99 FPS at 4K. The 1080p-to-1440p drop is 104.5 FPS, while the 1440p-to-4K drop is 87.5 FPS. This near-linear scaling with resolution strongly suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor even at 1080p Low, where the frame rate is exceptionally high. If the Ryzen 7 7700 were struggling, we would expect to see a plateau or a much smaller delta between 1080p and 1440p, but the data shows no such flattening.

Conversely, the Ultra preset shows the most severe scaling. The system produces 118.6 FPS at 1080p, 78.7 FPS at 1440p, and only 44 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is less than half the 1080p Ultra result, emphasizing how quickly the GPU’s resources are exhausted by the combination of high resolution and maximum graphical fidelity. The data implies that for a smooth 4K experience, players must make significant compromises in settings, as even High struggles to maintain 60 FPS.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, appears to be more than sufficient for Hitman 2’s demands. The CPU’s base clock of 3.80 GHz and boost clock of 5.30 GHz, combined with the Zen 4 architecture, provide strong single-threaded performance. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1049 and the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4136 highlight the processor’s capability in lightly-threaded workloads, which is typical for game logic and draw call processing.

In multithreaded scenarios, the CPU’s 16 threads deliver a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 29302, which is a strong result for an 8-core part. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 8484 is nearly identical to the max-thread score of 8479, indicating that the CPU scales well with additional threads and is not bandwidth-constrained. For Hitman 2, a game from 2018, the data suggests the CPU is rarely the performance limiter. The fact that the 1080p Low preset reaches 291 FPS without a plateau implies that even the most demanding CPU scenarios in this title are easily handled.

The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7940H and Intel Core i9-13905H, have average benchmark scores that are within 0.6% of the Ryzen 7 7700. This indicates that the 7700’s performance is highly competitive, and any frame rate differences in Hitman 2 would be negligible. The CPU’s percentile rank of 91 among all CPUs suggests it is a top-tier performer, further supporting the conclusion that it is not the bottleneck in this configuration.

FAQ

Q: Does the Ryzen 7 7700 bottleneck the RTX 5070 Ti in Hitman 2?

A: No. The data shows frame rates scale consistently with resolution and settings, with no sign of a CPU-imposed ceiling. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 291 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra it reaches 118.6 FPS, which are high values that indicate the GPU is the deciding factor.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain a 60 FPS average?

A: At 4K High, the average FPS is 55, which is below 60. However, at 2560x1440 High, the average FPS is 103.3, and at 1920x1080 High, it is 166.9. All 1440p and 1080p presets exceed 60 FPS, making those resolutions safe for a smooth experience.

Q: How much of a performance drop is there from High to Ultra settings?

A: The drop is significant. At 1080p, the average FPS falls from 166.9 on High to 118.6 on Ultra, a 48.3 FPS reduction. At 1440p, it falls from 103.3 to 78.7, and at 4K, it falls from 55 to 44.

Q: Is the RTX 5070 Ti’s performance closer to the RTX 4080 or the RX 7700S?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score is 52086, which is essentially identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080’s score of 52085, with a delta of 0%. The AMD Radeon RX 7700S has a score of 52505, which is 0.8% higher, making the 5070 Ti slightly closer in performance to the RTX 4080.

Q: Can this system run Hitman 2 at 4K with a high refresh rate?

A: No, not with the measured data. The highest 4K average FPS is 99 at Low settings, but this drops to 55 at High and 44 at Ultra. A high refresh rate display (e.g., 144Hz) would require 1440p or lower resolutions to be fully utilized.

Q: How does the CPU’s single-threaded performance compare to its multi-threaded performance?

A: The CPU has a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4136 and a multi-core score of 29302. The multi-core score is roughly 7 times higher than the single-core score, which is expected for an 8-core/16-thread processor and indicates excellent scaling across cores.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti ranks 169th out of 1795 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places it in the top 9.4% of all configurations, which is a strong showing for a mid-to-high-end pairing. The rank reflects the GPU’s high average benchmark score of 52086, which places it in the 87th percentile of all GPUs, and the CPU’s 91st percentile ranking.

The high rank is notable because Hitman 2 is a game that can be demanding on both components. The fact that this combo sits in the 169th spot suggests that only a small fraction of more powerful or better-matched systems can outperform it. The GPU’s performance, which is nearly identical to the RTX 4080, is a major contributor to this ranking. The CPU’s 8 cores and 16 threads, combined with its high boost clock, ensure that it does not drag down the overall score.

Given that the combo is ranked 169th, it is clear that there is headroom for improvement if paired with a more powerful CPU, but the data indicates that the GPU is the primary driver of the frame rate in this title. The rank also implies that for most users, this configuration will deliver a high-quality experience at 1440p and a playable one at 4K with adjusted settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset achieves an average of 291 FPS, which is a very high value that suggests the CPU is not a limiting factor. Medium settings produce 216 FPS, High produces 166.9 FPS, and Ultra produces 118.6 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 172.4 FPS, showing a large impact from graphical settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS values are 186.5 for Low, 140.1 for Medium, 103.3 for High, and 78.7 for Ultra. The difference between Low and Ultra is 107.8 FPS. At this resolution, the system remains highly capable, with even Ultra exceeding 75 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates drop considerably. The Low preset averages 99 FPS, Medium averages 73.6 FPS, High averages 55 FPS, and Ultra averages 44 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 55 FPS, as the GPU becomes the dominant constraint. None of the 4K presets achieve a 60 FPS average, with only the Low preset coming close.

Settings Recommendations

For players targeting a 60 FPS refresh rate, the data suggests that 4K is not a viable option, as even the High preset falls short at 55 FPS. The best experience for a 4K display would be the Medium preset, which yields 73.6 FPS, providing a smooth frame rate while maintaining some graphical fidelity. The Low preset at 4K offers 99 FPS, which is higher but comes with a significant visual compromise.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset delivers 78.7 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold and offers the best visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. For those with a 144Hz display, the High preset at 103.3 FPS is the recommended choice, as it balances visual quality with a frame rate that can utilize a high refresh rate. The Medium preset at 140.1 FPS is also viable for competitive play.

At 1920x1080, all presets exceed 100 FPS, making it the ideal resolution for high refresh rate gaming. The Ultra preset at 118.6 FPS is the best choice for visual quality, while the High preset at 166.9 FPS is excellent for 144Hz monitors. The Low preset at 291 FPS is suitable for esports-style play where frame rate is paramount, though it will look noticeably worse.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is the dominant component in this configuration for Hitman 2. Its 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 896.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is ample for the game’s textures and assets at any resolution. The GPU’s boost clock of 2452 MHz and its 8960 shading units deliver substantial raw compute power, as evidenced by its FP32 performance of 43.94 TFLOPS.

The GPU’s benchmark results confirm its high-end status. Its Passmark G3D score of 32974 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6604 are strong indicators of its gaming performance. The GPU’s percentile rank of 87 among all GPUs places it firmly in the enthusiast tier. Its performance is nearly identical to the RTX 4080, with a delta of 0%, meaning it should offer equivalent frame rates in most scenarios.

In Hitman 2, the GPU’s role is clear from the resolution scaling. As resolution increases, the average FPS drops proportionally, which is the hallmark of a GPU-bound workload. The RTX 5070 Ti’s 16 GB of VRAM is sufficient to prevent any memory-related bottlenecks, even at 4K Ultra. The data suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor at all resolutions and settings in this game, and its high performance level is what allows the system to achieve the high frame rates seen at 1080p and 1440p.