Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination delivers a performance profile in Hitman 2 that is heavily dictated by resolution and preset. The data shows a clear scaling pattern from 1080p to 4K, with the GPU becoming the dominant limiting factor as pixel count increases. This analysis walks through the measured frames per second (FPS) across all three resolutions and four settings levels, interpreting what the numbers reveal about the hardware pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a consistent and expected drop in performance as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the High preset, the average FPS falls from 148.1 at 1080p to 94.4 at 1440p, and further down to 49.1 at 4K. This represents a substantial 66.8% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the rendering workload scales aggressively with pixel count. The pattern is even more pronounced at the Low preset, where the average FPS drops from 255.5 at 1080p to 164.7 at 1440p, and then to 89.6 at 4K — a 64.9% decrease from the lowest to highest resolution.

The scaling behavior suggests that at 1080p, the system is partially CPU-bound, particularly at lower settings where the frame rates exceed 200 FPS. At 4K, however, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck, as the FPS numbers compress into a narrower range across settings. For instance, at 4K the difference between Low and Ultra settings is 51.3 FPS (89.6 vs 38.3), while at 1080p that same spread is 149.3 FPS (255.5 vs 106.2). This widening gap at lower resolutions indicates that the CPU can feed frames fast enough for the GPU to show its full potential, but at 4K the GPU's rendering limits dominate.

The Medium preset shows a similar trend: 191.6 FPS at 1080p, 121.5 at 1440p, and 64.7 at 4K. The Ultra preset produces the lowest numbers across the board, with 106.2 FPS at 1080p, 65.6 at 1440p, and 38.3 at 4K. Notably, the 1440p Ultra result of 65.6 FPS is actually higher than the 4K High result of 49.1 FPS, which highlights how resolution is the primary driver of performance degradation in this game.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 features 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2325 MHz and a boost clock of 2512 MHz, with a memory clock of 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). These specifications position the card in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41687. In the nearest rival comparisons, the RTX 5070 sits within a tight band: it is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 5300, 0.6% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, and 0.5% behind the NVIDIA Tesla M40.

In Hitman 2, the GPU's role becomes more critical as resolution increases. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS of 38.3 is the lowest measured figure, indicating that the card is struggling with the combined load of high pixel count and maximum settings. The 12 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for this game, as no memory-related stuttering is evident in the data — the FPS numbers are consistent and predictable across resolutions. The GPU's texture rate of 482.3 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 201.0 GPixel/s are relevant for a game like Hitman 2 that involves detailed environments and shadows, but the measured results show that the card's raw compute (30.87 TFLOPS FP32) is the limiting factor at 4K.

The RTX 5070's performance at 1440p is notably stronger, with the High preset delivering 94.4 FPS and Low hitting 164.7 FPS. This suggests that 1440p is the sweet spot for this GPU in Hitman 2, where it can maintain high frame rates without hitting the same ceiling as at 4K. The card's 80 ROPs and 192 TMUs contribute to its ability to handle the game's geometry and texture work, but the data indicates that the GPU is fully utilized at 4K, given the sharp FPS drop.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X is a Zen 4 architecture processor (codenamed Raphael) built on a 5 nm process, featuring 8 cores and 16 threads. It has a base clock of 4.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with 32 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU scores in the 89th percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 34313. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-13500, which it edges by 0.4%, and the Intel Core i7-12800HX, which it leads by 0.5%. The AMD EPYC 4244P is 0.8% ahead, and the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H is also 0.8% faster.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p, particularly at lower settings. The Low preset at 1080p achieves 255.5 FPS, which is 90.9 FPS higher than the same setting at 1440p (164.7 FPS). This large gap at lower resolutions suggests that the 7700X can push frame rates well beyond what the GPU can render at higher pixel counts. The CPU's strong single-thread performance — evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4281 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2985 — is well-suited for Hitman 2's AI and physics calculations, which are typically single-thread dependent.

The multi-core capabilities of the 7700X, shown in its 3DMark 16-thread score of 8859 and Passmark multithread score of 35686, also help maintain consistent frame pacing. However, the data shows that at 1440p and 4K, the CPU headroom is not fully utilized, as the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The 105 W TDP and DDR5 memory support (dual-channel, 83.2 GB/s bandwidth) provide sufficient system performance to avoid CPU-induced stutters, but the measured FPS at 4K Ultra (38.3) is clearly GPU-limited. The CPU's 8 cores and 16 threads are more than adequate for this game, and the benchmark results indicate that the processor's performance is not a limiting factor at any resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 148.1 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 compare to the RTX 3090 in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 5070 is 0.6% ahead of the RTX 3090 in average benchmark scores, with the RTX 5070 scoring 41687 versus 41441 for the RTX 3090.

Q: What is the lowest measured FPS in this dataset?

A: The lowest measured average FPS is 38.3, recorded at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: What is the highest measured FPS in this dataset?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 255.5, recorded at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How much faster is the CPU compared to the Intel Core i5-13500?

A: The Ryzen 7 7700X is 0.4% faster than the Intel Core i5-13500 in average benchmark scores (34313 vs 34175).

Q: What is the FPS difference between 1080p and 1440p at Medium settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 191.6 at 1080p to 121.5 at 1440p, a difference of 70.1 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination ranks 372nd out of 1795 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places the combo in the top 20.7% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing given the game's age relative to the hardware. The rank reflects a balance between the CPU's 89th percentile standing and the GPU's 83rd percentile, with the combination performing slightly better than each component's individual percentile might suggest.

The rank of 372 indicates that there are 371 combos that achieve higher performance in this specific game, likely including systems with higher-end GPUs like the RTX 4090 or RX 7900 XTX, or CPUs with higher single-thread scores. However, the data shows that this combo is well-positioned for 1440p gaming, where it delivers 94.4 FPS at High settings. The rank also suggests that the RTX 5070's performance is competitive with older flagship cards like the RTX 3090, which is 0.6% behind in benchmark scores, but the combo's overall rank benefits from the 7700X's strong multi-core and single-core scores.

The combo's performance is most competitive at 1080p, where it achieves 106.2 FPS at Ultra settings and 148.1 FPS at High settings. At 4K Ultra, the 38.3 FPS result is below the 60 FPS threshold, which would place it behind combos with more powerful GPUs. The ranking reflects this: the combo is better than average but not top-tier, which is consistent with the RTX 5070 being a mid-range GPU paired with a high-end CPU.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers 106.2 FPS, which is above the 100 FPS mark and suitable for competitive play, while the High preset at 148.1 FPS offers even higher headroom for fast-paced action. For players prioritizing smoothness, the Medium preset at 191.6 FPS is the best choice, as it provides a significant frame rate boost over Ultra with likely minimal visual impact in Hitman 2's stealth-focused gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the High preset provides 94.4 FPS, which is close to the 100 FPS target and represents the best balance between visual quality and performance. The Medium preset at 121.5 FPS is also viable for those who prefer higher frame rates, while the Ultra preset at 65.6 FPS is playable but below the 75 FPS threshold that many gamers consider smooth. The Low preset at 164.7 FPS is unnecessary unless chasing maximum refresh rates on 144 Hz monitors.

At 3840x2160, the data shows that the High preset at 49.1 FPS is the only setting that approaches playability, though it falls short of the 60 FPS standard. The Medium preset at 64.7 FPS is actually the highest FPS at 4K, making it the recommended choice for 4K gaming, as it stays above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 38.3 FPS is not recommended for 4K, as the frame rate drops below 40 FPS, which can cause noticeable stutter in a game that values precise timing. The Low preset at 89.6 FPS offers high frame rates but sacrifices too much visual fidelity for most players. Overall, the Medium preset at 4K and the High preset at 1440p represent the best experience per the measured rows.