Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 delivers a commanding performance profile in Hitman 2, with measured frame rates that span from highly playable 4K Ultra to exceptionally high 1080p Low. The data indicates a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions and settings, while the CPU's strong single-thread performance becomes the enabling factor for the triple-digit frame rates seen at 1080p.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates reveal a predictable, yet steep, performance curve as resolution increases. At 1080p High, the system produces an average of 184.2 FPS. Moving to 1440p High reduces this to 118.1 FPS, a drop of approximately 36%. At 4K High, the average falls to 61.8 FPS, which is roughly 48% lower than the 1440p result and 66% lower than the 1080p result. This pattern indicates that the game's rendering load scales heavily with pixel count.

The scaling from Low to Ultra settings at each resolution further clarifies the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the system reaches an average of 323 FPS, suggesting the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU far more frames than the GPU can render at higher settings. At 4K Low, the average is 110.1 FPS, which is a much smaller drop from 1440p Low’s 205.5 FPS. This compression of frame rates at Low settings across resolutions suggests that the CPU is becoming a limiting factor, preventing the GPU from fully flexing its muscles at lower graphical loads. The transition from 1440p to 4K at Low settings results in a 46% performance loss, whereas the same resolution change at Ultra settings results in a 47% loss, indicating a consistent GPU-bound scenario at that setting level.

Settings Recommendations

For a 60Hz 4K display, the data strongly supports using the High preset. The measured 61.8 FPS average at 3840x2160 High is just above the 60 FPS threshold, providing a fluid experience. The jump to Ultra at 4K is costly, dropping the average to 43.9 FPS, which is a performance hit of roughly 29% for what is likely a marginal visual improvement. The Medium preset at 4K offers an 81.7 FPS average, but High provides a better balance of visual fidelity and performance for this resolution.

For 1440p users, the High preset is also the sweet spot, delivering a 118.1 FPS average that comfortably exceeds 100 FPS for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Ultra preset at 1440p yields 83.6 FPS, which is still smooth, but the drop from High is significant. At 1080p, the High preset’s 184.2 FPS average is ideal for 144Hz or 165Hz displays. While Ultra at 1080p produces 134.8 FPS, the 27% performance reduction from High is a considerable trade-off. The Low preset is only recommended for competitive play on very high refresh rate panels, as the 323 FPS at 1080p Low shows the CPU’s ceiling, but the visual compromise is substantial.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is the primary driver of performance in this configuration, especially at higher resolutions and settings. The GPU’s 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a 960.0 GB/s bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for the textures and assets in Hitman 2 at 4K. The benchmark results show that the GPU’s workload scales directly with resolution, confirming its central role.

The GPU’s boost clock of 2617 MHz and its 10752 shading units are key to its raw throughput. The measured data shows a clear correlation: at 4K Ultra, the GPU is pushed to its limit, producing only 43.9 FPS, while at 1080p Low, it is clearly underutilized, as evidenced by the 323 FPS result which is likely capped by the CPU. The GPU’s benchmark scores place it in the 89th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 59188. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Arc A570M with a score of 58239, are notably behind, with a deltaPct of 1.6% in favor of the RTX 5080. This performance headroom makes the RTX 5080 the definite limiting component in this game at 4K Ultra, where the demand on pixel throughput is highest.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate possible with this CPU/GPU combo in Hitman 2?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 323 FPS, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: Can this system maintain a smooth 60 FPS experience at 4K?

A: Yes, at 4K with the High settings preset, the system averages 61.8 FPS. However, at the Ultra preset, the average drops to 43.9 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target.

Q: How does the RTX 5080 compare to the Intel Arc A570M in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 5080 has an average benchmark score of 59188, which is 1.6% higher than the Intel Arc A570M’s score of 58239, indicating a slight performance advantage for the RTX 5080.

Q: What is the difference in performance between the High and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers an average of 118.1 FPS, while the Ultra preset delivers 83.6 FPS, a performance reduction of approximately 29% when switching to Ultra.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the limiting factor at 1080p with Low settings?

A: At 1080p Low, the system achieves 323 FPS, a result that is likely constrained by the CPU’s processing capabilities, as the GPU is not being fully utilized at such a low graphical load.

Q: What is the average frame rate at 4K with Medium settings?

A: The measured average frame rate at 3840x2160 with the Medium settings preset is 81.7 FPS.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X plays a crucial role in ensuring the GPU is adequately fed, particularly at lower resolutions and settings. The CPU’s 8 cores and 16 threads, based on the Zen 4 architecture, provide a strong foundation. Its boost clock of 5.40 GHz is instrumental in achieving the high frame rates seen at 1080p. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system hits 323 FPS, a figure that underscores the CPU’s ability to process game logic and draw calls at an exceptional rate.

The CPU’s single-thread performance is a key asset for Hitman 2. Its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4281 and Passmark single-thread score of 4190 indicate robust per-core capability. This is reflected in the 3DMark single-thread score of 1090 and the 2-thread score of 2112, which are strong indicators for a game that relies heavily on a few primary threads. The CPU’s 32 MB of shared L3 cache helps reduce memory latency, which is beneficial for maintaining stable frame pacing. While the GPU is the bottleneck at 4K Ultra, the CPU’s performance becomes more relevant as resolution drops, ensuring that the RTX 5080 is not left waiting for data. The CPU’s percentile rank of 89 places it among the top processors, and its average benchmark score of 34313 is competitive with rivals like the Intel Core i5-13500, which scores 34175, a deltaPct of 0.4% in the 7700X’s favor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average frame rates measured for this system in Hitman 2.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

| :--------- | :------- | ------: |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 43.9 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 61.8 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 81.7 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 110.1 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 83.6 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 118.1 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 156.5 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 205.5 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 134.8 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 184.2 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 242.1 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 323.0 |

The data shows a clear progression: from the most demanding 4K Ultra setting at 43.9 FPS to the least demanding 1080p Low setting at 323 FPS. The performance deltas between settings are consistent across resolutions. For instance, moving from Medium to High at 1080p results in a 24% drop, while the same change at 4K results in a 24% drop as well. This consistency indicates a well-balanced scaling system. The overall combo rank for this CPU/GPU pair in Hitman 2 is 72 out of 1795 tested combinations, placing it in the top 4% of all systems tested for this game.