Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 pairing delivers a highly capable Hitman 2 experience, dominated by the GPU at higher resolutions. The data indicates that this combo ranks in the 72nd percentile (rank 840 out of 3001 tested combos), placing it firmly in the upper tier of systems, though not at the absolute top. The Ryzen 7 9700F’s 8 cores and 16 threads, with a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, are more than sufficient to feed the RTX 3080, especially at 1080p where frame rates reach 227 FPS on Low settings. However, the performance ceiling at 4K Ultra is a clear 32 FPS, showing that the graphics card becomes the primary limiting factor as resolution scales.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 7 9700F is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge), with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. For a game like Hitman 2, which is a stealth title with complex AI and physics simulations, this core configuration is strong. The Passmark multithread score of 36,470 and single-thread score of 4,691 indicate that the CPU can handle both the parallel workloads of the game’s simulation and the single-threaded tasks that often dominate game logic. The CPU’s performance in the context of Hitman 2 is best understood by looking at the frame rates at 1080p, where the CPU load is highest relative to the GPU.

At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 227 FPS average. This high frame rate, which is above the refresh rate of most monitors, suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck at this setting. The CPU's Passmark physics score of 2,122 also supports its capacity for handling the game's dynamic interactions. In contrast, when comparing to its nearest rivals, the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX scores an average of 69,875, which is just 0.2% below the 9700F’s average benchmark score of 69,996. Similarly, the Intel Core i7-14700KF scores 70,163, which is 0.2% higher. This tight grouping indicates that the 9700F is a mid-pack performer among high-end CPUs, but its 8-core/16-thread setup is more than adequate for Hitman 2’s requirements. The 32 MB of shared L3 cache and 1 MB per core L2 cache provide ample fast storage for game data, which helps maintain consistent frame pacing. While the CPU is not the star of the show at 4K, its performance at 1080p demonstrates that it can keep up with the RTX 3080, ensuring that the GPU is the primary factor in frame rate variation.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Hitman 2 with this CPU and GPU combination?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 2560x1440 on High settings offers an excellent balance, with an average of 82 FPS. This provides a high frame rate that is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, while still offering better visual fidelity than 1080p. At 4K, the frame rate drops to 44 FPS on High, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 9700F compare to its closest CPU rivals in terms of overall benchmark scores?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700F has an average benchmark score of 69,996. This is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69,875) and 0.7% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69,515). However, it is 0.2% lower than the Intel Core i7-14700KF (70,163) and 0.9% lower than the Intel Core i7-14700K (69,355). This shows it is competitive with top-tier CPUs, but not the absolute best.

Q: Is the RTX 3080 the limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, the data strongly suggests the GPU is the bottleneck at 3840x2160. The average FPS drops from 44 on High to just 32 on Ultra, while the CPU’s performance remains constant. The frame rate at 4K is significantly lower than at 1440p, indicating that the GPU’s rendering capability, not the CPU’s processing power, is what determines the final output.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS recorded at 1440p on Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the measured FPS ranges from a minimum of 92 FPS to a maximum of 125 FPS, with an average of 109 FPS. This data point is useful for understanding frame time consistency, as the 33 FPS spread indicates some variation in scene complexity.

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

A: The combo ranks 840 out of 3001 tested combinations, placing it in the top 28% of all systems. This ranking is based on the measured FPS across all settings and resolutions, and it indicates that this is a high-performing setup, though there are many faster combos above it.

Q: What is the maximum average FPS this combo can achieve in Hitman 2?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 227 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the absolute ceiling for this combination, showing that at lower resolutions, the system can produce extremely high frame rates, likely limited by the CPU’s single-thread performance rather than the GPU.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a clear and predictable pattern in performance scaling from 1080p to 4K. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average FPS is 128. Moving to 2560x1440, the average drops to 82 FPS, a 36% decrease. At 3840x2160, the average falls further to 44 FPS, a 46% decrease from the 1440p figure. This scaling behavior is the signature of a GPU-bound system. The CPU’s performance is constant across these resolutions; it is the GPU’s workload that increases exponentially with pixel count.

The trend is even more pronounced at the Low settings tier. At 1080p Low, the system produces 227 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 145 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 77 FPS. The frame rate at 4K Low is nearly identical to the frame rate at 1080p High (77 vs. 128? no, 77 vs 128, wait, 77 vs 128 is wrong, 77 vs 128 is not identical, but the pattern is clear). The fact that 4K Low (77 FPS) is significantly lower than 1080p High (128 FPS) indicates that even on the lowest settings, the GPU is still the limiting factor due to the sheer number of pixels. The RTX 3080, with its 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth, is a capable card, but it is not a 4K powerhouse. The data suggests that for a consistent 60+ FPS experience, users should stick to 1440p, as the 4K Ultra setting yields only 32 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable play. The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is a direct reflection of the GPU’s pixel throughput limits.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, balancing visual quality and frame rate, the data points to 2560x1440 on High settings as the optimal configuration. This setting delivers an average of 82 FPS, which is smooth and responsive, while still providing a significant visual upgrade over Medium settings. The Medium setting at 1440p offers a higher average of 109 FPS, but the jump from Medium to High typically includes improved textures and shadow detail that are worth the 27 FPS cost. At 4K, the High setting is marginal at 44 FPS, but the Ultra setting is not recommended, as it only produces 32 FPS, which will feel sluggish.

At 1080p, the High setting is the sweet spot, offering 128 FPS. The Ultra setting at 1080p drops to 95 FPS, which is still playable, but the difference between High and Ultra is often less noticeable at lower resolutions. For players with high refresh rate monitors, the Low setting at 1080p (227 FPS) is the only way to approach the 240 Hz mark, but the visual compromise is substantial. In summary, the recommended path is to prioritize 1440p High for the best balance of fidelity and speed. If 4K is a must, High settings are the maximum playable option, but users should be prepared for a sub-60 FPS experience. The Ultra preset should be avoided at all resolutions if frame rate is a priority, as it consistently yields the lowest performance metrics.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination is ranked 840 out of 3001 tested combos, placing it in the top 28% of all systems in the database. This is a strong ranking, indicating that the system is well above average for gaming performance. The CPU’s individual benchmark percentile is 94, meaning it outperforms 94% of all CPUs in the database, while the GPU’s percentile is 68, which is lower. This discrepancy suggests that the CPU is a stronger component relative to its peers than the GPU is. The combo rank is determined by the measured FPS in this specific game, and the 840th position reflects the GPU’s limitations at higher resolutions.

When looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, which scores 0.2% lower, would likely produce similar results when paired with the same GPU. The Intel Core i7-14700KF, scoring 0.2% higher, might yield slightly better frame rates in CPU-bound scenarios, but the difference would be minimal. For the GPU, the nearest rival is the NVIDIA P106-100, which scores 0.3% lower, and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16, which also scores 0.3% lower. These are not direct gaming competitors, and the RTX 3080’s performance is significantly higher than its average benchmark score suggests, given its Passmark G3D score of 25,086. The combo’s rank confirms the fact that while the CPU is top-tier, the GPU is a generation old and is the limiting factor in this pairing. The data indicates that to move up the rankings, a more powerful GPU would be necessary.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for this combination is as follows, broken down by resolution and settings.

At 1920x1080:

• Low: Average 227 FPS.
• Medium: Average 170 FPS, with a minimum of 144 FPS and a maximum of 195 FPS.
• High: Average 128 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 95 FPS.

At 2560x1440:

• Low: Average 145 FPS.
• Medium: Average 109 FPS, with a minimum of 92 FPS and a maximum of 125 FPS.
• High: Average 82 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 61 FPS.

At 3840x2160:

• Low: Average 77 FPS.
• Medium: Average 58 FPS, with a minimum of 49 FPS and a maximum of 67 FPS.
• High: Average 44 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 32 FPS.

The data shows a consistent pattern: each step up in settings costs roughly 15-20% of the frame rate. The Medium settings at 1440p and 1080p are the only ones with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values, indicating a more variable frame time in these configurations. The 4K Ultra setting is the only one that dips below 60 FPS on average, confirming that this resolution and preset combination is not suitable for smooth gameplay. The jump from 1080p Low (227 FPS) to 1080p High (128 FPS) is a 44% reduction, which is substantial. This data provides a complete picture of the system’s capabilities, allowing users to make informed decisions about their preferred resolution and graphical fidelity trade-offs.