Hitman 2

Hitman 2, a stealth title from 2018, remains a demanding benchmark for modern hardware. The measured data for the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination shows a system capable of delivering high frame rates, but the optimal settings depend heavily on your display's resolution and refresh rate. This analysis breaks down the measured performance to guide your configuration choices.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark data reveals a clear performance hierarchy across the four settings presets. At 1080p, the system is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at lower settings, but the CPU's capability becomes the limiting factor at the highest presets. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 110 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate gaming. However, the step down to High yields a substantial jump to 149 FPS, a 35% improvement. Given that the visual difference between High and Ultra in many titles is often subtle, the High preset at 1080p offers the best balance for maximizing frame rates on a 144Hz or higher monitor. The Medium preset at 197 FPS and Low at 263 FPS are exceptionally high, but they sacrifice visual fidelity that the RTX 4070 SUPER can readily handle.

Moving to 2560x1440, the data suggests this is the sweet spot for this hardware combination. The High preset achieves an average of 95 FPS, which is ideal for a 1440p 144Hz monitor, providing a smooth and responsive experience. The Ultra preset drops to 70 FPS, which is still playable but may not fully utilize a high-refresh-rate display. The Medium preset at 126 FPS is a fantastic option for competitive play or if you prefer to prioritize frame rate above all else. For most users, High at 1440p is the recommended starting point, as it provides a near-optimal balance of image quality and performance.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the GPU is pushed to its limits. The High preset yields an average of 51 FPS, which is on the cusp of playability for a cinematic experience but not ideal for fast-paced action. The Ultra preset at 37 FPS is not recommended for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset at 67 FPS is the most viable option for 4K, offering a playable frame rate while maintaining a decent level of visual detail. The Low preset at 90 FPS is surprisingly high for 4K but comes with significant visual compromises. For a 4K display, the Medium preset is the pragmatic choice.

The measured data indicates that the High preset is the most versatile, offering strong performance at both 1080p and 1440p. The Medium preset is the fallback for 4K. The Ultra preset is best reserved for 1080p or for players who prioritize maximum visual fidelity over frame rate.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU combo in Hitman 2?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 2560x1440 offers the best balance. The High preset delivers 95 FPS, which is smooth and responsive, while 4K at High drops to 51 FPS, and 1080p at High provides 149 FPS but doesn't utilize the GPU's full potential as effectively.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from High to Ultra settings?

A: The performance cost is significant. At 1080p, the average FPS drops from 149 on High to 110 on Ultra, a 26% reduction. At 1440p, it drops from 95 to 70, a 26% reduction. At 4K, it drops from 51 to 37, a 27% reduction. The data shows a consistent ~26% performance penalty for the Ultra preset across all resolutions.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 SUPER capable of 4K gaming in this title?

A: Yes, but with compromises. The data shows 4K Medium at 67 FPS, which is playable, and 4K High at 51 FPS, which is a more cinematic experience. The 4K Ultra preset at 37 FPS is not recommended for smooth gameplay. The 12 GB of GDDR6X VRAM appears sufficient for the game's requirements.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 9700F perform in terms of single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads?

A: The CPU's benchmark data shows a Passmark single-thread score of 4691 and a multithread score of 36470. In gaming, this translates to strong performance, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p (263 FPS on Low), where the CPU is more likely to be a factor. This suggests the 8-core, 16-thread processor is well-suited for Hitman 2.

Q: At which settings is the system most likely to be CPU-bound?

A: At 1080p with lower settings, the frame rates are exceptionally high (197 FPS on Medium, 263 FPS on Low). At these frame rates, the CPU's ability to process game logic and draw calls becomes more critical. The CPU's 5.50 GHz boost clock and single-thread score of 4691 indicate it can handle these loads, but the GPU is likely still the primary bottleneck at 1440p and 4K.

Q: What is the frame rate consistency like at 1440p Medium?

A: The data shows an average of 126 FPS with a minimum of 107 FPS and a maximum of 145 FPS. This represents a variance of about 15% from the average, indicating a generally stable experience with only minor dips, which is good for a smooth gaming session.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the primary driver of performance at higher resolutions. The measured data shows a clear correlation between resolution and frame rate, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. The GPU's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth are substantial resources, and the data indicates they are sufficient for Hitman 2 at all tested settings. The GPU's boost clock of 2475 MHz and its 7168 shading units provide the raw compute power needed for the game's rendering.

The benchmark results show the GPU's performance relative to its peers. It sits in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 43223. Its nearest rivals, the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile, have average scores of 43262 and 43268, respectively, with negligible deltaPct values of -0.1%. This indicates the RTX 4070 SUPER is a high-performance part, performing almost identically to these other top-tier cards in synthetic benchmarks.

In Hitman 2, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 37, showing the immense strain on the graphics card. The transition from Medium to High at 4K incurs a 24% performance hit (67 to 51 FPS), while the transition from High to Ultra incurs a 27% hit (51 to 37 FPS). This shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at this resolution, and the quality settings have a massive impact on the final frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at performance across all resolutions and settings.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 263 FPS average. This is an exceptionally high frame rate, indicating the game is not heavily GPU-bound at this setting.
• Medium: 197 FPS average, with a minimum of 168 FPS and a maximum of 227 FPS. The variance is about 15%, showing good stability.
• High: 149 FPS average. This is a strong result for high-refresh-rate gaming.
• Ultra: 110 FPS average. This is still very playable and offers the maximum visual fidelity.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 168 FPS average. This shows the GPU is still capable of very high frame rates at this resolution with minimal settings.
• Medium: 126 FPS average, with a minimum of 107 FPS and a maximum of 145 FPS. This is an excellent result for a 144Hz monitor.
• High: 95 FPS average. This is the sweet spot for 1440p, balancing performance and quality.
• Ultra: 70 FPS average. This is a playable frame rate but not optimal for the highest refresh rates.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 90 FPS average. A surprisingly high result for 4K, but visual quality is heavily compromised.
• Medium: 67 FPS average, with a minimum of 57 FPS and a maximum of 77 FPS. This is the most viable preset for 4K gaming.
• High: 51 FPS average. This is on the edge of playability for a smooth experience.
• Ultra: 37 FPS average. This is not recommended for competitive or fast-paced gameplay.

The data shows a consistent and predictable scaling of performance as settings are increased, with the most significant drops occurring at 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The data clearly illustrates the impact of resolution on performance. The frame rate drops are substantial and reveal the system's bottleneck.

• 1080p High to 1440p High: The average FPS drops from 149 to 95, a 36% reduction. This is a significant drop, indicating that the GPU is starting to become a limiting factor.
• 1080p High to 4K High: The average FPS drops from 149 to 51, a 66% reduction. This massive drop confirms the system is heavily GPU-bound at 4K.
• 1440p High to 4K High: The average FPS drops from 95 to 51, a 46% reduction.

The pattern is consistent across all settings. For example, at Medium settings, the FPS drops from 197 at 1080p to 126 at 1440p (a 36% reduction) and then to 67 at 4K (a 47% reduction from 1440p). This scaling behavior is a textbook example of a GPU-limited scenario. The number of pixels being rendered quadruples from 1080p to 4K, and the frame rate drops accordingly.

This data strongly suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The Ryzen 7 9700F, with its high single-thread score of 4691, has the headroom to feed the GPU, but the GPU's processing power is what ultimately determines the frame rate at 1440p and 4K.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F plays a crucial role in achieving the high frame rates seen at 1080p. With 8 cores and 16 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture, it is a powerful processor. Its benchmark data shows a Passmark multithread score of 36470 and a single-thread score of 4691, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX and Intel Core i7-14700KF, have average scores of 69875 and 70163, respectively, with deltaPct values of 0.2% and -0.2%, showing the 9700F is essentially tied with these top-tier chips in overall CPU performance.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p. The jump from Low to Ultra at 1080p sees the average FPS drop from 263 to 110. While the GPU is doing more work at Ultra, the CPU must also handle more draw calls and game logic. The fact that the system can achieve 263 FPS on Low suggests the CPU has significant headroom.

The CPU's high boost clock of 5.50 GHz is a key factor in its gaming performance. Hitman 2, like many games, benefits from high single-threaded performance. The data supports this, as the system is able to maintain very high frame rates in less demanding scenes. However, at 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, and the CPU's performance is less critical to the final frame rate, as evidenced by the consistent scaling of FPS with resolution. The CPU's 65W TDP and 32 MB of L3 cache are also notable features that contribute to its efficiency and performance in this context.