Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 combination delivers a dominant performance in Hitman 2, placing in the top 6% of all tested configurations. The data shows that this pairing is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the CPU's strength becomes apparent only at 1080p with lower settings. The RTX 5080's 16 GB of VRAM and high bandwidth ensure that even the most demanding settings remain playable, though the Ultra preset presents a significant challenge at 4K.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance ranking of this CPU and GPU combo in Hitman 2?

A: This combination ranks 212 out of 3711 tested combos, placing it in the top 5.7% of all configurations tested for this game. This indicates excellent performance relative to the vast majority of other hardware pairings.

Q: How does the RTX 5080 compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE?

A: The RTX 5080 has an average benchmark score of 56083, while the RX 9070 GRE scores 57367. This represents a 2.2% deficit for the RTX 5080, meaning the RX 9070 GRE performs slightly better in synthetic benchmarks.

Q: What is the maximum average frame rate achievable with this combo?

A: The highest recorded average frame rate is 314 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This demonstrates the combo's ability to deliver exceptionally high frame rates when graphical demands are minimized.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 9700X a strong performer compared to its immediate competitors?

A: Yes, the Ryzen 7 9700X has an average benchmark score of 37943, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core i9-14901E (37911) and AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (37904), with delta percentages of only 0.1%. It also edges out the Intel Core 5 211E by 0.3%.

Q: What is the lowest average frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average frame rate is 45 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings. This is the only configuration tested that drops below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 5080 have and what type is it?

A: The RTX 5080 comes equipped with 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s. This substantial memory capacity and bandwidth are sufficient for Hitman 2's demands at all tested settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 plays a pivotal role in determining performance, particularly as resolution increases. The GPU's 16 GB of GDDR7 memory provides ample capacity for the game's textures and assets, even at 4K resolution with High settings. The memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s ensures that data can be fed to the GPU cores efficiently, preventing bottlenecks that could otherwise limit frame rates.

The RTX 5080's core configuration includes 10752 shading units, 336 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output units. The boost clock of 2617 MHz allows these cores to process geometry and pixel data at a rapid pace. At 1080p and 1440p, the GPU's raw compute power is the primary driver of performance, as evidenced by the frame rates scaling predictably with resolution.

However, the GPU's role becomes more complex at 4K. The data shows a significant drop in performance from 1440p to 4K at every settings level. For example, at High settings, the average frame rate falls from 114 FPS at 1440p to 61 FPS at 4K, a reduction of 46.5%. This steep decline indicates that the RTX 5080 is working near its limits at 4K, particularly with the Ultra preset where performance drops to 45 FPS. The GPU's 56.28 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is substantial, but the demands of 4K rendering with high-detail settings push the card to its threshold.

The RTX 5080's 84 ray tracing cores and 336 tensor cores are present but do not appear to be heavily utilized in this game, as the performance patterns align more closely with traditional rasterization workloads. The GPU's 5 nm process node and 45,600 million transistors allow for high clock speeds, but the thermal and power constraints of its 360 W TDP become relevant at 4K where the GPU is fully engaged.

Settings Recommendations

The optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, all settings levels provide excellent performance, with even the Ultra preset achieving an average of 131 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p offers a balanced experience with 235 FPS average and a minimum of 200 FPS, ensuring no noticeable stuttering. The Low preset at 1080p reaches 314 FPS, which is far beyond what most displays can show, making it unnecessary unless chasing maximum refresh rates.

At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers 114 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset at 1440p provides 150 FPS with a minimum of 128 FPS, offering a smooth experience with some headroom. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 84 FPS, which remains playable but sacrifices some smoothness for visual fidelity. The Low preset at 1440p achieves 201 FPS, demonstrating that the combo can easily handle less demanding settings at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the choice becomes more critical. The High preset at 61 FPS is the recommended choice for 4K gaming, as it offers playable performance with good visual quality. The Medium preset at 80 FPS provides a better balance, but the minimum of 68 FPS suggests occasional dips. The Ultra preset at 45 FPS falls below the 60 FPS threshold and is not recommended for competitive or fast-paced gameplay. The Low preset at 107 FPS is viable for those prioritizing frame rate over visuals, but it significantly reduces the game's graphical appeal.

The data indicates that the Medium or High presets offer the best experience across all resolutions, balancing visual quality with performance. For 4K, the Medium preset at 80 FPS is the sweet spot, while 1440p users should opt for High at 114 FPS. At 1080p, the Ultra preset at 131 FPS is recommended to fully utilize the hardware's capabilities.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination's rank of 212 out of 3711 tested combos places it firmly in the upper echelon of performance. This top 5.7% ranking reflects the strength of both the Ryzen 7 9700X and the RTX 5080 in Hitman 2. The CPU's 8 cores and 16 threads, running at a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, provide ample processing power to feed the GPU, while the RTX 5080's 10752 shading units handle the graphical workload.

The ranking is particularly impressive given the age of the game, as Hitman 2 was released in 2018 and may not fully utilize the latest hardware features. Despite this, the combo still manages to outperform over 94% of tested configurations. The Ryzen 7 9700X's performance percentile of 86 and the RTX 5080's percentile of 87 both contribute to this high overall ranking.

The nearest CPU rivals to the Ryzen 7 9700X include the Intel Core i9-14901E with a delta of 0.1%, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 with a delta of 0.1%, and the Intel Core 5 211E with a delta of 0.3%. These small deltas indicate that the Ryzen 7 9700X is competitive with other high-end processors, though none of these rivals were tested in this specific game configuration. On the GPU side, the RTX 5080's nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE, which holds a 2.2% advantage in average benchmark scores.

The ranking of 212 suggests that while this combo is exceptional, there are still 211 configurations that perform better. These likely include pairings with the most powerful CPUs and GPUs available, such as those with higher core counts or more advanced graphics cards. However, for the vast majority of users, this combo represents a top-tier choice for Hitman 2.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals important insights about which component is the limiting factor at each resolution. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 314 FPS. When moving to 1440p at the same settings, the frame rate drops to 201 FPS, a 36% decrease. At 4K Low, the frame rate further drops to 107 FPS, a 47% decrease from 1440p. This pattern of diminishing returns as resolution increases clearly indicates that the GPU becomes the dominant bottleneck at higher resolutions.

At Medium settings, the scaling follows a similar pattern: 235 FPS at 1080p, 150 FPS at 1440p (36% decrease), and 80 FPS at 4K (47% decrease from 1440p). The consistent percentage drops across different settings levels reinforce the conclusion that the RTX 5080's rendering capabilities are what limit performance as pixel count increases.

The High settings data shows the most dramatic drop: 178 FPS at 1080p, 114 FPS at 1440p (36% decrease), and 61 FPS at 4K (46% decrease from 1440p). This steep decline at 4K suggests that the GPU's memory bandwidth and shading unit throughput are being fully utilized, leaving little headroom.

At Ultra settings, the scaling is even more pronounced: 131 FPS at 1080p, 84 FPS at 1440p (36% decrease), and 45 FPS at 4K (46% decrease from 1440p). The fact that the percentage drops are nearly identical across all settings levels indicates that the scaling is resolution-driven rather than settings-driven. This means that the Ryzen 7 9700X is not the limiting factor at any resolution, as the CPU's performance would show more variance across different graphical settings.

The data shows that the RTX 5080 is the clear limiting component at 4K, while the CPU's 8 cores and 16 threads are more than sufficient for Hitman 2's demands at all tested resolutions. This is consistent with the game's release in 2018, when 4K gaming was less common and CPU requirements were lower.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance across all settings. The Low preset achieves an average of 314 FPS, the highest recorded for this combination. The Medium preset provides 235 FPS with a minimum of 200 FPS and a maximum of 270 FPS. The High preset reaches 178 FPS, while the Ultra preset maintains 131 FPS. All settings at 1080p exceed the 60 FPS threshold by a wide margin, making this resolution suitable for any display technology.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains impressive but shows the expected reduction from 1080p. The Low preset averages 201 FPS, while the Medium preset delivers 150 FPS with a minimum of 128 FPS and a maximum of 173 FPS. The High preset achieves 114 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 84 FPS. These figures indicate that 1440p gaming is fully supported, with even the Ultra preset remaining above 80 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes more varied. The Low preset averages 107 FPS, which is still highly playable. The Medium preset delivers 80 FPS with a minimum of 68 FPS and a maximum of 92 FPS, providing a playable experience with some variance. The High preset drops to 61 FPS, barely maintaining the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset falls to 45 FPS, which is below the standard for smooth gameplay and may result in noticeable stuttering.

The Medium preset at 1440p is the only configuration that provides minimum and maximum frame rate data, showing a range from 128 to 173 FPS. This variance of 45 FPS suggests that the game's performance can fluctuate based on scene complexity. The lack of min/max data for other settings means that the average frame rates should be interpreted with some caution, as individual scenes may produce lower or higher results.

The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p provides the highest frame rates, 1440p offers a strong balance, and 4K is playable only at lower settings. The 45 FPS at 4K Ultra is the only result that fails to meet the 60 FPS standard, indicating that this setting combination is too demanding for the RTX 5080. For users with 4K displays, the Medium preset at 80 FPS offers the best compromise between visual quality and smoothness.