Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination delivers a specific performance profile in Hitman 2, one that is heavily dictated by the GPU's capabilities at higher resolutions. The data reveals a system where the CPU provides ample headroom, but the graphics card becomes the primary constraint as resolution and settings increase. This analysis breaks down the measured frame rates to understand where each component stands in this particular title.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D is a desktop processor built on the Zen 5 architecture (codename Granite Ridge) using a 4 nm process from TSMC. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.20 GHz. The processor’s 96 MB of shared L3 cache is a notable asset for gaming workloads, as Hitman 2 can benefit from large cache pools to reduce memory latency. The CPU also supports DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus, offering 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth, which is sufficient to feed the processor’s compute units.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU demonstrates strong multi-threaded and single-threaded performance, which matters for a stealth game that must simulate AI and physics in real-time. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 34004 and single-core score of 4800 indicate a well-balanced processor. More specifically, the 3DMark 16-thread score of 10081 shows that the CPU scales well with additional threads, a trait that helps maintain consistent frame pacing when the game engine spawns multiple NPCs. The Passmark multithread score of 40009 and integer math score of 116709 further support its capability in CPU-intensive scenes.

However, in this specific combination, the CPU’s role is largely to stay out of the way. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 130.4 FPS, which is the highest recorded value in the dataset. This suggests that the CPU is capable of driving high frame rates when the GPU is not the bottleneck. At higher resolutions, the FPS drops significantly, indicating that the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU’s percentile ranking of 90 versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37780, places it ahead of most processors. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 6353P (avg score 37811, delta -0.1%), Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (avg score 37831, delta -0.1%), Intel Core i9-13900HK (avg score 38020, delta -0.6%), and Intel Core i5-13600KF (avg score 38028, delta -0.7%). These deltas are negligible, meaning the 9800X3D’s performance is statistically tied with these alternatives in general benchmarks, but its gaming-specific cache configuration may still provide an advantage.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is built on the Turing architecture with a TU106 chip, manufactured on a 12 nm process. It has 1920 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 48 ROPs, along with 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1365 MHz and a boost clock of 1680 MHz. Its memory subsystem includes 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, providing 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This VRAM capacity and bandwidth are critical for Hitman 2, which features large, detailed environments that require high-resolution textures and geometry.

The GPU’s benchmark results are moderate, with a Passmark G3D score of 14111 and a percentile ranking of 58 versus all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 16074 is closely matched by rivals such as the AMD Radeon RX 7600S (avg score 15996, delta 0.5%), AMD Radeon Pro 5600M (avg score 16351, delta -1.7%), AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (avg score 16351, delta -1.7%), and AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (avg score 15786, delta 1.8%). These comparisons show that the RTX 2060 sits in a competitive mid-range tier, but its 6 GB VRAM may become a limiting factor at 4K Ultra settings, where texture data can exceed available memory.

In Hitman 2, the GPU’s role is dominant. The measured FPS data shows a clear correlation between settings and performance, with the GPU struggling to maintain playable frame rates at 4K Ultra (19.8 FPS) but excelling at 1080p Low (130.4 FPS). The FP32 compute of 6.451 TFLOPS and texture rate of 201.6 GTexel/s are sufficient for lower resolutions, but the pixel rate of 80.64 GPixel/s becomes a bottleneck at 4K. The GPU’s DirectX 12 support (score 53 in Passmark) suggests it can handle modern APIs, but the raw throughput is not enough for high-end settings at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance curve as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 130.4 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, the FPS drops to 83.8, and at 4K Low, it falls to 43.4. This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU-bound scenario: doubling the pixel count roughly halves the frame rate, which indicates that the RTX 2060 is the primary constraint. The CPU’s performance is sufficient to handle the game logic, but the GPU cannot render pixels fast enough at higher resolutions.

For High settings, the drop is similar: 77.9 FPS at 1080p, 50 at 1440p, and 26.9 at 4K. This represents a 65% reduction from 1080p to 4K. At Ultra settings, the drop is even more pronounced: 56.4 FPS at 1080p, 35.2 at 1440p, and 19.8 at 4K, a 65% reduction as well. The consistency of this scaling across settings confirms that the GPU is the bottleneck, as the CPU’s frame time remains constant while the GPU’s render time increases with pixel count.

The data also shows that the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low (130.4 FPS) and Ultra (56.4 FPS) is 74 FPS. At 4K, the difference is only 23.6 FPS (43.4 vs 19.8). This suggests that at 4K, the GPU is so saturated that even reducing settings does not proportionally increase performance, as the memory bandwidth and pixel throughput become the limiting factors rather than shader complexity.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combination achieves in Hitman 2?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 130.4, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7600S?

A: The RTX 2060 has an average benchmark score of 16074, while the RX 7600S has a score of 15996, representing a 0.5% delta, meaning the RTX 2060 is slightly faster in general benchmarks.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 9800X3D a bottleneck in this system?

A: No, the data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 130.4 FPS, showing the CPU can drive high frame rates, but the FPS drops to 43.4 at 4K Low, indicating the GPU is the constraint.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 4K at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the system achieves 99.9 FPS at 1080p and 32.3 FPS at 4K, a reduction of 67.6 FPS, showing a steep performance drop as resolution increases.

Q: What is the combo rank for this CPU and GPU pairing in Hitman 2?

A: This combination ranks 1460 out of 1795 tested combos in the database for this game.

Q: Does the RTX 2060 support DirectX 12 Ultimate?

A: Yes, the GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), as well as OpenGL 4.6 and Vulkan 1.4, which are modern APIs used by current games.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested hardware combinations for Hitman 2, the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 achieves a rank of 1460 out of 1795 total combos. This places the system in the lower percentile of tested configurations, which is expected given that the RTX 2060 is an older, mid-range GPU compared to the modern CPUs and top-tier graphics cards that likely populate the upper ranks. The CPU itself is high-performing, ranking in the 90th percentile versus all CPUs, but the GPU’s 58th percentile ranking drags the overall combo down.

The rank suggests that while the CPU is capable of supporting high frame rates, the GPU limits the system’s ability to compete with higher-end configurations. In practical terms, this combo is suitable for 1080p gaming, where it can achieve playable frame rates across all settings, but it falls short at 4K, where even Low settings only yield 43.4 FPS. The data confirms that this pairing is unbalanced for high-resolution gaming, as the GPU is vastly underpowered relative to the CPU’s capabilities.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the system delivers the following average frame rates: Low settings yield 130.4 FPS, Medium settings yield 99.9 FPS, High settings yield 77.9 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 56.4 FPS. These numbers show that at 1080p, the system is capable of smooth gameplay even at Ultra, with a 43% reduction from Low to Ultra.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. Low settings average 83.8 FPS, Medium settings average 61.5 FPS, High settings average 50 FPS, and Ultra settings average 35.2 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is approximately 36% across all settings, which is consistent with the increased pixel count. At this resolution, Ultra settings become marginal, but Low and Medium remain playable.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles significantly. Low settings average 43.4 FPS, Medium settings average 32.3 FPS, High settings average 26.9 FPS, and Ultra settings average 19.8 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K is approximately 48% across settings, which is steeper than the 1080p to 1440p drop, indicating that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and pixel fill rate are being exhausted. At 4K, no setting preset achieves 60 FPS, making this resolution unsuitable for smooth gameplay with this hardware. The data clearly shows that the RTX 2060 is the limiting component, as the CPU’s performance remains constant while the GPU’s output decreases with resolution.