Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D delivers a dominant performance in Hitman 2, securing the top spot among 3,001 tested combinations. This pairing excels across all resolutions, though the data reveals a clear progression from CPU-bound limits at 1080p to GPU-bound constraints at 4K. The combination’s frame rates remain exceptionally high even under the most demanding settings, making it a reference-class setup for this stealth title.

Resolution Scaling

The performance trajectory from 1080p to 4K illustrates a classic shift in bottleneck dynamics. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo produces 207 FPS, but this figure skyrockets to 365 FPS on Low settings, indicating that the CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU at lower graphical loads. The scaling pattern at 1080p is steep: dropping from Ultra (153 FPS) to Low (365 FPS) yields a 212 FPS swing, a 138% improvement that underscores how the Ryzen 7 9800X3D’s 8 cores and 16 threads can drive massive frame rates when pixel throughput is not the limiting factor.

Moving to 2560x1440, the scaling compresses noticeably. High settings deliver 132 FPS, while Low reaches 234 FPS — a 102 FPS difference, or roughly 77% improvement. The Medium preset sits at 175 FPS with a minimum of 149 FPS and maximum of 201 FPS, showing tighter frame pacing than the 1080p results. Ultra at 1440p yields 98 FPS, which is nearly double the 4K Ultra figure, suggesting that the GPU begins to assert its influence at this resolution but the CPU still contributes meaningfully to overall throughput.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the primary constraint. High settings produce 71 FPS, while Low achieves 124 FPS — a 53 FPS gap that is proportionally smaller than at lower resolutions. The Medium preset at 4K delivers 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS and maximum of 107 FPS, providing a smooth experience despite the higher pixel count. Ultra at 4K drops to 52 FPS, which is the only sub-60 FPS result in the entire dataset. The resolution scaling from 1440p to 4K at High settings shows a 46% reduction in frame rate (from 132 to 71 FPS), confirming that the RTX 5090 D’s 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are being taxed heavily by 4K rendering.

The data indicates that at 1080p, the Ryzen 7 9800X3D’s 5.20 GHz boost clock and 96 MB of shared L3 cache allow the GPU to run near its potential, but the CPU still sets the ceiling — evidenced by the 365 FPS Low result. At 4K, the RTX 5090 D’s 21,760 shading units and 680 texture mapping units become the decisive factor, with the CPU’s influence waning as resolution increases. The 4K Ultra result of 52 FPS, while low relative to other presets, still represents a playable experience, but users seeking higher frame rates will need to adjust settings rather than rely on the CPU to compensate.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the dominant component in this pairing, particularly at higher resolutions. Its 32 GB GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus provides 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth, which is essential for Hitman 2’s detailed environments at 4K. The GPU’s base clock of 2017 MHz and boost clock of 2407 MHz, paired with 170 ray tracing cores and 680 tensor cores, enable the high frame rates observed in the benchmark results.

The GPU’s role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. At 1080p, the RTX 5090 D’s 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 performance is underutilized, as the CPU drives frame rates to 365 FPS on Low settings. However, at 4K, the GPU’s 423.6 GPixel/s pixel rate and 1,636.8 GTexel/s texture rate are fully engaged, with the Ultra preset yielding 52 FPS. The GPU’s 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 77,712, places it well above the majority of competitors, though its nearest rivals — the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76,904, +1.1%), AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78,940, -1.6%), NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (79,396, -2.1%), and NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (79,605, -2.4%) — show that the 5090 D’s raw compute advantage is narrow in synthetic tests.

In Hitman 2 specifically, the GPU’s memory capacity of 32 GB ensures no texture streaming bottlenecks, even at 4K Ultra. The 4K Medium result of 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS demonstrates that the GPU can maintain playable frame rates when settings are moderated. The gap between 4K Low (124 FPS) and 4K High (71 FPS) highlights the GPU’s sensitivity to graphical fidelity — a 43% reduction in frame rate from Low to High. The RTX 5090 D’s DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4 API compatibility are well-suited to Hitman 2’s engine, which benefits from modern rendering pipelines.

The GPU’s 5 nm process node and 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die contribute to its high performance, but the 575 W TDP and 950 W suggested PSU requirement indicate substantial power draw. The dual-slot cooler and 1x 16-pin power connector are standard for this class of GPU. The 5090 D’s 92nd percentile ranking, combined with its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14,326, confirms its position as a top-tier graphics solution, though its nearest rival deltas are small, suggesting that synthetic benchmarks may not fully capture its gaming prowess.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination ranks first out of 3,001 tested combos in Hitman 2, making it the best-performing pairing in the database for this game. This top ranking is consistent with the measured frame rates, which exceed 200 FPS at 1080p High and remain above 70 FPS at 4K High. The combo’s rank is particularly notable given the breadth of the comparison pool, which includes 3,000 other CPU-GPU pairings.

The CPU’s individual ranking provides context for this success. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D has an 87th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 39,768. Its nearest rivals — the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840HS (39,603, +0.4%), AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 (40,048, -0.7%), AMD Ryzen AI 7 450 (39,485, +0.7%), and AMD Ryzen 7 7700 (40,081, -0.8%) — show that the 9800X3D is competitive but not dominant in general-purpose benchmarks. However, in Hitman 2, the CPU’s 96 MB of L3 cache and 5.20 GHz boost clock prove highly effective, enabling the combo to outpace all others.

The GPU’s 92nd percentile ranking, while strong, is slightly lower than the combo’s overall rank, indicating that the CPU-GPU pairing synergizes particularly well in this game. The RTX 5090 D’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks (RX 6650M XT, RX 6850M XT, Tesla P100 variants) are all within 2.4% of its average score, yet none of these GPUs would likely achieve the same Hitman 2 results due to differences in architecture and driver optimization. The combo’s #1 ranking, therefore, reflects not just raw hardware capability but also the effective balance between the 9800X3D’s single-thread strength and the 5090 D’s massive memory bandwidth.

The 3,001-combo pool includes a wide range of processors and graphics cards, from entry-level to enthusiast-class, making this top ranking a significant achievement. The measured FPS data — particularly the 365 FPS at 1080p Low and 153 FPS at 1080p Ultra — demonstrates that this combo can handle the game’s most demanding scenarios without compromise. The 4K Ultra result of 52 FPS, while below the 60 FPS threshold, still ranks above what most other combos would achieve at this resolution and settings, reinforcing the combo’s overall superiority.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce 365 FPS, Medium reaches 274 FPS with a minimum of 233 FPS and maximum of 315 FPS, High achieves 207 FPS, and Ultra drops to 153 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra represents a 58% reduction in frame rate, but even the Ultra result remains high enough for competitive play. The 1080p Medium result of 274 FPS with a tight frame range (233-315 FPS) suggests excellent frame pacing, with the CPU keeping up with the GPU’s output.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain robust but show a clear step down. Low settings yield 234 FPS, Medium produces 175 FPS with a minimum of 149 FPS and maximum of 201 FPS, High achieves 132 FPS, and Ultra falls to 98 FPS. The 1440p Medium result of 175 FPS is particularly noteworthy, as it offers a balance between visual quality and performance — nearly double the 4K Ultra frame rate. The 1440p High result of 132 FPS is also strong, representing a 36% reduction from the 1080p High figure, which aligns with the increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the GPU’s workload becomes evident. Low settings produce 124 FPS, Medium achieves 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS and maximum of 107 FPS, High delivers 71 FPS, and Ultra drops to 52 FPS. The 4K Medium result of 93 FPS is the only 4K setting that comfortably exceeds 90 FPS, while 4K High at 71 FPS remains playable but shows the GPU’s limits. The 4K Ultra result of 52 FPS is the lowest in the entire dataset, but it still provides a consistent experience without major frame drops, as indicated by the Medium preset’s minimum of 79 FPS.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset consistently provides the most balanced experience, with 4K Medium at 93 FPS, 1440p Medium at 175 FPS, and 1080p Medium at 274 FPS. The High preset offers a more visually demanding alternative, with 4K at 71 FPS, 1440p at 132 FPS, and 1080p at 207 FPS. The Low preset maximizes frame rates but sacrifices visual quality, reaching 365 FPS at 1080p and 124 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset delivers the best visuals but imposes significant performance costs, particularly at 4K where it falls below 60 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance across all resolutions. At 4K, Medium achieves 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS, providing a smooth experience that exceeds the 60 FPS threshold. The 1440p Medium result of 175 FPS (minimum 149 FPS) and 1080p Medium result of 274 FPS (minimum 233 FPS) further solidify Medium as the recommended setting for users who prioritize frame consistency.

For users with high-refresh-rate displays at 1080p, the High preset at 207 FPS is an excellent choice, offering improved visuals while still maintaining frame rates well above 144 Hz. At 1440p, High at 132 FPS is equally suitable for 120 Hz displays. However, at 4K, the High preset at 71 FPS is borderline for 60 Hz displays, and users may prefer Medium at 93 FPS for additional headroom.

The Low preset is only recommended for competitive play or extreme frame rate targets, as it sacrifices significant visual quality. At 1080p, Low’s 365 FPS is useful for 360 Hz monitors, but the visual downgrade may not justify the performance gain for most users. The Ultra preset, while visually impressive, is not recommended at 4K due to its 52 FPS average, which falls below the 60 FPS standard. At 1440p, Ultra at 98 FPS and 1080p Ultra at 153 FPS are viable options for users with G-Sync or FreeSync displays who prioritize image quality.

The data suggests that Medium is the sweet spot for this combo in Hitman 2. At 4K, it delivers 93 FPS — 31% higher than High and 79% higher than Ultra. At 1440p, Medium’s 175 FPS is 33% higher than High and 79% higher than Ultra. At 1080p, Medium’s 274 FPS is 32% higher than High and 79% higher than Ultra. This consistent pattern across resolutions indicates that Medium provides the most efficient use of the hardware’s capabilities, balancing GPU load with CPU throughput.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D plays a crucial role in this combo’s performance, particularly at lower resolutions where its 8 cores and 16 threads can fully express their capabilities. The CPU’s base clock of 4.70 GHz and boost clock of 5.20 GHz, combined with 96 MB of shared L3 cache, provide the single-thread performance that Hitman 2’s engine demands. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1,212 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2,080 confirm strong single-thread capabilities, though the CPU’s 87th percentile ranking (average score 39,768) shows it is not the absolute fastest in all workloads.

The CPU’s impact is most visible at 1080p, where frame rates scale dramatically with settings. The jump from High (207 FPS) to Low (365 FPS) represents a 76% increase, driven by reduced CPU overhead from simpler scene geometry and effects. The 1080p Ultra result of 153 FPS, while lower, still demonstrates the CPU’s ability to maintain high frame rates under demanding conditions. At 1440p, the CPU’s influence diminishes but remains significant — the High-to-Low gap of 102 FPS (132 to 234 FPS) shows that the CPU still has headroom to spare.

At 4K, the CPU’s role is secondary to the GPU, as evidenced by the smaller scaling between settings. The 4K High-to-Low gap of 53 FPS (71 to 124 FPS) is proportionally smaller than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck. However, the 4K Low result of 124 FPS shows that the CPU can still push frame rates above 120 FPS when the GPU is not fully loaded, suggesting that the 9800X3D is not limiting performance even at the highest resolution.

The CPU’s 16 threads and 96 MB L3 cache are well-suited to Hitman 2’s multithreaded rendering and simulation tasks. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23,230 and Geekbench multicore score of 18,696 indicate strong multi-thread performance, which helps maintain consistent frame times. The PassMark multithread score of 40,009 and physics score of 4,083 further corroborate the CPU’s ability to handle complex game logic without becoming a bottleneck.

The 9800X3D’s Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) on a 4 nm process provides efficiency that complements the GPU’s high power draw. The CPU’s 120 W TDP is modest relative to its performance, and its DDR5 memory support with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth ensures sufficient data throughput for the GPU. The CPU’s 87th percentile ranking, while slightly below the GPU’s 92nd percentile, is more than adequate for Hitman 2, where the combination of high clock speeds and large cache proves more important than raw core count.