Hitman 2

Hitman 2 with the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 produces a performance profile that is heavily dictated by resolution. The data indicates a clear transition from a CPU-bound scenario at 1080p to a GPU-bound scenario at 4K. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates across all settings are exceptionally high, ranging from 81 FPS on Ultra to 194 FPS on Low, suggesting that the processor has ample headroom to feed the graphics card. However, as resolution increases to 2560x1440 and 3840x2160, the frame rates drop significantly, revealing the limitations of the graphics card. This measured data provides a comprehensive look at how this specific hardware combination scales with graphical load in a stealth-action title.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate deltas between resolutions are substantial and tell a clear story about system bottlenecks. Moving from 1080p to 1440p at High settings, the average FPS drops from 110 to 70, a reduction of 36%. The transition from 1440p to 4K at High settings is even more severe, with average FPS falling from 70 to 38, a 46% decrease. This pattern is consistent across all settings presets, indicating that the rendering resolution has a dominant impact on performance.

At the Low preset, the scaling is particularly revealing. The 1080p average of 194 FPS drops to 124 FPS at 1440p and further to 66 FPS at 4K. This steep decline, even at minimal graphical load, points to the GPU becoming the primary limiting factor as pixel count increases. In contrast, the CPU's role appears to diminish at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves nearly 200 FPS, a workload that stresses the CPU's ability to process game logic and draw calls. The fact that this frame rate cannot be maintained at higher resolutions suggests that the RTX 3070's rendering throughput is the constraining element above 1080p.

The data also shows that the scaling between Medium and High presets is relatively consistent, while the jump to Ultra incurs a significant performance penalty. At 1440p, the difference between Medium (93 FPS) and High (70 FPS) is 23 FPS, while the difference between High (70 FPS) and Ultra (52 FPS) is 18 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is also notable, with a 31 FPS difference at 1440p. This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces effects that are disproportionately expensive for the GPU to render, making it the most demanding configuration in the test matrix.

The resolution scaling analysis indicates that for this specific game and hardware pairing, 1080p is the only resolution where the CPU keeps pace with the GPU. At 1440p, the system is balanced, but the GPU begins to show its limits. At 4K, the RTX 3070 is definitively the bottleneck, with even the Low preset failing to reach the 70 FPS mark that is easily achieved at 1440p. This performance pattern is typical for a mid-to-high-range GPU from its generation, where 4K gaming requires significant compromises in graphical fidelity to maintain playable frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 70 FPS at 2560x1440 with the High preset. This is a 36% reduction from the 110 FPS average observed at 1080p with the same settings.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 perform at 4K in this game?

A: At 3840x2160, the average frame rates range from 28 FPS on Ultra to 66 FPS on Low. The Medium preset provides an average of 50 FPS with a minimum of 42 FPS, indicating that 4K gaming with this GPU requires lower settings for a consistent experience.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 5900X a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not a limiting factor at 1080p. The lowest average FPS at this resolution is 81 FPS on Ultra, while the Low preset achieves 194 FPS. These high numbers indicate the 12-core processor has sufficient headroom.

Q: What is the performance difference between Medium and Ultra at 1080p?

A: The average frame rate drops from 146 FPS on Medium to 81 FPS on Ultra at 1920x1080. This represents a 44.5% decrease in performance, showing that the Ultra preset is significantly more demanding.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested configurations?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination ranks 1601 out of 3711 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places it in the upper-middle portion of the performance distribution for this game.

Q: Does the game favor the CPU or GPU at 1440p Medium?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 93, with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 107 FPS. The relatively tight frame time distribution suggests a balanced workload, but the drop from 146 FPS at 1080p indicates the GPU is becoming more influential.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is based on the Ampere architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but at 4K, the 8 GB capacity and bandwidth become potential constraints. The GPU's boost clock is rated at 1725 MHz, with a base clock of 1500 MHz. The card's raw compute capabilities include 20.31 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output units.

In Hitman 2, the RTX 3070's performance characteristics are clearly visible in the measured FPS. At 1080p, the GPU is able to maintain high frame rates across all presets, with the Ultra preset still delivering an average of 81 FPS. However, the gap between presets widens as resolution increases. At 4K, the Ultra preset only manages 28 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The Low preset at 4K achieves 66 FPS, showing that the GPU has enough raw power to handle the game at this resolution when visual effects are minimized.

The GPU's memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s appears to be a limiting factor at higher resolutions. The data shows a significant drop in performance when moving from 1440p to 4K, which is consistent with the increased memory pressure from higher pixel counts. The 8 GB VRAM capacity may also be a concern at 4K with High or Ultra settings, as the game could be exceeding this limit and causing performance degradation. The benchmark results indicate that the RTX 3070 is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can provide high frame rates even with demanding settings.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 61 against all GPUs indicates it is a mid-range performer in the broader market. Its average benchmark score of 17208 places it slightly above the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, which has an average score of 17083, a delta of 0.7%. This close performance parity suggests that in Hitman 2, the RTX 3070's specific architecture and driver optimizations play a role in its frame rate output expression. The card's DirectX 12 Ultimate support is relevant for a game like Hitman 2, which can leverage modern rendering features to improve visual quality.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 3070 delivers exceptional performance. The Low preset achieves an average of 194 FPS, which drops to 146 FPS on Medium, 110 FPS on High, and 81 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 124 FPS and a maximum of 168 FPS. These numbers indicate that 1080p is well within the GPU's comfort zone, providing smooth gameplay even at the highest settings. The difference between Low and Ultra is 113 FPS, demonstrating the significant impact of graphical settings on performance.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease proportionally. The Low preset averages 124 FPS, Medium averages 93 FPS with a range of 79 to 107 FPS, High averages 70 FPS, and Ultra averages 52 FPS. At this resolution, the Ultra preset remains playable but begins to show the GPU's limits. The gap between Low and Ultra is 72 FPS, which is smaller than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor. The Medium preset's 93 FPS average is a sweet spot for competitive play, balancing visual quality and performance.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 3070 struggles to maintain high frame rates. The Low preset averages 66 FPS, Medium averages 50 FPS with a range of 42 to 57 FPS, High averages 38 FPS, and Ultra averages 28 FPS. These numbers show that 4K gaming is only feasible with the Low or Medium presets. The Medium preset's minimum of 42 FPS is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay, suggesting that users should stick to Low settings for a consistent experience. The performance drop from 1440p to 4K is significant across all presets, with the High setting losing 32 FPS on average.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: the RTX 3070 is a capable 1080p and 1440p card, but its performance at 4K is limited. The Ultra preset at 4K is essentially unplayable, with an average of 28 FPS. The High preset at 4K is marginally better at 38 FPS but still below the ideal threshold. The measured FPS values provide a clear guide for users: 1080p offers the best experience with all settings viable, 1440p requires a balance between quality and performance, and 4K demands significant compromises.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 ranks 1601 out of 3711 tested combinations in Hitman 2. This places the system in the 43rd percentile of all tested configurations, meaning it outperforms 43% of the other combos in the database for this specific game. This ranking reflects the balance between the CPU and GPU, as well as the overall performance ceiling of the hardware.

The CPU itself ranks in the 87th percentile against all processors, with an average benchmark score of 41376. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 7 366H, which has a score of 41263 and a delta of 0.3%, and the Intel Core i7-14650HX, which scores 41576 with a delta of -0.5%. This indicates that the Ryzen 9 5900X is a high-performing processor that is not likely to be the bottleneck in most gaming scenarios. The GPU, however, ranks in the 61st percentile against all GPUs, with an average score of 17208. Its nearest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, which scores 17083, a delta of 0.7%.

The combo's rank of 1601 suggests that while the CPU is powerful, the GPU is the limiting factor in Hitman 2. Many other combinations with higher-ranked GPUs would likely achieve better performance in this game Secure the 4K results. The combination's position in the middle of the distribution indicates that it is a well-rounded system for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but it is not optimized for extreme high-resolution play. Users seeking higher rankings would need to pair the Ryzen 9 5900X with a more powerful graphics card.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz, with a 64 MB L3 cache. The processor supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration, providing a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. In Hitman 2, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, physics, and draw calls, which are typically not heavily multi-threaded.

The benchmark data shows that the Ryzen 9 5900X is more than capable of handling Hitman 2's CPU demands. At 1080p with the Low preset, the system achieves 194 FPS, which is a strong indicator that the CPU is not a bottleneck at this resolution. Even at 1080p Ultra, the system maintains 81 FPS, showing that the processor has enough single-thread performance to keep up with the GPU. The CPU's single-thread score in Cinebench R23 is 1527, and its 3DMark single-thread score is 941, both of which are respectable for gaming workloads.

The CPU's performance in multi-threaded benchmarks is also strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16262 and a Geekbench multicore score of 14118. However, Hitman 2 is not a game that scales well with many cores, so the Ryzen 9 5900X's 12 cores may be underutilized. The data shows that the CPU's performance is sufficient for this game, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p. The processor's 87th percentile ranking against all CPUs indicates it is a top-tier performer, and it is unlikely to cause any performance issues in this title.

The CPU's memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s is adequate for Hitman 2, which does not have particularly demanding memory access patterns. The 64 MB L3 cache helps reduce latency and improve performance in games that benefit from larger caches. Overall, the Ryzen 9 5900X plays a supporting role in this system, providing enough performance to ensure the GPU is the primary determinant of frame rate in most scenarios)Skip to content.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 81 FPS, which is smooth and playable. However, for users seeking higher refresh rates, the High preset at 110 FPS or Medium at 146 FPS are better choices. The Low preset at 194 FPS is ideal for competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors, but the visual quality is significantly reduced.

At 2560x1440, the High preset provides an average of 70 FPS, which is acceptable for most gamers. The Medium preset offers a better balance, with an average of 93 FPS and a minimum of 79 FPS, ensuring consistent performance during demanding scenes. The Ultra preset at 52 FPS is playable but may have occasional dips. For a smooth experience at 1440p, the Medium preset is recommended, as it provides a high frame rate while maintaining good visual quality.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only option that provides a consistently playable experience, with an average of 66 FPS. The Medium preset averages 50 FPS, but the minimum of 42 FPS may be noticeable during intense action. The High and Ultra presets at 38 FPS and 28 FPS, respectively, are not recommended for general play. For 4K gaming, users should accept the Low preset or consider reducing the resolution to 1440p for a better experience.

The data indicates that the Medium preset offers the best overall balance between performance and visual quality across all resolutions. At 1080p, it provides 146 FPS, at 1440p it provides 93 FPS, and at 4K it provides 50 FPS. This preset is recommended for users who want a smooth experience without sacrificing too much graphical fidelity. The Ultra preset should be reserved for 1080p where it remains playable, while High is a good compromise for 1440p.