Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers a formidable Hitman 2 experience, but the data reveals a clear shift in system bottleneck as resolution climbs. At 1080p, the combination is heavily CPU-bound, with frame rates reaching as high as 305.3 FPS on Low settings. Dropping from 1080p Low to 4K Low sees the average frame rate fall from 305.3 FPS to 115.6 FPS, a reduction of roughly 62%. This steep decline at lower graphical presets indicates that the RTX 4090 is being held back by the Ryzen 9 5900X at 1080p, as the CPU cannot feed the GPU enough frames to reach its full potential. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings is also substantial, moving from 305.3 FPS down to 216.8 FPS, which further confirms that the processor is the limiting factor at these lower resolutions.

However, the dynamics change dramatically when graphical load increases. At Ultra settings, the frame rate drops from 142.9 FPS at 1080p to 92.8 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 49 FPS at 4K. This represents a 65.7% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K, suggesting that at the highest preset, the GPU becomes the primary constraint. The RTX 4090’s raw power is still immense, but the 4K Ultra workload is demanding enough to saturate its capabilities fully. The transition from High to Ultra at 4K is particularly punishing, with average FPS falling from 64.2 to 49, a 23.7% performance hit for the increased visual fidelity. Benchmark results indicate that for users targeting 4K, the CPU headroom is less of a concern, as the GPU is working near its limits, while at 1080p, the Ryzen 9 5900X’s 12 cores and 24 threads are sufficient to push frame rates into the high hundreds, but not enough to fully unlock the RTX 4090.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a predictable and steep curve from 1080p to 4K, but the shape of that curve is heavily dependent on the selected preset. At the Low preset, the frame rate plummets from 305.3 FPS at 1080p to 216.8 FPS at 1440p, a 29% drop, and then to 115.6 FPS at 4K, another 46.7% reduction from the 1440p figure. This dramatic scaling at Low settings is a classic indicator of a CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions. The RTX 4090 is capable of far higher frame rates than the Ryzen 9 5900X can provide, so reducing resolution does not yield the expected linear gains; instead, the processor’s single-thread and multi-thread performance becomes the wall.

Conversely, at the Ultra preset, the scaling is more gradual in relative terms. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops from 142.9 to 92.8, a 35.1% decrease. Moving from 1440p to 4K Ultra brings the frame rate down to 49, a 47.2% decrease from the 1440p result. The absolute frame rate at 4K Ultra is the lowest of any configuration tested, which is expected given the sheer pixel count and the demanding nature of the Ultra preset. The data suggests that the limiting component shifts from the CPU to the GPU as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the CPU is the bottleneck, while at 4K Ultra, the GPU is clearly the limiting component, as the frame rate is nearly six times lower than the 1080p Low result.

Settings Recommendations

For 4K displays, the data points to the High preset as the optimal balance between visual quality and playable frame rates. At 3840x2160, the High preset achieves an average of 64.2 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset offers a higher 84.3 FPS, but the jump from Medium to High only costs 20.1 FPS, making High the more visually appealing choice without sacrificing smoothness. The Ultra preset, at 49 FPS, dips below the 60 FPS line, which may be acceptable for some but is not ideal for a stealth action game requiring precise timing. The Low preset, while delivering 115.6 FPS, does so at a significant visual cost that undermines the game’s atmosphere.

At 1440p, the High preset shines, delivering 120.1 FPS, which is exceptional for a high-resolution gaming experience. The Medium preset hits 158.8 FPS, and the Low preset reaches 216.8 FPS, but these higher frame rates come with diminishing returns on most 1440p monitors, which typically cap at 144Hz or 165Hz. The Ultra preset at 1440p yields 92.8 FPS, still a very playable number, but the difference between High and Ultra is only 27.3 FPS, while the visual uplift is often subtle. For 1080p, the Ultra preset is the recommended choice, as the 142.9 FPS average is well above refresh rates of most high-end monitors, and it fully utilizes the CPU’s capabilities without being held back by the GPU. The High preset at 1080p also performs admirably at 188.5 FPS, but Ultra offers the best experience per the measured rows, with only a 45.6 FPS reduction from High.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 56th out of 1,795 tested combos for Hitman 2, placing it in the top 3.1% of all configurations. This is a strong result, reflecting the high-end nature of both components. The CPU itself sits in the 90th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 39,453. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 4245P, which scores 39,383 and is just 0.2% slower, and the Intel Core i7-13700, which scores 39,857 and is 1% faster. The Ryzen 9 5900X holds its own, with a smaller delta to the EPYC part than to the Intel parts. The GPU is similarly well-positioned, ranking in the 91st percentile against all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 66,473. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla T4, scores 66,733 and is 0.4% faster, while the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 is 0.9% slower. The combo’s ranking is slightly lower than the individual component percentiles, which suggests that the pairing is not perfectly balanced in this specific game, likely due to the CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions as discussed earlier.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are as follows: Low yields 305.3 FPS, Medium yields 251.5 FPS, High yields 188.5 FPS, and Ultra yields 142.9 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 162.4 FPS, showing the significant impact of graphical settings on the CPU-bound regime. At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low at 216.8 FPS, Medium at 158.8 FPS, High at 120.1 FPS, and Ultra at 92.8 FPS. The reduction from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across settings, with an average drop of about 35-40% depending on the preset. At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low at 115.6 FPS, Medium at 84.3 FPS, High at 64.2 FPS, and Ultra at 49 FPS. The 4K results show a clear halving of performance compared to 1440p for the lower presets, while the Ultra preset sees a slightly smaller relative drop. The minimum and maximum FPS values were not recorded in the data, so the analysis relies solely on average frame rates, which are sufficient to identify the overall performance trends.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in Hitman 2?

A: The highest average FPS is 305.3, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 5900X or the RTX 4090 the limiting factor at 4K Ultra?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary limiter at 4K Ultra, as the average FPS drops to 49, which is well below the frame rates seen at lower resolutions where the CPU is more of a constraint.

Q: How does the combo rank among other tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 56th out of 1,795 tested combos for Hitman 2, placing it in the top 3.1% of all tested configurations.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between the High and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers 120.1 FPS, while the Ultra preset delivers 92.8 FPS, a difference of 27.3 FPS in favor of High.

Q: Which preset is the best choice for 4K gaming based on the data?

A: The High preset is recommended for 4K, as it achieves 64.2 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold, whereas the Ultra preset falls to 49 FPS.

Q: Does the RTX 4090’s benchmark score place it above or below its nearest rival, the Tesla T4?

A: The RTX 4090 has an average benchmark score of 66,473, which is 0.4% lower than the NVIDIA Tesla T4’s score of 66,733, making the Tesla T4 slightly faster in synthetic benchmarks.