Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER pairing in Hitman 2 presents a fascinating study in bottleneck dynamics. The data shows a system where the 16-core processor is largely idle while the 8 GB graphics card dictates playability, particularly at higher resolutions. This combination ranks 1099th out of 1795 tested combos, placing it in the lower half of the database, a position that reflects the GPU's age and the game's demanding nature.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate collapse from 1080p to 4K is stark and reveals the GPU as the dominant constraint. At 1080p High, the combo achieves 93.6 FPS, but this plummets to 59.8 FPS at 1440p and further to a barely playable 30.6 FPS at 4K. This represents a 67% drop in performance from 1080p to 4K at High settings. The pattern is consistent across all presets, though the absolute numbers tell a more nuanced story.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly brutal, with High settings falling from 59.8 FPS to 30.6 FPS, a 49% reduction. This steep decline suggests that the RTX 2070 SUPER is running out of pixel-pushing capability, not compute headroom. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are likely being saturated at 4K, especially with the game's detailed environments. The data implies that at 4K, the system is entirely GPU-limited, with the Ryzen 9 5950X's 16 cores and 32 threads never being the constraining factor. The 1080p to 1440p transition is more moderate, indicating that the GPU still has some headroom at lower pixel counts, but the trend is unmistakable: this is a 1080p-to-1440p card for this game.

GPU Role

The RTX 2070 SUPER, built on the 12 nm TU104 chip, is the clear bottleneck in this pairing. Its 1605 MHz base and 1770 MHz boost clocks are respectable for its generation, but the 8 GB VRAM capacity is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the combo manages only 20.9 FPS, an unplayable result that points directly to memory pressure and shader throughput limitations. The 2560 shading units and 160 TMUs are simply not enough to handle Hitman 2's crowd and lighting effects at 4K.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 65th among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 22206, places it as a mid-range performer. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A400, scores 22307, a delta of -0.5%, showing that the 2070 SUPER is right at the edge of its performance class. The 14 Gbps effective memory speed and 256-bit bus provide 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is adequate for 1080p and 1440p but insufficient for 4K Ultra. The benchmark results indicate that the GPU's 9.062 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is the hard ceiling, as evidenced by the FPS dropping by half when moving from 1440p High (59.8 FPS) to 4K High (30.6 FPS).

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is almost entirely sidelined in this game, evidence of Hitman 2's engine being more GPU-bound. With 16 cores, 32 threads, and a 4.90 GHz boost clock, the CPU has massive headroom. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 159.5 FPS, which is the highest score in the measured set. This suggests that even at low settings, the game is hitting a frame ceiling that is likely tied to the GPU's pixel throughput, not the CPU's processing power.

The 5950X's benchmark scores, such as 38607 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 5450 in single-core, are exceptionally high. Its percentile ranking of 93rd among all CPUs, with an average score of 49062, places it in the top tier. Interestingly, its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600K, scores 49166, a delta of -0.2%, indicating that the 5950X is statistically tied with a much newer and more affordable chip. This CPU is simply not the limiting factor here. The 51.2 GB/s memory bandwidth and dual-channel DDR4 support are more than sufficient for the game's needs. The data implies that a weaker CPU could achieve nearly identical FPS in this game, as the RTX 2070 SUPER is the sole arbiter of performance.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide a clear hierarchy for optimal playability. At 1080p, the Medium preset offers the best balance, delivering 117.4 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. High settings at 1080p drop to 93.6 FPS, still excellent, but the jump to Ultra costs 23.8 FPS, bringing it down to 69.8 FPS. For competitive or high-refresh-rate play, 1080p Low at 159.5 FPS is the only option that fully utilizes the GPU's potential.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is the practical choice, hitting 78.3 FPS. This is a 33% reduction from 1080p Medium, but it remains smooth. High at 1440p yields 59.8 FPS, which is playable but borders on the edge of comfort for fast-paced action. Ultra at 1440p crashes to 40.5 FPS, which is not recommended for a stealth game that requires precise timing. At 4K, the data is clear: only Low settings are viable, with 56.5 FPS. Medium at 4K drops to 43.6 FPS, and High is a stutter-prone 30.6 FPS. The best experience per the measured rows is 1080p Medium or 1440p Medium, depending on the user's display resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

This pairing sits at rank 1099 out of 1795 combos, which is in the 39th percentile of all tested systems. This ranking is heavily dragged down by the GPU's performance ceiling. The CPU's percentile of 93rd versus the GPU's 65th illustrates the mismatch. The data shows that this combo is not competitive with higher-tier pairings, but it is not a bottom-tier setup either. The rank suggests that users with this configuration are getting roughly what they paid for in 2019, but the system is now showing its age in a 2018 game.

The delta between the CPU and GPU performance is telling. The 5950X is a top-7% processor, while the 2070 SUPER is in the bottom 35% of GPUs. This imbalance means that the combo's rank is almost entirely determined by the graphics card. In Hitman 2, the CPU's 16 cores provide no advantage over a 6-core part, as the game does not scale beyond a few threads. The rank of 1099 indicates that many cheaper and older CPU/GPU combinations could match or beat this system in this specific title, provided they have a stronger GPU.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Hitman 2 with this combo?

A: The data shows 1440p Medium is the sweet spot, delivering 78.3 FPS. This offers a good balance between visual fidelity and smoothness, with 1080p Medium at 117.4 FPS being the alternative for higher refresh rates.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Hitman 2?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, which yields 56.5 FPS. Ultra at 4K is unplayable at 20.9 FPS, and High settings at 30.6 FPS are too low for comfortable play.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 5950X bottlenecking the RTX 2070 SUPER?

A: No, the data indicates the opposite. The CPU has enormous headroom, as shown by its 93rd percentile ranking. The GPU is the limiting factor, as evidenced by the steep FPS drops with increased resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER compare to its nearest rival?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score is 22206, which is 0.5% lower than the NVIDIA RTX A400's 22307 score. This places it in a dead heat with that professional-grade card.

Q: What is the highest FPS achievable with this combo?

A: The maximum measured FPS is 159.5 at 1080p Low. This is the only setting that pushes the frame rate above 150 FPS, suggesting a hard limit around this value for this GPU.

Q: Is the CPU's 105 W TDP a concern for this game?

A: No, the benchmark data does not show any thermal throttling issues. The CPU's performance in Hitman 2 is sufficient, and its high benchmark scores indicate it is not under duress.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset reveals a consistent performance hierarchy across all resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 159.5 at Low to 69.8 at Ultra. The Medium preset at 117.4 FPS is the most balanced, while High at 93.6 FPS offers a marginal visual upgrade for a 24 FPS cost. The step from High to Ultra is the most punishing, costing 23.8 FPS for the highest visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the pattern repeats with lower absolute numbers. Low delivers 101.7 FPS, Medium 78.3 FPS, High 59.8 FPS, and Ultra 40.5 FPS. The transition from Low to Medium costs 23.4 FPS, while High to Ultra costs 19.3 FPS. This resolution is where the GPU's 8 GB VRAM starts to become a factor, as High and Ultra settings likely exceed the memory capacity, leading to the steep drops.

At 3840x2160, the data shows a dramatic collapse. Low delivers 56.5 FPS, which is the only playable setting. Medium drops to 43.6 FPS, High to 30.6 FPS, and Ultra to a slideshow-like 20.9 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium at 4K is 12.9 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 9.7 FPS. These numbers clearly indicate that the RTX 2070 SUPER is overwhelmed at this resolution, and the 5950X's power cannot compensate for the GPU's limitations. The overall trend across all settings is a linear decline, but the slope steepens at 4K, confirming the GPU as the definitive performance ceiling.