Hitman 2

# Hitman 2 with AMD Ryzen 9 5950X + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER

The combination of AMD's 16-core Ryzen 9 5950X and NVIDIA's RTX 4080 SUPER produces a formidable Hitman 2 machine, but the data reveals a system that behaves differently depending on resolution and settings. At 1080p, this pairing delivers exceptionally high frame rates that suggest CPU-bound territory, while 4K Ultra drops to 43 FPS, indicating the GPU becomes the primary constraint at the most demanding settings. The measured results across twelve resolution/setting combinations paint a clear picture of how this hardware scales in a 2018 stealth title.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K follows a steep and consistent decline across all settings, but the magnitude of that drop varies dramatically. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 301 at 1920x1080 to 192 at 2560x1440, a 36% reduction, then further to 103 at 3840x2160, representing a 66% total drop from the 1080p baseline. This pattern indicates that even at Low settings, the GPU is being pushed harder as pixel count increases, though the 301 FPS ceiling at 1080p Low suggests the CPU is limiting performance at that point.

High settings show a similar but less extreme curve: 171 FPS at 1080p, 109 FPS at 1440p, and 58 FPS at 4K. The 4K High result is less than half of the 1080p High figure, demonstrating that resolution scaling exacts a heavy toll on this title. Medium settings produce 226 FPS at 1080p, 144 FPS at 1440p, and 77 FPS at 4K, with the 1440p Medium result including a minimum of 123 FPS and maximum of 166 FPS, showing some frame-time variance in the mid-range. Ultra settings yield the steepest curve: 126 FPS at 1080p, 80 FPS at 1440p, and just 43 FPS at 4K, a 66% drop from 1080p to 4K.

The scaling pattern reveals that between 1440p and 4K, the performance penalty is roughly 45-47% across High, Medium, and Ultra settings, while the 1080p to 1440p drop ranges from 36% at Low to 37% at Ultra. This consistency suggests that pixel count, rather than setting complexity, is the dominant scaling factor. The 4K Ultra result of 43 FPS is the only measured point below 58 FPS, indicating that this combination can handle 4K at High settings but struggles with the full Ultra preset. The data strongly suggests the RTX 4080 SUPER becomes the limiting component at 4K, particularly at Ultra settings where the 43 FPS result falls below typical playability thresholds.

GPU Role

The RTX 4080 SUPER brings substantial resources to Hitman 2, including 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus with 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's 10240 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 112 ROPs are paired with a boost clock of 2550 MHz, and the memory runs at 1438 MHz with 23 Gbps effective speed. These specifications translate to a pixel rate of 285.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 816.0 GTexel/s, figures that help explain the strong 4K performance at High settings.

The GPU's 52.22 TFLOPS FP32 compute capability and 80 RT cores (though ray tracing is not a factor in Hitman 2's standard rendering) position it well above the average graphics card, as reflected in its 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs. The 16 GB VRAM capacity is more than sufficient for Hitman 2's requirements at any resolution, as evidenced by the fact that even the most demanding 4K Ultra preset produces playable (if not ideal) frame rates. The memory bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s appears adequate for the game's needs, as the scaling pattern suggests compute and fill-rate limitations rather than bandwidth constraints.

The GPU's benchmark scores reinforce its capabilities: a Passmark G3D score of 34245 and a Passmark GPU Compute score of 19822, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6600. Its average benchmark score of 54209 places it just 0.1% behind the RTX 4080, while it trails the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X by 1.1% and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB by 2.7% in average benchmark terms. In Hitman 2 specifically, the GPU's role becomes increasingly prominent as resolution rises; at 1080p Low, the 301 FPS result likely leaves GPU headroom unused, while at 4K Ultra, the 43 FPS result indicates the GPU is fully utilized.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database's tested combinations, this pairing achieves a combo rank of 315 out of 3711 tested configurations, placing it in the top 8.5% of all CPU-GPU combinations tested. This ranking reflects the strength of both components, though the CPU's 91st percentile among all CPUs and the GPU's 86th percentile among all GPUs suggest the pairing is well-balanced for most workloads. The CPU's average benchmark score of 51947 is remarkably close to its nearest rivals: it trails the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX by just 0.2% (52073 vs 51947), sits 0.3% behind the AMD EPYC 8124P (52121), and leads the Intel Core i9-13900F by 0.4% (51730) and the Intel Core i7-14700 by 0.7% (52301 is the rival's score, meaning the 5950X is actually behind by 0.7%).

The GPU's average benchmark score of 54209 places it nearly identical to the RTX 4080 (54247, a 0.1% delta), while the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828 (1.1% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698 (2.7% higher), and the AMD Radeon 8060S scores 55757 (2.8% higher). These rival comparisons indicate that while the RTX 4080 SUPER is a strong performer, it sits slightly below some competing options in synthetic benchmarks. In Hitman 2 specifically, the combo's rank of 315 out of 3711 demonstrates that this pairing outperforms the vast majority of tested combinations, though it does not reach the top tier.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the results span a wide range depending on settings. Low settings produce an average of 301 FPS, which is the highest measured result across all configurations. Medium settings average 226 FPS with a minimum of 192 FPS and maximum of 260 FPS, showing a 68 FPS spread between minimum and maximum. High settings average 171 FPS, while Ultra settings average 126 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 175 FPS, indicating that settings have a massive impact on performance at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the results show expected reductions. Low settings average 192 FPS, down 36% from 1080p Low. Medium settings average 144 FPS with a minimum of 123 FPS and maximum of 166 FPS, a narrower 43 FPS spread than at 1080p. High settings average 109 FPS, and Ultra settings average 80 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra gap at 1440p is 112 FPS, proportionally similar to the 1080p gap but with lower absolute numbers.

At 3840x2160, the performance envelope tightens considerably. Low settings average 103 FPS, which remains playable but represents a 66% drop from 1080p Low. Medium settings average 77 FPS with a minimum of 65 FPS and maximum of 88 FPS, a 23 FPS spread that suggests some frame-time inconsistency at 4K. High settings average 58 FPS, and Ultra settings average 43 FPS. The Low-to-Ultra gap at 4K is 60 FPS, the smallest absolute gap across resolutions, indicating that pixel throughput dominates at this resolution regardless of settings.

The Medium settings results at all three resolutions include minimum and maximum figures, providing insight into frame pacing. At 1080p Medium, the 192-260 FPS range shows a 68 FPS variance, while at 1440p Medium the 123-166 FPS range shows 43 FPS variance, and at 4K Medium the 65-88 FPS range shows 23 FPS variance. This decreasing variance with resolution suggests that GPU-bound scenarios produce more consistent frame times, while CPU-bound scenarios at lower resolutions exhibit greater fluctuation.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X brings 16 cores and 32 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture (codenamed Vermeer), manufactured on TSMC's 7 nm process with 8,300 million transistors across a dual-chiplet design totaling 148 mm². Its base clock of 3.40 GHz boosts to 4.90 GHz, and it features 64 MB of L3 cache alongside 512 KB L2 and 64 KB L1 per core. The CPU supports DDR4 memory with dual-channel configuration and 51.2 GB/s bandwidth, and its 105 W TDP reflects the efficiency of the Zen 3 architecture.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p Low, where the 301 FPS average suggests the GPU is not the limiting factor. The CPU's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by a 3DMark single-thread score of 944, a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1614, and a Passmark single-thread score of 3470, helps drive high frame rates in a game that may not fully utilize all 16 cores. The CPU's 3DMark 16-thread score of 10810 and max-thread score of 11597 indicate robust multi-threaded capabilities, but Hitman 2's engine likely benefits more from the high boost clock and strong single-core performance.

The CPU's benchmark results show it outperforms its nearest rivals in some metrics while trailing in others. Its average benchmark score of 51947 is within 0.7% of all four nearest rivals, with the Intel Core i7-14700 scoring 52301 (0.7% higher), the AMD EPYC 8124P scoring 52121 (0.3% higher), the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX scoring 52073 (0.2% higher), and the Intel Core i9-13900F scoring 51730 (0.4% lower). This tight grouping indicates that the 5950X remains competitive with newer and differently-positioned processors in synthetic workloads. In Hitman 2, the CPU's 91st percentile ranking among all CPUs suggests that only a small fraction of processors would offer meaningfully better performance, though the game's engine may not fully exploit the 16-core configuration.

The CPU's cache hierarchy, with 64 MB of L3 cache, likely helps maintain consistent frame rates by reducing memory latency in gameplay scenarios. The dual-channel DDR4 memory interface with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth is adequate but not exceptional by modern standards, and the PCIe Gen 4 support with 20 lanes provides sufficient bandwidth for the RTX 4080 SUPER. The CPU's launch MSRP was $799, and it remains an active production part with an unlocked multiplier for overclocking. The combination of high boost clocks and substantial cache contributes to the strong 1080p results, where the CPU's ability to feed the GPU quickly becomes the determining factor in achieving frame rates above 200 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for 4K gaming with this combo?

A: High settings at 3840x2160 produce an average of 58 FPS, which is playable, while Medium settings average 77 FPS with a minimum of 65 FPS. Ultra settings drop to 43 FPS, making High the recommended preset for 4K.

Q: How does this combo perform at 1080p for competitive play?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings achieve 301 FPS average, Medium hits 226 FPS with a minimum of 192 FPS, and High reaches 171 FPS. These results provide ample headroom for high-refresh-rate displays.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p Low settings?

A: The 301 FPS average at 1080p Low, combined with the CPU's 91st percentile ranking and the GPU's 86th percentile ranking, suggests the CPU becomes the limiting factor at this resolution and settings level.

Q: What frame rate variance can be expected at Medium settings?

A: At 1080p Medium, the range is 192-260 FPS (68 FPS variance); at 1440p Medium, it's 123-166 FPS (43 FPS variance); at 4K Medium, it's 65-88 FPS (23 FPS variance). Variance decreases as resolution increases.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER compare to the standard RTX 4080 in benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 54209, which is 0.1% lower than the RTX 4080's 54247 score, making them effectively equivalent in synthetic testing.

Q: What is the combo's overall ranking among tested configurations?

A: This pairing ranks 315 out of 3711 tested CPU-GPU combinations, placing it in the top 8.5% of all configurations in the benchmark database.