Hitman 2

This analysis examines the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination in Hitman 2, using measured frame rate data across three resolutions and four quality presets. The data shows a system that is strongly CPU-capable at lower resolutions and becomes GPU-bound as resolution and settings increase. The combination ranks 349 out of 1795 tested configurations in this game.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, with a base clock of 4.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. It has a 64 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory. In Hitman 2, the CPU's role is most visible at 1080p Low, where the combo reaches 258 FPS — a figure that indicates the processor is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions. The 7900X's single-thread performance, as measured by Cinebench R23 single-core at 6168 and Geekbench single-core at 2952, is strong enough to drive the game's simulation and AI logic without bottlenecking the GPU. Its multi-thread capabilities are equally robust: Cinebench R23 multi-core scores 43695, Geekbench multi-core 17830, and Passmark multi-thread 51406. These figures place the 7900X in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 50556. It trails its nearest rivals by only 0.1% to 0.8%: the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 (50598, -0.1%), AMD Ryzen 9 5900XT (50738, -0.4%), Intel Core i7-13850HX (50827, -0.5%), and Intel Core i9-13980HX (50944, -0.8%). This parity means the 7900X is effectively at the same performance level as these high-end chips for this game. The launch MSRP is $549.

The CPU's 12 cores and 24 threads are more than sufficient for Hitman 2, which is a 2018 title that does not scale heavily across many cores. The high boost clock of 5.60 GHz helps maintain high frame rates in scenes with complex geometry and many NPCs. At 1080p Ultra, the combo still achieves 106.8 FPS, showing that the CPU can keep up even with the highest settings at the lowest resolution. The 3DMark scores further illustrate the CPU's balance: 10972 in the 16-thread test, 2137 in the 2-thread test, 4151 in the 4-thread test, 7798 in the 8-thread test, 12536 in the max-thread test, and 1093 in the single-thread test. These results indicate that the 7900X scales well across thread counts, which is beneficial for games that use multiple threads for background tasks.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and features 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 2325 MHz and boost clock is 2512 MHz. In Hitman 2, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution and settings increase. At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate drops to 37.4 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The GPU's average benchmark score of 41687 places it in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (41610, +0.2%), NVIDIA Tesla M40 (41897, -0.5%), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 (41441, +0.6%), and AMD Radeon Pro 580X (41991, -0.7%). The positive deltaPct values indicate the RTX 5070 is 0.2% ahead of the Radeon Pro 5300 and 0.6% ahead of the RTX 3090, while it trails the Tesla M40 by 0.5% and the Radeon Pro 580X by 0.7%. The 12 GB VRAM is ample for Hitman 2, which was released in 2018 and does not require large texture pools. The launch MSRP is 549 USD.

The GPU's compute performance is reflected in its benchmark results: 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 scores 5077, Geekbench OpenCL 185269, Geekbench Vulkan 179413, Passmark G3D 29137, and Passmark GPU compute 15787. These scores indicate a strong mid-to-high-range GPU that is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but struggles at 4K with the highest settings. The 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores provide hardware support for ray tracing and DLSS, though Hitman 2 does not heavily utilize these features. The 672.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is sufficient for the game's texture streaming at all settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show a clear pattern of GPU limitation at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 144.1 at 1080p to 94.1 at 1440p, and then to 51.3 at 4K. At Low settings, the drop is from 258 at 1080p to 166.8 at 1440p, and then to 87 at 4K. The Medium preset follows the same trend: 194.7 at 1080p, 125.8 at 1440p, and 69.2 at 4K. Ultra settings show 106.8 at 1080p, 66.3 at 1440p, and 37.4 at 4K. The consistent pattern of drops across settings indicates that the GPU is the limiting component, as the CPU is capable of much higher frame rates — evidenced by the 258 FPS at 1080p Low. The FPS reductions are proportionally larger when moving from 1440p to 4K than from 1080p to 1440p, which aligns with the increasing pixel count. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck, with even Medium settings producing only 69.2 FPS. The data shows that for a smooth frame rate target, 1440p High (94.1 FPS) is comfortable, while 4K requires Medium settings (69.2 FPS) to stay above the threshold.

The scaling pattern also reveals that the CPU's influence diminishes as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the 258 FPS result is likely near the CPU's maximum frame rate capability in this game. As resolution increases, the GPU's rendering load grows, and the frame rate becomes increasingly GPU-bound. This is typical for a 2018 title with moderate CPU demands. The difference between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution further illustrates the GPU's role: at 1080p, the gap between Low and Ultra is substantial, while at 4K, the gap is much smaller, indicating that the GPU is already saturated at Low settings and has less headroom for quality improvements.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Hitman 2?

A: At 1080p High, the combo achieves 144.1 FPS, which is excellent. At 1440p High, 94.1 FPS is still very smooth. At 4K, Medium settings produce 69.2 FPS, which is playable, while High drops to 51.3 FPS.

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 7900X compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The 7900X has an average benchmark score of 50556, which is 0.1% to 0.8% behind the Intel Core Ultra 5 235, AMD Ryzen 9 5900XT, Intel Core i7-13850HX, and Intel Core i9-13980HX.

Q: Is the RTX 5070's 12 GB VRAM sufficient for Hitman 2?

A: Yes, the 12 GB GDDR7 memory is ample for this 2018 title, which does not require large texture pools.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 349 out of 1795 combinations in Hitman 2.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 4K Ultra?

A: The average FPS at 4K Ultra is 37.4, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: What frame rates does the combo achieve at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, Low (258 FPS), Medium (194.7 FPS), High (144.1 FPS), and Ultra (106.8 FPS) are all achieved.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimal settings. At 1080p, all presets deliver at least 106.8 FPS, with Ultra at 106.8 FPS being the best visual experience while still maintaining high frame rates. At 1440p, High settings deliver 94.1 FPS, which is the best balance of visual quality and performance; Ultra drops to 66.3 FPS, which is still playable but with a significant reduction. At 4K, Medium settings produce 69.2 FPS, which is the only preset that stays above the smooth gameplay threshold; High drops to 51.3 FPS and Ultra to 37.4 FPS. For a smooth frame rate target, the recommended presets are: 1080p Ultra (106.8 FPS), 1440p High (94.1 FPS), and 4K Medium (69.2 FPS). The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K, so users targeting 4K should accept Medium settings for a smooth experience. The combo's rank of 349 out of 1795 configurations reflects a strong overall position, but the 4K Ultra result of 37.4 FPS indicates that the highest settings are not viable at that resolution.