Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile pairing delivers a mixed bag in Hitman 2, with the CPU’s top-tier performance far outpacing the GPU’s mid-range standing. Measured frame rates across three resolutions and four settings show a system that can handle 1080p Ultra comfortably, but struggles to maintain playable levels at 4K. The data reveals a clear GPU bottleneck, with the CPU’s 95th percentile ranking versus the GPU’s 67th percentile telling the story. This combo sits at rank 2271 out of 3711 tested combinations, better than roughly 39% of all combos in this game.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, confirming that Hitman 2’s rendering load scales heavily with pixel count. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 87 at 1080p to 55 at 1440p and then to 30 at 4K. That means 4K High delivers only about 34% of the 1080p frame rate, a classic sign of a GPU-limited workload. The same pattern holds for other presets: Low goes from 153 at 1080p to 98 at 1440p and 52 at 4K; Medium from 115 to 73 and 39; Ultra from 64 to 41 and 22. The scaling is nearly linear with pixel count – 1440p is roughly 56% of 1080p pixels, and 4K is four times 1080p – and the measured numbers track that trend closely, though not perfectly.

The fact that even the lowest settings cannot keep 4K above 60 FPS – only 52 at Low – indicates that the RTX 4060 Mobile’s 8 GB GDDR6 buffer and 256 GB/s bandwidth are the limiting factors. At 1080p, however, the CPU’s high single-thread performance (6030 in Cinebench R23) allows the GPU to stretch its legs, with Low reaching 153 FPS and Medium hitting 115. The 1440p results sit between, with Medium at 73 FPS being the highest preset that stays above 60. This pattern suggests that the CPU is not a constraint at any resolution; the GPU is. If you want to run Hitman 2 at 4K, you must accept Low settings, and even then you are below the 60 FPS threshold. For 1440p, Medium is the only preset that breaks 70 FPS, while High and Ultra drop to 55 and 41 respectively. At 1080p, all presets exceed 60 FPS, with Ultra at 64 and High at 87, so the GPU has enough headroom for a smooth experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for a smooth experience?

A: At 1080p, High and Ultra both exceed 60 FPS, with 87 and 64 FPS respectively. At 1440p, Medium is the only preset above 70 FPS (73 FPS), while High sits at 55. At 4K, Low is the only preset above 50 FPS (52 FPS), and it still misses 60. So for a 60 FPS target, use 1080p Ultra or 1440p Medium.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 4060 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 22729, which is 0.7% behind the RTX 2080 (22895) and 0.8% ahead of the RX 7700 XT (22549). It also trails the Intel Arc B580 by 1.3% and leads the RTX 5060 Mobile by 1.3%.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck in this game?

A: No. The Ryzen 9 8945HX ranks in the 95th percentile of all CPUs and delivers a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 42713, while its single-core score is 6030. The measured FPS scaling with resolution follows the GPU’s load pattern, so the CPU is not the limiting component.

Q: What is the combo’s overall rank among tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 2271 out of 3711 tested combinations, meaning it outperforms roughly 38% of all combos in Hitman 2. The CPU’s strong standing (95th percentile) does not translate to a high game rank because the GPU is only 67th percentile.

Q: Which settings give the best balance of visual quality and performance at 1440p?

A: Medium is the sweet spot, delivering 73 FPS average with a minimum of 62 and maximum of 84. High drops to 55 FPS, and Ultra falls to 41, so Medium offers the best trade-off.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming?

A: Only at Low settings, where it averages 52 FPS. Medium drops to 39, High to 30, and Ultra to 22. No preset reaches the 60 FPS mark, so 4K is not a comfortable experience for this game.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread mobile processor with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost of 5.40 GHz. Its Cinebench R23 scores – 42713 multicore and 6030 single-core – place it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs. The nearest rivals are the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX (average score 76155, just 0.1% behind), the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P (76492, 0.4% ahead), and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX (76513, 0.4% ahead). The CPU’s 32 threads and large 64 MB L3 cache make it a heavy hitter for multi-threaded tasks, but Hitman 2’s frame rates are not tied to core count. The scaling from 1080p to 4K is entirely GPU-driven, and the CPU’s high single-thread performance (6030 in R23) ensures that even at 1080p Low – where the GPU is least stressed – the system reaches 153 FPS, which is a ceiling set by the GPU’s pixel throughput.

The CPU’s PassMark multithread score of 51405 and single-thread score of 3907 reinforce its ability to feed the GPU. In the measured data, the 1080p Low frame rate of 153 FPS is the highest across any resolution, and it aligns with the CPU’s capability to process the game logic quickly. The CPU is also a 55 W TDP part, which is low enough for a laptop but still provides 16 cores and 32 threads – more than enough for any game. The fact that the combo’s rank (2271 of 3711) is much lower than the CPU’s percentile (95) indicates that the GPU is the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would see a more pronounced drop in frame rate at lower resolutions, but that is not the case. The CPU’s role here is to feed the GPU without becoming a limiting factor, and the data shows it does exactly that.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX + RTX 4060 Mobile combination ranks 2271 out of 3711 tested combos in Hitman 2. This means it performs better than 1440 of those combos, or about 38.8% of the total. The rank is largely driven by the GPU’s 67th percentile standing; the CPU’s 95th percentile would suggest a higher overall rank, but the GPU holds the system back. For context, the CPU’s nearest rivals are all within 0.6% of its average benchmark score, showing that the CPU is a top-tier part. The GPU, however, sits between the RTX 2080 (0.7% slower) and the RX 7700 XT (0.8% faster) in raw benchmark scores, but its percentile (67) is far lower than the CPU’s.

In Hitman 2, the combination’s performance is limited by the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM and 256 GB/s bandwidth. At 4K, the GPU cannot keep up, and even at 1080p, the Ultra preset only reaches 64 FPS. The rank of 2271 indicates that there are many other combos with stronger GPUs that can hit higher frame rates at higher resolutions. However, the CPU ensures that the system never becomes CPU-bound, which is a positive for any game that is sensitive to single-thread performance. The data shows that the CPU is not the reason for the low rank; the GPU is. If you are looking at this combination for Hitman 2, expect a 1080p experience with high settings to be solid, but for 1440p or 4K, you will need to lower settings or accept lower frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the best settings depend on your resolution and target frame rate. At 1080p, the Ultra preset delivers 64 FPS, which is smooth enough for a stealth game, and High gives 87 FPS for extra headroom. Medium hits 115 FPS and Low reaches 153 FPS, so you can also push for high refresh if your display supports it. At 1440p, Medium is the clear winner: 73 FPS average with a minimum of 62, which keeps gameplay fluid. High drops to 55 FPS, which is playable but not ideal, and Ultra falls to 41 FPS, which may feel choppy. Low gives 98 FPS, but you sacrifice visual quality. At 4K, Low is the only preset that stays above 50 FPS (52 FPS). Medium is 39, High 30, and Ultra 22 – all are below 60 FPS and likely uncomfortable for most players. If you must play at 4K, use Low, but be prepared for a less visually rich experience. For the best balance of quality and performance, 1080p Ultra or 1440p Medium are the optimal choices. The CPU’s performance ensures that these settings are not CPU-limited, so you can push the GPU to its maximum.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table summarizes the average FPS for each resolution and settings combination, with minimum and maximum values where recorded.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|---------|---------|

| 3840x2160 | Low | 52 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 39 | 33 | 45 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 30 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 22 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 98 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 73 | 62 | 84 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 55 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 41 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 153 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 115 | 97 | 132 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 87 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 64 | - | - |

The data shows a clear tiered performance: 1080p Low and Medium are well above 100 FPS, High is 87, and Ultra is 64. At 1440p, the numbers drop by roughly a third: Low is 98, Medium 73, High 55, Ultra 41. At 4K, they drop to 52, 39, 30, and 22 respectively. The minimum FPS recorded for Medium at 1440p is 62, which is still within a playable range, but the 4K Medium minimum of 33 shows a significant frame time variance. The lack of min/max data for many settings indicates that only Medium was measured with those details, but the averages are consistent. For a stealth game like Hitman 2, where timing and reaction matter, a minimum FPS below 60 can be problematic, so the 1440p Medium setting with a 62 minimum is the safest choice for a smooth experience. Overall, the combination is best used at 1080p or 1440p with medium-to-high settings, and 4K is only viable at Low.