Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 represents a high-end mobile configuration for Hitman 2, a stealth game from 2018. The benchmark data shows this combo is positioned slightly above the middle of the pack, ranking 1635 out of 3001 tested combinations. The CPU is a 16-core, 32-thread Zen 4 part based on the Dragon Range architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This processor sits in the 95th percentile against all CPUs, with its average benchmark score of 76212 placing it nearly exactly between the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX, which scores 76155, and the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P, which scores 76492.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 9 8945HX brings 16 physical cores and 32 threads to the table, a configuration that is substantial for gaming but also heavily weighted toward productivity. Its 64 MB of L3 cache and 1 MB of L2 cache per core help feed the cores with data, and the dual-channel DDR5 memory support provides a memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s. For Hitman 2, which was released in 2018, the game's engine is not particularly demanding on modern high-core-count processors, but the CPU's strong single-thread performance, as evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6030, ensures that the game's primary simulation thread runs smoothly. The multi-core might is less relevant here, though the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42713 shows the headroom available for background tasks or streaming.

The data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in most of the measured scenarios. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 169 FPS, which is the highest measured average across all configurations. This result indicates that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough frames to hit high refresh rates, even at the lowest graphical fidelity. The processor's performance relative to its nearest rivals is remarkably tight; the deltaPct against the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX is a mere 0.1%, meaning the two are essentially identical in average benchmark scores. Against the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D, the 8945HX is 0.6% ahead, showing that despite being a mobile part, it holds its own against desktop-class silicon in synthetic tests. However, in gaming, the actual frame rate will depend on how well the game engine utilizes the available threads, and Hitman 2's engine from 2018 likely scales primarily with single-core speed, where the 5.40 GHz boost clock is a strong asset.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is the graphics powerhouse in this pairing, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process. It features 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 80 raster operation units, and its 12 GB of GDDR7 memory runs across a 192-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s. The GPU's base clock is 2325 MHz with a boost clock of 2512 MHz, and it supports PCIe 5.0 x16. In the synthetic benchmark landscape, the RTX 5070 sits in the 82nd percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 40377. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon Pro 580, scores 40318, a delta of 0.1%, indicating that the RTX 5070 is just barely ahead of that professional workstation card in aggregate performance.

In Hitman 2, the GPU's role becomes apparent when examining the scaling from low to ultra settings. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 24, which is the lowest measured result in the dataset. This is a clear indication that the GPU is being pushed to its limits at the highest resolution and settings, struggling to maintain a playable frame rate. The 12 GB of VRAM is sufficient for the game's textures at 4K on High settings, as the GPU manages 33 FPS there, but the Ultra preset likely introduces effects that are too heavy for the Blackwell architecture to handle at that resolution. The boost clock of 2512 MHz helps in lighter loads, such as 1080p Low where the GPU achieves 169 FPS, but the performance is heavily governed by the resolution and settings combination. The RTX 5070's deltaPct against the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile is 2.0%, showing it is notably faster than that mobile workstation part, but the gaming results here suggest that for a 2018 title, the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear hierarchy of settings for this combo, and the best experience depends on the target resolution. At 1080p, the Medium preset delivers an average of 127 FPS with a minimum of 108 FPS and a maximum of 146 FPS, which is an excellent balance for smooth gameplay on a high-refresh-rate monitor. The Low preset goes higher at 169 FPS, but the visual quality trade-off is likely not worth the extra 42 frames when Medium is already well above the 100 FPS mark. The High preset at 1080p delivers 96 FPS, which is still smooth, but Medium offers a better frame rate with presumably only a slight reduction in fidelity. Ultra at 1080p yields 70 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a fast-paced stealth game where quick reactions matter.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is again the sweet spot, delivering an average of 81 FPS with a minimum of 69 FPS and a maximum of 93 FPS. This keeps the experience above the 60 FPS threshold, ensuring smooth motion. High at 1440p drops to 61 FPS, which is borderline for some users, while Low jumps to 108 FPS, but again, Medium is the recommended balance. Ultra at 1440p falls to 45 FPS, which is below the desired threshold for a responsive experience. At 4K, the situation becomes more difficult. Medium is the only preset that maintains a minimum FPS above 30, with an average of 43 FPS and a minimum of 37 FPS. High averages 33 FPS, which is barely playable, while Low averages 57 FPS, which is the best 4K option but sacrifices visual quality significantly. Ultra at 4K averages 24 FPS, which is not recommended for any serious play. The data suggests that for 1080p and 1440p, Medium is the optimal preset, while at 4K, users should choose between Low for performance or Medium for a playable middle ground.

FAQ

Q: How does this combo perform at 1080p with the High preset?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 96 FPS. This is a solid result, but the Medium preset delivers 127 FPS on average, indicating that High provides a visual upgrade at the cost of 31 frames per second.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 8945HX faster than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX?

A: The data shows the Ryzen 9 8945HX has an average benchmark score of 76212, while the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX scores 76155. The deltaPct is 0.1%, meaning the AMD processor is marginally ahead, but the difference is negligible in practical terms.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average FPS is 24, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with the Ultra settings preset. This is the only measured configuration that falls below the 30 FPS playability threshold.

Q: Does the RTX 5070 outperform the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile?

A: Yes, the RTX 5070 has an average benchmark score of 40377, while the RTX A500 Mobile scores 39568. The deltaPct is 2.0%, indicating that the RTX 5070 is 2% faster in aggregate synthetic benchmarks.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain 60 FPS?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the combo averages 81 FPS, which is above 60. At 1920x1080, High settings average 96 FPS, so any resolution up to 1440p on Medium or High can maintain 60 FPS. At 4K, only Low settings exceed 60 FPS with an average of 57 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-core performance compare to its single-core performance?

A: In Cinebench R23, the multi-core score is 42713 and the single-core score is 6030. The multi-core score is over 7 times higher, reflecting the 16-core design, but the single-core score indicates strong per-thread performance, which is critical for gaming.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the relative load on the CPU and GPU. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 169 FPS, which is the highest result in the dataset. Moving to 1440p Low, the average drops to 108 FPS, a reduction of 61 FPS or roughly 36%. At 4K Low, the average further drops to 57 FPS, which is a 66% reduction from the 1080p Low result. This scaling pattern is typical for a GPU-bound scenario, where increasing the resolution places more demand on the graphics card. The CPU is capable of delivering high frame rates at low settings, but the GPU cannot keep pace as the pixel count rises.

Looking at the Medium preset, the scaling is similar. At 1080p, the average is 127 FPS; at 1440p, it is 81 FPS; and at 4K, it is 43 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 46 FPS, and from 1440p to 4K is 38 FPS. This shows a consistent degradation as resolution increases, reinforcing that the RTX 5070 is the limiting component. The Ultra preset demonstrates the most severe scaling: 70 FPS at 1080p, 45 FPS at 1440p, and 24 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 46 FPS, which is a 66% reduction, mirroring the Low preset's scaling. This indicates that the GPU's raw processing power, regardless of settings, is the primary constraint at higher resolutions. The CPU's performance remains consistent, as evidenced by the high 1080p Low result, so the FPS drops are attributable to the GPU's inability to render more pixels without a proportional increase in cost.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The dataset provides exact average FPS figures for each resolution and settings combination, with minimum and maximum values for the Medium preset only. At 1920x1080, the Low settings yield an average of 169 FPS, which is the peak performance for this combo. The Medium preset averages 127 FPS, with a minimum of 108 FPS and a maximum of 146 FPS, indicating consistent frame pacing. The High preset averages 96 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 70 FPS. These numbers show a clear progression, with each settings tier reducing the average by roughly 25-30 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low settings average 108 FPS, which is still a high refresh rate experience. The Medium preset averages 81 FPS, with a minimum of 69 FPS and a maximum of 93 FPS, keeping the experience above 60 FPS. The High preset averages 61 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold, while the Ultra preset drops to 45 FPS. This represents a more significant drop from Low to Ultra, with a 63 FPS difference, as the GPU works harder at the higher resolution. At 3840x2160, the Low settings average 57 FPS, which is the only 4K configuration above 30 FPS. The Medium preset averages 43 FPS, with a minimum of 37 FPS and a maximum of 50 FPS, showing that it is playable but not smooth. The High preset averages 33 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 24 FPS, both of which are below the standard playability threshold. The data shows that the Medium preset consistently provides the best balance of minimum and average FPS across all resolutions, while the Low preset is the only option for those seeking 60 FPS at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks 1635 out of 3001 tested combinations for Hitman 2, placing it in the 55th percentile of all tested systems. This ranking is notably lower than the individual component percentiles, with the CPU in the 95th percentile and the GPU in the 82nd percentile. This discrepancy suggests that while each component is powerful in isolation, the combination is not optimally balanced for this specific game, likely due to the CPU's high core count being underutilized and the GPU becoming the bottleneck at higher resolutions.

The ranking of 1635 is just below the median of 1500.5, meaning this combo performs worse than the average tested system in this game, despite the high-end components. This could be attributed to the specific architecture of the RTX 5070 or the game's engine not fully leveraging the Blackwell features. The data indicates that this combo is more suited to CPU-heavy tasks, as evidenced by the CPU's strong benchmark scores, but in Hitman 2, the GPU's limitations at 4K and the game's modest CPU requirements cap the overall performance. The rank of 1635 out of 3001 is a reflection of this imbalance; the combo is not among the top performers for this title, even though the individual parts are highly capable. Users seeking higher rankings might need to consider a different GPU or accept lower resolutions to improve the frame rate relative to other tested combos.