Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination delivers a compelling yet nuanced performance profile in Hitman 2, with benchmark results that separate the CPU and GPU roles clearly across resolutions and settings. Measured data shows this pairing sits at rank 255 out of 3711 tested combos in this game, placing it in the top 7% of all configurations. The 12-core, 24-thread Ryzen 9 9900X, built on Zen 5 architecture with a 4.40 GHz base and 5.60 GHz boost clock, pairs with the RTX 4080’s 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 2205 MHz base / 2505 MHz boost clocks to produce frame rates that range from a playable 43 FPS at 4K Ultra to a blistering 302 FPS at 1080p Low. The data suggests this combo is heavily GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s strong single-thread performance becomes more relevant at lower settings and resolutions.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 2560x1440 High provides the best balance, delivering 110 FPS average. At 1920x1080 High, the average jumps to 172 FPS, but 4K High drops to 58 FPS, indicating diminishing returns above 1440p for this pairing.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its closest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4080’s average benchmark score of 54247 is 0.1% higher than the RTX 4080 SUPER (54209), and 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54828). Interestingly, the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698, which is 2.6% higher than the RTX 4080 in aggregate benchmarks.

Q: What is the CPU’s performance percentile relative to all processors?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X ranks in the 92nd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 57498. Its closest rival, the AMD EPYC 9015, scores 57555, which is 0.1% higher, while the Intel Core i9-14900 scores 58115, placing it 1.1% above.

Q: Does the RTX 4080 support modern graphics APIs?

A: Yes, the GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, making it fully compatible with Hitman 2’s rendering requirements. The card’s 76 ray tracing cores and 304 tensor cores provide additional hardware features.

Q: What is the measured FPS at 4K Medium, and what are the minimum and maximum?

A: At 3840x2160 Medium, the average FPS is 77, with a minimum of 66 and maximum of 89. This is the only 4K setting with min/max data recorded, showing a tight 23 FPS spread.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations in Hitman 2?

A: The combo ranks 255 out of 3711 tested combinations, placing it in the top 6.9% of all systems. This high ranking reflects strong overall performance, though the data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 brings substantial hardware to Hitman 2, starting with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s 9728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output processors work together to handle the game’s geometry and lighting. The boost clock of 2505 MHz allows the card to maintain high throughput, and the 48.74 TFLOPS of FP32 compute provides ample headroom for the game’s rendering workload.

The data shows the RTX 4080’s memory capacity and bandwidth become increasingly important as resolution rises. At 1920x1080 Low, the combo achieves 302 FPS, but at 3840x2160 Ultra, it drops to 43 FPS. This 259 FPS difference across resolutions at the same settings tier highlights how the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are taxed by higher pixel counts. The 16 GB frame buffer proves sufficient for Hitman 2’s textures, as even at 4K Ultra, the average FPS of 43 indicates the GPU is still processing rather than stalling on memory swaps.

The GPU’s architecture, based on Ada Lovelace with 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die, provides the raw compute needed for the game’s stealth mechanics and crowd rendering. The 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores suggest the card is future-proofed for ray-traced titles, though Hitman 2’s measured results rely on traditional rasterization. The 280.6 GPixel/s pixel rate and 761.5 GTexel/s texture rate directly influence how quickly the GPU can fill the screen with the game’s detailed environments.

Comparing the RTX 4080 to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks, the data shows a tight cluster. The RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54209, a 0.1% delta, while the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828, 1.1% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB and Radeon 8060S score 55698 and 55757 respectively, both above the RTX 4080. This suggests the RTX 4080 is not the absolute top performer in aggregate tests, yet the measured Hitman 2 results show it delivers playable frame rates across all settings, indicating the game is well-optimized for this GPU.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X contributes 12 cores and 24 threads based on Zen 5 architecture, with a base clock of 4.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The CPU’s 64 MB of L3 cache and 80 KB L1 cache per core provide fast access to frequently used data, which is crucial for Hitman 2’s AI-driven NPC behaviors and complex level scripting. The 4 nm process node from TSMC, containing 16,630 million transistors across two 70.6 mm² dies, allows for high clock speeds while maintaining a 120 W TDP.

The CPU’s benchmark results reveal its strengths. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 32172 and single-core score of 2253 demonstrate strong multi-threaded and single-threaded performance. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 12552 and max-thread score of 13929 show the CPU scales well with additional threads, which Hitman 2 can utilize for physics and NPC updates. The Geekbench multicore score of 22174 and single-core score of 3010 further confirm the CPU’s capability.

In the context of Hitman 2’s measured FPS, the CPU’s role becomes apparent at lower resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080 Low, the combo hits 302 FPS, which is likely CPU-limited in terms of frame pacing and draw call submission. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1286 and Passmark single-thread score of 4672 indicate the CPU can handle the game’s main thread efficiently, preventing bottlenecks even at high frame rates. At 2560x1440 Low, the FPS drops to 193, and at 3840x2160 Low, it falls to 103, showing that even with Low settings, the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases.

The Ryzen 9 9900X’s 92nd percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 57498, places it slightly below the Intel Core i9-14900, which scores 58115 (1.1% higher). The AMD EPYC 9015 scores 57555 (0.1% higher), while the AMD EPYC 7313 scores 57399 (0.2% lower). These differences are minimal, suggesting the CPU’s performance is competitive with top-tier alternatives. The CPU’s DDR5 memory support and dual-channel memory bus, providing 89.6 GB/s bandwidth, ensure the GPU receives data without starvation, particularly important for the large textures used in Hitman 2’s levels.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 302 FPS on Low, 227 FPS on Medium (with min 193 and max 261), 172 FPS on High, and 126 FPS on Ultra. This progression shows a predictable 41% drop from Low to Ultra, with each settings tier reducing frame rate by roughly 30-40 FPS. The Medium setting’s min/max spread of 68 FPS indicates some frame time variance, but the average remains high.

At 2560x1440, the FPS figures are 193 on Low, 145 on Medium (min 123, max 167), 110 on High, and 81 on Ultra. The drop from Low to Ultra is 112 FPS, representing a 58% reduction. The Medium setting’s spread narrows to 44 FPS, showing more stable frame pacing at this resolution. The 110 FPS at High makes this the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate monitors, as it exceeds 100 FPS while maintaining better visual quality than Medium.

At 3840x2160, the data shows 103 FPS on Low, 77 on Medium (min 66, max 89), 58 on High, and 43 on Ultra. The transition from Low to Ultra results in a 60 FPS drop, a 58% reduction. The Medium setting’s min/max spread of 23 FPS is the tightest of any resolution, indicating consistent frame delivery. The 43 FPS at Ultra is technically playable but below the 60 FPS target, while 58 FPS at High is close to playable but may exhibit stutter on 60 Hz displays.

Comparing resolutions at the same settings, the data shows significant scaling. At High settings, 1080p yields 172 FPS, 1440p yields 110 FPS (36% lower), and 4K yields 58 FPS (66% lower than 1080p). At Ultra, 1080p yields 126 FPS, 1440p yields 81 FPS (36% lower), and 4K yields 43 FPS (66% lower). This consistent scaling pattern suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as the CPU’s performance remains constant across resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 255 out of 3711 tested combinations places it in the top 6.9% of all systems tested in Hitman 2. This ranking reflects the combined capabilities of the Ryzen 9 9900X and RTX 4080, which together deliver high frame rates across most settings. The top 7% placement indicates that this combo outperforms the vast majority of configurations, though it is not the absolute top performer.

The CPU’s contribution to this ranking is significant. With a 92nd percentile ranking among all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 57498, the Ryzen 9 9900X provides the compute headroom needed to avoid CPU bottlenecks. The GPU’s 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54247, is slightly lower but still strong. The combination of a top-decile CPU with an upper-tier GPU results in a balanced system that ranks well in gaming benchmarks.

The nearest rival combos in the ranking likely include systems with higher-end GPUs like the RTX 4090 or AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX, which would push the combo down in rank. However, the data shows that for Hitman 2 specifically, the RTX 4080’s performance is sufficient to achieve high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, with only 4K Ultra falling below 60 FPS. The rank of 255 suggests that while some combos achieve higher scores, this pairing offers strong performance for the game’s requirements.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on which settings preset offers the best experience. At 1920x1080, the High preset at 172 FPS is the recommended choice, as it delivers more than enough frame rate for any display while maintaining good visual quality. The Ultra preset at 126 FPS is also viable for competitive play, but the 46 FPS difference between High and Ultra may not justify the visual improvement. Low at 302 FPS is excessive for most users, and Medium at 227 FPS offers diminishing returns.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 110 FPS is the clear winner, as it exceeds the 100 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay on high-refresh monitors. The Ultra preset at 81 FPS is still playable but may show noticeable frame drops during intense scenes. The Medium preset at 145 FPS is adequate for competitive play, but High provides better visual fidelity without sacrificing the frame rate target. Low at 193 FPS is unnecessary for most users.

At 3840x2160, the Medium preset at 77 FPS offers the best balance, as it stays above 60 FPS while providing reasonable visual quality. The High preset at 58 FPS is borderline, dipping below 60 FPS, which may cause judder on standard displays. The Ultra preset at 43 FPS is not recommended for smooth gameplay, while Low at 103 FPS sacrifices too much visual quality. For 4K users, Medium is the optimal choice based on the measured data.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset consistently provides the most stable frame pacing, as evidenced by the min/max data showing tighter spreads compared to other settings. The 1080p Medium min of 193 and max of 261, 1440p Medium min of 123 and max of 167, and 4K Medium min of 66 and max of 89 all show less variance than the High or Ultra presets would likely exhibit based on the average FPS drops.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals important insights about the limiting component in this combo. At Low settings, the FPS drops from 302 at 1080p to 193 at 1440p (36% reduction) and 103 at 4K (66% reduction from 1080p). This scaling is consistent with GPU-bound behavior, where the frame rate is inversely proportional to the number of pixels rendered. The CPU’s ability to maintain high frame rates at 1080p Low is evident, but the GPU’s fill rate limits performance as resolution increases.

At Medium settings, the FPS drops from 227 at 1080p to 145 at 1440p (36% reduction) and 77 at 4K (66% reduction). The similarity in percentage drops across Low, Medium, High, and Ultra settings (all showing approximately 36% drop from 1080p to 1440p and 66% from 1080p to 4K) indicates that the GPU is the consistent bottleneck. The CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic, but it does not become the limiting factor at any resolution tested.

The data suggests that for this combo, 1080p and 1440p resolutions are where the CPU’s strong single-thread performance shines, allowing the GPU to reach its full potential. At 4K, the GPU’s workload dominates, and the CPU’s advantages become less relevant. The 58% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings (126 to 43 FPS) and the 66% reduction at Low settings (302 to 103 FPS) show that the GPU’s memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s and pixel rate of 280.6 GPixel/s are the key constraints at higher resolutions.

The measured data also shows that the combo’s performance at 1440p High (110 FPS) is nearly double that of 4K High (58 FPS), suggesting that users with 1440p monitors can enjoy high refresh rates, while 4K users must settle for Medium settings to achieve playable frame rates. The resolution scaling pattern confirms that this combo is best suited for 1440p gaming, where it delivers excellent performance across all settings, with 4K requiring compromises in visual quality for smooth gameplay.