Hitman 2

# FAQ

Q: How does the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X compare to its closest rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X scores 54,450 on average, which places it 0.4% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D (54,681) and 0.7% ahead of the Intel Core i7-14700F (54,097). It trails the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (55,304) by 1.5% and the Ultra 5 245KF (55,421) by 1.8%.

Q: What is the RTX 5090's standing relative to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 5090 averages 84,306, sitting 0.1% ahead of the RTX 5090 D (84,241) and 0.2% ahead of the RTX 5050 Mobile (84,171). It also leads the AMD Radeon PRO W6600 (83,209) by 1.3%, while the NVIDIA CMP 40HX (85,637) leads it by 1.6%.

Q: What is the best 4K performance this combo achieves in Hitman 2?

A: At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the combo reaches 116.7 FPS average. The High preset delivers 70.1 FPS, Medium 87.7 FPS, and Ultra drops to 47.4 FPS.

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

A: This pairing ranks 17th out of 1,795 tested combos in Hitman 2, placing it in the top 1% of all configurations measured for this game.

Q: What is the CPU's single-thread performance advantage over its multi-thread scaling?

A: The 3DMark single-thread score is 1,286, while the 2-thread score is 2,519. The max-thread score reaches 13,929, showing strong scaling across the 12 cores and 24 threads.

Q: What memory bandwidth does the CPU provide, and how does it pair with the GPU's bandwidth?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X offers 89.6 GB/s of dual-channel DDR5 bandwidth. The RTX 5090's 32 GB GDDR7 memory operates over a 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s — roughly 20 times the CPU's bandwidth.

# GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with the GB202 chip, fabricated on a 5 nm process at TSMC. Its 92,200 million transistors are packed into a 750 mm² die, yielding a transistor density of 122.9 million per square millimeter. The GPU runs at a 2017 MHz base clock and boosts to 2407 MHz, with memory clocked at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). This is a massive piece of silicon, and the data reflects that ambition.

Memory configuration is central to understanding Hitman 2's results. The card carries 32 GB of GDDR7 memory across a 512-bit bus, providing 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. For a stealth game like Hitman 2, which loads large, detailed environments with many NPCs and interactive objects, this bandwidth ensures texture streaming and draw calls rarely stall. The high memory clock of 1750 MHz helps maintain consistent frame delivery even when the camera sweeps across crowded locations.

The GPU's raw throughput metrics are extraordinary. It delivers 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, 1,636.8 GTexel/s texture fill rate, and 423.6 GPixel/s pixel rate. With 21,760 shading units, 680 TMUs, and 176 ROPs, the RTX 5090 has more than enough parallel processing capacity to handle Hitman 2's lighting and shadow calculations at high resolutions. The 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores also future-proof the card for ray-traced titles, though Hitman 2's measured data here does not explicitly test those features.

The GPU's benchmark scores reinforce its position. It scores 14,411 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 380,114 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 379,571 in Geekbench Vulkan. Passmark G3D score is 39,650, with a GPU compute score of 26,756. The card sits at the 94th percentile of all GPUs, which aligns with its 17th-place combo rank in Hitman 2 out of 1,795 tested configurations.

Interestingly, the GPU's nearest rivals in average score are not the expected high-end competitors. The RTX 5090 D trails by 0.1%, the RTX 5050 Mobile by 0.2%, and the AMD Radeon PRO W6600 by 1.3%. The NVIDIA CMP 40HX leads by 1.6%. This suggests that at the very top of the GPU hierarchy, the differences are marginal in synthetic benchmarks — but the Hitman 2 FPS data shows a different story, where the 5090's actual gaming performance shines.

At 4K Ultra, the combo manages 47.4 FPS, which is playable but not smooth by modern standards. The GPU's 32 GB frame buffer is not the bottleneck — Hitman 2's Ultra preset likely relies on CPU-heavy simulation and AI pathfinding, which limits the GPU from reaching its full potential.

# CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Granite Ridge. It operates on the AMD Socket AM5 platform with a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. The 4 nm process at TSMC packs 16,630 million transistors across two 70.6 mm² chiplets. This configuration gives it a TDP of 120 W, which is modest for the performance on offer.

Cache hierarchy is generous: 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 64 MB of shared L3 cache. This large L3 pool is critical for Hitman 2, where NPC AI, crowd simulation, and dynamic event scripting frequently access shared data. The 64 MB L3 helps keep frequently accessed data close to the cores, reducing latency and improving frame consistency in crowded levels.

The memory controller supports dual-channel DDR5 with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth and ECC capability. For gaming, this bandwidth is sufficient, though it pales compared to the GPU's 1.79 TB/s. The CPU also provides PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes, ensuring the RTX 5090 can communicate at full bandwidth over its PCIe 5.0 x16 interface.

Benchmark results show a well-rounded performer. In Cinebench R23, it scores 46,438 multi-core and 6,555 single-core. Geekbench yields 19,827 multi-core and 3,341 single-core. 3DMark scores scale from 1,286 single-thread to 13,929 max-thread, indicating efficient multi-threading. Passmark multi-thread score is 54,643, with single-thread at 4,672. The CPU sits at the 94th percentile of all CPUs, matching the GPU's percentile exactly.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's role is pivotal. The game's stealth mechanics rely on complex AI routines for NPC detection, pathfinding, and reaction to player actions. These are largely single-thread or lightly threaded tasks, so the 9900X's strong single-core performance (6,555 in Cinebench R23 single-core) is essential. The boost clock of 5.60 GHz provides the headroom needed for these latency-sensitive computations.

The nearest rival analysis shows the 9900X is competitive but not dominant. It scores 0.4% lower than the 9900X3D, which has additional cache, but 0.7% higher than the Core i7-14700F. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K and 245KF lead by 1.5% and 1.8% respectively. These small deltas suggest that in CPU-bound scenarios, the 9900X is within striking distance of the best, but the 3D V-Cache model and Intel's latest parts hold slight edges.

At 1080p Low, the combo hits 346.9 FPS, indicating the CPU can feed the GPU at very high frame rates. This is a CPU-friendly scenario, and the 9900X's 24 threads allow Hitman 2's background simulation to run without starving the render thread.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data covers three resolutions and four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra), providing a complete picture of scaling.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 346.9 FPS average
• Medium: 257.9 FPS
• High: 196.5 FPS
• Ultra: 144.6 FPS

At 1080p, the combo is clearly CPU-bound at lower settings. The jump from Low to Medium costs 89 FPS (a 25.7% drop), and Medium to High costs another 61.4 FPS (23.8% drop). The High to Ultra transition drops 51.9 FPS (26.4%). These are large relative penalties, suggesting each preset tier adds significant visual work, but the absolute frame rates remain well above playable thresholds.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 222.8 FPS
• Medium: 166.7 FPS
• High: 129.1 FPS
• Ultra: 92.3 FPS

At 1440p, the GPU begins to take more responsibility. Low drops by 124.1 FPS compared to 1080p Low (a 35.6% reduction), while Ultra only drops by 52.3 FPS (36.2%). The consistency of the percentage drop across presets suggests the resolution scaling is uniform — each pixel doubling imposes similar costs regardless of settings.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 116.7 FPS
• Medium: 87.7 FPS
• High: 70.1 FPS
• Ultra: 47.4 FPS

At 4K, the GPU is heavily loaded. Low drops by 106.1 FPS from 1440p (47.6% reduction), but Ultra only drops by 44.9 FPS (48.7%). The frame rates at Ultra (47.4 FPS) are below the 60 FPS target, making this preset demanding even for the RTX 5090. High at 70.1 FPS is playable, and Medium at 87.7 FPS offers a smoother experience.

The data shows that from 1080p Low (346.9 FPS) to 4K Ultra (47.4 FPS), the combo loses 299.5 FPS — an 86.3% reduction. This is a massive drop, but it reflects Hitman 2's heavy reliance on GPU fill-rate and shading at higher resolutions, especially with Ultra settings that likely enable advanced shadows and reflections.

# How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 17th out of 1,795 tested configurations in Hitman 2, placing it in the top 0.95% of all combinations. This is a strong result, but not the absolute top — there are 16 combos that perform better.

The rank is notable because both the CPU and GPU sit at the 94th percentile of their respective categories. The combination of a top-tier CPU and top-tier GPU yields a top-tier gaming experience, but the rank suggests that other factors, such as memory configuration or specific driver optimizations, might push certain combos ahead.

Given the CPU's benchmark score is 0.4% behind the 9900X3D, it's plausible that the extra cache in the 3D model could yield higher in-game performance in CPU-bound scenarios. However, the measured data does not include comparisons to other combos, so this remains speculative.

The GPU's rank among its peers (94th percentile) and the combo's rank (17th of 1,795) indicate that while the RTX 5090 is near the top, it is not the single fastest card in every title. In Hitman 2, the 4K Ultra result of 47.4 FPS suggests that even the most powerful GPU available cannot fully overcome the game's demanding Ultra preset at 4K.

For context, the combo's rank in the top 1% means it outperforms roughly 1,778 other configurations. This is an exceptional result, but the margin over the 16th-place combo is unknown from the data.

# Settings Recommendations

The optimal preset depends on the target frame rate and resolution. The data provides clear guidance.

For 4K, the best balance is the Medium preset at 87.7 FPS. This exceeds the 60 FPS target with headroom, and the 47.4 FPS on Ultra is below 60. High at 70.1 FPS is also viable, but Medium offers 17.6 FPS more (25.1% faster) at what is likely a modest visual cost. Low at 116.7 FPS is the smoothest option but sacrifices visual fidelity.

For 1440p, the High preset at 129.1 FPS is the sweet spot. It comfortably exceeds 120 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. Ultra at 92.3 FPS is also above 60, making it a viable choice for those prioritizing visuals. Medium at 166.7 FPS and Low at 222.8 FPS provide options for competitive play, though the stealth genre benefits less from extreme frame rates.

For 1080p, the Ultra preset at 144.6 FPS is the best choice. It delivers a smooth experience above 144 FPS, which matches most 1080p high-refresh displays. High at 196.5 FPS is even smoother, but the visual upgrade to Ultra is worth the 51.9 FPS loss for most players. Low at 346.9 FPS is overkill for any display, and Medium at 257.9 FPS offers no practical benefit unless the display supports extraordinarily high refresh rates.

The data indicates that Hitman 2's visual quality settings have a significant impact on frame rate, with Ultra being disproportionately demanding. The 4K Ultra result of 47.4 FPS suggests that this preset is designed for future hardware or for lower resolutions. Players with 4K displays should favor Medium or High, while 1080p and 1440p users can comfortably run Ultra.

# Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and reveals the limiting component at each resolution.

At Low settings, the scaling is: 346.9 (1080p) → 222.8 (1440p) → 116.7 (4K). The 1080p-to-1440p drop is 124.1 FPS (35.8%), and the 1440p-to-4K drop is 106.1 FPS (47.6%). The total drop is 230.2 FPS (66.4%). This pattern suggests the CPU is the bottleneck at 1080p Low, as the GPU has spare capacity. At 1440p, the GPU becomes more engaged, and at 4K, it is fully utilized.

At Ultra settings, the scaling is: 144.6 (1080p) → 92.3 (1440p) → 47.4 (4K). The 1080p-to-1440p drop is 52.3 FPS (36.2%), and the 1440p-to-4K drop is 44.9 FPS (48.7%). The total drop is 97.2 FPS (67.2%). The percentage drops are nearly identical to Low settings, indicating that resolution scaling is consistent regardless of visual quality.

This consistency is revealing. The frame rate decreases by approximately 36% from 1080p to 1440p and 48% from 1440p to 4K, regardless of preset. This implies that the limiting component shifts from CPU at 1080p to GPU at 4K, but the transition is smooth and predictable.

The pixel count increases by 2.25x from 1080p to 1440p, and by 2.25x again from 1440p to 4K. If the GPU were the sole bottleneck, we would expect frame rates to drop by roughly 55% (1 - 1/2.25) at each step. The observed drops of 36% and 48% are less than this, suggesting that the CPU still contributes to performance even at 4K.

At 1080p Low, the 346.9 FPS result indicates the CPU is the primary limiter, as the GPU could likely render more frames. At 4K Ultra, the 47.4 FPS result shows the GPU is fully saturated, but the CPU's single-thread performance still matters for maintaining frame pacing.

The data implies that this combo is well-balanced, with neither component severely bottlenecking the other in Hitman 2. The RTX 5090's 32 GB of memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 4K textures, while the Ryzen 9 9900X's 5.60 GHz boost clock and 64 MB L3 cache handle the game's AI and simulation demands. The result is a system that scales predictably from high-refresh 1080p to playable 4K, with the user's choice of preset determining whether to prioritize frame rate or visual fidelity.