Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a solid, if not spectacular, experience in Hitman 2, a 2018 stealth game that remains demanding at higher resolutions. The data shows a combination that excels at 1080p and 1440p, but struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K with higher settings. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, the role of each component, and how this pairing ranks against other tested combinations.

FAQ

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

A: The measured data indicates that 1920x1080 and 2560x1440 are the sweet spots. At 1080p, the average frame rates range from 81 FPS at Ultra to 194 FPS at Low. At 1440p, averages range from 52 FPS at Ultra to 124 FPS at Low. 3840x2160 is only viable at Low settings, where it achieves an average of 66 FPS.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Hitman 2?

A: Only at the lowest settings. At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 66 FPS. Moving to Medium settings drops the average to 50 FPS, High settings yield 38 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to just 28 FPS. These higher settings at 4K are not smooth experiences.

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 9900X3D compare to its closest rivals in general benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X3D has an average benchmark score of 54762, placing it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs. It is 0.6% slower than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF, which scores 55093. Conversely, it is 1.3% faster than the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K and 2% faster than the Intel Xeon 6505P.

Q: How does the RTX 3070's general performance stack up against its nearest competitors?

A: The RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 17208, placing it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. It is 0.7% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, which scores 17083, and 1.1% faster than the AMD Radeon HD 7970M. It is 1.5% slower than the NVIDIA Tesla K40c.

Q: What is the impact of changing graphical presets in Hitman 2?

A: The impact is significant. At 1920x1080, moving from Low to Ultra reduces the average frame rate from 194 FPS to 81 FPS, a drop of over half. The same pattern is seen at 2560x1440, where the average drops from 124 FPS at Low to 52 FPS at Ultra. The most demanding settings at 4K push the average down to 28 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more of a limiting factor in this game?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary constraint, especially at higher resolutions. The RTX 3070 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and a 256-bit memory bus with 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The CPU, with 12 cores and 24 threads, is powerful, but its influence is less pronounced as resolution increases and the GPU becomes the bottleneck.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark results for Hitman 2 paint a clear picture of what this hardware can deliver. For the best balance of visual fidelity and smooth gameplay, the Medium preset is the recommended starting point. At 1920x1080, Medium yields an average of 146 FPS with a minimum of 124 FPS, ensuring a fluid experience on high-refresh-rate monitors. Moving to 2560x1440, the Medium preset provides an average of 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS, which is still well within the range of smooth, responsive play. The data shows that this preset offers a significant performance headroom over High settings, which drop to 110 FPS at 1080p and 70 FPS at 1440p, while likely providing a noticeable visual improvement over Low.

For users with a 60 Hz display, the High preset is the optimal choice at 2560x1440, delivering an average of 70 FPS. This allows for a richer visual experience without dipping below the 60 FPS threshold. At 1920x1080, High settings are also viable, producing an average of 110 FPS, which leaves ample headroom for any demanding scenes. The Ultra preset, while offering the maximum visual quality, comes with a steep performance cost. At 2560x1440, it averages only 52 FPS, which may feel inconsistent on a 60 Hz panel. At 1920x1080, the average of 81 FPS is playable, but the considerable drop from High suggests it is not worth the performance penalty unless the visual upgrade is paramount.

The 3840x2160 resolution is a different story. The measured data shows this combination is not suited for high or ultra settings at 4K. The High preset averages just 38 FPS, and Ultra is a slideshow at 28 FPS. Even Medium, with an average of 50 FPS, is not a smooth experience. The Low preset is the only viable option for 4K, delivering an average of 66 FPS. This is a workable compromise for those who prioritize resolution over detail, but it is clear that this pairing is best used at 1440p and below.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 holds a rank of 1266 out of 3001 combos for Hitman 2. This places it in the upper half of all tested systems, indicating a competent, mid-to-high-tier performance level. The rank reflects a balanced system that is capable of handling the game well at mainstream resolutions, but it is not among the top performers. The percentile figures for the individual components support this position. The CPU is in the 91st percentile among all CPUs, showing it is a top-tier processor. The GPU, however, is in the 61st percentile, which tempers the overall system's ranking. This suggests that the CPU has more headroom than the GPU, and the combo's overall ranking is largely defined by the graphics card's capabilities. In simpler terms, the processor is far more powerful than the graphics card, making the GPU the definitive factor in this combo's overall standing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a detailed look at the performance envelope of this system across different resolutions and presets.

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its peak performance. With Low settings, the average frame rate is 194 FPS. The Medium preset, which provides more detail, still achieves a strong average of 146 FPS, with a minimum of 124 FPS and a maximum of 168 FPS. Choosing High settings brings the average down to 110 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, yielding an average of 81 FPS. This resolution shows a wide performance range, from extremely high frame rates to a level that is still very playable.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. The Low preset provides an average of 124 FPS. The Medium settings, which are the recommended choice here, deliver an average of 93 FPS, with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 107 FPS. The High preset averages 70 FPS, which remains smooth for most displays. The Ultra preset, however, sees a significant drop to an average of 52 FPS, which is a considerable reduction from the 1080p results. This demonstrates the increased load on the GPU at this resolution.

The most demanding resolution, 3840x2160, shows the limitations of this hardware. The Low preset is the only one that provides a consistently playable experience, with an average of 66 FPS. The Medium preset falls to an average of 50 FPS, with a minimum of 42 FPS and a maximum of 57 FPS. This is playable but with noticeable dips. The High preset drops further to 38 FPS, and the Ultra preset bottoms out at just 28 FPS. The data clearly shows that 4K gaming with this combo requires significant compromises in visual settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the central figure in determining the gaming experience for this combination. Its specifications, including 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, provide a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. This is a critical metric for a game like Hitman 2, which features large, detailed environments. The 8 GB capacity, while adequate for 1080p and 1440p at most settings, becomes a potential limiting factor at 4K with higher presets, which may explain the significant performance drops observed at that resolution.

The GPU's architecture, based on the Ampere design with 5888 shading units, delivers a texture rate of 317.4 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 165.6 GPixel/s. These figures translate to the card's ability to process the complex geometry and textures found in the game's levels. With a boost clock of 1725 MHz, the card is operating at a frequency that allows it to keep pace with the demands of the game at lower resolutions. The benchmark data supports this, showing that the card is capable of high performance at 1080p, but as the resolution and settings increase, its limits are quickly reached.

The GPU's overall average benchmark score is 17208, placing it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. Its performance is very closely matched with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, which is only 0.7% slower. This indicates that the RTX 3070 is a solid mid-range performer. In the context of Hitman 2, the measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The steep decline in frame rates from 1080p to 4K is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario, where the graphics card's processing power and memory bandwidth are insufficient to handle the increased pixel count and texture detail demands.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a high-end processor that provides more than enough computational power for Hitman 2. With 12 cores and 24 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture, it is a formidable component. Its high core count and thread count, while not fully utilized by this game, ensure that the CPU is never a limiting factor in the measured results. The CPU's large L3 cache of 128 MB is a notable feature, which can be particularly beneficial in games that rely on large datasets.

The CPU's benchmark scores are exceptional. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 47737, and its single-core score is 6739. This demonstrates a massive amount of multi-threaded capability and strong single-thread performance. In a game like Hitman 2, which may not scale perfectly across all 24 threads, the strong single-core performance is crucial for maintaining high frame rates, especially at lower resolutions where the CPU has more influence. The CPU's boost clock of 5.50 GHz and base clock of 4.40 GHz are high frequencies that contribute to its responsiveness.

The 9900X3D's overall average benchmark score is 54762, placing it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs. This is a top-tier result, far exceeding the needs of Hitman 2. Its nearest rival in general performance is the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF, which is only 0.6% faster. This shows that the CPU is among the best available. In the context of this combo, the CPU's role is to provide a stable and high-performance foundation. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the system can reach 194 FPS, indicating that the CPU is capable of feeding frames to the GPU at a very high rate. As the resolution increases, the CPU's role diminishes, and the GPU's limitations become the defining factor in performance. The CPU is never the bottleneck in this configuration.