Hitman 2

# Hitman 2 with AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER: Benchmark Analysis

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER delivers a formidable Hitman 2 experience, ranking in the top 7.5% of all tested combinations (225th out of 3001). The data shows this combo excels at high-refresh-rate 1080p and 1440p gaming, while 4K Ultra remains a demanding target that requires settings adjustments for smooth play. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across resolutions and settings, examines the individual CPU and GPU contributions, and provides concrete settings recommendations based on the benchmark results.

FAQ

Q: How does this combo rank in Hitman 2 compared to other tested systems?

A: The combination ranks 225th out of 3001 tested combos, placing it in the top 7.5% of all configurations. This is a strong result, though not at the absolute top tier, indicating headroom remains for even more powerful combinations.

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

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the system achieves 144 FPS average with a minimum of 123 FPS, making it the sweet spot for high-refresh-rate gaming. At 1920x1080, the Low preset reaches 301 FPS average, while 4K Ultra drops to 43 FPS average, showing diminishing returns at higher resolutions.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X3D scores 54,762 average benchmark points, sitting just 0.6% below the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (55,093) and 1.3% above the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (54,053). It outperforms the Intel Core i7-14700F (53,620) by 2.1%.

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

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54,209 average benchmark points, nearly identical to the RTX 4080 (54,247, just 0.1% ahead). It trails the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB by 2.7% and the AMD Radeon 8060S by 2.8% in average scores.

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

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. At 4K High, the system averages 58 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for competitive play. At 4K Ultra, it drops to 43 FPS average, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the CPU's single-threaded performance like?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X3D scores 1,269 in 3DMark single-thread, 679 in Cinebench R15 single-core, and 6,739 in Cinebench R23 single-core. These results indicate strong single-threaded capability, which benefits Hitman 2's engine that relies on fewer cores for many tasks.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 225 out of 3001 tested combinations places this system firmly in the upper echelon of gaming performance. This represents the top 7.5% of all configurations tested, which is a meaningful achievement given the breadth of hardware combinations evaluated. The ranking reflects the synergy between the 12-core CPU and the 16 GB GPU, producing frame rates that are competitive across all tested resolutions.

The data suggests that while this combo is strong, there is room above it in the ranking hierarchy. The 225th position implies that roughly 224 combinations deliver higher average performance in Hitman 2, likely including systems with even more powerful GPUs or CPUs with higher multi-threaded throughput. However, the gap between this combo and the top-tier systems is not prohibitive; the measured FPS results demonstrate that the system handles the game's demands well.

What stands out in the ranking is the consistency across resolutions. The combo does not exhibit a dramatic fall-off at higher resolutions, which would indicate a CPU bottleneck, nor does it show a plateau at lower resolutions, which would indicate a GPU bottleneck. Instead, the performance scales predictably, suggesting a balanced pairing that maximizes the capabilities of both components. This balance is reflected in the percentile rankings: the CPU sits at the 91st percentile against all CPUs, while the GPU sits at the 86th percentile against all GPUs, indicating both components are above-average performers in their respective categories.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, manufactured on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It features a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with 128 MB of L3 cache — a configuration that benefits gaming workloads requiring fast access to frequently used data. The CPU's 91st percentile ranking against all CPUs underscores its capability, with an average benchmark score of 54,762.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's role is significant but not dominant. The game's stealth mechanics and AI-driven NPC behaviors rely on single-threaded performance, where the 9900X3D excels. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1,269 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6,739 indicate strong per-core performance, which helps maintain high frame rates even in complex scenes with multiple NPCs. The boost clock of 5.50 GHz provides the raw speed needed for these workloads.

Multi-threaded performance is also robust, as evidenced by the Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 47,737 and PassMark multi-thread score of 56,154. While Hitman 2 does not fully utilize all 24 threads, the CPU's ability to handle background tasks and maintain consistent frame delivery benefits from this capacity. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 12,490 and max-thread score of 13,795 show scaling efficiency, though the game itself may not leverage all threads equally.

The CPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (0.6% higher average score), Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (1.3% lower), Intel Xeon 6505P (2% lower), and Intel Core i7-14700F (2.1% lower). These margins are tight, indicating that the 9900X3D is competitively positioned within its performance class. For Hitman 2 specifically, the CPU's strengths in single-threaded workloads likely translate to better frame pacing and fewer stutters compared to rivals with higher multi-threaded scores but lower per-core performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance across all settings. The Low preset achieves 301 FPS average, which is well beyond the refresh rate of most monitors. Medium settings reduce this to 226 FPS average, with a minimum of 192 FPS and a maximum of 260 FPS, indicating consistent frame delivery. High settings produce 171 FPS average, while Ultra drops to 126 FPS average. These numbers show that 1080p is well within the system's comfort zone, even at the highest quality settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the system maintains high frame rates with expected scaling. Low settings yield 192 FPS average, Medium produces 144 FPS average (with a minimum of 123 FPS and maximum of 166 FPS), High delivers 109 FPS, and Ultra drops to 80 FPS average. The 1440p Medium result is particularly notable as it maintains a 144 FPS average with a minimum above 120 FPS, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors. The drop from Medium to High is 35 FPS, while the drop from High to Ultra is 29 FPS, showing that each settings tier extracts a meaningful performance cost.

At 3840x2160, the system's limits become apparent. Low settings yield 103 FPS average, which is playable but requires significant visual compromises. Medium settings produce 77 FPS average (with a minimum of 65 FPS and maximum of 88 FPS), providing a playable experience near the 60 FPS threshold. High settings drop to 58 FPS average, which is borderline for smooth gameplay, while Ultra falls to 43 FPS average, making it unsuitable for most players. The 4K results show a clear pattern: the GPU becomes the limiting factor at this resolution, as the CPU's performance headroom cannot compensate for the increased pixel throughput demands.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows approximately a 30-40% reduction in frame rates across settings, while the scaling from 1440p to 4K shows a more dramatic 45-50% reduction. This indicates that the system has ample CPU headroom at lower resolutions, with the GPU becoming progressively more saturated as resolution increases.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is a 5 nm Ada Lovelace GPU with 10,240 shading units, 320 texture mapping units, and 112 render output units. It features 80 ray tracing cores and 320 tensor cores, supporting a boost clock of 2550 MHz and a memory clock of 1438 MHz (23 Gbps effective). The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which is critical for high-resolution textures and complex scenes in Hitman 2.

The GPU's 86th percentile ranking against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54,209, places it above the majority of graphics cards. Its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the RTX 4080 (0.1% higher average score), AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (1.1% lower), AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (2.7% lower), and AMD Radeon 8060S (2.8% lower). These margins are narrow, indicating that the 4080 SUPER is competitively positioned within its performance tier.

In Hitman 2, the GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution increases. At 1080p, the GPU has significant headroom, with even the Ultra preset achieving 126 FPS average, suggesting that the CPU may be providing some degree of bottleneck at lower resolutions. At 1440p, the GPU is more fully utilized, with the Ultra preset dropping to 80 FPS average, showing expected GPU-bound behavior. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, with the Ultra preset producing only 43 FPS average, which is below the ideal 60 FPS target.

The 16 GB VRAM capacity is more than sufficient for Hitman 2's requirements, as the game does not exceed 12 GB of VRAM usage even at 4K Ultra settings. This means the GPU's memory bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s is the more relevant specification for performance, particularly at higher resolutions where texture streaming and memory access patterns become more demanding. The boost clock of 2550 MHz provides the raw compute throughput needed to maintain high frame rates, while the 52.22 TFLOPS FP32 performance handles the game's shading and post-processing effects.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1920x1080 users with a 144 Hz monitor, the High preset at 171 FPS average is the best choice, as it provides a significant visual quality boost over Medium (226 FPS) while still maintaining frame rates well above the refresh rate. The Ultra preset at 126 FPS average is also viable for 120 Hz displays, though the visual difference between High and Ultra may not justify the 45 FPS loss.

For 2560x1440 users, the Medium preset at 144 FPS average is the standout recommendation. This configuration delivers a 144 FPS average with a minimum of 123 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay on high-refresh-rate monitors without dipping below the 120 FPS threshold. The High preset at 109 FPS average is suitable for 100 Hz displays, while the Ultra preset at 80 FPS average is acceptable for 75 Hz monitors but may not satisfy players seeking maximum smoothness. The Low preset at 192 FPS is unnecessary for most users, as the visual quality compromises are not worth the extra frame rate.

For 3840x2160 users, the Medium preset at 77 FPS average is the recommended starting point. This provides a playable experience above the 60 FPS threshold with a minimum of 65 FPS, ensuring no significant frame drops during intense scenes. The High preset at 58 FPS average is borderline, with the sub-60 FPS average potentially causing noticeable stuttering on some displays. The Ultra preset at 43 FPS average is not recommended for serious gameplay, as it falls well below the 60 FPS target and may feel sluggish during fast-paced action sequences. The Low preset at 103 FPS average is an option for players prioritizing frame rate over visual fidelity, though the visual compromise is substantial.

The data shows that the Medium preset offers the best balance between visual quality and performance across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the system delivers 226 FPS; at 1440p Medium, 144 FPS; and at 4K Medium, 77 FPS. This consistency suggests that the Medium preset is well-optimized for the combo's capabilities, providing a smooth experience at any resolution while maintaining acceptable visual quality. For players seeking maximum visual fidelity, the High preset at 1440p (109 FPS) is the best compromise, as it delivers near-Ultra visuals while keeping frame rates within a playable range.