Hitman 2

# Hitman 2 with AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080

The combination of the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 delivers a striking performance profile in Hitman 2, with results that clearly favor lower resolutions and reveal a GPU-bound experience at 4K. The average frame rates across the measured settings show a steep performance cliff between 1440p and 2160p, while the 1080p results demonstrate the headroom this CPU-GPU pairing possesses when pixel count drops. Overall, this combo ranks 956th out of 3,001 tested combinations in this game, placing it in the upper third of all tested systems, though its rank suggests that other pairings achieve higher Hitman 2 performance.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K in Hitman 2 follows an expected pattern, but the magnitude of the drop varies dramatically by settings preset. At High settings, the measured average FPS falls from 123 at 1920x1080 to 79 at 2560x1440, then down to 42 at 3840x2160. This represents a 36% reduction moving from 1080p to 1440p, and another 47% reduction moving from 1440p to 4K. The overall drop from 1080p to 4K at High settings is a substantial 66%, indicating that the RTX 4080 becomes the primary limiting factor as resolution climbs.

The Low settings preset shows a different scaling behavior. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves 217 FPS average, which falls to 139 at 2560x1440 (a 36% drop) and then to 74 at 3840x2160 (a 47% drop from 1440p). The consistency of these percentage drops across settings suggests that Hitman 2's rendering load scales fairly linearly with pixel count, and the RTX 4080's raw throughput dictates the ceiling at each resolution. Notably, the 1080p Low result of 217 FPS indicates that the CPU is not a bottleneck at this resolution, as the frame rate is high enough to suggest headroom remains.

The Medium preset follows a similar trajectory: 163 FPS at 1080p, 104 FPS at 1440p, and 55 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, yielding 91 FPS at 1080p, 58 FPS at 1440p, and just 31 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 31 FPS is the only measured configuration that dips below a playable threshold, reinforcing that this resolution and settings combination demands more from the GPU than the RTX 4080 can provide in Hitman 2. The scaling data clearly shows that the RTX 4080's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K Ultra workload pushes the GPU to its limits.

FAQ

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 a bottleneck in Hitman 2 at 1080p?

A: No, the data shows the CPU is not limiting at 1920x1080. At Low settings, the combo produces 217 FPS average, and at High settings it reaches 123 FPS. Given the Ryzen AI Max+ 395's 16 cores and 32 threads with a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, the processor provides sufficient headroom for these frame rates, meaning the RTX 4080 is the performance ceiling even at this resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its nearest rival in the GPU benchmark database?

A: The RTX 4080's average benchmark score is 54,247, which places it 0.1% ahead of the RTX 4080 SUPER (54,209) and 1.1% behind the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54,828). It also trails the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB by 2.6% and the AMD Radeon 8060S by 2.7%, indicating the RTX 4080 sits in a tight competitive cluster despite its 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs.

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

A: The data suggests 2560x1440 is the sweet spot. At High settings, the combo delivers 79 FPS average, which comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. At 4K, the same settings produce only 42 FPS average, which is below what most players would consider fluid, while 1080p at 123 FPS leaves performance on the table that the visual quality increase at 1440p better utilizes.

Q: Can this combo handle Hitman 2 at Ultra settings?

A: It depends on resolution. At 1080p Ultra, the combo achieves 91 FPS average, which is playable. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 58 FPS average, which is borderline but workable. At 4K Ultra, the average falls to 31 FPS, which is not smooth enough for a stealth game requiring precise timing. The Medium preset at 4K offers 55 FPS average as a more viable alternative.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance relate to Hitman 2's requirements?

A: The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 scores 2,044 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 316 in Cinebench R15 single-core, with a Passmark single-thread score of 4,147. These figures indicate strong per-core performance, which is relevant for Hitman 2's game logic and AI systems. However, the measured FPS data shows that the GPU, not the CPU, is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as frame rates scale predictably with pixel count.

Q: What does the combo rank of 956 out of 3,001 indicate about this pairing?

A: The combo rank places this system in the upper 32% of all tested combinations for Hitman 2. This is a solid result, but not a top-tier one. The RTX 4080's 86th percentile ranking among GPUs and the CPU's 95th percentile ranking among all CPUs suggest that other factors, such as the game's engine optimization for specific hardware, prevent this pairing from achieving a higher rank in Hitman 2 specifically.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 achieves a combo rank of 956 out of 3,001 tested combinations in Hitman 2. This percentile position of roughly 68th means that approximately one-third of all tested system pairings outperform this combo in this specific game. Given that the CPU sits in the 95th percentile among all CPUs and the GPU in the 86th percentile among all GPUs, the rank suggests that Hitman 2's performance characteristics do not perfectly align with this hardware combination's strengths.

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals provides context for what might be limiting the rank. The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 has an average benchmark score of 77,740, which is 1.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX (76,513) and the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P (76,492). It also outperforms the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX (76,212) by 2.0% but trails the Intel Core i9-14900K (79,097) by 1.7%. These margins are narrow, indicating the CPU is competitive with other high-end processors, so the GPU or game-specific optimization likely drives the combo rank.

The GPU's nearest rivals show an even tighter cluster. The RTX 4080's average score of 54,247 is just 0.1% above the RTX 4080 SUPER (54,209) and 1.1% below the Radeon Pro W5700X (54,828). It falls 2.6% behind the Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55,698) and 2.7% behind the Radeon 8060S (55,757). This near-tie among rivals means that minor factors like driver optimization or power delivery could shift the combo rank. The rank of 956, while not outstanding, is respectable for a mobile CPU paired with a desktop-class GPU, and the measured FPS data confirms playable performance at most settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its strongest results across all settings. The Low preset achieves an average of 217 FPS, which is the highest measured frame rate in the entire dataset. Medium settings produce 163 FPS average with a minimum of 138 FPS and a maximum of 187 FPS, showing consistent frame pacing. High settings yield 123 FPS average, while Ultra drops to 91 FPS average. All 1080p configurations exceed the 60 FPS threshold by a wide margin, making this resolution ideal for high-refresh-rate displays.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the GPU's workload increasing. Low settings average 139 FPS, which is still very high. Medium settings produce 104 FPS average with a minimum of 89 FPS and a maximum of 120 FPS, indicating some frame time variance but acceptable smoothness. High settings average 79 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS target. Ultra settings fall to 58 FPS average, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold and may be noticeable to sensitive players.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 4080's limits become evident. Low settings average 74 FPS, which remains playable. Medium settings produce 55 FPS average with a minimum of 47 FPS and a maximum of 64 FPS, meaning the frame rate dips below 50 FPS at times. High settings average 42 FPS, which is below the smoothness threshold. Ultra settings average just 31 FPS, making this configuration unsuitable for gameplay that requires quick reactions. The 4K results clearly show that players should prefer Medium settings or lower to maintain playable frame rates at this resolution.

Settings Recommendations

For a balanced experience, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 is the strongest recommendation from the measured data. The combo achieves 104 FPS average with a minimum of 89 FPS, providing smooth gameplay with a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold. The visual quality improvement from Low to Medium is typically substantial in Hitman 2, and the frame rate cost from Low (139 FPS) to Medium (104 FPS) is a reasonable trade-off. At this resolution and preset, the system never drops below 89 FPS, ensuring no stutter during intense stealth sequences.

For players prioritizing frame rate above all else, the Low preset at 1920x1080 delivers 217 FPS average, which is ideal for competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors. However, this sacrifices significant visual detail. The High preset at 2560x1440, producing 79 FPS average, offers a better balance of fidelity and smoothness for most players. At 4K, the Medium preset at 55 FPS average is the only viable option that maintains playability, though the 47 FPS minimum is close to the edge of comfort.

The Ultra preset is only recommended at 1920x1080, where the 91 FPS average keeps gameplay smooth. At 1440p Ultra, the 58 FPS average is marginally below the 60 FPS target, and at 4K Ultra the 31 FPS average is too low for a stealth game where timing matters. Players with a 1440p monitor should stick to High or Medium settings to ensure consistent performance, while 4K display owners should accept Medium settings as the ceiling for smooth play.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 brings substantial compute resources to this pairing, with 16 cores and 32 threads based on the Zen 5 architecture in the Strix Halo codename. The base clock of 3.00 GHz boosts to 5.10 GHz, and the processor includes 64 MB of shared L3 cache, with 80 KB of L1 and 1 MB of L2 per core. This configuration delivers strong benchmark results: a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 35,314 and a single-core score of 2,044, alongside a Geekbench multicore score of 20,992 and single-core score of 2,464.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU, based on the FPS scaling data. The consistent percentage drops in frame rates from 1080p to 1440p to 4K across all settings presets indicate that the rendering workload scales with pixel count, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. If the CPU were the limiting factor, frame rates would plateau or show less variation as resolution increases. The fact that 1080p Low achieves 217 FPS without the CPU bottlenecking suggests the processor has ample headroom for this game.

The Ryzen AI Max+ 395's 95th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 77,740, places it in elite company. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-14900K, scores 79,097, which is 1.7% higher. This proximity means the CPU is not the weak link in this combo. The Passmark multithread score of 54,934 and floating-point math score of 128,682 further demonstrate the processor's capability for complex game logic and physics calculations. Hitman 2, being a stealth game with AI-driven NPCs and dynamic systems, benefits from the multi-threaded performance, but the measured FPS data confirms that the RTX 4080's throughput is what determines playability at each resolution and settings combination.