Hitman 2

Resolution Scaling

The performance curve from 1080p to 4K reveals a system that transitions from CPU-leaning to GPU-bound behavior as resolution climbs. At 1080p with High settings, the combo delivers 154.5 FPS, but this drops to 101.6 FPS at 1440p and further to 50.9 FPS at 4K. The scaling pattern shows a 34% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, followed by a 50% reduction from 1440p to 4K — a steeper drop than typical for this class of GPU.

The Low settings preset tells a similar story with higher absolute numbers: 211.7 FPS at 1080p, 174.1 FPS at 1440p, and 94.1 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 1440p at Low is only 37.6 FPS (18%), which suggests that at 1080p Low the CPU is nearing its ceiling. At 4K Low, the frame rate drops to 94.1 FPS, indicating the GPU is now the limiting factor.

Ultra settings amplify the resolution sensitivity dramatically. At 1080p Ultra, the system manages 115.4 FPS, but this falls to 74.5 FPS at 1440p and collapses to 38.1 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result represents only 33% of the 1080p Ultra performance, showing that the combination of 4K resolution and maxed settings pushes the GPU to its limits.

The data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where frame rates remain above 100 FPS at most settings. At 4K, only Low settings break the 90 FPS barrier, while Medium and High hover in the 50-68 FPS range, and Ultra falls below 40 FPS.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX brings 24 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 384-bit bus with 960.0 GB/s bandwidth. The GPU features a base clock of 1929 MHz, a boost clock of 2498 MHz, and a game clock of 2365 MHz, paired with 6144 shading units and 192 ROPs.

In Hitman 2, the GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution rises. The 4K Ultra result of 38.1 FPS versus the 1080p Ultra result of 115.4 FPS shows a 67% performance drop, which is consistent with a GPU that is being fully utilized at higher resolutions. The 24 GB VRAM capacity is more than sufficient for this game, as Hitman 2 does not appear to exceed memory limits at any tested resolution or setting.

The GPU's raw compute capability — 61.39 TFLOPS FP32 and 959.2 GTexel/s texture rate — provides ample headroom at 1080p, where the CPU becomes the bottleneck. At 4K, the pixel rate of 479.6 GPixel/s and memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s are the key specifications that determine whether the GPU can maintain playable frame rates.

The GPU's benchmark percentile of 85 versus all GPUs places it in the upper tier, and its average benchmark score of 44019 is within 2% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti (44900) and 0.8% ahead of the RTX 4090 Mobile (43667). This competitive positioning explains why the GPU can deliver 211.7 FPS at 1080p Low but still struggles at 4K Ultra.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 4K in Hitman 2?

A: Yes, but only at Medium settings (68.2 FPS). High settings at 4K produce 50.9 FPS, and Ultra drops to 38.1 FPS, so you must use Medium or lower for a stable 60 FPS experience at 4K.

Q: What is the best resolution for competitive play?

A: At 1080p Low, the system delivers 211.7 FPS, and 1080p Medium reaches 191 FPS. Even 1440p Low provides 174.1 FPS, making these the best options for high-refresh-rate displays.

Q: How much performance is lost going from 1080p to 1440p at High settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 154.5 at 1080p to 101.6 at 1440p, a reduction of 52.9 FPS or approximately 34%. This is a significant decrease that reflects the GPU's increasing workload.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p Low?

A: The data suggests the CPU becomes a limiting factor at 1080p Low, as the frame rate of 211.7 FPS is likely constrained by the Core i5-9400's 6 cores and 6 threads rather than the GPU's capabilities.

Q: What is the expected frame rate at 1440p Ultra?

A: The measured average is 74.5 FPS at 1440p Ultra. This is the highest setting tier at this resolution that still maintains a comfortable frame rate above 70 FPS.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: This combo ranks 347 out of 1795 tested combinations in Hitman 2, placing it in the top 19% of all systems tested for this game.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimal settings. At 1080p, Medium settings deliver 191 FPS, which is only 20.7 FPS below Low (211.7 FPS) but represents a significant visual upgrade. High settings at 1080p still maintain 154.5 FPS, making it the best balance of visual quality and performance for most users. Ultra at 1080p drops to 115.4 FPS, which remains playable but offers diminishing returns.

At 1440p, Medium settings produce 133.2 FPS, while High reaches 101.6 FPS. The jump from Medium to High costs 31.6 FPS, which may be worth it for visual fidelity. Ultra at 1440p falls to 74.5 FPS, still above the 60 FPS threshold but with a noticeable frame rate penalty.

For 4K gaming, Medium settings at 68.2 FPS is the only preset that clears 60 FPS. High at 50.9 FPS is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action, while Low at 94.1 FPS sacrifices too much visual detail for the resolution. Ultra at 4K (38.1 FPS) is not recommended for a smooth experience.

The best overall experience depends on the display. For 1080p displays, High settings offer the best balance. For 1440p, Medium or High depending on preference. For 4K, Medium is the only viable option for 60+ FPS, and users should accept this limitation or step down to 1440p.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of Intel Core i5-9400 and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX ranks 347 out of 1795 tested combos in Hitman 2, placing it in the 81st percentile of all systems tested. This is a strong result, though not top-tier, reflecting the CPU's mid-range standing relative to the GPU's high-end positioning.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 2305 places it at the 50th percentile of all CPUs, with nearest rivals including the Intel Core i3-10305 (2300, 0.2% delta) and Intel Xeon E-2134 (2295, 0.4% delta). The GPU's average score of 44019 puts it at the 85th percentile of all GPUs, with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti (44900) being 2% faster and the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (44195) being 0.4% faster.

This ranking indicates that the combo performs well for its components, but the CPU's 50th percentile standing likely holds back the GPU's potential in CPU-bound scenarios at lower resolutions. At higher resolutions, the GPU's 85th percentile ranking becomes more relevant, which explains why the system still achieves respectable frame rates at 4K Medium (68.2 FPS) despite the CPU's limitations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. Low settings achieve 211.7 FPS, Medium reaches 191 FPS, High produces 154.5 FPS, and Ultra drops to 115.4 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 96.3 FPS, showing a wide range of performance depending on visual quality.

At 2560x1440, performance scales down consistently. Low settings yield 174.1 FPS, Medium produces 133.2 FPS, High reaches 101.6 FPS, and Ultra manages 74.5 FPS. The reduction from 1080p to 1440p ranges from 37.6 FPS (Low) to 40.9 FPS (Ultra), with the absolute differences being relatively uniform across settings.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates decrease substantially. Low settings deliver 94.1 FPS, Medium achieves 68.2 FPS, High produces 50.9 FPS, and Ultra falls to 38.1 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K is more severe, ranging from 80 FPS (Low) to 36.4 FPS (Ultra), highlighting the GPU's workload at 4K.

The data shows a clear pattern: at 1080p, all settings are playable, with even Ultra exceeding 115 FPS. At 1440p, all settings remain above 74 FPS, making it a viable alternative. At 4K, only Low and Medium exceed 60 FPS, and Ultra drops below 40 FPS, making it unsuitable for smooth gameplay.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 features 6 cores and 6 threads based on the Coffee Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. The CPU has 9 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 memory with a dual-channel configuration providing 42.7 GB/s bandwidth.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's role is most apparent at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 211.7 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's maximum frame delivery capability. The fact that 1080p Medium (191 FPS) and 1080p High (154.5 FPS) show decreasing frame rates as GPU load increases suggests the CPU can keep up with the GPU at these settings.

The CPU's benchmark scores — 7969 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 1125 in single-core — place it at the 50th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i3-10305, scores 2300 in average benchmark, essentially matching the i5-9400's 2305. This mid-range CPU performance means that at 1080p, the frame rates are likely CPU-limited, preventing the GPU from reaching its full potential.

At 4K, the CPU's limitations become less relevant as the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck. The fact that 4K Low (94.1 FPS) is more than 2.2x faster than 4K Ultra (38.1 FPS) shows that GPU load, not CPU capability, determines performance at this resolution. The CPU's 6 threads are sufficient for Hitman 2's requirements, as evidenced by the system's ability to maintain over 200 FPS at 1080p Low without significant frame drops.