Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a 6-core, 6-thread desktop processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture, running on the Intel Socket 1151 platform. It operates with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, drawing a 65 W TDP. In synthetic benchmarks, the processor scores 6629 points in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 935 points in single-core, placing it at the 47th percentile among all tested CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 2254 puts it in close competition with the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, which scores 2259 (a -0.2% delta), and the Intel Core i7-10710U, which scores 2248 (a 0.3% delta). For a game like Hitman 2, which is a stealth title, the six physical cores without hyper-threading provide a solid baseline, though the lack of additional threads can become a limiting factor in scenes with heavy AI or physics calculations. The measured frame rates indicate that at 1080p with Low settings, the CPU is capable of pushing 159 FPS average, showing that it is not a bottleneck at lower graphical loads. However, as settings increase to Ultra, the average FPS drops to 67 at 1080p, suggesting that the CPU’s single-thread performance, reflected in its Geekbench single-core score of 1389, is adequate for the game’s logic but may struggle to maintain higher frame rates when other system components are stressed. The 9 MB shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 42.7 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for Hitman 2’s level streaming, which is a known demanding aspect of the game. Compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-9400 sits in a performance band where minor score differences of less than 1% translate to negligible real-world FPS variation.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The CPU’s role in Hitman 2 is to manage the game’s simulation, including NPC routines, pathfinding, and the complex state tracking inherent to stealth gameplay. The Core i5-9400’s 6-core, 6-thread configuration is a direct match for games of this era, which were typically optimized for up to six threads. The base and boost clocks of 2.90 GHz and 4.10 GHz respectively provide a reasonable frequency range, but the measured results show that the processor’s performance ceiling is reached when paired with a high-end GPU. At 1080p Low settings, the average FPS of 159 shows that the CPU can handle the game’s logic at a high rate, but the drop to 67 FPS at 1080p Ultra suggests that the CPU’s processing power is not the primary constraint at those settings—rather it is the GPU’s workload. The Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 2784 and single-core score of 392 indicate that the CPU is a mid-range performer, which aligns with its 47th percentile ranking. When comparing to the nearest rivals, the i5-9400’s average score of 2254 is within 0.4% of the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500’s 2246, meaning that in CPU-bound scenarios, the performance difference would be imperceptible. The data shows that for Hitman 2, the CPU is rarely the limiting component at higher resolutions, as the frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K demonstrates a more significant GPU dependency.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is a Turing-architecture GPU with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its base clock is 1605 MHz with a boost clock of 1770 MHz, and it features 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The GPU’s memory clock is 1750 MHz, translating to 14 Gbps effective. In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 2070 SUPER scores 18169 in Passmark G3D and 90637 in Geekbench Vulkan, placing it at the 65th percentile among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 20282 is close to the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M’s 20480 (-1% delta) and the Intel Arc B570’s 20556 (-1.3% delta). For Hitman 2, the GPU’s role is to handle rendering, including shadows, reflections, and texture detail. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game’s textures at 4K, as evidenced by the measured 4K Medium average FPS of 41, which is playable but not smooth. The GPU’s FP32 performance of 9.062 TFLOPS is a strong indicator of its rasterization capability, and the measured results confirm that it is the dominant factor in frame rate scaling. At 1440p Ultra, the average FPS drops to 43, while at 1080p Ultra it is 67, showing that the GPU’s compute resources are fully utilized at higher settings. The RTX 2070 SUPER’s performance relative to its nearest rivals is remarkable, with a delta of only -1.5% against the Intel Arc A750, meaning that in Hitman 2, the GPU’s frame output would be nearly identical to those competitors.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data across resolutions reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound performance at higher settings and CPU-bound performance at lower settings. Starting at 1080p Low, the average FPS is 159, and this drops to 102 at 1440p Low (a 35.8% decrease) and 54 at 4K Low (a 66.0% decrease from 1080p). This scaling indicates that even at Low settings, the GPU becomes a significant factor as resolution increases. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 90 at 1080p to 58 at 1440p (a 35.6% drop) and 31 at 4K (a 65.6% drop from 1080p). The consistent percentage drops across settings suggest that the GPU is the primary limiting component at all resolutions above 1080p Low. At 1080p Low, the CPU is likely the bottleneck, as the GPU has headroom to render more frames, but the CPU cannot feed it faster. The Medium settings show a similar trend: 120 FPS at 1080p, 76 at 1440p, and 41 at 4K. The Ultra settings exhibit the most dramatic scaling: 67 FPS at 1080p, 43 at 1440p, and 23 at 4K, with the 4K Ultra result being the lowest measured. This scaling behavior is typical of a balanced system where the GPU is the main constraint at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s limitations are exposed only at the lowest graphical settings. The data indicates that for a smooth experience, users should target 1080p or 1440p, as the 4K results fall below the 60 FPS threshold in all settings except Low.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combo at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS at 1080p is 159, achieved with Low settings. This indicates the CPU and GPU combination can deliver very high frame rates when graphical load is minimized.

Q: Is this combo capable of 60 FPS at 4K?

A: No. The data shows that at 4K, the highest average FPS is 54 with Low settings, and it drops to 31 with High settings. None of the 4K configurations reach 60 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 has an average benchmark score of 2254, which is 0.2% lower than the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 (2259) and 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i7-10710U (2248). These differences are negligible in real-world gaming.

Q: What is the GPU’s percentile ranking among all tested GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is at the 65th percentile among all GPUs, indicating it performs better than the majority of tested graphics cards.

Q: Which settings at 1440p provide the best balance of frame rate and quality?

A: At 1440p, High settings provide an average of 58 FPS, while Medium provides 76 FPS. For a smoother experience, Medium settings are preferable, but High is still playable.

Q: Does the GPU have enough VRAM for 4K textures in Hitman 2?

A: The GPU has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, and the measured 4K Medium average FPS of 41 suggests that the VRAM capacity is adequate for the game’s workloads at that resolution, though performance is still limited by compute power.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for Hitman 2 with the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER are as follows, organized by resolution and settings:

• 1920x1080 (1080p):
• Low: 159 avg FPS
• Medium: 120 avg FPS (min 102, max 137)
• High: 90 avg FPS
• Ultra: 67 avg FPS

• 2560x1440 (1440p):
• Low: 102 avg FPS
• Medium: 76 avg FPS (min 65, max 88)
• High: 58 avg FPS
• Ultra: 43 avg FPS

• 3840x2160 (4K):
• Low: 54 avg FPS
• Medium: 41 avg FPS (min 35, max 47)
• High: 31 avg FPS
• Ultra: 23 avg FPS

The data reveals a monotonic decrease in FPS as both resolution and settings increase. At 1080p, all settings except Ultra exceed 60 FPS, with Low approaching 160 FPS. At 1440p, only Low and Medium settings maintain playable frame rates above 60 FPS, with Medium averaging 76 FPS. At 4K, no setting achieves 60 FPS, and the Ultra preset is nearly unplayable at 23 FPS. The min and max FPS values for Medium settings show a variance of roughly 25-35 FPS, indicating some frame pacing instability, but the averages are consistent across resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p, the High preset provides an average of 90 FPS, which is a good balance of visual fidelity and smoothness, while Ultra drops to 67 FPS, still playable but with diminishing returns. For a competitive edge, Low at 159 FPS is the best choice for maximum responsiveness. At 1440p, the Medium preset offers an average of 76 FPS, which is the only configuration above 60 FPS besides Low (102 FPS). High drops to 58 FPS, which is borderline, and Ultra is not recommended at 43 FPS. For 4K, the Low preset at 54 FPS is the only playable option, but it compromises visual quality significantly; Medium at 41 FPS is acceptable for slower-paced stealth gameplay, but High and Ultra are not viable for a smooth experience. The data indicates that for a balanced experience, users should aim for 1080p High or 1440p Medium, as these provide the best trade-off between frame rate and graphical detail. The Ultra preset at 1080p (67 FPS) is a viable option for those prioritizing visuals over frame rate, but the 1440p Medium setting is the sweet spot for overall quality per frame.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Hitman 2, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 2158 out of 3711 possible combinations. This places it in the 58th percentile of all tested combos, meaning it outperforms a majority of systems but is not in the top tier. The rank reflects a balance between the CPU’s mid-range performance (47th percentile) and the GPU’s above-average performance (65th percentile). The combination is well-matched for 1080p and 1440p gaming, as evidenced by the measured FPS, but falls short at 4K. The CPU’s nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, has a nearly identical average score, suggesting that swapping the CPU would not significantly change the gaming experience. Similarly, the GPU’s closest competitor, the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, is only 1% slower, meaning alternative GPU choices in the same performance band would yield similar results. Overall, this combo is a solid mid-range performer for Hitman 2, but it is not optimized for high-refresh-rate 4K play.