Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti in Hitman 2 presents a classic study in component balance, where the data reveals a significant bottleneck shift depending on resolution and settings. At 1080p, the frame rates are exceptionally high, suggesting the CPU is the primary limiter. As resolution climbs to 4K, the GPU takes over as the dominant constraint, with frame rates dropping dramatically. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to understand where this combo sits among 1,795 tested configurations and what it means for gameplay.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Hitman 2 shows a clear and expected trend: performance degrades as resolution increases. However, the rate of this degradation is not uniform, and it reveals the shifting balance of power between the CPU and GPU. At 1080p with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 134.4 FPS. Moving to 1440p High, the average drops to 86.3 FPS, a reduction of 48.1 FPS. This is a substantial 35.8% decrease, indicating that the GPU is starting to work harder, but the system is still delivering high frame rates.

The most significant drop occurs when moving from 1440p to 4K at High settings. The average FPS falls from 86.3 to 43.4, a 42.9 FPS reduction. This 49.7% drop is nearly half the performance, and it strongly suggests that the RTX 3080 Ti is now the limiting component. The data implies that at 1080p, the i5-9400's six cores and six threads are likely maxed out, preventing the GPU from reaching its full potential. At 4K, the GPU's workload becomes so immense that the CPU has enough headroom to keep feeding it data, making the GPU the clear bottleneck.

This pattern is consistent across all settings. For instance, at Low settings, the 1080p average is 211.4 FPS, which drops to 152.4 FPS at 1440p and then plummets to 83.0 FPS at 4K. While the absolute numbers are higher, the percentage drop from 1440p to 4K is still massive, around 45.5%. This reinforces the interpretation that the GPU is the performance ceiling at higher resolutions. The data suggests that for this game, the CPU is a limiting factor primarily at 1080p, where frame rates are so high that they outpace the CPU's ability to process game logic and draw calls.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with High settings?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 and RTX 3080 Ti combination produces an average of 134.4 FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 32.6, which is the lowest recorded in the measured data.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck at 1440p Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 Medium, the average FPS is 111.9. The high frame rate suggests the CPU is still a significant factor, but as resolution increases, the GPU becomes more influential.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 211.4, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: How does the frame rate change from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings?

A: The average FPS at 1080p Medium is 175.1, which falls to 111.9 at 1440p, and then drops to 58.8 at 4K, showing a significant performance penalty at the highest resolution.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations in this game?

A: This specific CPU and GPU pairing ranks at 546 out of 1,795 total combinations tested for Hitman 2.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti ranks 546th out of 1,795 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places it in the top 30.4% of all configurations, which is a respectable position. The rank suggests that while this is not an absolute top-tier setup for this game, it is well above average. The data indicates that the performance is held back by the CPU, which is a mid-range part from 2018, paired with a high-end GPU from 2021.

Given the RTX 3080 Ti's placement in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs, its raw potential is enormous. The CPU, however, sits in the 50th percentile of all CPUs. This mismatch is the primary reason for the 546th rank. The GPU is certainly capable of more, but the CPU's six cores and six threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost of 4.10 GHz, cannot always feed it enough data, especially at lower resolutions where frame rates are high. The data implies that a stronger CPU would likely push this combo much higher in the rankings, as the GPU has the headroom to deliver more frames.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at the combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080, the combo is clearly CPU-bound at most settings. With Low settings, the average FPS is 211.4, which is an exceptionally high number. Medium settings yield 175.1 FPS, and High settings drop to 134.4 FPS. The most demanding preset, Ultra, still produces a very playable 95.8 FPS. The data shows that even at Ultra, the frame rate does not drop below 60 FPS, indicating a smooth experience at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. Low settings produce an average of 152.4 FPS, which is still incredibly high. Medium settings deliver 111.9 FPS, and High settings drop to 86.3 FPS. Ultra settings bring the average down to 61.4 FPS, which is right at the edge of the 60 FPS threshold. This resolution appears to be a good balance, offering high frame rates on lower presets and a solid 60+ FPS experience on Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the definitive bottleneck. Low settings yield an average of 83.0 FPS, which is still playable. Medium settings drop to 58.8 FPS, and High settings fall to 43.4 FPS. The Ultra preset brings the average down to 32.6 FPS, which would be a challenging experience for fast-paced gameplay. The data here shows a steep falloff, emphasizing that 4K gaming with this combo requires careful settings management to maintain a consistent frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the ideal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a standard 60 FPS target, the data shows that at 1080p, all presets from Low to Ultra exceed this threshold, with Ultra averaging 95.8 FPS. This makes Ultra the best choice at 1080p, as it provides the highest visual quality without sacrificing a smooth experience.

For 1440p gaming, the data suggests that the High preset is the sweet spot. It averages 86.3 FPS, which is well above 60 FPS and offers a good balance of visual fidelity and performance. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 61.4 FPS, which is technically playable but leaves little headroom for demanding scenes. For a more stable experience, High is a safer choice.

At 4K, the situation becomes more complex. To maintain a 60 FPS average, the Low preset is the only option, yielding 83.0 FPS. If a 30 FPS target is acceptable, Medium (58.8 FPS) or even High (43.4 FPS) can be used for better visuals. However, the Ultra preset at 32.6 FPS is likely too inconsistent for most players. The data indicates that for the best experience at 4K, the Low or Medium preset is recommended, as they offer the most stable performance.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-thread processor from the Coffee Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. Its 9 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support are typical for a mainstream desktop chip. The benchmark data shows its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 7,969 points, placing it in the 50th percentile of all CPUs. This indicates it is a solid mid-range performer, but not a high-end part.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 211.4 FPS, which is a very high number. The fact that the frame rate drops when moving to 1440p Low (152.4 FPS) and 4K Low (83.0 FPS) indicates that the CPU is capable of delivering these high frame rates, but the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases. At 1080p, the CPU is likely the bottleneck, as it cannot process game data fast enough to keep the GPU fully utilized. This is a common scenario for a processor of this class when paired with a top-tier GPU.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is a powerhouse, featuring 10,240 shading units, 320 TMUs, and 112 ROPs. Its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus provides a massive 912.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's boost clock is 1,665 MHz, and it sits in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41,224. This places it just slightly behind the RTX 3090 in the data, with a negligible 0.5% difference in average score.

The GPU's role in this combo becomes dominant at higher resolutions. At 4K, the performance drop is significant across all settings, confirming that the RTX 3080 Ti is working at its limits. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 32.6, which is a low number for such a powerful card. This suggests that even with the CPU not being the primary bottleneck at 4K, the demands of Hitman 2 at this resolution are immense. The GPU's massive memory bandwidth and compute power are being fully taxed, and the results show a clear need for settings adjustments to achieve playable frame rates.