Hitman 2

Hitman 2 with the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER presents a classic pairing of an older, mid-range CPU with a flagship-tier GPU. The benchmark data shows a system that is heavily dictated by resolution and settings, where the GPU’s raw power is often held back by the processor’s six threads. The measured rows reveal a clear hierarchy: at 1080p, the combination is capable of very high frame rates, but the scaling to 4K shows where the RTX 4080 SUPER begins to flex its muscles, and where the i5-9400 starts to become a bottleneck.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K produces a dramatic shift in performance, primarily due to the increased load on the graphics card. At 1080p with High settings, the system averages 174 FPS, which is a very playable and smooth experience. Moving to 1440p High, the average drops to 109.9 FPS, a reduction of about 37%. At 4K High, the average falls to 59.3 FPS, which is a further 46% drop from 1440p. This steep decline indicates that the game is becoming increasingly GPU-bound as resolution rises, which is expected given the pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. With Low settings, the system achieves 217 FPS at 1080p, 187.2 FPS at 1440p, and 100.5 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 4K on Low is 116.5 FPS, while on High the gap is 114.7 FPS. This similarity suggests that the relative cost of resolution is stable regardless of visual fidelity. However, the absolute numbers tell a story about the limiting component. At 1080p Low, the frame rate of 217 is likely near the CPU’s practical ceiling; the i5-9400’s six cores without hyper-threading can only push so many draw calls. At 4K Low, the 100.5 FPS figure shows the GPU is still not fully saturated, as a more powerful CPU pairing would likely yield higher results.

Ultra settings show the most extreme scaling, from 125.7 FPS at 1080p down to 46 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the only measured row below 60 FPS, which is a critical threshold for smooth gameplay. This indicates that while the RTX 4080 SUPER has the memory and compute capacity for high resolutions, the combination with the i5-9400 cannot maintain a consistent 60 FPS at the highest quality preset. The data suggests that for 4K gaming, users should expect to dial back settings to High or Medium to achieve a playable frame rate, as the GPU is capable of 59.3 FPS on High and 77.3 FPS on Medium.

GPU Role

The RTX 4080 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing, equipped with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and a 256-bit bus that delivers 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is more than sufficient for Hitman 2’s textures and geometry at 4K, as the measured results show no signs of memory-related stuttering or crashes. The GPU’s boost clock of 2550 MHz and base clock of 2295 MHz are high, but the actual performance in this game is more influenced by the settings preset and resolution than by clock speed variations.

The GPU’s average benchmark score of 53610 places it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs, showing its top-tier standing. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, scores 53489, a delta of only 0.2%, meaning the two are effectively tied in raw compute. In Hitman 2, the RTX 4080 SUPER’s strengths are evident at 1440p and 4K, where it can push high frame rates even with Medium settings. At 1440p Medium, the system achieves 142.8 FPS, and at 4K Medium it hits 77.3 FPS. These numbers show that the GPU is capable of handling the game’s rendering loads efficiently, but the CPU prevents it from fully unlocking its potential.

The 16 GB VRAM is a key asset here. At 4K Ultra, the game likely consumes a significant portion of that memory, and the measured 46 FPS is not due to a lack of VRAM but rather the computational load on the GPU cores and the CPU’s inability to feed them quickly enough. The data indicates that the RTX 4080 SUPER is not the limiting factor in this system; it is the processor holding back the frame rates at lower resolutions, and even at 4K, the GPU is not the ultimate bottleneck.

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 average benchmark score of 2305 places it in the 50th percentile of all CPUs, with nearest rivals like the Intel Core i3-10305 (score 2300, delta 0.2%) and Intel Xeon E-2134 (score 2295, delta 0.4%). This shows the i5-9400 is a solid mid-range performer, but it lacks the multi-threading capabilities of modern CPUs.

In Hitman 2, the CPU’s role is most apparent at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system averages 217 FPS, which is likely close to the CPU’s maximum frame generation limit. The jump from 1080p Low to 1440p Low (187.2 FPS) is a 13.7% drop, while the drop from 1440p Low to 4K Low (100.5 FPS) is 46.3%. This nonlinear scaling suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is the bottleneck, and as resolution increases, the GPU takes over more of the workload, but the CPU still limits the peak frame rate. The boost clock of 4.10 GHz helps with single-threaded performance, which is critical for Hitman 2’s game logic and AI, but the six threads are a limitation.

Compared to its rivals, the i5-9400 is slightly behind the Intel Core i7-8809G (score 2319, delta -0.6%) but ahead of the i3-10305. This means that in CPU-bound scenarios, the frame rates are competitive with similar hardware of its era, but they cannot match the performance of newer processors with higher core counts. The benchmark results show that the CPU’s 9 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support are adequate, but the lack of hyper-threading means that background tasks or heavily threaded game engines could cause frame dips. In Hitman 2, the data shows that the i5-9400 is sufficient for 60 FPS gaming at 4K on Medium settings, but it will struggle to push beyond that without reducing resolution or settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the i5-9400 and RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 215th out of 1795 tested combos in Hitman 2, placing it in the top 12% of all configurations. This high rank is primarily due to the GPU’s strength, as the CPU is a weaker link. The rank indicates that this combo outperforms the majority of systems, but it is not among the elite pairings. The data suggests that users with a more powerful CPU, such as a modern 8-core or 16-thread processor, would see significantly higher frame rates, especially at 1080p and 1440p.

The combo’s ranking is consistent with its measured performance. At 1080p High, it delivers 174 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play. At 1440p Ultra, it achieves 83.1 FPS, which is smooth. The rank of 215 also reflects that while the GPU is in the 88th percentile, the CPU’s 50th percentile standing drags the overall combo down. If the GPU were paired with a top-tier CPU, the combo would likely rank much higher, possibly in the top 50. The measured data shows that this pairing is a viable option for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming and solid 1440p gaming, but it is not optimized for 4K Ultra.

FAQ

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

A: The system averages 174 FPS at 1080p High, which is a smooth experience for most monitors.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming?

A: Yes, but not at Ultra settings. The measured 4K Ultra average is 46 FPS, while 4K High achieves 59.3 FPS and 4K Medium reaches 77.3 FPS, all of which are playable depending on your tolerance.

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

A: The data shows that at 1440p Low (187.2 FPS) versus 1080p Low (217 FPS), the CPU still has a significant influence. At 1440p Medium (142.8 FPS) and High (109.9 FPS), the GPU becomes more of a factor, but the CPU’s six threads still limit peak performance.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER compare to its nearest rival, the RX 6900 XT?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 53610, which is 0.2% higher than the RX 6900 XT’s 53489. In practice, they are nearly identical in raw compute.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: Based on the measured rows, Medium at 1440p (142.8 FPS) or High at 1440p (109.9 FPS) both provide excellent frame rates. Ultra at 1440p (83.1 FPS) is also viable for a more visually detailed experience.

Q: Does the i5-9400 bottleneck the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: Yes, particularly at 1080p and 1440p. The CPU’s average benchmark of 2305 is in the 50th percentile, and the frame rate ceiling at 1080p Low (217 FPS) indicates the CPU limits performance before the GPU can be fully utilized.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and frame rate, the data points to 1440p High as the sweet spot, delivering 109.9 FPS. This provides a significant visual upgrade over Medium (142.8 FPS) while maintaining a frame rate well above 60 FPS. If you have a 144Hz monitor, 1440p Medium (142.8 FPS) is a better choice to stay near the refresh rate ceiling, but the difference between Medium and High is noticeable in Hitman 2’s lighting and shadow details.

At 4K, the recommendation is to avoid Ultra (46 FPS) unless you are willing to accept a cinematic frame rate. Instead, 4K Medium (77.3 FPS) is the most balanced preset, offering a smooth experience without sacrificing too much detail. 4K High (59.3 FPS) is a viable alternative if you prioritize visuals over a locked 60 FPS. For 1080p, all presets are playable, but Ultra (125.7 FPS) is the best choice for maximum quality without dropping below 120 FPS. The data clearly shows that the RTX 4080 SUPER has the horsepower for High settings at 4K, but the i5-9400’s limitations mean that users should not expect to push Ultra at that resolution with this CPU.