Hitman 2

Hitman 2, a stealth classic from 2018, presents an interesting case study for the modern Intel Core Ultra 7 165H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 pairing. The data shows a combination that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet reveals a surprising CPU limitation at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across resolutions and settings, interpreting what the numbers imply about the role of each component in this specific game.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep decline as resolution increases, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound workload. At 1080p High settings, the combo achieves 141 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops the average to 90 FPS, a 36% reduction. The jump to 4K High is even more punishing, with the average falling to 48 FPS—a 66% decrease from the 1080p figure. This dramatic scaling indicates that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the primary limiting factor; the demand for pixel throughput at higher resolutions quickly outpaces the GPU's ability to render frames.

The trend is consistent across all settings presets. For instance, at Medium settings, the average FPS scales from 186 at 1080p down to 119 at 1440p and finally to 64 at 4K. This pattern confirms that the performance drop is not an artifact of a specific settings level but a fundamental property of the game's rendering load relative to the GPU. The data suggests that the RTX 5090's immense compute power is best showcased at 1080p and 1440p, where it can maintain high refresh rates, while 4K pushes it to its limits, resulting in sub-60 FPS averages on the higher presets.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly steep. At High settings, the FPS drops from 90 to 48, a 46.7% decline. This is a larger proportional drop than the 36% decline seen when going from 1080p to 1440p. This non-linear scaling suggests that the game's memory bandwidth and fill-rate requirements become exponentially more demanding at 4K, placing a significant strain on the GPU. The benchmark results indicate that for a smooth 4K experience, users would need to make significant compromises in visual fidelity.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the undisputed workhorse in this pairing, and its specifications in the fact pack explain the observed performance ceiling. With a massive 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, the GPU has a theoretical bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. This enormous bandwidth is crucial for feeding the 21760 shading units and 680 texture mapping units at high resolutions. The 4K Ultra setting, which averages 35 FPS, likely stresses the memory subsystem and shader array to their absolute limits, as the game's detailed environments and effects require immense data throughput.

The GPU's clock speeds also play a role. With a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz, the RTX 5090 is running at high frequencies. However, the data shows that even with these high clocks, the card cannot maintain high frame rates at 4K with Ultra settings. This indicates that Hitman 2's engine is capable of saturating the GPU's execution resources. The 104.8 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is impressive on paper, but the measured FPS suggests that raw compute is not the only bottleneck; memory latency and pixel fill rate (423.6 GPixel/s) are equally critical.

The VRAM capacity of 32 GB is far beyond what Hitman 2 requires, even at 4K. This suggests that VRAM size is not a limiting factor in these benchmarks. Instead, it is the processing power and memory bandwidth that dictate the results. The performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 4K—85 FPS versus 35 FPS—illustrates the dramatic impact of shader complexity, shadow resolution, and texture filtering on the GPU's workload. The data implies that the RTX 5090 is a capable 1080p and 1440p powerhouse for this title, but its 4K performance is constrained by the game's demanding rendering pipeline.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal experience balances frame rate with visual quality. At 1080p, the Medium preset offers an excellent sweet spot, with an average of 186 FPS and a minimum of 158 FPS. This ensures a very smooth experience on high-refresh-rate monitors. The High preset at 141 FPS is also viable, but the jump to Medium provides a substantial 31.9% performance increase for what is likely a minor visual sacrifice. The Ultra preset, at 104 FPS, is playable but shows diminishing returns for the performance cost.

For 1440p, the Medium preset is again the recommended choice. The 119 FPS average is smooth, and the minimum of 101 FPS indicates good frame pacing. The High preset at 90 FPS is also acceptable, but the data shows that High to Medium represents a 32.2% performance gain. The Ultra preset at 66 FPS is a borderline experience; it is playable but may not be ideal for fast-paced action. At 4K, the situation is more challenging. The Low preset at 85 FPS is the only one that consistently exceeds 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 64 FPS is playable, but the data shows it can dip to 54 FPS. High and Ultra presets at 48 FPS and 35 FPS respectively are not recommended for a smooth experience.

The data strongly suggests that the Medium preset is the "best bang for the buck" in terms of performance per visual setting. It consistently offers a significant FPS boost over High while maintaining a frame rate that is high enough to be responsive. For users prioritizing visual fidelity over raw speed, High is the maximum reasonable choice at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K users should stick to Low or Medium to stay above 60 FPS.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Hitman 2 at 4K with high settings?

A: The data shows an average of 48 FPS at 4K High settings. While technically playable, this falls below the 60 FPS threshold many consider smooth, and the average is not consistent.

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU and GPU pairing?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1440p with Medium settings (119 FPS) offers an excellent balance of visual detail and high frame rate. 1080p with Medium settings (186 FPS) is best for maximum smoothness.

Q: Is the 32 GB VRAM of the RTX 5090 necessary for this game?

A: No. The benchmark results indicate that performance is limited by the GPU's processing power and bandwidth, not its memory capacity. Hitman 2 does not appear to be VRAM-constrained at any tested setting.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance at 1080p?

A: The data suggests a CPU limit at 1080p. The FPS drops from 249 on Low to 104 on Ultra, but the scaling from 1080p to 1440p at the same settings (e.g., High: 141 to 90) shows a significant drop that is more consistent with a GPU limitation. The 1080p results are high enough to suggest the CPU is keeping up, but the performance is likely a mix of both CPU and GPU limits.

Q: Which settings preset should be avoided at 4K?

A: The Ultra preset at 4K yields a 35 FPS average, which is too low for a smooth experience. The High preset (48 FPS) is also not recommended for gameplay that requires quick reactions.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 bottlenecked by the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 1440p and 4K. At 1080p, the high frame rates (e.g., 249 FPS on Low) may be limited by the CPU, but the overall results indicate the GPU is the limiting factor in most scenarios.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H is a mobile processor with 16 cores and 22 threads, boosting up to 5.00 GHz. While its multi-core performance is solid, as evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14551, Hitman 2 does not heavily utilize many cores. The game's performance is more dependent on single-core speed and IPC. The Ultra 7's single-core Cinebench R23 score is 1759, which is moderate for a modern CPU. The data suggests that at higher resolutions, the CPU has ample headroom, as the GPU becomes the bottleneck. However, at 1080p with Low settings, the 249 FPS average might be pushing against the CPU's limits.

The benchmark results indicate that the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic data. With its 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory support (89.6 GB/s bandwidth), the Ultra 7 has sufficient resources to avoid stuttering in most scenarios. The fact that the FPS scales almost linearly with resolution at High settings (141 -> 90 -> 48) strongly implies the CPU is not the limiting factor at those resolutions. The situation changes at 1080p Low, where the FPS increase from 141 (High) to 249 (Low) is a 76.6% jump. This huge gain suggests that the CPU can handle the lower graphical load and is capable of pushing very high frame rates, but it may be reaching its architectural limit around 250 FPS.

Comparing to its nearest rivals in the fact pack, the Ultra 7 165H has an average benchmark score of 34083, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core Ultra 5 338H (33989, +0.3%) and slightly lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X (34260, -0.5%). This indicates that its general processing power is on par with these chips. In Hitman 2, this level of CPU performance is sufficient to maintain high frame rates, but it is not the star of the show. The GPU is clearly the dominant component in this pairing, determining the playable settings and resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a comprehensive look at performance across all combinations. At 1920x1080, the Ultra 7 165H and RTX 5090 deliver an average of 249 FPS on Low settings. This drops to 186 FPS on Medium (min 158, max 214), 141 FPS on High, and 104 FPS on Ultra. These numbers show a clear hierarchy, with Low being over 2.4 times faster than Ultra. The high frame rates at this resolution indicate a primarily GPU-bound scenario, though the 249 FPS figure on Low could hint at a CPU limitation.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down proportionally. Low settings average 159 FPS, Medium averages 119 FPS (min 101, max 137), High averages 90 FPS, and Ultra averages 66 FPS. The trend is consistent, with the gap between Low and Ultra being 93 FPS. This resolution provides a good balance, with Medium and High settings offering smooth, playable frame rates. The minimum FPS of 101 on Medium shows that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate remains high.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is heavily taxed. Low settings yield 85 FPS, Medium drops to 64 FPS (min 54, max 73), High falls to 48 FPS, and Ultra averages just 35 FPS. The data shows a steep cliff between Low and Medium, suggesting that certain effects enabled at Medium have a disproportionate impact at 4K. The 4K results are the most telling, demonstrating that the RTX 5090, while powerful, cannot maintain high frame rates in Hitman 2 at this resolution when visual quality is prioritized. The minimum FPS of 54 at Medium indicates potential for stutter in complex scenes.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination ranks 619th out of 3001 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places it in the top 21% of all tested systems, which is a respectable position. The ranking is likely pulled down by the CPU, which is a mobile part, while the top ranks are probably occupied by high-end desktop CPUs paired with top-tier graphics cards. The GPU itself is a flagship part, but the CPU's relatively modest single-threaded performance for a gaming workload may prevent the combo from reaching the very top.

The combo's rank of 619 is a strong indicator that this is a high-performance system for gaming. The data shows it can handle 1080p and 1440p with ease, and it can even manage 4K at lower settings. The ranking reflects the balance of the two components. While the RTX 5090 is a top-tier GPU, ranking 92nd percentile in its own benchmarks, the Ultra 7 165H ranks 84th percentile among all CPUs. The combination of these two parts yields a system that is better than 79% of all tested configurations in this specific game.

The fact that the combo ranks in the top quarter despite the CPU being a mobile part highlights the importance of the GPU in Hitman 2. The game's engine is more sensitive to GPU performance, so the powerful RTX 5090 can compensate for a weaker CPU. However, the rank also shows that there is headroom for improvement. A higher-performing desktop CPU would likely push this combo higher in the rankings, as the 1080p results suggest a potential CPU bottleneck at very high frame rates. Overall, a rank of 619 out of 3001 is a very good result, indicating a capable and well-balanced system for this title.