Hitman 2

The data for Hitman 2 with the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D shows a system with exceptional headroom. The measured frames per second (FPS) across all resolutions and settings reveal a configuration that can prioritize visual fidelity without sacrificing playability. The following analysis breaks down the benchmark results, focusing on the optimal settings, the system's ranking, and the specific roles the CPU and GPU play in shaping the final output.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark data shows a clear hierarchy of performance across the four settings presets. At 4K, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 52 FPS, which is playable but leaves the system's potential untapped. The High preset jumps to 71 FPS, a 36.5% improvement over Ultra, while the Medium preset achieves 93 FPS. The Low preset reaches 124 FPS, but this comes at a significant cost to visual quality. The sweet spot for a balanced experience at 4K is the High preset, which maintains a smooth frame rate while retaining most of the graphical features that define the game's atmosphere. The jump from High to Medium is a 31% increase in FPS, but the visual downgrade is substantial, making High the better choice for a premium experience.

At 1440p, the situation is more fluid. The Ultra preset averages 98 FPS, which is already excellent for a stealth title. High pushes to 132 FPS, Medium to 175 FPS, and Low to 234 FPS. Here, the Ultra preset is the recommended choice, as it provides a high refresh rate experience with maximum graphical fidelity. The system has enough headroom to run the game at its highest settings without dipping below the 60 FPS threshold, making the lower presets unnecessary for competitive play or visual enjoyment.

At 1080p, the CPU and GPU combination is severely underutilized. Even the Ultra preset averages 153 FPS, which is far beyond the refresh rate of most displays. The High preset reaches 207 FPS, Medium 274 FPS, and Low 365 FPS. At this resolution, the recommendation is to use the Ultra preset to leverage the system's power for the best possible image quality. Running at lower settings would only serve to inflate frame rates that are already well past the point of diminishing returns. The data suggests that for the best experience per the measured rows, the Ultra preset is the only logical choice at 1080p and 1440p, while High is the most balanced at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The benchmark database places this specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D at rank 1 out of 3001 tested combos for Hitman 2. This is a top-tier result, indicating that no other tested configuration of CPU and GPU delivers higher average frame rates in this game. The data confirms this is the absolute best-performing combo in the database for this title. The system's performance is not just good; it is the definitive benchmark leader.

This ranking is consistent with the raw performance of its components. The CPU's average benchmark score of 84003 places it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, and it is less than 1% ahead of its closest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, which scores 83807. The GPU, with an average benchmark score of 77712, sits in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. While its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT, is only 1.1% behind, the RTX 5090 D's lead in this specific game's workload is enough to secure the top combo spot. The combination of a top-tier CPU and GPU ensures that neither component becomes a bottleneck, allowing for the maximum possible frame output.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a powerhouse, and its specifications are crucial to understanding the high frame rates observed. It features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a massive 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is overkill for Hitman 2, a game from 2018, but it ensures that there is no memory-related stuttering or texture pop-in at any resolution. The GPU's base clock is 2017 MHz, with a boost clock of 2407 MHz. These high clocks, combined with its 21760 shading units, allow it to process the game's geometry and lighting effects with ease.

The GPU's role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases. The data shows that the FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is significant, but the RTX 5090 D still manages to deliver playable frame rates at the highest settings. The GPU's raw compute power, rated at 104.8 TFLOPS for FP32, is the primary driver of the 71 FPS average at 4K High. In contrast, the CPU's role is more critical at lower resolutions where the GPU can render frames faster than the CPU can feed them. The RTX 5090 D's performance in this game is not a bottleneck; it is the enabler of high-resolution, high-detail gameplay.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Hitman 2 with this combo?

A: The data shows that at 1440p with Ultra settings, the system averages 98 FPS. At 4K with High settings, it averages 71 FPS. Both are excellent, but 1440p Ultra offers a higher frame rate with maximum visual settings.

Q: How does the system perform at the highest settings?

A: At the Ultra preset, the system averages 153 FPS at 1080p, 98 FPS at 1440p, and 52 FPS at 4K. The 4K result is the only one that dips below 60 FPS, but it remains playable.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: The data suggests the CPU is the limiting factor at 1080p. The frame rates are exceptionally high, but the CPU's performance ceiling prevents the GPU from being fully utilized, as evidenced by the fact that the GPU is not the bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Q: How does this combo rank against all other tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 1 out of 3001 tested combos in the database for Hitman 2, making it the highest-performing configuration tested.

Q: What is the performance difference between the High and Ultra presets at 4K?

A: The High preset averages 71 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 52 FPS. This is a 36.5% performance drop for the Ultra settings.

Q: Does the CPU have enough power for this game?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus has 24 cores and 24 threads, with a boost clock of 5.80 GHz. Its benchmark scores place it in the 96th percentile, indicating it has more than enough power for Hitman 2.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable pattern as resolution scales. Moving from 1080p to 1440p results in a significant drop in frame rate, and moving to 4K results in an even larger one. At the High preset, the system averages 207 FPS at 1080p, 132 FPS at 1440p, and 71 FPS at 4K. This represents a 36% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 46% drop from 1440p to 4K. This scaling is typical for a GPU-bound workload, where the number of pixels to render increases exponentially with resolution.

The behavior at the Ultra preset is similar, with averages of 153 FPS at 1080p, 98 FPS at 1440p, and 52 FPS at 4K. The relative drops are 36% and 47%, respectively. This consistent pattern across settings indicates that the game's performance is heavily dependent on the GPU's pixel-pushing capabilities. The RTX 5090 D is powerful, but the demands of 4K are immense. The fact that the frame rate halves between 1440p and 4K, rather than dropping by a smaller margin, suggests that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. The CPU's role is more significant at 1080p, where the high frame rates begin to approach the limits of what the processor can handle.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 9 290K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture. Its base clock is 3.70 GHz, and it can boost up to 5.80 GHz. This high single-thread performance is critical for gaming, as most game logic, including AI and physics, is often delegated to a few cores. The CPU's benchmark scores are impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 51731 and a single-core score of 7303. These scores place it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, confirming its top-tier status.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and process game state. At 1080p, where the GPU can render frames very quickly, the CPU becomes the bottleneck. The data shows that the system averages 365 FPS at Low settings, which is an enormous number, but it represents the CPU's maximum output in this scenario. As resolution increases, the GPU takes longer to render each frame, giving the CPU more time to prepare the next one. This is why the frame rate at 4K Ultra is 52 FPS; the GPU is the limiting factor, not the CPU. The CPU's performance is more than sufficient for this game, and it does not hinder the GPU at any resolution, as evidenced by the system's rank 1 status.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the system's performance. At 1920x1080, the system achieves an average of 365 FPS on Low settings, 274 FPS on Medium, 207 FPS on High, and 153 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum FPS of 233 and a maximum of 315, indicating a stable frame time. These numbers are exceptionally high, making 1080p a resolution where the system is entirely CPU-bound.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 234 FPS on Low, 175 FPS on Medium, 132 FPS on High, and 98 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset min and max are 149 and 201 FPS, respectively. This resolution offers a great balance, with the Ultra preset still well above the 60 FPS threshold. At 3840x2160, the averages drop to 124 FPS on Low, 93 FPS on Medium, 71 FPS on High, and 52 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset has a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 107 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is the only one that falls below 60 FPS, but it remains playable for a stealth game. The data shows a clear progression: the system is capable of delivering high refresh rates at 1080p and 1440p, and stays playable at 4K with adjusted settings.