Hitman 2

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 presents an interesting split in Hitman 2. The data shows a CPU that sits at the 68th percentile among all tested processors, while the GPU reaches the 81st percentile among all tested graphics cards. This combination is capable of delivering smooth frame rates across most resolutions and presets, but the balance shifts dramatically as resolution climbs. At 1920x1080, the system has enormous headroom, with frame rates nearly double the 60 FPS playability threshold at the highest preset. Moving to 2560x1440, the system still clears 60 FPS at every preset, including Ultra. At 3840x2160, however, the demands of 4K expose the limits of this pairing, where only Low and Medium settings maintain playable performance. The measured data provides a clear picture: this is a setup that excels at 1080p and 1440p, but 4K requires careful settings management.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the highest preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average frame rate of 97.7 FPS. This is more than 60% above the playability threshold, leaving substantial headroom for scene complexity or background tasks. The data for lower presets shows even higher performance: High averages 134.1 FPS, Medium averages 175.2 FPS, and Low averages 238.7 FPS. For a player with a 60 Hz or even a 144 Hz monitor, Ultra at 1080p is the clear choice, as the average frame rate comfortably exceeds the refresh rate of most displays while maintaining maximum visual fidelity.

Moving to 2560x1440, the most demanding preset that remains at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 64.8 FPS. This is a marginal margin above the threshold—only about 8% headroom—so players on variable refresh rate monitors will have a smoother experience, while those on fixed 60 Hz displays may notice occasional dips during busy scenes. High settings at this resolution average 84.6 FPS, providing a more comfortable buffer, while Medium averages 112.7 FPS and Low averages 150 FPS. For players who prioritize frame rate stability over maximum detail, High is the pragmatic choice, but Ultra does technically clear the playability bar.

At 3840x2160, the situation changes significantly. The highest preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, with an average of 60.5 FPS. This is a razor-thin margin—just 0.5 FPS above the threshold—so actual gameplay could dip below 60 FPS depending on the specific level or action on screen. Low settings average 80 FPS, which offers a much more comfortable experience, while High drops to 45.3 FPS and Ultra falls to 36.5 FPS, both clearly below the playability benchmark. For 4K play, Medium is the maximum preset that can be considered playable, but the data suggests that Low is the safer choice for consistent frame pacing. The gap between Medium and High at this resolution is substantial—a 15.2 FPS drop—indicating that the High preset's additional visual effects have a steep performance cost at 4K.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals how the division of labor between the Intel Core i3-12100F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 shifts across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as the system delivers 238.7 FPS at Low settings, but this drops to 97.7 FPS at Ultra—a 59% reduction in frame rate that is almost entirely attributable to increased GPU workload. The CPU, with its 4 cores and 8 threads, has sufficient headroom at this resolution to feed the GPU effectively, as evidenced by the fact that even the most demanding preset stays well above 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the balance starts to shift. The frame rate at Low is 150 FPS, which is 37% lower than the 1080p Low result of 238.7 FPS. This reduction is larger than what would be expected from pixel count alone, suggesting that the CPU is beginning to play a larger role. However, at Ultra, the 1440p result of 64.8 FPS is only 34% lower than the 1080p Ultra result of 97.7 FPS, indicating that the GPU is still the dominant factor at higher presets. The CPU's single-thread performance, as shown by its 3dmark single-thread score of 893 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1674, is adequate for this game's engine, which does not appear to be heavily multi-threaded given the relatively flat scaling from 8 threads (3dmark 8-thread score of 4026) to max threads (3dmark max-thread score of 4023).

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the overwhelming bottleneck. The frame rate at Low is 80 FPS, which is 47% lower than the 1440p Low result of 150 FPS. At Ultra, the 4K result of 36.5 FPS is 44% lower than the 1440p Ultra result of 64.8 FPS. This consistent ~45% reduction across presets indicates that the RTX 4070's pixel throughput—158.4 GPixel/s and 455.4 GTexel/s—is the limiting factor. The CPU's role diminishes further at this resolution, as even the lowest preset cannot push frame rates high enough to stress the i3-12100F. The data shows that the CPU's 3dmark 4-thread score of 2859 and 2-thread score of 1659 are sufficient for Hitman 2's requirements, as no resolution or preset combination shows signs of CPU-induced frame rate caps.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Hitman 2 at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: No. The measured data shows an average of 36.5 FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra, which is well below the 60 FPS playability threshold. High settings also fall short at 45.3 FPS. Only Medium (60.5 FPS) and Low (80 FPS) are playable at 4K.

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

A: Ultra is technically playable at 2560x1440 with an average of 64.8 FPS, but the margin above 60 FPS is thin. High settings average 84.6 FPS, which provides a more comfortable buffer while still delivering strong visual quality. The choice depends on whether you prioritize maximum detail or frame rate stability.

Q: How much performance difference is there between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: The difference is substantial. Low settings average 238.7 FPS, while Ultra averages 97.7 FPS—a reduction of 141 FPS, or roughly 59%. This indicates that Ultra's additional graphical effects have a significant GPU cost, but the system still maintains high frame rates at both settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for Hitman 2 at 1440p?

A: The GPU is more important. The frame rate drop from Low (150 FPS) to Ultra (64.8 FPS) at 1440p is primarily GPU-driven, as the CPU has sufficient headroom with its 4 cores and 8 threads. The CPU's benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11860, are more than adequate for this game.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p Medium settings?

A: The measured average is 175.2 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold and also exceeds the refresh rate of most high-end monitors, making this preset suitable for competitive or high-refresh-rate play.

Q: Does the system maintain 60 FPS at 4K with Medium settings?

A: The average is 60.5 FPS, which technically clears the threshold, but only by 0.5 FPS. This means that in practice, some scenes may drop below 60 FPS. For consistent playability at 4K, Low settings (80 FPS) are more reliable.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the Intel Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13494. The closest match is the Intel Core 3 N355, which scores 13492—a negligible delta of 0%. This means the Core 3 N355 would behave almost identically to the i3-12100F in Hitman 2, with no measurable difference in frame rates. The Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13452, which is 0.3% lower, again a difference that would be imperceptible in actual gameplay. The Intel Core 5 120UL is 0.7% higher at 13594, and the Intel Core i7-1250U is 1.1% higher at 13351—both within a range where frame rate differences would be within measurement error. For practical purposes, any of these CPUs would deliver the same Hitman 2 performance as the i3-12100F in this system.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 has an average benchmark score of 37648. The NVIDIA Tesla P4 is the closest rival with a score of 37628, a delta of just 0.1%. This suggests that the Tesla P4, despite being a data center part, would produce nearly identical frame rates in Hitman 2. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 scores 37507, which is 0.4% lower—again, a difference that would not be noticeable in practice. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile is 1.3% higher at 38135, while the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 is 1.3% lower at 37157. All four rivals fall within a 2.6% performance band, meaning that swapping the RTX 4070 for any of these would result in frame rates within about 1-2 FPS of the measured values at each resolution and preset. For example, at 1080p Ultra, the RTX 4070 delivers 97.7 FPS; the RX Vega 56 would likely deliver around 97.3 FPS, while the RTX 4080 Mobile might reach 99 FPS. These differences are within the natural variance of gameplay and would not change the verdict on playability.

The Verdict

The data clearly shows that this PC can run Hitman 2, but the experience varies dramatically by resolution. At 1920x1080, every preset from Low (238.7 FPS) to Ultra (97.7 FPS) clears the 60 FPS threshold with substantial margin. The system is not just playable at 1080p; it is overkill, delivering frame rates that can drive high-refresh-rate monitors at maximum settings. At 2560x1440, the system remains fully playable at all presets, with Ultra averaging 64.8 FPS, High at 84.6 FPS, Medium at 112.7 FPS, and Low at 150 FPS. This resolution offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, with Ultra providing a playable experience and High offering a more comfortable margin.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is more nuanced. The system can run the game, but only at Medium (60.5 FPS) or Low (80 FPS) settings. Ultra (36.5 FPS) and High (45.3 FPS) are not playable. The 60.5 FPS average at Medium is technically above the threshold but leaves no room for frame rate dips, which are common in a stealth game with complex AI and dynamic lighting. For consistent 4K play, Low settings are the reliable choice, though they sacrifice visual fidelity. The core takeaway is that this combination is excellent for 1080p and 1440p gaming, and capable of 4K only with reduced settings. The bottleneck at 4K is the GPU, as the RTX 4070's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient, but its raw pixel throughput cannot sustain high frame rates at 2160p with demanding presets.

How This Combo Ranks

This particular CPU-GPU combination ranks 915th out of 3711 tested combinations for Hitman 2, placing it in the top 25% of all systems in the database. This ranking reflects the overall performance across all presets and resolutions, weighted by how many combinations achieve playable frame rates. The rank of 915 is respectable, but it is not near the top, which makes sense given that the i3-12100F is a budget-oriented processor. The CPU's percentile ranking of 68th among all CPUs and the GPU's percentile ranking of 81st among all GPUs combine to produce a system that is stronger on the graphics side than on the processor side.

The ranking suggests that while this combo delivers excellent frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, there are 914 other combinations that perform better overall in Hitman 2. These would likely include systems with more powerful CPUs (such as those with higher multi-threaded scores) paired with similar or better GPUs. However, the gap between this combo and the top-ranked systems is not necessarily large in practical terms, especially at lower resolutions where the GPU dominates. The data shows that the i3-12100F does not hold back the RTX 4070 at 1080p or 1440p, as frame rates scale predictably with GPU load. The ranking would be significantly higher if the system were tested only at 1080p, where it would likely fall within the top few hundred combinations. At 4K, the ranking is dragged down by the GPU's inability to maintain high frame rates at Ultra settings, but this is a limitation of the graphics card rather than the CPU. Overall, this combo ranks as a strong mid-tier performer, perfectly suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with acceptable 4K performance only at reduced settings.