Hitman 2

The Intel Core i3-12100F pairs a 4-core, 8-thread Alder Lake-S configuration with a 3.30 GHz base and 4.30 GHz boost clock. This dual-channel CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory and connects via a Gen 5 PCIe interface with 16 lanes. Its 12 MB shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache provide a modest pool for game data, and its single-thread performance is strong enough to keep frame pacing stable in Hitman 2. The CPU’s benchmark scores reinforce this: a Cinebench R23 single-core result of 1681 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2224 indicate solid per-thread throughput, while the multi-core Cinebench R23 score of 11912 and 3DMark 16-thread score of 4051 show that the 8 threads can be fully utilized when needed.

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is built on RDNA 1.0 with a 7 nm process and features 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus delivers 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is ample for Hitman 2’s large environments. The GPU’s boost clock of 1905 MHz and game clock of 1755 MHz drive a theoretical FP32 throughput of 9.754 TFLOPS. Across the measured resolution and settings grid, this combination shows a clear pattern: the CPU is rarely the limiting factor at lower resolutions, but the GPU’s compute capacity becomes the bottleneck as pixel count rises.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Core i3-12100F’s four physical cores with eight threads are sufficient for Hitman 2’s engine, which is known for moderate thread scaling. At 1080p Low, the combination produces 145.1 FPS, a figure that approaches the practical ceiling for this CPU-GPU pairing. The single-thread performance, reflected in a PassMark single-thread score of 3444 and a 3DMark single-thread score of 893, ensures that the game’s primary simulation thread does not stall. When settings are raised to Ultra at 1080p, the average FPS drops to 63, but this is more attributable to GPU load than CPU capability, as the frame rate scales almost linearly with the graphical workload.

The CPU’s 4.30 GHz boost clock is critical for maintaining high minimum frame rates in crowded scenes, where Hitman 2’s AI and physics calculations spike. The L3 cache of 12 MB is shared across all cores, and while it is smaller than what higher-tier CPUs offer, it is adequate for the game’s data footprint. The 3DMark 8-thread score of 4026 and max-thread score of 4023 show that the processor does not degrade under sustained multi-threaded loads, which is relevant for long play sessions with many NPCs on screen.

Comparing to nearest rivals, the Core i3-12100F sits within 1.8% of the Intel Core i7-7700K’s average benchmark score, and it is 0.4% slower than the Intel Core i7-1250U. The deltaPct values indicate that this CPU is statistically tied with those processors in synthetic tests. In Hitman 2, this means the i3-12100F does not introduce a meaningful performance penalty relative to those alternatives; the GPU’s output is the dominant factor. The CPU’s 72nd percentile ranking among all processors further confirms that it is a mid-pack performer, not a bottleneck for the RX 5700 XT at most settings.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p Ultra, and how does it compare to 1080p High?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combination averages 63 FPS. Dropping to High settings increases the average to 82.7 FPS, a gain of 19.7 FPS. This indicates that the Ultra preset imposes a substantial GPU load that reduces headroom for smooth frame times.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance at 4K Ultra?

A: At 3840x2160 Ultra, the average FPS is 18.4, which is the lowest measured result. The GPU’s 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 9.754 TFLOPS compute are insufficient for this workload. The CPU is not the limiting factor here, as its multi-thread scores remain unchanged regardless of resolution.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations for Hitman 2?

A: The combo ranks 1351st out of 1795 tested combinations. This places it in the lower 25% of all tested combos, indicating that while it can play the game, many other CPU-GPU pairings deliver higher average FPS.

Q: What is the best preset for a consistent 60+ FPS experience at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 89.5 FPS, while Medium averages 69.1 FPS. The High preset drops to 50.9 FPS, so Medium is the highest setting that maintains an average above 60 FPS at this resolution.

Q: How does the GPU’s average benchmark score compare to its nearest rival?

A: The RX 5700 XT has an average benchmark score of 24731, which is 0.1% lower than the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile’s 24763. It is 0.3% higher than the Intel Arc A350M’s score of 24647, showing near-identical synthetic performance among these three GPUs.

Q: What is the FPS penalty for moving from 1080p Medium to 4K Medium?

A: At 1920x1080 Medium, the average FPS is 107.9. At 3840x2160 Medium, the average FPS falls to 39.6. This represents a 63.3% reduction in frame rate, illustrating the heavy scaling cost of increasing pixel count.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a steep and consistent decline as resolution increases, which is the hallmark of a GPU-bound configuration. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 145.1, which drops to 89.5 at 1440p Low and further to 47.6 at 4K Low. This means the 4K Low result is 32.8% of the 1080p Low result. The scaling is not linear with pixel count, as the GPU’s compute and memory bandwidth become increasingly saturated. The RX 5700 XT’s 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is adequate for 1080p but becomes a constraint at higher resolutions.

For the High preset, the pattern is similar but with a lower starting point. At 1080p High, the average is 82.7 FPS; at 1440p High, it is 50.9 FPS; and at 4K High, it is 29.7 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 41.6%, which is less severe than the drop from 1080p to 1440p (38.5% reduction). This suggests that the GPU is already near its limit at 1440p High, and further resolution increases yield diminishing returns in FPS loss. The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling: 63 FPS at 1080p, 35.5 FPS at 1440p, and 18.4 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is below playable thresholds for most users.

The data indicates that the limiting component is the GPU across all resolutions, as the CPU’s performance does not change with resolution. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect similar FPS at 1080p and 1440p, but the consistent 30-40% drops confirm the GPU is the primary constraint. The 4K Low result of 47.6 FPS shows that even the lowest settings cannot fully offset the GPU’s compute limitations, while the 1080p Low result of 145.1 FPS demonstrates that the CPU can feed the GPU adequately at lower pixel counts.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT ranks 1351st out of 1795 tested combos in Hitman 2. This percentile placement (roughly the 25th percentile) means that approximately 75% of tested configurations deliver higher average FPS. The rank is not surprising given that the GPU is an end-of-life product with a 68th percentile ranking among all GPUs, while the CPU holds a 72nd percentile ranking. Both components are mid-tier, but the GPU’s age and memory bandwidth limitations cap the overall performance.

In the context of nearest rivals, the RX 5700 XT’s average benchmark score is within 0.9% of the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000 and 0.6% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile. These synthetic scores do not directly translate to Hitman 2 FPS, but they suggest that the GPU is competitive with several higher-priced options. The CPU’s nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX, has an average score only 0.1% higher, yet that processor has far more cores; this highlights that the i3-12100F’s single-thread performance is what matters for this game.

The 1351st rank is also influenced by the settings grid. The measured FPS includes Low, Medium, High, and Ultra presets across three resolutions. The Ultra preset at 4K pulls the average down significantly, as the 18.4 FPS result is an outlier. If only 1080p results were considered, the rank would likely be higher, as the 1080p High result of 82.7 FPS and 1080p Medium result of 107.9 FPS are respectable. However, the database ranks all measured rows equally, so the poor 4K Ultra performance lowers the overall standing.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For a 1080p display, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, with an average of 107.9 FPS. This is 25.2 FPS higher than the High preset’s 82.7 FPS, and the visual difference between Medium and High is often less pronounced in Hitman 2’s indoor scenes. The Ultra preset at 63 FPS is playable but leaves little headroom for frame time spikes, which can be problematic in busy areas. The Low preset at 145.1 FPS is unnecessary for most users, as 1080p Medium already exceeds the refresh rate of typical 60 Hz and 144 Hz monitors.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is the only option above 60 FPS, averaging 69.1 FPS. The High preset drops to 50.9 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target but still playable on adaptive sync monitors. For users prioritizing smoothness, Low at 89.5 FPS is viable, but the visual fidelity loss is significant. The Ultra preset at 35.5 FPS is not recommended, as it approaches the stutter threshold. The data suggests that 1440p Medium is the sweet spot for this resolution, as it maintains a playable frame rate while preserving most graphical features.

At 4K, no preset achieves 60 FPS. The Low preset averages 47.6 FPS, which is the only playable option, and even then, it requires compromising on texture quality and shadow detail. The Medium preset at 39.6 FPS and High at 29.7 FPS are below the threshold for comfortable gameplay, while Ultra at 18.4 FPS is not viable. Users with 4K displays should either lower the resolution to 1440p or accept the Low preset. The GPU’s 8 GB memory is a limiting factor at 4K, as the larger textures can exceed the available frame buffer, leading to potential texture pop-in. Overall, the measured data points to 1080p Medium and 1440p Medium as the recommended presets for this combo, with 4K reserved for the Low preset only.