Hitman 2

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT delivers a playable experience in Hitman 2, but the data shows that the CPU becomes a significant constraint as resolution drops. At 1080p, the combination is capable of high frame rates, yet the scaling pattern from 1080p to 4K reveals where the bottleneck lies.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates show a clear and consistent drop as resolution increases across all settings. At 1080p High, the combo achieves 101.5 FPS, but this falls to 61 FPS at 1440p, and then to 33 FPS at 4K. That is a 39.9% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a 67.5% reduction from 1080p to 4K. This steep decline indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the workload on the Radeon RX 6700 XT increases substantially.

However, the pattern shifts when you look at the Low preset. At 1080p Low, the system produces 176.9 FPS. Dropping to 1440p Low yields 109.5 FPS, and 4K Low still manages 58.8 FPS. The scaling here is more linear, suggesting that at lower graphical loads, the CPU’s 4 cores and 8 threads are better able to keep up with the GPU’s output. The gap between the 1080p High and 1080p Low results—a difference of 75.4 FPS—highlights how much headroom the GPU has when the CPU is not fully taxed.

The Ultra preset tells a different story. At 1080p Ultra, the combo hits 69.6 FPS, but 1440p Ultra drops to 48.7 FPS, and 4K Ultra falls to 27.3 FPS. The transition from 1440p to 4K Ultra is particularly harsh, with a 44% performance loss. This suggests that while the RX 6700 XT handles moderate settings well, the demands of Ultra at 4K exceed what this pairing can deliver smoothly. The data implies that for 4K gaming, users should stick to Medium or Low settings, while 1080p and 1440p offer more flexibility.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Hitman 2?*

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1080p is the most comfortable resolution, with all presets except Ultra exceeding 100 FPS. At 1440p, High and Medium settings remain playable, but 4K is only viable on Low settings, which yields 58.8 FPS.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at the same resolution?

A: At 1080p, Ultra delivers 69.6 FPS versus 101.5 FPS on High, a 31.9 FPS difference. At 1440p, the gap narrows slightly: 48.7 FPS on Ultra versus 61 FPS on High. The performance cost of Ultra is significant at every resolution.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The data shows that the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions, as frame rates drop steeply from 1080p to 4K. However, the CPU’s 4-core, 8-thread configuration may limit performance at 1080p Low, where the 176.9 FPS result suggests the GPU is waiting on the processor.

*Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Hitman 2?*

A: Yes, but only at Low settings, where it averages 58.8 FPS. Medium settings at 4K produce 45.7 FPS, and High drops to 33 FPS, which is below the typical smoothness threshold. Ultra at 4K is not recommended, as it only reaches 27.3 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 6700 XT compare to its nearest rivals in overall GPU benchmarks?

A: The RX 6700 XT has an average benchmark score of 33721, placing it 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6800 and 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A5000. It trails the AMD Radeon HD 7950 and RX 480 by 1%.

Q: What is the CPU’s performance ranking relative to other processors?

A: The Core i3-12100F sits in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 13516 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX, which scores 13534, and slightly above the Intel Core i7-1250U at 13462.

How This Combo Ranks

In Hitman 2, this specific combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT ranks 1000 out of 1795 tested combos. This places it in the middle of the pack, which is consistent with the measured frame rates. The combo is not at the top tier, but it is far from the bottom, indicating a balanced mid-range setup.

The rank reflects the CPU’s modest standing—the i3-12100F is in the 72nd percentile of all CPUs—combined with the GPU’s slightly higher position in the 77th percentile of all GPUs. The pairing works well enough to outperform a significant portion of other tested systems, but it does not break into the upper echelon. For context, the CPU’s nearest rival in average benchmark score is the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX, which is only 0.1% faster. This suggests that the processor is not a weak link in most scenarios, but the overall combo rank indicates that other pairings on the list offer better raw performance.

The mid-pack ranking is expected given the hardware. The RX 6700 XT’s 12 GB of GDDR6 memory and 384.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the 4-core CPU limits the system’s ability to push extremely high frame rates in CPU-bound scenes. The data shows that the combo is best suited for 1080p High or 1440p Medium gaming, where it delivers smooth performance without overtaxing either component.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at how the combo performs across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system reaches its peak: Low settings yield 176.9 FPS, Medium produces 127.4 FPS, High hits 101.5 FPS, and Ultra drops to 69.6 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium is a 49.5 FPS reduction, while the step from High to Ultra costs 31.9 FPS. This shows that the Low preset is where the GPU is least stressed, allowing the CPU to drive higher frame rates.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down predictably. Low settings still deliver a strong 109.5 FPS, Medium maintains 83 FPS, High manages 61 FPS, and Ultra falls to 48.7 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 60.8 FPS, which is a larger absolute gap than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is starting to struggle with the higher pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the limitations become apparent. Low settings produce 58.8 FPS, which is playable, but Medium drops to 45.7 FPS, High to 33 FPS, and Ultra to 27.3 FPS. The transition from 1440p to 4K at High settings results in a 28 FPS loss, and at Ultra, the loss is 21.4 FPS. This data confirms that 4K gaming is only viable at Low settings, and even then, the frame rate is just above the 60 FPS threshold.

The settings scaling is consistent across all resolutions: Low is always the fastest, followed by Medium, then High, and finally Ultra. The percentage difference between Low and Ultra grows with resolution, from 60.7% at 1080p to 72.7% at 4K. This suggests that the GPU’s processing power is the dominant factor in determining performance at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its benchmark scores indicate solid single-threaded performance—a Geekbench single-core score of 2224 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1681—but its multi-threaded capabilities are more limited, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11912.

In Hitman 2, the CPU’s role is most evident at 1080p Low, where the system achieves 176.9 FPS. This high frame rate suggests that the GPU is not fully utilized, and the CPU is pushing as many frames as it can. The 4-core design means that the processor can handle the game’s main thread, but it may struggle when background tasks or complex AI scenes demand more threads. The 12 MB of shared L3 cache helps mitigate some of this, but it is not a substitute for additional cores.

The CPU’s percentile ranking at 72% of all CPUs places it above average, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX, which is only 0.1% faster in average benchmark score. This indicates that the i3-12100F is not a bottleneck in most gaming scenarios, but it does limit the system’s ability to maintain ultra-high frame rates in CPU-intensive titles. In Hitman 2, the data shows that the CPU can drive frame rates above 100 FPS at 1080p High, but the GPU becomes the limiting factor at 4K, where the frame rates drop significantly.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the data points to the High preset at 1080p or the Medium preset at 1440p. At 1080p High, the combo delivers 101.5 FPS, which is smooth on most displays, while 1440p Medium offers 83 FPS, a good compromise for higher resolution. The Ultra preset is not recommended, as it only reaches 69.6 FPS at 1080p and 48.7 FPS at 1440p, which may cause noticeable stutter on fast-moving scenes.

At 4K, the Low preset is the only viable option, providing 58.8 FPS. Medium at 4K drops to 45.7 FPS, which is borderline playable but may feel sluggish. High and Ultra at 4K are not recommended, as they fall below 34 FPS. For users with a 4K display, the Low preset is the sweet spot, though they should be prepared for reduced visual fidelity.

For those prioritizing frame rate over visuals, the Low preset at 1080p delivers 176.9 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play. The Medium preset at 1080p offers 127.4 FPS and is a solid middle ground, providing better graphics without a significant frame rate penalty. Ultimately, the best experience depends on the monitor’s refresh rate and resolution, but the data shows that High at 1080p or Medium at 1440p offers the most balanced experience for this hardware combination.