Hitman 2

# How This Combo Ranks

The pairing of the Intel Core i3-12100F with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 lands at rank 1739 out of 3001 tested combinations for Hitman 2. That places this setup in the middle of the pack—specifically, it sits at roughly the 58th percentile of all combos tested. In a game with a heavy emphasis on CPU-driven simulation and draw-call overhead, this mid-pack ranking suggests a system that is neither embarrassingly weak nor particularly dominant.

The CPU itself holds a percentileVsAllCpus of 68, meaning the i3-12100F outperforms roughly two-thirds of all processors in the database. The GPU, by contrast, holds a percentileVsAllGpus of 59, slightly lower than the CPU's standing. This asymmetry hints at a system where the graphics card is likely the limiting factor in most scenarios. When a combo ranks lower than both its individual components' percentiles would suggest, it often indicates that the game's specific demands create a bottleneck that neither component fully resolves.

Given the measured FPS data across resolutions, the rank of 1739 seems consistent with what we observe. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 90 FPS—playable but not exceptional. The fact that the GPU's nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, with a deltaPct of -0.7, suggests the RX 9060 is trading blows with a card that has been a mainstream favorite for years. This is not a halo-tier combination; it is a workhorse that delivers competent but unremarkable performance in Hitman 2.

The data reveals an interesting nuance: the combo's rank is likely dragged down by the 4K results. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS plummets to 23, which is below the threshold most players would consider acceptable for a stealth game requiring precision. Even at 1440p with Ultra, the combo manages only 43 FPS. These high-resolution, high-settings results are where this pairing struggles most, pulling the overall rank down from what the 1080p numbers might suggest.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 brings 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, yielding 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. For a game released in 2018, this memory configuration is adequate, though the 8 GB capacity could become a constraint at higher resolutions with texture-heavy settings. The GPU's boost clock reaches 2990 MHz, with a game clock of 2400 MHz and a base clock of 1700 MHz—a wide boost range that indicates the card can scale its frequency aggressively when thermal and power headroom allow.

In Hitman 2, the GPU's role becomes increasingly prominent as resolution rises. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 159 FPS, suggesting the CPU is doing much of the heavy lifting at lower settings. But as resolution climbs to 1440p and 4K, the GPU's workload expands dramatically. The measured data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 23—a figure that clearly demonstrates the RX 9060 is overwhelmed at that resolution and quality tier. This is consistent with the GPU's overall standing: its avgBenchmarkScore of 16014 places it just behind the RTX 3060 Ti, with a deltaPct of -0.7, meaning it trails that card by less than one percent.

The GPU's passmark_g3d score of 17631 and 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 score of 3322 provide further context. These are mid-range results, not flagship numbers. The pixel rate of 191.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 334.9 GTexel/s are respectable for the class but do not suggest the card can brute-force 4K gaming at maximum settings. The 8 GB VRAM, while sufficient for 1080p and most 1440p scenarios, may force texture quality reductions at 4K to avoid memory pressure.

Interestingly, the GPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7700 with a deltaPct of 1, meaning the RX 9060 is about one percent slower than that card. The Radeon R9 370X also appears in the rival list with a deltaPct of 1, which is notable given how much older that architecture is. These comparisons suggest the RX 9060 occupies a competitive mid-range position, but it is not punching above its class.

FAQ

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

A: The measured data shows that 1920x1080 with High settings delivers 90 FPS, while 2560x1440 with High settings drops to 58 FPS. For a smooth experience, 1080p is clearly the sweet spot, as even Medium settings at that resolution produce 119 FPS. At 1440p, only Low settings break the 100 FPS barrier (102 FPS), so users prioritizing frame rate should stay at 1080p.

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

A: Technically yes, but the results are not encouraging. At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 41, with a minimum of 35 and maximum of 47. Dropping to Low settings improves this to 54 FPS. However, High and Ultra settings produce 31 FPS and 23 FPS respectively, which are below the 60 FPS target most players expect. The data suggests 4K is only viable with Low settings, and even then, the experience is marginal.

Q: How does the RX 9060 compare to its nearest GPU rival in this game?

A: The RX 9060's nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, with a deltaPct of -0.7, meaning the RX 9060 trails by less than one percent in average benchmark score. In practical terms, this combo would perform nearly identically to an i3-12100F paired with an RTX 3060 Ti in Hitman 2. The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is also close, with a deltaPct of 1, indicating the RX 9060 is about one percent faster than that card.

Q: What settings provide the most balanced experience at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Medium settings yield 76 FPS average, with a minimum of 65 and maximum of 88. This is the most balanced option—it maintains playable frame rates while offering better visual quality than Low (102 FPS) or High (58 FPS). Ultra settings at 1440p drop to 43 FPS, which may be acceptable for slower-paced stealth gameplay but is not ideal for fast reactions.

Q: Is the CPU holding back the GPU in this combination?

A: The data suggests the GPU is more likely the bottleneck at higher resolutions. The i3-12100F has a percentileVsAllCpus of 68, while the RX 9060 has a percentileVsAllGpus of 59. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 159 FPS, which is close to what many CPUs could deliver. As resolution increases, the FPS drops significantly—from 159 at 1080p Low to 54 at 4K Low—indicating the GPU is the limiting factor in these scenarios.

Q: What kind of frame rate can I expect with Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: The measured data shows 66 FPS average at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings. This is playable, but it is notably High settings at the same resolution produce 90 FPS, a 36% improvement. The gap between High and Ultra suggests that the Ultra preset includes effects that are disproportionately expensive on this GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo in Hitman 2 spans three resolutions and four quality settings, providing a comprehensive view of its performance envelope.

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its strongest results. Low settings produce 159 FPS average, which is the highest figure in the entire dataset. Medium settings drop to 119 FPS, with a minimum of 101 and maximum of 137. High settings yield 90 FPS, while Ultra settings fall to 66 FPS. This progression shows a clear and consistent scaling from Low to Ultra, with each quality tier costing roughly 25-30 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. Low settings still manage 102 FPS, crossing the 100 FPS threshold. Medium settings produce 76 FPS, with a minimum of 65 and maximum of 88—a tight range that suggests consistent performance. High settings drop to 58 FPS, while Ultra settings fall to 43 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 59 FPS, indicating that the higher-quality presets exact a significant toll on the GPU.

At 3840x2160, the picture becomes more challenging. Low settings produce 54 FPS, which is the only 4K preset that approaches playability. Medium settings drop to 41 FPS, with a minimum of 35 and maximum of 47. High settings yield 31 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 23 FPS. None of the 4K presets reach 60 FPS, and even Low settings at 4K are below the 60 FPS standard that many players consider mandatory.

The data reveals an interesting pattern: the FPS drop from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 35-40% across all settings, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is even steeper, ranging from 47-50%. This non-linear scaling is typical of GPU-bound scenarios, where the pixel count increase from 2560x1440 (3.7 million pixels) to 3840x2160 (8.3 million pixels) more than doubles the rendering load.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K in this dataset tells a clear story about which component is the bottleneck. At Low settings, the combo produces 159 FPS at 1080p, 102 FPS at 1440p, and 54 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 57 FPS, or roughly 36%. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 48 FPS, or about 47%. This accelerating decline as resolution increases is a textbook sign of GPU-bound performance.

At Medium settings, the pattern is similar but slightly less steep. The combo delivers 119 FPS at 1080p, 76 FPS at 1440p, and 41 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 36% and 46% respectively. At High settings, the numbers are 90 FPS at 1080p, 58 FPS at 1440p, and 31 FPS at 4K—drops of 36% and 47%. Ultra settings show 66 FPS at 1080p, 43 FPS at 1440p, and 23 FPS at 4K, with drops of 35% and 47%.

The consistency of these percentage drops across all quality settings is noteworthy. Regardless of whether the game runs at Low or Ultra, the resolution scaling penalty remains remarkably stable. This suggests that the GPU's memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s and its 128-bit bus are the constraining factors, rather than compute throughput. The pixel rate of 191.4 GPixel/s is likely the limiting specification at higher resolutions.

The practical implication is that this combo is best suited to 1080p gaming, with 1440p being viable for players willing to accept lower quality settings. The 4K results, while technically functional at Low settings, do not provide a compelling experience. The data indicates that players who want to game at 4K would need a more powerful GPU, as the RX 9060's mid-range specifications are not sufficient for that resolution in this title.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the player's resolution and performance priorities.

For players at 1920x1080, High settings provide the best balance of visual quality and performance, delivering 90 FPS average. This is comfortably above the 60 FPS standard and leaves headroom for occasional dips. Medium settings at 1080p produce 119 FPS, which is ideal for players with high-refresh-rate monitors, but the visual quality reduction may not be worth the extra 29 FPS. Ultra settings at 66 FPS are playable, but the 24 FPS cost over High settings suggests the Ultra preset includes effects that are disproportionately expensive on this GPU.

At 2560x1440, Medium settings are the clear recommendation. The 76 FPS average, with a minimum of 65, provides a smooth experience that remains responsive. High settings at 58 FPS are borderline—playable for slower-paced stealth gameplay but not ideal. Low settings at 102 FPS are smooth but sacrifice too much visual quality for most players. Ultra settings at 43 FPS are not recommended, as the frame rate dips into territory that could impair gameplay responsiveness.

For 3840x2160, the options are limited. Low settings at 54 FPS are the only preset that approaches playability, and even then, the experience is marginal. Medium settings at 41 FPS may be acceptable for players who prioritize visual fidelity, but the minimum of 35 FPS suggests occasional stuttering. High and Ultra settings at 31 and 23 FPS respectively are not recommended for actual gameplay.

The data suggests that this combo is best utilized at 1080p with High settings, or 1440p with Medium settings. These configurations deliver the best balance of visual quality and performance, and both stay comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold that most players consider the minimum for a smooth experience. Players seeking higher frame rates should consider dropping to 1080p Low, which delivers 159 FPS and is well-suited for competitive play.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. Its base clock of 3.30 GHz and boost clock of 4.30 GHz are respectable for a quad-core part, and the 12 MB of shared L3 cache provides adequate memory for game data. The CPU's benchmark scores indicate solid single-thread performance, with a 3dmark_single_thread score of 893 and a cinebench_r23_singlecore score of 1674.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's role is evident at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 159 FPS, which is likely close to the CPU's maximum frame delivery capability. The fact that this figure is nearly double the 4K Low result of 54 FPS suggests that at 1080p Low, the CPU is the primary driver of performance. The i3-12100F's passmark_single_thread score of 3444 indicates strong single-core performance, which is critical for a game that often relies on one or two primary threads for game logic.

However, the CPU's multi-threaded performance is less impressive. The cinebench_r23_multicore score of 11860 and the passmark_multithread score of 14015 are modest for a modern processor, reflecting the physical limitation of only 4 cores. In Hitman 2, which can utilize multiple threads for AI, physics, and rendering tasks, this could create a subtle bottleneck in complex scenes. The 3dmark_8_threads score of 4026 is nearly identical to the max_threads score of 4023, indicating that the CPU's performance does not improve beyond 8 threads—a limitation of the 4-core/8-thread configuration.

The CPU's percentileVsAllCpus of 68 places it ahead of the Intel Core i5-9500 (deltaPct of 0.3) and behind the Intel Core 5 120UL (deltaPct of -0.7). This positioning confirms that the i3-12100F is a strong budget performer, but not a top-tier part. In the context of Hitman 2, the CPU's single-thread strength is likely sufficient to avoid being the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, where the GPU takes over as the limiting factor.

The launch MSRP of $97 for the CPU positions it as an entry-level part, yet its performance in this game is respectable. At 1080p High, the combo delivers 90 FPS, which is a solid result for a budget processor. The data suggests that players pairing this CPU with a more powerful GPU could see improved performance at lower resolutions, but at 1440p and above, the GPU becomes the clear limiting factor.