Hitman 2

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 delivers a playable but heavily settings-dependent experience in Hitman 2, with performance scaling that clearly identifies the GPU as the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. Across the twelve measured configurations, the combo demonstrates a predictable pattern: the 1080p and 1440p results span a wide range from fluid to unplayable, while 4K remains largely out of reach except at the lowest settings. The data shows a system that can handle the game competently at mainstream resolutions, provided the user accepts significant compromises at the highest quality presets.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K exposes a steep performance cliff that is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 76.9 FPS at 1920x1080 to 46.6 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 29.1 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 39% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 38% reduction from 1440p to 4K, with the 4K result falling below the 30 FPS threshold typically considered the minimum for acceptable playability. The pattern is consistent across all settings presets, indicating that resolution scaling is the dominant factor, not the CPU.

Examining the Low preset reveals the same trend with higher absolute numbers: 132.9 FPS at 1080p, 81.9 FPS at 1440p, and 43.7 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 67%, which is nearly identical to the 62% drop observed at High settings. This consistency suggests that the rendering pipeline is uniformly stressed as pixel count increases, with no sudden shift in the balance between CPU and GPU workload. The RTX 2060, with its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 192-bit bus, appears to be the limiting component once the resolution climbs, as the frame rate declines in near-linear proportion to the pixel count increase.

The Ultra preset at 4K presents an extreme case: 17.5 FPS, which is less than one-third of the 56.7 FPS achieved at 1080p Ultra. This particular configuration is essentially unplayable, and the data indicates that the gap between Medium and Ultra at 4K (33.3 vs 17.5 FPS) is larger than at any other resolution. This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces additional effects that disproportionately impact the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth, overwhelming the RTX 2060's capabilities.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this combo in Hitman 2?*

A: The maximum measured average is 132.9 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only configuration that exceeds 120 FPS, indicating the system can deliver high refresh rate gameplay only at the lowest quality preset.

*Q: Can this combo run Hitman 2 at 4K with playable frame rates?*

A: At 4K, the only configuration that exceeds 30 FPS is Low settings, which produces 43.7 FPS. Medium settings drop to 33.3 FPS, while High (29.1 FPS) and Ultra (17.5 FPS) fall below playable thresholds. Users seeking 4K will need to accept Low or Medium settings at best.

Q: How does the RTX 2060's performance compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 2060 has an average benchmark score of 16074, placing it 0.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7600S and 1.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5500. It trails the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and AMD Radeon Pro 5700, both of which score 16351, by 1.7%.

Q: What is the CPU's multi-threaded performance relative to its closest competitors?

A: The Core i3-12100F scores 13516 in average benchmark, which is 0.1% behind the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX (13534) and 0.4% behind the Intel Core i7-1250U (13462). It is 0.6% ahead of the Intel Core i3-10105 and 1.8% ahead of the Intel Core i7-7700K.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a 60 FPS target at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Medium settings produce 63.1 FPS, which is the only preset that exceeds 60 FPS. High settings yield 46.6 FPS, and Low settings provide 81.9 FPS, so Medium is the balanced choice for a 60 FPS target.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to limit performance at 1080p?

A: The data shows the GPU is the primary limiter even at 1080p. At Low settings, the frame rate reaches 132.9 FPS, which is high but not CPU-bound in the same way as lower-end processors might exhibit. The 4-core/8-thread configuration with a 4.30 GHz boost clock appears sufficient to feed the RTX 2060, as the frame rate scales consistently with resolution changes.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor from the Alder Lake architecture, running at a base clock of 3.30 GHz with a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its L3 cache is 12 MB shared, and it supports dual-channel DDR4 or DDR5 memory. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU achieves a single-thread score of 893 in 3DMark and 1681 in Cinebench R23, while multi-thread scores reach 4026 in 3DMark (8 threads) and 11912 in Cinebench R23. These numbers place the CPU in the 72nd percentile among all tested CPUs, indicating it is a solid mid-range performer.

In the context of Hitman 2, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU. The game is a stealth title with moderate CPU demands, and the 4-core/8-thread configuration is sufficient to avoid becoming a bottleneck, as evidenced by the smooth scaling of frame rates with resolution changes. At 1080p Low, the frame rate reaches 132.9 FPS, which suggests the CPU can handle high frame rate scenarios without limiting the GPU. The boost clock of 4.30 GHz is particularly relevant for single-threaded game logic, and the 12 MB L3 cache helps with data locality.

The CPU's nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX (13534, delta -0.1%) and the Intel Core i7-7700K (13280, delta 1.8%). This indicates that the i3-12100F, despite its modest core count, performs competitively with much more expensive processors in aggregate benchmarks. For Hitman 2, this means the CPU is unlikely to be the limiting factor at any tested resolution, and the user should focus on GPU settings for performance tuning.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers a wide spread of results. Low settings produce 132.9 FPS, Medium drops to 98.8 FPS, High yields 76.9 FPS, and Ultra falls to 56.7 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 34.1 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 21.9 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 20.2 FPS. This indicates that each quality tier adds a consistent performance cost, with the Ultra preset being the most demanding. For a 60 FPS target, High settings are the highest quality that can be maintained, while Ultra falls just short.

Moving to 2560x1440, the results shift downward. Low settings produce 81.9 FPS, Medium yields 63.1 FPS, High drops to 46.6 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 32.9 FPS. At this resolution, Medium is the only preset that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS, while High falls below the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 32.9 FPS is just above the 30 FPS playability floor, but the experience would be marginal. The 1440p results reinforce the GPU-bound nature of the system, as the frame rate drops are proportionally similar to the 1080p data.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles. Low settings yield 43.7 FPS, Medium produces 33.3 FPS, High drops to 29.1 FPS, and Ultra is nearly unplayable at 17.5 FPS. The 4K results show that the RTX 2060's 6 GB memory and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for high-quality rendering at this resolution. Even Low settings, which reduce the rendering load significantly, only achieve 43.7 FPS. The data suggests that 4K gaming with this combo is only viable at Low settings, and even then, the frame rate is not consistently smooth.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination ranks 1478 out of 1795 tested combos in Hitman 2, placing it in the lower 18% of all tested configurations. This ranking reflects the GPU's position in the 58th percentile among all GPUs, while the CPU sits in the 72nd percentile. The low overall rank is likely due to the sheer number of higher-end GPU configurations in the database, as well as the demanding nature of Hitman 2 at high resolutions.

Despite the modest rank, the combo demonstrates competent performance at 1080p, where it achieves playable frame rates across all settings presets. The 1478th position out of 1795 indicates that while this is not a top-tier combination, it is far from the bottom of the list. The data shows that the system is capable of delivering a satisfying experience at 1080p with High settings (76.9 FPS) and at 1440p with Medium settings (63.1 FPS), which are likely the sweet spots for most users.

The ranking also highlights the imbalance between the CPU and GPU. The i3-12100F is a relatively strong processor for its class, but the RTX 2060 is a mid-range GPU that is now end-of-life. In Hitman 2, this results in a system that is clearly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, as evidenced by the steep frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K. Users with this combo should prioritize GPU settings adjustments over CPU upgrades, as the data indicates the GPU is the primary constraint on performance.