Hitman 2

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

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor built on the Alder Lake architecture using Intel's 10 nm process node. Its base clock of 3.30 GHz and boost clock of 4.30 GHz provide the single-thread headroom that Hitman 2's engine tends to leverage heavily. The CPU's 12 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 per core help reduce memory latency in traversal-heavy scenes typical of the stealth genre.

In synthetic benchmarks, this chip posts a single-thread score of 893 in 3dmark and 1,674 in Cinebench R23 single-core. Multi-threaded results are more modest: 4,051 in 3dmark 16-thread and 11,860 in Cinebench R23 multi-core. The CPU's overall benchmark average of 13,494 places it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs, which suggests adequate mid-range positioning for a game released in 2018.

When examining the measured FPS data, the CPU's influence becomes visible at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 204 FPS average, which is a scenario where the GPU is not heavily taxed. This high frame rate indicates the 4-core/8-thread configuration can keep feeding the RTX 3070 Ti in less demanding situations. However, the CPU's 4-core limitation is a consideration for Hitman 2's AI and physics calculations, especially in crowded levels with many NPCs. The benchmark data shows no extreme frame-time anomalies, but the CPU's percentile rank relative to all processors suggests it is not the primary bottleneck in this pairing.

# GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is built on the Ampere architecture with an 8 nm process from Samsung. Its GA104 chip contains 6,144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 96 raster operation units. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1,575 MHz and a boost clock of 1,770 MHz, while the 8 GB of GDDR6X memory runs at an effective 19 Gbps across a 256-bit bus, delivering 608.3 GB/s of bandwidth.

This memory configuration is particularly relevant for Hitman 2 at high resolutions. The game's detailed environments and complex lighting can consume significant video memory, and the 8 GB capacity is adequate for 1080p and 1440p across all settings. At 4K Ultra, the data shows a drop to 29 FPS average, which suggests the GPU's compute resources and VRAM bandwidth are strained rather than the CPU.

The GPU's benchmark results are strong: 23,356 in Passmark G3D and 21.75 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. Its 75th percentile ranking among all GPUs places it alongside capable competitors like the RTX 2080 Ti, which scores 29,783 (0.5% lower) in average benchmarks. The 3070 Ti's average benchmark score of 29,945 is nearly identical to the RTX 5070 Mobile's 29,928 (0.1% difference), indicating consistent performance class. At 1080p High settings, the combo reaches 116 FPS, but at 4K Ultra it falls to 29 FPS — a drop that aligns with the GPU becoming the limiting factor at higher pixel counts.

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

Examining the measured FPS across resolutions reveals a clear scaling pattern. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 204 at 1080p, to 131 at 1440p, and then to 70 at 4K. This represents a 36% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 47% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The consistent decline across all settings suggests the GPU is the dominant constraint at every resolution tested.

For Medium settings, the progression is 153 FPS at 1080p, 98 FPS at 1440p, and 52 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is 36%, and from 1440p to 4K is 47% — nearly identical to the Low settings pattern. High settings show 116 FPS at 1080p, 74 FPS at 1440p, and 39 FPS at 4K, with drops of 36% and 47% respectively. Ultra settings follow the same trend: 85 FPS at 1080p, 55 FPS at 1440p, and 29 FPS at 4K, representing 35% and 47% reductions.

The uniformity of these scaling percentages across all four quality presets is telling. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rate would plateau at higher resolutions as GPU load increases. Instead, the proportional decline indicates the RTX 3070 Ti's rendering throughput is the primary constraint. The 4-core CPU maintains sufficient frame pacing even at 1080p Low where the GPU has headroom, but the GPU's workload scales predictably with pixel count. This behavior suggests that for this specific combo, resolution scaling follows GPU-bound expectations throughout.

# Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the measured average frame rates span a wide range. Low settings produce 204 FPS average, which is the highest result in the entire dataset. Medium settings yield 153 FPS average with a minimum of 130 FPS and a maximum of 176 FPS. High settings deliver 116 FPS average, while Ultra settings drop to 85 FPS average. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 119 FPS, indicating that the preset selection has a substantial impact on performance at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates compress somewhat. Low settings achieve 131 FPS average. Medium settings produce 98 FPS average with a minimum of 83 FPS and a maximum of 113 FPS. High settings reach 74 FPS average, and Ultra settings fall to 55 FPS average. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 76 FPS, which shows that while performance decreases, the relative differences between presets remain meaningful.

At 3840x2160, the results become more constrained. Low settings still manage 70 FPS average, which is playable for most users. Medium settings produce 52 FPS average with a minimum of 44 FPS and a maximum of 60 FPS. High settings drop to 39 FPS average, and Ultra settings bottom out at 29 FPS average. The range from Low to Ultra at 4K is 41 FPS, suggesting that even the lowest preset cannot fully escape the GPU's resolution-bound limits.

The Medium settings rows are the only ones with complete min/max data. At 1080p Medium, the 130-176 FPS range indicates a 46 FPS delta between minimum and maximum. At 1440p Medium, the range is 83-113 FPS, a 30 FPS delta. At 4K Medium, the range narrows to 44-60 FPS, an 16 FPS delta. This tightening range at higher resolutions further confirms the GPU-bound nature of the workload.

# How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti ranks 1,341 out of 3,711 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places it in the top 36% of all configurations tested for this game. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU's modest 4-core design and the GPU's high-end performance tier.

Given the GPU's strong benchmark position — 75th percentile among all GPUs and closely matched with the RTX 2080 Ti (0.5% lower average score) — the combo's rank is likely held back by the CPU's relatively lower standing. The Core i3-12100F's 68th percentile ranking among CPUs, with rivals like the Intel Core i5-9500 (0.3% higher average score) and Intel Core 5 120UL (0.7% lower), suggests it is an average performer. The delta between the CPU's percentile and the GPU's percentile indicates a potential imbalance in this pairing.

In practical terms, the rank of 1,341 out of 3,711 means a substantial number of tested configurations perform better in Hitman 2. The data shows that games like this one can be sensitive to CPU performance in certain scenarios, particularly at lower resolutions where frame rates exceed 150 FPS. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 204 FPS, which is excellent, but this may not fully utilize the GPU's potential compared to a stronger CPU pairing. The 4K Ultra result of 29 FPS is the weakest measured point, and this aligns with the GPU being the bottleneck at that extreme setting.

# FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Hitman 2 with this combo for a smooth 60+ FPS experience?

A: The data shows that at 1440p High settings, the combo achieves 74 FPS average, which exceeds the 60 FPS threshold. At 1440p Medium, it reaches 98 FPS average. For 4K gaming, only Low settings (70 FPS) and Medium settings (52 FPS) come close to or exceed 60 FPS, but Medium falls short.

Q: How does this CPU compare to its nearest rivals in benchmark performance?

A: The Intel Core i3-12100F has an average benchmark score of 13,494. The Intel Core 3 N355 scores 13,492 (0% difference), the Intel Core i5-9500 scores 13,452 (0.3% higher), the Intel Core 5 120UL scores 13,594 (0.7% lower), and the Intel Core i7-1250U scores 13,351 (1.1% higher). The differences are minimal, indicating they are closely matched.

Q: Is the 8 GB VRAM on the RTX 3070 Ti sufficient for Hitman 2 at 4K?

A: The measured data shows 4K performance ranging from 29 FPS at Ultra to 70 FPS at Low. The VRAM capacity does not appear to be the sole limiting factor, as even at Low settings the frame rate drops significantly from 1440p (131 FPS) to 4K (70 FPS). This suggests GPU compute and bandwidth constraints play a larger role than memory capacity alone.

Q: What is the FPS difference between High and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, High settings produce 116 FPS average, while Ultra settings produce 85 FPS average. This represents a 31 FPS difference, or a 27% reduction in performance when moving from High to Ultra. The visual quality gain may not justify the frame rate cost for competitive play.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 Ti compare to the AMD Radeon RX 6800 in this context?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 29,945, while the RX 6800 scores 30,095, which is 0.5% higher. This indicates the RX 6800 has a marginal edge in synthetic benchmarks, but the difference is negligible for real-world gaming performance in most scenarios.

Q: Can this combo achieve above 100 FPS at 1440p?

A: Yes. At 1440p Low settings, the combo reaches 131 FPS average, and at 1440p Medium it reaches 98 FPS average. However, at 1440p High settings, the average drops to 74 FPS, and at Ultra it falls to 55 FPS. Only the lower presets can sustain triple-digit frame rates at this resolution.

# Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and performance goal. For 1080p gaming, all presets exceed 85 FPS, with Medium offering 153 FPS average and a minimum of 130 FPS. This makes Medium the best balance at 1080p because it provides a substantial frame rate cushion while still offering improved visuals over Low. Ultra at 85 FPS is playable but the 119 FPS gap from Low suggests diminishing returns for the visual upgrade.

At 1440p, the Medium preset delivers 98 FPS average with a minimum of 83 FPS, which keeps the experience above 60 FPS even in demanding scenes. High settings at 74 FPS average is also viable for users who prioritize visual fidelity, but the 24 FPS drop from Medium may be noticeable. Ultra at 55 FPS falls below the 60 FPS threshold, making it less desirable for smooth gameplay unless the user accepts occasional frame rate dips.

For 4K resolution, the options are more limited. Low settings at 70 FPS average provide a playable experience, though visual quality is significantly reduced. Medium settings at 52 FPS average with a 44 FPS minimum may still be acceptable for slower-paced stealth gameplay, but the frame rate can dip below comfortable levels during action sequences. High and Ultra presets at 39 FPS and 29 FPS respectively are not recommended for consistent gameplay, as they fall well below standard smoothness targets.

Considering the game's stealth genre, where precise timing and reaction speed matter, the recommendation is to prioritize frame rate consistency over maximum visual quality. The 1440p Medium preset offers the best overall experience with 98 FPS average and a minimum of 83 FPS, providing both smoothness and reasonable visual detail. For users with 1080p displays, 1080p Medium at 153 FPS average is the strongest choice. At 4K, users should accept Low settings to maintain 70 FPS, or use Medium if they can tolerate the 52 FPS average and occasional drops to 44 FPS.