Hitman 2

Hitman 2, a 2018 stealth title, presents a unique stress test for a modern flagship GPU paired with an entry-level processor. The measured data for the Intel Core i3-12100F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination reveals a significant performance bottleneck that shifts depending on resolution and settings. This analysis breaks down the measured frame rates to identify where the limits lie in this specific pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K clearly illustrates the transition from a CPU-bound scenario to a GPU-bound one. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 303.9 FPS. This high frame rate indicates that the processor is working at its limits, and the graphics card is being fed enough frames to stay active. Moving to 2560x1440 at Low settings, the average drops to 224.9 FPS, a 26% reduction. This is a substantial decrease, but the frame rate remains exceptionally high, suggesting the CPU is still the primary limiting factor, though the GPU is starting to take on more work.

The scaling becomes more pronounced at 4K. At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the average FPS falls to 119.4. This is a 47% drop from the 1440p Low result. This significant reduction points to the GPU becoming the primary bottleneck. The RTX 5090 is now being tasked with rendering a much larger number of pixels, and its performance ceiling is the limiting factor. The data shows a clear transition zone between 1440p and 4K where the system moves from being CPU-limited to GPU-limited. The frame rate drop is not linear, indicating that the architecture of the game and the demands of higher resolutions are placing a much heavier load on the graphics card.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Hitman 2, this specific pairing of the Core i3-12100F and RTX 5090 holds the 25th position out of 1795 tested combos. This places the system in the top 1.4% of all tested configurations. The high rank is somewhat misleading, as it is undoubtedly buoyed by the sheer power of the RTX 5090. The processor, while capable, is not in the same performance tier as the graphics card.

The benchmark data shows this is a lopsided pairing. While the overall rank is high, the CPU's own ranking is far more modest. The Core i3-12100F sits in the 72nd percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 13516. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 3975WX, which scores 13534 (a 0.1% difference), and the Intel Core i7-7700K, which scores 13280 (a 1.8% difference). This indicates that the processor is a solid mid-range part, but it is not a top-tier performer. The system's high combo rank is a direct result of the RTX 5090's immense capabilities, not the CPU. The data suggests that in a game like Hitman 2, a more balanced system with a higher-end CPU would likely achieve an even better rank, as the current bottleneck prevents the GPU from reaching its full potential in many scenarios.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i3-12100F is a 4-core, 8-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its cache configuration includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 12 MB L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 11912 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 1681 in single-core. These scores show it is a competent modern processor, but its 4-core/8-thread configuration is a limiting factor for modern, heavily-threaded workloads.

For Hitman 2, the CPU's role is critical at lower resolutions and settings. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system hits 303.9 FPS. This is a very high frame rate, and it is likely near the maximum that the game's engine can produce with this CPU. The processor is the primary driver of performance in this scenario. The game's simulation and draw call submission are likely using all available threads, and the CPU's single-thread performance, which is strong for its class, is what allows it to reach these high numbers. As resolution increases, the CPU's workload becomes relatively less demanding compared to the GPU's pixel-pushing duties. The CPU is still doing the same amount of work, but the GPU now takes longer to render each frame, so the CPU has more idle time and is no longer the bottleneck. The frame rate at 4K Ultra is 50.2 FPS, which is a direct reflection of the GPU's limits, not the CPU's.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system's performance across a matrix of resolutions and settings.

At 1920x1080, the system is clearly CPU-bound. The average frame rates are exceptionally high: 303.9 FPS at Low, 258.6 FPS at Medium, 196.6 FPS at High, and 144.1 FPS at Ultra. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 52.6% reduction in frame rate. This indicates that while the CPU is the primary limiter, the GPU is still being taxed by the enhanced visual effects at higher settings. The jump from Low to Medium is a 14.9% decrease, while the jump from High to Ultra is a 26.7% decrease, showing that the most demanding settings have a more pronounced impact on the GPU.

Moving to 2560x1440, the system begins to balance the load. The average FPS drops to 224.9 at Low, 167.2 at Medium, 126.6 at High, and 93.6 at Ultra. The scaling from Low to Ultra is a 58.4% reduction. Comparing the 1080p and 1440p results at the same settings shows a consistent drop: Low falls by 26%, Medium by 35.3%, High by 35.6%, and Ultra by 35%. This consistent reduction across settings indicates that the GPU is becoming a more significant factor, but the CPU is still keeping pace to some degree.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is definitively the bottleneck. The average FPS is 119.4 at Low, 91.9 at Medium, 65.1 at High, and 50.2 at Ultra. The scaling from Low to Ultra is a 58% reduction, which is the most significant drop. The difference between 1440p and 4K is stark. For example, at High settings, the frame rate drops from 126.6 FPS to 65.1 FPS, a 48.6% reduction. This massive drop is a clear sign that the RTX 5090 is struggling to render the 4K resolution, and the CPU is no longer a limiting factor. The data shows that for a consistent 60 FPS experience at 4K, the High settings preset is the maximum playable option, while Ultra falls below that threshold.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is an absolute powerhouse, built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture. It features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a massive 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. Its compute capabilities are immense, with 21760 shading units and a peak FP32 performance of 104.8 TFLOPS. The card's boost clock is 2407 MHz. In synthetic benchmarks, it achieves a Passmark G3D score of 39650 and a Geekbench OpenCL score of 380114, placing it in the 94th percentile of all GPUs.

In Hitman 2, the GPU's role is to render the game's detailed environments, lighting, and shadows. The measured FPS data confirms that the RTX 5090 is capable of delivering very high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, even at Ultra settings. At 1440p Ultra, it produces 93.6 FPS, which is a playable and smooth experience. However, its performance at 4K is the most telling. The game is demanding, and even this flagship card cannot maintain a 60 FPS average at 4K Ultra, with a score of 50.2 FPS. The drop to 65.1 FPS at High settings shows that the card's performance is heavily dependent on the graphical workload.

The data suggests that the RTX 5090 has enough raw power to handle Hitman 2 at high frame rates in most scenarios. The 32 GB of VRAM is far more than this game requires, so memory capacity is not a limiting factor. The bottleneck at 4K is the card's raw pixel-pushing and shading power. The shift from the CPU being the limiter at 1080p to the GPU being the limiter at 4K is a classic demonstration of how resolution scaling works. The RTX 5090's performance is the defining factor for the upper limits of this combo, but the Core i3-12100F holds it back at lower resolutions, preventing it from achieving even higher frame rates that the GPU might otherwise be capable of.