Hitman 2

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for Hitman 2 with the Intel Core i5-10400F and AMD Radeon RX 7700 reveals a clear progression of performance degradation as resolution increases, but the shape of that curve depends heavily on the selected quality preset. At 1080p Low, the combo delivers 182 FPS average, which is an exceptionally high ceiling that indicates the CPU is doing the heavy lifting at this setting. Moving to 1440p Low drops the average to 116 FPS, a 36% reduction, and at 4K Low the average falls to 62 FPS, which is another 47% reduction from the 1440p figure. This steep decline at Low settings across resolutions is a hallmark of a GPU-limited scenario at higher pixel counts, while the very high absolute numbers at 1080p suggest the CPU has ample headroom.

At Medium settings, the scaling pattern shifts. The 1080p Medium average is 136 FPS, which drops to 87 FPS at 1440p Medium (a 36% reduction) and then to 46 FPS at 4K Medium (a 47% reduction from 1440p). The consistency of these percentage drops across Low and Medium presets indicates that the rendering workload scales nearly linearly with pixel count, which is typical for a game like Hitman 2 that does not have extreme geometric complexity at distance but does have substantial fill-rate demands from its detailed environments and NPC populations. The min FPS values at Medium settings provide additional insight: at 1080p the minimum is 116 FPS, at 1440p it is 74 FPS, and at 4K it is 39 FPS. These minimums track the averages closely, suggesting no sudden stutter-inducing bottlenecks.

The High preset shows a different scaling curve. The 1080p High average is 103 FPS, which is notably lower than the Medium preset at the same resolution, reflecting the additional shading and texture work. At 1440p High the average is 66 FPS, a 36% reduction, and at 4K High the average is 35 FPS, a 47% reduction from 1440p. These percentage drops are nearly identical to those seen at Low and Medium, which is a strong indicator that the limiting component remains the same across these three presets. However, the Ultra preset tells a different story. At 1080p Ultra the average is 76 FPS, which drops to 49 FPS at 1440p Ultra (a 36% reduction) and then to 26 FPS at 4K Ultra (a 47% reduction). While the percentage drops remain consistent, the absolute values at Ultra are significantly lower across the board, suggesting that the Ultra preset introduces effects that are disproportionately expensive at higher resolutions.

The overall pattern indicates that the RX 7700 is the primary limiter at 4K across all settings, while the i5-10400F has sufficient single-thread and multi-thread performance to keep up at lower resolutions. The fact that the percentage reduction from 1080p to 4K is roughly 60-65% at every preset (e.g., 182 to 62 at Low, 136 to 46 at Medium, 103 to 35 at High, 76 to 26 at Ultra) suggests a uniform scaling factor tied to pixel count. This uniformity implies that the GPU is consistently saturated at 4K, and the CPU is not introducing any additional bottleneck at higher resolutions. The data does not show any resolution at which the CPU becomes the limiting factor, as even at 1080p Low with 182 FPS, the game is likely still GPU-bound, albeit with the GPU working at a very high frame rate.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 1080p provides the highest frame rates across all settings, with the Low preset achieving 182 FPS average and the High preset achieving 103 FPS average. At 1440p, the High preset delivers 66 FPS average, which is playable, and at 4K, only the Low preset reaches 62 FPS average, while High drops to 35 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i5-10400F has an average benchmark score of 14185, which places it 0.2% ahead of the Intel Xeon 6756E (14163), 0.5% ahead of the AMD EPYC 7552 (14115), and 0.3% behind the Intel Core 7 160UL (14232). It also trails the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C by 0.6%, which scores 14277.

Q: What is the GPU's synthetic benchmark standing relative to its closest competitors?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700 has an average benchmark score of 15852. It sits 0.1% behind the AMD Radeon R9 370X (15862), 1% behind the AMD Radeon RX 9060 (16014), 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (15679), and 1.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (16129).

Q: Which settings preset offers the largest performance headroom at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers 116 FPS average, which is the highest measured value at that resolution. The Medium preset follows at 87 FPS, then High at 66 FPS, and Ultra at 49 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 29 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 21 FPS.

Q: Is the 4K Ultra preset playable with this hardware?

A: The 4K Ultra preset produces an average FPS of 26, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay in most action-oriented scenarios. The 4K Medium preset fares better at 46 FPS average, and 4K Low reaches 62 FPS average, indicating that users targeting 4K should avoid Ultra settings.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations for this game?

A: The combo rank for Hitman 2 is 1749 out of 3711 tested combinations. This places it in the 53rd percentile of all tested combos, meaning it outperforms slightly more than half of the configurations in this game's database.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-10400F and AMD Radeon RX 7700 achieves a rank of 1749 out of 3711 tested combos in Hitman 2. This position places the configuration in the upper-middle tier of all tested hardware pairings, which is a reasonable outcome given the hardware's individual benchmark standings. The CPU's percentile rank among all processors is 68, meaning it outperforms 68% of CPUs in the database, while the GPU's percentile rank is 58, outperforming 58% of GPUs. The combo rank being lower than the CPU's percentile suggests that the GPU is the more limiting factor in this pairing, which aligns with the resolution scaling data showing consistent GPU-bound behavior.

When examining the nearest rivals for each component, the picture becomes more nuanced. The CPU's average benchmark score of 14185 is nearly identical to the Intel Xeon 6756E (14163) and AMD EPYC 7552 (14115), with deltas of 0.2% and 0.5% respectively. The GPU's average score of 15852 is within 1.7% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (16129), which is a notable comparison point for gamers considering team red versus team green. The fact that the RX 7700 trails the RTX 3060 Ti by 1.7% in synthetic benchmarks but the CPU is competitive with server-class Xeon and EPYC parts in average score indicates that this combo's rank is more heavily influenced by GPU performance than CPU performance.

The rank of 1749 out of 3711 also means that there are 1962 tested combos that perform worse than this configuration in Hitman 2. This places the combo in the 53rd percentile, which is slightly above the median. For a game released in 2018, this level of performance is respectable, but the data suggests that users seeking higher frame rates at 4K would need a more powerful GPU, while those targeting 1080p high-refresh-rate play would find this combo well-suited. The rank also implies that the measured FPS data is consistent with a mid-to-upper-midrange pairing, and the performance headroom at 1080p indicates that the CPU is not holding back the GPU at lower resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured data shows a wide spread across the four quality presets. The Low preset achieves an average of 182 FPS, which is the highest measured value for this combo in any configuration. Medium drops to 136 FPS average with a minimum of 116 FPS and a maximum of 157 FPS, indicating a consistent frame delivery with only a 20 FPS spread between minimum and maximum. High further reduces the average to 103 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 76 FPS average. The progression from Low to Ultra at 1080p shows a total reduction of 106 FPS, or roughly 58% fewer frames per second, which illustrates the significant cost of the Ultra preset's additional effects.

At 2560x1440, the same pattern persists but with lower absolute values. Low delivers 116 FPS average, which is still sufficient for high-refresh-rate monitors. Medium produces 87 FPS average with a minimum of 74 FPS and maximum of 100 FPS, a 26 FPS spread that indicates slightly more variance than at 1080p. High averages 66 FPS, which is playable for most users, and Ultra averages 49 FPS, which approaches the lower bound of smooth gameplay for action titles. The reduction from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 67 FPS, or 58%, matching the percentage reduction seen at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly. Low averages 62 FPS, which is the only 4K preset that exceeds the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 46 FPS with a minimum of 39 FPS and maximum of 53 FPS, which is a 14 FPS spread showing tighter variance than at lower resolutions. High averages 35 FPS, and Ultra averages 26 FPS, both of which are below the 30 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for playable frame rates. The reduction from Low to Ultra at 4K is 36 FPS, or 58%, again matching the pattern seen at other resolutions. This consistency suggests that the game's settings scale uniformly across resolutions for this hardware, with no unexpected bottlenecks emerging at any specific configuration.

The min FPS data points, which are available only for the Medium preset at each resolution, provide additional insight into frame pacing. At 1080p Medium, the minimum of 116 FPS is 85% of the average, indicating strong consistency. At 1440p Medium, the minimum of 74 FPS is 85% of the average, again showing consistent delivery. At 4K Medium, the minimum of 39 FPS is 85% of the average, maintaining the same ratio. This uniformity in the minimum-to-average ratio across resolutions suggests that the game's frame time variance is consistent regardless of resolution, which is a sign of stable GPU performance.

Settings Recommendations

For users prioritizing high refresh rates at 1080p, the High preset at 103 FPS average is the optimal choice, as it provides a substantial visual upgrade over Medium while still maintaining triple-digit frame rates. The Ultra preset at 76 FPS average is also viable for users with 75Hz or 144Hz monitors who prefer maximum visual fidelity, but the drop from 103 to 76 FPS represents a 26% performance penalty for the Ultra-specific effects. The Low preset at 182 FPS is only recommended for competitive play where maximum frame rates are paramount, as the visual quality reduction is significant.

At 1440p, the Medium preset at 87 FPS average offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, with the minimum of 74 FPS ensuring smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes. The High preset at 66 FPS average is also acceptable for users who prioritize visual fidelity, but the 24% reduction from Medium may be noticeable in fast-paced sequences. The Low preset at 116 FPS is overkill for most 1440p monitors, which typically cap at 144Hz or 165Hz, and the Ultra preset at 49 FPS average is borderline, falling below the 60 FPS threshold that most gamers prefer.

At 4K, the Low preset at 62 FPS average is the only configuration that provides a consistently smooth experience, making it the recommended choice for 4K users. The Medium preset at 46 FPS average is playable for slower-paced stealth sections, but the minimum of 39 FPS could result in noticeable stutter during crowded scenes. The High and Ultra presets at 35 FPS and 26 FPS average respectively are not recommended for active gameplay, as they fall below the threshold for comfortable frame rates. Users with 4K displays should prioritize the Low preset or consider reducing the resolution to 1440p and using higher quality presets.

The data suggests that the optimal experience for most users is 1080p High or 1440p Medium, depending on the display's native resolution. Both configurations provide frame rates above 60 FPS average with consistent minimums, and both allow the RX 7700 to showcase its capabilities without overtaxing the i5-10400F. For users who value visual fidelity over raw frame rates, 1440p High at 66 FPS average is a reasonable compromise, but the 1440p Medium preset is the best all-around choice for this hardware combination.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Comet Lake architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, with 12 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU achieves a single-thread score of 688 in 3DMark and 1451 in Cinebench R23, while its multi-thread scores are 4748 in 3DMark (16 threads) and 10283 in Cinebench R23 multi-core. These scores indicate that the i5-10400F has solid single-thread performance and respectable multi-thread capability for a 6-core part.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU, based on the resolution scaling data. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 182 FPS, which is a high enough frame rate to suggest that the CPU is not limiting performance at this setting. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates plateau at a lower value regardless of resolution, but the data shows a clear monotonic decrease in FPS as resolution increases, which is characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios. The CPU's 12 threads and 4.30 GHz boost clock are sufficient to feed the GPU at 1080p, and the fact that the FPS drops by roughly 36% at each step up in resolution indicates that the GPU is the limiting component.

The CPU's percentile rank of 68 among all processors means it outperforms 68% of CPUs in the database, which is a solid position for a mid-range part. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 6756E (0.2% ahead), AMD EPYC 7552 (0.5% ahead), Intel Core 7 160UL (0.3% behind), and AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (0.6% behind). These rivals span server and mobile segments, which shows that the i5-10400F's average benchmark score of 14185 is competitive across a wide range of processor types. However, the CPU's performance in Hitman 2 is not directly measured by the combo rank, which is 1749 out of 3711, suggesting that the overall system performance is more heavily weighted toward the GPU.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 32 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output units, with a base clock of 1900 MHz and a boost clock of 2459 MHz. The GPU has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 624.1 GB/s of memory bandwidth. Its compute capabilities include 25.18 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 393.4 GTexel/s of texture fill rate.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RX 7700 achieves a PassMark G3D score of 20974 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2865. Its average benchmark score of 15852 places it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon R9 370X (0.1% ahead), AMD Radeon RX 9060 (1% ahead), AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (1.1% behind), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (1.7% ahead). The GPU's performance in Hitman 2 is clearly the primary determinant of the combo's frame rates, as evidenced by the uniform resolution scaling behavior.

The GPU's 16 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for Hitman 2, which was released in 2018 and is not known for extreme VRAM consumption. However, the memory bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s becomes increasingly important at 4K, where the GPU must process significantly more pixels per frame. The measured FPS at 4K Low (62 FPS) and 4K Medium (46 FPS) suggests that the GPU's shading units and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors at this resolution. The GPU's 2459 MHz boost clock provides adequate compute throughput for the game's DX12 rendering path, but the fact that the Ultra preset at 4K yields only 26 FPS indicates that the GPU's raw compute power is insufficient for the most demanding settings at high pixel counts. The GPU's percentile rank of 58, combined with its benchmark scores, indicates that it is a mid-range performer that excels at 1080p and 1440p but struggles at 4K with high-quality presets.