Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-10400F presents an interesting case for Hitman 2, a game known for its complex AI and crowd simulations. The data shows a 6-core, 12-thread processor with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, built on the Comet Lake architecture. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU achieves a PassMark multithread score of 12115 and a single-thread score of 2541, placing it in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs. This suggests a processor that is well-balanced, but the question is whether that balance translates into a smooth experience in a stealth title where CPU load can spike during busy street scenes.

The benchmark results indicate that the i5-10400F holds up well at lower settings, but its influence wanes as graphical load increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo delivers 116.5 FPS, which is a strong indicator that the CPU is not a bottleneck at this level. The 3DMark scores for 4 threads (2560) and 8 threads (3929) show a scalable architecture that can handle the game's threading. However, when the settings jump to Ultra at 1080p, the average FPS drops to 50.1, a significant change that suggests the GPU is taking over the primary workload. The CPU’s role is to maintain a stable frame pacing, and with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 10297, it has the headroom to feed frames to the GPU without major hitches.

The data implies that the i5-10400F is more than adequate for the CPU-bound aspects of Hitman 2. The game rarely pushes a modern 6-core processor to its absolute limit, especially at 60 FPS targets. The delta against its nearest rival, the AMD EPYC 7552, is a mere 0.4% in average benchmark score, which is negligible in real-world gaming. This means the CPU is not a weak link; rather, it is a stable platform that allows the GPU to be the primary determinant of performance. The key takeaway is that the processor’s 12 MB of shared L3 cache and 42.7 GB/s memory bandwidth are sufficient for the game's data streaming needs, ensuring that the GPU is consistently fed with information.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is the more critical component in this pairing for Hitman 2. This Pascal-architecture card features 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s. With a base clock of 1506 MHz and a boost clock of 1683 MHz, it is a capable mid-range card from its generation, sitting in the 51st percentile of all GPUs. The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern: the GTX 1070 is the limiting factor as resolution and settings increase.

At 1080p High settings, the card produces 67.4 FPS, but this drops to 50.1 FPS at Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 66.4 FPS (116.5 vs 50.1), demonstrating how sensitive the card is to shader and texture complexity. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p, but the data suggests that the card's 6.463 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is what holds it back when pixel counts rise. The benchmark results show a DirectX 12 score of 48, which is notably lower than the DirectX 11 score of 100, hinting that the game's DX12 path may not be fully optimized for this older architecture.

The GTX 1070's role becomes even more defined at higher resolutions. At 1440p High, it averages 44.4 FPS, and at 4K High, it plummets to 21.1 FPS. These numbers indicate a hard wall where the GPU simply runs out of raw throughput. The card's 107.7 GPixel/s pixel rate and 202.0 GTexel/s texture rate are not enough to sustain high frame rates at 4K with demanding settings. While the CPU can keep up, the GTX 1070 cannot, making it the definitive bottleneck in this configuration.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear picture of which settings offer the best experience. At 1080p, the Medium preset delivers 89.6 FPS, which is a substantial improvement over the 67.4 FPS of High and the 50.1 FPS of Ultra. The jump from Low to Medium is a 26.9 FPS reduction, but the visual quality gains at Medium are typically worth the cost. For a smooth, responsive experience, the data points to 1080p Medium as the optimal balance, offering a frame rate well above the 60 FPS threshold while retaining acceptable visual fidelity.

Moving to 1440p, the Medium preset yields 59.5 FPS, which is just shy of the 60 FPS mark. This is a viable option for players with high-refresh-rate monitors who can tolerate a slight dip. Low at 1440p produces 76.8 FPS, which is smoother but sacrifices too much visual detail. High at 1440p drops to 44.4 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a game that requires precision and awareness. The Ultra preset at 1440p is not recommended, as the 31.4 FPS average is too low for a stealth game where reaction times matter.

At 4K, the data is unequivocal: the GTX 1070 is not suited for this resolution. Even Low settings only manage 43.1 FPS, and High falls to 21.1 FPS. The 4K Medium (31.5 FPS) and Ultra (19.5 FPS) are effectively unplayable. Therefore, the best experience per the measured rows is 1080p Medium, with 1440p Medium as a secondary option for those prioritizing resolution over frame rate. The data indicates a clear trade-off: dropping from High to Medium at 1080p yields a 32.9% performance increase, which is a significant gain for a minor visual downgrade.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combos, this specific pairing of Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 in Hitman 2 ranks 1495 out of 1795 combinations. This places it in the lower-mid tier of all possible configurations, which is a sobering statistic given the individual component scores. The CPU ranks in the 73rd percentile, but the GPU only in the 51st, pulling the overall ranking down. This suggests that while the processor is above average, the graphics card is merely average, and the combination is not greater than the sum of its parts.

The ranking indicates that 83.3% of tested combos perform better in this specific game. This is not a reflection of poor optimization, but rather a statement about the hardware's limits. When compared to other combos with faster GPUs, the GTX 1070’s age shows. The delta between this GPU and its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro K4200, is 0.7%, but the GTX 1070 is clearly outclassed by more modern cards. The combo's rank suggests that for Hitman 2, users would need a significantly better GPU to move up the leaderboard, as the CPU is not the primary constraint.

The data implies that this pairing is a legacy configuration, one that was likely powerful at its launch but has since been overtaken. The rank of 1495 out of 1795 is a strong signal that while the system is functional, it is not competitive at higher settings or resolutions. For a gamer looking at this data, the conclusion is that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming at medium settings, and any aspirations for higher fidelity will require a hardware upgrade.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and reveals the limiting component clearly. At High settings, the average frame rate decreases from 67.4 FPS at 1080p to 44.4 FPS at 1440p and finally to 21.1 FPS at 4K. This represents a 68.7% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K. This steep decline is a classic symptom of a GPU-bound scenario, where the graphics card is unable to process the increasing pixel count efficiently.

The scaling pattern across all settings confirms this analysis. At Low settings, the drop from 116.5 FPS at 1080p to 43.1 FPS at 4K is a 63% loss. At Medium, the drop is from 89.6 FPS to 31.5 FPS, a 64.8% loss. These consistent reductions of roughly two-thirds indicate that the GTX 1070's raw pixel throughput is the bottleneck. The CPU's performance is relatively constant across resolutions, as its workload does not scale with pixel count in the same way.

The data implies that the i5-10400F is not contributing to the frame rate drop. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS would remain relatively flat as resolution increases. Instead, the FPS halves when going from 1440p to 4K, which is a direct consequence of the GPU's fill rate limitations. This is a clear indication that for this combo, the graphics card is the primary constraint, and reducing resolution is the only way to achieve higher frame rates. The 4K results are effectively unusable, and even 1440p requires a settings reduction to maintain playability.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can achieve at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS is 116.5, achieved with the Low settings preset at 1920x1080 resolution.

Q: Is this combo capable of 4K gaming in Hitman 2?

A: According to the data, no. The best 4K result is 43.1 FPS on Low settings, while High settings only produce 21.1 FPS, which is not a smooth experience.

Q: Which component is the primary bottleneck for this combo?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. FPS drops by roughly two-thirds from 1080p to 4K, a classic sign of GPU-bound performance, while the CPU's relative ranking is much higher.

Q: What is the recommended settings preset for a balanced 60 FPS experience?

A: The 1080p Medium preset, averaging 89.6 FPS, is the best choice. The 1440p Medium preset is close, at 59.5 FPS, but falls just short of the 60 FPS target.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all other tested configurations?

A: It ranks 1495 out of 1795 combos for this game, placing it in the lower-mid tier of all tested hardware pairings.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: The average FPS drops from 76.8 on Low to 31.4 on Ultra, representing a 59.1% decrease in performance for the highest visual fidelity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average FPS measurements for each resolution and settings preset.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

| :--------- | :------- | ------: |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 116.5 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 89.6 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 67.4 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 50.1 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 76.8 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 59.5 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 44.4 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 31.4 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 43.1 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 31.5 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 21.1 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 19.5 |

The data shows a consistent hierarchy, with Low settings providing the best performance and Ultra the worst at every resolution. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p results in an average FPS loss of about 34% across all settings, while the jump to 4K incurs a further loss of approximately 52%. This reinforces the conclusion that the GTX 1070 is the limiting factor, as the CPU's performance does not degrade with resolution. The 1080p Low result of 116.5 FPS is the only measurement that fully leverages the CPU's potential, while all other data points are constrained by the GPU's capabilities.