Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread Comet Lake desktop processor with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. It supports dual-channel DDR4 memory and carries a 65 W TDP. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU achieves a single-thread score of 688 in 3dmark and 1453 in Cinebench R23 single-core, while its multi-threaded results reach 4748 in 3dmark_16_threads and 10297 in Cinebench R23 multicore. Its overall average benchmark score of 14168 places it in the 73rd percentile among all CPUs, putting it in a statistical tie with the AMD EPYC 7552, which scores 14115 and trails by only 0.4 percent. The Ryzen 3 7320C leads it by 0.8 percent, and the Intel Core i5-8500 sits 1.1 percent higher, indicating that the 10400F's processing power is competitive with mid-range offerings from both camps.

For Hitman 2, this CPU profile suggests the processor is capable of feeding the GPU without becoming the primary constraint in most scenarios. The game leverages multiple threads for AI, physics, and crowd simulation, and the 12 threads available here provide solid headroom. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the measured average frame rate reaches 204.2 FPS, which is a strong indicator that the CPU can drive very high frame rates when the graphical load is minimal. The single-thread performance, while not elite, is sufficient for the game's engine, and the multi-threaded scores show balanced scaling from 2 to 8 threads—1350, 2560, and 3929 respectively—which aligns well with the demands of a stealth sandbox title that relies on complex NPC interactions.

CPU Role

This processor's 6 cores and 12 threads are the key to its Hitman 2 performance. The game's AI routines and object interactions benefit from parallel processing, and the data shows a near-linear scaling from the 2-thread score of 1350 to the 8-thread score of 3929 in 3dmark. The maximum thread score of 4735 is only slightly higher than the 16-thread score of 4748, indicating that the processor is fully utilized by 12 threads. In practical terms, this means the 10400F can handle the game's background simulation tasks without dropping frames, even when the GPU is under heavy load from higher resolutions. The processor's 12 MB of shared L3 cache is also a factor; it is sufficient for the game's data patterns, and the benchmark results confirm that the CPU does not bottleneck the GPU until frame rates exceed 200 FPS at 1080p Low.

The percentile ranking of 73rd among all CPUs is modest, but it is the consistency of the scores that matters for gaming. The 10400F's nearest rivals—the EPYC 7552 and Ryzen 3 7320C—are not typical gaming chips, yet the deltaPct values of 0.4 and -0.8 percent respectively show that the 10400F is squarely in the middle of the pack for general computational throughput. For Hitman 2, this translates to a CPU that will hold its own at 1920x1080 and 2560x1440, where the GPU is more likely to be the limiting factor. At 3840x2160, the CPU's role diminishes further, as frame rates drop below 72 FPS even on Low settings, which is well within the CPU's capability to feed.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is the dominant component in this pairing. Based on the Ampere architecture with 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs, it operates at a base clock of 1575 MHz and a boost clock of 1770 MHz. It has 8 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 608.3 GB/s. This memory configuration is critical for Hitman 2 at high resolutions, as the game's detailed environments require substantial video memory. The GPU's FP32 performance of 21.75 TFLOPS and its 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores indicate a high level of compute capability, though the game does not heavily utilize ray tracing.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 3070 Ti scores 23356 in Passmark G3D and 137518 in Geekbench OpenCL. Its average benchmark score of 30849 places it in the 74th percentile among all GPUs, which is just above the CPU's percentile, suggesting a balanced pairing. The nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 590 GME with a score of 30755 (0.3 percent lower), the AMD Radeon RX 6700 at 31112 (0.8 percent higher), and the NVIDIA Quadro M5000 at 31142 (0.9 percent higher). These small deltas indicate that the 3070 Ti is positioned in a crowded performance bracket, but its 8 GB of GDDR6X memory and high bandwidth provide an edge in texture-heavy scenarios. For Hitman 2, the GPU is clearly the primary driver of frame rates, especially when settings are raised from Low to Ultra.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates span from 204.2 FPS at Low settings down to 82.6 FPS at Ultra. Moving to 2560x1440, those figures drop to 128.4 FPS at Low and 52.4 FPS at Ultra. At 3840x2160, the Low setting yields 71.9 FPS, while Ultra drops to a barely playable 26.4 FPS. The percentage drops between resolutions are telling. From 1080p to 1440p at High settings, the frame rate falls from 115.8 to 75.1 FPS, a reduction of roughly 35 percent. From 1440p to 4K at High, it falls from 75.1 to 39 FPS, a further reduction of about 48 percent. This pattern indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the CPU's workload does not increase proportionally with pixel count.

The data also shows that the performance gap between Low and Ultra settings widens at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low (204.2 FPS) and Ultra (82.6 FPS) is 121.6 FPS. At 4K, the difference between Low (71.9 FPS) and Ultra (26.4 FPS) is 45.5 FPS. This suggests that at 4K, the GPU is so heavily saturated that the additional workload from Ultra settings causes a more dramatic relative drop, whereas at 1080p, the CPU can still push high frame rates even with increased settings. The conclusion is that for this combination, 1080p and 1440p are the sweet spots, with 4K requiring significant settings compromises to maintain playable frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 3070 Ti and i5-10400F combination delivers excellent performance across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 204.2 FPS, Medium yields 152.2 FPS, High achieves 115.8 FPS, and Ultra drops to 82.6 FPS. These numbers indicate that the CPU is not the bottleneck at this resolution, as even the highest setting maintains a frame rate well above the 60 FPS threshold. The jump from Medium to High costs 36.4 FPS, and the jump from High to Ultra costs 33.2 FPS, showing that each settings tier has a meaningful impact on the GPU load.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but the GPU starts to feel the pressure. Low settings average 128.4 FPS, Medium averages 99.3 FPS, High averages 75.1 FPS, and Ultra averages 52.4 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across settings, with Low losing 75.8 FPS and High losing 40.7 FPS. The Ultra setting at 1440p falls below 60 FPS, which may be noticeable for some players, but the High setting at 75.1 FPS is still smooth. The Medium setting at 99.3 FPS offers a good balance for high refresh rate monitors.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is the clear limiting factor. Low settings average 71.9 FPS, which is playable, but Medium drops to 50.9 FPS, High to 39 FPS, and Ultra to 26.4 FPS. The scaling from Low to Medium is a loss of 21 FPS, from Medium to High is 11.9 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 12.6 FPS. This shows that the game becomes increasingly demanding as settings increase, and only the Low preset provides a consistently smooth experience at 4K. The difference between 1440p and 4K at Low settings is 56.5 FPS, which is a substantial penalty that underscores the high pixel count requirements.

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-10400F compare to its nearest CPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i5-10400F has an average benchmark score of 14168, which places it in the 73rd percentile. It is 0.4 percent ahead of the AMD EPYC 7552 (score 14115), 0.8 percent behind the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (score 14277), and 1.1 percent behind the Intel Core i5-8500 (score 14332).

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking and its closest competitor?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti ranks in the 74th percentile of all GPUs with an average score of 30849. Its closest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 590 GME, which scores 30755 and is only 0.3 percent slower. The AMD Radeon RX 6700 is 0.8 percent faster, and the NVIDIA Quadro M5000 is 0.9 percent faster.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for maintaining 60+ FPS?

A: At 1920x1080, all four settings maintain average frame rates above 60 FPS, with Ultra at 82.6 FPS. At 2560x1440, Low, Medium, and High all stay above 60 FPS, with High at 75.1 FPS. At 3840x2160, only the Low setting achieves an average above 60 FPS at 71.9 FPS.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 High, the average frame rate is 115.8 FPS. At 2560x1440 High, it drops to 75.1 FPS, and at 3840x2160 High, it falls to 39 FPS. This represents a 66 percent reduction from 1080p to 4K.

Q: What is the CPU's boost clock and how does it affect gaming performance?

A: The i5-10400F has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. The high boost clock helps maintain single-thread performance, as evidenced by the 3dmark single-thread score of 688 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1453, which are sufficient for Hitman 2's engine.

Q: What is the GPU's memory bandwidth and VRAM capacity?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti has 8 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 608.3 GB/s. This high bandwidth is essential for maintaining frame rates at 2560x1440 and 3840x2160, where the game's texture data demands exceed what lower-bandwidth cards can provide.