Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER presents a fascinating study in system balance when running Hitman 2. The data reveals a configuration that scales predictably across resolutions, with the GPU consistently taking the lead role as pixel count increases. This analysis examines the measured frames per second to understand where the bottleneck lies and what the experience means for players targeting specific display configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K tells a clear story about which component governs performance in this title. At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combination produces 113 FPS, but dropping to Low settings at the same resolution yields 222.3 FPS — a substantial jump that indicates the CPU is capable of feeding frames far beyond what the GPU can render at higher quality presets. The 1080p Low result of 222.3 FPS versus the 4K Low result of 91.5 FPS shows a 58.8% performance reduction when moving to 4K, a decline that points directly at the GPU becoming the limiting factor rather than the processor.

The 1440p results reinforce this interpretation. At 2560x1440 with High settings, the system delivers 94 FPS, which is only 38% lower than the 1080p High score of 151.9 FPS. However, the gap between 1440p High and 4K High is more pronounced — 94 FPS drops to 53.9 FPS, a 42.7% reduction. The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling: 113 FPS at 1080p falls to 72.6 FPS at 1440p and then to 36.6 FPS at 4K. This pattern suggests the RTX 4070 SUPER's 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for 1440p but start to show strain at 4K, particularly with the most demanding settings.

Interestingly, the scaling from Medium to High at 4K is relatively modest — 69.8 FPS to 53.9 FPS respectively — which implies that the GPU's compute resources, not memory capacity, are the primary constraint at this resolution. The 5 nm Ada Lovelace architecture with its 35.48 TFLOPS FP32 performance handles the game's stealth mechanics and environmental detail well, but the 1980 MHz base and 2475 MHz boost clocks are pushed to their limits as resolution increases.

How This Combo Ranks

Among the 1795 tested combinations in Hitman 2, this pairing of the Core i5-10400F and RTX 4070 SUPER achieves a rank of 348. That places it in the top 19.4% of all configurations tested for this game, indicating a robust setup that outperforms the vast majority of alternatives. The percentile ranking is particularly telling: the CPU sits at the 73rd percentile versus all processors, while the GPU commands an 84th percentile position among all graphics cards. This disparity suggests the graphics card is the stronger component in this pairing, which aligns with the resolution scaling analysis showing GPU-bound behavior at higher resolutions.

The CPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks provide context for its performance ceiling. The AMD EPYC 7552 scores an average of 14115, which is 0.4% lower than the i5-10400F's 14168 average benchmark score. The AMD Ryzen 3 7320C sits 0.8% higher with a score of 14277, while the Intel Core i5-8500 trails by 1.1% at 14332. These margins are minuscule, suggesting the i5-10400F performs at a level commensurate with its 73rd percentile ranking. The 6 cores and 12 threads, running at a base clock of 2.90 GHz and boosting to 4.30 GHz, provide sufficient headroom for Hitman 2's engine, which appears to favor the GPU heavily in this configuration.

The GPU's nearest rivals show a similar clustering. The RTX 4070 SUPER's average benchmark score of 42576 is within 0.2% of the NVIDIA RTX A6000's 42653 and 0.3% of the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE's 42723. The AMD Radeon Pro 580X trails by 1.4% and the NVIDIA Tesla M40 sits 1.6% behind. This tight grouping indicates the RTX 4070 SUPER delivers performance consistent with its 84th percentile position, making it a strong foundation for the combo's overall rank.

GPU Role

The RTX 4070 SUPER's specifications directly inform its measured performance in Hitman 2. With 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, the card achieves 504.2 GB/s bandwidth — a figure that proves sufficient for 1080p and 1440p but becomes a limiting factor at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS drops to 36.6. The memory clock runs at 1313 MHz, translating to 21 Gbps effective, which helps maintain consistent frame delivery across the resolution range.

The GPU's compute capabilities are substantial: 7168 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 80 ROPs. The texture rate of 554.4 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 198.0 GPixel/s suggest the card can handle Hitman 2's detailed environments efficiently. The 56 RT cores and 224 tensor cores, while not explicitly leveraged by this 2018 title, contribute to the card's overall architecture and future-proofing. The 220 W TDP, with a suggested 550 W PSU, indicates the card draws significant power under load, which correlates with the performance scaling observed in the measured data.

The transition from Low to Ultra at each resolution shows the GPU's workload scaling. At 1080p, Low produces 222.3 FPS while Ultra yields 113 FPS — a 49.2% reduction from the lowest to highest preset. At 1440p, the same comparison shows 171.6 FPS versus 72.6 FPS, a 57.7% drop. At 4K, Low delivers 91.5 FPS but Ultra falls to 36.6 FPS, a 60% reduction. This widening gap as resolution increases confirms that the GPU's rendering pipeline, not the CPU or memory subsystem, is the primary determinant of performance in this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset reveals a consistent hierarchy across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 222.3 FPS on Low, 197.8 FPS on Medium, 151.9 FPS on High, and 113 FPS on Ultra. The step from Low to Medium costs 11% performance, Medium to High costs 23.2%, and High to Ultra costs 25.6%. These incremental reductions suggest the GPU has ample headroom at 1080p, with even the most demanding preset staying well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Moving to 2560x1440, the results show 171.6 FPS on Low, 128 FPS on Medium, 94 FPS on High, and 72.6 FPS on Ultra. The performance drop from 1080p to 1440p ranges from 22.8% at Low to 35.8% at Ultra, indicating that the resolution increase imposes a heavier penalty on higher quality settings. The 1440p Ultra result of 72.6 FPS remains playable, though it represents a 35.8% reduction from the 1080p Ultra score.

At 3840x2160, the system delivers 91.5 FPS on Low, 69.8 FPS on Medium, 53.9 FPS on High, and 36.6 FPS on Ultra. The 4K Low score of 91.5 FPS is particularly notable — it exceeds the 1440p High result of 94 FPS by only a small margin, suggesting that resolution scaling is handled efficiently at lower quality presets. However, the 4K Ultra score of 36.6 FPS falls below the 60 FPS target, making this preset impractical for competitive or fast-paced gameplay. The data shows a clear pattern: the RTX 4070 SUPER can handle 4K at Medium settings (69.8 FPS) but struggles with the highest quality presets at that resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F provides the processing foundation for this configuration. With 6 cores and 12 threads, the CPU operates at a base clock of 2.90 GHz and boosts to 4.30 GHz, drawing 65 W TDP. The 12 MB shared L3 cache, alongside 64 KB L1 and 256 KB L2 per core, offers adequate data locality for Hitman 2's game logic and AI routines. The CPU's memory support for DDR4 with dual-channel configuration and 42.7 GB/s bandwidth proves sufficient for feeding the GPU, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p.

Synthetic benchmarks show the CPU's capabilities relative to its peers. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 10297 and single-core score of 1453 indicate solid multi-threaded performance, while the Passmark multithread score of 12115 and single-thread score of 2541 confirm balanced processing power. The 3DMark results further illustrate this: 4-thread performance scores 2560, while 8-thread and max-thread scores reach 3929 and 4735 respectively. These figures suggest the CPU can handle Hitman 2's threading model, which likely utilizes fewer than 12 threads for its core simulation.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 73 versus all processors places it above the median, and its average benchmark score of 14168 aligns closely with nearest rivals. The 0.4% delta from the AMD EPYC 7552 and -0.8% from the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C indicate the i5-10400F performs within a narrow band of comparable processors. In the context of Hitman 2, the CPU's role appears secondary to the GPU — the measured FPS at 1080p Low (222.3 FPS) suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck at lower resolutions, while the significant drops at 4K indicate the GPU dominates performance scaling.

FAQ

Q: Why does the 4K Ultra preset only produce 36.6 FPS?

A: The 4K Ultra result of 36.6 FPS reflects the GPU's rendering load at maximum resolution and quality. The RTX 4070 SUPER's 12 GB memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth are pushed to their limits, and the 1980 MHz base clock with 2475 MHz boost cannot maintain higher frame rates under these conditions.

Q: Is this combination better suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming?

A: The data shows strong performance at both resolutions. At 1080p, the system achieves 151.9 FPS on High and 113 FPS on Ultra, while at 1440p it delivers 94 FPS on High and 72.6 FPS on Ultra. The 1440p Ultra score remains above 60 FPS, making it a viable option for high-refresh displays.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i5-10400F scores 14168 on average benchmarks, which is 0.4% higher than the AMD EPYC 7552's 14115, 0.8% lower than the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C's 14277, and 1.1% lower than the Intel Core i5-8500's 14332. These small deltas indicate comparable performance across these processors.

Q: What is the best preset for smooth 4K gameplay?

A: The 4K Medium preset produces 69.8 FPS, which exceeds the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The 4K High preset drops to 53.9 FPS, while Low achieves 91.5 FPS. Medium appears to offer the best balance between visual quality and performance at 4K.

Q: Does the GPU's 12 GB VRAM become a limitation in Hitman 2?

A: The data suggests memory is not the primary constraint. The 4K Medium score of 69.8 FPS versus 4K High at 53.9 FPS indicates compute resources, not memory capacity, limit performance. The 504.2 GB/s bandwidth appears adequate for this game's requirements.

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

A: The combination ranks 348 out of 1795 tested combos, placing it in the top 19.4% of all systems evaluated for Hitman 2. The CPU's 73rd percentile and GPU's 84th percentile rankings contribute to this strong overall position.

Settings Recommendations

For players seeking the best experience from this configuration, the measured data provides clear guidance. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers 113 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target and offers the highest visual fidelity. The High preset at 151.9 FPS provides additional headroom for competitive play, while Medium at 197.8 FPS and Low at 222.3 FPS are suitable for esports-style settings or maximum frame rates.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset at 72.6 FPS remains playable and is the recommended choice for visual quality, assuming the display supports it. The High preset at 94 FPS offers a smoother experience with minimal visual compromise, making it an excellent alternative. Medium at 128 FPS provides a substantial performance buffer for high-refresh monitors, while Low at 171.6 FPS is ideal for maximum responsiveness.

For 3840x2160, the Medium preset at 69.8 FPS is the best option, as it maintains smooth gameplay while preserving reasonable visual detail. The Low preset at 91.5 FPS offers a significant performance advantage but sacrifices visual quality. The High preset at 53.9 FPS and Ultra at 36.6 FPS fall below the 60 FPS threshold and are not recommended for consistent gameplay. The data indicates that this combination excels at 1080p and 1440p, with 4K requiring a compromise on settings to achieve playable frame rates.