Hitman 2

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Rocket Lake generation, built on Intel's 14 nm process. It operates at a base clock of 2.60 GHz and boosts up to 4.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. This chip features 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 12 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration, delivering 51.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth.

In the context of Hitman 2, a stealth title from 2018, this CPU's thread count and clock speeds prove adequate for the game's AI-driven crowd simulations and physics calculations. The 12 threads allow for efficient distribution of game logic across multiple cores, while the 4.40 GHz boost clock ensures strong single-thread performance where it matters. Benchmark data supports this: the chip scores 2029 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 14372 in multi-core, placing it in the 75th percentile of all CPUs tested.

The 11400F's nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U (deltaPct 0), Intel Core i7-1260P (deltaPct -0.2), Intel Core Ultra 7 164U (deltaPct -0.2), and Intel Core i5-1240U (deltaPct 0.2). These deltas are marginal, all within 0.2% of the 11400F's average score of 17181, indicating this chip sits in a highly competitive mid-range tier. For Hitman 2 specifically, the CPU's capability is sufficient to feed the GPU at most settings, though at lower resolutions and settings, the CPU's role becomes more prominent as frame rates climb above 100 FPS.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is a Pascal-architecture GPU built on TSMC's 16 nm process, featuring the GP104 chip with 7,200 million transistors on a 314 mm² die. It runs at a base clock of 1506 MHz and boosts to 1683 MHz, with memory clocked at 2002 MHz (8 Gbps effective). The card carries 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding 256.3 GB/s of bandwidth. With 1920 shading units, 120 TMUs, and 64 ROPs, it delivers 6.463 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

The GTX 1070's 8 GB VRAM is a crucial asset for Hitman 2, which features large, dense environments with numerous NPCs and destructible objects. At 1080p Ultra settings, the game consumes enough video memory that an 8 GB buffer prevents texture swapping and stutter. The GPU's 256.3 GB/s bandwidth also helps when streaming geometry and textures in the game's open-ended sandbox levels.

In the GPU benchmark hierarchy, the GTX 1070 posts an average score of 12331, placing it in the 51st percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rivals are the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 (deltaPct 0.7), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 880M (deltaPct -1.3), NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER (deltaPct -1.4), and NVIDIA Tesla K20Xm (deltaPct -1.7). The GTX 1070 sits essentially on par with the GTX 1650 SUPER, though the 1070's larger memory bus and higher bandwidth give it an advantage in memory-intensive scenarios like Hitman 2's large levels. DirectX 12 performance, measured via Passmark at a score of 48, indicates the card handles modern APIs adequately for a 2016 release.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data reveals a clear progression of performance degradation as resolution increases, with the limiting component shifting between CPU and GPU depending on settings. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 115.6 FPS, dropping to 74.1 FPS at 1440p and 42.5 FPS at 4K. This represents a 36% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a further 43% drop to 4K. At Low settings, the high frame rate at 1080p suggests the CPU is still capable of pushing more frames, but the GPU begins to bottleneck as pixel count rises.

At High settings, the pattern is more pronounced: 67.2 FPS at 1080p, 40.7 FPS at 1440p, and 21.1 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p drop of 39% indicates the GPU is heavily loaded, while the 1440p to 4K drop of 48% shows the GPU fully saturating. Ultra settings tell a starker story: 50.8 FPS at 1080p, 31.8 FPS at 1440p, and 17.1 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 17.1 FPS is essentially unplayable, confirming that the GTX 1070's 6.463 TFLOPS of compute is insufficient for 4K Ultra in this title.

The data shows that at 1080p Medium (87.2 FPS) and High (67.2 FPS), the system remains fluid, but the gap between Low and Medium settings (115.6 vs 87.2 FPS) suggests the GPU is the primary limiter even at 1080p. The CPU's 12 threads and 4.40 GHz boost are adequate for Hitman 2's logic load, but they cannot compensate for the GPU's pixel-pushing limits at higher resolutions. The scaling pattern — with 4K averaging roughly 31% of 1080p performance across all settings — indicates a classic GPU-bound scenario, where the 1070's 256-bit memory bus and 8 GB buffer are outpaced by the 4K pixel workload.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ranks 1528th out of 1795 tested combos in Hitman 2, placing it in the bottom 15% of all configurations. This rank reflects the measured FPS data, which shows the combo struggling at higher resolutions. The 4K High average of 21.1 FPS and 4K Ultra average of 17.1 FPS are among the lowest scores in the database for this game, dragging the overall ranking down.

However, it's important to contextualize this rank. The 1795 combos include many modern, high-end pairings that vastly outperform this mid-range 2021 CPU and 2016 GPU duo. The combo's 1080p performance is far more respectable: 115.6 FPS at Low and 67.2 FPS at High place it comfortably in playable territory for 1080p gaming. The rank of 1528 is heavily weighted by 4K results, where the GTX 1070's age and compute limits become apparent.

The CPU's 75th percentile standing among all CPUs and the GPU's 51st percentile among all GPUs suggest that, individually, these components are mid-pack. But their combined performance in Hitman 2 is dragged down by the GPU's inability to scale beyond 1080p. The combo sits near the bottom quartile of tested configurations, yet the 1080p data shows it can deliver a smooth experience at Medium (87.2 FPS) and High (67.2 FPS) settings. The rank is therefore more indicative of the GPU's limitations at 4K than any CPU deficiency, as the 11400F's benchmark scores demonstrate ample headroom for this game's CPU demands.

FAQ

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

A: The data indicates 1080p is the optimal resolution. At 1080p Medium the combo achieves 87.2 FPS, and at High it reaches 67.2 FPS, both playable. At 1440p High it drops to 40.7 FPS, and 4K High is 21.1 FPS, so 1080p is clearly the sweet spot.

Q: How does the GTX 1070 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The GTX 1070 has an average benchmark score of 12331. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro K4200, scores 12241 with a deltaPct of 0.7. The GTX 880M scores 12490 (deltaPct -1.3), the GTX 1650 SUPER scores 12504 (deltaPct -1.4), and the Tesla K20Xm scores 12547 (deltaPct -1.7). The 1070 is effectively on par with all of these.

Q: Is the Core i5-11400F a bottleneck for the GTX 1070 in this game?

A: The CPU benchmark scores suggest it is not a bottleneck. The 11400F scores 14372 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2029 in single-core, placing it in the 75th percentile of all CPUs. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 115.6 FPS, indicating the CPU can push beyond the GPU's limits at that setting.

Q: What causes the massive FPS drop from 1080p to 4K?

A: The drop is GPU-bound. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 115.6 FPS, but 4K Low drops to 42.5 FPS, a 63% reduction. At High settings, the drop is from 67.2 FPS to 21.1 FPS, a 69% reduction. This scaling indicates the GTX 1070's 6.463 TFLOPS and 256.3 GB/s bandwidth cannot handle 4K pixel workloads.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations in Hitman 2?

A: It ranks 1528th out of 1795 combos. This places it in the bottom 15% of tested systems. The rank is heavily influenced by poor 4K performance (17.1 FPS at Ultra), while 1080p performance is much more competitive relative to other mid-range systems.

Q: Can the GTX 1070 handle Ultra settings at any resolution?

A: At 1080p Ultra, the GTX 1070 achieves 50.8 FPS, which is playable. At 1440p Ultra it drops to 31.8 FPS, and at 4K Ultra it falls to 17.1 FPS. The card can handle Ultra at 1080p but struggles beyond that, with the 4K Ultra result being below playable thresholds.