Hitman 2

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K reveal a system that scales predictably with resolution, but the shape of that scaling curve tells a clear story about which component is driving performance. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination delivers 262.5 FPS. That figure is extraordinarily high, and it suggests the CPU is doing the heavy lifting at this resolution. When the settings are dropped to Low, the GPU has less work to do, and the frame rate climbs to a level that only a strong processor can sustain.

Moving to 2560x1440 at Low settings, the average FPS drops to 169.1. That is a 35.6% reduction from the 1080p result. At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the average FPS falls further to 91.9, which is a 45.6% drop from the 1440p figure. These are large percentage declines, and they indicate that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor as pixel count rises. The RTX 4070 SUPER has a 192-bit memory bus and 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth, which is substantial, but even that bandwidth is challenged when pushing four times the pixels of 1080p.

The scaling story is similar, but more compressed, when looking at High settings. At 1080p High, the system produces 149.1 FPS. At 1440p High, it drops to 96 FPS, a 35.6% reduction. At 4K High, it falls to 52.1 FPS, a 45.7% drop from 1440p. The consistency of these percentage drops across Low and High settings is notable. It suggests that the GPU is the bottleneck at both settings, and the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are not being stressed enough to change the scaling pattern.

Ultra settings show the most dramatic scaling. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 110.1 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 71 FPS, a 35.5% reduction. At 4K Ultra, the system manages just 40.3 FPS, a 43.2% drop from 1440p. The 4K Ultra result is the only one below 60 FPS across the entire measured set, and it highlights the cost of maximum quality at maximum resolution. The data shows a system that is GPU-bound at all resolutions, with the CPU's strong single-thread performance (a 3dmark single-thread score of 868) ensuring it never becomes the limiting factor.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combination achieves in Hitman 2?

A: The highest measured average is 262.5 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at Low and Medium settings. At 4K Low, the average is 91.9 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it is 66.8 FPS. At 4K High, the average drops to 52.1 FPS, and at Ultra, it falls to 40.3 FPS.

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

A: The Core i5-11400F has an average benchmark score of 17181. Its closest rival is the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U with a score of 17189, which is a 0% delta. The Intel Core i7-1260P scores 17212, a -0.2% delta, and the Intel Core Ultra 7 164U also scores 17215, a -0.2% delta. The Intel Core i5-1240U scores 17141, a 0.2% delta. Essentially, these CPUs are statistically tied.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all GPUs?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER sits in the 84th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 42576.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p and 1440p at High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the average is 149.1 FPS. At 1440p High, it is 96 FPS. This represents a 35.6% drop in performance.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck at all resolutions and settings. The consistent percentage drops in FPS as resolution increases, regardless of quality preset, point to the graphics card as the limiting component. The CPU's performance is sufficient to avoid becoming the constraint.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the star of this pairing, and its specifications align well with the measured results. The GPU has 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. This memory configuration is crucial for Hitman 2, a game with detailed environments that can consume significant video memory at higher resolutions. The 12 GB capacity is sufficient to prevent any memory-related stutters at the measured settings, allowing the frame rates to remain stable and consistent.

The GPU's clock speeds are also relevant. The base clock is 1980 MHz, and the boost clock is 2475 MHz. These are high frequencies for a 40-series card, and they contribute to the strong raw performance seen in the benchmarks. The chip, AD104, is built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, and it contains 35,800 million transistors. The Ada Lovelace architecture brings 7168 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output units. This configuration delivers a pixel rate of 198.0 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 554.4 GTexel/s.

The FP32 performance is 35.48 TFLOPS, which is a measure of the GPU's raw compute capability. This is a high number, and it helps explain why the card can handle the complex lighting and shadow calculations in Hitman 2's stealth environments. The GPU's benchmark scores reflect this power. In 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 4627. In Geekbench OpenCL, it scores 192684, and in Geekbench Vulkan, it scores 179271. The Passmark G3D score is 29995, placing the GPU in the 84th percentile of all GPUs.

When compared to its nearest rivals, the RTX 4070 SUPER holds its own. The NVIDIA RTX A6000 scores 42653, a -0.2% delta. The AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE scores 42723, a -0.3% delta. The AMD Radeon Pro 580X scores 41991, a 1.4% delta, and the NVIDIA Tesla M40 scores 41897, a 1.6% delta. These are all within a few percentage points, indicating that the 4070 SUPER is competitive with these workstation and older cards. The GPU's role in Hitman 2 is clear: it is the primary driver of frame rates, and its capabilities are fully utilized, especially at higher resolutions where the pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth are put to the test.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across the three primary resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system is capable of extraordinary frame rates. With Low settings, the average is 262.5 FPS. This is a number that exceeds the refresh rate of most monitors, making the CPU the effective limiter in this scenario, even though the GPU is technically the bottleneck. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 198.4 FPS. At High settings, it is 149.1 FPS, and at Ultra, it falls to 110.1 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 152.4 FPS, which is a 58% reduction in performance when maxing out the quality settings.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates are still very high but show the expected decline. Low settings produce an average of 169.1 FPS. Medium settings yield 128.7 FPS. High settings deliver 96 FPS, and Ultra settings bring the average down to 71 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra at 1440p is 98.1 FPS, a 58% reduction, which is a similar percentage to the 1080p scaling. This consistency suggests the game's settings have a uniform impact on GPU load across resolutions.

At 3840x2160, the system starts to struggle with the highest quality presets. Low settings still produce a playable 91.9 FPS average. Medium settings drop to 66.8 FPS, which is still above 60 FPS. However, High settings fall to 52.1 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 40.3 FPS. These are the only measured results below 60 FPS, and they indicate that 4K is only viable for this combination if the user is willing to compromise on visual quality. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 51.6 FPS, a 56% reduction.

Looking at the individual settings across resolutions, the pattern is clear. Low settings at 4K (91.9 FPS) are slightly slower than High settings at 1440p (96 FPS), but faster than Ultra settings at 1440p (71 FPS). This shows that resolution has a more significant impact on performance than quality preset. The data also shows that the system is well-suited for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p and 1440p, with even Ultra settings at 1440p hitting 71 FPS, which is smooth for most players. The 4K Ultra result of 40.3 FPS is the only data point that would be considered marginal for a smooth experience.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combination depend heavily on the target resolution and the desired frame rate experience. For players with a 1920x1080 monitor, Ultra settings are the clear recommendation. The average of 110.1 FPS is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a smooth, visually rich experience. There is no need to drop below Ultra at this resolution, as even the most demanding preset leaves ample headroom. The data shows that High settings at 1080p offer 149.1 FPS, but the jump to Ultra only costs 39 FPS, which is a worthwhile trade for the visual improvements.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation is slightly more nuanced. Ultra settings produce an average of 71 FPS, which is playable and generally smooth. However, for players who prefer a higher refresh rate, High settings at 96 FPS are an excellent alternative. The difference between High and Ultra at 1440p is 25 FPS, a 26% reduction, which is significant. For competitive or fast-paced play, High settings offer a better balance of visual quality and performance. Medium settings at 128.7 FPS are also viable, but they sacrifice too much visual fidelity for a marginal frame rate gain over High.

At 3840x2160, the choices are more constrained. Ultra settings at 40.3 FPS are not recommended for a smooth experience, as the frame rate dips below the 60 FPS target. High settings at 52.1 FPS are an improvement but still fall short. Medium settings at 66.8 FPS are the first preset to cross the 60 FPS threshold, and they represent the best balance for 4K play. Low settings at 91.9 FPS are the only way to get a high frame rate at 4K, but the visual compromise is steep. For most players, Medium settings at 4K are the sweet spot, offering a playable frame rate while retaining a reasonable level of graphical detail.

The data indicates a general rule: at 1080p, max out the settings; at 1440p, High is the ideal compromise; and at 4K, Medium is the highest preset that maintains 60 FPS. The system's overall rank of 315 out of 1795 combinations in this game confirms that it is a strong performer, but the 4K Ultra result shows its limits. The 12 GB of VRAM and 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth are sufficient for the game's demands, but the raw compute power required for 4K Ultra is beyond what this card can deliver in Hitman 2. For the best experience, players should match their settings to their resolution, prioritizing frame rate at higher resolutions and visual quality at lower ones.