Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination delivers a playable but resolution-sensitive experience in Hitman 2. The data indicates a pairing where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution increases, while the CPU provides ample headroom for high frame rates at lower settings. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and presets to show exactly where this combo excels and where it struggles.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p Low, the combo averages 159 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 102 FPS, a 36% reduction. At 4K Low, the average falls to 54 FPS, which is just 34% of the 1080p Low score. This scaling pattern shows the Radeon RX 9060 is the limiting factor at higher resolutions; the CPU is not holding things back.

The trend continues across all settings. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 90 at 1080p to 58 at 1440p, then down to 31 at 4K. The 4K High result is below the 60 FPS threshold that most builders target, indicating that this resolution is only viable with lower graphical presets. The Ultra preset tells a similar story, with 66 FPS at 1080p dropping to 43 FPS at 1440p and a marginal 23 FPS at 4K.

The data suggests that the sweet spot for this combo is 1080p or 1440p. At 1080p, even Ultra settings produce an average of 66 FPS, which is smooth for a stealth title. At 1440p, High settings deliver 58 FPS, which is close to playable, but Medium settings at 76 FPS provide a safer margin. The 4K resolution is clearly not the intended target for this pairing, as even Low settings only manage 54 FPS, which is below the standard for fast-paced action.

The relative performance between resolutions is consistent. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 93 FPS (159 vs 66), while at 4K the gap narrows to 31 FPS (54 vs 23). This compression at higher resolutions is a clear sign that pixel throughput is the bottleneck. The GPU's 8 GB of memory and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth are likely being saturated at 4K, limiting the effectiveness of higher detail settings.

Settings Recommendations

For a balanced experience, the Medium preset at 1440p is the most practical choice. The measured data shows 76 FPS average with a minimum of 65 FPS and a maximum of 88 FPS. This provides a stable frame rate well above the 60 FPS target, while still offering improved visuals over Low settings. The minimum FPS of 65 suggests minimal stuttering, which is crucial for a stealth game where precise timing matters.

At 1080p, the High preset is the best recommendation. The data shows 90 FPS average, which is excellent for a smooth experience. The jump from Medium (119 FPS) to High (90 FPS) is noticeable, but the visual fidelity improvement is worth the 29 FPS trade-off. The Ultra preset at 66 FPS is also viable, but the diminishing returns in visual quality may not justify the lower frame rate for all players, especially in crowded areas where the minimum FPS could dip.

For players prioritizing maximum frame rate, the Low preset at 1080p delivers 159 FPS. This is beneficial for competitive play or for users with high refresh rate monitors, but the visual downgrade is significant. The 1440p Low preset at 102 FPS is a better compromise, offering a higher resolution with frame rates that still exceed most display refresh rates.

The 4K resolution is not recommended for this combo. Even the Low preset at 54 FPS is below the 60 FPS standard, and the Medium preset at 41 FPS with a minimum of 35 FPS will result in noticeable hitches. The Ultra preset at 23 FPS is unplayable. The data clearly indicates that this GPU is not designed for 4K gaming in Hitman 2.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The processor's benchmark scores indicate strong multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15989 and a Geekbench multicore score of 8564. The single-thread performance is also solid, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2257 and a Passmark single-thread score of 3456.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and handle game logic. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (159 FPS) is a strong indicator that the CPU is not a bottleneck at lower resolutions. The fact that the FPS increases significantly from 1080p to 1440p at the same settings (159 to 102 FPS) shows that the GPU is the limiting factor, not the CPU. The CPU is capable of pushing well over 100 FPS in this game, and the 12 threads are sufficient for the game's threading model.

The processor's 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core help with data locality, reducing latency in complex scenes. The 65 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 compatibility make it a mainstream choice, and the data shows it pairs well with the RX 9060. The CPU's 72nd percentile ranking among all CPUs suggests it has ample headroom for this game, which is not particularly demanding on processor resources.

The benchmark results from 3DMark show a strong scaling from 2 threads (1692) to 8 threads (4745), indicating good multi-core utilization. The passmark multithread score of 18747 confirms that the CPU can handle heavy workloads. For Hitman 2, this means the CPU will not be the source of frame drops or stuttering, as long as the GPU is not overwhelmed.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-12400 and AMD Radeon RX 9060 ranks 1739 out of 3001 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places it in the 58th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning it outperforms a slight majority of systems but is not a top-tier performer. The rank suggests that this is a mid-range pairing that offers decent performance but is outclassed by combos with more powerful GPUs or CPUs.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 59 is slightly higher than the combo's overall rank, suggesting that the CPU might be slightly underpowered relative to the GPU, or that other factors like memory bandwidth are limiting performance. However, the CPU's 72nd percentile ranking is higher than the combo rank, which indicates that the GPU is the primary constraint in this pairing. The combo rank of 1739 reflects a balanced but not exceptional system.

Compared to the GPU's nearest rivals, the RX 9060 is within 1% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's average benchmark score. This suggests that the combo's performance in Hitman 2 is likely similar to what a builder would get with an RTX 3060 Ti paired with a comparable CPU. The RX 9060 is also 1% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 7700, so the ranking is not due to a weak GPU.

The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7643, which is a server chip, and the Intel Core i7-1355U, which is a mobile processor. The i5-12400's average benchmark score of 18683 is nearly identical to these chips, showing that its performance is competitive with a wide range of CPUs. The combo rank of 1739 out of 3001 is a reasonable result for a mid-range desktop system built for 1080p and 1440p gaming.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is based on the RDNA 4.0 architecture and the Navi 44 chip, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It has 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation units. The GPU's boost clock is 2990 MHz, with a game clock of 2400 MHz. It has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s.

The GPU's role in Hitman 2 is critical, as the data shows it is the primary bottleneck at 1440p and 4K resolutions. The FP32 performance of 21.43 TFLOPS is substantial, but the 8 GB memory capacity and 128-bit bus may limit performance in high-resolution textures and effects. The GPU's benchmark scores are respectable, with a Passmark G3D score of 17631 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3322.

The GPU's performance in Hitman 2 scales predictably with settings. At 1080p, the difference between Low (159 FPS) and Ultra (66 FPS) is 93 FPS, indicating that the GPU is utilizing its shading units and memory effectively. However, at 4K, the Ultra preset drops to 23 FPS, which is a clear sign that the 8 GB memory buffer is being exhausted and the GPU's pixel throughput is insufficient for the higher resolution.

The Radeon RX 9060's 28 RT cores support ray tracing, but Hitman 2 does not heavily rely on this feature. The GPU's 64 ROPs handle pixel output, and the 191.4 GPixel/s pixel rate is adequate for 1080p and 1440p. The texture rate of 334.9 GTexel/s is also sufficient for the game's textures at these resolutions. The GPU's 59th percentile ranking among all GPUs indicates it is a solid mid-range performer, but not a high-end model.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1080p:

• Low: 159 FPS average
• Medium: 119 FPS average (101 min, 137 max)
• High: 90 FPS average
• Ultra: 66 FPS average

At 1080p, the combo is capable of high frame rates across all settings. The Low preset achieves 159 FPS, which is ideal for high refresh rate displays. Medium provides a 119 FPS average with a minimum of 101 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay. High is still very playable at 90 FPS, and Ultra at 66 FPS is acceptable for a stealth game. The data shows that 1080p is the sweet spot for this combo, with no settings making the game unplayable.

1440p:

• Low: 102 FPS average
• Medium: 76 FPS average (65 min, 88 max)
• High: 58 FPS average
• Ultra: 43 FPS average

At 1440p, the performance drops significantly. Low is still excellent at 102 FPS, but Medium falls to 76 FPS, which is still above 60 FPS. High at 58 FPS is borderline, and Ultra at 43 FPS is not recommended for a smooth experience. The Medium preset's minimum of 65 FPS is reassuring, but players seeking a stable 60 FPS should stick to Medium or Low.

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: 54 FPS average
• Medium: 41 FPS average (35 min, 47 max)
• High: 31 FPS average
• Ultra: 23 FPS average

The 4K results are poor across the board. Even Low settings only achieve 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. Medium drops to 41 FPS with a minimum of 35 FPS, causing visible stutter. High at 31 FPS and Ultra at 23 FPS are unplayable. The data clearly shows that this combo is not suitable for 4K gaming in Hitman 2, and users should stick to 1080p or 1440p.

The minimum FPS values for Medium settings at each resolution (101 at 1080p, 65 at 1440p, 35 at 4K) provide insight into frame time consistency. The 4K minimum of 35 FPS is particularly problematic, as it represents a 15% drop from the average, which will be noticeable. The 1080p and 1440p minimums are much closer to their averages, indicating more consistent performance.