Hitman 2

Hitman 2 places the Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 combination in a specific performance tier, with the data showing a system that is clearly capable at 1080p but becomes increasingly constrained as resolution climbs. The measured frame rates across the three resolutions and four settings presets provide a clear picture of where this hardware excels and where it reaches its limits. The combo ranks 1494 out of 1795 tested configurations, a position that reflects its mid-range standing, with the CPU sitting at the 77th percentile among all processors and the GPU at the 51st percentile among all graphics cards.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 and then to 3840x2160 reveals a predictable yet steep performance curve for this pairing. At 1080p with High settings, the system delivers 69.4 FPS, which drops to 43.9 FPS at 1440p and further to 25.1 FPS at 4K. This represents a 36.7% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 1440p, and a 63.8% reduction from 1080p to 4K. The pattern indicates that the GTX 1070 is the primary limiting factor as pixel count increases, given that the CPU's benchmark scores — such as 15935 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 2249 in single-core — suggest it has ample headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions.

The scaling behavior is even more telling when examining the Low preset. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 118 FPS, a figure that suggests the CPU is capable of driving very high frame rates when the GPU is not heavily burdened. However, at 4K Low, the average drops to 38.6 FPS, a 67.3% reduction. This steep decline at the highest resolution, even with minimal graphical load, confirms that the GPU's 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and 256.3 GB/s bandwidth become bottlenecks well before the CPU's capabilities are exhausted. The data shows that the i5-12400, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is not the constraint here; rather, the GTX 1070's Pascal architecture, with its 6.463 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, is the deciding factor.

At Medium settings, the scaling from 1080p (87.9 FPS) to 1440p (55.5 FPS) shows a 36.9% drop, nearly identical to the High preset's percentage decline. This consistency suggests that the resolution scaling penalty is relatively uniform across these two presets, further indicating a GPU-bound scenario. The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling, from 51.5 FPS at 1080p down to 17.7 FPS at 4K, a 65.6% reduction that underscores the futility of attempting 4K Ultra on this hardware.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data points to a clear sweet spot for this combination: 1920x1080 with High settings, delivering 69.4 FPS. This configuration offers a balance that is smooth for the vast majority of gameplay scenarios while still providing substantial visual fidelity. The jump from Medium to High costs only 18.5 FPS (from 87.9 to 69.4), which is a reasonable trade-off for the improved image quality. Conversely, the jump from High to Ultra costs 17.9 FPS (from 69.4 to 51.5), a steeper penalty that drops the experience below the 60 FPS threshold that many players consider the baseline for smooth action.

For 2560x1440, the data suggests that Medium settings at 55.5 FPS represent the practical ceiling for a consistently playable experience. High settings at 1440p drop to 43.9 FPS, which may be acceptable for slower-paced stealth gameplay but will feel less fluid during action sequences. The Low preset at 1440p, delivering 78.8 FPS, is an option for players who prioritize frame rate above all else, though it sacrifices the visual richness that makes Hitman 2's environments engaging.

At 3840x2160, the data is unambiguous: this hardware is not suited for 4K gaming in Hitman 2. Even the Low preset only achieves 38.6 FPS, and the Medium preset falls to 32.5 FPS. The Ultra preset, at 17.7 FPS, is effectively unplayable. Players with 4K displays should either lower the resolution to 1440p or accept significant compromises in visual quality and frame rate stability. The benchmark results indicate that 1080p High is the optimal configuration, with 1440p Medium as a viable alternative for those with higher-resolution monitors who can tolerate slightly lower frame rates.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070, built on the 16 nm Pascal architecture with the GP104 chip, plays the decisive role in this game's performance profile. Its 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 256.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which proves sufficient for 1080p and 1440p but becomes strained at 4K. The GPU's clock speeds — 1506 MHz base and 1683 MHz boost — are modest by modern standards, and its 1920 shading units and 64 ROPs are configured to deliver solid 1080p performance rather than high-resolution prowess.

The GTX 1070's position in the benchmark hierarchy is notable: it sits at the 51st percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 12331. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 (0.7% faster) and the GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER (1.4% faster), indicating that this card is firmly in the mid-range tier. The GPU's DirectX 12 benchmark score of 48, compared to 100 for DirectX 11, suggests that Hitman 2's rendering workload, which can utilize DirectX 12, may not be the card's strongest area, potentially explaining some of the performance characteristics observed.

The VRAM capacity of 8 GB is not the limiting factor at any of the tested settings, as even 4K Ultra on this game typically fits within that allocation. Instead, the GPU's raw compute throughput — 6.463 TFLOPS of FP32 — and its texture rate of 202.0 GTexel/s are what determine the frame rates. The data shows that the GTX 1070's performance scales predictably with resolution, and its age (released in 2016) means it cannot match the efficiency of newer architectures. The card's 150 W TDP and end-of-life production status reflect its position as a legacy component, but within the context of this benchmark, it still delivers playable results at 1080p and acceptable results at 1440p with adjusted settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full range of settings is playable, with the Low preset delivering 118 FPS, Medium at 87.9 FPS, High at 69.4 FPS, and Ultra at 51.5 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 66.5 FPS spread, indicating a wide range of visual quality options that all remain functional. The 1080p results confirm that the i5-12400, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 910 and a Passmark single-thread score of 3456, provides sufficient single-core performance to avoid becoming the bottleneck at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the preset hierarchy remains intact but the floor rises: Low delivers 78.8 FPS, Medium 55.5 FPS, High 43.9 FPS, and Ultra 33.3 FPS. The 4K resolution at 3840x2160 shows the most constrained results: Low achieves 38.6 FPS, Medium 32.5 FPS, High 25.1 FPS, and Ultra 17.7 FPS. The data reveals that the gap between Low and Ultra widens as resolution increases, going from a 66.5 FPS spread at 1080p to a 20.9 FPS spread at 4K, which indicates that at higher resolutions, even the lowest settings cannot overcome the GPU's fundamental throughput limitations.

The frame rate deltas between settings are consistent across resolutions: the Medium-to-High transition costs approximately 15-18% performance, while the High-to-Ultra transition costs approximately 25-30%. This pattern suggests that the Ultra preset introduces rendering features that disproportionately tax the GTX 1070, while the High preset represents a more efficient balance of visual quality and performance. The measured data, all of which comes from actual testing, provides a comprehensive picture of this hardware combination's capabilities in Hitman 2.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this hardware in Hitman 2?

A: The data clearly shows 1920x1080 as the optimal resolution. At 1080p High, the system delivers 69.4 FPS, which is smooth and playable. At 2560x1440, even Medium settings only achieve 55.5 FPS, while 3840x2160 results in frame rates below 40 FPS across all presets, making 4K unsuitable for a consistently good experience.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from High to Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p, the drop from High (69.4 FPS) to Ultra (51.5 FPS) represents a 17.9 FPS loss, or approximately a 25.8% reduction. At 1440p, the loss is 10.6 FPS (from 43.9 to 33.3 FPS), and at 4K, the loss is 7.4 FPS (from 25.1 to 17.7 FPS). The Ultra preset exacts a significant toll at every resolution.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the primary constraint. The i5-12400 scores in the 77th percentile among all CPUs with strong multi-threaded performance (15935 in Cinebench R23), while the GTX 1070 sits at the 51st percentile. The steep frame rate drops at higher resolutions, even with Low settings, confirm that the GPU's 8 GB memory and compute capabilities are the bottleneck.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Hitman 2?

A: No, the measured data does not support 4K as a viable option. The best 4K result is 38.6 FPS on Low settings, which is below the generally accepted smoothness threshold. Medium settings drop to 32.5 FPS, and Ultra falls to 17.7 FPS. Players should stick to 1080p or 1440p for a playable experience.

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

A: The GTX 1070 has an average benchmark score of 12331, placing it just 0.7% below the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 and 1.4% below the GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER. It performs 1.3% better than the GeForce GTX 880M and 1.7% better than the Tesla K20Xm, showing it is closely matched with other mid-range cards of its era.

Q: What settings preset provides the best balance of visuals and performance?

A: The data recommends 1080p High settings, which deliver 69.4 FPS. This preset offers a 17.9 FPS improvement over Ultra while maintaining most visual quality, and the 18.5 FPS cost from Medium to High is a reasonable investment for the visual fidelity gained. For 1440p, the Medium preset at 55.5 FPS is the most balanced option.