Hitman 2

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER lands at rank 1094 out of 1795 tested combos for Hitman 2, placing it in the upper-middle portion of the database. This position reflects a balanced pairing where neither component dramatically outclasses the other in this stealth title. The combo sits just past the 60th percentile of all tested systems, suggesting that while it is not a top-tier configuration, it delivers consistently playable results across most settings and resolutions.

The CPU itself holds a percentile of 77 against all tested processors, meaning the i5-12400 outperforms roughly three-quarters of the CPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score of 19850 places it in a tight cluster with several rivals: it is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-9700 (19831), 0.2% behind the Intel Core i7-8700 (19894), 0.4% behind the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX (19928), and 0.4% ahead of the Intel Core i5-11600K (19771). These deltas are negligible in real-world gaming, indicating that the i5-12400's processing power is squarely competitive with older high-end parts.

The GPU, meanwhile, holds a percentile of 65 against all tested graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 22206. Its nearest rivals show a similar clustering: 0.5% behind the NVIDIA RTX A400 (22307), 0.9% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z (22006), 2.3% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile (22729), and 2.5% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5700 (21670). This places the RTX 2070 SUPER as a solid mid-range performer, though its end-of-life production status means newer parts have since overtaken it.

The rank of 1094 suggests that the combination is more limited by the GPU than the CPU in Hitman 2, given the CPU's higher percentile ranking. The data implies that this system is adequate for smooth play at 1080p and 1440p, but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K, particularly at higher quality presets.

# Settings Recommendations

For the best experience based on measured FPS data, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 offers the strongest balance between visual quality and performance. At this setting, the combo achieves 75.1 FPS average, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The jump from Medium to High at this resolution costs 16.2 FPS (from 75.1 to 58.9), dipping below the 60 FPS mark, so players prioritizing fluidity should stick with Medium.

At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers 123.1 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors. The High preset at 1080p still manages 91 FPS, making it a viable option for those wanting better visuals without sacrificing much smoothness. However, the Ultra preset at 1080p drops to 69.7 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for competitive play. For maximum visual fidelity while maintaining playable frame rates, the High preset at 1080p is the sweet spot.

At 4K, all presets fall short of 60 FPS. The Low preset at 3840x2160 achieves 54.1 FPS, which is the only 4K option approaching playability. The Medium preset drops to 41 FPS, High falls to 29.1 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 22.2 FPS. For 4K users, the Low preset is the only reasonable choice, though even then, the experience will be slightly below the ideal smoothness threshold.

Considering the data across all resolutions, the Medium preset at 1440p offers the best overall experience: it maintains above-60 FPS while providing significantly better visual quality than Low. For users with 1080p displays, the High preset at 91 FPS is recommended for the best balance of aesthetics and performance. The Ultra preset should be avoided except for screenshots or non-gameplay scenarios, as even at 1080p it only manages 69.7 FPS.

# Resolution Scaling

The FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU limitation as resolution increases. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops by approximately 35-37% across all presets. For example, at High settings, the frame rate falls from 91 FPS at 1080p to 58.9 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 32.1 FPS. At Medium settings, the drop is from 123.1 to 75.1 FPS, a loss of 48 FPS. This consistent scaling indicates that the RTX 2070 SUPER is the primary bottleneck as pixel count increases.

The transition from 1440p to 4K shows an even steeper decline, which is expected given the 2.25x pixel count increase. At High settings, the frame rate plummets from 58.9 FPS at 1440p to 29.1 FPS at 4K, a 50.6% reduction. At Medium settings, it drops from 75.1 to 41 FPS, a 45.4% reduction. These percentage drops are larger than the pixel count increase would suggest, indicating that the GPU is hitting memory bandwidth or compute limits at 4K.

The RTX 2070 SUPER features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. At 4K, this bandwidth becomes insufficient for maintaining high frame rates in Hitman 2, as evidenced by the sub-30 FPS results at High and Ultra presets. The GPU's 9.062 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 113.3 GPixel/s pixel rate are also taxed heavily at this resolution.

The CPU's role in this scaling is minimal. The i5-12400's 6 cores and 12 threads, with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, provide ample headroom for Hitman 2's engine at all tested resolutions. The fact that FPS scales consistently with resolution across all presets confirms that the system is GPU-bound at 1440p and 4K, while at 1080p, the CPU's single-thread performance (3dmark single-thread score of 910) is sufficient to avoid bottlenecking.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its strongest performance. The Low preset achieves 161.4 FPS average, which is exceptionally smooth and suitable for high-refresh-rate displays. The Medium preset follows at 123.1 FPS, still well above the 60 FPS threshold. High settings produce 91 FPS, maintaining smooth gameplay with improved visual fidelity. The Ultra preset drops to 69.7 FPS, which remains playable but shows the GPU's limitations when pushed to maximum quality at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, performance remains respectable but begins to show strain. Low settings yield 105 FPS, which is excellent for a 1440p display. Medium settings achieve 75.1 FPS, offering a good balance of quality and smoothness. High settings fall to 58.9 FPS, slightly below the 60 FPS target, which may be noticeable to sensitive users. Ultra settings drop further to 43.4 FPS, which is borderline playable but not recommended for action-heavy sequences.

At 3840x2160, the system clearly struggles. Low settings are the only option approaching playability, with 54.1 FPS. Medium settings drop to 41 FPS, High to 29.1 FPS, and Ultra to 22.2 FPS. These results indicate that 4K gaming with this combination requires significant compromises, with even the lowest preset failing to maintain a consistent 60 FPS. The 8 GB VRAM capacity of the RTX 2070 SUPER is likely a contributing factor at this resolution, as Hitman 2's texture requirements at 4K can exceed this capacity.

# FAQ

Q: Is this combination capable of 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: Yes, but only at Medium settings, which achieves 75.1 FPS. The High preset falls short at 58.9 FPS, so users targeting 60 FPS at 1440p should stick with Medium or lower.

Q: What is the best setting for 1080p gaming?

A: The Medium preset at 1920x1080 delivers 123.1 FPS, making it the best choice for smooth gameplay. The High preset at 91 FPS is also viable if visual quality is prioritized over raw frame rate.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming?

A: Only at Low settings, which achieves 54.1 FPS. All other presets at 4K fall below 45 FPS, with Ultra at 22.2 FPS. This is not recommended for a satisfactory 4K experience.

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

A: The i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 19850, placing it 0.1% ahead of the i7-9700, 0.2% behind the i7-8700, 0.4% behind the Threadripper PRO 5995WX, and 0.4% ahead of the i5-11600K. These differences are minor and unlikely to affect gaming performance.

Q: What is the GPU's performance relative to similar cards?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER's average score of 22206 puts it 0.5% behind the RTX A400, 0.9% ahead of the GTX TITAN Z, 2.3% behind the RTX 4060 Mobile, and 2.5% ahead of the RX 5700. It ranks in the 65th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any resolution?

A: The data shows consistent FPS scaling with resolution, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor at 1440p and 4K. At 1080p, the CPU's strong single-thread performance prevents bottlenecking, as evidenced by the 161.4 FPS Low preset result.

# CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 features 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This Alder Lake-S architecture part, built on Intel's 10 nm process, includes 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, and 18 MB of shared L3 cache. Its single-thread performance, measured at 910 in 3dmark, is strong enough for Hitman 2's engine, which relies heavily on single-core performance for game logic and AI.

In multi-threaded workloads, the i5-12400 scores 5873 in 3dmark's 16-thread test and 5890 at max threads, demonstrating that its 12 threads scale well when needed. The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 15935 further confirms its capability in heavily threaded scenarios, though Hitman 2's actual gaming workload is less demanding. The Passmark single-thread score of 3456 indicates that the CPU's per-core performance is competitive with modern parts.

The CPU's 65 W TDP and 10 nm process node make it an efficient choice, though this efficiency is not a primary factor in gaming performance. Its support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory, via dual-channel configuration, provides flexibility for system builders, though the measured FPS data does not differentiate between memory types. The CPU's PCIe Gen 5 support (16 lanes) ensures compatibility with modern GPUs, though the RTX 2070 SUPER uses PCIe 3.0 x16, which does not bottleneck this GPU.

In Hitman 2 specifically, the CPU's role is to maintain consistent frame pacing and handle the game's simulation elements. The benchmark data shows that the i5-12400 is not the limiting factor at any resolution tested, as FPS drops correlate with resolution increases rather than CPU workload. The CPU's percentile of 77 versus the GPU's 65 confirms that the processor is the stronger component in this pairing, meaning future GPU upgrades could unlock more performance without requiring a CPU change. The 3dmark 2-thread score of 1692 and 4-thread score of 3012 indicate that the CPU handles lightly threaded workloads effectively, which is relevant for Hitman 2's typical core usage patterns.