Hitman 2

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates reveal a clear pattern: Hitman 2 becomes progressively more GPU-bound as resolution increases, with the gap between settings presets widening dramatically from 1080p to 4K. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 303.9 FPS, while Ultra still maintains 128.1 FPS—a difference of 175.8 FPS. This indicates that at 1080p, the Intel Core i5-12400 is frequently the limiting factor, as even the most demanding preset cannot push the RTX 4080 SUPER to its limits.

Moving to 2560x1440, the scaling shows a more balanced workload. The Low preset drops to 195.8 FPS (a 35.6% reduction from 1080p), while Ultra falls to 79.7 FPS (a 37.8% reduction). This consistent scaling across presets suggests the system is transitioning from CPU-bound at 1080p Low to a more GPU-limited scenario at 1440p, though the CPU still has headroom to spare.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the dominant constraint. The Low preset achieves 100.8 FPS, but Ultra plunges to 42.5 FPS—a 58.3 FPS gap between the two extremes. The High preset at 4K (59.7 FPS) sits just below the 60 FPS threshold, while Medium (77.5 FPS) provides a comfortable margin. The data shows that 4K Ultra is the only configuration that fails to reach playable frame rates, confirming that the RTX 4080 SUPER's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 736.3 GB/s bandwidth are being fully taxed by the combination of high resolution and maxed settings.

The drop from 1080p Ultra (128.1 FPS) to 4K Ultra (42.5 FPS) represents a 66.8% reduction, which is nearly proportional to the pixel count increase (4x resolution). This near-linear scaling is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario, where the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient to feed the graphics pipeline without introducing bottlenecks.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER's specifications directly explain its performance profile in Hitman 2. With a boost clock of 2550 MHz and 10240 shading units, the GPU delivers substantial raw compute power—52.22 TFLOPS FP32—that scales predictably across the measured settings. The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus provides 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth, which proves adequate for even the most demanding 4K Ultra configurations.

The GPU's 80 RT cores and 320 tensor cores are architectural features that Hitman 2 does not heavily leverage, given its 2018 release date. This explains why the performance gap between Low and Ultra at each resolution is primarily driven by traditional rasterization workloads rather than ray tracing or DLSS features. At 1080p, the RTX 4080 SUPER is clearly over-provisioned for the game's demands, as evidenced by the 303.9 FPS Low preset result—far beyond any display's refresh rate capability.

Benchmark data places the RTX 4080 SUPER in the 88th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 53610. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, scores 53489 (0.2% behind), while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti trails at 52086 (2.9% behind). These margins indicate that the 4080 SUPER sits at the top tier of GPU performance, yet Hitman 2's 4K Ultra result of 42.5 FPS shows that even this hardware cannot brute-force the game's most demanding settings without compromise.

The GPU's memory clock of 1438 MHz (23 Gbps effective) and 285.6 GPixel/s pixel rate contribute to its ability to handle 4K resolutions. However, the measured FPS at 4K High (59.7 FPS) versus 4K Medium (77.5 FPS) suggests that the High preset's additional visual effects impose a significant fill-rate cost that the GPU's 112 ROPs must process.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 provides 6 cores and 12 threads with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process, delivers single-thread performance that is critical for Hitman 2's game logic and physics calculations. The CPU's benchmark scores—3dmark single-thread of 910 and PassMark single-thread of 3456—indicate strong per-core performance that keeps the game running smoothly even at high frame rates.

The CPU's 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 cache per core provide sufficient memory hierarchy for the game's asset streaming. The 3dmark 16-thread score of 5873 and max-thread score of 5890 show that the CPU scales well with additional threads, though the 6-core/12-thread configuration does not reach the multi-threaded heights of higher-core-count processors.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's role becomes evident at 1080p, where the Low preset achieves 303.9 FPS. This result suggests that the i5-12400 can sustain extremely high frame rates when the GPU is not the bottleneck, but the gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p (175.8 FPS) indicates that the CPU's performance ceiling is not reached even at Ultra settings. The CPU's 65 W TDP and dual-channel DDR4/DDR5 memory support provide adequate bandwidth for the game's requirements.

The CPU's benchmark percentile of 77 against all CPUs, with an average score of 19850, places it slightly ahead of the Intel Core i7-9700 (19831, 0.1% ahead) and Intel Core i5-11600K (19771, 0.4% ahead). This positioning confirms that the i5-12400 is a solid mid-range performer that does not bottleneck the RTX 4080 SUPER in Hitman 2, even at 4K resolutions where GPU load is highest.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimal settings at each resolution. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers 128.1 FPS, which is more than sufficient for high-refresh-rate displays. The Medium preset (224.5 FPS) and High preset (169.1 FPS) offer even higher headroom, but the Ultra experience at 1080p is fully playable without sacrificing visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the High preset (109.1 FPS) provides the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, comfortably exceeding 100 FPS while maintaining near-Ultra quality. The Ultra preset (79.7 FPS) remains playable, but the 29.4 FPS drop from High makes it less attractive for competitive or fast-paced play. The Medium preset (145.7 FPS) is the safe choice for those prioritizing frame rate over visual detail.

At 3840x2160, the High preset (59.7 FPS) marginally misses the 60 FPS target, making Medium (77.5 FPS) the recommended choice for 4K gaming. The Ultra preset (42.5 FPS) is not recommended for smooth gameplay, as the 35 FPS deficit below 60 FPS will be noticeable. The Low preset (100.8 FPS) at 4K sacrifices too much visual quality for the frame rate gain, making it a poor trade-off.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset offers the most consistent experience, with frame rates ranging from 77.5 FPS at 4K to 224.5 FPS at 1080p. This preset balances the GPU's workload while maintaining acceptable visual quality, making it the safest recommendation for users who want to avoid settings-related performance dips.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 121st out of 1795 tested combinations in Hitman 2, placing it in the top 6.7% of all configurations. This high ranking reflects the GPU's dominant role in determining game performance, as the RTX 4080 SUPER's 88th percentile GPU score and the i5-12400's 77th percentile CPU score combine to create a system that excels in this title.

The combo's ranking is particularly strong given the CPU's mid-range positioning. The i5-12400's benchmark scores show it competing closely with the Intel Core i7-9700 (0.1% ahead) and Intel Core i7-8700 (0.2% behind), yet the combination with the RTX 4080 SUPER achieves a top-tier ranking. This suggests that Hitman 2's performance is more heavily weighted toward GPU capability, and the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient to avoid creating a bottleneck.

The rank of 121 out of 1795 also indicates that there are 120 combinations that outperform this pairing, likely featuring higher-end CPUs such as the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX (which scores 19928, 0.4% ahead of the i5-12400 in average benchmark). However, the practical impact of these CPU differences in Hitman 2 is minimal, as the measured FPS data shows that the system achieves playable frame rates at all settings except 4K Ultra.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest frame rate achievable with this combo at 1080p?

A: The Low preset at 1920x1080 delivers 303.9 FPS, making it the fastest measured configuration. Even the Ultra preset maintains 128.1 FPS at this resolution.

Q: Can this system run Hitman 2 at 4K smoothly?

A: Yes, with caveats. The Medium preset at 3840x2160 achieves 77.5 FPS, while High runs at 59.7 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 42.5 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

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

A: The Intel Core i5-12400 scores 19850 on average, which is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-9700 (19831) and 0.4% ahead of the Intel Core i5-11600K (19771). It trails the Intel Core i7-8700 (19894) by 0.2%.

Q: What is the GPU's benchmark percentile relative to all GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks in the 88th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 53610. It leads the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (53489) by 0.2%.

Q: What is the optimal settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 delivers 109.1 FPS, making it the best balance of visual quality and performance. Ultra runs at 79.7 FPS, while Medium achieves 145.7 FPS.

Q: How does this system rank among all tested combinations?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400 + RTX 4080 SUPER combination ranks 121st out of 1795 tested combos in Hitman 2, placing it in the top 6.7% of all configurations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080:

• Low: 303.9 FPS
• Medium: 224.5 FPS
• High: 169.1 FPS
• Ultra: 128.1 FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: 195.8 FPS
• Medium: 145.7 FPS
• High: 109.1 FPS
• Ultra: 79.7 FPS

3840x2160:

• Low: 100.8 FPS
• Medium: 77.5 FPS
• High: 59.7 FPS
• Ultra: 42.5 FPS

The data shows a consistent pattern: each resolution step down from 1080p to 4K reduces frame rates by roughly 35-50% across all settings, with the Ultra preset experiencing the largest absolute drops. The 4K Ultra result of 42.5 FPS represents the only configuration that fails to meet the 60 FPS threshold, while 1080p Low at 303.9 FPS demonstrates the system's upper performance ceiling. The RTX 4080 SUPER's 16 GB memory capacity ensures that no VRAM-related stuttering occurs at any resolution, with the GPU's 736.3 GB/s bandwidth proving sufficient for even the most demanding 4K textures.