Hitman 2

Hitman 2 is a stealth title from 2018, and the measured data for the Intel Core i5-12400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 reveals a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s six performance cores provide ample headroom for very high frame rates at 1080p. The benchmark results show a clear scaling pattern: as resolution increases, the average FPS drops sharply, indicating that the RTX 5070 is the limiting factor at 4K, while the i5-12400 keeps pace at lower resolutions without becoming a bottleneck.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS progression from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 is decisive. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 142.6 FPS at 1080p to 93.5 FPS at 1440p, and then to 50 FPS at 4K. That represents a 65% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K, which is a steep drop that points directly at the GPU as the primary constraint. The RTX 5070’s 12 GB of GDDR7 memory and 672.0 GB/s bandwidth are being taxed heavily at 3840x2160, where pixel count quadruples compared to 1080p.

At Low settings, the same trend holds but with higher absolute numbers: 252.7 FPS at 1080p, 162.2 FPS at 1440p, and 85 FPS at 4K. The 4K Low result is still playable, but the drop from 1440p to 4K is 47.6%, which is slightly less severe than at High settings (46.5% drop). This suggests that even at Low settings, the GPU is still the dominant factor, though the CPU’s role becomes more visible at 1080p where the frame rate exceeds 250 FPS.

Ultra settings show the most dramatic scaling: 105.3 FPS at 1080p, 66.6 FPS at 1440p, and 37.8 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is below the 60 FPS threshold, making it the only configuration in the measured data that fails to deliver a smooth experience. The gap between Medium and Ultra at 4K is also notable: 65.4 FPS versus 37.8 FPS, a 42% difference that shows how much headroom the GPU has when settings are reduced.

The limiting component at 4K is unambiguously the GPU. The CPU’s 3DMark scores, such as 5,873 for 16 threads and 910 for single thread, are modest compared to the GPU’s PassMark G3D score of 29,137. At 1080p, the i5-12400’s boost clock of 4.40 GHz allows it to feed the RTX 5070 effectively, as evidenced by the 252.7 FPS Low result, but at 4K, the GPU’s raw throughput is the ceiling.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its benchmark scores place it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 19,850. In Cinebench R23, it scores 15,935 in multi-core and 2,249 in single-core, while 3DMark shows 5,873 for 16 threads and 910 for single thread.

For Hitman 2, a stealth game that typically relies on single-threaded performance for game logic and AI, the i5-12400’s single-core strength is adequate. The 1080p results confirm this: at Low settings, the system reaches 252.7 FPS, which is far beyond what most displays can show. Even at High settings, 142.6 FPS at 1080p indicates the CPU is not a limiting factor at that resolution. The difference between Low and High at 1080p is 110.1 FPS, which is a GPU-driven change, not a CPU one.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score are the Intel Core i7-9700 (19,831, 0.1% higher), the Intel Core i7-8700 (19,894, 0.2% higher), and the Intel Core i5-11600K (19,771, 0.4% lower). These deltas are tiny, meaning the i5-12400 performs within a narrow band of its peers. In Hitman 2, this translates to consistent frame delivery, as the CPU’s 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 12 threads handle the game’s background tasks without stutter.

At 4K, the CPU’s role diminishes further. The measured FPS at 4K High is 50, which is almost exactly half of the 1440p High result of 93.5 FPS. This halving is characteristic of GPU-bound scenarios, where doubling the pixel count halves the frame rate. The CPU is not the bottleneck here; the RTX 5070’s 30.87 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is simply insufficient to maintain higher frame rates at that resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS is 142.6 at 1920x1080 with High settings.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in terms of benchmark score?

A: The i5-12400’s average benchmark score is 19,850, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-9700’s 19,831 and 0.2% lower than the Intel Core i7-8700’s 19,894.

Q: Is 4K Ultra playable with this combo?

A: No, the measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 37.8, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the highest measured FPS in the data?

A: The highest average FPS is 252.7, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Does the GPU bottleneck the CPU at 1440p?

A: Yes, at 1440p High the average FPS is 93.5, which is 49.1 FPS lower than 1080p High, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor rather than the CPU.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory bandwidth?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 has a memory bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s, with 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values are: Low 252.7, Medium 192.2, High 142.6, and Ultra 105.3. The spread from Low to Ultra is 147.4 FPS, which is the largest of any resolution, showing that the GPU has significant headroom at 1080p and that settings changes have a major impact.

At 2560x1440, the averages are: Low 162.2, Medium 124.5, High 93.5, and Ultra 66.6. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at each setting is roughly 35-40%, which is consistent with the increased pixel count. The Ultra result of 66.6 FPS is still above 60, making it the highest setting that remains playable at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low 85, Medium 65.4, High 50, and Ultra 37.8. The 4K Low result of 85 FPS is the only 4K configuration that exceeds 60 FPS, while Medium just barely clears it at 65.4 FPS. High and Ultra fall below the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra being the least playable at 37.8 FPS.

The data shows a consistent pattern: for each resolution, lowering settings from Ultra to Low roughly doubles the frame rate. At 1080p, Ultra to Low is a 2.4x increase; at 1440p, it is 2.4x; at 4K, it is 2.25x. This consistency indicates that the GPU is the primary scaling factor, with no unexpected CPU-related cliffs.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU with 6,144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units. It has 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores, with a base clock of 2325 MHz and a boost clock of 2512 MHz. The 12 GB of GDDR7 memory runs at a 1750 MHz memory clock with 28 Gbps effective speed, providing 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

The GPU’s benchmark scores are strong, with a PassMark G3D score of 29,137 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5,077. Its percentile ranking is 83rd among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 41,687. In terms of nearest rivals, the RTX 3090 has a score of 41,441, which is 0.6% lower, while the AMD Radeon Pro 580X is 0.7% higher at 41,991. These deltas are small, but they indicate the RTX 5070 sits in a competitive tier.

In Hitman 2, the GPU’s role is defined by resolution and settings. At 1080p, the GPU is not fully utilized, as evidenced by the 252.7 FPS Low result. At 4K Ultra, the GPU is the clear bottleneck, with only 37.8 FPS. The pixel rate of 201.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 482.3 GTexel/s are the theoretical limits, and the measured FPS at 4K suggests the game is demanding enough to approach those limits.

The GPU’s memory capacity of 12 GB is sufficient for Hitman 2, which is a 2018 title unlikely to exceed that at any settings. The 192-bit bus width and 672.0 GB/s bandwidth are more than adequate for the game’s textures, even at 4K Ultra, where the bottleneck is compute rather than memory.

Settings Recommendations

For a smooth experience, the data points to specific presets. At 3840x2160, the Medium preset with an average FPS of 65.4 is the best balance, as it is the highest setting that remains above 60 FPS. Low at 85 FPS is also viable, but Medium offers better visual quality without sacrificing playability. High at 50 FPS and Ultra at 37.8 FPS are not recommended for 4K due to sub-60 frame rates.

At 2560x1440, Ultra with 66.6 FPS is the recommended choice, as it delivers the highest visual fidelity while staying just above the 60 FPS threshold. High at 93.5 FPS is an alternative for those prioritizing frame rate over visuals, but Ultra’s 66.6 FPS is acceptable for most users.

At 1920x1080, all presets exceed 100 FPS, with Ultra at 105.3 FPS being the highest setting that still maintains a high frame rate. Low at 252.7 FPS and Medium at 192.2 FPS are overkill for most displays, so Ultra is the best choice for visual quality without sacrificing performance.

The verdict is clear: for 4K, use Medium; for 1440p, use Ultra; for 1080p, use Ultra. These settings maximize the measured FPS while keeping the experience fluid. The data shows no scenario where the CPU prevents these settings from working, as the i5-12400’s performance is sufficient across all resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination ranks 415th out of 1,795 tested combos in Hitman 2, placing it in the top 23% of all configurations. This rank is driven by the GPU’s strong performance, as the CPU is not a limiting factor in this game.

The combo’s ranking reflects its ability to deliver playable frame rates at most resolutions and settings. At 1080p, it achieves over 100 FPS at all presets, and at 1440p, it maintains above 60 FPS even at Ultra. The 4K results are mixed, with Medium being the only smooth option, which is typical for a GPU in this performance tier.

Compared to other combos, the ranking of 415 out of 1,795 suggests that this pairing is above average, but not top-tier. The GPU’s percentile ranking of 83rd among all GPUs is higher than the combo’s overall rank, indicating that the CPU may slightly hold back the GPU in other games, but in Hitman 2, the CPU’s 77th percentile ranking is sufficient to avoid major bottlenecks.

The data confirms that this combo is well-suited for Hitman 2 at 1080p and 1440p, with 4K requiring settings compromises. The rank of 415 out of 1,795 is a solid result for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU, and the measured FPS values across all settings provide a clear picture of what to expect.