Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 presents a mid-range desktop combination tested against the stealth action title Hitman 2. The measured frame rates across resolutions and presets reveal a system that is clearly capable at standard and high-refresh 1080p, remains fluid at 1440p, but begins to struggle at 4K. The data shows a component pairing where the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor as resolution increases, while the six-core CPU provides ample headroom for the game's logic and physics.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 demonstrates a steep performance curve that highlights the GPU's workload. At the High preset, the average frame rate drops from 103 FPS at 1080p to 66 FPS at 2560x1440, a decrease of 37 FPS. Moving further to 4K at the same High preset yields a 35 FPS average, representing a 68 FPS drop from the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern—roughly a 36% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and another 47% reduction from 1440p to 4K—is characteristic of a system where the Radeon RX 7700 is increasingly saturated by pixel count.

The Low preset scaling is even more revealing. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 182 FPS, which falls to 116 FPS at 1440p and then to 62 FPS at 4K. The 4K Low result is particularly telling: it is lower than the 1080p Ultra score of 76 FPS, indicating that even at the lowest graphical settings, the sheer number of pixels at 3840x2160 overwhelms the GPU's capabilities. The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens with resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low (182 FPS) and Ultra (76 FPS) is 106 FPS. At 4K, that same Low-to-Ultra spread compresses to 36 FPS (62 FPS vs 26 FPS), suggesting that the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions regardless of preset.

A closer look at the Medium preset shows the only rows with minimum and maximum frame data. At 1080p Medium, the average is 136 FPS with a min of 116 and a max of 157 FPS, framing a stable experience. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 87 FPS with a min of 74 and max of 100 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average is 46 FPS with a min of 39 and max of 53 FPS. The consistent spread between min and max across resolutions—roughly 30% of the average—suggests that frame pacing remains consistent, and the limiting component is the GPU's raw throughput rather than a CPU-related stutter.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its benchmark results show a strong single-thread performance, with a 3dmark_single_thread score of 909 and a passmark_single_thread score of 3481. For a stealth title like Hitman 2, which relies on AI routines and simulation, this single-core strength is critical. The CPU's multi-threaded scores—3dmark_16_threads at 5895 and cinebench_r23_multicore at 12380—indicate that it can handle the game's background tasks without becoming a bottleneck.

The data supports this interpretation. At 1080p Low, where the GPU is least stressed, the combo achieves 182 FPS, which is well above the 144Hz refresh rate commonly targeted by gamers. If the CPU were limiting performance, we would expect to see a plateau where lowering resolution or settings yields diminishing returns. Instead, the 1080p Low score is nearly 2.4 times the 4K High score (182 vs 35 FPS), confirming that the CPU can feed frames faster than the GPU can render them at lower resolutions. The i5-12400F's 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 12 threads provide enough headroom for Hitman 2's simulation, and its 73rd percentile ranking versus all CPUs places it well above the median.

Comparing to nearest rivals, the i5-12400F's average benchmark score of 19039 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (19047, 0% delta) and the Intel Core 3 201E (19056, -0.1% delta). It edges out the Intel Core i5-1335U by 0.3% and the AMD EPYC 7773X by the same margin. This suggests that while the CPU is not a top-tier performer, it sits in a well-populated performance band where any of these processors would yield similar in-game results, leaving the GPU as the dominant factor in the measured FPS.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is the workhorse of this pairing. Its specifications include 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s. The GPU's game clock is 2041 MHz with a boost clock of 2459 MHz. These figures directly correlate with the measured frame rates. At 1080p, the GPU's 25.18 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is sufficient to push High settings to 103 FPS and Low settings to 182 FPS. The 16 GB VRAM likely prevents any texture-related stutter at higher resolutions, as the game can load assets without spilling into system memory.

The GPU's percentile rank of 58 versus all GPUs indicates it is slightly above average, but its nearest rivals show a tight cluster. The RX 7700's average benchmark score of 15852 is within 1% of the AMD Radeon R9 370X (15862, -0.1% delta) and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (15679, 1.1% delta). It trails the AMD Radeon RX 9060 by 1% and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti by 1.7%. This band of performance explains the 4K results: the GPU is simply not designed for 4K gaming at high fidelity, as evidenced by the 26 FPS average at 4K Ultra.

The scaling from Low to Ultra at each resolution highlights the GPU's architectural strengths. At 1080p, the jump from Low (182 FPS) to Medium (136 FPS) is a 46 FPS reduction, while the jump from Medium to High (103 FPS) is a 33 FPS reduction, and High to Ultra (76 FPS) is a 27 FPS reduction. This diminishing penalty suggests that the GPU handles the added visual effects of higher presets with relative efficiency, but the absolute frame rates drop below playable thresholds at 4K Ultra. The 4K Medium score of 46 FPS, with a min of 39 FPS, is borderline playable, but the 4K High and Ultra scores of 35 and 26 FPS respectively indicate that the GPU's 96 ROPs and 2560 shading units are insufficient for that resolution class.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank for this pairing in Hitman 2 is 1371 out of 3001 tested combinations. This places it in the 54th percentile of all combos, meaning it outperforms slightly more than half of the tested systems. Given that the CPU ranks in the 73rd percentile and the GPU in the 58th percentile, the combined rank of 1371 reflects a system where the GPU is the weaker link. The CPU's high percentile suggests that it is not the constraining factor, while the GPU's lower percentile drags the overall ranking down.

This rank implies that many other combinations with faster GPUs or more balanced pairings will achieve higher frame rates, particularly at 1440p and 4K. However, the combo's strength at 1080p is notable. With a 103 FPS average at High settings and 182 FPS at Low, this setup is well-suited for 1080p high-refresh monitors. The 1440p results are also respectable, with a 66 FPS average at High and 87 FPS at Medium, which are playable for most users. The 4K results, however, are where the rank becomes evident, as the combo falls below 60 FPS on all presets, including Low.

The data suggests that this combo is optimized for 1080p and entry-level 1440p gaming. The 1371st rank out of 3001 indicates that while it is not a top-tier performer, it is far from the bottom. Users with this pairing should expect consistent performance at mainstream resolutions, but those seeking 4K gaming would need to consider a more powerful GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. The Low preset achieves a 182 FPS average, which is exceptionally high and indicates that the CPU is not a bottleneck. The Medium preset averages 136 FPS, with a minimum of 116 FPS and a maximum of 157 FPS, showing a tight frame window that ensures smooth gameplay. High settings drop the average to 103 FPS, still well above 60 FPS. Ultra settings reduce the average to 76 FPS, which remains playable but begins to approach the threshold where some users might notice a decrease in fluidity.

At 2560x1440, performance is solid but requires a compromise on settings. Low settings yield a 116 FPS average, which is excellent for competitive play. Medium settings produce an 87 FPS average, with a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS, making it a good choice for a balance of visuals and speed. High settings drop to 66 FPS, which is still above the 60 FPS target, but Ultra settings fall to 49 FPS, which may be too low for those sensitive to frame rate drops.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings achieve a 62 FPS average, which is borderline but technically above 60 FPS. Medium settings produce a 46 FPS average, with a minimum of 39 FPS and a maximum of 53 FPS, indicating that frame drops will be noticeable. High settings fall to 35 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 26 FPS, both of which are below the threshold for smooth gameplay. For 4K, the only viable option is Low settings, and even then, the experience is marginal.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution. For 1080p gamers, the High preset at 103 FPS offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, as it provides a fluid experience without the need to drop to Medium. Those with 144Hz monitors might prefer the Medium preset at 136 FPS, which offers a significant frame rate boost while still looking good. The Ultra preset at 76 FPS is acceptable but does not provide enough of a visual improvement over High to justify the 27 FPS loss.

For 1440p, the Medium preset at 87 FPS is the sweet spot. It provides a smooth experience with a minimum of 74 FPS, ensuring that most scenes remain fluid. The High preset at 66 FPS is also playable, but the Medium preset offers a 21 FPS advantage with only a modest visual downgrade. The Low preset at 116 FPS is overkill for most users and sacrifices too much visual quality. Ultra at 49 FPS is not recommended, as the frame rate dips below 50 FPS, which can cause noticeable judder.

For 4K, the data is clear: only the Low preset at 62 FPS is viable. The Medium preset at 46 FPS will suffer from frame drops below 40 FPS, which are likely to be disruptive. High and Ultra presets at 35 and 26 FPS respectively are not playable for a stealth game that requires precision. Users with a 4K display should either accept Low settings or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p and using Medium settings for a superior experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1080p gaming on this combo?

A: According to the measured FPS, the High preset at 103 FPS offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. The Medium preset at 136 FPS is better for high-refresh monitors, while Ultra at 76 FPS provides diminishing returns.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming?

A: Only at Low settings, which achieves a 62 FPS average. Medium settings drop to 46 FPS, and High/Ultra fall to 35 and 26 FPS respectively, which are not playable.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The GPU is the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 182 FPS, indicating the CPU can feed frames faster than the GPU can render them. The CPU's single-thread score of 909 in 3dmark supports this, as it is sufficient for the game's simulation.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: It ranks 1371 out of 3001 combos, placing it in the 54th percentile. This is below the CPU's 73rd percentile, confirming that the GPU is the limiting factor.

Q: What is the highest playable setting at 1440p?

A: The High preset at 66 FPS is playable, but the Medium preset at 87 FPS is recommended for a more comfortable margin above 60 FPS. Ultra at 49 FPS falls below the playable threshold.

Q: Does the GPU's 16 GB VRAM affect performance at 4K?

A: The 16 GB VRAM likely prevents texture-related stutter, but the GPU's raw compute power (25.18 TFLOPS) is insufficient for 4K at high settings, as shown by the 4K Ultra score of 26 FPS. The memory capacity is not the limiting factor; the shading units and ROPs are.