Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread desktop processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, utilizing a 10 nm process. With a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, it provides the computational foundation for this Hitman 2 configuration. The processor’s 18 MB of shared L3 cache and support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory position it as a versatile mid-range option. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 5,912 in 3DMark max threads and 16,518 in Cinebench R23 multicore, placing it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs. Relative to its nearest rivals, the i5-12400F is statistically tied with the Intel Core i7-8700K, sitting just 0.1% ahead in average benchmark score, and it trails the AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS by 0.7%. This indicates that the CPU’s raw throughput is competitive with previous-generation high-end parts.

In the context of Hitman 2, a stealth title that relies heavily on CPU-driven game logic and AI pathfinding, the i5-12400F’s 12 threads are more than sufficient to avoid becoming the bottleneck at lower resolutions. The single-thread performance is also robust, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 909 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2,221, which ensures that the game’s primary simulation thread runs efficiently. When paired with the RTX 2060, the CPU’s capabilities are only fully taxed at high frame rates; the data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 135 FPS, a figure that approaches the limits of what the GPU can output before the CPU’s frame pacing becomes a factor. However, as settings increase, the load shifts decisively to the graphics card, meaning the i5-12400F’s role is to provide a stable baseline rather than to push extreme frame rates. The processor’s 65 W TDP and locked multiplier suggest a focus on efficiency and consistent performance, which aligns with the measured results where the CPU does not exhibit any signs of throttling or inconsistent frame delivery.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data across four presets and three resolutions reveals a clear hierarchy for this combo. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers an average of 135 FPS, which is the highest measured value for this configuration and provides a fluid experience for competitive play. However, the Medium preset at 1080p, with an average of 101.3 FPS, represents the most balanced option, offering a substantial visual upgrade over Low while still maintaining a frame rate well above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 1080p drops to 74.2 FPS, which is still playable but begins to show the GPU’s limitations as the graphical load increases.

For users prioritizing visual fidelity over raw speed, the Ultra preset at 1080p yields 57.8 FPS, which is marginally below the ideal smoothness target but acceptable for a stealth game where precise timing is less critical than in fast-paced shooters. At 1440p, the situation changes significantly. The Low preset remains the only option that clears 60 FPS, with an average of 82.2 FPS, while Medium falls to 63.2 FPS, which is just playable. High at 1440p produces 50.2 FPS, and Ultra drops to a less desirable 33.5 FPS. Consequently, the data indicates that the optimal experience for this hardware combination is the Medium preset at 1080p, as it provides a frame rate that is 36% higher than High at the same resolution while still delivering a visually coherent image. Choosing High at 1080p is viable, but the 26.7 FPS difference between Medium and High suggests that the GPU’s shading units and ROPs are being pushed past their efficient operating range.

Resolution Scaling

The performance degradation from 1080p to 4K is steep and reveals the limiting component clearly. At 1080p Low, the combo averages 135 FPS, but this drops to 82.2 FPS at 1440p Low, a reduction of 39.1%, and then to 43.1 FPS at 4K Low, a further 47.6% reduction. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the RTX 2060’s 6 GB of GDDR6 memory and 192-bit bus interface become the primary constraints. The same trend is visible across all presets: High goes from 74.2 FPS at 1080p to 50.2 FPS at 1440p and then to 23.5 FPS at 4K, while Medium drops from 101.3 to 63.2 to 32.1 FPS over the same range.

The disproportionate drop at 4K, where even the Low preset cannot maintain a playable 43.1 FPS, indicates that the GPU’s pixel fill rate of 80.64 GPixel/s and texture rate of 201.6 GTexel/s are overwhelmed by the 8.3 million pixels of a 4K frame. The CPU, in contrast, shows no signs of being the bottleneck, as the frame rate scales almost linearly with the number of pixels being rendered. If the i5-12400F were the limiting factor, the 1080p to 1440p drop would be much smaller, but the data shows a consistent 40-45% reduction across all settings when moving between these resolutions. This proves that the RTX 2060, with its 1920 shading units and 48 ROPs, is the definitive performance ceiling for this configuration, and any attempt to play at 4K will result in sub-30 FPS averages unless the settings are reduced to Low.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this pairing of the i5-12400F and RTX 2060 achieves a combo rank of 1,463 out of 1,795 total combos, placing it in the lower 18.5% of all configurations tested in Hitman 2. This ranking reflects the GPU’s age and mid-range positioning more than the CPU’s capability, as the i5-12400F’s performance is competitive with much newer parts. The rank is primarily dragged down by the RTX 2060’s inability to handle High and Ultra presets at higher resolutions, as evidenced by the measured frame rates. For context, the combo’s average FPS across all presets and resolutions is roughly 59.8 FPS, but this figure is skewed by the high 1080p results.

The low ranking is not a condemnation of the individual components but rather a reflection of how this specific pairing handles the game’s demanding graphics engine. When compared to other combos in the database, those that rank higher typically feature more powerful GPUs with higher VRAM capacities and faster memory bandwidth, such as the RTX 2060’s nearest rivals like the AMD Radeon Pro 5700, which scores 1.7% higher in average GPU benchmarks. The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-8700K, do not significantly change the combo’s ranking, confirming that the GPU is the limiting factor. For users with this exact hardware, the ranking suggests that the system is best suited for 1080p gaming with medium-to-high settings, where it can deliver a satisfying experience, but it will struggle to compete with modern mid-range configurations in this specific title.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is built on the Turing architecture and features the TU106 chip manufactured on a 12 nm process at TSMC. With 1,920 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs, the GPU provides a solid foundation for 1080p gaming, but its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth becomes a critical limitation at higher resolutions. The boost clock of 1680 MHz, combined with a base clock of 1365 MHz, allows the GPU to reach a peak FP32 performance of 6.451 TFLOPS, which is adequate for the game’s DirectX 12 rendering path. The GPU also includes 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores, though Hitman 2 does not utilize ray tracing, so these features remain idle during gameplay.

The measured results show that the RTX 2060 performs best when the resolution is kept low. At 1080p Low, the GPU can output 135 FPS, but this drops to 101.3 FPS at Medium and 74.2 FPS at High, indicating that the shading units are being saturated by the increased lighting and shadow complexity. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 57.8 FPS, a 42.2% reduction from Low, which highlights the GPU’s inability to handle the highest quality settings without significant frame loss. At 1440p, the GPU’s memory bandwidth becomes the bottleneck, as the 336.0 GB/s is insufficient to feed the higher pixel count, resulting in a 39.1% drop from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings. The 4K results are uniformly poor, with the best case being 43.1 FPS at Low, which confirms that the RTX 2060 is not designed for 4K gaming.

The GPU’s overall benchmark scores, such as a Passmark G3D score of 14,111 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,242, place it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 7600S, scores 0.5% higher, while the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 is 1.7% faster. These margins are small, indicating that the RTX 2060 remains competitive with newer entry-level mobile and workstation parts in raw compute, but its limited VRAM and older architecture hold it back in modern games. For Hitman 2 specifically, the GPU’s role is to provide a playable experience at 1080p with medium settings, and the data suggests that pushing beyond this will result in frame rates that fall below the acceptable threshold for smooth gameplay.