Hitman 2

# Hitman 2 with Intel Core i5-12400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 delivers a playable but resolution-sensitive experience in Hitman 2, with the combo ranking 2291st out of 3711 tested configurations. The data shows a system that handles 1080p comfortably, struggles at 4K, and exhibits clear GPU-bound behavior as resolution climbs. This pairing combines a 6-core, 12-thread Alder Lake processor with a Blackwell 2.0 GPU featuring 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a pronounced drop as resolution increases, which is characteristic of a system where the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher pixel counts. At 1080p with High settings, the combo averages 86 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops that to 55 FPS, a 36% reduction. At 4K High, the average falls to 29 FPS, which is roughly a 47% further decline from 1440p and a 66% total drop from 1080p. These steep percentage losses indicate that the RTX 5050's rendering throughput is the primary constraint; the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions, but the GPU's 13.17 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 320.0 GB/s memory bandwidth cannot sustain high frame rates at 4K.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. For Low settings, 1080p yields 152 FPS, 1440p yields 97 FPS, and 4K yields 52 FPS. The 4K result is still above 50 FPS, but the 66% reduction from 1080p mirrors the High preset's drop. Medium settings show 114 FPS at 1080p, 73 FPS at 1440p, and 39 FPS at 4K, with the 4K number falling below the 60 FPS threshold. Ultra settings are the most demanding, producing 64 FPS at 1080p, 41 FPS at 1440p, and just 22 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset at 4K represents the worst case, with the average FPS dropping to less than a quarter of the 1080p Low result.

The fact that even Low settings at 4K only reach 52 FPS suggests that the GPU's pixel throughput — rated at 82.30 GPixel/s — is overwhelmed by the 3840x2160 resolution. Meanwhile, the CPU's single-thread performance, evidenced by a 3DMark single-thread score of 909 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1680, appears adequate for the game's logic at lower resolutions, as the 1080p Low result of 152 FPS demonstrates. The data indicates that users targeting 4K would need to accept either Low settings for near-60 FPS or Medium settings for a 39 FPS average that includes frame times from 33 to 45 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the Alder Lake-S architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. Its base clock of 2.50 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz provide the single-thread headroom that Hitman 2, a stealth game with complex AI and simulation logic, typically requires. The CPU's benchmark scores reinforce this: a 3DMark single-thread score of 909 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1680 place it well above the 73rd percentile of all CPUs. Multi-threaded performance is also solid, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 12380 and a 3DMark 16-thread score of 5895.

In the context of this game's results, the CPU's role appears to be secondary to the GPU. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 152 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's limit for this title given its 2.50 GHz base clock. The fact that 1080p Low (152 FPS) is only slightly higher than 1440p Low (97 FPS) in relative terms — a 36% drop — suggests that the GPU is already becoming a factor even at 1440p. However, the 1080p Ultra result of 64 FPS versus 1080p High at 86 FPS shows that graphics settings have a larger impact than resolution at this level, implying the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at 1080p.

The CPU's cache hierarchy — 80 KB L1 per core, 1.25 MB L2 per core, and 18 MB shared L3 — is modest by modern standards but sufficient for a 2018-era game like Hitman 2. The processor's DDR4 and DDR5 memory support with a dual-channel bus means memory bandwidth is flexible, though the fact pack does not provide specific bandwidth figures. In comparison to its nearest rivals, the i5-12400F's average benchmark score of 19039 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS (19047, 0% delta), the Intel Core 3 201E (19056, -0.1%), the Intel Core i5-1335U (18982, 0.3%), and the AMD EPYC 7773X (18979, 0.3%). This suggests that for CPU-bound scenarios, the i5-12400F performs on par with these alternatives, though none of them are direct desktop gaming equivalents.

The data shows that the CPU's 12 threads are likely underutilized in Hitman 2, as the game's single-threaded nature benefits more from the 4.40 GHz boost clock than from multi-core scaling. The 3DMark 2-thread score of 1699 versus the 16-thread score of 5895 indicates that performance scales well with threads, but a stealth game's simulation typically does not require 12 threads. The 65 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 compatibility make this a mainstream processor, and its 73rd percentile ranking confirms it is a competent, if not exceptional, gaming CPU for this title.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is the clear determinant of frame rates in this combo, especially at higher resolutions. Based on the GB207 chip on TSMC's 5 nm process, this GPU features 2560 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, with 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores. Its base clock of 2317 MHz and boost clock of 2572 MHz drive 13.17 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, while the 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock is rated at 2500 MHz with 20 Gbps effective speed.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a critical factor in Hitman 2's resolution scaling. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 22, which likely reflects both the GPU's compute limits and potential memory pressure from large textures. The pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s and texture rate of 205.8 GTexel/s are the theoretical ceilings, but real-world results show that the GPU cannot approach these limits at 4K. The 4K Medium result of 39 FPS (with min/max of 33/45) suggests that even moderate settings overwhelm the GPU's bandwidth, as 320.0 GB/s is relatively narrow for 4K rendering.

The RTX 5050's benchmark scores place it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs, with a PassMark G3D score of 17326 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2502. Its nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score (21035) include the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153, -0.6%), the AMD Radeon HD 8970M (21237, -1%), the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713, 1.6%), and the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile (21379, -1.6%). The RX 5600 XT, a desktop card from an older generation, is the closest performance analogue, differing by just 1.6%. This context explains why the RTX 5050 struggles at 4K: it is a mainstream-tier GPU, not a high-end 4K solution.

At 1080p, the GPU's strengths are more apparent. The 1080p Low result of 152 FPS shows that the GPU can deliver high frame rates when pixel count is low. The 1080p Medium result of 114 FPS (min/max 97/131) and 1080p High of 86 FPS indicate a linear scaling with settings, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario. The 1080p Ultra result of 64 FPS is still playable, but the drop from Low to Ultra represents a 58% reduction, highlighting that the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors even at 1080p.

The GPU's 130 W TDP and dual-slot design with a 1x 8-pin power connector make it a power-efficient option, but the suggested 300 W PSU indicates it requires a reasonable power supply. The PCIe 5.0 x8 interface provides ample bandwidth for the GPU's 8 GB memory, but the fact that the 4K results are so low suggests that bandwidth is not the bottleneck — rather, the raw compute and memory bus width (128-bit) are insufficient for 4K. The GPU's 149 mm² die size with 16,900 million transistors shows a dense design, but density does not compensate for the limited VRAM and narrow bus at high resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Hitman 2?

A: 1080p is the sweet spot, with all settings presets delivering playable frame rates. Low hits 152 FPS, Medium 114 FPS, High 86 FPS, and Ultra 64 FPS. At 1440p, only Low (97 FPS) and Medium (73 FPS) are above 60 FPS, while High drops to 55 FPS. At 4K, only Low (52 FPS) approaches 60 FPS, and Ultra falls to 22 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its nearest GPU rival?

A: The RTX 5050's average benchmark score of 21035 is 1.6% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713) and 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153). The closest competitor, the NVIDIA RTX A4000 Mobile, scores 21379, which is 1.6% higher than the RTX 5050.

Q: Is the i5-12400F a bottleneck for this GPU in Hitman 2?

A: At 1080p, the CPU appears sufficient, as the 152 FPS Low result indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. At higher resolutions, the GPU becomes even more constrained, so the CPU is not the bottleneck. The CPU's 73rd percentile ranking and single-thread score of 909 in 3DMark suggest it can handle the game's logic.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, Low settings produce 97 FPS, while Ultra produces 41 FPS. This 56 FPS difference (a 58% reduction) demonstrates that graphics settings have a substantial impact on performance at this resolution, more so than the resolution scaling from 1080p to 1440p at the same settings.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 2291st out of 3711 tested combos, placing it in the lower-middle tier. This ranking reflects the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions, as the CPU is a competent performer.

Q: Can this combo run Hitman 2 at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Only at Low settings, where it averages 52 FPS. Medium settings drop to 39 FPS, High to 29 FPS, and Ultra to 22 FPS. For a consistent 60 FPS experience at 4K, this combo is not suitable, as even Low settings fall short of that threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 2291 out of 3711 tested configurations places it in the 61.7th percentile of all tested combos, meaning it outperforms roughly 62% of systems but lags behind the top 38%. This mid-tier ranking is consistent with the hardware's specifications: the i5-12400F is a solid mainstream CPU, while the RTX 5050 is a budget-to-midrange GPU. The ranking reflects the system's ability to handle 1080p gaming well but its struggles at 4K.

Within the context of the combo's components, the CPU's 73rd percentile ranking among all CPUs is significantly higher than the GPU's 66th percentile among all GPUs. This disparity suggests that the GPU is the weaker link in this pairing, which aligns with the measured FPS data showing GPU-bound behavior at resolutions above 1080p. The fact that the combo ranks 2291st, rather than higher, is likely due to the GPU's performance ceiling rather than any CPU limitation.

The ranking also implies that many tested combos — 1420 of them — outperform this system. These would likely include configurations with more powerful GPUs, as the CPU's performance is adequate for gaming. The data shows that the RTX 5050's nearest rivals, such as the RX 5600 XT, are older or mobile-oriented parts, further emphasizing that this GPU is not designed for high-end 4K gaming. For users considering this combo, the ranking suggests that it is a capable 1080p machine that can handle 1440p at reduced settings, but it is not a 4K solution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 152 FPS average
• Medium: 114 FPS average, with a minimum of 97 FPS and maximum of 131 FPS
• High: 86 FPS average
• Ultra: 64 FPS average

At 1080p, every settings preset delivers playable frame rates. The Low preset's 152 FPS is ideal for high-refresh-rate displays, while Ultra's 64 FPS is still above the 60 FPS standard. The Medium preset's 97 FPS minimum ensures smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 97 FPS average
• Medium: 73 FPS average, with a minimum of 62 FPS and maximum of 84 FPS
• High: 55 FPS average
• Ultra: 41 FPS average

At 1440p, Low and Medium settings remain above 60 FPS, but High and Ultra fall below that threshold. The Medium preset's 62 FPS minimum is close to the 60 FPS line, suggesting that frame drops may be noticeable in busy areas. High and Ultra presets require a tolerance for frame rates in the 40-55 FPS range.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 52 FPS average
• Medium: 39 FPS average, with a minimum of 33 FPS and maximum of 45 FPS
• High: 29 FPS average
• Ultra: 22 FPS average

At 4K, only the Low preset approaches playable frame rates, and even it falls below 60 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 39 FPS, with the minimum of 33 FPS indicating significant frame time spikes. High and Ultra presets are not viable for smooth gameplay, with averages below 30 FPS. The 4K data clearly shows that this combo is not intended for 4K gaming, as even the lowest settings cannot maintain 60 FPS.