Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT delivers a solid 1080p and 1440p experience in Hitman 2, but it struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K Ultra settings. The data shows a clear performance ceiling at 3840x2160, where even Medium settings yield an average of only 39 FPS, while 1920x1080 Low reaches a smooth 152 FPS average. This combination ranks in the 64th percentile of all tested combos for this game, indicating a capable mid-range pairing that favors resolution scaling over brute-force 4K performance.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU-GPU combo in Hitman 2?*

A: The measured data indicates 1920x1080 is the strongest resolution, with average FPS ranging from 63 at Ultra to 152 at Low. At 2560x1440, averages drop to between 41 and 97 FPS depending on settings, while 3840x2160 only manages 22 to 52 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 7600 XT compare to its closest GPU rivals?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score is 17083, placing it 0.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 and 0.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon HD 7970M. It sits 0.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 and 0.9% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla M4.

Q: What is the CPU’s multithreaded performance relative to its peers?

A: The i5-12600KF scores 7956 in 3dmark_16_threads and 7952 in 3dmark_max_threads. Its average benchmark score is 27799, which places it 0.3% behind the Intel Core i9-10900K and AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, while being 0.3% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE.

Q: Which settings preset provides the most balanced experience at 2560x1440?

A: Medium settings at 2560x1440 deliver a 73 FPS average with a minimum of 62 FPS and maximum of 84 FPS. This offers a better frame rate than High (55 FPS) or Ultra (41 FPS) while maintaining smoother performance than Low (97 FPS) which may sacrifice too much visual quality.

Q: Does the combo achieve a consistent 60 FPS at 4K?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is 52 at Low settings. Medium averages 39 FPS, High averages 29 FPS, and Ultra drops to 22 FPS. None of these reach the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the CPU’s single-thread score influence game performance?

A: The CPU scores 1016 in 3dmark_single_thread and 3302 in Cinebench R23 single-core. These strong single-thread results help maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions, as seen in the 1920x1080 Low preset achieving 152 FPS average.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF provides 10 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. This Alder Lake-S architecture processor operates on a 10 nm process node with a 125W TDP. The CPU’s cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. Benchmark results show strong multithreaded capability, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23391 and a Geekbench multicore score of 12137.

In Hitman 2, the CPU’s performance becomes more critical at higher frame rate targets. The data shows that at 1920x1080 Low, the average FPS reaches 152, indicating the CPU can feed frames efficiently when GPU load is low. The processor’s single-thread score of 3925 in PassMark supports this, as the game’s stealth mechanics and AI routines often rely on strong per-core performance. Compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-12600KF’s average benchmark score of 27799 is virtually identical to the Intel Core i9-10900K (27872, -0.3%) and AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D (27896, -0.3%), while being slightly ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE (27712, +0.3%).

The CPU’s memory support for both DDR4 and DDR5 on a dual-channel bus provides flexibility, though the benchmark data does not isolate memory bandwidth effects. At lower resolution settings, the 10-core configuration ensures that background tasks do not interfere with game rendering, as evidenced by the 152 FPS average at 1080p Low. The processor’s 20 MB of shared L3 cache helps maintain data locality for game assets, which is particularly relevant for Hitman 2’s large, detailed maps. The CPU’s 79th percentile ranking among all CPUs further confirms its position as a solid mid-range performer.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its RDNA 3.0 architecture, built on a 6 nm process, includes 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The GPU’s boost clock reaches 2755 MHz, with a game clock of 2470 MHz and base clock of 1980 MHz. Memory operates at 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective speed. The card supports PCIe 4.0 x8 and has a 190W TDP.

The GPU’s 16 GB VRAM is a key asset for Hitman 2 at high resolutions, as the game’s dense environments can consume significant memory. However, the measured FPS data reveals that the GPU’s raw compute power becomes the limiting factor at 4K. At 3840x2160, the average FPS drops to 22 at Ultra settings, despite the large VRAM allocation. This suggests the GPU’s 22.57 TFLOPS FP32 performance is insufficient for maxed-out 4K rendering. At 2560x1440, the GPU performs more respectably, with an average of 73 FPS at Medium settings and 55 FPS at High.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the RX 7600 XT’s average benchmark score of 17083 places it in the 60th percentile of all GPUs. It trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 by 0.7% (17208) but leads the GTX 690 by 0.3% (17037) and the HD 7970M by 0.4% (17019). The GPU’s DirectX 12 benchmark score of 65 in PassMark suggests moderate API-level performance, while its Vulkan score of 48366 in Geekbench indicates stronger low-level API utilization. The 16 GB memory capacity ensures that VRAM is never a bottleneck, as even at 4K Ultra, the frame rate limitation is compute-bound rather than memory-bound.

Settings Recommendations

The optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an 86 FPS average, which is a good balance of visual quality and smoothness. For players seeking maximum fluidity, the Low preset achieves 152 FPS, while Medium offers 114 FPS with a minimum of 97 FPS. The Ultra preset at 63 FPS is playable but may exhibit occasional dips below 60 FPS in demanding scenes.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset provides the best experience with a 73 FPS average, a minimum of 62 FPS, and a maximum of 84 FPS. This ensures consistent frame times above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset drops to 55 FPS average, which is still acceptable but less fluid. Low at 97 FPS is the smoothest option but sacrifices visual fidelity. Ultra at 41 FPS is not recommended for action-heavy sequences.

For 3840x2160, no preset achieves a 60 FPS average. The Low preset at 52 FPS is the only option that approaches playability, while Medium at 39 FPS, High at 29 FPS, and Ultra at 22 FPS are all below the ideal threshold. Given these results, the recommended settings are Medium at 1920x1080 or 2560x1440, as they offer the best compromise between visual quality and performance. The measured data shows that the Medium preset’s minimum FPS values (97 at 1080p, 62 at 1440p) provide a more stable experience than High or Ultra at the same resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of Intel Core i5-12600KF and AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT ranks 2357 out of 3711 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places it in the 64th percentile of all combinations, indicating a slightly above-average performance profile. The rank reflects the pairing’s ability to deliver strong 1080p and decent 1440p performance while falling short at 4K.

The CPU’s position relative to its rivals helps contextualize this ranking. With an average benchmark score of 27799, the i5-12600KF is within 0.3% of the Intel Core i9-10900K and AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, both of which are higher-tier processors. The GPU’s 60th percentile ranking among all GPUs further supports the mid-range positioning. The combination’s rank suggests that while the hardware is capable, it does not excel in Hitman 2 specifically compared to other tested pairings.

The rank of 2357 out of 3711 means that approximately 64% of tested combos perform better, while 36% perform worse. This places the pairing in the upper-middle tier of the database. The measured FPS data aligns with this ranking, as the combo achieves playable frame rates at mainstream resolutions but cannot push 4K Ultra performance. For users targeting 1080p or 1440p gaming, this rank validates the pairing as a reasonable choice, though not an exceptional one.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the measured FPS data shows a steep performance cliff. The Low preset averages 52 FPS, but this drops to 39 FPS at Medium, 29 FPS at High, and 22 FPS at Ultra. Only the Medium preset provides minimum and maximum values (33 and 45 FPS respectively), which confirms the sub-60 FPS experience across all settings at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the performance improves substantially. Low settings achieve a 97 FPS average, Medium reaches 73 FPS with a range of 62 to 84 FPS, High delivers 55 FPS, and Ultra maintains 41 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 62 FPS is the key indicator that this is the sweet spot for 1440p, as it stays above the 60 FPS line. Low at 97 FPS offers headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors, while High and Ultra sacrifice smoothness for visual quality.

At 1920x1080, the combo shows its strongest performance. Low settings reach a 152 FPS average, Medium delivers 114 FPS with a range of 97 to 131 FPS, High achieves 86 FPS, and Ultra maintains 63 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 97 FPS ensures a consistently smooth experience, while Ultra’s 63 FPS average is just above the 60 FPS threshold. The Low preset’s 152 FPS average indicates that the CPU is not a bottleneck at this resolution, allowing the GPU to stretch its legs.

The progression across resolutions shows a clear pattern: the GPU scales well from 1080p to 1440p, but the 4K results indicate a hard computational limit. The difference between 1080p Low (152 FPS) and 4K Low (52 FPS) represents a 65% reduction in frame rate, which is significant. The data suggests that users should prioritize 1080p or 1440p for the best experience, as the 4K results do not meet the standards set by lower resolutions.