Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER delivers a mid-pack experience in Hitman 2, ranking 2631st out of 3711 tested combinations. This places the combo in the 29th percentile, meaning roughly 71% of tested systems deliver higher average frame rates. The data suggests this pairing is not optimized for maximum performance in this title, but rather offers a balanced, playable experience across most settings, with clear limitations emerging only at the most demanding 4K Ultra preset.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Hitman 2 with this combo?

A: The data indicates 1080p is the most versatile. At 1080p, the combo achieves 60 FPS on Ultra and 82 FPS on High, with Low settings reaching 145 FPS. While 1440p is playable on Medium (69 FPS), the 4K experience falls below 60 FPS on every preset, making it unsuitable for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Core i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score of 27799. This puts it nearly identical to the Intel Core i9-10900K, which scores 27872 (a -0.3% delta), and the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D, which scores 27896 (also -0.3%). Its performance is effectively a statistical tie with these rivals, indicating strong multi-threaded capability for its generation.

Q: Is the RTX 2060 SUPER a limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: Yes. The measured FPS shows a dramatic drop at 3840x2160. Even on Low settings, the average FPS is only 49, and it falls to 28 on High. The GPU's 8 GB of VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth appear insufficient to maintain high frame rates at this resolution, making the GPU the primary bottleneck.

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

A: The jump from Medium to Ultra at 2560x1440 results in a significant performance cost. Medium delivers an average of 69 FPS, while Ultra drops to 39 FPS. This represents a 43% reduction in frame rate for the higher visual fidelity, suggesting Ultra is only viable if you prioritize graphics over smoothness.

Q: Does the CPU hold back the GPU at 1080p Low settings?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 145 FPS. This high frame rate, given the CPU's 10 cores and 16 threads, suggests the processor is not the limiting factor at this setting. The GPU is still able to push a high number of frames, indicating a well-balanced pairing for this specific scenario.

Q: How does the GPU's performance compare to its closest competitors?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 18093. This places it slightly behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (18159, -0.4% delta) and the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (18189, -0.5% delta). The performance difference is minimal, indicating it is a solid mid-range option.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, which are crucial for single-threaded tasks that Hitman 2 relies on for game logic and AI. The data shows strong synthetic performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23391 and a single-core score of 3302. This indicates a processor capable of handling both the complex world simulation of a stealth game and the high frame rates requested by the GPU.

In the context of Hitman 2, the CPU's 20 MB of shared L3 cache is likely beneficial for maintaining consistent frame times, as the game's large, detailed levels require frequent data access. The CPU's 79th percentile ranking among all CPUs suggests it is a high-performing component. Its average benchmark score of 27799 is virtually identical to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-10900K, which scores 27872. This parity implies that for this game, the newer architecture's efficiency gains are offset by the older chip's higher core count, resulting in a wash in terms of raw processing power.

The measured FPS data also provides insight into the CPU's role. At 1080p Low, where the GPU is less stressed, the combo hits 145 FPS. This high number suggests the CPU is not a bottleneck, as it can feed frames to the GPU quickly. However, the lack of a significant performance gap between the i5-12600KF and its rivals in synthetic tests suggests that its contribution to the overall FPS is consistent with other top-tier CPUs from its era. The data implies that while the CPU is strong, the game's performance is more heavily dictated by the GPU, especially at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers a strong experience. The Low preset achieves an average of 145 FPS, while Medium yields 109 FPS with a minimum of 92 FPS and a maximum of 125 FPS. High settings result in 82 FPS, and the Ultra preset still maintains a playable 60 FPS average.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates scale down as expected. Low settings produce an average of 93 FPS, which is still very smooth. Medium drops to 69 FPS, with a range between 59 and 80 FPS. High settings maintain 52 FPS, but the Ultra preset falls to 39 FPS, which is below the threshold for a consistently smooth experience.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 2060 SUPER begins to struggle. Low settings are the only playable option, with an average of 49 FPS. Medium drops to 37 FPS, with a minimum of 31 FPS, and High falls to 28 FPS. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, yielding an average of just 21 FPS, which is not suitable for gameplay. This breakdown shows a clear tiering, with 1080p being the sweet spot for high refresh rates and 4K requiring significant compromises in visual quality.

Resolution Scaling

The data reveals a significant performance drop as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p High, the combo averages 82 FPS. This falls to 52 FPS at 1440p High, a 37% reduction. At 4K High, the average plummets to 28 FPS, which is a 66% drop from the 1080p figure. This pattern is consistent across all settings, indicating a GPU-limited scenario.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a moderate performance hit, suggesting that the GPU is being pushed harder but is still within its comfort zone. However, the jump from 1440p to 4K is more severe. For example, at Medium settings, the FPS drops from 69 at 1440p to 37 at 4K, a 46% decrease. This steep decline indicates that the GPU's memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s and 8 GB of VRAM are being overwhelmed at 4K.

This scaling analysis implies that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the primary limiting component. The CPU's performance does not degrade with resolution, as its workload remains constant. Therefore, the dramatic FPS loss at 4K is directly attributable to the GPU's inability to render the increased pixel count efficiently. The data suggests that for this combo, 4K is not a viable resolution for Hitman 2, as even the Low preset cannot maintain a stable 60 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal settings depend on the user's resolution and priority for frame rate versus visual fidelity. For 1080p, the Ultra preset is a viable choice, as it maintains an average of 60 FPS, which is the standard for smooth gameplay. For users with high refresh rate monitors, the High preset at 82 FPS or even Medium at 109 FPS offers a significant advantage in smoothness. The Low preset is not recommended unless chasing extremely high frame rates, as it provides 145 FPS but likely sacrifices too much visual detail.

At 1440p, the Medium preset offers the best balance, with an average of 69 FPS and a minimum of 59 FPS, ensuring a mostly consistent experience. The High preset at 52 FPS may be acceptable for some, but it is closer to the edge of playability. The Ultra preset at 39 FPS is not recommended for serious gameplay, as the frame rate drops below the 40 FPS threshold where stuttering becomes noticeable.

For 4K, the data strongly suggests avoiding this resolution with this GPU. The Low preset at 49 FPS is the only option that approaches playability, but it is still below 60 FPS. All other presets result in average frame rates below 40 FPS, which is not suitable for a stealth game that requires precise timing. The recommendation is to stick to 1080p or 1440p with Medium to High settings to get the best experience from this combo.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is a Turing-architecture GPU with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. It has a base clock of 1470 MHz and a boost clock of 1650 MHz. The GPU's 2176 shading units and 64 ROPs are responsible for the actual rendering of Hitman 2's detailed environments. The data indicates that this GPU is a capable mid-range performer, ranking in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU's role in this combo is clearly the dominant factor at higher resolutions. The measured FPS shows that at 1080p, the GPU can keep up with the CPU, delivering high frame rates on all presets. However, as the resolution increases, the GPU's limitations become apparent. The 4K results, where the average FPS drops below 50 on all settings, highlight the insufficient fill rate and memory bandwidth for this demanding resolution. The GPU's average benchmark score of 18093 is slightly lower than its nearest rival, the RTX 3060 Mobile, but the difference is negligible in practice.

The GPU's 8 GB of VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p in this game, but the data suggests it may be a constraint at 4K. The game's high-resolution textures and large levels can quickly fill the VRAM, leading to performance degradation. The 14 Gbps effective memory speed and 256-bit interface are standard for this class, but they are not enough to handle 4K Ultra settings, as evidenced by the 21 FPS average. The RTX 2060 SUPER is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it provides a solid experience, but it is not a 4K-capable card for demanding titles like Hitman 2.