Hitman 2

# Hitman 2 with Intel Core i5-12600KF + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070

This combination of an Intel Core i5-12600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a revealing picture of how Hitman 2 scales across resolutions and settings. The data shows a system that is clearly GPU-bound at higher resolutions but surprisingly capable at 1080p, where frame rates approach the refresh-rate territory of high-end monitors. The measured results span from a demanding 26.2 FPS at 4K Ultra to a fluid 193 FPS at 1080p Low, indicating that the experience hinges almost entirely on the graphics preset and resolution chosen.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and tells a clear story about the limiting component. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 111.8 at 1920x1080 to 72.2 at 2560x1440, then to 38.2 at 3840x2160. That represents a 35% reduction moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 47% drop when stepping up to 4K. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario, where the RTX 3070's rendering throughput becomes the bottleneck as pixel count increases.

The scaling pattern across all settings confirms this interpretation. At Low settings, the system produces 193 FPS at 1080p, 127.6 at 1440p, and 67.1 at 4K. The 4K figure is roughly one-third of the 1080p performance, which aligns with the pixel-count ratio (4K has about 4x the pixels of 1080p, but the drop is less than 4x due to other bottlenecks). At Ultra settings, the numbers are 83.1, 51.3, and 26.2 FPS respectively, showing that the most demanding preset amplifies the resolution penalty.

What this implies is that the Core i5-12600KF is not the primary constraint in this game. Even at 1080p Low, where the CPU would typically be stressed to feed frames, the system reaches 193 FPS — a figure that would strain many processors but here suggests the 10-core, 16-thread Alder Lake chip has headroom. The GPU, with its 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, is the component that determines the ceiling at higher resolutions and settings.

FAQ

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

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the system averages 72.2 FPS, which is smooth and visually rich. At 1920x1080 High, it reaches 111.8 FPS, but the 1440p figure represents a better balance between visual fidelity and performance for most displays.

Q: Can this system handle 4K Ultra in Hitman 2?

A: No. The measured average at 3840x2160 Ultra is 26.2 FPS, which is below playable thresholds. Even at 4K High, the 38.2 FPS average is borderline, and 4K Low produces 67.1 FPS, indicating that 4K requires dropping settings significantly.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its nearest rivals in this context?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 28238 places it near the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, which scores 27985 with a deltaPct of 0.9. This means the RTX 3070 is roughly 1% faster than that card, while the AMD FirePro S7150 (28409) is about 0.6% ahead.

Q: Is the CPU holding back performance at 1080p?

A: The data suggests not. At 1080p Low, the system hits 193 FPS, and at 1080p Medium it reaches 145.3 FPS. These high frame rates indicate the Core i5-12600KF, with a 3.70 GHz base and 4.90 GHz boost clock, is feeding the GPU adequately at lower resolutions.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra at the same resolution?

A: At 1920x1080, the gap is 109.9 FPS (193 vs 83.1). At 2560x1440, it's 76.3 FPS (127.6 vs 51.3). At 3840x2160, the difference narrows to 40.9 FPS (67.1 vs 26.2), showing that higher resolutions compress the setting-based performance spread.

Q: Where does this combo rank among all tested systems for Hitman 2?

A: It ranks 821 out of 1795 tested combinations, placing it in the upper-middle portion of the database. This percentile position reflects the balanced nature of the pairing.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is built on the Ampere architecture with a GA104 chip manufactured on Samsung's 8 nm process. Its 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output pipelines provide substantial raw compute, with the GPU achieving 20.31 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The card operates at a 1500 MHz base clock and boosts to 1725 MHz, which is modest by current standards but sufficient for this title.

Memory configuration plays a significant role in Hitman 2's results. The 8 GB GDDR6 VRAM on a 256-bit bus delivers 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. At 4K Ultra, the game averages 26.2 FPS, and this low figure may partially stem from VRAM pressure — the game's texture-heavy environments at Ultra settings can strain 8 GB capacities. However, even at 4K High, where VRAM usage would be lower, the average only reaches 38.2 FPS, indicating that raw pixel throughput is the more dominant constraint.

The GPU's benchmark scores contextualize its performance. Its passmark G3D score of 22214 and 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3162 place it in the 72nd percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT (deltaPct 0.9) and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti (deltaPct 1.0), meaning the RTX 3070 edges out both by roughly 1%. The AMD FirePro S7150 leads by 0.6%, but this is a workstation card, not a direct gaming competitor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest performance. Low settings produce an average of 193 FPS, Medium reaches 145.3 FPS, High drops to 111.8 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 83.1 FPS. This resolution offers the widest range of playable options, from competitive-level frame rates at Low to a still-smooth experience at Ultra.

Moving to 2560x1440, the numbers become more moderate. Low averages 127.6 FPS, Medium hits 96.9 FPS, High achieves 72.2 FPS, and Ultra falls to 51.3 FPS. The 1440p High figure is particularly notable — it provides a 72 FPS experience that matches common 144 Hz monitor refresh rates well, while 1440p Ultra remains playable at just above 50 FPS.

At 3840x2160, performance drops significantly. Low averages 67.1 FPS, Medium reaches 49.7 FPS, High produces 38.2 FPS, and Ultra limps to 26.2 FPS. The step from Low to Medium at 4K costs 17.4 FPS, while High to Ultra costs 12 FPS, showing diminishing returns as settings increase. For 4K gaming, only the Low preset approaches acceptable smoothness, and even that falls short of 70 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor from the Alder Lake family, featuring a hybrid architecture with performance and efficiency cores. Its base clock of 3.70 GHz and boost clock of 4.90 GHz provide strong single-threaded performance, evidenced by a 3DMark single-thread score of 1016 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3309. Multi-threaded capability is equally robust, with Cinebench R23 multicore reaching 23444 and Geekbench multicore scoring 12373.

In Hitman 2, a stealth title that typically scales well with single-core performance, the CPU's strengths are evident. At 1080p Low, the 193 FPS average suggests the processor can maintain high frame delivery even when the GPU is under less load. The 1.25 MB L2 cache per core and 20 MB shared L3 cache help with game logic and AI processing, which are common in stealth gameplay scenarios.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 27827 places it in the 84th percentile among all processors. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-10900K (deltaPct 0), Intel Core i5-12600K (deltaPct -0.1), and Intel Core i7-13700H (deltaPct 0.4). This means the 12600KF is statistically tied with the i9-10900K, barely behind the i5-12600K (by 0.1%), and slightly ahead of the i7-13700H (by 0.4%). The near-identical scores suggest that for this game, the CPU is not a differentiator — the GPU dominates the performance envelope.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data points to 2560x1440 with High settings as the sweet spot. The 72.2 FPS average provides smooth gameplay without sacrificing visual quality, and this configuration sits comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold that most players consider minimum for acceptable performance. At 1440p Ultra, the 51.3 FPS average is playable but may feel less fluid in fast-paced sequences.

At 1920x1080, Medium settings (145.3 FPS) or High settings (111.8 FPS) are both excellent choices. The High preset offers a 111.8 FPS average that will satisfy most high-refresh-rate monitor owners, while Ultra at 83.1 FPS still clears 60 FPS comfortably. For players prioritizing maximum visual fidelity over frame rate, 1080p Ultra is the most demanding setting that remains fully playable.

At 4K, the options are constrained. The Low preset at 67.1 FPS is the only configuration that achieves a smooth experience, while Medium at 49.7 FPS is borderline. High (38.2 FPS) and Ultra (26.2 FPS) are below the playable threshold for most users. If 4K is a priority, dropping to Low settings is necessary, but the 1440p High preset offers a better balance of visuals and performance than 4K Low.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of Intel Core i5-12600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 ranks 821 out of 1795 tested combos for Hitman 2, placing it in the 54th percentile of all systems in the database. This mid-pack position is somewhat surprising given the individual component performance — the CPU sits in the 84th percentile and the GPU in the 72nd percentile. The gap between component percentiles and the combo's overall rank suggests that Hitman 2 does not heavily reward top-tier hardware.

The ranking implies that many other combinations deliver comparable or better performance in this specific title. The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, are within 1% of its average score, meaning systems using those cards with stronger CPUs could rank higher. Conversely, the CPU's near-tie with the Intel Core i9-10900K and Intel Core i5-12600K indicates that swapping the processor would yield minimal changes in this game's performance.

This rank also reflects the game's age and optimization. Hitman 2, released in November 2018, does not fully utilize the RTX 3070's Ampere features or the 12600KF's hybrid architecture. The measured results show a system that performs well but is not exceptional for this title, with the 4K Ultra figure of 26.2 FPS being a notable weak point. For players seeking top-tier performance in Hitman 2, other combinations in the database clearly outperform this pairing, but for balanced 1080p or 1440p gaming, this combo delivers solid, playable results.