Hitman 2

Hitman 2, a stealth classic from 2018, presents an interesting case study for this modern pairing. The Intel Core i5-12600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti represent a blend of a 2021 CPU with a 2025 GPU, and the measured data reveals how this combination handles the game's engine. The benchmark results show a wide span of performance across different presets and resolutions, with the combo ranking 171st out of 1795 tested configurations. This analysis will break down the CPU and GPU roles, explore the scaling of performance, and provide specific recommendations based solely on the measured FPS data.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor from the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. Its 20 MB of shared L3 cache and support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory make it a versatile foundation. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU achieves a single-thread score of 1016 in 3DMark and a multicore score of 7956 in the 16-thread test, placing it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 27827 puts it in a dead heat with the Intel Core i9-10900K (deltaPct: 0) and just 0.1% behind the Intel Core i5-12600K.

For a game like Hitman 2, which is not known for being heavily multi-threaded, the single-core performance is often the deciding factor. The data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the system achieves 289.6 FPS. This high frame rate, even at the lowest settings, suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to hit very high frame rates. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3309 and multicore score of 23444 indicate a strong processor, but the game's performance is more likely tied to the boost clock of 4.90 GHz. The gap between the 1080p Low (289.6 FPS) and 1080p Ultra (123.2 FPS) scores is substantial, which implies that while the CPU is not the bottleneck at low settings, the increased graphical load shifts the burden to the GPU. The processor's 3DMark 2-thread score of 1995 is particularly relevant, as Hitman 2 often relies on a few primary threads for its simulation and AI logic.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which preset to select for different priorities. At 1080p, the gap between presets is significant. The High preset yields 163.9 FPS, which is a 40.7 FPS increase over the Ultra preset's 123.2 FPS. The Medium preset offers 219.9 FPS, and Low reaches 289.6 FPS. For a smooth 60 FPS target, even the Ultra preset at 1080p easily exceeds this with a 123.2 FPS average. For players with high refresh rate monitors (144Hz or higher), the Medium preset at 219.9 FPS is the best balance, as it provides a massive jump over High and Ultra while still maintaining a high level of visual fidelity.

At 1440p, the situation becomes more nuanced. The High preset delivers 103.8 FPS, which is still excellent for a smooth experience. The Medium preset provides 138.8 FPS, which is ideal for 120Hz or 144Hz displays. The Ultra preset at 75.7 FPS is just above the 60 FPS threshold, but the High preset's 103.8 FPS is a much safer and more comfortable choice. At 4K, the High preset drops to 58.2 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS target, while Medium provides 74.5 FPS. The data suggests that for a 4K experience, the Medium preset is the optimal choice, as it delivers a playable frame rate above 60 FPS while the Ultra preset falls to 39.3 FPS. The best experience per the measured rows is to use High settings for 1080p and 1440p, and Medium settings for 4K, as these presets offer the best combination of frame rate and visual quality without the steep performance penalty of the Ultra preset.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The FPS data across resolutions reveals the classic scaling behavior of a GPU-bound scenario. At High settings, the system drops from 163.9 FPS at 1080p to 103.8 FPS at 1440p, a 36.7% decrease, and then to 58.2 FPS at 4K, a 43.9% further decrease. This steep drop-off when moving from 1440p to 4K is a strong indicator that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is becoming the primary limiting factor. The GPU's specifications, including its 896.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 16 GB of GDDR7 memory, are being taxed heavily by the higher pixel count.

The Low preset shows a similar trend, with 289.6 FPS at 1080p, 182.8 FPS at 1440p, and 100.9 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 36.9% and 44.8%, respectively. This consistent scaling across presets confirms that the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions. The CPU's performance headroom is evident at 1080p Low, where the frame rate is extremely high, but as resolution increases, the GPU's rendering workload dominates. The RTX 5070 Ti's 43.94 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 235.4 GPixel/s pixel rate are impressive, yet Hitman 2's engine at 4K Ultra is still a demanding task, resulting in just 39.3 FPS. The data suggests that the CPU has ample power to handle the game's logic at any resolution, but the GPU is the component that dictates the final frame rate at 1440p and above.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

Within the database of tested hardware combinations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti achieves a rank of 171 out of 1795 combos. This places the system in the top 9.5% of all tested configurations. This high rank is expected given the strength of both components. The CPU's average benchmark score of 27827 puts it in a tight race with its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-10900K (deltaPct: 0) and the Intel Core i5-12600K (deltaPct: -0.1). The GPU, with an average benchmark score of 52086, is virtually identical in performance to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 (deltaPct: 0) and trails the AMD Radeon RX 7700S by just 0.8%.

This rank of 171 indicates that while the combo is very powerful, there are 170 other configurations that deliver higher average frame rates in this specific game. The ranking is a composite of all measured settings and resolutions, so a combo that excels at 4K Ultra might rank higher than one that is better at 1080p Low. The data indicates that this pairing is well-balanced, but the 4K Ultra result of 39.3 FPS is a weak point that prevents it from ranking even higher. The combination's strength is its consistency, providing high frame rates across most settings, but the Ultra preset at high resolutions is a clear limitation.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is the clear performance driver in this pairing, especially at higher resolutions. It features 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a substantial 896.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. Its boost clock is 2452 MHz, and it packs 8960 shading units. The GPU's synthetic benchmarks show a strong performance profile, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6604 and a Passmark G3D score of 32974, placing it in the 87th percentile of all GPUs.

The relationship between the GPU's capabilities and the measured FPS is direct. At 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 39.3 FPS, suggesting that the game's most demanding settings are overwhelming the GPU's raw compute power. The 43.94 TFLOPS of FP32 throughput is high, but Hitman 2's Ultra preset appears to have effects and geometry that are particularly taxing. At 4K High, the GPU delivers 58.2 FPS, which is much more playable but still below the 60 FPS target. The move from High to Medium at 4K yields a significant 16.3 FPS increase (from 58.2 to 74.5 FPS), indicating that the Medium preset is the sweet spot for 4K gaming with this GPU. The GPU's 70 RT cores and 280 tensor cores are not heavily utilized in this non-ray-traced game, so the performance is primarily dependent on the raw shader and memory performance. The data shows the GPU is the limiting factor at 1440p and 4K, but it also has the power to provide excellent frame rates at 1080p and 1440p on High settings.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achievable with this combo at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS at 1920x1080 is recorded on the Low preset, reaching 289.6 FPS.

Q: At which resolution and preset does this system fall below the 60 FPS threshold?

A: The only measured configuration that averages below 60 FPS is at 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, which averages 39.3 FPS. The 4K High preset is also below 60 FPS at 58.2 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 Ti compare to the RTX 4080 in average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 5070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 52086, which is essentially identical to the RTX 4080's average score of 52085, with a deltaPct of 0.

Q: What is the performance difference between the i5-12600KF and the i9-10900K in synthetic tests?

A: The i5-12600KF has an average score of 27827, while the i9-10900K has an average score of 27829, resulting in a deltaPct of 0, indicating they are statistically equal.

Q: What is the FPS jump from 4K High to 4K Medium settings?

A: The average FPS increases from 58.2 FPS on High to 74.5 FPS on Medium at 3840x2160, a gain of 16.3 FPS.

Q: How many total combos does this system rank above in the database?

A: This combo is ranked 171 out of 1795, meaning it performs better than 1624 other tested combinations.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The following table outlines the exact average FPS measurements for all tested configurations.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

| :--------- | :------- | ------: |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 289.6 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 219.9 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 163.9 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 123.2 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 182.8 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 138.8 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 103.8 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 75.7 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 100.9 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 74.5 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 58.2 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 39.3 |

The data reveals a consistent pattern: at 1080p, all presets are capable of delivering high frame rates, with even the most demanding Ultra preset hitting 123.2 FPS. At 1440p, the Ultra preset drops below 100 FPS, but remains playable at 75.7 FPS. The 4K resolution is where the GPU starts to struggle with the higher presets, as the High preset barely misses the 60 FPS mark and the Ultra preset falls to a sub-40 FPS average. The scaling from Low to Ultra at each resolution shows a significant performance cost, with the most substantial absolute drop occurring at 1080p, where the difference between Low and Ultra is 166.4 FPS. This indicates that while the CPU is powerful enough to handle the game's logic, the GPU's workload increases exponentially with the more complex visual settings.