Hitman 2

The pairing of Intel’s Core i5-12600KF with NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 5090 D in Hitman 2 produces a dataset that clearly delineates the boundaries between CPU and GPU limitations. The benchmark measurements, captured at three resolutions and four quality presets, reveal a system that scales predictably with graphical load while exposing the processor's influence at lower settings. This analysis examines the resolution scaling, the distinct roles of the CPU and GPU, the combo's overall ranking, and the specific frame rates measured across all configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K in Hitman 2 shows a classic pattern of increasing GPU dependency, with the most dramatic shifts occurring at the High and Ultra presets. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 207 FPS at 1920x1080 to 132 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 75 FPS. Moving further to 3840x2160 High yields 71 FPS, which is 61 FPS lower than the 1440p result and 136 FPS below the 1080p figure. This steep decline with each resolution step indicates that the RTX 5090 D, despite its immense computational resources, is being progressively saturated by the pixel throughput demands of 4K rendering.

The scaling behavior at the Medium preset follows a similar trajectory but with different absolute values. At 1080p Medium, the system produces 274 FPS, which falls to 175 FPS at 1440p and then to 93 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at Medium is approximately 66%, which is slightly less severe than the 65.7% drop seen at High, suggesting that the extra shading work at High settings disproportionately impacts the higher resolution. In contrast, the Low preset shows the most extreme scaling: 346 FPS at 1080p, 234 FPS at 1440p, and 124 FPS at 4K. The 222 FPS difference between 1080p and 4K at Low represents a 64% reduction, yet the absolute numbers remain high enough to suggest that the CPU is becoming a more significant factor at lower graphical loads.

Ultra settings produce the lowest frame rates across all resolutions, with 153 FPS at 1080p, 98 FPS at 1440p, and 52 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result of 52 FPS is the only configuration in the entire dataset that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that this particular preset pushes the RTX 5090 D to its limits in Hitman 2. The data suggests that at 1080p and 1440p, the combo is generally GPU-bound at higher settings, but at Low settings and lower resolutions, the CPU's influence becomes more pronounced, as evidenced by the disproportionately high frame rates that exceed what a pure GPU-bound scenario would typically produce.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. Its benchmark results show a single-thread score of 1016 in 3DMark and 3925 in PassMark, alongside a multi-thread score of 7952 in 3DMark and 27575 in PassMark. These numbers, combined with a 79th percentile ranking among all CPUs, place it as a solid mid-range performer for gaming workloads. In Hitman 2, the CPU's role is most evident at the Low preset, where frame rates soar to 346 FPS at 1080p and 234 FPS at 1440p. These figures are so high that they cannot be attributed solely to GPU throughput; instead, they reflect the processor's ability to feed the RTX 5090 D with sufficient draw calls and physics data.

The game's stealth genre typically involves complex AI routines and scene management, which can stress CPU performance. The 12600KF's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support (DDR4 and DDR5) provide adequate bandwidth for these tasks. The processor's 3DMark 16-thread score of 7956 and Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23391 indicate strong parallel processing capability, which aligns with the high frame rates observed at lower resolutions. However, the data shows that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at higher settings or resolutions, as the frame rate drops consistently with increased graphical fidelity. The boost clock of 4.90 GHz is likely the key factor in maintaining high minimum frame rates, though the dataset only provides min FPS values for the Medium preset at each resolution: 233 FPS at 1080p, 149 FPS at 1440p, and 79 FPS at 4K.

The nearest rivals to the 12600KF in terms of average benchmark score include the Intel Core i9-10900K (deltaPct -0.3), AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D (deltaPct -0.3), and AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE (deltaPct 0.3). These comparisons show that the 12600KF performs nearly identically to these alternatives in synthetic tests, with differences of less than one percent. In Hitman 2, this suggests that any of these CPUs would likely produce similar frame rates when paired with the RTX 5090 D, assuming no other system differences.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a massive GPU with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. Its 21760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 ROPs provide raw compute power that is reflected in its 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs. The GPU's boost clock of 2407 MHz and base clock of 2017 MHz, combined with a 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 throughput, make it one of the most capable graphics cards available. In Hitman 2, the GPU's dominance is clear at 4K Ultra, where it manages 52 FPS average, and at 4K High, where it reaches 71 FPS. These numbers demonstrate that even a GPU with this level of computational power is challenged by the game's most demanding settings.

The VRAM capacity of 32 GB is far more than Hitman 2 requires, but it ensures that texture streaming and high-resolution assets never cause a bottleneck. The GPU's memory clock of 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective) and bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s allow for rapid data transfer, which is particularly relevant at 4K where texture sizes and geometry complexity increase. The RTX 5090 D's benchmark scores, including a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14326 and a PassMark G3D score of 44065, place it in the upper echelon of GPUs, yet its nearest rivals in the dataset are notably different: the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (deltaPct 1.1), AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (deltaPct -1.6), and NVIDIA Tesla P100 variants (deltaPct -2.1 to -2.4). These deltas indicate that the RTX 5090 D outperforms these rivals by a small margin in synthetic tests, but the gaming results in Hitman 2 are more dependent on the specific engine optimizations.

The GPU's pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s are theoretical maximums that help explain its ability to maintain high frame rates at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the GPU produces 346 FPS, which is likely near the upper limit of what the game engine can render given CPU input constraints. The GPU's role becomes more pronounced as resolution increases, with the 4K frame rates showing a clear scaling pattern that aligns with the increased pixel count and shading complexity.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D achieves a rank of 26 out of 3001 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places it in the top 0.9% of all combinations in the database, indicating that this pairing is exceptionally well-suited for this game. The rank reflects the synergy between the CPU's strong single-thread performance and the GPU's massive compute capability, resulting in frame rates that are competitive with much more expensive processor options. The 26th position out of 3001 is particularly notable given that the 12600KF is a mid-range CPU, suggesting that Hitman 2 does not heavily penalize systems with fewer cores, provided the single-thread performance is sufficient.

The combo's rank is likely influenced by the high frame rates achieved at 1080p and 1440p, where the CPU can keep up with the GPU's output. At 4K, the rank is still strong, but the GPU becomes the limiting factor, which means that other combos with faster CPUs might not see a significant advantage. The data indicates that the RTX 5090 D is the primary driver of this high ranking, as its performance at 4K Ultra (52 FPS) is among the best available, and the 12600KF does not bottleneck it at lower resolutions. The 3001 total combos in the database likely include several with higher-end CPUs (such as the Core i9 or Ryzen 9 series), so the 26th rank demonstrates that the 12600KF punches above its weight class in this specific game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates across all settings. The Low preset produces an average of 346 FPS, while Medium yields 274 FPS with a minimum of 233 FPS and a maximum of 315 FPS. High settings average 207 FPS, and Ultra drops to 153 FPS. These numbers show that even at the most demanding 1080p preset, the combo maintains well above 144 FPS, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate displays. The 193 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p highlights the significant impact of graphical settings on performance.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high but show a clear step down. Low settings average 234 FPS, Medium averages 175 FPS with a minimum of 149 FPS and a maximum of 201 FPS, High averages 132 FPS, and Ultra averages 98 FPS. The 1440p Ultra result of 98 FPS is still above 60 FPS, providing a smooth experience for most players. The Medium preset's minimum of 149 FPS indicates that even during demanding scenes, the system does not drop below 144 FPS, which is excellent for 144Hz monitors.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates drop significantly. Low settings average 124 FPS, Medium averages 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 107 FPS, High averages 71 FPS, and Ultra averages 52 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is the only configuration that falls below 60 FPS, making it unsuitable for high-refresh-rate 4K gaming. The Medium preset's minimum of 79 FPS suggests that the system can maintain playable frame rates at 4K with medium settings, but High and Ultra presets push the GPU to its limits. The 72 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is proportionally smaller than at lower resolutions, confirming that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at this resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: The combo achieves an average of 207 FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings, placing it well above the 144 FPS threshold for high-refresh-rate gaming.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 52, which is the lowest measured value in the dataset and falls below the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 yields an average of 175 FPS with a minimum of 149 FPS, ensuring that the system never drops below 144 FPS, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate 1440p displays.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance at 1080p Low?

A: At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 346, which is so high that the CPU becomes the limiting factor, as the GPU is not fully utilized at such low graphical loads.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested configurations in this game?

A: The Intel Core i5-12600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination ranks 26th out of 3001 tested combos in Hitman 2, placing it in the top 0.9% of all pairings.

Q: What are the minimum and maximum FPS at 4K Medium settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 79 and the maximum is 107, with an average of 93 FPS, indicating stable performance above 60 FPS.