Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-13400F and AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT combination delivers a playable, but not exceptional, experience in Hitman 2. Benchmark data shows the pairing ranks 1328th out of 1795 tested combos in this game, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database. The measured frames per second reveal a system that is consistently capable at 1080p but struggles to maintain smooth performance at higher resolutions, with the GPU acting as the primary bottleneck in most scenarios.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F brings a hybrid architecture with 10 cores and 16 threads, running at a base clock of 2.50 GHz and boosting up to 4.60 GHz. This Raptor Lake-S design, built on Intel's 10 nm process, provides a strong foundation for Hitman 2's engine, which benefits from both single-thread responsiveness and multi-threaded scaling. The processor's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache help maintain consistent frame delivery in the game's crowded environments.

Synthetic benchmarks show the CPU's capability profile. In Cinebench R23, the i5-13400F scores 21279 in multi-core and 3004 in single-core tests, while 3DMark results scale from 960 in single-thread to 7314 in 16-thread workloads. The CPU's average benchmark score of 25236 places it in the 82nd percentile of all processors. Compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-13400F sits within a tight performance band: it is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-13620H, 0.5% ahead of the AMD EPYC 9474F, and 0.5% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340, while trailing the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D by 0.5%.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's role becomes apparent when examining frame rates at low settings. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 143 FPS on average, indicating that the processor is not a limiting factor at this resolution. This high ceiling suggests that the i5-13400F has ample headroom to feed the GPU in less demanding scenarios. The CPU's 16 threads handle the game's AI, physics, and scripting loads effectively, and the 4.60 GHz boost clock ensures responsive single-thread performance for the game's primary simulation thread.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with the Navi 23 chip, provides 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1968 MHz with a boost clock of 2589 MHz, and its 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation pipelines translate to a pixel rate of 165.7 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 331.4 GTexel/s. The card's FP32 performance of 10.60 TFLOPS gives it solid computational throughput for Hitman 2's rendering workload.

The GPU's benchmark results position it in the 71st percentile of all graphics cards, with an average score of 27985. Its nearest rivals show a closely contested field: the RX 6600 XT is 0.1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, 0.4% ahead of the AMD Radeon R9 M395X, 0.9% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070, and 1.5% behind the AMD FirePro S7150. This places the GPU in a performance tier where it can handle 1080p gaming well but faces challenges at higher resolutions.

In Hitman 2, the GPU's limitations become evident in the resolution scaling behavior. The card's 8 GB VRAM and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the frame rate collapses at 4K. The GPU's DirectX 12 benchmark score of 61 and Vulkan score of 89263 indicate its API-level performance, and the game's engine appears to be well-optimized for the RDNA 2 architecture, as evidenced by the relatively strong 1080p performance.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern across resolutions. At 1080p, the system delivers 143 FPS at Low settings, 106.3 FPS at Medium, 79.6 FPS at High, and 58 FPS at Ultra. Moving to 1440p, these figures drop to 91.8 FPS at Low, 71.7 FPS at Medium, 53.4 FPS at High, and 41.6 FPS at Ultra. At 4K, the performance falls significantly: 49.6 FPS at Low, 38.8 FPS at Medium, 27 FPS at High, and 21.5 FPS at Ultra.

The scaling behavior indicates that the GPU becomes the limiting component as resolution increases. From 1080p Low to 1440p Low, the frame rate drops by 35.8%, while the jump from 1440p Low to 4K Low results in a 45.9% reduction. This pattern is consistent across all settings levels. The Ultra setting shows the most severe degradation, with 4K Ultra delivering only 21.5 FPS, which is 37.1% of the 1080p Ultra score of 58 FPS.

This data suggests that at 1080p, the system is partially CPU-bound at lower settings, as evidenced by the 143 FPS ceiling. However, as resolution increases, the GPU's workload grows disproportionately, and the RX 6600 XT's 8 GB VRAM and memory bandwidth become constraints. The 4K results, particularly the 27 FPS High and 21.5 FPS Ultra, indicate that this resolution is not viable for smooth gameplay with this configuration.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 1080p is the optimal resolution. At High settings, the system achieves 79.6 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The 1440p High result of 53.4 FPS is playable but below the 60 FPS mark, while 4K High at 27 FPS is not smooth.

Q: How does the i5-13400F compare to its closest rival in CPU benchmarks?

A: The i5-13400F has an average benchmark score of 25236, placing it 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-13620H and 0.5% ahead of the AMD EPYC 9474F. It trails the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D by 0.5%. This indicates the CPU is competitive with these alternatives within a narrow performance band.

Q: Is the RX 6600 XT strong enough for 4K gaming in this title?

A: No. The measured results show 4K Ultra delivers only 21.5 FPS, 4K High 27 FPS, and even 4K Low just 49.6 FPS. These figures fall below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay, making 4K impractical for this GPU in Hitman 2.

Q: What settings should be used for a 1440p experience?

A: At 1440p, Medium settings yield 71.7 FPS, while High settings produce 53.4 FPS. For a balanced experience, Medium settings provide the best combination of visual quality and frame rate, staying above 60 FPS. Low settings at 1440p reach 91.8 FPS but compromise visual fidelity.

Q: How does the GPU's performance relate to its closest rival, the GTX 980 Ti?

A: The RX 6600 XT scores 0.1% higher than the GTX 980 Ti in average benchmark scores. This marginal difference means the two cards are effectively equivalent in raw performance, though the RX 6600 XT's 8 GB VRAM and newer architecture may offer advantages in specific workloads.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, Low settings achieve 143 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 58 FPS. This represents a 59.4% reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest quality preset, indicating the significant GPU load increase from Ultra settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table presents the exact average frame rates measured for each resolution and settings combination:

| Resolution | Settings | Average FPS |

|------------|----------|-------------|

| 3840x2160 | Low | 49.6 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 38.8 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 27.0 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 21.5 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 91.8 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 71.7 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 53.4 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 41.6 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 143.0 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 106.3 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 79.6 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 58.0 |

At 1080p, the system maintains playable frame rates across all settings. Low settings reach 143 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors, while Medium at 106.3 FPS and High at 79.6 FPS both provide smooth experiences. Ultra at 58 FPS is borderline but acceptable for most players.

The 1440p results show a noticeable step down. Low settings at 91.8 FPS remain smooth, and Medium at 71.7 FPS is still above the 60 FPS threshold. High at 53.4 FPS and Ultra at 41.6 FPS require compromises, as frame rates fall below the smoothness threshold.

At 4K, the GPU bottleneck is undeniable. Even Low settings at 49.6 FPS fall below 60 FPS, while Medium at 38.8 FPS, High at 27 FPS, and Ultra at 21.5 FPS are not suitable for action-heavy gameplay. The data confirms that 4K gaming is not viable with this configuration, and users should target 1080p or 1440p with adjusted settings for the best experience.