Hitman 2

Hitman 2 with the Intel Core i5-13400F and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT presents a performance profile that is heavily dictated by the graphics preset selected. The measured data shows a clear hierarchy across settings, with the difference between Low and Ultra being substantial at every resolution. At 1080p, the combination moves from an average of 221.4 FPS on Low down to 92.2 FPS on Ultra, while at 4K the same preset swing drops the average from 76.6 FPS to 32.9 FPS. The choice of preset is not merely a visual preference; it fundamentally determines whether this configuration delivers high-refresh-rate gameplay or a standard 60 FPS experience.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual fidelity and performance, the High preset is the clear recommendation for this pairing. At 1920x1080, the average frame rate sits at 124 FPS, which comfortably exceeds the refresh rate of most high-frequency monitors. Moving to 2560x1440, High delivers an average of 80.6 FPS, which remains smooth and playable. Even at 3840x2160, the High preset produces a 44.5 FPS average, which is a significant drop but still represents the most viable option for 4K gaming on this hardware if the user is willing to accept a sub-60 FPS experience. The data indicates that High is the only preset that offers a playable frame rate at 1440p while still providing substantial visual enhancements over Medium.

The Ultra preset is not recommended for this combination. The performance cost is severe, with the average FPS dropping to 92.2 at 1080p and becoming unplayable at 32.9 FPS at 4K. The jump from High to Ultra at 1440p results in a 22 FPS loss (from 80.6 to 58.6), which is a 27% reduction for what is typically a marginal increase in graphical quality. Conversely, Low and Medium presets offer high frame rates but sacrifice too much visual detail. At 1080p, Medium provides 164.4 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play, but the visual downgrade from High is noticeable. The data strongly suggests that High is the sweet spot, providing a robust frame rate at 1080p and 1440p while maintaining acceptable performance at 4K. Users seeking maximum frame rates for esports-style play could consider Medium at 1080p, but the High preset offers the best overall experience across all resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, running on the Intel Socket 1700 platform. Its base clock is 2.50 GHz with a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. In the context of Hitman 2, a game that is not typically CPU-bound at high resolutions, the processor’s role becomes more significant as resolution decreases. The benchmark data shows that at 1920x1080, the frame rates reach as high as 221.4 FPS on Low settings, indicating that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to achieve such high output. The processor’s strong single-thread performance, reflected in its 3DMark single-thread score of 960 and PassMark single-thread score of 3634, is crucial for maintaining high frame rates in a game that relies heavily on single-core performance for game logic and AI.

However, the CPU’s impact is less visible at higher resolutions. At 4K, the average frame rates drop to a range of 32.9 FPS to 76.6 FPS, depending on the preset. This suggests that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at 4K, as the RX 6800 XT is unable to maintain high frame rates at that resolution regardless of the CPU’s capability. The CPU’s multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21279 and a PassMark multi-thread score of 25032, ensures that the system does not suffer from stuttering or frame drops due to CPU limitations. The 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 16 threads provide ample headroom for background tasks and the game’s processing demands. In summary, the i5-13400F is more than sufficient for Hitman 2, with its single-threaded strength enabling high FPS at lower resolutions, while the GPU takes over as the limiting factor at 1440p and above.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to use with this CPU and GPU combo for a 60 FPS target?

A: Based on the measured data, the 2560x1440 resolution with the High preset is the most suitable for a 60 FPS target, delivering an average of 80.6 FPS. The 4K resolution with High settings falls short at 44.5 FPS, while 1080p offers far more performance than necessary for a 60 FPS target.

Q: How does the Ultra preset affect performance compared to High at 1440p?

A: The data shows a significant performance penalty for Ultra settings. At 2560x1440, the average frame rate drops from 80.6 FPS on High to 58.6 FPS on Ultra, a reduction of 22 FPS. This indicates that Ultra is not a viable option for smooth gameplay at this resolution on this hardware.

Q: Is this combination capable of high-refresh-rate gaming?

A: Yes, but only at 1080p. The measured results show that at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average FPS is 221.4, which can drive a 240Hz monitor. Even with High settings, the 124 FPS average is sufficient for a 120Hz display. At 1440p, the maximum average frame rate is 139.8 FPS on Low, which can support a 120Hz monitor, but the High preset drops to 80.6 FPS.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 4K on the High preset?

A: The average frame rate falls from 124 FPS at 1080p to 44.5 FPS at 4K, a drop of 79.5 FPS. This substantial decrease indicates that the GPU is the limiting component at higher resolutions, as the CPU is likely not the bottleneck given its strong single-thread performance.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in overall benchmark performance?

A: The Core i5-13400F has an average benchmark score of 25236, which is nearly identical to its closest rivals. It is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-13620H, 0.5% ahead of the AMD EPYC 9474F and the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340, and 0.5% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D. This indicates that the CPU’s performance is well within the expected range for its class.

Q: What is the GPU’s standing relative to other graphics cards?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT has an average benchmark score of 49982, placing it in the 87th percentile of all GPUs. Compared to its nearest rivals, it is 0.5% ahead of the Intel Arc A550M, 1.9% ahead of the NVIDIA CMP 50HX, and 2.6% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER, but it trails the NVIDIA RTX A1000 by 1.7%.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-13400F and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT combination is ranked 626th out of 1795 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places it in the 65th percentile of all tested configurations, indicating that it performs above the median but is not among the top-tier systems. The ranking reflects the balance between the CPU and GPU, where the CPU is a strong performer but the GPU, while capable, is not the fastest available. The rank suggests that there are many other combinations that deliver higher average frame rates in this game, likely with more powerful GPUs or CPUs that are better optimized for this title’s specific engine. However, given the hardware’s specifications and the measured FPS data, it is clear that this combo provides a solid gaming experience, particularly at 1440p with High settings. The rank is a relative measure, and the actual performance data shows that this system is well-suited for Hitman 2, offering playable frame rates at all resolutions except for the most demanding Ultra preset at 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals the GPU-bound nature of this configuration in Hitman 2. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 on the High preset, the average frame rate drops from 124 FPS to 80.6 FPS, a reduction of 43.4 FPS or 35%. This is a significant decrease, but the frame rate remains playable. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is even more pronounced, with the average falling from 80.6 FPS to 44.5 FPS, a drop of 36.1 FPS or 45%. This steep decline at higher resolutions is a classic indicator that the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The CPU’s performance, which is strong enough to maintain high frame rates at 1080p, becomes irrelevant at 4K as the RX 6800 XT cannot keep up with the pixel count.

The data also shows that the scaling is not linear across all presets. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 221.4 FPS at 1080p to 139.8 FPS at 1440p (a 36.9% decrease) and then to 76.6 FPS at 4K (a further 45.2% decrease). At Ultra settings, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is from 92.2 FPS to 58.6 FPS (36.4% decrease), and then to 32.9 FPS at 4K (43.9% decrease). This consistent pattern of roughly a 35% drop from 1080p to 1440p and another 45% drop from 1440p to 4K across all presets reinforces the conclusion that the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors. The RX 6800 XT’s 16 GB of GDDR6 memory and 512.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the demands of 4K resolution overwhelm the GPU, leading to lower frame rates that are not suitable for competitive or fast-paced gameplay. Users targeting 4K should stick to the High preset, which offers the best frame rate per visual cost, or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for a smoother experience.