Hitman 2

Hitman 2, a stealth title from late 2018, responds predictably but revealingly to the Intel Core i5-13400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 combination. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings paint a clear picture of where the bottlenecks lie, with the data showing a system that is decisively GPU-limited at higher resolutions but increasingly CPU-bound at the lower end. The combo’s overall rank of 1601 out of 3711 tested configurations places it in the upper half of the database, but the specific performance deltas between settings tiers reveal a nuanced story about the balance of this particular pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The most striking observation from the measured data is the dramatic impact of resolution on frame rates, which clearly indicates the RTX 3070 as the limiting component as pixel count rises. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 194 FPS, but this drops to 124 FPS at 1440p and further to 66 FPS at 4K. This scaling pattern—a 36% reduction from 1080p to 1440p and another 47% reduction from 1440p to 4K—is far steeper than what a CPU-bound scenario would produce, confirming that the graphics card’s rendering throughput is the primary constraint at these higher resolutions.

The gap between settings presets widens considerably with resolution, which further supports the GPU-bound analysis. At 1080p, the spread from Low (194 FPS) to Ultra (81 FPS) is 113 FPS, while at 4K the same spread is only 38 FPS (66 FPS Low versus 28 FPS Ultra). This compression of the settings range at 4K suggests that the RTX 3070 is so saturated at that resolution that even dropping to Low presets cannot fully compensate for the pixel throughput demands, whereas at 1080p the card has enough headroom to render even the heaviest presets at playable rates.

The data also shows that the jump from Medium to High is relatively modest compared to the jump from High to Ultra, across all resolutions. At 1440p, Medium yields 93 FPS while High drops to 70 FPS, and Ultra falls to 52 FPS. This non-linear scaling hints at specific rendering features in the Ultra preset that disproportionately tax the GPU, likely related to shadow quality or ambient occlusion effects that are known to be expensive in the Glacier engine. The 4K Medium result of 50 FPS, with a minimum of 42 FPS, is particularly telling—it suggests that even a moderate preset at 4K struggles to maintain smooth gameplay on this hardware.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo achieves in Hitman 2?

A: The highest measured average is 194 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This drops to 124 FPS at 1440p Low and 66 FPS at 4K Low, demonstrating the resolution scaling effect.

Q: Can this system maintain 60 FPS at 4K with any settings?

A: Yes, but only with Low settings, which produce an average of 66 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K averages 50 FPS, meaning it falls below the 60 FPS threshold, while High and Ultra are substantially lower at 38 FPS and 28 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 3070’s average benchmark score of 17208 places it 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (17083) and 1% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17037). It trails the NVIDIA Tesla K40c by 1.5% (17468), though that is a compute-focused card.

Q: What is the best preset for smooth 1440p gameplay?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 averages 70 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS bar. The Medium preset is even more comfortable at 93 FPS, while Ultra drops to 52 FPS, making High the highest quality setting that stays above 60 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU become a bottleneck at any tested configuration?

A: The data suggests the Core i5-13400F is not the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the steep FPS drops from 1080p to 4K point to GPU saturation. However, the 194 FPS result at 1080p Low approaches the range where CPU thread throughput could begin to constrain, though the 10-core processor has headroom based on its benchmark scores.

Q: How does this combo rank against all tested configurations in Hitman 2?

A: The combo ranks 1601 out of 3711 tested configurations, placing it in approximately the 57th percentile of all systems tested for this game. This indicates a solidly above-average pairing, though not a top-tier one.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F brings 10 cores and 16 threads to the pairing, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. Its synthetic benchmark results show strong multi-threaded capability—the Cinebench R23 multicore score of 22604 is particularly notable, while the single-core score of 3191 indicates respectable per-thread performance. In Hitman 2, which is primarily a GPU-bound title at higher resolutions, the CPU’s role is largely to feed the graphics card without becoming a constraint.

The data supports this interpretation. At 1080p with Low settings, the 194 FPS result is high enough that the CPU’s frame generation time could start to matter, but the 16 threads provide ample parallel work distribution for the game’s AI and simulation systems. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 7314 and max-thread score of 7307 show that the processor scales well with thread count, which is relevant for a stealth game where many NPCs and their routines must be tracked simultaneously.

Interestingly, the nearest rivals to the i5-13400F in synthetic benchmarks include the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS (avg score 25284, delta 0%) and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H (avg score 25201, delta 0.4%), with the Intel Core 5 120 (25362, -0.3%) and AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D (25365, -0.3%) also in close proximity. This clustering suggests that the i5-13400F’s performance profile is well-matched to these alternatives, meaning any of these CPUs would likely yield similar results in Hitman 2 given the same GPU. The fact that the CPU’s percentile rank against all processors is 77 indicates it sits comfortably above the median, which aligns with the observed ability to drive high frame rates at 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of tested Hitman 2 configurations, this Intel Core i5-13400F + RTX 3070 combination achieves a rank of 1601 out of 3711 total combos. This positioning—roughly in the 57th percentile—tells a story of a balanced mid-to-upper tier system that excels in specific scenarios but is not at the very top of the performance hierarchy. The rank suggests that while the RTX 3070 is a capable card, it is outclassed by higher-tier GPUs in this game, particularly at 4K where the 28 FPS Ultra result drags down the overall evaluation.

The ranking also reflects the GPU’s position relative to its peers. The RTX 3070’s average benchmark score of 17208 places it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, with nearest rivals including the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (17083, +0.7% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17037, +1% delta). These close margins in synthetic tests do not fully translate to identical gaming performance, but they do indicate that the 3070 is operating in a competitive tier where small architectural differences matter.

Considering that the combo sits above the median rank, the data implies that this pairing is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming in Hitman 2, where it can deliver high frame rates at most settings. The 4K experience, however, is marginal at best, which is consistent with the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM capacity and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth—sufficient for 1440p but stretched at 4K with higher presets. The rank of 1601 specifically suggests that many other combos achieve better 4K performance, likely due to GPUs with more memory and bandwidth.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its strength across all presets. Low settings produce an average of 194 FPS, which drops to 146 FPS on Medium (with a minimum of 124 FPS and maximum of 168 FPS), 110 FPS on High, and 81 FPS on Ultra. These numbers indicate that even at the most demanding 1080p preset, the combo maintains well above 60 FPS, making this resolution the sweet spot for the hardware.

Moving to 2560x1440, the impact of increased pixel count becomes evident. Low settings still deliver a robust 124 FPS, while Medium averages 93 FPS (minimum 79, maximum 107). High settings drop to 70 FPS, which is still playable, but Ultra falls to 52 FPS, dipping below the 60 FPS threshold that many consider the target for smooth gameplay. The 1440p Medium result is particularly interesting—the 79 FPS minimum suggests occasional dips, but the overall experience remains fluid.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 3070 is clearly overmatched for demanding presets. Low settings average 66 FPS, which is technically above 60 but with no minimum data provided, the consistency is uncertain. Medium drops to 50 FPS (minimum 42, maximum 57), indicating noticeable frame pacing issues. High averages 38 FPS, and Ultra is nearly unplayable at 28 FPS. These 4K results firmly establish that this combo is not designed for ultra-high-resolution gaming with this title at high quality settings.

The pattern across all resolutions shows a consistent step-down from Low to Medium to High to Ultra, with the largest absolute drops occurring at 1080p. This is expected, as the GPU is less saturated at lower resolutions, allowing preset changes to have a more pronounced effect on frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

For 1080p gamers, the data strongly supports using Ultra settings, as the 81 FPS average still provides a smooth experience with maximum visual quality. If frame rate is the absolute priority, High at 110 FPS is an excellent alternative, but Ultra’s visual benefits outweigh the 29 FPS cost for most players. The Medium preset at 146 FPS is unnecessary for this resolution unless the user has a high-refresh-rate display that can take advantage of the extra frames.

At 1440p, High settings at 70 FPS offer the best balance between visual fidelity and performance. The jump to Ultra drops to 52 FPS, which introduces noticeable stutter in a stealth game where smooth camera movement is crucial. Medium at 93 FPS is the choice for competitive play or if the user prefers extra headroom, but High provides the most immersive experience without sacrificing playability. The 4K results complicate the recommendation—Low at 66 FPS is the only preset that clears 60 FPS, but the visual downgrade is significant. Medium at 50 FPS is a compromise that maintains some visual quality, though the 42 FPS minimum suggests it may not hold up during intense scenes.

The overall recommendation based on the measured rows is to prioritize High settings at 1440p as the best experience, with 1080p Ultra as the fallback for maximum visual quality. These two configurations offer the highest settings that maintain frame rates above 60 FPS, providing the smoothest experience without excessive compromise.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the clear performance driver in this pairing, and the data shows that its capabilities define the system’s limits in Hitman 2. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus providing 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, the card has sufficient resources for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the 4K results suggest the memory capacity and bandwidth become constraints at higher resolutions. The 28 FPS Ultra result at 4K likely reflects both the GPU’s compute limits and potential VRAM pressure with high-resolution textures.

The card’s specifications support its observed behavior. The boost clock of 1725 MHz, combined with 5888 shading units and 184 texture mapping units, provides substantial raw compute power—20.31 TFLOPS FP32 performance. The 96 ROPs and 165.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are adequate for the resolutions tested, but the steep FPS drops at 4K indicate that the pixel throughput is the limiting factor. The 46 RT cores are present, though Hitman 2 does not use ray tracing in a way that would significantly impact these measurements.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 3070’s average score of 17208 places it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, with a Passmark G3D score of 22214 and a DirectX 12 score of 85. The nearest rival comparisons show a tight grouping—the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT scores 17083 (0.7% behind), and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 scores 17037 (1% behind). These margins are small enough that real-world game performance could favor either card depending on the title, but the Hitman 2 data shows this particular card performing consistently with its synthetic expectations.

The GPU’s role is ultimately to be the bottleneck at higher resolutions, which is a sign of a healthy pairing with the i5-13400F. The fact that the 1080p results do not show signs of CPU limitation indicates that the RTX 3070 is being fully utilized across the tested settings range, making it the component to upgrade if the user desires better 4K performance.