Hitman 2

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 delivers a solid Hitman 2 experience, but the data reveals a system that is heavily influenced by resolution and settings. The combo ranks 550th out of 1795 tested configurations, placing it in the 69th percentile of all combos tested for this title. This mid-to-upper tier standing is consistent with a high-end build from the respective generations of the CPU and GPU, but the measured FPS shows clear performance ceilings and bottlenecks that vary depending on the workload.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and tells a clear story about which component is the limiting factor at each level. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves a staggering 229.3 FPS. When the resolution jumps to 1440p, that number falls to 147.5 FPS, a 35.7% reduction. Moving to 4K at Low settings yields 76.4 FPS, which is a 48.2% drop from the 1440p figure and a 66.7% drop from 1080p. This pattern indicates that at lower resolutions and settings, the system is not bound by the GPU’s raw throughput but rather by the CPU’s ability to feed it frames.

However, the scaling is different when the graphical load increases. At Ultra settings, the frame rate drops from 96.4 FPS at 1080p to 63.9 FPS at 1440p, a 33.7% decrease. The jump to 4K Ultra brings the average down to 34.9 FPS, a 45.4% reduction from 1440p and a 63.8% reduction from 1080p. The fact that the percentage drop from 1440p to 4K is larger at Ultra (45.4%) compared to Low (48.2%) is marginal, but the absolute numbers show the RTX 3080 is being pushed to its limits. The data implies that at 1080p and 1440p, the CPU is often the primary driver of performance, but at 4K, the GPU’s memory bandwidth and compute resources become the dominant constraint.

How This Combo Ranks

With a rank of 550 out of 1795 combos, this configuration sits comfortably in the top third of all tested systems for Hitman 2. This is a strong result, but not a top-tier one, suggesting that while the components are powerful, there are more optimal pairings for this specific game. The CPU’s individual performance percentile is higher than the GPU’s, with the i7-12700K scoring in the 89th percentile against all CPUs, while the RTX 3080 sits in the 80th percentile against all GPUs. This discrepancy hints that the processor is the more capable component in this pairing relative to its peers, which aligns with the resolution scaling findings that show a CPU bottleneck at lower settings. The combo’s overall rank is likely dragged down by the GPU’s relative standing, as the game becomes more GPU-bound at higher resolutions and settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 features 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the data suggests it is a limiting factor at 4K. The GPU’s boost clock is listed at 1710 MHz, and it has a large number of shading units at 8704. For Hitman 2, a stealth game with complex environments and lighting, the GPU’s compute power is crucial for rendering shadows and reflections.

The measured FPS shows a clear relationship between settings and performance. At 4K, the difference between Low and Medium is 20.9 FPS (76.4 to 55.5), and between Medium and High is 10 FPS (55.5 to 45.5). The jump from High to Ultra is even more punishing, costing 10.6 FPS (45.5 to 34.9). This steep drop at Ultra suggests that the 10 GB VRAM buffer is being saturated, forcing the GPU to manage memory more aggressively. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 35787 places it near rivals like the AMD Radeon Pro Duo (35860, -0.2%) and the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE (36101, -0.9%), indicating that its raw compute potential is competitive, but the in-game data shows that Hitman 2’s specific demands can strain it at the highest settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at how the combo performs across all resolutions and settings. At 1080p, the system is exceptionally fast. Low settings produce 229.3 FPS, Medium yields 170.9 FPS, High drops to 130.3 FPS, and Ultra still maintains a smooth 96.4 FPS. These numbers indicate that for 1080p gaming, the RTX 3080 is never the bottleneck, and the i7-12700K’s 12 cores and 20 threads are more than sufficient to keep frames high.

Moving to 1440p, the performance remains strong. Low settings deliver 147.5 FPS, which is still well above the threshold for high-refresh-rate monitors. Medium settings produce 111.1 FPS, and High settings hit 81.4 FPS. Ultra settings at 1440p yield 63.9 FPS, which is playable but falls below the 144Hz refresh rate that the 1080p results suggest the system could target. At 4K, the data shows the strain. Low settings produce 76.4 FPS, which is still good, but Medium drops to 55.5 FPS, High to 45.5 FPS, and Ultra to a marginal 34.9 FPS. The 4K results show that High settings are the limit for a consistent 60 FPS experience, and Ultra is only viable for slower-paced moments.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Hitman 2 at 4K with a high refresh rate?

A: No. At 4K, the maximum average FPS is 76.4 on Low settings. High settings yield 45.5 FPS, and Ultra drops to 34.9 FPS, making a high refresh rate impossible at this resolution.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve over 100 FPS?

A: At 1080p, all settings except Ultra achieve over 100 FPS, with Low at 229.3, Medium at 170.9, and High at 130.3 FPS. At 1440p, only Low settings (147.5 FPS) and Medium settings (111.1 FPS) break the 100 FPS barrier.

Q: How does the CPU bottleneck affect performance at 1080p?

A: The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system hits 229.3 FPS, which reflects the CPU’s strength. However, the GPU’s performance percentile (80th) is lower than the CPU’s (89th), suggesting that at lower resolutions, the GPU might be waiting on the CPU, but the i7-12700K’s high single-thread score of 1043 in 3DMark helps mitigate this.

Q: Is the RTX 3080’s 10 GB of VRAM enough for Hitman 2 at Ultra settings?

A: The measured FPS at 4K Ultra is 34.9 FPS, which is significantly lower than the 4K High result of 45.5 FPS. This substantial drop suggests that the 10 GB VRAM buffer is being overwhelmed at Ultra, causing a performance penalty.

Q: What is the performance difference between High and Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p, the difference is 33.9 FPS (130.3 down to 96.4). At 1440p, it is 17.5 FPS (81.4 down to 63.9). At 4K, the difference is 10.6 FPS (45.5 down to 34.9). The relative impact of Ultra settings is larger at lower resolutions.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested configurations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 550th out of 1795, placing it in the 69th percentile. This shows it is a strong performer, but not the absolute best. The CPU’s percentile rank is higher than the GPU’s, indicating a slight imbalance in this pairing.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, clocked at 3.60 GHz base and 5.00 GHz boost. It has a substantial 25 MB of shared L3 cache and supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. For Hitman 2, a stealth game that often involves complex AI and physics calculations in bustling environments, the CPU’s multi-threading capabilities are important. The benchmark data shows a strong 3DMark max threads score of 9979 and a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 29241, indicating that the processor can handle heavy workloads.

However, the game’s performance at lower settings suggests a CPU limit. At 1080p Low, the system produces 229.3 FPS, and at 1440p Low, it still manages 147.5 FPS. The fact that the 4K Low result (76.4 FPS) is not proportionally lower than the 1440p result suggests that the CPU is still contributing to the frame time, but the GPU is becoming the main constraint. The CPU’s single-thread performance is also stellar, with a 3DMark single-thread score of 1043 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2561. This is crucial for Hitman 2, which likely relies on a few main threads for game logic. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 35684 places it just 0.3% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 (35802) and 0.6% ahead of the Intel Core i7-13700T (35468), showing it is a top-tier processor for its generation.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user’s target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p users with a high-refresh-rate monitor, High settings provide an excellent balance, delivering 130.3 FPS, which is well above 100 FPS and offers a significant visual improvement over Medium (170.9 FPS) without the steep performance cost of Ultra (96.4 FPS). For those with a 144Hz monitor, Medium settings are the safest choice, as they yield 111.1 FPS, ensuring a stable experience above the refresh threshold.

For 1440p gamers, High settings at 81.4 FPS are a strong choice for a 60-75Hz monitor. If a higher refresh rate is desired, dropping to Medium settings (111.1 FPS) is recommended, though it sacrifices some visual fidelity. Ultra settings at 1440p (63.9 FPS) are only suitable for 60Hz displays. At 4K, the data clearly shows that Ultra settings are not viable for smooth gameplay, as the 34.9 FPS average is below the acceptable threshold for most action games. High settings at 45.5 FPS are borderline, but Medium settings at 55.5 FPS provide a more consistent experience. For a locked 60 FPS at 4K, Low settings (76.4 FPS) are the only reliable option, though the visual compromise is substantial. The data suggests that the best overall experience for this combo is 1440p with High settings, which offers a strong balance of visual quality and frame rate, leveraging the CPU’s strengths while keeping the GPU within its comfort zone.