Hitman 2

The Intel Core i7-12700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers a playable but heavily settings-dependent experience in Hitman 2, with the data showing a clear shift from CPU-bound performance at 1080p to GPU-bound limitations at 4K. The combo ranks in the 55th percentile of tested configurations (992nd out of 1,795), indicating a mid-pack standing that is competitive in its class but not a top-tier performer for this title.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i7-12700K brings a 12-core, 20-thread Alder Lake-S configuration with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. This processor sits in the 89th percentile against all CPUs in the benchmark database, with an average benchmark score of 35,684. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 (0.3% lower score), the Intel Core i7-13700T (0.6% higher), the Intel Core i5-14500HX (0.7% lower), and the Intel Core i7-13800H (0.8% higher) — all clustered within a single percentage point, confirming the 12700K is positioned at a performance plateau where small architectural differences matter more than raw core counts.

For Hitman 2, a stealth title from 2018, the data reveals that this CPU provides ample headroom at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 169.8 FPS, which is more than double the 4K Ultra result of 26.2 FPS. The benchmark pattern shows that at 1080p, the frame rates scale almost linearly with graphics settings — from 169.8 FPS at Low to 74.3 FPS at Ultra — suggesting the CPU is not the primary constraint at this resolution. The processor’s strong single-thread performance, evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 2,561 and a 3DMark single-thread score of 1,043, supports this interpretation, as Hitman 2 typically responds well to high-frequency cores rather than sheer thread counts.

The 12700K’s 25 MB shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support (DDR4 and DDR5) contribute to its ability to feed the GPU efficiently. However, the data does not show the CPU pushing beyond its limits in any measured configuration — even at 1080p Ultra with 74.3 FPS, the frame rate appears consistent with GPU-driven scaling rather than CPU bottlenecks. The processor’s 125 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 platform are relevant for system planning, but the benchmark results indicate the CPU is a stable foundation that never becomes the limiting factor in this pairing.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to hit 60 FPS in Hitman 2?*

A: At 2560x1440, the combo achieves 65.2 FPS on High settings and 84.6 FPS on Medium, making 1440p the highest resolution where a stable 60 FPS is achievable across multiple quality presets. At 3840x2160, only Low settings reach 59 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does the RTX 4060’s 8 GB VRAM affect performance at ultra settings?

A: The 8 GB GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 272.0 GB/s bandwidth appears sufficient at 1080p and 1440p, where Ultra settings yield 74.3 FPS and 45.9 FPS respectively. At 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 26.2 FPS, indicating the GPU’s compute capacity and memory bandwidth are stretched beyond ideal limits.

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-12700K a bottleneck for the RTX 4060 in this game?

A: No. The data shows frame rates scaling consistently with resolution and settings, from 169.8 FPS at 1080p Low to 26.2 FPS at 4K Ultra. If the CPU were the bottleneck, frame rates would plateau at higher resolutions; instead, they decline steadily, indicating the GPU is the limiting component.

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

A: The difference is 95.5 FPS, with Low at 169.8 FPS and Ultra at 74.3 FPS. Medium settings land at 131.7 FPS, and High at 98.2 FPS, showing that each preset step costs roughly 20-30% of the previous frame rate.

Q: How does this combo compare to other tested configurations in the database?

A: It ranks 992nd out of 1,795 combos, placing it in the middle of the field. This is consistent with the CPU’s 89th percentile standing and the GPU’s 66th percentile, suggesting the GPU holds the combo back relative to top-tier pairings.

Q: Does the game support ray tracing or DLSS features?

A: The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6, but the measured FPS data does not include any ray tracing or DLSS-specific results. The benchmark results reflect standard rasterization performance only.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The resolution scaling pattern in Hitman 2 clearly identifies the GPU as the performance limiter. At High settings, the combo delivers 98.2 FPS at 1080p, 65.2 FPS at 1440p, and 36 FPS at 4K — a drop of 33.0 FPS (33.6%) from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 29.2 FPS (44.8%) from 1440p to 4K. This progressive decline with increasing pixel count is the classic signature of GPU-bound rendering, where the RTX 4060’s 15.11 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 118.1 GPixel/s pixel rate are overwhelmed by the 4K workload.

The scaling is even more pronounced at Ultra settings. The frame rate falls from 74.3 FPS at 1080p to 45.9 FPS at 1440p (a 38.2% reduction), then to 26.2 FPS at 4K (a 42.9% reduction from 1440p). The near-linear relationship between resolution and frame rate suggests the GPU is operating at maximum capacity across all resolution tiers, with no evidence of CPU-side constraints emerging. If the 12700K were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates remain more constant when resolution increases, particularly at lower settings where GPU load is lighter.

At Low settings, the pattern shifts slightly. The 1080p result of 169.8 FPS drops to 109.7 FPS at 1440p (35.4% reduction) and 59 FPS at 4K (46.2% reduction from 1440p). The 4K Low result of 59 FPS is notably close to the 60 FPS target, suggesting that even at the lowest quality preset, the GPU is still the primary constraint. The CPU’s robust single-thread performance — evidenced by a PassMark single-thread score of 4,013 — means it can keep up with the GPU’s demands even at high frame rates, but the RTX 4060’s memory bandwidth of 272.0 GB/s on a 128-bit bus limits its ability to maintain high throughput at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

With a rank of 992 out of 1,795 tested combinations, this pairing sits almost exactly at the median of the database. This positioning is somewhat surprising given the CPU’s high percentile ranking (89th among all CPUs), but it makes sense when considering the GPU’s more modest 66th percentile standing. The RTX 4060’s average benchmark score of 23,181 places it just below the AMD Radeon RX 6600M (0.6% lower) and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 Ti (0.7% lower), while sitting slightly above the Intel Arc B580 (0.7% higher) and AMD Radeon 760M (0.8% higher). These rivals are within one percentage point, indicating the GPU is in a tight performance cluster where minor differences in game optimization can shift the ranking.

The combo’s mid-pack ranking suggests that while the CPU is overqualified for this GPU, the pairing is balanced enough to deliver consistent performance without extreme bottlenecks. In Hitman 2 specifically, the measured results show the combo outperforming its overall rank in lower resolutions — at 1080p Medium, the 131.7 FPS result would likely place it well above the median for that specific configuration. However, at 4K Ultra, the 26.2 FPS result is below the average for the database, indicating that the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory interface are insufficient for high-end 4K gaming. The rank of 992 reflects this dual nature: strong at mainstream resolutions, weak at extreme settings.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For a 60 FPS target, the optimal settings depend heavily on resolution. At 1920x1080, all four presets exceed 60 FPS, but High settings (98.2 FPS) provide the best balance of visual quality and performance headroom — Ultra (74.3 FPS) offers diminishing returns for the 24 FPS cost. At 2560x1440, High (65.2 FPS) is the only preset that clears 60 FPS, while Medium (84.6 FPS) provides a substantial safety margin for frame time consistency. Low settings at 1440p (109.7 FPS) are only recommended for competitive play where maximum frame rates matter more than visual fidelity.

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves 60 FPS. Low settings (59 FPS) come closest and are the only viable option for near-60 FPS 4K gameplay, but the visual compromise is significant. Medium (44.7 FPS) and High (36 FPS) are playable for slower, stealth-oriented gameplay, while Ultra (26.2 FPS) is best avoided unless the player prioritizes screenshots over gameplay smoothness. The data suggests that 1440p High is the sweet spot for this combo, offering 65.2 FPS with strong visual quality that takes advantage of the CPU’s capabilities without overburdening the GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

1920x1080:

• Low: 169.8 FPS
• Medium: 131.7 FPS
• High: 98.2 FPS
• Ultra: 74.3 FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: 109.7 FPS
• Medium: 84.6 FPS
• High: 65.2 FPS
• Ultra: 45.9 FPS

3840x2160:

• Low: 59 FPS
• Medium: 44.7 FPS
• High: 36 FPS
• Ultra: 26.2 FPS

The full dataset shows a consistent pattern: each settings tier costs roughly 25-35% of the previous tier’s frame rate, and each resolution step costs 33-45% depending on the preset. The largest absolute drop occurs between 1080p Low (169.8 FPS) and 1440p Low (109.7 FPS), a loss of 60.1 FPS. The smallest absolute drop is between 4K Medium (44.7 FPS) and 4K High (36 FPS), a loss of 8.7 FPS. This compression at 4K indicates the GPU is nearing its limits, where additional settings overhead has less impact because the rendering pipeline is already saturated.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 is built on the AD107 chip using TSMC’s 5 nm process, with 18,900 million transistors packed into a 159 mm² die. Its base clock of 1830 MHz boosts to 2460 MHz, delivering 15.11 TFLOPS FP32 performance. The 8 GB GDDR6 memory operates at 2125 MHz (17 Gbps effective) across a 128-bit bus, yielding 272.0 GB/s bandwidth. These specifications place the GPU in the 66th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23,181.

In Hitman 2, the RTX 4060’s performance characteristics are clearly visible in the measured results. The 128-bit memory bus proves adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where the 272.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient to feed the 3072 shading units. However, at 4K, the combination of high pixel count and large texture sets begins to strain the memory subsystem, contributing to the steep frame rate drops observed. The GPU’s 48 ROPs and 118.1 GPixel/s pixel rate are also limiting factors at 4K, where the sheer volume of pixel processing overwhelms the render output units.

The RTX 4060’s nearest rivals — the AMD Radeon RX 6600M (0.6% higher score) and Intel Arc B580 (0.7% lower) — suggest the GPU is competitive with mid-range options but cannot match higher-tier cards. In this game, the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM appears sufficient for the measured settings, as no configuration shows evidence of texture streaming issues or frame hitches. The card’s 115 W TDP and dual-slot design make it a practical choice for mainstream systems, and its support for DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4 ensures modern API compatibility. However, the data clearly shows that this GPU is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K performance only viable at low settings.