Hitman 2

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 lands at rank 1475 out of 1795 tested combos in Hitman 2. That places this configuration in the lower-middle tier of the database, meaning it will run the game, but it is not a combination built for maximum fidelity or high-refresh-rate dominance. The ranking reflects a system where the GPU is the primary constraint at higher resolutions, while the CPU has ample headroom to push far more frames than the graphics card can physically render.

How This Combo Ranks

At rank 1475 out of 1795, this combo sits in the 18th percentile of all tested pairings for Hitman 2. The data indicates this is a playable setup, but it is clearly not optimized for the game’s most demanding presets. The ranking is dragged down by the RTX 2060’s performance ceiling at 4K, where even Medium settings only achieve 37.1 FPS. The i7-12700KF is not the bottleneck here; its benchmark scores place it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35355. The GPU, by contrast, sits in the 58th percentile with an average score of 16074.

The combination’s overall standing suggests that users upgrading from a weaker CPU would see minimal gains in Hitman 2 because the RTX 2060 cannot keep pace. The CPU’s nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-14400 (0.1% faster), Intel Core i9-12900HX (0.2% slower), and Intel Core i5-13600T (0.3% slower), showing that the 12700KF is competitively positioned within its own class. However, the GPU’s rivals—such as the AMD Radeon RX 7600S (0.5% faster) and AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (1.7% slower)—are also closely matched, meaning the RTX 2060 is an average performer that will define the experience.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Hitman 2 at 1080p with playable framerates?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 130.6 FPS, Medium hits 100.6 FPS, and High reaches 76.4 FPS. Even Ultra manages 57.5 FPS, so all settings are playable at this resolution.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck at 3840x2160. At Ultra, the average FPS drops to 17.1, and at High it is 23.8. The i7-12700KF has far more compute headroom than the RTX 2060 can utilize at this resolution.

Q: How does the i7-12700KF compare to its closest CPU rivals?

A: The i7-12700KF scores 35355 on average, which is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i5-14400 and 0.2% behind the Intel Core i7-13800H. The differences are negligible, so any of these CPUs would perform nearly identically in this game.

Q: What is the best settings preset for a balanced 1440p experience?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset provides 61.1 FPS, which is the closest to a 60 FPS target. High drops to 46.2 FPS, while Low jumps to 81.4 FPS, but Medium offers the best compromise between visual quality and smoothness.

Q: Does the RTX 2060’s 6 GB VRAM cause issues at 4K?

A: The data shows severe frame rate collapses at 3840x2160, with Ultra at 17.1 FPS and High at 23.8 FPS. While VRAM capacity is not directly measured, the GPU’s overall performance (58th percentile) suggests it lacks the raw throughput for 4K gaming.

Q: Is this combo suitable for competitive play?

A: At 1080p Low, the 130.6 FPS average is sufficient for fast-paced stealth action. However, at 1440p, only the Low preset (81.4 FPS) exceeds 60 FPS consistently, so competitive play would require dropping settings significantly.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and reveals a system heavily constrained by the GPU. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 130.6 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low reduces that to 81.4 FPS, a 37.7% decrease. At 4K Low, the frame rate falls to 46.9 FPS, which is a further 42.4% drop from 1440p. This scaling pattern is typical for a GPU-bound scenario: as pixel count increases, the RTX 2060’s compute units saturate quickly.

The trend is even more pronounced at higher settings. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 57.5 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 35 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it collapses to 17.1 FPS. The difference between 1080p and 4K at Ultra is a 70.3% reduction in frame rate. This indicates that the CPU’s strong single-thread performance (3dmark_single_thread score of 1043) is irrelevant once the GPU is overwhelmed. The i7-12700KF’s 12 cores and 20 threads are more than enough for Hitman 2’s engine, which rarely scales beyond a few threads. The limiting component is unequivocally the RTX 2060, especially above 1080p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 2060 delivers its best results. The Low preset yields 130.6 FPS, which is the highest recorded average across all resolutions and settings. Medium follows at 100.6 FPS, High at 76.4 FPS, and Ultra at 57.5 FPS. All four presets are playable at 1080p, with Ultra just barely missing the 60 FPS mark.

Stepping up to 2560x1440, the performance drops become more noticeable. Low produces 81.4 FPS, Medium 61.1 FPS, High 46.2 FPS, and Ultra 35 FPS. The Medium preset is the only one that maintains a stable 60 FPS experience, while High and Ultra require compromises on smoothness.

At 3840x2160, the GPU struggles across the board. Low achieves 46.9 FPS, Medium 37.1 FPS, High 23.8 FPS, and Ultra 17.1 FPS. None of these are ideal for a stealth game that benefits from consistent frame pacing. The jump from 1440p Medium (61.1 FPS) to 4K Medium (37.1 FPS) represents a 39.3% loss, highlighting the RTX 2060’s limited memory bandwidth (336.0 GB/s) and 192-bit bus width.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. It has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with 25 MB of shared L3 cache. Its benchmark results are strong: a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28979 and a single-core score of 4091. In Hitman 2, these specifications matter less than the GPU, as the game is not heavily multithreaded.

The 3dmark_16_threads score of 9282 and max_threads score of 9983 show that the CPU can handle heavy workloads, but Hitman 2’s engine is unlikely to fully utilize all 20 threads. The single-thread performance (3dmark_single_thread score of 1043) is more relevant for game logic and physics. The data confirms that the CPU is not the bottleneck: at 1080p Low, the combo hits 130.6 FPS, which is a frame rate the RTX 2060 can only achieve when the load is light. If the CPU were limiting, we would see the FPS plateau across different resolutions, but instead the frame rates drop consistently as resolution increases.

The i7-12700KF’s 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs means it is a top-tier processor. However, pairing it with a 58th percentile GPU creates an imbalance. In Hitman 2, the CPU role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations, and it does so without breaking a sweat. Users would need a significantly faster GPU to see the CPU’s full potential in this title.

Settings Recommendations

For a 1080p display, the High preset at 76.4 FPS is the best balance of visual quality and performance. Ultra at 57.5 FPS is acceptable, but the 24.8% drop from High is not worth the marginal visual gains in a stealth game where shadows and reflections matter less than frame consistency.

At 1440p, Medium is the recommended preset, delivering 61.1 FPS. This is the only setting at this resolution that stays above 60 FPS. High at 46.2 FPS is playable but may feel sluggish during fast camera pans, while Low at 81.4 FPS sacrifices too much detail for the extra headroom.

For 4K, the data suggests avoiding this combo for serious play. Low at 46.9 FPS is the only remotely playable preset, but it falls short of 60 FPS. Medium at 37.1 FPS is a slideshow by comparison. If 4K is the target, the RTX 2060 is simply not up to the task, and users should consider lowering the resolution to 1440p or upgrading the GPU.

The overall recommendation is to run Hitman 2 at 1080p High or 1440p Medium. The CPU has more than enough power for any preset, so the settings choice should be driven by the GPU’s limits. The data shows that the transition from Medium to High at any resolution costs roughly 20-25% of the frame rate, which is a significant trade-off for visual polish. For the smoothest experience, prioritize frame rate over fidelity, especially in a game where precision timing is key.