Hitman 2

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER delivers a highly variable experience in Hitman 2, one that hinges almost entirely on the selected resolution and quality preset. Benchmark results indicate that this combo ranks 1105th out of 1795 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database. The data shows a system capable of smooth 1080p play but one that rapidly loses steam as pixel count and graphical fidelity climb, revealing a fundamental imbalance where the GPU becomes the dominant constraint at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS figures demonstrate a steep performance penalty as resolution increases, a clear indicator that the rendering load is scaling directly with pixel count. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings, the average frame rate drops from 89.6 FPS to 59.3 FPS, a reduction of roughly 34%. The jump to 3840x2160 at the same High preset is even more punishing, with the average falling to 28.3 FPS, which represents a 68% decline from the 1080p figure. This pattern strongly suggests that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the limiting component; the CPU has ample headroom, but the GPU’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are increasingly strained by the larger frame buffers.

The scaling behavior across settings at 4K further confirms this GPU-bound scenario. At 3840x2160, the spread between Low and Ultra is substantial: 55.3 FPS on Low versus 21.9 FPS on Ultra. This 33.4 FPS gap shows that the graphics card’s compute resources — its 2560 shading units and 160 TMUs — are saturated when pushing extreme quality at high resolution. Interestingly, the Medium preset at 4K yields 43 FPS, which is only 12.3 FPS below the Low setting, suggesting diminishing returns on quality versus performance as the GPU approaches its limits. At 1080p, however, the scaling is more linear: from 159.3 FPS on Low to 70.1 FPS on Ultra, indicating that the CPU can feed the GPU efficiently at lower resolutions, and the bottleneck shifts back to the graphics card only at the highest presets.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF brings substantial processing power to this combination, and benchmark results indicate it is rarely the primary constraint in Hitman 2. With 12 cores and 20 threads based on the Alder Lake architecture, the CPU’s multithreaded performance is strong, as evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 28979. Single-thread performance is equally respectable, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4091 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2526, which are critical for a stealth title that relies on AI and physics calculations. The CPU’s boost clock of 5.00 GHz provides high per-core throughput, and the 25 MB of shared L3 cache helps maintain data locality for game logic.

However, the data shows that the CPU’s role diminishes as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the average FPS of 159.3 suggests the processor is capable of driving frame rates well beyond what the GPU can sustain at higher settings. The 3DMark scores support this: a 16-thread score of 9282 and a max-thread score of 9983 indicate strong parallel performance, yet the game’s framerate at 4K Ultra (21.9 FPS) is clearly not limited by the CPU. Compared to its nearest rivals, the i7-12700KF sits within a tight performance band: it is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i5-14400 (avg score 35336) and 0.2% behind the Intel Core i9-12900HX (avg score 35289). This proximity suggests that swapping the CPU for a similarly positioned chip would yield negligible changes in Hitman 2’s framerate, reinforcing that the RTX 2070 SUPER is the definitive bottleneck in this pairing.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the database of 1795 tested CPU-GPU combinations, this specific pairing achieves a rank of 1105, placing it in the 38th percentile of all tested systems. This ranking reflects the mid-range nature of the RTX 2070 SUPER, which itself holds a 65th percentile position among all GPUs (avg benchmark score 22206). The CPU, by contrast, is a high performer, ranking in the 89th percentile among all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 35355. The disconnect between the CPU’s high percentile and the combo’s lower rank underscores that the graphics card is holding back the overall system in Hitman 2.

The GPU’s nearest rivals provide context for its standing. The RTX 2070 SUPER trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile by 2.3% (avg score 22729) but leads the AMD Radeon RX 5700 by 2.5% (avg score 21670). These small deltas indicate that the GPU is competitive with other mid-tier cards from its era, but none of these alternatives would dramatically alter the combo’s rank in this game. The combo’s position at 1105 out of 1795 suggests that many systems with newer or higher-tier GPUs will outperform it, particularly at 4K where the GPU’s limitations are most pronounced. At 1080p, however, the rank would likely be higher than the aggregate figure implies, since the CPU can push the GPU to its full potential.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers playable framerates across all presets: 159.3 FPS on Low, 118.6 FPS on Medium, 89.6 FPS on High, and 70.1 FPS on Ultra. These numbers indicate that 1080p gaming is smooth even at maximum quality, with the Ultra preset maintaining a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold. The 89.2 FPS difference between Low and Ultra at this resolution shows the GPU has headroom to spare when pixel count is low.

At 2560x1440, performance becomes more stratified. Low settings yield 100.6 FPS, Medium drops to 77.4 FPS, and High falls to 59.3 FPS. Ultra at 1440p produces 45 FPS, which is below the ideal smoothness threshold but still playable for a stealth title where precise timing matters less than in competitive shooters. The 55.6 FPS gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is smaller than at 1080p, indicating the GPU is becoming the limiting factor.

The 3840x2160 results are the most telling. Low settings produce 55.3 FPS, Medium 43 FPS, High 28.3 FPS, and Ultra 21.9 FPS. Only the Low preset approaches playability, while Ultra is effectively unplayable for smooth gameplay. The drop from 55.3 FPS on Low to 21.9 FPS on Ultra represents a 60.4% performance loss purely from quality settings, a stark illustration of the GPU’s inability to handle 4K with this title’s higher presets. The 8 GB VRAM capacity of the RTX 2070 SUPER is likely a contributing factor, as 4K textures and effects can exceed this allocation, leading to memory swapping that further degrades performance.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Hitman 2?*

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the only resolution where all presets remain above 70 FPS, with Ultra averaging 70.1 FPS. 2560x1440 is viable on Medium (77.4 FPS) or High (59.3 FPS), but 3840x2160 is only playable on Low (55.3 FPS).

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35355, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i5-14400 (35336) and 0.2% lower than the Intel Core i9-12900HX (35289). These differences are negligible for gaming performance.

Q: Is the GPU the bottleneck at 4K?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160, the framerate drops to 28.3 FPS on High and 21.9 FPS on Ultra, while the CPU’s high benchmark scores (Cinebench R23 multicore 28979) indicate it has ample headroom. The GPU’s 8 GB memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are the limiting factors.

Q: What is the frame rate at 1080p Ultra?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 70.1. This is the highest quality preset at 1080p and remains above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth play.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems?

A: The combination ranks 1105th out of 1795 total combos in Hitman 2. This places it in the lower-middle range, reflecting the GPU’s mid-tier standing despite the CPU’s high performance.

Q: Does the RTX 2070 SUPER outperform the AMD Radeon RX 5700?

A: Yes, the RTX 2070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 22206, which is 2.5% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 5700’s score of 21670. However, it trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile by 2.3% (score 22729).