Hitman 2

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti delivers a fascinating performance profile in Hitman 2, one that clearly delineates the roles of the CPU and GPU across different resolutions. The data reveals a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at 4K, but which shifts toward a more balanced, and at times CPU-influenced, workload at 1080p. This combination ranks 477th out of 1795 tested combos, placing it comfortably in the top quarter of all systems tested for this title.

Resolution Scaling

The most striking observation from the measured data is the dramatic performance drop as resolution increases. At 1080p with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 132.3 FPS. Moving to 1440p reduces this to 86.1 FPS, a significant 35% decrease. The jump to 4K is even more punishing, with the average falling to 43.8 FPS, which is just 33% of the 1080p figure. This steep scaling curve is a classic indicator of a GPU bottleneck. The RTX 3080 Ti is being tasked with rendering an exponentially larger number of pixels, and its fillrate and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors.

When we look at the Low settings, the pattern becomes even more telling. At 1080p Low, the system produces an enormous 238.1 FPS. This high frame rate suggests that the GPU is no longer the primary constraint; the CPU's ability to feed the rendering pipeline with draw calls and game logic becomes the ceiling. This is further evidenced by the fact that even at 1440p Low, the system still manages 152 FPS, a very high number that shows the CPU can maintain a substantial frame throughput. The 4K Low result of 84 FPS is nearly double the 4K High result, confirming that the GPU's workload is the dominant factor in the higher-resolution, higher-fidelity scenarios.

The data implies that for users targeting high refresh rate monitors, the system is leaving performance on the table at 1080p because the CPU, while powerful, cannot push frames much beyond the 238 FPS mark seen at Low settings. Conversely, at 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting component, and the powerful i7-12700KF has ample headroom to spare. The performance cliff between 1440p and 4K is steep, suggesting that 4K gaming with this title and settings will require compromises in quality to achieve smooth, high-refresh-rate gameplay.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture. Its benchmark scores are formidable, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28979 and a single-core score of 4091. This strong single-thread performance is crucial for Hitman 2, a game that, like many in the stealth genre, relies heavily on CPU-bound simulation for AI, crowd physics, and complex scripting.

The benchmark results indicate that the CPU is not a bottleneck at 4K, as the GPU is clearly the limiting factor there. However, the 1080p Low result of 238.1 FPS gives us a glimpse into the CPU's maximum capability in this game. That figure likely represents a near-ceiling for the game engine's frame rate with this CPU, showing that the 12 cores and high boost clock of 5.00 GHz are more than sufficient to drive even the most powerful GPUs at lower resolutions. The processor's 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs supports this, indicating it is a high-end part capable of sustaining very high frame rates. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14400, shows a negligible 0.1% performance delta, meaning the i7-12700KF is essentially on par with a modern mid-range chip in general compute, making its strong gaming performance a result of excellent architectural efficiency rather than just raw core count.

FAQ

*Q: Can this combo achieve 100+ FPS at 4K in Hitman 2?*

A: No, the measured data shows the highest 4K average is 84 FPS at Low settings. At High settings, it drops to 43.8 FPS, and at Ultra, it falls to 33.3 FPS. To get 100+ FPS, you would need to play at a lower resolution.

Q: What is the best resolution for a 144Hz monitor with this setup?

A: At 1440p, the system achieves 86.1 FPS on High and 152 FPS on Low. At 1080p, it hits 132.3 FPS on High and 175.5 FPS on Medium. None of the High or Ultra settings at 1440p reach 144 FPS, so a 1080p High or 1440p Medium/Low setting would be necessary to approach that refresh rate.

Q: How much faster is the CPU compared to its closest rival?

A: The i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35355, which is essentially identical to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14400, which scores 35336. This represents a performance delta of only 0.1%, indicating they are effectively equal in processing power.

Q: How does the GPU's performance compare to the RTX 3090?

A: The RTX 3080 Ti has an average benchmark score of 41224, which is 0.5% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090's score of 41441. This makes the 3080 Ti slightly slower than the 3090 in general GPU compute benchmarks.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: At 1080p with High settings, the system produces 132.3 FPS. The 1080p Low result of 238.1 FPS suggests the CPU is the primary limiter at this resolution, as the frame rate is likely capped by the processor's ability to issue draw calls rather than the GPU's rendering speed.

Q: What is the performance penalty for using Ultra settings at 1440p instead of High?

A: The average FPS drops from 86.1 FPS on High to 64 FPS on Ultra at 1440p. This is a 25.7% reduction in frame rate for the visual fidelity gain of the Ultra preset.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a complete picture of the combo's scaling. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast, with an average of 238.1 FPS on Low, 175.5 FPS on Medium, 132.3 FPS on High, and 97.8 FPS on Ultra. These figures are all highly playable, with even the Ultra preset maintaining a smooth experience.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are 152 FPS on Low, 115.2 FPS on Medium, 86.1 FPS on High, and 64 FPS on Ultra. The step from High to Ultra here is notable, as it crosses the 60 FPS threshold for the first time. At 3840x2160, the performance becomes more demanding, with results of 84 FPS on Low, 61.4 FPS on Medium, 43.8 FPS on High, and 33.3 FPS on Ultra. The 4K Ultra result is the only one in the entire dataset that falls below 40 FPS, indicating a very demanding combination of resolution and settings. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a reduction of over 60% in frame rate, highlighting the significant impact of the higher-quality settings on the GPU.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is a powerhouse built on the Ampere architecture with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing a massive 912.4 GB/s of memory bandwidth. This bandwidth is crucial for high-resolution textures and is a primary reason the card performs as well as it does at 4K. Its 34.10 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 80 RT cores make it a formidable GPU for both rasterization and ray tracing, though the latter is not specifically measured in this data.

The GPU's role is clearly dominant in this pairing, especially as resolution increases. The benchmark results show that the 4K High and Ultra settings are heavily GPU-limited, with the card's 83rd percentile ranking among all GPUs placing it in the high-end tier. Its nearest rival, the RTX 3090, is only 0.5% faster on average, which is a negligible difference in real-world gaming. The data suggests that the RTX 3080 Ti is extremely capable but not quite powerful enough to deliver high refresh rates at 4K with maximum settings in Hitman 2; it excels at 1440p, where it can push frame rates well above 60 FPS on High settings.

Settings Recommendations

For a balance of visual quality and performance, the High preset at 2560x1440, yielding 86.1 FPS, is the most compelling option. It offers a significant improvement in fidelity over Medium while maintaining a frame rate that is well above the 60 FPS standard for smooth gameplay. For those with 1080p displays, the Ultra preset at 97.8 FPS is the best choice, as it provides the maximum visual quality without sacrificing smoothness.

If the goal is to maximize frame rates for competitive play or high refresh rate monitors, the Low preset at 1920x1080, with its 238.1 FPS, is the clear winner. The Medium preset at 1440p, at 115.2 FPS, is a strong middle ground for users who want high frame rates on a higher-resolution panel. At 4K, the data suggests that the Low preset (84 FPS) or Medium preset (61.4 FPS) are the only viable settings for a playable experience, as the High (43.8 FPS) and Ultra (33.3 FPS) presets fall below the ideal smoothness threshold. The Ultra preset at 4K should be avoided unless a cinematic, sub-40 FPS experience is acceptable.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti combination ranks 477th out of 1795 tested combos for Hitman 2, placing it in the 73rd percentile of all systems tested. This is a strong showing, confirming that this is a high-performance pairing. The ranking reflects the balance between the top-tier CPU and the high-end GPU, though the 4K results show that even this powerful combo can be brought to its knees by the most demanding settings. The rank suggests that while it is not the absolute fastest configuration available, it outperforms the vast majority of systems, making it a very capable platform for this game. The data indicates that the system is well-matched for 1440p gaming, which is where it likely achieves its best price-to-performance in terms of playable frame rates.