Hitman 2

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER delivers a robust Hitman 2 experience, ranking in the top 18.2% of all tested combinations. The data shows a system that scales predictably across resolutions, offering high refresh rate capabilities at 1080p and maintaining playability at 4K with adjusted settings. This analysis breaks down the specific contributions of the CPU and GPU, contextualizes the combo’s standing, and provides a detailed FPS breakdown.

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core i7-12700KF compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The CPU’s average benchmark score is 35355. It sits within a tight performance cluster, being 0.1% faster than the Intel Core i5-14400, 0.2% slower than the Intel Core i7-13800H, and 0.2% faster than the Intel Core i9-12900HX. It also leads the Intel Core i5-13600T by 0.3%.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile and who are its nearest competitors?

A: The RTX 4070 SUPER is in the 84th percentile of all GPUs. Its average benchmark score is 42576. It is virtually tied with the NVIDIA RTX A6000 (0.2% slower) and the AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE (0.3% slower), while being 1.4% faster than the AMD Radeon Pro 580X and 1.6% faster than the NVIDIA Tesla M40.

Q: What is the best performance setting for 4K gaming with this hardware?

A: At 3840x2160, the "Low" setting yields the highest average frame rate at 87.3 FPS. The "High" setting produces an average of 48.9 FPS, while "Ultra" drops to 38.9 FPS. For a smooth experience, "Medium" at 66.6 FPS offers a balanced option.

Q: Can this combo achieve 144 FPS at 1440p?

A: Yes, but only with lower graphical presets. At 2560x1440, the "Low" setting achieves an average of 168.8 FPS, and "Medium" reaches 127.9 FPS. The "High" setting averages 98.4 FPS, and "Ultra" is significantly lower at 70.3 FPS.

Q: How does the system perform at 1080p for competitive play?

A: At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally strong. The "Low" setting hits an average of 260.8 FPS, and "Medium" follows with 199.4 FPS. Even "High" maintains an average of 152.4 FPS, ensuring high refresh rate monitors are easily saturated.

Q: What is the ranking of this specific CPU and GPU combination?

A: This specific combo ranks 327 out of 1795 tested combinations in Hitman 2. This places it in the top 18.2% of all systems tested, indicating a high-performing pairing for this title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. The processor features a 25 MB shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core. In synthetic tests, its multi-threaded capabilities are evident, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28979 and a Passmark multi-thread score of 34092. Its single-thread performance is also strong, with a Geekbench single-core score of 2526 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4091.

In Hitman 2, the CPU’s role is to maintain a consistent frame delivery pipeline, particularly at lower resolutions where the GPU is less burdened. The benchmark results indicate that the processor's strong single-thread performance prevents it from becoming a bottleneck in most scenarios. The high boost clock ensures that the game's primary simulation and AI threads are processed quickly. The data shows that at 1920x1080 with "Low" settings, the system achieves an average of 260.8 FPS, a figure that depends heavily on the CPU's ability to feed the GPU with frames. The CPU's strong performance, as indicated by its 89th percentile ranking, ensures that the GPU is able to operate near its full potential in this title.

The processor's 20 threads also provide ample headroom for background tasks and the game's engine overhead. The difference between the "Low" and "Ultra" settings at 1080p is substantial—the average FPS drops from 260.8 to 112.4—which shows that while the CPU is strong, the graphical load at "Ultra" still significantly impacts overall performance. The processor's performance relative to its nearest rivals, such as being 0.1% faster than the Intel Core i5-14400, suggests that any of these CPUs would yield nearly identical frame rates in Hitman 2, confirming that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this pairing.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using TSMC's 5 nm process. It features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 1980 MHz and a boost clock of 2475 MHz, with a TDP of 220 W. It is equipped with 7168 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 80 ROPs. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 29995 in Passmark's G3D test and 4627 in 3DMark's Steel Nomad DX12 test. The GPU's compute capabilities are highlighted by its FP32 performance of 35.48 TFLOPS and a Passmark GPU compute score of 17108.

The GPU is the primary driver of Hitman 2's visual performance, and its 12 GB of VRAM is sufficient for all tested settings at every resolution. The benchmark data shows a clear scaling pattern tied to the GPU's workload. At 3840x2160, the average frame rate drops from 87.3 FPS on "Low" to 38.9 FPS on "Ultra," demonstrating the significant impact of resolution and settings on the GPU. The RTX 4070 SUPER's 84th percentile ranking places it ahead of many alternatives, but the data shows it is not immune to the demands of 4K "Ultra" settings, where it falls below the 40 FPS threshold.

The GPU's performance is consistent with its position in the market. It is virtually tied with the NVIDIA RTX A6000 and AMD Radeon RX 7650 GRE, with deltas of -0.2% and -0.3% respectively. This means users can expect comparable frame rates in Hitman 2 from these GPUs. The GPU's boost clock of 2475 MHz allows it to sustain high performance under load, which is reflected in the playable frame rates at 2560x1440 on "High" settings (98.4 FPS). The GPU's role is to translate the CPU's instructions into rendered frames, and the data indicates it does so effectively up to 1440p "High" and 4K "Medium" settings, where it maintains average FPS above 60.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER ranks 327 out of 1795 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places it in the top 18.2% of all systems, a strong showing that underscores the balance between the CPU and GPU. The ranking reflects the system's ability to handle the game's requirements across a range of settings and resolutions.

The combo’s high rank is supported by the individual component strengths. The CPU’s 89th percentile ranking and the GPU’s 84th percentile ranking indicate that both are well above average performers. The pairing avoids a significant bottleneck, as the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at the tested frame rates. For instance, at 1080p "Low," the system reaches an average of 260.8 FPS, a scenario where a weaker CPU would likely limit performance.

However, the rank also highlights the system's limits. At 4K "Ultra," the average frame rate drops to 38.9 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold for smooth gameplay. This indicates that while the combo is powerful, it is not a top-tier 4K "Ultra" system. The ranking is a holistic measure of performance across all tested scenarios, and the system's ability to deliver high FPS at 1080p and 1440p, while remaining playable at 4K with reduced settings, contributes to its position in the 327th slot out of 1795.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at performance across three resolutions and four settings levels.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance. With "Low" settings, the average FPS is 260.8, which drops to 199.4 on "Medium," 152.4 on "High," and 112.4 on "Ultra." This demonstrates that the system can easily drive high refresh rate monitors at this resolution, even with "High" settings, and only "Ultra" brings the frame rate below the 144 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong but begins to show the GPU's workload. The "Low" setting averages 168.8 FPS, while "Medium" achieves 127.9 FPS. The "High" setting yields an average of 98.4 FPS, which is still smooth for most displays. The "Ultra" setting, however, drops to an average of 70.3 FPS, which, while playable, is a significant step down from the lower presets.

At 3840x2160, the system is challenged, particularly at higher settings. The "Low" setting averages 87.3 FPS, providing a smooth experience. "Medium" averages 66.6 FPS, which remains playable. "High" drops to 48.9 FPS, and "Ultra" falls to 38.9 FPS. These numbers indicate that for 4K gaming, users will need to compromise on settings to maintain a consistent frame rate above 60 FPS, with "Medium" being the highest preset that achieves this target.