Hitman 2

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 delivers a compelling 1440p and high-refresh 1080p experience in Hitman 2, but the data shows that Ultra settings at 4K will push this combination to its limits. The measured frame rates reveal a system where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution climbs, while the 12-core, 20-thread Alder Lake processor keeps the scene fed at lower resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings, examines the GPU's role, and provides practical guidance for tuning the game.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the High preset, the average frame rate drops from 172 FPS at 1080p to 110 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 62 FPS. Moving to 4K High yields just 58 FPS, which is a 114 FPS drop from 1080p. This steep decline indicates that the RTX 4080 is the limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the pixel throughput demands of 4K far exceed what the GPU can sustain at High settings.

The scaling curve steepens dramatically with the Ultra preset. At 1080p Ultra, the system produces 126 FPS, which is still smooth for most displays. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 81 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 43 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is below the 60 FPS threshold commonly considered necessary for fluid gameplay, suggesting that users targeting 4K should avoid the highest preset. The gap between 1080p Ultra and 4K Ultra is 83 FPS, showing just how much the resolution increase taxes the GPU.

Low settings show the least dramatic scaling, which is expected since the CPU becomes more relevant when the GPU load is reduced. At 1080p Low, the system hits 302 FPS, which drops to 193 FPS at 1440p and 103 FPS at 4K. The 4K Low result is still eminently playable, and the fact that it remains above 100 FPS suggests that the CPU is not a hard bottleneck even at the lowest settings. The i7-12700KF's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by its 3dmark_single_thread score of 1043, helps maintain high frame rates when the GPU is not saturated.

The Medium preset offers a middle ground. At 1080p, it delivers 227 FPS with a minimum of 193 FPS and a maximum of 261 FPS. At 1440p, the average drops to 145 FPS with a minimum of 123 FPS. At 4K Medium, the system produces 77 FPS, which is the first 4K result that approaches playability for smooth action. The minimum FPS figures at Medium settings show that the frame time consistency is good, with the 1440p minimum of 123 FPS being well above the 60 FPS target.

The data indicates that the limiting component shifts based on resolution. At 1080p, the CPU's 12 cores and 20 threads are sufficient to push frame rates above 300 FPS at Low settings, meaning the GPU is the primary constraint even at this resolution. At 4K, the RTX 4080's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth are taxed heavily, and the FPS drops accordingly. The 4K Ultra result of 43 FPS is particularly telling, as it suggests this combination is not suited for maximum settings at that resolution.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1440p with High settings delivers 110 FPS, which is a strong balance of visual quality and performance. At 4K, even the Medium preset only reaches 77 FPS, so users prioritizing smoothness should consider 1440p.

Q: Can this system run Hitman 2 at 4K smoothly?

A: It depends on the settings preset. At 4K Low, the system achieves 103 FPS, and at 4K Medium, it reaches 77 FPS. However, 4K High drops to 58 FPS, and 4K Ultra falls to 43 FPS, so smooth 60 FPS gameplay at 4K requires Medium settings or lower.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54247, while the RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54209, a delta of 0.1%. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828, which is 1.1% higher, and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698, which is 2.6% higher.

Q: Is the i7-12700KF holding back the RTX 4080 in this game?

A: The data suggests not at 1080p, where Low settings produce 302 FPS, indicating the CPU can feed the GPU adequately. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, as seen in the 43 FPS Ultra result, so the CPU's 3dmark_max_threads score of 9983 is sufficient for this title.

Q: What is the minimum FPS at Medium settings?

A: At 1080p Medium, the minimum FPS is 193, at 1440p Medium it is 123, and at 4K Medium it is 66. These minimums indicate that the Medium preset provides consistent frame pacing across all resolutions.

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

A: The i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35365. The Intel Core i7-13700T scores 35403, a -0.1% delta, and the Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35305, a 0.2% delta. The Intel Core i7-12700K scores 35287, also a 0.2% delta.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications directly explain the measured frame rates. With 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, the GPU provides 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth, which is ample for Hitman 2's detailed environments. The boost clock of 2505 MHz, combined with 9728 shading units, delivers the raw compute power needed to handle the game's lighting and shadow effects.

The GPU's memory capacity and bandwidth become critical at 4K resolution. The 4K Ultra preset produces 43 FPS, while 4K High produces 58 FPS. The delta between these settings suggests that the increased texture and effect loads at Ultra are saturating the GPU's processing capabilities. The 4K Medium result of 77 FPS shows that reducing settings to Medium allows the GPU to maintain a playable frame rate, indicating that the RTX 4080's architecture is capable but not overprovisioned for this game's heaviest settings.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 86 versus all GPUs places it in the upper tier, and its average benchmark score of 54247 reflects strong performance. However, the nearest rival data shows that the RTX 4080 SUPER is only 0.1% behind in average score, meaning the performance gap between these two cards is negligible. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 1.1% higher, and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 2.6% higher, but these differences are small in the context of Hitman 2's measured results.

The GPU's clock speeds are noteworthy for sustained performance. The base clock of 2205 MHz and boost clock of 2505 MHz are high for the Ada Lovelace architecture, and the memory clock of 1400 MHz (22.4 Gbps effective) provides the bandwidth necessary for high-resolution textures. The 45,900 million transistors on a 5 nm TSMC process node contribute to the GPU's efficiency, allowing it to maintain high clocks under load.

The measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the primary constraint at all resolutions. Even at 1080p Low, where the system produces 302 FPS, the CPU is not the bottleneck because the i7-12700KF's single-thread performance is strong enough to feed the GPU. As resolution increases, the GPU's workload grows exponentially, and the FPS drops accordingly, confirming that the RTX 4080 is the limiting component in this configuration.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 255 out of 3711 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places it in the top 7% of all combinations, which is an impressive result given the breadth of hardware tested. The rank reflects the strong synergy between the CPU and GPU, where the i7-12700KF's 12 cores and 20 threads are sufficient to avoid bottlenecking the RTX 4080.

The combo's percentile performance is consistent with the individual components' rankings. The CPU has a percentile of 85 versus all CPUs, and the GPU has a percentile of 86 versus all GPUs. The combo rank of 255 out of 3711 suggests that this pairing performs slightly better than the average of these percentiles would imply, indicating good pairing efficiency in this specific game.

When comparing to other combos, the data shows that this setup is well-suited for Hitman 2's stealth gameplay. The 1080p High result of 172 FPS is more than sufficient for any high-refresh-rate monitor, and the 1440p High result of 110 FPS provides excellent visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness. The 4K Medium result of 77 FPS is respectable for a game of this era, though it falls short of the 100+ FPS targets that some users prefer.

The rank of 255 out of 3711 is particularly notable because it includes combos with newer hardware. The i7-12700KF was released in late 2021, and the RTX 4080 was released in late 2022, so this is a previous-generation pairing that still competes well. The data indicates that this combo outperforms many newer configurations in Hitman 2, likely due to the game's engine favoring the CPU's architecture and the GPU's memory bandwidth.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p, the High preset at 172 FPS is the best choice for most users, as it provides a significant visual upgrade over Medium (227 FPS) while still maintaining frame rates well above 144 Hz. The Ultra preset at 126 FPS is also viable for those with 144 Hz monitors, but the visual difference between High and Ultra is often not worth the 46 FPS penalty.

For 1440p, the High preset at 110 FPS is the recommended starting point. This provides a smooth experience on 100 Hz or 120 Hz monitors, and the Medium preset at 145 FPS is available for users who prefer higher frame rates over visual fidelity. The Ultra preset at 81 FPS is borderline for 144 Hz displays, so users with such monitors should stick with High or Medium.

For 4K, the Medium preset at 77 FPS is the only option that approaches smooth gameplay, and even this falls short of 60 FPS minimums in some scenes, as evidenced by the 66 FPS minimum. The High preset at 58 FPS is playable but not ideal for action sequences, and the Ultra preset at 43 FPS should be avoided for serious play. Users targeting 4K should also consider the Low preset at 103 FPS if they prioritize frame rate over all else.

The Low preset is useful for competitive play or for users with high-refresh-rate monitors. At 1080p Low, the system produces 302 FPS, which is far beyond any current display's refresh rate, and at 1440p Low, the 193 FPS result is still excellent. The Low preset is not recommended for 4K users who care about visual quality, as the 103 FPS result comes at the cost of significantly reduced detail.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 302 FPS average
• Medium: 227 FPS average, 193 FPS minimum, 261 FPS maximum
• High: 172 FPS average
• Ultra: 126 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 193 FPS average
• Medium: 145 FPS average, 123 FPS minimum, 167 FPS maximum
• High: 110 FPS average
• Ultra: 81 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 103 FPS average
• Medium: 77 FPS average, 66 FPS minimum, 89 FPS maximum
• High: 58 FPS average
• Ultra: 43 FPS average

The data shows a consistent pattern across all resolutions: the Medium preset offers the best balance of performance and quality, with minimum FPS figures that are 85% or higher of the average. The High preset provides a steady step up in visual quality, but the FPS penalty is substantial at 4K. The Ultra preset is only recommendable at 1080p, where the 126 FPS average is still playable, but it struggles at higher resolutions. The Low preset is the only option that maintains high frame rates at 4K, but it sacrifices the visual richness that Hitman 2 is known for.