Hitman 2

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 delivers a clear performance curve in Hitman 2, with frame rates scaling predictably as resolution increases. This analysis walks through the measured data to explain where the bottleneck lies, which settings offer the best experience, and how this combination stacks up against other tested hardware.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combo shows a consistent and steep drop as resolution climbs from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 183 FPS at 1080p to 117 FPS at 1440p, then further down to 62 FPS at 4K. That represents a 36% reduction when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a 47% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The pattern is similar across all quality presets, indicating that the rendering load scales heavily with pixel count.

Looking at High settings, the averages are 104 FPS at 1080p, 66 FPS at 1440p, and 35 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 38 FPS, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 31 FPS. This near-linear degradation suggests that neither component is overwhelmingly dominant at any single resolution; instead, the workload shifts smoothly between CPU and GPU responsibilities.

The Ultra preset tells a similar story but at lower absolute numbers: 76 FPS at 1080p, 49 FPS at 1440p, and 26 FPS at 4K. The 4K result is particularly telling — 26 FPS is below playable thresholds for most users, and the gap between Medium and Ultra at 4K is substantial (47 FPS vs 26 FPS). The data indicates that at 4K, the GPU is the limiting factor, as the frame rates collapse regardless of CPU headroom.

At 1080p, the picture changes. The jump from Low to High is 79 FPS (183 to 104), while at 4K that same settings change yields only a 27 FPS difference (62 to 35). This widening gap at lower resolutions points to the CPU becoming more relevant at 1080p, but the overall trend confirms that Hitman 2 places heavy demands on the graphics pipeline as resolution increases.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear hierarchy for selecting a preset. At 1920x1080, Medium delivers 137 FPS average with a minimum of 117 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth play. High pushes the average down to 104 FPS but still maintains playability. Ultra at 76 FPS remains viable for 1080p, though the jump from High to Ultra costs 28 FPS (from 104 to 76) — a significant penalty for the visual gains.

At 2560x1440, Medium is the sweet spot. The 88 FPS average with a minimum of 75 FPS provides a stable experience without dipping below 60 FPS. High drops to 66 FPS average, which is still acceptable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes. Ultra at 49 FPS falls below the 60 FPS threshold, making it a poor choice for 1440p gameplay. Low at 117 FPS is overkill for most displays and sacrifices visual quality unnecessarily.

For 3840x2160, the options are limited. Medium is the only preset that approaches playability, with a 47 FPS average and a minimum of 40 FPS. High at 35 FPS and Ultra at 26 FPS are both below 30 FPS, which is generally considered the floor for cinematic experiences but not for interactive play. Low at 62 FPS is technically playable but strips away the visual detail that makes Hitman 2 engaging. The data suggests that 4K gaming with this combo requires accepting Medium settings or lowering resolution.

The best experience per the measured rows is Medium at 1440p or 1080p. At 1440p, Medium offers a 88 FPS average with a 75 FPS minimum, which balances visual fidelity with smooth motion. At 1080p, Medium achieves 137 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate displays. Ultra settings are only recommended at 1080p, where the 76 FPS average remains playable.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF brings 12 cores and 20 threads to this pairing, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. This Alder Lake architecture chip also features 25 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 28,838 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4,071 in single-core, placing it in the 85th percentile against all CPUs.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's role becomes evident when examining the low-resolution results. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo reaches 183 FPS, which suggests the CPU is feeding the GPU adequately. The single-core performance of 4,071 in Cinebench R23 is likely what enables this high frame rate, as Hitman 2 relies heavily on a few primary threads for game logic and AI.

The multi-core capability shows its value in the consistency of the frame rate. At 1080p Medium, the minimum FPS is 117, and the maximum is 158, a spread of 41 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the spread narrows to 26 FPS (75 to 101). This indicates that the CPU is not causing frame hitches or stutters, even when the GPU is less loaded. The 12-core configuration ensures that background tasks and the game's auxiliary threads do not starve the main rendering thread.

Comparing to direct rivals, the i7-12700KF sits very close to the Intel Core i7-13700T, which has a deltaPct of -0.1%, meaning the 13700T is essentially identical in average benchmark score (35,403 vs 35,365). The Intel Core i5-13600T is 0.2% faster, and the Intel Core i7-12700K is 0.2% faster as well. These tiny margins show that the 12700KF is well-positioned in its class, and any differences in Hitman 2 performance would be negligible.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 ranks 1,669 out of 3,711 tested combos for Hitman 2. That places it in the 55th percentile of all combinations — above the median but not in the top tier. The rank indicates that while this pairing is competent, many other CPU-GPU combos achieve higher frame rates in this game.

The combo's rank is influenced by both components. The GPU sits in the 72nd percentile against all GPUs, which is solid but not exceptional. The CPU's 85th percentile ranking is stronger, suggesting that the GPU is more likely to be the performance limiter in this pairing, especially at higher resolutions. The gap between the CPU's percentile and the GPU's percentile explains why the 4K results are underwhelming — the RTX 5060 cannot fully leverage the CPU's capabilities at that resolution.

Looking at the GPU's nearest rivals, the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is 1.2% faster in average benchmark score, while the AMD Radeon 860M is 0.3% slower and the NVIDIA GeForce MX550 is 0.3% slower. These are very tight margins, meaning the RTX 5060 is squarely in the mid-range GPU tier. The combo rank of 1,669 reflects this positioning — it outperforms a majority of combos but falls short of top-tier pairings that would feature higher-end GPUs.

The measured FPS data corroborates the rank. At 1080p Low, the 183 FPS result is strong, but the 4K Ultra result of 26 FPS drags down the overall picture. A higher-ranked combo would likely maintain above-60 FPS at 4K with High settings, which this pairing cannot achieve.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 2560x1440 with Medium settings provides the best balance, achieving 88 FPS average with a 75 FPS minimum. At 1920x1080, Medium hits 137 FPS, but 1440p offers more visual detail without sacrificing smoothness.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Hitman 2?

A: Only at Low settings, where the average is 62 FPS. Medium at 4K drops to 47 FPS, and High falls to 35 FPS. Ultra is unplayable at 26 FPS. For 4K, users must accept significant visual compromises.

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

A: The Intel Core i7-12700KF scores 35,365 on average benchmarks. The Intel Core i7-13700T is 0.1% slower, the Intel Core i5-13600T is 0.2% faster, and the Intel Core i7-12700K is 0.2% faster. Performance differences are minimal.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, as frame rates collapse to 26-62 FPS depending on settings. At 1080p, the CPU becomes more relevant, with the combo reaching 183 FPS at Low settings, suggesting the GPU is still capable of higher output.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured average is 76 FPS. This is playable but represents a 28 FPS drop from High settings, which averages 104 FPS. The visual gain from Ultra may not justify the performance cost.

Q: How does this combo rank against all tested combinations?

A: It ranks 1,669 out of 3,711 combos, placing it in the 55th percentile. This is above the median but reflects the GPU's mid-range positioning, as the CPU ranks in the 85th percentile while the GPU ranks in the 72nd.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured data provides a full picture of performance across all resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the averages are 183 FPS (Low), 137 FPS (Medium), 104 FPS (High), and 76 FPS (Ultra). The Medium preset also reports a minimum of 117 FPS and a maximum of 158 FPS, showing a tight range that indicates stable performance.

At 2560x1440, the averages drop to 117 FPS (Low), 88 FPS (Medium), 66 FPS (High), and 49 FPS (Ultra). The Medium preset shows a minimum of 75 FPS and a maximum of 101 FPS. The 49 FPS Ultra result is the first preset to fall below the 60 FPS threshold, signaling that 1440p Ultra is not recommended for this combo.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 62 FPS (Low), 47 FPS (Medium), 35 FPS (High), and 26 FPS (Ultra). The Medium preset reports a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 54 FPS. Only Low settings manage to stay above 60 FPS, and even that result is marginal. The progression from Low to Ultra at 4K shows a 36 FPS drop, highlighting the GPU's struggle at this resolution.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: each step up in settings costs roughly 20-30% performance at any given resolution. The minimum FPS values, where available, show that the combo maintains stability even at lower frame rates, with no severe hitches or drops below the average range.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a GB206 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process at TSMC. It features 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has 3,840 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 48 raster output units, with base and boost clocks of 2280 MHz and 2497 MHz respectively.

In Hitman 2, the GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution rises. The 4K results clearly show the GPU struggling to maintain playable frame rates at higher settings. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for this game, as Hitman 2 is a 2018 title that does not require excessive memory. The GDDR7 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth provide ample throughput for the game's textures and geometry at 1080p and 1440p.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 72nd percentile against all GPUs, with a Passmark G3D score of 20,891. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT, which is 1.2% faster, and the AMD Radeon 860M, which is 0.3% slower. The RTX 5060's average benchmark score is 26,331, indicating it is a capable mid-range card.

The measured FPS data shows the GPU's strengths and weaknesses. At 1080p Low, the 183 FPS result demonstrates that the GPU can push very high frame rates when the load is light. However, the 4K Ultra result of 26 FPS shows that the GPU's 48 ROPs and 128-bit memory bus limit its performance at high pixel counts. The 19.18 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is respectable, but the memory subsystem is the likely constraint at 4K.

The GPU's clock speeds of 2280 MHz base and 2497 MHz boost are moderate, and the 145 W TDP suggests it is not an power-hungry card. The 241 mm length and dual-slot width make it a standard-sized card that should fit in most cases. The PCIe 5.0 x8 interface provides sufficient bandwidth, though Hitman 2 is unlikely to saturate even PCIe 4.0 x8.

The data indicates that the RTX 5060 is well-matched to the i7-12700KF at 1080p and 1440p, where the GPU can keep pace with the CPU's output. At 4K, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck, and users should either lower settings or reduce resolution to achieve playable frame rates. The GPU's 8 GB VRAM is adequate for Hitman 2, and the memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s is sufficient for the game's asset streaming needs.