Hitman 2

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 lands at rank 77 out of 3,711 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places the combination in the top 2.1% of all tested systems, a position that reflects the raw capability of both components working together. The ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU's massive compute resources, but the CPU holds its own as well, sitting at the 85th percentile among all CPUs on average benchmark score. This is not a pairing that will struggle in this title; rather, it is one that sits comfortably in the upper echelon of what the database has recorded.

The combo rank is particularly telling because it is not merely a sum of individual component scores. The RTX 5090's average benchmark score of 79,842 places it at the 92nd percentile among all GPUs, while the i7-12700KF's average of 35,365 places it at the 85th percentile among CPUs. When combined, the system outperforms the vast majority of other pairings in the database, which suggests that the two components complement each other well in Hitman 2's engine. The rank of 77 out of 3,711 means that roughly 96% of all tested combinations are slower, which is a strong statement about the headroom this system has for demanding stealth-action gameplay.

What is notable is the gap between this combo and the nearest rival pairings. The CPU's closest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-13700T and Intel Core i5-13600T, have average scores within 0.2% of the i7-12700KF, so the processor is not an outlier in its class. The GPU's nearest rivals, including the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB and AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, show deltas ranging from 0.3% to 1.1% in favor of the RTX 5090. This means that the combo's high rank is not due to one component being drastically better than its direct competitors, but rather the combination of two solid performers that do not bottleneck each other in this specific game.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the dominant force in this configuration, and its specifications make it a natural fit for Hitman 2's rendering demands. Built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process node, the GPU features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz, which translates to 28 Gbps effective. These memory figures are crucial for Hitman 2 at high resolutions, where texture streaming and draw calls can saturate lesser memory subsystems. The sheer size of the VRAM means that even at 4K with Ultra settings, the game will not come close to exhausting the frame buffer, eliminating a common source of stutter in open-world stealth titles.

The GPU's compute capabilities are equally impressive. With 21,760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 raster output units, the RTX 5090 is designed to push polygons and pixels at extreme rates. The boost clock of 2407 MHz, with a base clock of 2017 MHz, allows the card to sustain high throughput in sustained gaming sessions. The pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s are among the highest recorded in the database, which directly translates to the high frame rates observed in the measured FPS data. For Hitman 2, a game that relies on complex lighting and shadow calculations for its stealth mechanics, these raw throughput numbers are significant.

The GPU's FP32 performance of 104.8 TFLOPS is noteworthy, as it indicates the card can handle not only traditional rasterization but also compute-heavy effects like ambient occlusion and dynamic reflections without breaking a sweat. In the measured results, this is evident: at 4K High settings, the combo averages 66 FPS, while at 4K Low it reaches 117 FPS. The variance between settings shows that the GPU is the primary driver of performance at higher resolutions, as the CPU has more headroom to feed the card frames. The RTX 5090's 170 ray tracing cores and 680 tensor cores are present, but Hitman 2 does not heavily utilize these features, so their impact is minimal in this title. Still, the GPU's overall architecture ensures that it never becomes the limiting factor at the resolutions tested.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF, with its 12 cores and 20 threads, provides a solid foundation for Hitman 2's CPU-bound scenarios. The processor operates at a base clock of 3.60 GHz and boosts up to 5.00 GHz, with a 125 W TDP. This Alder Lake-S architecture chip supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory, though the benchmarks do not specify which was used in the test system. The cache hierarchy is substantial: 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 25 MB of shared L3, which helps reduce memory latency in complex game logic.

In terms of synthetic benchmarks, the i7-12700KF performs well but is not at the top of the heap. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28,838 and single-core score of 4,071 indicate strong multi-threaded and single-threaded capabilities. The Geekbench scores of 14,367 multi-core and 2,255 single-core reinforce this, while the Passmark multi-thread score of 34,092 shows consistent performance across varied workloads. The CPU's percentile rank of 85 among all CPUs means that it outperforms the majority of processors in the database, but it is not a flagship chip. Its nearest rivals, including the Intel Core i7-13700T and Intel Core 5 213PE, have average scores within 0.2% of the i7-12700KF, confirming that this CPU is firmly in the upper-midrange of modern processors.

For Hitman 2 specifically, the CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 342 FPS, which is a strong indicator that the CPU can feed the GPU frames at very high rates. The single-thread performance is critical here, as Hitman 2's engine relies on a few main threads for game logic and AI. The 5.00 GHz boost clock ensures that these threads are serviced quickly, preventing CPU bottlenecks at high frame rates. However, at 4K Ultra, where the FPS drops to 49, the CPU is no longer the limiting factor; the GPU is clearly struggling to render the increased pixel count. The measured data shows a clear pattern: the CPU provides enough headroom to avoid being the bottleneck at all tested settings, which reflects its 12-core design and high clock speeds.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive picture of how this combo performs across resolutions and settings. At 1080p, the results are exceptional. With Low settings, the average FPS is 342, which is the highest recorded in the dataset. Medium settings yield 257 FPS, with a minimum of 218 and maximum of 295, indicating consistent frame delivery. High settings drop to 194 FPS, while Ultra settings still manage 143 FPS. These numbers suggest that at 1080p, the system is operating well beyond the refresh rates of most displays, even at the highest quality preset.

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates remain impressive but show the expected decline. Low settings produce 219 FPS, Medium produces 164 FPS with a range of 140 to 189, High produces 124 FPS, and Ultra produces 91 FPS. This resolution is where the balance between CPU and GPU starts to shift, as the GPU's rendering load increases. The 1440p Ultra figure of 91 FPS is still highly playable, even on high-refresh-rate monitors, and the system maintains a comfortable margin above 60 FPS at all settings.

At 4K, the performance drops more sharply. High settings average 66 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. Medium settings improve this to 87 FPS, with a minimum of 74 and maximum of 101, providing a more comfortable experience. Low settings reach 117 FPS, showing that the game scales well with reduced graphical fidelity. However, Ultra settings at 4K drop to 49 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold for fast-paced action. This is the only configuration in the dataset where the system falls short of 60 FPS, and it indicates that the RTX 5090, despite its power, can be pushed to its limits by Hitman 2's Ultra preset at 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling of this combo reveals a clear pattern of GPU dominance at higher resolutions. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops by approximately 36% across all settings. For example, at High settings, the drop is from 194 FPS to 124 FPS, a reduction of 36%. At Low settings, the drop is from 342 FPS to 219 FPS, a 36% decrease. This consistent scaling suggests that the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck as the pixel count increases, while the CPU continues to provide frames at a sufficient rate.

From 1440p to 4K, the scaling becomes more pronounced. At High settings, the FPS drops from 124 to 66, a 47% reduction. At Low settings, the drop is from 219 to 117, a 47% decrease. This steeper decline indicates that the GPU is increasingly strained at 4K, as the number of pixels quadruples from 1080p to 4K, but the frame rate does not scale linearly. The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling: from 143 FPS at 1080p to 91 FPS at 1440p (36% drop) and then to 49 FPS at 4K (46% drop from 1440p). This pattern confirms that at 4K Ultra, the system is heavily GPU-limited, with the RTX 5090's raw compute power being insufficient to maintain high frame rates with all settings maxed out.

The limiting component shifts as resolution increases. At 1080p, the CPU's single-thread performance is likely the ceiling, as the GPU has ample headroom to render frames quickly. The 342 FPS at Low settings confirms the i7-12700KF's ability to feed the GPU. At 1440p, the balance shifts towards the GPU, but the CPU still contributes. At 4K, the GPU is the clear bottleneck, and the CPU's role diminishes. This is typical for a high-end pairing, and the data shows that for the best 4K experience, users should consider lowering settings from Ultra to High or Medium.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. At 1080p, Ultra settings at 143 FPS is the clear recommendation, as it provides the best visual quality while still exceeding the refresh rates of most 144 Hz monitors. Even if a user has a 240 Hz display, the Low preset at 342 FPS is overkill, and the visual fidelity loss from Ultra to Low is significant. The Medium preset at 257 FPS offers a good middle ground, but for most users, Ultra at 1080p is the best choice.

At 1440p, the recommendation becomes more nuanced. Ultra settings at 91 FPS is playable and provides excellent visuals, but it does not take full advantage of high-refresh-rate displays. High settings at 124 FPS is a better balance for users with 120 Hz or 144 Hz monitors, as it offers a significant FPS boost with only a minor visual impact. Medium settings at 164 FPS is ideal for competitive play or for users with 165 Hz displays, though the visual downgrade from High to Medium is noticeable. For most users at 1440p, High settings offers the best experience, providing a smooth frame rate without sacrificing too much in graphical fidelity.

At 4K, the recommendations are more constrained. Ultra settings at 49 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold and is not recommended for a smooth experience. High settings at 66 FPS is just above the threshold, but it may not be sufficient for fast-paced action sequences. Medium settings at 87 FPS is the sweet spot for 4K, as it provides a comfortable frame rate with a minimum of 74 FPS, ensuring no significant dips below 60 FPS. Low settings at 117 FPS is available for users who prioritize frame rate over visuals, but the visual downgrade is substantial. For a 60 Hz display, High settings is the best choice, while for a 120 Hz display, Medium settings is recommended. The data clearly indicates that Medium is the best overall preset for 4K, as it balances visual quality and performance.