Hitman 2

# Hitman 2 with Intel Core i7-12700KF + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D

This combination pairs a 12th-gen Intel desktop processor with NVIDIA's flagship Blackwell GPU in a stealth game from 2018, and the measured results reveal a fascinating bottleneck dynamic. The Intel Core i7-12700KF brings 12 cores and 20 threads with a 5.00 GHz boost clock, while the RTX 5090 D ships with 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus. Across twelve measured configurations spanning three resolutions and four quality presets, this pairing delivers from 52 FPS at 4K Ultra up to 351 FPS at 1080p Low, showing both the game's age and the hardware's raw capability.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is built on the Alder Lake architecture, produced on Intel's 10 nm process node. It features 12 physical cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 25 MB of shared L3 cache. This CPU supports dual-channel DDR4 and DDR5 memory, and its unlocked multiplier allows for overclocking. The launch MSRP is $384.

Benchmark data shows this processor's strengths. In Cinebench R23, it scores 28,838 in multi-core and 4,071 in single-core. The Geekbench scores are 14,367 multi-core and 2,255 single-core. PassMark multithread score reaches 34,092, while single-thread performance sits at 3,984. The 3DMark tests reveal scaling from 1,043 single-thread to 9,983 max-threads, with 16-thread performance at 9,282. This CPU ranks in the 85th percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 35,365.

When comparing to nearest rivals, the i7-12700KF sits within a tight performance band. It trails the Intel Core i7-13700T by just 0.1% (35,365 vs 35,403), while leading the Intel Core i5-13600T by 0.2% (35,365 vs 35,305). The Intel Core 5 213PE is 0.2% ahead, and the i7-12700K is 0.2% behind. These sub-1% deltas indicate that this processor is positioned in a highly competitive cluster of mid-range and upper-mid-range desktop chips.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's role is most evident at lower resolutions and settings where frame rates climb dramatically. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 351 FPS, which is 127 FPS higher than at 1080p High (207 FPS). This 144 FPS gap between Low and High at the same resolution suggests that even this capable 12-core processor can become a limiting factor when the GPU is asked to produce extremely high frame rates. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 9,282 and PassMark physics score of 1,780 indicate strong multi-threaded performance, which matters in a game like Hitman 2 that simulates AI behaviors and physics interactions in crowded environments.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture, using the GB202 chip fabricated by TSMC on a 5 nm process. The die contains 92,200 million transistors across 750 mm², with a transistor density of 122.9 million per mm². The GPU operates at a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz for 28 Gbps effective. The 32 GB of GDDR7 memory is paired with a 512-bit bus, delivering 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. This card features 21,760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, 176 ROPs, 170 ray tracing cores, and 680 tensor cores. The launch MSRP is 2,299 USD.

Synthetic benchmarks show the GPU's capabilities. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test yields 14,326. Geekbench OpenCL scores 310,674, while Vulkan reaches 376,915. PassMark G3D score is 44,065, with GPU compute at 28,396. The GPU ranks in the 92nd percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 77,712.

Nearest rival comparisons show interesting deltas. The AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT scores 76,904, which is 1.1% behind the RTX 5090 D. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78,940, putting it 1.6% ahead. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB is 2.1% ahead at 79,396, and the Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB leads by 2.4% at 79,605. These are surprisingly close margins for a flagship consumer GPU against mobile and data-center parts.

In Hitman 2, the GPU's massive memory pool and bandwidth prove sufficient even at 4K Ultra, where the combo still manages 52 FPS. The 32 GB VRAM is far beyond what this 2018 title needs, but the bandwidth helps maintain consistent frame pacing. The GPU's pixel rate of 423.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s are more than adequate for the game's rendering demands. The RTX 5090 D's FP32 performance of 104.8 TFLOPS suggests it could handle far more graphically intensive titles, but in Hitman 2 the bottleneck shifts to the CPU at high frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific configuration ranks 25th out of 3,001 tested combos in Hitman 2, placing it in the top 0.83% of all combinations. This is a strong showing, but the rank reveals that other pairings achieve higher performance in this particular game. The game's age and engine characteristics mean that many modern CPUs and GPUs can exceed the performance of this flagship pairing, especially at lower resolutions.

The rank of 25 suggests that while the RTX 5090 D is among the most powerful GPUs available, the i7-12700KF is not the absolute fastest CPU for gaming. The 85th percentile CPU ranking versus the 92nd percentile GPU ranking indicates a slight mismatch — the GPU is more capable relative to its peers than the CPU is. This explains why the combo doesn't crack the top 10, as CPU-bound scenarios at 1080p would favor combos with faster processors.

The gap between combo rank and individual component percentiles provides insight into Hitman 2's scaling behavior. The game appears to reward CPU performance more than GPU performance at lower resolutions, which means the i7-12700KF's position in the middle of the nearest-rival pack (all within 0.2% of each other) becomes the limiting factor. The GPU's 92nd percentile ranking is somewhat wasted in this title when frame rates exceed 200 FPS, as the CPU cannot feed frames fast enough to fully utilize the RTX 5090 D's capabilities.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the measured results show a wide spread across settings. Low settings produce an average of 351 FPS, Medium gives 274 FPS with a minimum of 233 and maximum of 315, High reaches 207 FPS, and Ultra drops to 153 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra represents a 198 FPS reduction, which is a 56.4% decrease from the Low setting baseline. This steep drop indicates that Hitman 2's Ultra preset imposes significant rendering costs that scale with GPU workload.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease but remain high. Low settings deliver 234 FPS, Medium produces 175 FPS with a range of 149 to 201, High achieves 132 FPS, and Ultra falls to 98 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 136 FPS, representing a 58.1% reduction. Notably, the 1440p Medium minimum of 149 FPS is still higher than the 4K Ultra average of 52 FPS, showing how resolution impacts performance.

At 3840x2160, the results become more moderate. Low settings yield 124 FPS, Medium produces 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 and maximum of 107, High drops to 71 FPS, and Ultra falls to 52 FPS. The total spread is 72 FPS, a 58.1% reduction from Low to Ultra. The 4K Medium minimum of 79 FPS is still playable, but Ultra at 52 FPS is borderline for smooth gameplay. The 4K results show less absolute variation than lower resolutions, suggesting the GPU becomes more consistently the bottleneck at higher pixel counts.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

Examining resolution scaling at each settings level reveals the bottleneck characteristics. For Low settings, performance drops from 351 FPS at 1080p to 234 FPS at 1440p (a 33.3% reduction), then to 124 FPS at 4K (a 47.0% reduction from 1440p). The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 227 FPS, or 64.7%. This large percentage drop indicates that even at Low settings, the GPU is being exercised heavily as resolution increases, while the CPU remains capable of feeding frames at these rates.

For Medium settings, 1080p yields 274 FPS, 1440p gives 175 FPS (36.1% lower), and 4K produces 93 FPS (46.9% lower from 1440p). The total reduction is 181 FPS, or 66.1%. The minimum frame rates follow a similar pattern: 233 at 1080p, 149 at 1440p, and 79 at 4K. These consistent drops suggest balanced scaling, with neither component dominating the bottleneck at Medium settings.

High settings show 207 FPS at 1080p, 132 FPS at 1440p (36.2% lower), and 71 FPS at 4K (46.2% lower from 1440p). The total reduction is 136 FPS, or 65.7%. Ultra settings follow the same trend: 153 FPS at 1080p, 98 FPS at 1440p (35.9% lower), and 52 FPS at 4K (46.9% lower from 1440p), for a total reduction of 101 FPS or 66.0%.

The remarkably consistent scaling percentages across all settings — approximately 36% from 1080p to 1440p and 47% from 1440p to 4K — indicate that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at every resolution and settings combination. The CPU is capable of delivering high frame rates at 1080p, as evidenced by 351 FPS at Low, but the GPU's workload scales predictably with pixel count. The RTX 5090 D's 32 GB of VRAM and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are more than sufficient for this game, so the performance drops are purely due to pixel-pushing demands rather than memory constraints.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo achieves in Hitman 2?

A: The highest measured average is 351 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The lowest is 52 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations in this game?

A: This combination ranks 25th out of 3,001 tested combos, placing it in the top 0.83% of all configurations tested in Hitman 2.

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

A: The data suggests the CPU becomes the limiting factor at 1080p Low, where 351 FPS approaches the practical limit for even a strong 12-core processor. The GPU's 92nd percentile ranking versus the CPU's 85th percentile supports this interpretation, as the GPU has more headroom relative to its peers.

Q: What are the minimum frame rates reported for this combo?

A: Minimum frame rates are only reported for Medium settings: 233 FPS at 1080p, 149 FPS at 1440p, and 79 FPS at 4K. No minimum or maximum values were recorded for Low, High, or Ultra settings.

Q: How much performance is lost when going from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings?

A: At Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops from 153 FPS at 1080p to 52 FPS at 4K, a reduction of 101 FPS or approximately 66%. This is consistent with the 65-66% reduction seen across all other settings levels.

Q: How does the i7-12700KF compare to its nearest rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The i7-12700KF scores 35,365, which is within 0.2% of all four nearest rivals. It trails the i7-13700T by 0.1% and the Core 5 213PE by 0.2%, while leading the i5-13600T by 0.2% and the i7-12700K by 0.2%.

Settings Recommendations

For 4K gaming, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. The measured 93 FPS average with a 79 FPS minimum is well above the 71 FPS High setting and 52 FPS Ultra, while still providing better visuals than the 124 FPS Low setting. The 14 FPS gap between Medium and High is relatively small, but the 21 FPS jump from High to Ultra and the 41 FPS drop to Ultra suggest diminishing returns beyond Medium. The 4K Medium minimum of 79 FPS ensures smooth gameplay in demanding scenes.

At 1440p, High settings provide 132 FPS, which is a strong experience for competitive play while maintaining visual quality. Ultra at 98 FPS is also acceptable, but High offers 34 FPS more headroom. The 1440p Medium minimum of 149 FPS provides extra safety margin for frame-time spikes, making Medium the safer choice for consistent performance, though High's 132 FPS average is still comfortably above most display refresh rates.

For 1080p, the choice depends on the display's refresh rate. Low settings at 351 FPS are excessive for any current monitor, while Ultra at 153 FPS exceeds 144 Hz displays. Medium at 274 FPS and High at 207 FPS both provide massive headroom. The Medium preset with its 233 FPS minimum is the most balanced option, ensuring no frame drops below 200 FPS even in the most demanding scenes. For players with 240 Hz displays, Medium is the recommended choice. For 144 Hz displays, High at 207 FPS provides better visuals with ample performance margin. Ultra at 153 FPS is only recommended for those prioritizing visual fidelity above all else at 1080p.

The data consistently shows that Medium provides the best experience across all resolutions, with the only reported minimum and maximum frame rate values, indicating this setting is the most stable in terms of frame pacing. The 4K Medium minimum of 79 FPS is playable, and the 1080p Medium minimum of 233 FPS is exceptional. This suggests the game engine is optimized for Medium settings, or that the Medium preset balances CPU and GPU loads most effectively for this hardware combination.