Hitman 2

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT delivers a solid 1080p and 1440p experience in Hitman 2, but the combination struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K Ultra settings. The data shows a processor with massive headroom and a mid-range graphics card that becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution and graphical fidelity increase.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with a TDP of 125 W. The chip features a hybrid layout with a large cache hierarchy: 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache. The processor supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory through a dual-channel memory bus, and it includes integrated UHD Graphics 770, though dedicated graphics are used in this test.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i7-13700K demonstrates exceptional multi-threaded performance. It scores 39,000 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 16,380 in Cinebench R20 multi-core. Single-thread performance is equally strong, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5,505 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2,850. The 3DMark results show scaling from 1,136 in single-thread to 12,412 in max-threads, indicating the processor efficiently utilizes its core count. With an average benchmark score of 47,282 and a percentile ranking of 93 against all CPUs, this is a top-tier processor that sits comfortably above most rivals.

For Hitman 2, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and handle game logic. The benchmark results indicate that the i7-13700K is never the limiting factor in this pairing. The processor's multi-threaded capability (45,887 in Passmark multithread) and high single-thread performance (4,333 in Passmark single-thread) ensure that even at low settings where the GPU is less stressed, the CPU can push frame rates well beyond what the graphics card can render. The processor's 3DMark 8-thread score of 8,193 suggests that even older games like Hitman 2, which may not fully utilize all 24 threads, will see ample performance from the eight performance cores.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture using TSMC's 7 nm process, with the Navi 23 chip containing 11,060 million transistors on a 237 mm² die. It features 2,048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation units, along with 32 ray tracing cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2055 MHz, a game clock of 2410 MHz, and a boost clock of 2635 MHz. Memory is provided by 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, delivering 280.3 GB/s of bandwidth and a memory clock of 2190 MHz (17.5 Gbps effective).

The GPU's compute capabilities include 10.79 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 21.59 TFLOPS of FP16 (2:1 ratio). It supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, with a pixel rate of 168.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 337.3 GTexel/s. The card has a TDP of 176 W, requires a single 8-pin power connector, and is recommended for use with a 450 W power supply. It connects via PCIe 4.0 x8. In synthetic benchmarks, the GPU scores 17,166 in Passmark G3D and 10,922 in Geekbench Metal, with a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1,859. Its average benchmark score is 29,024, placing it at the 72nd percentile among all GPUs.

The RX 6650 XT's performance in Hitman 2 is heavily influenced by resolution and settings. The 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus become limiting factors at higher resolutions, particularly at Ultra settings where the game demands more memory bandwidth. The GPU's boost clock of 2635 MHz helps at lower resolutions, where the card can stretch its legs, but the architecture's mid-range positioning is evident in the 4K results.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT ranks 1,152 out of 1,795 tested combos in Hitman 2, placing it in the lower-middle tier of all configurations. The ranking reflects the GPU's mid-range nature rather than the CPU's capability. The i7-13700K sits at the 93rd percentile among all CPUs, with rivals like the Intel Core i7-13700KF (0.1% ahead) and AMD EPYC 4364P (0.3% behind) showing negligible differences in overall CPU performance. This indicates the processor is not the differentiator in this combo's ranking.

The GPU, at the 72nd percentile, has nearest rivals including the AMD Radeon RX 6800M (0% difference), AMD Radeon RX 470 (0.1% ahead), and Intel Arc A370M (0.5% behind). The RX 6650 XT's average benchmark score of 29,024 is remarkably close to the RX 6800M's 29,011, suggesting that in synthetic tests, this desktop card performs similarly to that mobile part. However, in Hitman 2, the combo's rank of 1,152 out of 1,795 indicates that many other GPU pairings outperform it, likely due to the RX 6650 XT's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory interface being insufficient for the game's higher preset demands.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a clear performance curve across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves 151.1 FPS on Low settings, 115.2 FPS on Medium, 88 FPS on High, and 61 FPS on Ultra. This shows that at 1080p, the combination is capable of delivering smooth gameplay even at the highest quality preset, with the GPU remaining the primary constraint as settings increase.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop significantly but remain playable. Low settings produce 94.3 FPS, Medium delivers 69.7 FPS, High yields 57.3 FPS, and Ultra drops to 40.5 FPS. The gap between Medium and High is 12.4 FPS, while the jump from High to Ultra is 16.8 FPS, showing that Ultra settings impose a substantial penalty at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low settings achieve 53.6 FPS, which is borderline acceptable, but Medium drops to 38 FPS, High falls to 29.3 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 23.2 FPS. The 4K results show that the RX 6650 XT's 8 GB VRAM and bandwidth limitations are severe at this resolution, with even Low settings barely crossing the 60 FPS threshold that would be considered smooth.

The performance scaling from 1080p Low to 4K Ultra shows a drop from 151.1 FPS to 23.2 FPS, a reduction of 84.6% in frame rate. The most significant single-setting penalty occurs at 4K, where moving from Low to Ultra costs 30.4 FPS. At 1080p, the same settings change costs 90.1 FPS, indicating that the GPU is being pushed to its limits at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest playable setting at 1920x1080?

A: At 1080p, the combo achieves 61 FPS on Ultra settings, which is above the 60 FPS threshold typically considered smooth. Low settings produce 151.1 FPS, Medium 115.2 FPS, and High 88 FPS.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming?

A: The data shows 4K performance is limited. Low settings average 53.6 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. Medium drops to 38 FPS, High to 29.3 FPS, and Ultra to 23.2 FPS, making only Low settings viable for 4K.

Q: How much performance is lost moving from 1080p to 1440p?

A: At High settings, the frame rate drops from 88 FPS at 1080p to 57.3 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 34.9%. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 61 FPS to 40.5 FPS, a 33.6% decrease.

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

A: The CPU ranks at the 93rd percentile among all processors, while the GPU ranks at the 72nd percentile. The FPS results show significant drops as resolution increases, indicating the GPU is the primary bottleneck, especially at 4K where the 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus are insufficient.

Q: What is the difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, Low settings deliver 94.3 FPS, while Ultra delivers 40.5 FPS, a difference of 53.8 FPS. The gap between Medium (69.7 FPS) and High (57.3 FPS) is 12.4 FPS, and between High and Ultra is 16.8 FPS.

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

A: The i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 47,282. The Intel Core i7-13700KF scores 47,334 (0.1% higher), the AMD EPYC 4364P scores 47,131 (0.3% lower), and the Intel Core i9-12900F scores 47,081 (0.4% lower). These differences are negligible in real-world gaming.