Hitman 2

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT delivers a mixed bag in Hitman 2, a stealth title from 2018 that is far more forgiving on hardware than modern releases. The data shows a combo that can comfortably handle 1080p and 1440p gaming, but one that struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K with high visual fidelity. This pairing sits solidly in the middle of the pack, ranking 1171st out of 1795 tested combinations, which indicates a balanced but not exceptional setup for this specific title.

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

The Intel Core i7-13700K is a 16-core, 24-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. It features a substantial 30 MB of shared L3 cache and is built on Intel's 10 nm process node. The processor's benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 39000 and a single-core score of 5505, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs.

For Hitman 2, these specifications are more than adequate. The game, released in 2018, does not require the sheer multithreaded muscle that modern titles demand. The i7-13700K's high single-thread performance is particularly relevant here, as Hitman 2's engine benefits from strong per-core performance. The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 4333 and Geekbench single-core score of 2850 suggest it can easily feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. In this pairing, the CPU is rarely the limiting factor; the data indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, especially at higher resolutions. The processor's 125 W TDP and unlocked multiplier make it a flexible choice, but its raw compute is overkill for this game's requirements when paired with the RX 7600 XT.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the i7-13700K and RX 7600 XT achieves a rank of 1171 out of 1795 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places the pairing in the lower-middle portion of the database, suggesting that while it performs adequately, there are many other combinations that yield higher average frame rates. The GPU's own percentile ranking is 63, while the CPU sits at 93, highlighting a significant imbalance: the processor is far more capable than the graphics card in this setup.

Looking at the nearest rivals for the GPU, the RX 7600 XT has an average benchmark score of 20146, which is only 0.3% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 460 and 1.9% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER. It trails the AMD Radeon RX 7600 by 0.6% and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile by 1.9%. This indicates that the RX 7600 XT is a mid-range performer, and its scores are closely clustered with older and lower-tier cards. The combo's overall rank of 1171 reflects this GPU limitation, as the CPU's high percentile cannot compensate for the graphics card's mid-pack standing in a game that is largely GPU-bound at higher settings.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p High settings, the combo achieves 84.4 FPS. Moving to 1440p High drops performance to 57.5 FPS, a reduction of approximately 32%. At 4K High, the average FPS falls to 31.7, which is a 62% drop from the 1080p figure. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario.

The data also shows that lowering settings has a more pronounced effect at lower resolutions. For instance, at 1080p, switching from High to Low raises the average FPS from 84.4 to 151, a massive 79% improvement. At 4K, the same settings change only improves performance from 31.7 to 53.1 FPS, a 67% gain. This suggests that at 1080p, the GPU has headroom to work with, and reducing graphical load has a huge impact. At 4K, the GPU is saturated, and while lowering settings still helps, the absolute frame rates remain low. The limiting component here is clearly the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT, as the i7-13700K's processing power is not being fully utilized at higher resolutions.

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

The benchmark data provides exact average FPS figures for twelve different configurations across three resolutions and four quality presets.

At 1920x1080, the results are as follows:

• Low: 151 FPS
• Medium: 113.6 FPS
• High: 84.4 FPS
• Ultra: 62.9 FPS

At 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly:

• Low: 94.2 FPS
• Medium: 69.9 FPS
• High: 57.5 FPS
• Ultra: 41.9 FPS

At 3840x2160, the frame rates become challenging for smooth gameplay:

• Low: 53.1 FPS
• Medium: 37.1 FPS
• High: 31.7 FPS
• Ultra: 20.6 FPS

These numbers illustrate a consistent trend: the gap between Low and Ultra settings widens as resolution increases. At 1080p, there is a 88.1 FPS difference between Low and Ultra. At 4K, that difference narrows to 32.5 FPS. This further confirms that the GPU is the bottleneck, as the absolute performance ceiling of the RX 7600 XT is reached at 4K regardless of settings.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Hitman 2 at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: At 4K, the average FPS ranges from 20.6 on Ultra to 53.1 on Low settings. Only the Low preset achieves a frame rate above 60 FPS. For a smooth 60 FPS experience, 4K is not viable on High or Ultra settings.

Q: What is the best resolution for a high-refresh-rate monitor?

A: At 1080p, the combo delivers 151 FPS on Low and 113.6 FPS on Medium, which are suitable for 120Hz or 144Hz displays. At 1440p, only the Low preset reaches 94.2 FPS, which is also above 60 FPS but below typical high-refresh targets.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 47282. It trails the Intel Core i7-13700KF by 0.1% and the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 by 0.5%, while outperforming the AMD EPYC 4364P by 0.3% and the Intel Core i9-12900F by 0.4%. The differences are negligible.

Q: Is the GPU significantly weaker than its direct competitor, the RX 7600?

A: The RX 7600 XT has an average score of 20146, which is 0.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 7600's score of 20258. This is a marginal difference in synthetic benchmarks, suggesting near-identical performance.

Q: What settings produce a stable 60 FPS experience at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset yields an average of 69.9 FPS, and High yields 57.5 FPS. To maintain a stable 60 FPS, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, as High falls slightly short.

Q: Why is the 4K Ultra performance so low?

A: The 4K Ultra preset averages 20.6 FPS, which is a 67% reduction compared to 1080p Ultra at 62.9 FPS. This is due to the GPU's limited memory bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s and its 128-bit bus width, which struggle with the high pixel count and texture loads at 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combo depends heavily on the target resolution. For 1080p users, the Medium preset at 113.6 FPS offers an excellent balance of visual quality and high frame rates, suitable for fast-paced gameplay. The High preset at 84.4 FPS is also viable, providing better detail while still maintaining smooth performance. Ultra at 62.9 FPS is playable but may not be ideal for those seeking the highest frame rates.

For 1440p, the Medium preset at 69.9 FPS is the sweet spot, delivering a solid 60+ FPS experience without sacrificing too much visual fidelity. The High preset at 57.5 FPS is close but dips below the 60 FPS threshold, which may be noticeable to some players. Low at 94.2 FPS is an option for competitive play, but the visual downgrade is significant.

At 4K, the data suggests that this combo is not suited for high-quality gaming. The Low preset at 53.1 FPS is the only configuration that approaches playability, but it requires substantial graphical compromises. The Medium preset at 37.1 FPS and High at 31.7 FPS are below the acceptable threshold for smooth gameplay. Ultra at 20.6 FPS is not recommended for anything other than screenshots. For 4K, users should either lower the resolution or consider a more powerful GPU.