Hitman 2

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti delivers a highly capable stealth-action experience in Hitman 2, with frame rates that scale predictably across resolutions and presets. The data shows a system that can comfortably handle 1080p and 1440p gaming, while 4K remains a challenge at higher quality settings. This analysis breaks down the CPU and GPU roles, optimal settings, and how this specific combination ranks against others in the database.

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. It operates with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, which provides substantial single-thread headroom. The processor’s cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache. These specifications are crucial for Hitman 2, a game that relies heavily on CPU-bound simulation for AI, crowd physics, and complex interactable environments.

Benchmark results indicate the 13700K excels in multithreaded workloads, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 39000 and a single-core score of 5505. The Geekbench multicore score of 17731 further reinforces its capability. In the context of Hitman 2, the high boost clock of 5.40 GHz ensures that the game’s primary thread remains responsive, preventing bottlenecks even when many NPCs are on screen. The processor’s percentile ranking of 93 against all CPUs means it outperforms the vast majority of alternatives, ensuring that the CPU is rarely the limiting factor in this title.

The 13700K sits in a tight competitive cluster. Its average benchmark score of 47282 is only 0.1% behind the Intel Core i7-13700KF, which scores 47334, and 0.3% ahead of the AMD EPYC 4364P, which scores 47131. It also leads the Intel Core i9-12900F by 0.4% (47081) and trails the AMD Ryzen 9 PRO 5945 by 0.5% (47527). These near-identical scores mean that in practice, the 13700K provides effectively the same gameplay experience in Hitman 2 as its closest rivals, with differences too small to notice in frame rate output.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS data reveals a clear trade-off between visual fidelity and performance. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally capable. The Low preset yields an average of 177.4 FPS, while Medium produces 135.9 FPS, and High reaches 100.7 FPS. The Ultra preset drops to 73.7 FPS. For players with 144Hz or higher refresh rate monitors, the High preset at 1080p is the sweet spot, maintaining an average above 100 FPS while offering significantly better visuals than Low or Medium.

At 2560x1440, the performance profile shifts. The Low preset delivers 117.2 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play. Medium drops to 85 FPS, High to 67.7 FPS, and Ultra falls to 45.5 FPS. The data suggests that High at 1440p is the optimal balance for a smooth experience, staying above 60 FPS. The jump from Medium to High costs about 17 FPS but provides a substantial visual upgrade in a game focused on environmental detail and lighting.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 3060 Ti starts to struggle. The Low preset averages 64.2 FPS, which is playable, but Medium falls to 46.6 FPS, High to 36.2 FPS, and Ultra to just 26.8 FPS. For 4K gaming, the Low preset is the only viable option for consistent frame rates. The data indicates that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at this resolution, unable to maintain 60 FPS even on Medium settings. The recommendation is to target 1440p High for the best overall experience, as it provides the highest quality per frame rate cost.

FAQ

*Q: Can this system run Hitman 2 at 4K Ultra settings?*

A: No. The measured data shows the average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 26.8 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The Low preset at 4K yields 64.2 FPS, which is the only playable option at that resolution.

Q: What is the best setting for 1440p gaming with this combo?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 67.7 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS standard. This provides a better visual experience than Medium (85 FPS) without the significant performance hit of Ultra (45.5 FPS).

*Q: How does the CPU’s single-thread performance affect Hitman 2?*

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K has a boost clock of 5.40 GHz and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5505. This high single-thread performance is critical for Hitman 2, as the game’s AI and simulation logic are heavily dependent on a single primary thread.

Q: Is the RTX 3060 Ti sufficient for 1080p high refresh rate gaming?

A: Yes. The data shows an average of 100.7 FPS at 1920x1080 High settings. With the Low preset at 177.4 FPS, players with 165Hz+ monitors can easily achieve high frame rates, though the visual compromise is significant.

Q: What is the difference in performance between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: The Low preset averages 177.4 FPS, while Ultra averages 73.7 FPS. This represents a substantial 103.7 FPS difference, indicating that the Ultra preset imposes a heavy load on the GPU.

Q: How does the i7-13700K compare to its nearest rival, the i7-13700KF?

A: The i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 47282, which is 0.1% lower than the i7-13700KF’s score of 47334. This difference is negligible and will not result in any measurable FPS variation in Hitman 2.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is ranked 920th out of 1795 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places the system in the top 51% of all configurations, indicating it is an average performer relative to the full spectrum of hardware tested. The rank reflects the balance of a high-end CPU with a mid-range GPU. The 13700K’s strong computational power (93rd percentile among CPUs) is somewhat mitigated by the RTX 3060 Ti’s more modest standing (69th percentile among GPUs).

In practical terms, this rank means the system is not among the top performers for Hitman 2, but it is far from the bottom. The CPU’s capability ensures that the system can handle the game’s logic without issue, while the GPU determines the final frame rate output. The data shows that the system performs best at 1080p and 1440p, where the GPU can keep up with the CPU’s output. At 4K, the combo’s ranking would likely be lower, as the GPU becomes the limiting factor, evidenced by the sub-60 FPS averages on all presets except Low.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is built on the Ampere architecture with the GA104 chip. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1410 MHz and a boost clock of 1665 MHz. These specifications are directly relevant to Hitman 2, which features large, detailed environments that require substantial memory bandwidth and fill rate.

The GPU’s 8 GB of VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, even on High settings. The pixel rate of 133.2 GPixel/s and texture rate of 253.1 GTexel/s allow the card to handle the game’s complex textures and lighting effects at these resolutions. However, at 4K, the VRAM capacity and memory bandwidth become strained, contributing to the significant FPS drops observed. The measured data shows the GPU delivering 36.2 FPS at 4K High and 26.8 FPS at 4K Ultra, indicating that the card lacks the raw compute power (16.20 TFLOPS FP32) for high-resolution rendering.

The RTX 3060 Ti’s average benchmark score of 25120 places it in the 69th percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 6700M (25180, 0.2% faster), AMD Radeon RX 6600 (25235, 0.5% faster), AMD Radeon 890M (25246, 0.5% faster), and AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (25287, 0.7% faster). These small deltas indicate that the 3060 Ti is closely matched with these alternatives in synthetic benchmarks. In Hitman 2, the performance is consistent with these scores, as the game is not heavily optimized for specific GPU architectures, and the rasterization performance is the primary determinant of FPS.

The RTX 3060 Ti supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), which is relevant for Hitman 2’s DX12 mode. The GPU’s 38 RT cores and 152 tensor cores provide hardware support for ray tracing and DLSS, though the measured FPS data does not include these features. The benchmark results suggest that the standard rasterization performance is the key factor for this title, and the card’s 8 GB VRAM is adequate for the game’s asset streaming at 1080p and 1440p, but not at 4K where the data shows a clear performance cliff.