Hitman 2

Hitman 2, a stealth title from 2018, demonstrates significant performance scaling across resolution and quality presets when paired with the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER. The measured frame rates reveal a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the CPU's substantial headroom becomes apparent only at 1080p with lower settings. The data shows a clear hierarchy: performance degrades predictably as resolution and graphical fidelity increase, but the rate of that degradation points to the RTX 4080 SUPER as the primary limiter in most scenarios.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, indicating a shift in bottleneck from the processor to the graphics card. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 172.9 at 1920x1080 to 110.3 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 36.2%, and then further to 58.3 at 3840x2160, which is a 66.3% drop from the 1080p baseline. This pattern is typical for a game where pixel throughput becomes the dominant factor at higher resolutions.

The scaling is even more pronounced at the Low preset, where the 1080p average of 302.5 FPS is exceptionally high, suggesting the CPU and GPU are both working efficiently without heavy graphical load. Moving to 1440p drops this to 191.4 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 103.2 FPS. The fact that the 4K Low result (103.2) is nearly double the 4K High result (58.3) underscores that resolution scaling alone does not tell the full story—the settings tier has a multiplicative effect on the workload.

At the Ultra preset, the scaling is less dramatic in relative terms but still significant. The 1080p average of 122.8 FPS drops to 81.1 at 1440p and 42.8 at 4K. The 4K Ultra figure is the lowest in the entire dataset, confirming that this combination of resolution and settings pushes the RTX 4080 SUPER to its limits. The data suggests that for smooth 4K gameplay, users must be willing to compromise on settings, as the gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is a substantial 60.4 FPS. The limiting component at 4K is clearly the GPU, as the CPU's role diminishes when pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the star of this combination, and its specifications align well with the measured performance. With 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, the card provides a memory bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s, which is sufficient for Hitman 2's texture-heavy environments at any resolution tested. The base clock of 2295 MHz and boost clock of 2550 MHz are high, and the card's 10240 shading units process the game's geometry and lighting efficiently. The GPU's 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is a theoretical figure, but the benchmark results show it translating into real-world frame rates.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 88 versus all GPUs places it in the upper echelon, and its average benchmark score of 53610 is only 0.2% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, its closest rival. This proximity in synthetic benchmarks is reflected in the game's performance, though the RTX 4080 SUPER's architectural advantages, such as its Ada Lovelace design and 80 RT cores, are not fully utilized in a title like Hitman 2, which does not demand heavy ray tracing. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (302.5) indicates the GPU is not the bottleneck at this setting, as the CPU is likely limiting the frame rate at such high values.

At 1440p and 4K, the GPU's role becomes more critical. The drop from 191.4 FPS at 1440p Low to 110.3 FPS at 1440p High shows the impact of increased shading and texture work. The 4K results, particularly the 58.3 FPS average at High, are more indicative of the GPU's raw rasterization power. The card is capable, but Hitman 2 at 4K Ultra demands more than what the 4080 SUPER can deliver for a consistent 60 FPS experience. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor at 1440p and above, while at 1080p, the system's performance is more balanced.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-13700K provides a robust foundation for this pairing, with 16 cores and 24 threads that ensure the game engine never starves for processing resources. Its base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.40 GHz are high, and the 30 MB of shared L3 cache helps with data locality in complex scenes. The CPU's benchmark scores are exemplary: a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 39000 and a single-core score of 5505 indicate strong performance across both multi-threaded and lightly-threaded workloads. This is critical because Hitman 2, while not a CPU-heavy game, still benefits from a fast single-threaded core for game logic and AI.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 93 versus all CPUs puts it ahead of 93% of processors, and its average benchmark score of 47282 is nearly identical to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-13700KF, which scores 47334, a mere 0.1% difference. This parity in synthetic tests suggests that the 13700K is not a weak link in this combo. The measured FPS at 1080p Low (302.5) is likely near the CPU's maximum frame delivery capability for this game, as the GPU has ample headroom at this resolution. The fact that the 1080p Ultra result (122.8) is still high indicates that the CPU can keep up with the GPU's output even when settings are maxed out.

However, the CPU's role diminishes as resolution increases. At 4K, the 42.8 FPS at Ultra is not a CPU limitation; rather, it reflects the GPU struggling with the pixel workload. The CPU's 24 threads and high clock speeds are more than sufficient for Hitman 2's requirements, and the data shows no evidence of a CPU bottleneck at any setting. The processor's 125 W TDP is modest for its performance class, and its architecture, Raptor Lake, is well-suited for gaming, as evidenced by the high single-thread scores. In this combination, the CPU is an enabler, not a limiter.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal balance of visual quality and frame rate is achieved at the High preset across all resolutions. At 1080p, High yields 172.9 FPS, which is more than enough for any high-refresh-rate monitor. At 1440p, High produces 110.3 FPS, comfortably exceeding the 60 FPS threshold and providing a smooth experience. At 4K, High drops to 58.3 FPS, which is slightly below the 60 FPS target but still playable, and it is a 15.5 FPS improvement over Ultra's 42.8 FPS.

The Medium preset offers a fallback for 4K users who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, delivering 75.3 FPS at 3840x2160. This is a 29.2% increase over High at the same resolution, but it comes at the cost of reduced shadow and texture quality. The Low preset, while achieving 103.2 FPS at 4K, is not recommended for a game like Hitman 2, where environmental detail is part of the experience. The Ultra preset is only viable at 1080p, where it hits 122.8 FPS, but at higher resolutions, it fails to maintain a consistent 60 FPS, making it a poor choice for competitive play.

For the best experience, the data suggests using High settings at 1440p, as it offers a 110.3 FPS average that balances visual fidelity with performance headroom. At 4K, users must choose between High's 58.3 FPS and Medium's 75.3 FPS, with the latter providing a more consistent experience for action-heavy sequences. The Ultra preset is best reserved for screenshots or scenarios where frame rate is not a priority, as its 42.8 FPS at 4K is below the standard for smooth gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 137th out of 1795 tested combos in Hitman 2, placing it in the top 7.6% of all configurations. This is a strong showing, indicating that this pairing is well above average for this game. The rank is a composite measure that accounts for the measured FPS across all resolutions and settings, and the high position reflects the system's ability to deliver excellent performance in most scenarios. The GPU's percentile ranking of 88 and the CPU's percentile of 93 both contribute to this favorable placement.

The combo's rank is particularly impressive given the game's age, as Hitman 2 is not a modern title that would benefit from the latest hardware features like ray tracing or DLSS 3. The RTX 4080 SUPER's raw power and the 13700K's high clock speeds are the primary drivers of this ranking. The nearest rival combos, based on individual component averages, show that the CPU is marginally behind the i7-13700KF by 0.1%, while the GPU is 0.2% ahead of the RX 6900 XT. These small deltas suggest that the combo's performance is consistent with its component expectations, and the 137th rank out of 1795 reflects the hardware's capability.

In practical terms, a rank of 137 means that only 136 other configs performed better in this benchmark suite. This places the combo in the top tier for Hitman 2, making it a reliable choice for users who want high frame rates at 1440p and playable performance at 4K. The rank also indicates that the system is well-balanced, as neither the CPU nor GPU is significantly underperforming relative to its peers.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed view of performance across all three resolutions and four settings tiers. At 1920x1080, the averages are 302.5 FPS on Low, 224.1 FPS on Medium, 172.9 FPS on High, and 122.8 FPS on Ultra. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a 59.4% reduction in frame rate, which is expected given the increased graphical load. The 1080p results are consistently high, with even the Ultra preset exceeding 120 FPS, making this resolution ideal for high-refresh-rate displays.

At 2560x1440, the averages drop to 191.4 FPS on Low, 143.3 FPS on Medium, 110.3 FPS on High, and 81.1 FPS on Ultra. This represents a 36.7% decrease from Low to Ultra, which is less steep than at 1080p, but still significant. The 1440p High result of 110.3 FPS is a sweet spot, offering a high frame rate without sacrificing too much visual quality. The 1440p Ultra figure of 81.1 FPS is still playable, but it shows the GPU is working harder at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 103.2 FPS on Low, 75.3 FPS on Medium, 58.3 FPS on High, and 42.8 FPS on Ultra. The drop from Low to Ultra is a substantial 58.5%, and the 4K Ultra result is the only one in the dataset that falls below 50 FPS. The 4K High average of 58.3 FPS is very close to the 60 FPS target, making it a viable option for users with 4K displays. The data clearly shows that 4K Ultra is not recommended for this combo, as the 42.8 FPS average would result in noticeable stuttering in fast-paced scenes. Overall, the measured FPS breakdown confirms that this system excels at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K requires settings adjustments to maintain smooth performance.