Hitman 2

Hitman 2, a stealth title from 2018, behaves as an interesting stress test for a modern flagship pairing. The measured data for the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 shows a configuration that is overwhelmingly powerful, yet the frame rates reveal a distinct scaling pattern that shifts the bottleneck depending on resolution and settings.

Resolution Scaling

The most striking observation in the data is the dramatic collapse in frame rates as resolution scales up, particularly at the highest quality presets. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces an extraordinary 336.3 FPS average. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 217.9 FPS, and at 4K Low, the average falls to 117.3 FPS. This scaling pattern—a reduction of roughly 35% from 1080p to 1440p, and another 46% from 1440p to 4K—indicates that even at Low settings, the GPU is being pushed harder as pixel count increases.

The trend becomes more pronounced with heavier settings. At the High preset, the frame rate descends from 192.7 FPS at 1080p, to 124.1 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 66.8 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset tells an even more telling story: 141.2 FPS at 1080p, 88.7 FPS at 1440p, and just 47.3 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is less than a third of the 1080p Low score, demonstrating that Hitman 2's higher presets impose a massive rendering load that scales steeply with resolution.

These numbers suggest that the limiting component is almost entirely the GPU at 4K, while at 1080p the CPU has more headroom to push frames. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 195.1 FPS, whereas at 4K that same gap shrinks to 70 FPS. This compression at higher resolutions is a classic sign that the graphics card is saturated, and the processor's potential is being masked. The data clearly shows that for this pairing, 4K gaming is a GPU-bound scenario, while 1080p allows the i7-13700K's 16 cores and 24 threads to flex their muscles.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of the i7-13700K and RTX 4090 achieves a rank of 37 out of 1795 tested combos for Hitman 2. This places it in the top 2% of all configurations, a position that reflects the sheer might of both components. The percentile data reinforces this, with the CPU sitting in the 93rd percentile against all processors and the GPU in the 91st percentile against all graphics cards.

The ranking is not surprising given the individual performance of the parts. The i7-13700K's nearest rivals in the CPU database include the Intel Core i7-13700KF, which scores 0.1% higher on average, and the AMD EPYC 4364P, which trails by 0.3%. The RTX 4090's rival list is more eclectic, featuring workstation cards like the NVIDIA Tesla T4, which posts a 0.4% higher average score, and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56, which is 0.9% ahead. These deltas are marginal, showing that the core components are operating at the top of their respective performance tiers.

However, the combo rank of 37 suggests that while this is a top-tier setup, it is not the absolute fastest possible for this title. The data does not specify which configurations rank higher, but the implication is that some combinations of even more specialized hardware or different driver optimizations can edge out this pairing. For a game released in 2018, this level of performance is exceptional, but the rank indicates that the ceiling has been raised by other pairings in the database.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is a monster of a graphics card, and its role in these results is defined by its massive memory pool and high clock speeds. It comes equipped with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. This capacity is far beyond what Hitman 2 requires at any resolution, meaning memory capacity is never a limiting factor in the measured data. The card's base clock is 2235 MHz with a boost clock of 2520 MHz, and its memory runs at an effective 21 Gbps.

The GPU's raw compute power is substantial, with 16,384 shading units and an FP32 throughput of 82.58 TFLOPS. This allows it to handle the game's geometry and lighting effects with ease at lower resolutions, but the 4K Ultra result of 47.3 FPS shows that even this hardware can be brought to heel by demanding settings. The 128 ray tracing cores are present, but the fact that Hitman 2 is a 2018 title means ray tracing is not a significant factor in these specific benchmark runs.

The data indicates that the GPU is the primary driver of the frame rate variance across settings. When moving from Low to Ultra at any resolution, the FPS drops dramatically, which is a direct result of increased pixel shading and texture work. The 4090's 512 texture mapping units and 176 render output units are tasked more heavily at 4K, explaining the steep decline from 117.3 FPS at Low to 47.3 FPS at Ultra. This is a card that dominates at 1080p and 1440p, but 4K Ultra remains a challenge even for the flagship.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-13700K a bottleneck for the RTX 4090 in Hitman 2?

A: At 1080p, the CPU is able to feed the GPU well, as evidenced by the 336.3 FPS result at Low settings. However, at 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 47.3 FPS, indicating that the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The bottleneck shifts from CPU-bound at low resolutions to GPU-bound at high resolutions.

Q: How does this combo's performance compare to other tested configurations?

A: The pairing ranks 37th out of 1795 tested combos for this game, placing it in the top 2% of all setups. This is a very strong result, but it is not the absolute best, suggesting some other hardware pairings can achieve higher frame rates.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Hitman 2?

A: Based on the data, 1440p High offers a strong balance, producing 124.1 FPS average. 1080p High delivers 192.7 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors, while 4K High at 66.8 FPS is playable but requires a compromise on settings for smoother performance.

Q: Does the RTX 4090's 24 GB of VRAM make a difference in this game?

A: The 24 GB memory size is far more than Hitman 2 needs, so it does not impact the measured results. The frame rates are instead determined by the GPU's compute and memory bandwidth, which are 1.01 TB/s.

Q: How does the CPU's performance affect the overall score?

A: The i7-13700K ranks in the 93rd percentile against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 47282. Its nearest rival, the i7-13700KF, is essentially tied at -0.1% delta, showing that the CPU is delivering top-tier performance that supports the high frame rates seen at lower resolutions.

Q: What settings provide the highest frame rate possible?

A: The lowest frame rate is achieved at 1080p with Low settings, yielding 336.3 FPS. If maximum raw speed is the goal, this is the configuration that maximizes output, though it sacrifices visual fidelity.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data offers a clear hierarchy of performance across the four presets. For players seeking the highest possible frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p delivers a staggering 336.3 FPS, but this comes at the cost of visual quality. The Medium preset at 1080p still provides a very high 249.1 FPS, which is a better balance for most users who want smoothness without completely stripping the game's visuals.

At 1440p, the High preset is the sweet spot, hitting 124.1 FPS. This is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold and offers a significant visual upgrade over Medium's 159 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 88.7 FPS, which is still smooth but not as fluid as High. For 4K gaming, the High preset at 66.8 FPS is the most reasonable choice, as it provides a playable experience. The Ultra preset at 47.3 FPS is too demanding for a consistent frame rate, and the Low preset at 117.3 FPS sacrifices too much visual fidelity.

Given the hardware's capabilities, the best experience per the measured rows is the High preset at 1440p. It offers a frame rate of 124.1 FPS, which is high enough for a 120Hz display, and it retains enough graphical detail to be visually appealing. For 4K users, the High preset is the recommended starting point, with the understanding that a drop to Medium (83.9 FPS) might be necessary for those who prioritize frame rate stability over absolute image quality. The data clearly shows that Ultra is not a viable option for this game at 4K, even with the RTX 4090, but it remains an option for 1080p users who can still enjoy 141.2 FPS.