Hitman 2

# Hitman 2 with Intel Core Ultra 5 125H + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080

This combination of a mobile Meteor Lake processor and a flagship desktop-class Ada Lovelace GPU produces a striking benchmark profile in Hitman 2, one that is heavily dictated by resolution and preset selection. The data shows a system that can deliver triple-digit frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but which falls below 60 FPS at 4K Ultra, revealing a clear balance point between the 14-core CPU and the RTX 4080's immense throughput. The measured results place this combo in the 1232nd position out of 3711 tested combinations, a percentile ranking that reflects its strong but not top-tier standing.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a pronounced scaling curve from 1080p to 4K, with the GPU becoming increasingly dominant as pixel count rises. At 1080p High, the system averages 123 FPS, which drops to 79 FPS at 1440p High (a 35.8% reduction) and then to 42 FPS at 4K High (a 46.8% reduction from 1440p). This pattern of diminishing returns at higher resolutions is classic evidence of a GPU-bound scenario at 4K, while the smaller gap between 1080p and 1440p suggests the CPU is still contributing meaningfully at lower pixel counts.

The Low preset tells an even more revealing story. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 217 FPS, a figure that likely approaches the engine's frame rate ceiling or the CPU's single-thread limit. Moving to 1440p Low yields 139 FPS (a 35.9% drop), and 4K Low yields 74 FPS (a 46.8% drop from 1440p). The near-identical percentage drops across presets — roughly 36% from 1080p to 1440p and 47% from 1440p to 4K — indicate that resolution scaling is consistent regardless of quality settings, which points to a well-balanced system where neither component becomes a bottleneck until the extreme high end.

The Ultra preset, by contrast, shows the steepest absolute decline. Starting at 91 FPS in 1080p, it falls to 58 FPS at 1440p (a 36.3% drop) and then to 31 FPS at 4K (a 46.6% drop). The 4K Ultra result is particularly telling: at 31 FPS, the system is clearly GPU-limited, as the RTX 4080's raw compute is being saturated by the combination of high resolution and maximum settings. The fact that 4K Medium (55 FPS) nearly doubles the 4K Ultra result (31 FPS) underscores how dramatically the Ultra preset's additional effects — likely including heavy ambient occlusion and shadow quality — impact the GPU.

What this scaling data suggests is that the limiting component shifts depending on the target. At 1080p, the CPU's 14 cores and 18 threads are sufficient to feed the GPU, as evidenced by the 217 FPS Low result. At 1440p, the balance is more even, with the GPU beginning to assert its dominance. At 4K, the RTX 4080 is unquestionably the limiting factor, as its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 9728 shading units are taxed heavily by the pixel throughput required. The user seeking a consistent 60 FPS experience will need to make careful preset choices at 4K, as only the Low preset (74 FPS) clears that threshold at this resolution.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain 60+ FPS on High settings?

A: The data shows 1440p High delivers 79 FPS average, while 4K High drops to 42 FPS. For a 60 FPS target on High, 1440p is the highest resolution that comfortably exceeds that threshold.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to Medium at the same resolution?

A: At 1080p, Ultra delivers 91 FPS versus Medium's 163 FPS, a difference of 72 FPS. At 1440p, Ultra yields 58 FPS versus Medium's 104 FPS. At 4K, Ultra produces 31 FPS versus Medium's 55 FPS. The Ultra preset consistently costs roughly 44% of the Medium frame rate.

Q: Is the RTX 4080's 16 GB VRAM sufficient for Hitman 2 at 4K?

A: The benchmark data shows playable results at 4K Medium (55 FPS) and 4K Low (74 FPS), indicating the 16 GB memory capacity is not a limiting factor in this title. The GPU's 716.8 GB/s memory bandwidth is more than adequate for the game's requirements.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: The combination ranks 1232nd out of 3711 tested combos, placing it in the top third of all systems. This ranking reflects the strong performance of the RTX 4080 paired with a mobile CPU that performs well but not at desktop enthusiast levels.

Q: What CPU benchmark score does the Core Ultra 5 125H achieve, and how does it compare to rivals?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score is 27507, placing it in the 79th percentile of all CPUs. It is within 0.3% of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 (27535) and Intel Core i5-12600K (27578), making it statistically equivalent to those desktop processors.

Q: Can this system achieve 144 Hz at 1080p?

A: Yes, on Medium settings the combo hits 163 FPS average, and on Low it reaches 217 FPS. However, on High it drops to 123 FPS and on Ultra to 91 FPS, so a 144 Hz target requires Medium or Low settings at 1080p.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications explain the measured results. Built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm process, this GPU features 9728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 ROPs. Its boost clock of 2505 MHz (with a 2205 MHz base) drives a peak FP32 throughput of 48.74 TFLOPS, which is more than sufficient to handle Hitman 2's DirectX 12 rendering path. The 16 GB of GDDR6X memory operates across a 256-bit bus, delivering 716.8 GB/s of bandwidth — a figure that proves critical when moving to 4K resolutions where texture bandwidth demands increase substantially.

The GPU's 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54247, places it just 0.1% behind the RTX 4080 SUPER (54209) and 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54828). This near-identical performance to the SUPER variant suggests that the RTX 4080's 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores are not the primary differentiators in this game, which relies more on traditional rasterization. The measured 4K Medium result of 55 FPS, with a minimum of 47 FPS and maximum of 64 FPS, indicates that the GPU's frame pacing is consistent even when under heavy load.

The memory subsystem is particularly relevant for Hitman 2's open-ended levels. The 16 GB capacity ensures that even the Ultra preset at 4K does not exceed available VRAM, and the 22.4 Gbps effective memory speed allows for rapid texture streaming as players move through the game's dense environments. The RTX 4080's 320 W TDP and triple-slot cooler design reflect its desktop-class positioning, and the measured data confirms that this is not a GPU that struggles with compute demands — rather, the 4K Ultra result of 31 FPS is more indicative of the game's engine being optimized for lower resolutions, as the GPU's raw capabilities would suggest higher performance in more modern titles.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1232 out of 3711 tested combinations places it in the 66.8th percentile of all systems evaluated. This is a strong showing that reflects the RTX 4080's high-end positioning, but the rank also reveals that the mobile Core Ultra 5 125H holds the combo back from the upper echelons. The CPU's 79th percentile ranking (average score 27507) is respectable, but it trails the top desktop processors by a noticeable margin. The nearest CPU rivals — the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 (27535, -0.1%), Intel Core i5-12600K (27578, -0.3%), and AMD Ryzen 7 5700X (27578, -0.3%) — all score nearly identically, indicating that the 125H is effectively a mid-range desktop CPU in terms of synthetic benchmarks.

However, the GPU's 86th percentile ranking (average score 54247) is significantly higher than the CPU's percentile, creating an imbalance. This disparity manifests in the measured FPS data: at 1080p Low, the system hits 217 FPS, but this is likely near the CPU's limit for frame generation. If the CPU were stronger, the 1080p Low result might be higher, but the data cannot confirm this without a different processor. The combo rank of 1232 suggests that there are 1231 combinations that score higher in this game, many of which likely pair the RTX 4080 with a stronger desktop CPU.

The deltaPct values for the GPU's nearest rivals are telling. The RTX 4080 SUPER is 0.1% faster, while the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB is 2.6% slower (55698 vs 54247) and the AMD Radeon 8060S is 2.7% slower (55757 vs 54247). These small margins indicate that the GPU choice has a limited impact on the combo's overall rank — the variance within the top tier of GPUs is minimal. The ranking is therefore more heavily influenced by the CPU, and the 125H's mobile nature (28 W TDP, BGA socket) constrains what would otherwise be a near-top-tier system.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its strongest results. Low settings produce an average of 217 FPS, Medium 163 FPS (with a minimum of 138 and maximum of 187), High 123 FPS, and Ultra 91 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 126 FPS, demonstrating that the preset choice has a massive impact at this resolution. The Medium preset's min/max range (138-187 FPS) shows a 49 FPS fluctuation, which is normal for a game with variable scene complexity.

Stepping up to 2560x1440, the averages drop significantly but remain playable across all presets. Low yields 139 FPS, Medium 104 FPS (min 89, max 120), High 79 FPS, and Ultra 58 FPS. The Medium preset's range narrows to 31 FPS (89-120), indicating more consistent frame pacing as the GPU becomes more evenly loaded. The Ultra result of 58 FPS is just below the 60 FPS threshold, making it a borderline choice for users with 60 Hz displays.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limitations become apparent. Low settings average 74 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for high-refresh displays. Medium averages 55 FPS (min 47, max 64), and the min FPS of 47 suggests there are moments of noticeable slowdown. High averages 42 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and may feel stuttery to sensitive users. Ultra averages just 31 FPS, which is below the 30 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for playable frame rates, meaning this preset is not recommended at 4K.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: Medium settings at any resolution offer the best balance of quality and performance, with the min/max ranges showing acceptable variance. The Low preset's performance at 4K (74 FPS) is surprisingly strong, suggesting that the game scales well with reduced effects at high resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the user's display and performance target. For a 144 Hz 1080p display, Medium settings (163 FPS) are the highest quality preset that comfortably exceeds the refresh rate, while High (123 FPS) is also viable if the user can tolerate slightly lower frame rates. Ultra (91 FPS) is not recommended for 144 Hz displays, as it falls well short of the target.

For 1440p users with 60 Hz displays, Medium (104 FPS) is the clear recommendation, as it provides a substantial margin over 60 FPS while delivering better visual quality than Low (139 FPS). High (79 FPS) is also a strong option for those who prioritize visual fidelity, as it remains above 60 FPS. Ultra (58 FPS) is borderline and may be acceptable for users who prefer maximum quality over a guaranteed 60 FPS, but the data suggests Medium or High are safer choices.

For 4K users, the choices are more constrained. Medium (55 FPS) is the highest preset that approaches 60 FPS, but the 47 FPS minimum means there will be dips below the target. Low (74 FPS) is the only preset that consistently exceeds 60 FPS at 4K, making it the recommended choice for competitive play or high-refresh displays. High (42 FPS) and Ultra (31 FPS) are not recommended for 4K, as they fall too far below acceptable frame rates.

The data suggests that Medium settings provide the best overall experience across all resolutions, offering a significant quality improvement over Low while maintaining frame rates that are at least 55 FPS at 4K and above 100 FPS at lower resolutions. The Ultra preset, while visually impressive, incurs a performance penalty of roughly 44% compared to Medium, which is too steep for the marginal visual gains in most scenarios.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H is a 14-core, 18-thread mobile processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, manufactured on Intel's 7 nm process. Its base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.50 GHz, combined with an 18 MB shared L3 cache, provide solid single-threaded performance for Hitman 2's engine. The CPU's benchmark results show a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 12804.5 and a single-core score of 1647.5, which are respectable for a mobile part but not exceptional.

The CPU's role in this pairing is best understood through the 1080p Low result of 217 FPS. This figure represents the upper bound of what the CPU can feed to the GPU, as the Low preset minimizes GPU load and shifts the bottleneck to the processor. The fact that this is not higher — some desktop CPUs paired with the RTX 4080 exceed 250 FPS in similar titles — indicates that the 125H's single-thread performance is a limiting factor at very high frame rates. The CPU's PassMark single-thread score of 3399 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1647.5 are mid-pack values that explain this ceiling.

The 125H's 28 W TDP and BGA 2049 socket classify it as a mobile part, and its performance in synthetic benchmarks places it within 0.3% of desktop CPUs like the Ryzen 7 5800 and Core i5-12600K. However, these rivals have significantly higher power envelopes, suggesting that the 125H achieves similar multi-threaded scores through its 14 cores rather than through high clock speeds. In Hitman 2, which is not heavily multi-threaded, the single-thread performance is more critical, and the 4.50 GHz boost clock provides adequate — but not stellar — performance.

The CPU's memory support for DDR5 with dual-channel configuration and 89.6 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for the game's needs, and the PCIe Gen 5 interface ensures no bandwidth bottleneck with the RTX 4080. The 79th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27507, confirms that this is a competent processor that pairs well with a high-end GPU for most gaming scenarios. The primary limitation is the frame rate ceiling at 1080p Low, where the CPU's single-thread capabilities prevent the system from reaching the 250+ FPS that some desktop CPUs could achieve. For the vast majority of users targeting 60-165 Hz displays, however, the 125H proves more than adequate, as evidenced by the 123 FPS 1080p High and 79 FPS 1440p High results.