Hitman 2

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 lands at rank 1635 out of 3001 tested combos in Hitman 2, placing it in the 54.5th percentile of all system configurations benchmarked for this title. That middle-of-the-pack standing reflects a system that is neither a top-tier enthusiast setup nor a struggling entry-level one, but rather a competent mid-range performer capable of delivering playable frame rates at most settings—provided expectations are calibrated appropriately.

The combo’s rank is somewhat surprising given the GPU’s strong synthetic benchmark scores. The RTX 5070 alone sits at the 82nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 40377, placing it within 0.1% of the AMD Radeon Pro 580 and 0.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100. The CPU, meanwhile, holds the 79th percentile among all processors, with an average score of 27507—just 0.1% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 and 0.3% behind both the Intel Core i5-12600K and AMD Ryzen 7 5700X. When two components each rank in the upper 80th percentile of their respective categories, one might expect the combined system to rank higher than 54.5% of tested combos in a 2018 stealth title.

The discrepancy suggests that Hitman 2’s specific workload characteristics do not reward raw compute throughput as much as other games might. The game’s engine appears to place particular demands on memory bandwidth, cache behavior, or thread scheduling that this particular mobile CPU configuration cannot fully satisfy. The Core Ultra 5 125H is a Meteor Lake part with a 28W TDP, which is modest for sustained gaming loads, and its hybrid architecture—14 cores and 18 threads—may not scale as efficiently in this title as in more modern, highly threaded games. The result is that the system underperforms its component-level expectations, ranking closer to the median than either part’s individual percentile would suggest.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H brings 14 cores and 18 threads to the table, built on Intel’s 7nm Meteor Lake architecture. Its base clock runs at 3.60 GHz with a boost clock reaching 4.50 GHz, providing a reasonable frequency envelope for a mobile processor. The L3 cache is 18 MB shared across all cores, with 2 MB of L2 per core and 112 KB of L1 per core, which is a fairly generous cache hierarchy for a 28W part. Memory support is DDR5 with dual-channel configuration, delivering 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth.

In Hitman 2, the CPU’s role becomes apparent when examining the frame rate scaling across resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 169 FPS, but this drops to 127 FPS at Medium, 96 FPS at High, and 70 FPS at Ultra. The steep decline from Low to Medium—a 42 FPS drop—indicates that the CPU is being stressed by increased draw calls and simulation complexity even at lower resolutions where the GPU should have ample headroom. The 169 FPS at Low suggests the CPU can push high frame rates when the workload is light, but the game’s engine scales its CPU demands significantly as settings increase.

The single-thread performance of the Core Ultra 5 125H, as measured by Cinebench R23 single-core at 1647.5 points, is modest compared to desktop parts of similar price. This matters for Hitman 2, which relies heavily on a few primary threads for game logic, AI, and world simulation. The multi-core score of 12804.5 in Cinebench R23 shows the CPU can handle parallel workloads, but the game’s engine may not fully utilize all 18 threads, leaving performance dependent on the 3.60 GHz base and 4.50 GHz boost clocks of the performance cores.

At 4K resolution, the CPU’s limitations become less apparent because the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The 33 FPS at 4K High versus 61 FPS at 1440p High shows a 28 FPS drop from resolution scaling alone, which is primarily a GPU-bound transition. However, the fact that 1080p Ultra produces only 70 FPS—while 1440p High produces 61 FPS—suggests that the CPU is still a limiting factor even at higher resolutions, as the settings increase from High to Ultra at the same resolution causes a larger FPS drop than resolution scaling alone.

FAQ

Q: How does this combo perform at 1080p with high settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo achieves 96 FPS on average. This is a comfortable frame rate for smooth gameplay, though it drops significantly from the 169 FPS seen at Low settings, indicating that the CPU is heavily taxed by the High preset’s additional simulation and rendering demands.

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

A: The data suggests 2560x1440 with Medium settings is the sweet spot, delivering 81 FPS on average with a minimum of 69 FPS and maximum of 93 FPS. This provides a good balance between visual quality and frame rate consistency, as 4K resolutions drop below 60 FPS at every setting except Low.

Q: Is this system capable of 4K gaming in Hitman 2?

A: At 3840x2160, the combo can achieve 57 FPS with Low settings, but this drops to 43 FPS at Medium, 33 FPS at High, and 24 FPS at Ultra. Only the Low preset approaches playable frame rates at 4K, and even then it falls short of 60 FPS. For most players, 1440p is the practical ceiling for this title.

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

A: The Core Ultra 5 125H has an average benchmark score of 27507, which is 0.1% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 (27535) and 0.3% behind both the Intel Core i5-12600K and AMD Ryzen 7 5700X (both at 27578). It is 0.5% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355G (27382). These are marginal differences, indicating the CPU is competitive with its direct peers.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1440p with Ultra settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Ultra settings, the combo produces an average of 45 FPS. This is below the 60 FPS threshold that most players consider smooth, and the lack of reported minimum and maximum values suggests the frame pacing may be inconsistent. Medium settings at the same resolution provide 81 FPS, which is a substantial improvement.

Q: Does the GPU hold up well against its rivals in synthetic tests?

A: The RTX 5070 has an average benchmark score of 40377, placing it 0.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (40318) and 0.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (40063). It trails the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 (40870) by 1.2% and the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile (39568) by 2%. These are small margins, reflecting a GPU that is well-positioned among its contemporaries.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates reveal a consistent pattern across all resolutions: the gap between Low and Medium settings is substantial, while the gap between High and Ultra is even more pronounced. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 169 FPS at Low, 127 FPS at Medium, 96 FPS at High, and 70 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset includes reported minimum and maximum values of 108 and 146 FPS, respectively, indicating a fairly stable frame delivery with a 38 FPS range between min and max.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates scale down predictably: 108 FPS at Low, 81 FPS at Medium, 61 FPS at High, and 45 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset at this resolution shows a minimum of 69 FPS and maximum of 93 FPS, a 24 FPS range that suggests tighter frame pacing than the 1080p Medium result. This is an interesting observation, as it implies the game is less CPU-bound at 1440p, allowing for more consistent frame delivery.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops sharply: 57 FPS at Low, 43 FPS at Medium, 33 FPS at High, and 24 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset at 4K has a minimum of 37 FPS and maximum of 50 FPS, a 13 FPS range that indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck at this resolution, as frame times become more consistent when the renderer is fully saturated. The transition from 1440p to 4K at High settings—from 61 to 33 FPS—represents a 28 FPS loss, which is a 45.9% reduction, highlighting the GPU’s struggle at 4K.

The pattern across all resolutions shows that the Low preset is always playable, Medium is playable at 1080p and 1440p, High is only playable at 1080p, and Ultra is only marginally playable at 1080p. The lack of min/max data for most settings means we cannot fully assess frame pacing stability, but the available data for Medium presets suggests acceptable consistency.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling behavior of this combo in Hitman 2 reveals a system that transitions from CPU-bound at 1080p to GPU-bound at 4K. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 169 FPS, which drops to 108 FPS at 1440p Low—a 36.1% reduction. From 1440p Low to 4K Low, the frame rate falls to 57 FPS, a 47.2% reduction. The larger percentage drop at higher resolutions indicates the GPU is becoming progressively more constrained as pixel count increases.

At High settings, the scaling is even more dramatic: 96 FPS at 1080p, 61 FPS at 1440p, and 33 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 45.9%, while the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 36.5%. This suggests that at High settings, the GPU is already near its limits at 1440p, and 4K simply overwhelms it. The fact that 4K High produces 33 FPS—barely above slideshow territory—confirms that this combo is not designed for 4K gaming in this title.

The limiting component shifts based on resolution. At 1080p, the CPU’s influence is evident in the steep settings scaling: 169 FPS at Low versus 70 FPS at Ultra represents a 58.6% reduction from settings alone. This large drop indicates that the CPU cannot maintain high frame rates when the game’s simulation complexity increases. At 4K, however, the settings scaling is less severe—57 FPS at Low versus 24 FPS at Ultra is a 57.9% reduction, but the absolute numbers are so low that the GPU is clearly the bottleneck.

The resolution scaling data suggests that the optimal operating point for this combo is 1440p with Medium settings, where the system produces 81 FPS with a min of 69 and max of 93. At this configuration, neither component is severely bottlenecked, and the frame delivery is consistent enough for a smooth experience. Pushing to 4K at any setting results in sub-60 FPS performance, while staying at 1080p leaves GPU headroom untapped.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the best experience for this combo in Hitman 2 is achieved at 2560x1440 with Medium settings. This configuration produces an average of 81 FPS, with a minimum of 69 FPS and maximum of 93 FPS, providing a smooth and stable gaming experience. The minimum frame rate of 69 FPS ensures that even the most demanding scenes remain above the 60 FPS threshold, while the average of 81 FPS offers headroom for occasional dips without noticeable stuttering.

At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 96 FPS on average, which is also an excellent choice for players who prefer higher resolutions’ visual fidelity. The 96 FPS average provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, and the lack of reported min/max values suggests the frame delivery is consistent enough to avoid major dips. However, the jump from High to Ultra at 1080p—from 96 to 70 FPS—represents a 27.1% performance hit for what is likely a marginal visual improvement in a 2018 title.

For players who prioritize frame rate above all else, the 1080p Low preset at 169 FPS is the fastest option, but the visual quality reduction is substantial. The Medium preset at 1080p offers 127 FPS with a minimum of 108 FPS, which is a strong middle ground for high-refresh-rate displays. The 108 FPS minimum ensures that even the most intense firefights or crowded areas remain fluid.

At 4K, none of the presets are recommended. The highest average frame rate at 3840x2160 is 57 FPS on Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS target and likely to feel inconsistent given the lack of min/max data. The Medium preset at 43 FPS is playable but not ideal, and High at 33 FPS and Ultra at 24 FPS are both below playable thresholds. Players with 4K displays should either lower the resolution to 1440p or accept a sub-optimal experience.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is the dominant component in this pairing, based on its synthetic benchmark performance. With an average benchmark score of 40377, it ranks at the 82nd percentile among all GPUs, and its PassMark G3D score of 29137 further confirms its strong compute capabilities. The GPU is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5nm TSMC process, featuring 31,100 million transistors on a 263 mm² die. Its memory configuration includes 12 GB of GDDR7 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth—a substantial amount for a mobile-capable part.

The GPU’s clock speeds are 2325 MHz base and 2512 MHz boost, with memory running at 1750 MHz (28 Gbps effective). It offers 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 80 ROPs, along with 48 ray tracing cores and 192 tensor cores. The FP32 compute throughput is 30.87 TFLOPS, with FP16 at the same rate (1:1), positioning this GPU as a capable 1440p performer.

In Hitman 2, the GPU’s role is most evident at 4K resolutions, where its raw pixel throughput becomes the limiting factor. The 672.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth is likely sufficient for this game’s texture streaming demands, but the 30.87 TFLOPS of compute is not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K with High or Ultra settings. The GPU’s 12 GB VRAM is more than adequate for this title, as Hitman 2’s texture requirements are modest by modern standards.

The RTX 5070’s performance relative to its rivals in synthetic benchmarks shows it is competitive but not dominant. It is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 580 and 0.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100, while trailing the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 by 1.2% and the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile by 2%. These margins are small, suggesting that the GPU’s real-world performance in Hitman 2 is more dependent on the game’s specific engine optimizations than on raw compute throughput.

At 1440p Medium, the GPU delivers 81 FPS with a minimum of 69 FPS, showing that it can handle the game’s rendering demands at this resolution when paired with a capable CPU. The GPU’s performance at 1080p High (96 FPS) is strong, but the CPU’s limitations prevent it from reaching the frame rates that the GPU could theoretically deliver. This suggests that in Hitman 2, the Core Ultra 5 125H is the more significant bottleneck at lower resolutions, while the RTX 5070 becomes the bottleneck at 4K.