Hitman 2

# Hitman 2 — Intel Core Ultra 5 135H + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070

This combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 produces a revealing dataset for Hitman 2, a stealth title from 2018 that remains demanding at higher resolutions. The measured FPS values show a system that is clearly GPU-limited at 4K, but transitions to a more balanced profile as resolution drops. With the combo ranking 2018th out of 3711 tested combinations, this setup sits in the lower-middle tier of the database, yet the actual frame rates tell a more nuanced story about where its strengths and weaknesses lie.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling behavior of this combo is textbook GPU-bound. At 1080p, the system delivers 171 FPS on Low settings, which drops to 129 FPS on Medium, 97 FPS on High, and 72 FPS on Ultra. Moving to 1440p, those numbers fall to 110 FPS (Low), 82 FPS (Medium), 62 FPS (High), and 46 FPS (Ultra). At 4K, the bottom falls out: 58 FPS on Low, 44 FPS on Medium, 33 FPS on High, and just 24 FPS on Ultra.

The percentage drops between resolutions are steep and consistent. From 1080p to 1440p at High settings, the average FPS falls from 97 to 62, a 36% reduction. From 1440p to 4K at High, it drops from 62 to 33, another 47% cut. This pattern holds across all settings presets — the scaling is nearly linear with pixel count, which strongly indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck at every resolution tested.

What's notable is that the frame rate halving from 1080p to 4K at Low settings (171 to 58 FPS) is almost exactly what you'd expect from a pure pixel-throughput limit. The RTX 4070's 504.2 GB/s memory bandwidth and 192-bit bus are being saturated by 4K workloads, and the 12 GB GDDR6X frame buffer is sufficient but not the limiting factor here — the compute and memory pipeline are. At 1080p, the CPU has more headroom to feed the GPU, which is why the scaling from Low to Ultra is more compressed (171 to 72 FPS) than at 4K, where the range narrows to just 58 to 24 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H is a 14-core, 18-thread mobile processor based on the Meteor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 7 nm process. Its base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.60 GHz are respectable for a mobile part, and the 18 MB of shared L3 cache provides decent capacity for game data. The CPU's benchmark profile shows a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11875.5 and a single-core score of 1700, placing it in the 81st percentile among all CPUs.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's role is secondary to the GPU at higher resolutions, but at 1080p it starts to matter. The 171 FPS Low result indicates the CPU can sustain high frame rates when the GPU isn't overwhelmed. The Passmark multi-thread score of 22422 and single-thread score of 3521 suggest adequate headroom for a game from 2018, which is not particularly thread-hungry by modern standards. However, the data shows that at 1080p Ultra (72 FPS) versus 1080p Low (171 FPS), the gap is 99 FPS — a spread that is typical of a system where neither component is fully saturated at the low end, but the GPU becomes the limiter as settings increase.

The CPU's nearest rival in the database is the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, which scores 29123 on average against the 135H's 29093 — a delta of just -0.1%. This effectively puts the 135H at parity with a desktop-class 8-core part from a previous generation, which is strong for a mobile chip. The Intel Core i5-13500HX is 0.6% ahead, while the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT is 0.5% behind. These margins are negligible for gaming, meaning the CPU is unlikely to be the deciding factor in Hitman 2 performance at any of the tested settings.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the dominant component in this pairing, and the data confirms it. Built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with a 5 nm TSMC process, this GPU packs 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units. Its boost clock of 2475 MHz and 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus deliver 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 26927 places it in the 81st percentile among all GPUs.

In Hitman 2, the RTX 4070's performance profile is clearly the bottleneck at 4K. The step from 1440p Ultra (46 FPS) to 4K Ultra (24 FPS) is a 48% drop, which is nearly proportional to the pixel count increase. This is a classic sign of the GPU being fully utilized. At 1080p, the GPU has more breathing room, but the scaling from Low to Ultra (171 to 72 FPS) suggests that even at 1080p, the GPU is the primary limiter once settings are raised.

The GPU's nearest rival is the NVIDIA Tesla P4, which scores 37628 versus the 4070's 37648 — a 0.1% difference. The AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 is 0.4% ahead, while the RTX 4080 Mobile is 1.3% faster. These are tight margins, and in Hitman 2, the RTX 4070's 29.15 TFLOPS of FP32 compute is sufficient for 60 FPS at 1440p High (62 FPS) but falls short of 60 FPS at 4K High (33 FPS). The 200 W TDP and dual-slot design are typical for this class, and the 550 W suggested PSU indicates the system has reasonable power headroom.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 4K in Hitman 2?

A: No. The highest 4K result is 58 FPS on Low settings. Medium drops to 44 FPS, High to 33 FPS, and Ultra to 24 FPS. To hit 60 FPS at 4K, you would need to lower settings below Low or reduce resolution.

Q: What is the best resolution for 144 Hz gaming with this setup?

A: At 1080p, Low settings hit 171 FPS and Medium hits 129 FPS, both above 144 Hz. At 1440p, Low produces 110 FPS and Medium 82 FPS, which are below 144 Hz. So 1080p Medium or Low is required for 144 Hz.

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

A: The Core Ultra 5 135H averages 29093 points, which is 0.1% below the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X (29123), 0.5% above the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT (28940), and 0.6% below the Intel Core i5-13500HX (29270). These differences are within 1%, indicating near-identical CPU performance.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the limiting factor at 1440p Ultra?

A: The 1440p Ultra result of 46 FPS, compared to 1440p High at 62 FPS, shows a 26% drop from just one settings tier. This is GPU-limited behavior. The CPU has sufficient headroom, as evidenced by the 135H's 81st percentile ranking and its parity with desktop-class rivals.

Q: What settings preset gives the best balance of quality and frame rate at 4K?

A: Low settings at 4K produce 58 FPS, which is playable. Medium drops to 44 FPS, which may be acceptable for a stealth game. High and Ultra fall below 35 FPS, which is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations in Hitman 2?

A: It ranks 2018th out of 3711 tested combos, placing it in the 54th percentile. This is a mid-pack result, consistent with a mainstream mobile CPU paired with a high-end desktop GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1080p:

• Low: 171 FPS average
• Medium: 129 FPS average, 109 FPS minimum, 148 FPS maximum
• High: 97 FPS average
• Ultra: 72 FPS average

1440p:

• Low: 110 FPS average
• Medium: 82 FPS average, 70 FPS minimum, 95 FPS maximum
• High: 62 FPS average
• Ultra: 46 FPS average

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: 58 FPS average
• Medium: 44 FPS average, 37 FPS minimum, 50 FPS maximum
• High: 33 FPS average
• Ultra: 24 FPS average

The Medium preset is the only one with min/max data across all resolutions, showing a consistent 13-15 FPS spread between minimum and maximum at 1080p and 1440p, and a 13 FPS spread at 4K. This tight variance indicates stable frame pacing, which is good for a stealth game where consistent performance matters more than peak frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience, the data suggests prioritizing resolution over settings. At 1080p, even Ultra settings deliver 72 FPS, which is smooth for this genre. However, 1440p High at 62 FPS offers a better visual quality-to-performance ratio, with a 46% increase in pixel count over 1080p for only a 36% frame rate penalty compared to 1080p Ultra.

If you want to push to 4K, Low settings at 58 FPS is the only viable option for near-60 FPS gameplay. Medium at 44 FPS is playable but not ideal for fast-paced sequences. High and Ultra at 4K are not recommended, as they fall below 35 FPS, which can cause noticeable stutter in a game that relies on precise timing.

The sweet spot is 1440p High. It delivers 62 FPS, which is above 60 FPS, and the visual uplift from High settings over Medium is significant. If you have a 144 Hz display, 1080p Medium at 129 FPS is the best option, as it maintains high frame rates while still providing decent visual fidelity. The 1080p Low setting at 171 FPS is only useful for competitive play or if you're trying to maximize refresh rate on a 165 Hz or 240 Hz panel.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2018 out of 3711 tested combinations places this system in the 54th percentile of all tested hardware pairings in Hitman 2. This is a middling result, but the context matters. The CPU is a mobile part with a 28 W TDP, while the GPU is a desktop-class 200 W card. This pairing is unusual — most mobile CPUs are paired with mobile GPUs, and most desktop GPUs are paired with desktop CPUs.

The CPU's 81st percentile ranking among all CPUs is strong, but its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, which is a desktop part, and the Intel Core i5-13500HX, which is a higher-TDP mobile part. The GPU's 81st percentile ranking is also solid, with the RTX 4080 Mobile just 1.3% ahead. This means both components are individually competitive, but the combo rank suggests that Hitman 2 is more demanding on the GPU than the CPU, and the RTX 4070 is the limiting factor.

In practical terms, this combo performs better at 1080p and 1440p than many higher-ranked systems that might have weaker GPUs but stronger CPUs. The 2018th rank reflects the GPU's inability to maintain high frame rates at 4K Ultra, where it drops to 24 FPS. For a game released in 2018, this is a somewhat disappointing result at the highest settings, but the overall performance profile is balanced for 1080p and 1440p gaming. If the goal is 4K, this system is not the right choice, but for 1440p High at 62 FPS, it delivers a smooth and visually rich experience that is well above the playable threshold.