Hitman 2

# Hitman 2 with Intel Core Ultra 5 135H + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 delivers a playable but constrained experience in Hitman 2, a 2018 stealth title that still demands respect from modern mobile hardware. The data shows a clear pattern: this combo excels at 1080p with adjusted settings, struggles to maintain fluidity at 1440p, and becomes largely unplayable at 4K. With a combo rank of 2976 out of 3711 tested configurations, this pairing sits in the lower third of all tested combos for this game, indicating that while it can run Hitman 2, it does so without the headroom that higher-tier hardware provides. The measured frame rates across resolutions and settings reveal a system where the GPU is the primary constraint, though the CPU's 14 cores and 18 threads provide adequate support for the game's stealth-focused gameplay mechanics.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K in Hitman 2 is steep and revealing. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo averages 71 FPS, which drops to 46 FPS at 2560x1440 — a 35% reduction. Moving further to 3840x2160 High, the average falls to 24 FPS, representing a 66% drop from the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 5050's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus are being saturated as pixel count increases, with the 320.0 GB/s bandwidth becoming a limiting factor at higher resolutions.

The Low preset tells a similar story but with a different baseline. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 126 FPS, which is excellent for a stealth game requiring precision. Dropping to 1440p Low yields 81 FPS — a 36% reduction — and 4K Low produces 43 FPS, a 66% decline from 1080p. The consistency of these percentage drops across presets suggests a uniform scaling bottleneck, likely tied to the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth rather than the CPU. The pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s and texture rate of 205.8 GTexel/s are simply insufficient to maintain high frame rates as resolution climbs.

The Medium preset offers the only complete data set with min and max FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the average is 95 FPS with a minimum of 80 and maximum of 109. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 60 FPS with a range of 51 to 70. At 4K Medium, the average falls to 32 FPS with a minimum of 27 and maximum of 37. These figures demonstrate that even the minimum frame rates at 1080p Medium stay above 80 FPS, providing a smooth experience. However, at 4K, even the maximum of 37 FPS is below playable thresholds for most users.

The Ultra preset is the most demanding, and the results are predictable. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 53 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a game where quick reactions matter. At 1440p Ultra, the average drops to 34 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it collapses to 18 FPS. The gap between Ultra and High at 1080p is 18 FPS (71 vs 53), indicating that Ultra settings impose a significant additional load on the GPU. The data suggests that the limiting component at all resolutions is the RTX 5050, as the CPU's benchmark scores — including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11875.5 and single-core score of 1700 — indicate sufficient processing power for this 2018 title.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal experience for this combo is at 1080p with Medium settings. The 95 FPS average with an 80 FPS minimum provides smooth gameplay that fully utilizes the 8 GB VRAM without exceeding the GPU's capabilities. The 80 FPS minimum is particularly important for a stealth game, where sudden frame drops can disrupt precise aiming or timed movements. The Medium preset at 1080p also leaves headroom for the RTX 5050's boost clock of 2572 MHz to maintain consistent performance.

For users prioritizing visual quality over raw frame rate, 1080p High is a viable alternative. The 71 FPS average is still above the 60 FPS threshold that most players consider acceptable, and the visual improvements over Medium are noticeable in Hitman 2's detailed environments. However, the 53 FPS average at 1080p Ultra is not recommended, as the drop below 60 FPS introduces perceptible stutter in fast-moving scenes, particularly in crowded areas with multiple NPCs.

At 1440p, the only acceptable setting is Low, which produces 81 FPS. This provides a smoother experience than High at 1440p (46 FPS) or Medium at 1440p (60 FPS with a 51 FPS minimum). The 51 FPS minimum at Medium is borderline, and the 46 FPS at High would likely feel sluggish during combat sequences. For 1440p users, Low settings are the practical choice, though the visual compromise is significant given Hitman 2's detailed texture work.

At 4K, none of the presets deliver playable performance. The best 4K result is 43 FPS on Low, which is below the 60 FPS target. The 24 FPS at High and 18 FPS at Ultra make these settings effectively unusable for active gameplay. The data indicates that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combo in Hitman 2, and users should either lower resolution or accept significant frame rate compromises.

The Medium preset at 1080p offers the best balance of performance and quality, with the 95 FPS average and 80 FPS minimum providing a consistent experience. The gap between Medium and High at 1080p is 24 FPS, which represents a meaningful performance cost for visual gains that may not be immediately apparent during gameplay. For competitive or speedrun play, the 126 FPS at 1080p Low offers the highest frame rate, though the reduced visual fidelity may hinder target identification in dark environments.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2976 out of 3711 tested configurations places this pairing in the 20th percentile of all tested combos for Hitman 2. This means that approximately 80% of tested hardware combinations deliver better performance in this game. The rank reflects the RTX 5050's position in the GPU hierarchy — it sits at the 66th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 21035, placing it near the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153, -0.6% delta) and AMD Radeon HD 8970M (21237, -1% delta).

The CPU, Intel Core Ultra 5 135H, ranks at the 81st percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29093. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X (29123, -0.1% delta) and the Intel Core i5-13500HX (29270, -0.6% delta). This indicates that the CPU is significantly stronger relative to its peers than the GPU, which is consistent with the measured frame rates showing GPU-limited performance across all resolutions.

The rank of 2976 suggests that this combo is better suited for less demanding titles or older games than Hitman 2. Hitman 2, released in 2018, is not a advanced benchmark, yet this modern mobile combo struggles to maintain high frame rates at higher resolutions. The 14-core, 18-thread CPU provides ample processing power, but the RTX 5050's 2560 shading units and 20 RT cores are insufficient for the game's rendering demands at 1440p and above.

Compared to the GPU's nearest rivals, the RTX 5050 performs nearly identically to the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL and AMD Radeon HD 8970M in synthetic benchmarks. This explains why the combo rank is low — the GPU is effectively competing with hardware from previous generations. The RTX 5050's 13.17 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 205.8 GTexel/s texture rate are modest figures that translate to the observed frame rates in Hitman 2.

The combo's ranking also reflects the imbalance between CPU and GPU capabilities. While the CPU's percentile rank of 81 indicates strong performance relative to other processors, the GPU's 66th percentile rank means it is closer to average. This mismatch suggests that upgrading the GPU would yield significant performance improvements in Hitman 2, while upgrading the CPU would have minimal impact given the current GPU bottleneck.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this hardware in Hitman 2?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 with Medium settings provides the best experience, with a 95 FPS average and 80 FPS minimum. This combination offers smooth gameplay while maintaining acceptable visual quality, unlike 1440p or 4K where frame rates drop significantly.

Q: Can this combo run Hitman 2 at 4K?

A: At 4K, the highest average FPS is 43 on Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. Medium produces 32 FPS, High produces 24 FPS, and Ultra produces 18 FPS. None of these are playable for an action-stealth game requiring precision.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 5050 has an average benchmark score of 21035, which is 0.6% below the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL (21153) and 1% below the AMD Radeon HD 8970M (21237). It is 1.6% above the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (20713). This places it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in Hitman 2?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU ranks at the 81st percentile with an average score of 29093, while the GPU ranks at the 66th percentile with an average score of 21035. The frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K follow a consistent pattern tied to GPU load.

Q: What are the minimum frame rates at 1080p Medium?

A: The measured minimum is 80 FPS, with an average of 95 FPS and a maximum of 109 FPS. This is the only preset with complete min/avg/max data across all tested resolutions, providing confidence in the stability of this configuration.

Q: How does the RTX 5050's memory configuration affect performance?

A: The 8 GB GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 320.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for 1080p but becomes a constraint at higher resolutions. The bandwidth is likely a key factor in the steep performance drops observed at 1440p and 4K.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is the primary determinant of performance in Hitman 2 for this combo. With 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, 2560 shading units, 80 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, the GPU's specifications directly correlate with the observed frame rates. The 320.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is adequate for 1080p but insufficient for the higher pixel throughput required at 1440p and 4K, explaining the 35-40% performance drops when moving from 1080p to 1440p across all presets.

The boost clock of 2572 MHz and base clock of 2317 MHz provide the computational throughput for the GPU's 13.17 TFLOPS FP32 performance. This translates to a texture rate of 205.8 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 82.30 GPixel/s. In Hitman 2, which features detailed environments with complex lighting and shadows, these rates are sufficient for 1080p Medium but become overwhelmed at higher resolutions. The 20 RT cores and 80 tensor cores are present but have minimal impact on this 2018 title, which does not utilize ray tracing or DLSS features.

The GPU's 66th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 21035, places it in the mid-range segment. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, scores 21153, a 0.6% difference. This indicates that the RTX 5050 delivers performance comparable to previous-generation mid-range mobile GPUs. The 130 W TDP and dual-slot design suggest this is a full-power mobile GPU, yet it still falls short of delivering 60+ FPS at 1440p in Hitman 2.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is not the limiting factor at 1080p, where the game's texture requirements are modest. However, at 4K, the combination of higher resolution textures and increased pixel count may exceed the memory bandwidth available, contributing to the sub-30 FPS results. The 128-bit memory bus is a notable constraint, as it provides only half the bandwidth of a 256-bit bus found in higher-tier GPUs. This is reflected in the 4K results, where even Low settings achieve only 43 FPS.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 135H provides ample processing power for Hitman 2, though its role is secondary to the GPU in this title. With 14 cores and 18 threads, the CPU delivers strong multi-threaded performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11875.5 and single-core score of 1700. The 81st percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29093, places it slightly below the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X (29123) and Intel Core i5-13500HX (29270), but above the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT (28940).

The CPU's base clock of 3.60 GHz and boost clock of 4.60 GHz provide sufficient single-thread performance for Hitman 2's game logic and AI systems. The 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache help reduce memory latency, which is beneficial for the game's level streaming and NPC behavior calculations. The PassMark single-thread score of 3521 and multi-thread score of 22422 further confirm that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this configuration.

The CPU's 28 W TDP indicates a power-efficient design that is well-suited for mobile platforms. The 7 nm process node from Intel, using the Meteor Lake architecture, delivers strong performance per watt. This is important because it allows the system to allocate more power to the GPU, which is the performance-limiting component. The CPU's 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth and dual-channel DDR5 support ensure that memory access is not a constraint in Hitman 2.

In benchmark terms, the CPU's nearest rivals are desktop processors like the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X, which has an average score of 29123 — just 0.1% above the Core Ultra 5 135H. This suggests that the mobile CPU delivers desktop-class performance in synthetic tests. However, in gaming, the CPU's advantage is negated by the GPU bottleneck. The measured frame rates at 1080p Low (126 FPS) and 1080p Medium (95 FPS) indicate that the CPU can feed the GPU with enough data to achieve these frame rates, but the GPU cannot push higher at more demanding settings.

The data shows that upgrading the CPU would not meaningfully improve Hitman 2 performance for this combo, as the GPU is the limiting factor at all resolutions. Conversely, upgrading the GPU would likely yield substantial gains, particularly at 1440p and 4K where the current GPU struggles to maintain playable frame rates. The CPU's 18 threads also provide headroom for background tasks and streaming, which is beneficial for a stealth game where consistent frame pacing matters.