Hitman 2

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and AMD Radeon RX 7600 pairing delivers a solid 1080p experience in Hitman 2, but the data reveals a sharp performance cliff as resolution increases. The combination ranks in the 30th percentile of tested systems, with the GPU acting as the primary bottleneck at higher settings.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 is the dominant component in this pairing, and its specifications explain the measured frame rates across the board. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1720 MHz and a boost clock of 2655 MHz, with a game clock of 2250 MHz that reflects sustained real-world performance. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s, which becomes a critical constraint at 4K resolution where the game's texture and geometry demands escalate quickly.

The GPU's architecture, RDNA 3.0 on a 6 nm process, includes 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation pipelines. The FP32 throughput of 21.75 TFLOPS is substantial for a card in this class, but the 8 GB VRAM capacity and 128-bit memory interface are the limiting factors in Hitman 2's most demanding scenarios. At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate drops to 21 FPS, which is a clear indicator that the GPU is running out of both memory bandwidth and raw compute headroom.

The CPU, an Intel Core Ultra 5 225, is not the limiting component here. With 10 cores and 10 threads, a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache, it provides more than enough processing power for Hitman 2's stealth mechanics and AI systems. The CPU's PassMark multithread score of 30459 and single-thread score of 4412 place it well above what this game requires, and its performance percentile of 85 versus all CPUs confirms it is a high-end part. The data supports this: at 1080p Low, the system achieves 145 FPS, which would be impossible if the CPU were holding the GPU back.

The GPU's percentile versus all GPUs is 57, indicating it sits near the middle of the performance distribution. Its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM (0.2% ahead), the AMD Radeon 680M (0.7% behind), and the AMD Radeon Pro 560X (0.6% ahead), showing that the RX 7600 is competitive within its immediate performance class. However, the measured FPS data in Hitman 2 tells a more nuanced story about how this GPU handles different resolution and settings combinations.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combination achieves in Hitman 2?

A: The best result comes at 1920x1080 with Low settings, where the system produces an average of 145 FPS. This is the only measured configuration that exceeds the 144 Hz refresh rate threshold commonly targeted by gamers.

Q: How does the system perform at 4K resolution with Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate falls to 21 FPS. This is the worst measured result in the dataset and indicates the RX 7600's 8 GB VRAM and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for Hitman 2's most demanding visual configuration.

Q: Is there a playable configuration at 1440p?

A: Yes, at 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the system averages 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS. This provides a smooth experience for most gameplay scenarios, though the minimum frame rate dips close to the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings yield 145 FPS average, while Ultra settings drop to 61 FPS average. This represents a 57.9% reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest quality preset.

Q: Does the system maintain smooth frame pacing at 1080p Medium?

A: The data shows an average of 109 FPS with a minimum of 93 FPS and maximum of 125 FPS at 1920x1080 Medium. The narrow range between minimum and maximum indicates consistent frame delivery without major stutters.

Q: How does the GPU's synthetic benchmark score relate to its Hitman 2 performance?

A: The RX 7600 scores 16634 in PassMark G3D and 2310 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. These scores, combined with its 57th percentile ranking versus all GPUs, predict mid-range performance, which aligns with the measured results showing strong 1080p capability but limited 4K headroom.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of how this hardware combination performs across all relevant configurations. At 1920x1080, the system delivers playable frame rates across every settings preset. Low settings produce an average of 145 FPS, which is the highest measured result in the entire dataset. Medium settings reduce the average to 109 FPS with a minimum of 93 FPS and maximum of 125 FPS, providing a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS standard. High settings bring the average down to 82 FPS, still smooth for the majority of players. Ultra settings drop the average to 61 FPS, which is borderline but technically playable for those who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance scaling becomes more pronounced. Low settings maintain an average of 93 FPS, which is still excellent for competitive play. Medium settings produce an average of 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS and maximum of 80 FPS, providing a playable experience with some minor frame dips near the 60 FPS threshold. High settings reduce the average to 53 FPS, which falls below the smoothness threshold for many players. Ultra settings drop further to 39 FPS average, which is noticeably choppy for a stealth game that benefits from smooth camera movement.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles significantly. Low settings produce an average of 49 FPS, which is marginal but playable with reduced visual quality. Medium settings bring the average down to 37 FPS with a minimum of 32 FPS and maximum of 43 FPS, indicating inconsistent frame delivery. High settings drop to 28 FPS average, and Ultra settings fall to 21 FPS average. These results clearly show that 4K gaming is not a viable option for this combination except at Low settings, and even then, the frame rate is below ideal.

The data follows a consistent pattern: each resolution increase of approximately 1.78x (1080p to 1440p) and 2.25x (1440p to 4K) results in a proportionally larger frame rate drop, confirming that the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and AMD Radeon RX 7600 ranks 2090 out of 3001 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places it in the 69.6th percentile of all tested systems, meaning roughly 30% of configurations perform worse and 70% perform better. This ranking reflects the GPU's mid-range positioning rather than the CPU's high-end capabilities, as the Core Ultra 5 225's synthetic benchmarks place it well above average.

The CPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (0% delta), AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (0.2% behind), AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (0.4% behind), and Intel Core i9-12900T (0.5% behind). These results show that the Core Ultra 5 225 is essentially at parity with its direct competitors, meaning the CPU is not introducing any performance penalty in this game.

The GPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM (0.2% behind), AMD Radeon Pro 560X (0.6% ahead), AMD Radeon 680M (0.7% behind), and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 Ti (0.7% ahead). The fact that the RX 7600's PassMark G3D score of 16634 is close to these older and lower-tier cards explains why the overall combo ranking is not higher.

The rank of 2090 out of 3001 indicates that while this system is capable of smooth 1080p gameplay, it falls behind in higher-resolution scenarios where more powerful GPUs maintain their advantage. The combination is well-balanced for its price point, but the data shows that the GPU's 8 GB VRAM capacity and 128-bit memory bus are the primary constraints preventing higher rankings.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The resolution scaling behavior reveals a clear GPU bottleneck that intensifies with each step up in pixel count. At Low settings, the frame rate progression is 145 FPS at 1080p, 93 FPS at 1440p, and 49 FPS at 4K. This represents a 35.9% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 47.3% drop from 1440p to 4K. The total drop from 1080p to 4K is 66.2%, which is substantial but not as severe as the drops seen at higher settings.

At Medium settings, the progression is 109 FPS at 1080p, 70 FPS at 1440p, and 37 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 35.8%, and the drop from 1440p to 4K is 47.1%. This pattern is nearly identical to Low settings, suggesting that the GPU's memory bandwidth is the limiting factor rather than compute capacity.

At High settings, the progression is 82 FPS at 1080p, 53 FPS at 1440p, and 28 FPS at 4K. The drops are 35.4% and 47.2% respectively. At Ultra settings, the progression is 61 FPS at 1080p, 39 FPS at 1440p, and 21 FPS at 4K, with drops of 36.1% and 46.2%.

The consistent percentage drops across all settings presets indicate that the bottleneck is uniform regardless of quality level. This is characteristic of a memory bandwidth limitation, where the 288.0 GB/s bandwidth cannot keep pace with the increasing pixel count and texture fetch demands at higher resolutions. The CPU, with its high single-thread score of 4412 and 4.90 GHz boost clock, is not introducing any resolution-dependent bottleneck.

The fact that the system achieves 145 FPS at 1080p Low shows that the CPU can feed the GPU at high frame rates. The GPU's inability to maintain similar frame rates at higher resolutions, despite the CPU having ample headroom, confirms that the RX 7600 is the limiting component in this configuration.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and the player's preference for frame rate versus visual quality.

At 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers the best balance of performance and quality. The average of 109 FPS with a minimum of 93 FPS provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS standard, ensuring smooth gameplay even in demanding scenes. The maximum of 125 FPS demonstrates that the system has headroom to handle occasional spikes in complexity. While Low settings achieve 145 FPS, the visual quality reduction is unnecessary given that Medium still delivers well above playable thresholds. High settings at 82 FPS are also viable, but the drop from 109 FPS to 82 FPS is significant for only a modest visual improvement. Ultra at 61 FPS is playable but leaves no margin for frame drops in busy scenes.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the only configuration that maintains an average above 60 FPS, with a result of 70 FPS and a minimum of 59 FPS. This is the recommended choice for 1440p gaming, as it provides a smooth experience with only occasional dips near the 60 FPS threshold. Low settings at 93 FPS offer a higher frame rate but sacrifice visual fidelity. High settings at 53 FPS and Ultra at 39 FPS are below the smoothness threshold and should be avoided for this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the data shows that this hardware combination is not suited for 4K gaming. Low settings at 49 FPS is the only configuration that approaches playability, but even this falls below the 60 FPS standard. Medium at 37 FPS, High at 28 FPS, and Ultra at 21 FPS are all too choppy for a stealth game where precise camera control is essential. Players targeting 4K should either reduce the resolution to 1440p or consider a more powerful GPU.

The overall recommendation is to use the Medium preset at 1080p for the best experience, as it delivers 109 FPS average with consistent frame delivery, or the Medium preset at 1440p for a higher resolution experience at 70 FPS average. The data indicates that pushing beyond Medium settings at any resolution results in diminishing returns that are not justified by the frame rate sacrifices.