Hitman 2

Hitman 2, a stealth classic from 2018, presents an interesting test for the modern Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080. The measured data reveals a system that is highly capable at mainstream resolutions but begins to show its limits when pushed to 4K with maximum settings. This analysis breaks down the collected performance metrics to understand the role each component plays in this specific title.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. For a game like Hitman 2, which was released before the shift towards heavily multi-threaded game engines, the high boost clock is often more critical than the raw core count. The data suggests this CPU provides ample headroom, as the measured frame rates at 1080p are exceptionally high.

At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 227 FPS. This high frame rate indicates that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough data to avoid becoming a bottleneck at lower graphical loads. The processor’s single-thread performance, reflected in its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655, is likely the key driver here. Hitman 2’s game logic and draw call processing often rely on a few strong cores, and the Ultra 5 225’s 4.90 GHz boost clock is well-suited for this task.

The CPU’s overall standing is solid, with a percentile ranking of 85 against all CPUs. Its nearest rivals, based on average benchmark scores, include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D, with the Ultra 5 225 performing essentially on par (0% delta) with the former and slightly behind (-0.2%) the latter. This places it in a competitive mid-range tier, but the data indicates that for Hitman 2, its performance is more than sufficient. Even at 1080p Ultra, the system still manages a 95 FPS average, suggesting the CPU is not the primary constraint at any settings level. The bottleneck appears to shift to the GPU as resolution and graphical fidelity increase.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is built on the Ampere architecture with a GA102 chip. It features 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus, providing 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock is rated at 1710 MHz. In the context of Hitman 2, a game with large, detailed environments, the GPU is the primary driver of performance, especially at higher resolutions and settings.

The data clearly shows the GPU becoming the limiting factor as the resolution scales. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 32, a substantial decrease from the 95 FPS seen at 1080p Ultra. This is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance, where the rendering load at higher resolutions overwhelms the graphics card's capabilities. The RTX 3080, while powerful, is being pushed to its limits by the combination of 4K resolution and the 'Ultra' preset in this older title.

The GPU's 10 GB of VRAM is also a point of consideration. Hitman 2’s maps can be memory-intensive, and at 4K with Ultra textures, the 10 GB frame buffer may be a limiting factor. The difference between the High preset (44 FPS) and Ultra preset (32 FPS) at 4K is a 12 FPS drop, which could be partially attributed to the increased memory pressure and the higher demand on the GPU's compute units. The RTX 3080 holds a 68th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with its nearest rivals in benchmark scores being the NVIDIA P106-100 and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16, though these comparisons are based on synthetic tests and do not directly reflect Hitman 2 performance.

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

The measured data provides a clear picture of how the settings presets affect performance. For a smooth and visually rich experience, the 'High' preset appears to be the optimal choice. At 1440p High, the system averages 82 FPS, which is well within the range for a fluid experience on high refresh rate monitors. At 1080p High, the average jumps to 128 FPS, offering even more headroom.

The 'Medium' preset offers a significant performance boost over 'High'. At 1440p, it averages 109 FPS with a minimum of 92 FPS, ensuring a consistently smooth experience. At 1080p, Medium yields 170 FPS with a minimum of 144 FPS. The 'Low' preset pushes frame rates even higher, hitting 145 FPS at 1440p and 227 FPS at 1080p, but this comes at a noticeable cost to visual fidelity.

The 'Ultra' preset is demanding. While it provides the best image quality, the performance at 1440p (61 FPS) and 1080p (95 FPS) is playable, the 4K Ultra result of 32 FPS is not ideal for most players. The data suggests that for the best balance between visual quality and performance, the 'High' preset at 1440p is the sweet spot for this combination. It delivers an 82 FPS average, which is a more stable and responsive experience than the 61 FPS average seen on Ultra at the same resolution. Pushing to 4K, users would need to select the 'Low' preset to achieve a playable 77 FPS, as the 'High' preset's 44 FPS is borderline.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

Among 3001 tested hardware combinations running Hitman 2, this specific pairing of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 ranks at number 840. This places it in the top 28% of all tested systems, a respectable position for a mid-range CPU and previous-generation high-end GPU pairing.

This ranking suggests that while the combination is capable, there are many other systems that deliver higher frame rates in this game. The rank of 840 implies that the RTX 3080, while a strong card, is not the absolute top performer when paired with this CPU. The CPU’s position in the overall hierarchy, with a percentile rank of 85, is higher than the GPU’s percentile rank of 68, suggesting the GPU is the more limiting component for the overall combo ranking. The data implies that the system sits firmly in the upper-midrange tier of performance for Hitman 2, capable of high-refresh-rate gaming at 1080p and solid performance at 1440p, but not competing with the absolute top-tier configurations.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this system to play Hitman 2?

A: The data indicates that 1440p with the 'High' preset offers the best balance, yielding an average of 82 FPS. This provides a smooth experience without the significant performance cost seen at 4K, where the 'High' preset drops to 44 FPS.

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

A: The GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 227 FPS, showing high CPU capability. However, at 4K Ultra, the average drops to 32 FPS, indicating the RTX 3080 is overwhelmed by the rendering load.

Q: How does the 'Ultra' preset compare to 'High' at 1440p?

A: The 'Ultra' preset at 1440p delivers an average of 61 FPS, which is a 21 FPS decrease compared to the 'High' preset's 82 FPS. This is a significant drop in smoothness for a relatively modest visual improvement.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Hitman 2?

A: It can run at 4K, but settings must be lowered. At 4K 'Low', it achieves 77 FPS, while the 'Medium' preset drops to 58 FPS. The 'High' and 'Ultra' presets result in averages of 44 FPS and 32 FPS, respectively, which are less ideal for a responsive experience.

Q: How does the system perform at 1080p for high refresh rate monitors?

A: The system is very capable at 1080p. On the 'High' preset, it reaches 128 FPS, and on 'Medium', it averages 170 FPS. Only the 'Ultra' preset, at 95 FPS, might be a slight concern for 144Hz monitors, but it is still a playable frame rate.

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

A: The frame rate difference is substantial. At 1080p, the 'Low' preset averages 227 FPS, while the 'Ultra' preset averages 95 FPS. This shows a performance cost of over half the frame rate when selecting the highest visual quality.

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

The benchmark data provides a clear matrix of performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its peak performance. The 'Low' preset achieves an average of 227 FPS, which is the highest score recorded in the entire dataset. Moving to 'Medium', the average drops to 170 FPS, with a minimum of 144 FPS and a maximum of 195 FPS. The 'High' preset yields 128 FPS, and the 'Ultra' preset, while still playable, drops to 95 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down as expected. The 'Low' preset averages 145 FPS. The 'Medium' preset provides an average of 109 FPS, with a range between 92 and 125 FPS. The 'High' preset delivers a solid 82 FPS, making it a viable option for high-refresh-rate gaming. The 'Ultra' preset at 1440p brings the average down to 61 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. The 'Low' preset is the only one to maintain a high frame rate, averaging 77 FPS. The 'Medium' preset drops to an average of 58 FPS, with a minimum of 49 FPS and a maximum of 67 FPS. The 'High' preset averages 44 FPS, and the 'Ultra' preset struggles to an average of just 32 FPS. This data shows a progressive and steep decline in performance as resolution increases, highlighting the immense graphical demand of 4K rendering.

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

Analyzing the FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic case of GPU scaling. On the 'High' preset, the system delivers 128 FPS at 1080p, which falls to 82 FPS at 1440p, and then to 44 FPS at 4K. This is a 65.6% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K. In a purely CPU-bound scenario, this drop would be less severe, as the resolution increase would have a smaller impact on the CPU's workload. The significant drop indicates that the RTX 3080's rendering capabilities are the limiting factor.

The 'Ultra' preset shows a similar trend, with 95 FPS at 1080p dropping to 61 FPS at 1440p and 32 FPS at 4K. This represents a 66.3% reduction from 1080p to 4K. The consistent ~66% drop across different presets suggests that the scaling is almost entirely dependent on the GPU's pixel throughput and memory bandwidth. The 760.3 GB/s of memory bandwidth and the 10 GB frame buffer are likely being saturated at 4K, especially with the higher texture detail of the 'Ultra' preset.

The data implies that the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has sufficient headroom to drive the RTX 3080 at 1080p and 1440p. The bottleneck is firmly with the GPU at 4K. The performance gap between the 'Low' and 'Ultra' presets also widens with resolution, further confirming the GPU's role. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 132 FPS, while at 4K, it narrows to 45 FPS. This narrowing gap suggests that at 4K, the GPU is so heavily loaded that even reducing settings to 'Low' cannot fully compensate for the resolution's demands, indicating a hard limit on the graphics card's performance.