Hitman 2

# Hitman 2 with Intel Core Ultra 5 225 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060

This combination delivers a playable but resolution-sensitive experience in Hitman 2, with the RTX 4060 clearly acting as the primary bottleneck as resolution climbs. The combo ranks in the 54th percentile of all tested configurations (1606th of 3001), indicating a mid-tier standing for this stealth title. At 1080p, the pairing produces smooth frame rates across all settings, but 4K Ultra falls to just 24 FPS, making high-resolution play impractical without significant graphical compromises.

Resolution Scaling

The data reveals a steep performance drop as resolution increases, a pattern that points directly at the GPU as the limiting component. From 1080p to 1440p at High settings, average FPS falls from 97 to 62, a 36% reduction. Pushing from 1440p to 4K at High drops the average further from 62 to 33 FPS, another 47% decline. The combined journey from 1080p High to 4K High represents a 66% loss in frame rate, a scaling curve that is far steeper than what CPU-bound scenarios typically show.

This steep decline is consistent across every settings tier. At Low settings, the drop from 1080p to 4K is from 171 to 58 FPS — a 66% reduction. Medium settings show a similar pattern: 129 FPS at 1080p, 82 at 1440p, and 44 at 4K. Ultra settings are the most punishing, with 72 FPS at 1080p falling to 46 at 1440p and finally 24 at 4K. The consistent ~50% loss between each resolution step indicates that the RTX 4060's 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus are being saturated as pixel count increases.

The CPU's role in this scaling is minimal. The Intel Core Ultra 5 225, with its 10 cores and 10 threads, delivers strong synthetic performance — its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 places it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 171 FPS, which suggests the processor can feed the GPU adequately at lower resolutions. However, the fact that frame rates continue to climb as settings drop at 1080p (from 72 FPS at Ultra to 171 FPS at Low) indicates that even at 1080p, the GPU is the primary constraint in demanding configurations. The CPU is not the limiting factor here; the evidence points squarely at the RTX 4060.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 1080p is the only resolution where all settings tiers remain playable. At 1440p, Ultra drops to 46 FPS, and at 4K, even Medium only reaches 44 FPS. For consistent performance above 60 FPS, 1080p Medium (129 FPS) or High (97 FPS) are the safest choices.

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

A: Technically yes, but only at Low settings, where it averages 58 FPS. At Medium, the average falls to 44 FPS with minimums of 37 FPS, which may feel stuttery. High and Ultra settings at 4K produce 33 and 24 FPS respectively, which are below acceptable thresholds for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4060's average benchmark score of 17639 places it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon HD 7790, scores 17666, a delta of just -0.2%. The AMD Radeon 780M is close behind at 17588 (0.3% slower), while the Radeon Pro 560 and Pro 460 trail by 0.5% and 0.7% respectively.

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 a strong CPU for gaming workloads?

A: The CPU sits in the 85th percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 36938. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 demonstrates substantial throughput, and its single-core score of 3655 suggests good per-thread performance. The data indicates the CPU is well ahead of the GPU in this pairing.

Q: What settings provide the best balance of visual quality and performance at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, Medium settings deliver 82 FPS average with a minimum of 70 FPS, which is smooth for a stealth game. High settings at 1440p produce 62 FPS average, which is still playable but with less headroom. Ultra drops to 46 FPS, which is borderline.

Q: Why does the frame rate drop so much between 1080p and 4K?

A: The RTX 4060 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus with 272.0 GB/s bandwidth. As resolution increases, the GPU must process significantly more pixels, and this memory configuration becomes a limiting factor. The CPU's performance remains constant across resolutions, confirming the GPU is the bottleneck.

How This Combo Ranks

Among 3001 tested combinations in Hitman 2, this pairing ranks 1606th, placing it just above the midpoint of all configurations. This rank suggests that while the system is capable, it does not stand out as a high-performance pairing for this particular game. The GPU's 61st percentile standing and the CPU's 85th percentile standing create an imbalance — the processor is notably stronger than the graphics card, which holds the combo back from higher rankings.

The rank of 1606 out of 3001 puts this configuration in the lower half of the upper-middle range. Many combinations with more powerful GPUs or better-balanced pairings will outperform it, particularly at higher resolutions where the RTX 4060's limitations become pronounced. However, the combo is far from the bottom — the CPU's strong multi-threaded performance ensures that CPU-bound scenarios are handled with ease.

The delta between the CPU and GPU percentiles is significant: 85th for the processor versus 61st for the graphics card. This 24-point gap indicates that the RTX 4060 is the weak link in the chain. Upgrading the GPU would yield substantially better results in Hitman 2, while upgrading the CPU would provide little benefit for this title. The synthetic benchmarks support this: the CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (0% delta) and AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (-0.2%), all of which are closely matched, while the GPU's rivals are much weaker parts like the AMD Radeon HD 7790.

Settings Recommendations

For the best measured experience, 1080p Medium settings stand out as the optimal choice. This configuration delivers 129 FPS average with a minimum of 109 FPS and a maximum of 148 FPS. The minimum frame rate of 109 FPS ensures that even in demanding scenes, the game stays well above the 60 FPS threshold, providing a consistently smooth experience. The jump from Medium to High at 1080p costs 32 FPS (from 129 to 97), which is a noticeable loss for what is typically a modest visual upgrade.

At 1440p, Medium settings provide the best balance with 82 FPS average and 70 FPS minimum. This is the highest resolution at which this combo can maintain minimums above 60 FPS. High settings at 1440p drop the average to 62 FPS, which is playable but with less margin for demanding scenes. Ultra settings at 1440p (46 FPS) are not recommended for smooth gameplay.

For 4K, Low settings at 58 FPS average are the only viable option, and even this may produce occasional dips. Medium at 4K yields 44 FPS with a 37 FPS minimum, which will likely feel sluggish in a stealth game where precise timing matters. Ultra at 4K is effectively unplayable at 24 FPS.

The data suggests that players should prioritize Medium settings across all resolutions. At 1080p, Medium offers the highest minimum frame rate (109 FPS) of any settings tier, ensuring no stutters. At 1440p, Medium is the only tier that maintains minimums above 70 FPS. The visual quality difference between Medium and High in Hitman 2 does not justify the significant frame rate cost given the measured numbers.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset provides a clear picture of performance across all resolution and settings combinations. At 1920x1080, the system achieves its highest frame rates: Low settings produce 171 FPS average, Medium reaches 129 FPS (109 min, 148 max), High delivers 97 FPS, and Ultra manages 72 FPS. All 1080p configurations exceed the 60 FPS threshold, making this resolution fully playable regardless of settings preference.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance drops notably. Low settings still deliver a strong 110 FPS average, while Medium produces 82 FPS (70 min, 95 max). High settings fall to 62 FPS, and Ultra drops to 46 FPS. The 1440p results show that only Low and Medium maintain comfortable frame rates above 80 FPS, with High being marginal and Ultra falling below acceptable smoothness.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 4060 struggles significantly. Low settings yield 58 FPS average, Medium produces 44 FPS (37 min, 50 max), High drops to 33 FPS, and Ultra falls to 24 FPS. The 4K data reveals that only Low settings approach playability, and even then, the 58 FPS average leaves little headroom for demanding scenes. The minimum frame rate of 37 FPS at 4K Medium highlights the GPU's inability to maintain consistent performance at high resolutions.

The scaling from 1080p Medium to 1440p Medium shows a 47 FPS drop (129 to 82), and from 1440p Medium to 4K Medium shows a 38 FPS drop (82 to 44). These consistent declines across all settings tiers confirm that the GPU's memory bandwidth and capacity are the binding constraints at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 brings substantial processing power to this pairing, with 10 cores and 10 threads operating at a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. This Arrow Lake architecture processor, built on TSMC's 3 nm process, delivers strong single-threaded performance with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655. In a stealth game like Hitman 2, which typically relies on single-thread performance for game logic and AI, this strength is beneficial.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are equally impressive, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891. This places the processor in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, well above the GPU's 61st percentile standing. The PassMark multithread score of 30459 and integer math score of 65345 further demonstrate the processor's ability to handle complex workloads. However, the data from Hitman 2 suggests that this CPU power is largely underutilized, as the game's performance is consistently GPU-limited across all tested configurations.

The CPU's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 192 KB L1 cache per core provide ample fast storage for game data. Its DDR5 memory support with dual-channel configuration offers 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient for gaming workloads. The processor's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks — the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, Ryzen 5 5500X3D, and Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 — all score within 0.5% of the Core Ultra 5 225, indicating that this CPU is competitively positioned in its class.

In practice, the CPU never becomes the bottleneck in Hitman 2. The 171 FPS achieved at 1080p Low demonstrates that the processor can feed the GPU with frames at high rates. Even at 1080p Ultra, where the GPU is heavily stressed, the CPU maintains 72 FPS. The consistent frame rate drops with increasing resolution — regardless of settings — confirm that the RTX 4060's 8 GB memory capacity and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are the primary limiting factors, not the CPU's processing capabilities. For this game, the Core Ultra 5 225 is more than adequate, and its performance headroom suggests it could support a more powerful GPU without becoming a constraint.