Hitman 2

Hitman 2 is a stealth game that rewards precision and planning, and the data for the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER shows a system that can handle the game, but with clear limitations at higher resolutions. This combination ranks 2133rd out of 3001 tested combos, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. The measured frames per second (FPS) reveal a setup that is comfortable at 1080p, acceptable at 1440p with some compromises, and struggling to maintain playability at 4K. The following analysis breaks down the performance characteristics of this pairing in Hitman 2, focusing on how the CPU and GPU each contribute to the results.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and tells a clear story about which component is the bottleneck. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 145 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at Low settings, the average drops to 93 FPS, a reduction of 52 FPS. At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the average falls further to 49 FPS. This represents a 66% decrease in average FPS from 1080p to 4K at the lowest settings, which strongly indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor as resolution increases. The RTX 2060 SUPER, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 256-bit bus, simply cannot sustain the same frame rates when the pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

The scaling pattern is similar across all settings presets. At High settings, the averages are 82 FPS at 1080p, 52 FPS at 1440p, and 28 FPS at 4K. At Medium settings, the averages are 109 FPS at 1080p, 69 FPS at 1440p, and 37 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic drop, with 60 FPS at 1080p falling to 39 FPS at 1440p and then to just 21 FPS at 4K. The relative consistency of the percentage drop across different settings suggests that the resolution scaling is dominated by the GPU's raw rendering throughput rather than by any specific setting that might offload work to the CPU. The RTX 2060 SUPER's pixel rate of 105.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 224.4 GTexel/s are fixed hardware limits that become more stressed as the resolution increases.

This data suggests that for a smooth experience, 1080p is the sweet spot for this combo in Hitman 2. Even at Ultra settings, the 60 FPS average is playable, though not high-refresh territory. At 1440p, the user must choose between High settings at 52 FPS or Medium settings at 69 FPS, with Low settings offering a more fluid 93 FPS. The 4K results are largely academic for practical gameplay, as even Low settings only reach 49 FPS, and the more visually demanding presets fall below 40 FPS. The minimum FPS data available for Medium settings at each resolution reinforces this: 92 FPS minimum at 1080p, 59 FPS minimum at 1440p, and 31 FPS minimum at 4K. These minimums show that the frame pacing becomes less consistent at higher resolutions, which is typical when the GPU is saturated.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor from the Arrow Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. In the context of Hitman 2, a game that is generally not considered CPU-intensive in the same way as strategy or simulation titles, this processor provides ample headroom. The CPU's benchmark scores are strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924 and a single-core score of 4648. Its PassMark single-thread score of 4394 and multithread score of 38706 further demonstrate its capability. The processor ranks in the 90th percentile among all CPUs, indicating that it is a high-performing part.

Given the resolution scaling data, the CPU is not the bottleneck in this pairing for Hitman 2. The FPS drops as resolution increases, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation. The CPU's 14 cores and 14 threads are more than sufficient for the game's engine, which typically utilizes a limited number of threads for game logic and AI. The boost clock of 5.10 GHz ensures that single-threaded performance is excellent for the core game loop. The L3 cache of 24 MB shared is also adequate for the game's data access patterns.

The nearest rivals for the Core Ultra 5 245 in terms of average benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (deltaPct -0.4), the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (deltaPct -0.5), the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (deltaPct 0.6), and the Intel Core i5-14600K (deltaPct 0.8). These deltas are all within one percent, meaning the CPU's raw processing power is essentially on par with those parts. For Hitman 2, this means that any of these CPUs would likely produce similar FPS results when paired with the same GPU, as the game is not heavily dependent on CPU scaling beyond a certain point. The fact that the CPU is not the limiting factor is good news for the user: upgrading the GPU would yield a direct FPS increase at all resolutions, particularly at 1440p and 4K.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of running Hitman 2 at 4K resolution?

A: The data shows it is technically possible but not recommended for a smooth experience. At 4K with Low settings, the average FPS is 49. Medium settings yield 37 FPS, High yields 28 FPS, and Ultra drops to 21 FPS. These averages are below the 60 FPS target most players prefer, and the minimum FPS at Medium settings is 31, indicating noticeable stutter.

Q: What is the best resolution to use with this CPU and GPU combo?

A: Based on the measured FPS, 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution. At 1080p, the combo achieves 145 FPS on Low, 109 FPS on Medium, 82 FPS on High, and 60 FPS on Ultra. This provides the widest range of playable settings, including the ability to run Ultra at 60 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score of 48995. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, scores 49196, which is a delta of -0.4%. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900 scores 49228 (-0.5%), the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H scores 48698 (0.6%), and the Intel Core i5-14600K scores 48618 (0.8%). All of these are within a one percent performance difference.

Q: Is the RTX 2060 SUPER a bottleneck for the Core Ultra 5 245 in this game?

A: Yes, the data strongly indicates that the GPU is the limiting component. The FPS drops significantly as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, while the CPU's high benchmark scores suggest it has ample headroom. The GPU's 8 GB of VRAM and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are the likely constraints at higher resolutions.

Q: What settings should be used for a 60+ FPS experience at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the measured average FPS for Low settings is 93, which is well above 60. Medium settings average 69 FPS. High settings drop to 52 FPS, and Ultra falls to 39 FPS. Therefore, to maintain a 60+ FPS average, the user should select Low or Medium settings.

Q: How does the GPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 18093. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile scores 18159 (-0.4%), the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 scores 18189 (-0.5%), the AMD Radeon RX 460 scores 18373 (-1.5%), and the Intel Arc A770M scores 18383 (-1.6%). These are all within a two percent performance difference.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is ranked 2133rd out of 3001 tested combos in Hitman 2. This puts it in the 29th percentile of all tested systems, meaning that roughly 71% of the tested combinations perform better in this specific game. This ranking is a direct result of the GPU's limitations. The CPU itself is a high performer, ranking in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, but the GPU only ranks in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs. The overall combo rank is dragged down by the GPU.

This rank suggests that in the broader database, there are many systems that can achieve higher frame rates in Hitman 2. The combo's position is not surprising given the RTX 2060 SUPER's age; it was released in 2019 and is now considered end-of-life. However, the rank also shows that this is not the absolute bottom tier. The system can still deliver a playable experience at 1080p and 1440p, as evidenced by the measured FPS data. For a user with this specific combination, the data implies that to improve their rank and FPS in Hitman 2, the most effective upgrade path would be to replace the GPU with a more powerful model, as the CPU is unlikely to be the limiting factor in most scenarios.

The combo's rank is a holistic measure of its performance in Hitman 2. It reflects the balance between the CPU and GPU. Here, the imbalance is clear: a strong CPU is paired with a mid-range GPU from a previous generation. This results in a system that is well-suited for 1080p gaming but falls behind at higher resolutions. The 3001 tested combos include a wide variety of hardware, from high-end current-gen parts to older budget components. Being in the lower half of that list means that this combo is adequate but not competitive with the top performers in the database.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is a Turing-architecture GPU with 2176 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 64 raster operation units. It has 34 ray tracing cores and 272 tensor cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1470 MHz and a boost clock of 1650 MHz. Its memory configuration consists of 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. In terms of compute, it offers 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. These specifications place it as a solid 1080p performer from its generation, but they are not sufficient for high-refresh 1440p or 4K gaming in demanding titles.

The measured FPS data in Hitman 2 directly reflects the GPU's capabilities. At 1080p, the GPU can push high frame rates, particularly on lower settings, hitting 145 FPS on Low. This indicates that the GPU is not the bottleneck at this resolution and settings, and the CPU's strong single-thread performance allows the GPU to stretch its legs. However, as the resolution increases, the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth become the limiting factors. At 4K, the pixel count is four times that of 1080p, and the RTX 2060 SUPER simply does not have the raw throughput to maintain high frame rates. The average FPS at 4K Ultra is just 21 FPS, which is unplayable for most users.

The GPU's 8 GB of VRAM is another consideration. Hitman 2 at 4K with High or Ultra settings can exceed 8 GB of VRAM usage, which would cause the GPU to stutter as it swaps textures in and out of memory. Even at 1440p, the VRAM requirement can be high, and the minimum FPS of 59 at Medium settings (with an average of 69) suggests that memory bandwidth or capacity might be a contributing factor to frame dips. The GPU's percentile rank of 62 indicates that it is an average performer in the database, and its nearest rivals are all within a 1.6% performance delta, showing that it is in a competitive but crowded performance tier.

For Hitman 2, the GPU is the component that determines the playable settings at each resolution. The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p is fully playable at all settings, 1440p is playable at Low and Medium settings for a smooth experience, and 4K is only marginally playable at Low settings. This is a classic example of a mid-range GPU from its era being the limiting factor in a modern or demanding game at higher resolutions. The GPU's end-of-life status further emphasizes that it is a part from a previous generation, and its performance envelope is well understood.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Hitman 2 with this combo provides a complete picture of its performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings produce an average of 145 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 109 FPS, with a minimum of 92 FPS and a maximum of 125 FPS. High settings produce an average of 82 FPS. Ultra settings produce an average of 60 FPS. This shows that at 1080p, the system is capable of delivering high frame rates across the board, with even the most demanding Ultra preset hitting the 60 FPS mark.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. Low settings average 93 FPS. Medium settings average 69 FPS, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS. High settings average 52 FPS. Ultra settings average 39 FPS. At this resolution, the system is still usable, but the user must make compromises. For a 60+ FPS average, Low or Medium settings are required. High settings dip below 60 FPS, and Ultra is not smooth.

At 3840x2160, the performance is significantly reduced. Low settings average 49 FPS. Medium settings average 37 FPS, with a minimum of 31 FPS and a maximum of 43 FPS. High settings average 28 FPS. Ultra settings average 21 FPS. None of these settings provide a consistently smooth 60 FPS experience. Even at Low settings, the average FPS is below 50, and the frame rate will likely drop into the 30s during intense scenes. The minimum FPS recorded at Medium settings is 31, which indicates stuttering.

The data also reveals the scaling efficiency of the settings. From Low to Ultra at 1080p, the FPS drops from 145 to 60, a 59% reduction. At 1440p, the drop is from 93 to 39, a 58% reduction. At 4K, the drop is from 49 to 21, a 57% reduction. This consistent percentage drop across resolutions indicates that the GPU is being taxed uniformly by the settings presets, regardless of resolution. The frame times, as inferred from the average FPS, are consistent with a GPU that is working progressively harder as both resolution and settings increase. This breakdown gives a user clear expectations: for a high-refresh experience, stick to 1080p; for a balanced experience, 1440p with Medium settings is the practical limit; and 4K is not a viable option for competitive play or smooth exploration.