Hitman 2

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 achieves a combo rank of 179 out of 3001 tested combinations in Hitman 2. This places the pairing firmly in the top 6% of all tested systems, indicating that this configuration is well above the median experience for this title. The rank reflects a balanced pairing where neither component is dramatically holding back the other in this specific game, though the data shows the RTX 5080 is doing the majority of the heavy lifting at higher resolutions.

Benchmark results indicate that this combo sits ahead of a significant majority of the field, but it does not crack the top 100. The gap between this pairing and the absolute top-tier combos likely stems from the CPU's mid-range positioning rather than any GPU deficiency, as the RTX 5080's raw compute scores are substantial. In a game like Hitman 2, which can be sensitive to single-thread performance in certain scenes, the Ultra 5 245's architecture delivers enough headroom to keep the GPU fed at most settings, but the data suggests there are diminishing returns at lower resolutions where the CPU becomes the limiting factor.

The 179th rank out of 3001 combinations is a strong result, but it also contextualizes the pairing as a high-end mainstream solution rather than an extreme enthusiast setup. Users comparing this to combos featuring higher-tier CPUs would see a modest uplift in frame rates at 1080p, while at 4K the ranking would likely improve due to the GPU being the primary bottleneck. The measured data shows this combo is a capable Hitman 2 machine, delivering playable frame rates at all tested settings, with the Ultra preset at 4K being the only configuration that dips below 60 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is the dominant component in this pairing for Hitman 2, particularly at higher resolutions and graphical presets. The GPU features 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is more than sufficient for Hitman 2, which is not a particularly VRAM-hungry title, and the ample capacity ensures no texture streaming bottlenecks at 4K Ultra settings.

The GPU's clock speeds are listed at a base of 2295 MHz and a boost of 2617 MHz, with memory running at 1875 MHz (30 Gbps effective). These clocks, combined with 10752 shading units and 112 ROPs, produce a pixel rate of 293.1 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 879.3 GTexel/s. In Hitman 2, these specifications translate to strong rasterization performance, which is the primary workload for this game since it does not heavily utilize ray tracing. The GPU's FP32 throughput of 56.28 TFLOPS provides ample compute headroom for the game's physics and AI calculations offloaded to the GPU.

The RTX 5080's benchmark scores reinforce its high-end positioning, with a Passmark G3D score of 36565 and an average benchmark score of 56083. This places the GPU at the 87th percentile against all GPUs, with its nearest rival being the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE, which trails by 2.2%. The data indicates that the RTX 5080 is roughly 0.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon 8060S and 0.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB, showing that it sits at the top of a competitive cluster of graphics cards. In Hitman 2, the GPU's role becomes increasingly critical as resolution scales, with the measured FPS dropping from 314 at 1080p Low to 45 at 4K Ultra, demonstrating that the GPU is the primary driver of performance at higher loads.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor from the Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 24 MB L3 cache. For Hitman 2, which is a 2018 title, the CPU's single-thread performance is crucial, and the data shows the Ultra 5 245 delivers a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4394.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are strong as well, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32924 and a Passmark multithread score of 38706. These scores place the Ultra 5 245 at the 90th percentile against all CPUs, with its average benchmark score of 48995 positioning it nearly identically to the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, which is 0.4% higher, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which is 0.5% higher. The Intel Core i5-14600K trails by 0.8%, indicating that the Ultra 5 245 is competitive with established mid-range and upper-mid-range CPUs.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's role is most pronounced at 1080p and Low settings, where the frame rate reaches 314 FPS, suggesting the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough draw calls to maintain very high frame rates. However, the data also shows that at 1080p Ultra, the frame rate drops to 131 FPS, which is a 58% reduction from Low, indicating that the GPU is becoming more involved as settings increase. The CPU's 14 threads are sufficient for the game's workload, and the lack of hyperthreading (14 cores, 14 threads) does not appear to be a hindrance in this title. The memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s over dual-channel DDR5 provides adequate data throughput for the game's level streaming, though it is a potential bottleneck in highly populated areas.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates for this combo span three resolutions and four settings presets, providing a comprehensive view of performance. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 314 at Low to 131 at Ultra. The Medium preset achieves 235 FPS with a minimum of 200 and a maximum of 270, while High delivers 178 FPS. The 1080p results show a clear scaling pattern: moving from Low to Medium costs 79 FPS (a 25% drop), from Medium to High costs 57 FPS (a 24% drop), and from High to Ultra costs 47 FPS (a 26% drop). This consistent decrement suggests that GPU load increases proportionally with each preset tier.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates are lower but still robust. Low settings produce 201 FPS, Medium delivers 150 FPS with a minimum of 128 and a maximum of 173, High manages 114 FPS, and Ultra drops to 84 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 1440p is more aggressive, with a total reduction of 117 FPS (a 58% drop). The transition from High to Ultra at 1440p costs 30 FPS (a 26% reduction), which mirrors the relative cost at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is handling the increased pixel count without introducing a disproportionate penalty.

At 3840x2160, the combo delivers 107 FPS at Low, 80 FPS at Medium (minimum 68, maximum 92), 61 FPS at High, and 45 FPS at Ultra. The 4K results show the most significant sensitivity to settings, with the gap between Low and Ultra being 62 FPS (a 58% drop). Notably, only the Ultra preset at 4K falls below the 60 FPS threshold, making it the only configuration where the combo cannot maintain a smooth experience. The Medium preset at 4K, with an average of 80 FPS, provides a good balance of visual quality and performance, while High at 61 FPS is borderline playable.

Resolution Scaling

The data reveals distinct scaling patterns across resolutions that highlight the changing role of each component. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS across all settings drops by approximately 36-43%, with Low settings seeing the largest absolute drop from 314 to 201 FPS (a 36% reduction) and Ultra seeing a 36% drop from 131 to 84 FPS. This consistent scaling suggests that the GPU is the primary limiter even at 1440p, as the CPU has enough headroom at 1080p to push frame rates well beyond what the GPU can sustain at higher resolutions.

The transition from 1440p to 4K shows a more pronounced scaling penalty. Low settings drop from 201 to 107 FPS (a 47% reduction), Medium from 150 to 80 FPS (a 47% reduction), High from 114 to 61 FPS (a 46% reduction), and Ultra from 84 to 45 FPS (a 46% reduction). This uniform ~47% drop across all settings indicates that the GPU is entirely the limiting factor at 4K, as the CPU's influence is negligible at this pixel count. The RTX 5080's 16 GB of VRAM and 960.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient to handle the increased memory pressure at 4K without introducing stutter, as evidenced by the minimum FPS values at Medium settings (68 FPS at 4K versus 128 FPS at 1440p).

The scaling behavior suggests that users targeting 4K should expect to lower settings to Medium or High to maintain acceptable frame rates, while those at 1440p can comfortably use Ultra. At 1080p, the combo is overkill for this game, with even Ultra settings exceeding 130 FPS, making the CPU the bottleneck in this scenario. The data shows that the sweet spot for this pairing is 1440p, where the balance between CPU and GPU utilization yields frame rates that exceed the refresh rate of most high-refresh monitors at Medium and High settings.

FAQ

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

A: The data indicates that 2560x1440 is the sweet spot, with High settings achieving 114 FPS and Ultra achieving 84 FPS. This resolution provides a good balance between visual fidelity and frame rate, with even Ultra settings remaining well above 60 FPS.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K Ultra settings in Hitman 2?

A: No, the measured average FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra is 45 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. Users should drop to High (61 FPS) or Medium (80 FPS) settings at 4K for a playable experience.

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

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score of 48995, which is 0.4% lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G and 0.5% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 7900. It is 0.6% higher than the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H and 0.8% higher than the Intel Core i5-14600K.

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

A: The RTX 5080's average benchmark score is 56083, making it 0.6% higher than the AMD Radeon 8060S and 0.7% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB. It trails the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE by 2.2%, which is the only listed rival with a higher score.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the average FPS drops from 314 at Low to 131 at Ultra, a reduction of 183 FPS (a 58% drop). The Medium preset delivers 235 FPS, and High delivers 178 FPS, showing a linear scaling pattern.

Q: Does this combo maintain 60 FPS at all settings and resolutions?

A: No, the only configuration that falls below 60 FPS is 4K Ultra, which averages 45 FPS. All other tested combinations (1080p, 1440p, and 4K Low/Medium/High) maintain averages above 60 FPS.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p users, the Ultra preset at 131 FPS is the best choice, as it provides the highest visual quality while still delivering frame rates that exceed the refresh rate of most standard monitors. Users with 144 Hz or higher refresh displays may prefer High at 178 FPS for a more responsive experience, but the visual fidelity loss is not justified for most players.

At 1440p, the Ultra preset at 84 FPS is the recommended choice for users with 60 Hz to 75 Hz monitors, as it provides the best visual quality while remaining comfortably above 60 FPS. Those with 144 Hz displays should consider the High preset at 114 FPS, which offers a significant frame rate boost with only a moderate reduction in visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 150 FPS is also viable for competitive play, though the visual compromise is noticeable in a game like Hitman 2, which relies heavily on environmental detail.

For 4K users, the Medium preset at 80 FPS is the clear recommendation, as it delivers the best balance of visual quality and performance. The High preset at 61 FPS is playable but leaves little headroom for frame time spikes, while the Ultra preset at 45 FPS is not recommended for a smooth experience. The data shows that the RTX 5080's 16 GB VRAM is sufficient for 4K Medium, with a minimum FPS of 68, indicating stable frame delivery. Users who prioritize frame rate over visuals at 4K can drop to Low at 107 FPS, but the visual penalty is substantial for a stealth game where observing details is important.

Overall, the measured rows indicate that this combo is best utilized at 1440p Ultra or 4K Medium, providing a high-quality experience without sacrificing playability. The 1080p Ultra setting is also a strong option for users with high-refresh monitors seeking maximum visual fidelity, as the 131 FPS average is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay.