Hitman 2

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 pairing delivers a fascinating study in bottleneck dynamics within Hitman 2. This combination of a 14-core Arrow Lake processor and a flagship Blackwell GPU produces triple-digit frame rates at most settings, yet the data reveals a clear ceiling imposed by the CPU at lower resolutions. The measured results show a system capable of extreme performance, but the balance between the two components shifts dramatically depending on the graphical workload.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 serves as the central processing unit for this configuration, built on the Arrow Lake architecture with a 3 nm process node from TSMC. This processor features 14 cores and 14 threads, a configuration that prioritizes physical core count over hyper-threading. The base clock sits at 3.50 GHz, while the boost clock reaches 5.10 GHz, providing substantial headroom for demanding workloads. The chip operates within a 65 W TDP envelope, making it a power-efficient desktop part that still delivers competitive performance. The L3 cache is 24 MB shared across the cores, with a dual-channel DDR5 memory interface providing 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth, which is crucial for feeding the RTX 5090 in a game like Hitman 2.

Benchmark data places this CPU in the 90th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 48995. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, which scores 49196 (just 0.4% higher), and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 at 49228 (0.5% higher). The Intel Xeon Gold 5318H trails by 0.6% with a score of 48698, while the Intel Core i5-14600K sits at 48618, which is 0.8% lower. These margins are razor-thin, indicating that the Core Ultra 5 245 performs squarely in the upper echelon of desktop CPUs, though it does not lead its class. In multi-threaded workloads, the Cinebench R23 score of 32924 highlights its capability, while the single-core score of 4648 confirms strong per-thread performance.

Regarding Hitman 2, the CPU's role is particularly pronounced at lower resolutions. The game's engine relies heavily on single-thread performance for game logic and AI, and the Core Ultra 5 245's 5.10 GHz boost clock provides a solid foundation. However, the 14-thread count means that the processor is not necessarily saturated by the game's workload; instead, the limiting factor appears to be the per-core throughput. At 1080p, the CPU becomes the primary bottleneck, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling. The low preset yields 342 FPS, but the high preset drops to 194 FPS, suggesting that the graphics pipeline is still demanding significant CPU resources for draw calls and scene management. The data indicates that this processor is more than adequate for Hitman 2, but its performance ceiling at high frame rates is where the RTX 5090's potential is left untapped.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is the graphics powerhouse in this pairing, based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a massive GB202 chip. This GPU is built on a 5 nm process and contains 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die, making it one of the most complex consumer graphics processors available. The core clocks are set at 2017 MHz base and 2407 MHz boost, which, combined with 21760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 raster output units, delivers enormous raw compute power. The memory subsystem is equally impressive, featuring 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. This VRAM capacity is far beyond what Hitman 2 requires, ensuring that texture streaming and high-resolution assets are never a limiting factor.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 5090 scores 39650 in Passmark G3D and 26756 in GPU compute, placing it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. The average benchmark score is 79842, with its nearest rivals being the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe variants. The Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores 79605 (0.3% higher), while the 12 GB version scores 79396 (0.6% higher). The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT trails by 1.1% at 78940, and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X is 1.4% ahead at 80959. These comparisons are notable because the RTX 5090 is a consumer gaming card being measured against professional and mobile workstation parts, yet it holds its own in aggregate scoring.

For Hitman 2, the GPU's role becomes dominant at higher resolutions. At 4K, the frame rates scale with settings, but the GPU is clearly the limiting component. The high preset at 3840x2160 produces 66 FPS, while the ultra preset drops to 49 FPS. This indicates that the RTX 5090 is being pushed to its limits by the game's rendering demands at 4K, particularly with higher quality shadows, reflections, and ambient occlusion. The 32 GB VRAM is never a constraint, but the raw shader throughput is what determines performance. The boost clock of 2407 MHz is sustained under load, yet the game's engine does not scale perfectly with the GPU's compute capabilities, resulting in diminishing returns at ultra settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of diminishing returns as resolution increases. At 1080p, the system achieves extraordinary frame rates across all settings. The low preset hits 342 FPS, medium averages 257 FPS (with a min of 218 and max of 295), high reaches 194 FPS, and ultra manages 143 FPS. These numbers indicate a CPU-bound scenario, where the graphics card is not fully utilized. The drop from low to high is 148 FPS, a 43% reduction, which stems from increased draw calls and shading complexity that still rely on CPU-side processing.

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates remain high but show a more balanced distribution. Low produces 219 FPS, medium averages 164 FPS (min 140, max 189), high delivers 124 FPS, and ultra drops to 91 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at high settings is from 194 to 124 FPS, a 36% decrease. This suggests that the GPU is starting to take on more responsibility, though the CPU still has headroom. At 4K, the bottleneck shifts decisively to the GPU. The low preset yields 117 FPS, medium averages 87 FPS (min 74, max 101), high produces 66 FPS, and ultra falls to 49 FPS. The transition from 1440p to 4K at high settings is from 124 to 66 FPS, a 47% drop, indicating that the RTX 5090's pixel throughput is the limiting factor.

This scaling behavior tells a compelling story about the system's balance. At 1080p, the Core Ultra 5 245 is the bottleneck, as the GPU is capable of far higher frame rates than the CPU can feed. At 4K, the RTX 5090 becomes the constraint, with the CPU having ample headroom. The sweet spot appears to be around 1440p, where both components are more evenly matched, though the CPU still limits ultra settings to 91 FPS. The data suggests that for competitive play at high refresh rates, 1080p or 1440p with medium or high settings is optimal, while 4K is best suited for visual fidelity over raw frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide clear guidance on which preset offers the best experience for this combination. At 4K, the medium preset stands out as the most balanced option. It averages 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay without dropping below 60 FPS. The high preset at 66 FPS is playable but leaves less headroom for demanding scenes, while ultra at 49 FPS falls below the 60 FPS threshold that many players consider essential for a stealth action game. The low preset at 117 FPS sacrifices too much visual quality for a marginal gain in smoothness. Therefore, medium at 4K is recommended, as it maintains a consistent frame rate while preserving enough graphical fidelity to appreciate the game's detailed environments.

At 1440p, the high preset provides the best experience, averaging 124 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS target and offers a significant visual upgrade over medium (164 FPS) without the steep drop to ultra (91 FPS). The medium preset is also viable for players seeking higher refresh rates, but high delivers a better balance of quality and speed. At 1080p, the high preset at 194 FPS is the recommended choice. The ultra preset at 143 FPS is also acceptable, but the difference in visual quality is minimal compared to the 51 FPS gain from high. The low preset at 342 FPS is unnecessary unless the player has a 360 Hz monitor and prioritizes competitive advantage over aesthetics.

Across all resolutions, the medium and high presets offer the best value in terms of frame rate stability and visual fidelity. The ultra preset consistently shows the largest performance hit, with a 26% reduction from high at 1080p (194 to 143 FPS), a 27% reduction at 1440p (124 to 91 FPS), and a 26% reduction at 4K (66 to 49 FPS). These diminishing returns suggest that ultra settings provide marginal visual improvements that do not justify the frame rate cost. The data supports a recommendation for high settings at 1440p as the overall best experience, with medium at 4K as the fallback for higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 68th out of 3001 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places the pairing in the top 2.3% of all configurations, which is a strong showing given the diverse range of hardware tested. The rank reflects the system's ability to deliver high frame rates at demanding settings, though it is not the absolute top performer. The ranking indicates that while the RTX 5090 is a flagship GPU, its pairing with a mid-range CPU like the Core Ultra 5 245 prevents it from reaching the very top of the charts.

The combo rank of 68 suggests that there are 67 other configurations that achieve higher average FPS in Hitman 2. These likely include pairings with higher-end CPUs such as the Core Ultra 9 or Ryzen 9 series, which would reduce the CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions. The data implies that the Core Ultra 5 245, despite its strong benchmark scores, is not the ideal match for the RTX 5090 when targeting maximum frame rates. The gap between this combo and the top performers is likely most pronounced at 1080p, where the CPU limits the GPU's potential. At 4K, the combo's rank may be closer to the top, as the GPU becomes the primary constraint.

The percentile placement (68 out of 3001) reflects the overall capability of this pairing. It outperforms the vast majority of tested systems, which include older generation hardware and lower-tier components. However, the rank also highlights that for a game like Hitman 2, which favors high single-thread performance, the Core Ultra 5 245 holds back the RTX 5090. Users seeking to maximize this GPU's potential would benefit from a higher-tier CPU, but as it stands, this combo delivers excellent performance that will satisfy most gamers.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The exact measured frame rates provide a detailed picture of performance across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the system achieves its highest scores. The low preset averages 342 FPS, with no minimum or maximum recorded. Medium averages 257 FPS, with a minimum of 218 and a maximum of 295. High averages 194 FPS, and ultra averages 143 FPS, with no variance data for the latter two. The spread from low to ultra is 199 FPS, demonstrating significant scaling with settings.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain robust. Low averages 219 FPS, medium averages 164 FPS (min 140, max 189), high averages 124 FPS, and ultra averages 91 FPS. The difference between low and ultra is 128 FPS, which is a narrower gap than at 1080p, indicating the GPU is becoming more influential. The medium preset shows a 24 FPS range between minimum and maximum, suggesting some scene-dependent variability.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops but remains playable. Low averages 117 FPS, medium averages 87 FPS (min 74, max 101), high averages 66 FPS, and ultra averages 49 FPS. The spread from low to ultra is 68 FPS, the smallest of the three resolutions, confirming the GPU bottleneck. The medium preset at 4K shows a 27 FPS range between minimum and maximum, which is the largest variance in the dataset, indicating that certain scenes are significantly more demanding than others.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: the frame rate drops by approximately 50% when moving from 1080p to 4K at the same settings. For example, high goes from 194 to 66 FPS (a 66% reduction), while low goes from 342 to 117 FPS (a 66% reduction). This proportional scaling suggests that the RTX 5090's performance is the primary determinant at higher resolutions, with the CPU's influence diminishing. The medium preset at 1440p (164 FPS) is nearly identical to the high preset at 1080p (194 FPS) in relative terms, highlighting the balanced nature of the system at these settings. Overall, the measured FPS breakdown confirms that this combo excels at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K requires settings adjustments to maintain smooth gameplay.