Hitman 2

Hitman 2, a stealth title from 2018, shows remarkable scaling across resolutions when paired with the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D. The data set provides measured average FPS at four quality presets across three resolutions, revealing a system that is clearly GPU-bound at higher settings but demonstrates that even a top-tier GPU can be bottlenecked by older game engines at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 1440p and then to 4K produces a predictable but steep decline in frame rates, characteristic of a GPU-heavy workload. At the High preset, the average FPS drops from 207 at 1920x1080 to 132 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 75 FPS (approximately 36%). Moving from 1440p to 4K at High settings, the average falls further from 132 to 71 FPS, another 46% reduction. This pattern indicates that the RTX 5090 D is the primary limiting factor as pixel count increases, with the CPU providing ample headroom.

The scaling behavior is more revealing at the Low preset. Here, the 1080p average of 365 FPS drops to 234 at 1440p (a 36% decrease) and then to 124 at 4K (a 47% decrease from 1440p). The sheer magnitude of these numbers—365 FPS at 1080p—suggests that the game's engine, not the hardware, is approaching its operational ceiling. The Ultra preset tells a similar story with lower absolute values: 153 FPS at 1080p, 98 at 1440p, and 52 at 4K. The percentage drops between resolutions remain consistent across presets, which is a strong indicator that the scaling is resolution-driven rather than setting-driven.

What is most telling about the limiting component is the gap between Low and Ultra at each resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low (365 FPS) and Ultra (153 FPS) is 212 FPS. At 1440p, that gap narrows to 136 FPS (234 vs. 98). At 4K, the gap shrinks further to 72 FPS (124 vs. 52). This compression of the performance envelope at higher resolutions confirms that the GPU is becoming the bottleneck; when the GPU is less stressed (at 1080p), the CPU and engine limits are more apparent, but the RTX 5090 D still manages to push frame rates far beyond what most displays can show.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combo?

A: The highest recorded average is 365 FPS at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. This represents the absolute ceiling for this configuration in the measured data.

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

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 98 FPS, while the High preset achieves 132 FPS. The difference of 34 FPS represents the cost of the additional visual fidelity in the Ultra settings.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 D being fully utilized at 1080p?

A: The data suggests not. At 1080p Low, the system produces 365 FPS, but at 4K Low it produces 124 FPS. The 241 FPS difference indicates that at 1080p, the CPU or game engine is limiting performance, as the GPU is capable of much higher output when resolution increases the workload.

Q: What is the performance cost of enabling Ultra over Medium at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the Medium preset averages 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 52 FPS. This represents a 41 FPS drop (44%) for the highest quality settings.

Q: Does the Medium preset provide consistent frame pacing?

A: The data includes minimum and maximum FPS for the Medium preset at all resolutions. At 1080p, the range is 233 to 315 FPS. At 1440p, it is 149 to 201 FPS. At 4K, it is 79 to 107 FPS. The narrow ranges relative to the averages suggest consistent performance without drastic stutters.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: This specific combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks first out of 3001 tested combos for Hitman 2, indicating it is the top-performing configuration in the database.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, based on the Arrow Lake architecture. Its base clock of 3.50 GHz and boost clock of 5.10 GHz are crucial for Hitman 2, a game that relies heavily on single-thread performance for its simulation and AI logic. The processor's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4648 and multi-core score of 32924 place it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, indicating strong headroom for gameplay.

In this benchmark, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p with lower settings. The fact that the system reaches 365 FPS at 1080p Low suggests the processor can feed the GPU with data faster than the GPU can render at that resolution. However, the differences between settings at the same resolution highlight the GPU's workload scaling. At 1080p, going from Low to Medium reduces FPS from 365 to 274, and from High to Ultra from 207 to 153. These are GPU-bound reductions; the CPU is maintaining its output.

The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth (DDR5 dual-channel) are adequate for Hitman 2's level streaming and NPC management. The PassMark multi-thread score of 38706 and single-thread score of 4394 further confirm that the processor is not a limiting factor in this pairing. The nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G, has an average benchmark score of 49196, which is only 0.4% higher than this CPU's 48995, showing that the Core Ultra 5 245 is competitively positioned against similar processors.

How This Combo Ranks

The data places this combo at rank 1 out of 3001 tested combinations for Hitman 2. This is the top position, indicating that no other tested CPU-GPU pairing in the database achieves higher measured performance in this game. The significance of this rank is substantial; it means that for Hitman 2 specifically, the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and RTX 5090 D combination outperforms all other configurations, including those with more expensive or higher-spec components.

This top ranking is consistent with the raw FPS numbers observed. At 4K Ultra, the combo produces 52 FPS, which is playable but not exceptionally high. However, the ranking considers all tested settings and resolutions, and the combination's ability to exceed 200 FPS at 1080p High and 100 FPS at 1440p Ultra likely contributes to its high standing. The combo's rank is a holistic measure, and the data shows it excels across the board rather than in a single niche.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 92 among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 77712, supports its role in achieving this combo rank. The nearest GPU rivals, such as the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT with a 1.6% higher score, are close in raw compute but may not have the same driver optimization or memory bandwidth for this specific title. The CPU's 90th percentile ranking further solidifies the pairing as a top-tier combination.

Settings Recommendations

For players prioritizing maximum visual fidelity at 4K, the Ultra preset is the only option, but it comes at a cost of 52 FPS average. This is borderline for smooth gameplay on high-refresh displays. The High preset at 4K offers a more balanced experience with 71 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for most displays and represents a 36% performance increase over Ultra while still maintaining high-quality visuals.

At 1440p, the High preset is the sweet spot for competitive play, delivering 132 FPS. This is well above the 120 Hz refresh rate common on many gaming monitors. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 98 FPS, which is still smooth but sacrifices 34 FPS for marginal visual gains. The Medium preset at 1440p provides 175 FPS, which is excellent for esports-style play if visual quality is less important.

For 1080p users, the High preset at 207 FPS is the recommended choice for most scenarios, as it balances quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 153 FPS is also viable and offers the best visuals for this resolution. The Medium and Low presets at 1080p (274 and 365 FPS respectively) are only necessary for extreme refresh rate displays (240 Hz or higher) where every frame counts. The data indicates that the Medium preset at 1440p provides the best balance of frame rate (175 FPS) and visual quality, as it sits comfortably above the 144 Hz threshold while avoiding the extreme low of the 4K Ultra preset.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured averages are as follows: Low preset achieves 365 FPS, Medium achieves 274 FPS with a minimum of 233 and maximum of 315, High achieves 207 FPS, and Ultra achieves 153 FPS. The progression shows a consistent reduction of approximately 25% between each preset step, indicating a well-graded quality ladder.

At 2560x1440, the averages drop: Low preset delivers 234 FPS, Medium delivers 175 FPS with a range of 149 to 201, High delivers 132 FPS, and Ultra delivers 98 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 136 FPS, which is smaller than at 1080p but still substantial.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low preset at 124 FPS, Medium at 93 FPS with a range of 79 to 107, High at 71 FPS, and Ultra at 52 FPS. The Medium preset's minimum of 79 FPS is notable because it remains above 60 FPS, ensuring a playable experience even during demanding scenes. The Ultra preset's 52 FPS is the only measured average below 60 FPS across all configurations, highlighting the extreme demand of 4K Ultra.

The data reveals that the scaling between presets is not linear. For example, at 1080p, the difference between Low and Medium is 91 FPS, but between High and Ultra it is only 54 FPS. This suggests diminishing returns at higher settings, where each additional visual feature has a smaller impact on frame rate.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the dominant component in this pairing, featuring 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus with a bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s. Its boost clock of 2407 MHz and 21760 shading units provide the raw compute necessary for high-resolution rendering. The GPU's FP32 performance of 104.8 TFLOPS and texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s are exceptional, but the game's age means it may not fully utilize all these features.

In Hitman 2, the GPU's role is most pronounced at 4K. The difference between Low (124 FPS) and Ultra (52 FPS) at 4K is 72 FPS, demonstrating how much the GPU's shading and memory bandwidth are taxed by higher resolutions and settings. The 32 GB VRAM is far more than Hitman 2 requires, even at 4K Ultra, indicating that the game is not memory-limited. Instead, the GPU's compute throughput and memory bandwidth determine performance.

The GPU's benchmark scores support its high standing. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14326 and PassMark G3D score of 44065 place it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT, has an average score of 76904 compared to the RTX 5090 D's 77712, a difference of 1.1%. Despite this close benchmark margin, the RTX 5090 D's architectural advantages in ray tracing and compute may not be relevant for Hitman 2, which relies on traditional rasterization. The data indicates the GPU is the scaling factor across resolutions, with its massive bandwidth allowing 124 FPS at 4K Low, a figure that would be unattainable on lesser hardware.