Hitman 2

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER lands at rank 2133 out of 3001 tested combos in Hitman 2. That places this configuration in the 29th percentile overall, meaning roughly seven out of every ten tested combinations deliver higher average frame rates in this specific title. The ranking reflects the fundamental imbalance here: a very strong modern CPU is held back by a mid-range GPU from the previous generation. The data shows this combo is competitive at 1080p, but it falls behind quickly as resolution climbs, which is exactly what the measured FPS breakdown confirms.

Looking at the CPU's broader standing, the Core Ultra 7 265 sits at the 93rd percentile among all CPUs, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42216 and a single-core score of 5960. It trades blows with the AMD EPYC 4464P (64823 average score, -0.3% delta), the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F (64438, +0.3% delta), the AMD EPYC 7343 (64202, +0.7% delta), and the AMD EPYC 9124 (65104, -0.7% delta). The GPU, by contrast, sits at the 62nd percentile among all GPUs, with a Passmark G3D score of 16462. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile (18159 average score, -0.4% delta), AMD Radeon Pro 5700 (18189, -0.5% delta), AMD Radeon RX 460 (18373, -1.5% delta), and Intel Arc A770M (18383, -1.6% delta). The GPU's percentile rank is respectable, but for a 2018 stealth title, it is not enough to push this combo into the upper tier of tested systems.

The rank of 2133 out of 3001 is a direct consequence of the RTX 2060 SUPER being the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The Core Ultra 7 265 is more than capable of feeding this GPU at 1080p, but at 4K the CPU's advantage becomes irrelevant since the GPU is saturated. This is a classic case where the data suggests the combo is optimized for 1080p gaming, with diminishing returns at 1440p and a steep drop-off at 2160p.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is built on the TU106 chip using the Turing architecture on a 12 nm process. It carries 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz with 14 Gbps effective transfer, while the base clock is 1470 MHz and the boost clock is 1650 MHz. With 2176 shading units, 136 TMUs, 64 ROPs, 34 RT cores, and 272 tensor cores, this GPU was a solid mid-range option at its 2019 launch, but its age shows in modern benchmarks. The FP32 throughput is 7.181 TFLOPS, and the pixel rate is 105.6 GPixel/s with a texture rate of 224.4 GTexel/s.

In Hitman 2 specifically, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and memory bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the data indicates the GPU struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS is 28, which is below the 30 FPS threshold typically considered the minimum for playable frame pacing in a stealth game. Dropping to Low settings at 4K raises the average to 49 FPS, but that requires sacrificing visual fidelity. The GPU's percentile rank of 62 versus the CPU's 93 is telling: the GPU is the bottleneck in most scenarios, and the measured FPS numbers confirm this pattern.

The RTX 2060 SUPER's nearest rivals in the benchmark database are all within a narrow band of performance. The RTX 3060 Mobile is 0.4% behind, the Radeon Pro 5700 is 0.5% behind, the Radeon RX 460 is 1.5% behind, and the Arc A770M is 1.6% behind. This grouping suggests the RTX 2060 SUPER sits in a crowded performance tier, and its 8 GB VRAM is a limiting factor for modern titles, though Hitman 2's 2018 release date means it does not push VRAM capacity as hard as more recent games.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the sweet spot. At High settings, the average FPS is 82, and at Medium settings it hits 109 FPS. At 2560x1440, High settings drop to 52 FPS, and at 3840x2160, High settings drop to 28 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has a Passmark G3D score of 16462, sitting at the 62nd percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the RTX 3060 Mobile, has an average score of 18159, which is 0.4% behind. The Radeon Pro 5700 is 0.5% behind, the Radeon RX 460 is 1.5% behind, and the Arc A770M is 1.6% behind.

Q: Is the Core Ultra 7 265 a good match for this GPU?

A: The CPU is far more powerful than the GPU needs. The Core Ultra 7 265 sits at the 93rd percentile among all CPUs, while the RTX 2060 SUPER sits at the 62nd percentile. This imbalance means the CPU is rarely the limiting factor in Hitman 2, except possibly at very low settings and 1080p where frame rates exceed 140 FPS.

Q: What are the measured frame rates at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 109, with a minimum of 92 and a maximum of 125. This is the highest minimum frame rate recorded across all tested settings and resolutions.

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

A: The data suggests 4K is not viable for smooth gameplay. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 21, and at High settings it is 28. Even at Low settings, the average is only 49 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target most players prefer.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to other tested combos?

A: The combo ranks 2133 out of 3001 tested combinations for Hitman 2. This places it in the lower third of all tested systems, which reflects the GPU's age and the high demands of 4K resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions and four settings presets, providing a complete picture of this combo's performance in Hitman 2. The results show a clear pattern: the combo is capable at 1080p, acceptable at 1440p with lower settings, and marginal at 4K.

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best performance. With Low settings, the average FPS is 145, which is more than enough for high-refresh-rate monitors. Medium settings drop the average to 109 FPS, with a minimum of 92 and a maximum of 125. High settings reduce the average to 82 FPS, and Ultra settings bring it down to 60 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium costs 36 FPS on average, while the jump from Medium to High costs another 27 FPS, and High to Ultra costs 22 FPS. This suggests the GPU has headroom at 1080p, and the CPU is not holding back frame rates.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. Low settings produce an average of 93 FPS, which is still smooth, but Medium settings drop to 69 FPS (minimum 59, maximum 80). High settings average 52 FPS, and Ultra settings average 39 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at the same settings is substantial: High settings lose 30 FPS (from 82 to 52), and Low settings lose 52 FPS (from 145 to 93). This indicates the GPU is becoming the bottleneck at 1440p, as the CPU has ample headroom.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles. Low settings average 49 FPS, Medium settings average 37 FPS (minimum 31, maximum 43), High settings average 28 FPS, and Ultra settings average 21 FPS. None of these results meet the 60 FPS target, and only Low settings break the 45 FPS mark. The delta between Medium and High at 4K is 9 FPS, while the delta between High and Ultra is 7 FPS, showing diminishing returns as settings increase. The 4K results are consistent with the GPU's 62nd percentile ranking and its 8 GB VRAM, which is sufficient but not ideal for high-resolution textures.

The minimum and maximum frame rates are only provided for Medium settings across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the range is 92 to 125 FPS, a spread of 33 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range is 59 to 80 FPS, a spread of 21 FPS. At 4K Medium, the range is 31 to 43 FPS, a spread of 12 FPS. This narrowing range at higher resolutions suggests the GPU is consistently saturated, reducing frame time variance.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It has a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with a TDP of 65 W. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and 30 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is DDR5 with a dual-channel bus providing 102.4 GB/s of bandwidth. The CPU uses the Intel Socket 1851 and supports PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes from the CPU. It has integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 32 execution units, though this combo relies on the discrete RTX 2060 SUPER.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic. The game's stealth gameplay involves complex AI routines and crowd simulations, which benefit from strong single-thread performance. The Core Ultra 7 265 delivers a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 5960, which is exceptional, and a multi-core score of 42216. This single-thread strength ensures that the CPU will not bottleneck the GPU at lower resolutions and settings, as evidenced by the 145 FPS average at 1080p Low.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database are all server-class parts, which reflects its strong multi-threaded performance. The AMD EPYC 4464P has an average score of 64823, which is 0.3% ahead, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F is 0.3% behind at 64438. The AMD EPYC 7343 is 0.7% ahead at 64202, and the AMD EPYC 9124 is 0.7% behind at 65104. This grouping shows the Core Ultra 7 265 is competitive with high-end server processors in synthetic benchmarks, though those parts have different memory and I/O configurations.

For Hitman 2 specifically, the CPU's 20 cores and 20 threads are more than sufficient. The game is not heavily multi-threaded, so the CPU's advantage over older quad-core parts will be less pronounced in this title. However, the high boost clock of 5.30 GHz ensures strong performance in single-threaded tasks, which is what matters for the game's main thread. The data suggests the CPU is not a limiting factor at any of the tested resolutions or settings, since the frame rate drops are consistent with GPU-bound scenarios.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. The data shows a clear trade-off between visual quality and performance, and the recommendations below are derived from the exact measured rows.

For 1920x1080, the combo can handle Ultra settings at an average of 60 FPS, which is the standard target for smooth gameplay. However, Medium settings provide 109 FPS average with a minimum of 92 FPS, which offers a much more comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold. If you prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, Low settings at 145 FPS average will take full advantage of a high-refresh monitor. The measured data suggests Medium settings at 1080p is the best balance: the 109 FPS average with a 92 FPS minimum ensures no noticeable stutters, while the visual quality is still respectable. High settings at 82 FPS average is also viable, but the jump from Medium to High costs 27 FPS, which is a significant hit for marginal visual gains.

For 2560x1440, the combo is better suited to Medium settings, which produce an average of 69 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS. This is just above the 60 FPS target, and the minimum frame rate of 59 FPS means occasional dips below 60 are possible. High settings at 52 FPS average are playable but not ideal for a stealth game where precise aiming matters. Ultra settings at 39 FPS average are not recommended, as the frame pacing will feel sluggish. Low settings at 93 FPS average are an option if you prefer a competitive edge, but the visual downgrade is substantial. The data suggests Medium at 1440p is the sweet spot, offering a playable frame rate with decent visual quality.

For 3840x2160, none of the settings deliver a consistently smooth experience. Low settings at 49 FPS average are the only option that approaches playability, but the visual quality will be noticeably degraded. Medium settings at 37 FPS average (minimum 31, maximum 43) are borderline, with the minimum dipping below 30 FPS. High settings at 28 FPS and Ultra at 21 FPS are not recommended for actual gameplay. If 4K is a requirement, the data indicates this combo is not suitable, and a stronger GPU would be necessary.

The overall recommendation is to run Hitman 2 at 1920x1080 with Medium settings for the best combination of frame rate and visual quality. The 109 FPS average with a 92 FPS minimum provides a 50% margin above the 60 FPS target, ensuring smooth gameplay in crowded scenes. If you have a 1440p monitor, Medium settings at 69 FPS average is acceptable, but be prepared for occasional dips below 60 FPS. The combo's rank of 2133 out of 3001 reflects this reality: it is a capable 1080p machine, a decent 1440p machine with compromises, and a poor 4K machine. The data is clear, and the choice of settings should match the resolution you prioritize.