Hitman 2

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 pairing produces a striking benchmark result in Hitman 2: a top-tier mobile CPU married to a flagship discrete GPU, yet the measured frames per second (FPS) tell a complex story about where the bottleneck truly lies. The data reveals a combination that is powerful, but whose performance scales in a way that clearly prioritizes resolution over raw frame rate.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX is a 20-core, 20-thread processor built on the Arrow Lake-HX architecture. It operates with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, a significant turbo headroom that is critical for gaming workloads. The CPU’s cache hierarchy includes 192 KB of L1 per core, 3 MB of L2 per core, and a substantial 30 MB of shared L3 cache, which helps feed the GPU with data in latency-sensitive scenes.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU is a powerhouse. It scores 40,642 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 5,737 in single-core, and 17,069 in Cinebench R20 multi-core. Its Passmark multithread score is 47,985, and its single-thread score is 4,500. These numbers place the CPU in the 93rd percentile of all tested processors, indicating it is among the top 7% of CPUs for overall compute performance.

When comparing to its nearest rivals, the data shows a tightly clustered field. The Core Ultra 7 265HX has an average benchmark score of 63,173. It sits just 0.1% above the Intel Core i7-13790F (avg score 63,080) and 0.7% above the Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX (avg score 62,738). It trails the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G by a mere 0.2% (avg score 63,331). This suggests that while the 265HX is a leading mobile chip, its gaming performance in Hitman 2 is not uniquely distinguished by CPU grunt alone; the game’s engine appears to leverage the high boost clocks and large cache effectively, but the absolute ceiling is shared with several competitors.

The 20-thread configuration is notable for a game like Hitman 2, which is typically not heavily multi-threaded. The data implies that the processor’s high single-core boost of 5.30 GHz is more relevant than its multi-core throughput for achieving the measured FPS. The CPU's 55W TDP and 3nm process node (TSMC) allow for sustained performance in a mobile form factor, but in this specific benchmark, the CPU's role is to provide a solid, high-frequency foundation that does not become the primary limiter at lower resolutions.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the defining component of this combo. It is an Ada Lovelace architecture GPU with 16,384 shading units, 512 TMUs, and 176 ROPs. It features 128 RT cores and 512 tensor cores, and it operates at a base clock of 2235 MHz with a boost clock of 2520 MHz. The memory subsystem is massive: 24 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus, providing 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth and a pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s. Its FP32 performance is rated at 82.58 TFLOPS.

The GPU's benchmark scores reflect a high-end part. It scores 38,194 in Passmark G3D and 26,613 in Passmark GPU Compute. It sits in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. However, its nearest rivals in the database are not other gaming behemoths; they are professional and workstation cards. The RTX 4090 has an average benchmark score of 60,347. It is exactly 0% different from the Intel Arc Pro A60 (60,326), 0.3% above the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (60,140), and 2.9% above the AMD Radeon PRO V710 (58,657). It is 2.5% behind the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (61,896). This unusual comparison set suggests that while the RTX 4090 is a top-tier consumer card, its raw compute profile in these aggregate tests is similar to some professional offerings.

For Hitman 2, the GPU’s role is dominant. The 24 GB VRAM is more than sufficient for any setting at any resolution, meaning memory capacity is never a limiting factor. The high boost clock of 2520 MHz and the massive 1.01 TB/s memory bandwidth are the key drivers of the FPS deltas we see between settings. The data shows that as resolution increases, the GPU’s workload scales dramatically, and the RTX 4090's architecture is pushed to its limits. The GPU is the clear bottleneck in this pairing, particularly at 4K, where the measured frame rates drop significantly compared to 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the specific context of Hitman 2, this combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is ranked 652nd out of 3,001 tested combos. This places it in the top 21.7% of all system configurations tested for this game. While a rank of 652 is respectable, it is not a top-tier result for such a powerful CPU and GPU.

The rank suggests that there are 651 other combos that achieve higher average FPS in this title. Given the CPU’s 93rd percentile standing and the GPU’s 88th percentile standing, one might expect a higher rank. The data indicates that Hitman 2’s engine is not scaling perfectly with the immense power of the RTX 4090, or that other combos with higher-clocked (non-mobile) CPUs paired with the same GPU achieve better results. The rank reflects the aggregate performance across all measured resolutions and settings, and the relatively low FPS at 4K Ultra (34 FPS) and 4K High (46 FPS) likely drags the combo’s average down. This is a case where the combination is capable, but the game's optimization and the mobile CPU's power envelope prevent it from breaking into the upper echelons of the ranking list.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data provides a precise view of performance scaling. At 1080p, the combo is extremely fast. With Low settings, it averages 238 FPS. Medium settings yield an average of 178 FPS (with a min of 152 and max of 205). High settings drop this to 135 FPS, and Ultra settings average 99 FPS.

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates remain high but show a clear penalty. Low settings average 152 FPS. Medium averages 114 FPS (min 97, max 131). High settings average 86 FPS, and Ultra drops to 64 FPS.

At 4K (3840x2160), the performance takes a significant hit. Low settings average 81 FPS. Medium averages 61 FPS (min 52, max 70). High settings average 46 FPS, and Ultra settings bottom out at an average of 34 FPS.

The data shows that the gap between Low and Ultra settings is consistent: at 1080p, the difference is 139 FPS (238 vs 99); at 1440p, it is 88 FPS (152 vs 64); and at 4K, it is 47 FPS (81 vs 34). This compression of the settings gap at higher resolutions is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck, where the resolution overhead dominates the graphical settings overhead.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The scaling from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and revealing. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 135 at 1080p to 86 at 1440p, and then to 46 at 4K. This represents a 36% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 47% drop from 1440p to 4K. At Low settings, the drop is even steeper: from 238 FPS at 1080p to 152 at 1440p (a 36% drop), and then to 81 at 4K (a 47% drop from 1440p).

This scaling pattern indicates that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the limiting component. The frame rate does not scale linearly with resolution; it scales with the pixel count. Going from 1080p to 4K quadruples the pixel count, and the data shows the FPS roughly halves at each major step up, which is consistent with a GPU that is fully saturated. The CPU is capable of delivering high frame rates (as seen at 1080p Low with 238 FPS), but at 4K, the GPU’s raw shading and memory bandwidth limits are exposed. The fact that the 4K Ultra setting yields only 34 FPS while the GPU is a flagship part confirms that Hitman 2 is exceptionally demanding at high resolutions, and the CPU is not the constraint in this scenario.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a 60 FPS average?

A: According to the measured data, the combo achieves a 61 FPS average at 4K Medium settings and an 86 FPS average at 1440p High settings. To stay above 60 FPS at 4K, Medium settings are required; at 1440p, High settings are safe, and at 1080p, even Ultra settings average 99 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-core performance compare to its rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 7 265HX has an average benchmark score of 63,173. It is 0.1% faster than the Intel Core i7-13790F (63,080) and 0.7% faster than the Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX (62,738), but it is 0.2% slower than the AMD Ryzen AI 7 450G (63,331).

Q: Is the 24 GB VRAM of the RTX 4090 necessary for Hitman 2?

A: The data does not indicate VRAM usage. However, the GPU is the limiting factor at high resolutions. The 24 GB memory size and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth are more than sufficient for the game's requirements, and the FPS drops from 1080p to 4K are due to the GPU's compute and memory throughput limits, not capacity.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, Low settings average 238 FPS, while Ultra settings average 99 FPS. This is a difference of 139 FPS, indicating that Ultra settings impose a significant load on the GPU.

Q: Does the combo rank in the top 10% of all tested combos?

A: No. The combo is ranked 652nd out of 3,001 combos, which places it in the top 21.7% of tested configurations, not the top 10%.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile compared to all other GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is in the 88th percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU is in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. This suggests the GPU is relatively less unique than the CPU in the overall database.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured data offers a clear hierarchy for the best experience. For players targeting a smooth 60 FPS baseline, the 1440p High preset (86 FPS average) is the sweet spot, offering a substantial visual upgrade over Medium while maintaining a high frame rate. If 4K is the goal, Medium settings (61 FPS average) are the only viable option for a playable experience, as High drops to 46 FPS and Ultra to 34 FPS.

At 1080p, the Ultra preset (99 FPS average) is the recommended choice for maximum visual fidelity, as the frame rate remains well above 60 FPS. For competitive or high-refresh-rate play, the 1080p Low preset (238 FPS) provides the highest frame rates, but the 1440p Low preset (152 FPS) offers a better balance of resolution and speed. The data indicates that the Ultra preset at 4K is not worth the performance cost (34 FPS), and the Medium preset at 4K (61 FPS) is the most balanced configuration for 4K displays. Ultimately, the best experience is found by prioritizing resolution over settings: 1440p High is superior to 4K High in terms of frame rate, and 4K Medium is preferable to 1080p Ultra for visual clarity, provided the user accepts a 60 FPS cap.