Hitman 2

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 delivers a performance profile in Hitman 2 that is heavily dictated by the graphics card's 8 GB VRAM and the game's settings presets. The data shows a processor that ranks in the 97th percentile among all CPUs, ensuring it is not a bottleneck in this stealth title. The GPU, while sitting in the 72nd percentile, demonstrates a clear scaling pattern from 1080p to 4K, with frame rates that range from highly playable at lower settings to demanding at maximum quality.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured FPS, 2560x1440 offers the most balanced experience. At High settings, the combo achieves 70.8 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold, while 3840x2160 at High settings drops to 36.7 FPS, making it less fluid for action sequences.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: The difference is substantial. At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields 196.6 FPS, while the Ultra preset delivers 81.2 FPS. This represents a drop of 115.4 FPS when moving from the lowest to the highest quality settings.

Q: Does the CPU hold back the GPU in this game?

A: No, the benchmark results indicate the opposite. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K has an average benchmark score of 79102, placing it in the 97th percentile. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF, scores 79240, a negligible difference of -0.2%, confirming the CPU has ample headroom for the RTX 3070.

Q: Is 4K gaming feasible with this hardware configuration?

A: Yes, but only with settings adjustments. At 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves 67.9 FPS, which is playable. However, the Medium preset drops to 50.5 FPS, and the High and Ultra presets fall to 36.7 FPS and 30.3 FPS, respectively, which are below the ideal smoothness threshold for a stealth game.

Q: What is the performance relationship between the RTX 3070 and its closest rival?

A: The RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 28238. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, scores 27985, meaning the RTX 3070 is 0.9% faster in general benchmarks, a margin that translates to minor differences in Hitman 2's frame rates.

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

A: The data shows strong results in both areas. In Cinebench R23, the CPU scores 7060 in single-core and 50009 in multi-core. This indicates a powerful processor for both the primary game thread and background tasks, but the game's performance is ultimately limited by the GPU's VRAM and rendering capabilities.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is the primary determinant of frame rates in Hitman 2 for this configuration. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, which is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p but becomes a limiting factor at 4K with higher presets. The data shows that the GPU's memory capacity is likely the reason for the steep performance drop at 3840x2160 Ultra, where the average FPS falls to 30.3. The card's boost clock of 1725 MHz and its 5888 shading units handle the game's geometry and lighting, but the VRAM allocation for textures at Ultra settings at 4K appears to exceed the card's comfortable capacity, leading to the observed frame rates.

While the GPU has a TDP of 220 W, its performance in this title is not power-limited. The measured results show a consistent scaling pattern where the Low preset at 4K achieves 67.9 FPS, but the Ultra preset only reaches 30.3 FPS. This 37.6 FPS difference is attributable to the increased memory pressure and shader complexity at higher quality settings. The RTX 3070's PassMark G3D score of 22214 places it in the 72nd percentile, and its average benchmark score of 28238 is only 0.9% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, indicating that in Hitman 2, the card performs as expected for its class, with the CPU never becoming a constraint.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 reveals where the bottleneck lies. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 110.3 at 1080p to 70.8 at 1440p, and finally to 36.7 at 4K. This represents a 66.7% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K, which is a clear indicator of GPU-bound performance. The CPU's high benchmark scores, such as 50009 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, ensure that it can feed the GPU with data at all resolutions, so the frame rate decline is solely due to the RTX 3070's rendering workload.

At the Low preset, the scaling is even more pronounced. The 1080p result of 196.6 FPS drops to 125.1 FPS at 1440p and 67.9 FPS at 4K. This shows that even when graphical load is minimized, the GPU's pixel throughput is the limiting factor. The RTX 3070's pixel rate of 165.6 GPixel/s is taxed heavily at 4K, resulting in the observed halving of performance from 1440p to 4K. The data suggests that for a consistently smooth experience above 60 FPS, 1440p is the ceiling for this combo, as the 4K results at Medium and above all fall below the 60 FPS mark.

Settings Recommendations

For players prioritizing a high, consistent frame rate, the 1920x1080 resolution with the High preset is the most effective choice, as it delivers 110.3 FPS. This is a 29.1 FPS improvement over the Medium preset's 148.2 FPS? No, the High preset is lower than Medium. The data shows that at 1080p, the Medium preset achieves 148.2 FPS, while High achieves 110.3 FPS. For a balance of visual fidelity and performance, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 is recommended, as it provides 96.7 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS standard and maintains a playable experience.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only viable option for smooth gameplay, with an average of 67.9 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K drops to 50.5 FPS, which is playable but less fluid. The Ultra preset at any resolution is not recommended, as it only achieves 81.2 FPS at 1080p, 50.1 FPS at 1440p, and 30.3 FPS at 4K, with the latter being too low for a responsive stealth game. The measured data indicates that the GPU's 8 GB VRAM is insufficient for Ultra textures at 4K, making the High preset at 1440p the best overall compromise between visual quality and frame rate.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the RTX 3070 and Core Ultra 7 265K demonstrate excellent performance across all settings. The Low preset yields an average of 196.6 FPS, which is exceptionally high. The Medium preset reduces this to 148.2 FPS, a 48.4 FPS decrease. The High preset further drops to 110.3 FPS, and the Ultra preset bottoms out at 81.2 FPS. These numbers show that even at the highest quality, the combo easily exceeds the 60 FPS threshold, making 1080p a very comfortable resolution for this hardware.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but begins to show the GPU's workload. The Low preset achieves 125.1 FPS, which is a 71.5 FPS drop from the 1080p Low result. The Medium preset delivers 96.7 FPS, while the High preset hits 70.8 FPS. The Ultra preset falls to 50.1 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target, indicating that 1440p Ultra is too demanding for a consistently smooth experience. The data shows a clear linear scaling from Low to Ultra at this resolution, with a 75 FPS difference between the lowest and highest presets.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is severely taxed. The Low preset achieves 67.9 FPS, which is the only preset above 60 FPS at this resolution. The Medium preset drops to 50.5 FPS, and the High preset falls to 36.7 FPS. The Ultra preset yields a marginal 30.3 FPS, which is not suitable for gameplay. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings shows a 50.9 FPS drop, highlighting the VRAM and bandwidth limitations of the RTX 3070. Overall, the measured FPS data indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K reserved for lower preset levels.