Hitman 2

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 delivers a playable, though not flawless, Hitman 2 experience. The data shows a system that is heavily influenced by resolution, with the RTX 2060 struggling to maintain high frame rates at 4K but providing smooth gameplay at 1080p. This analysis breaks down the measured performance to determine the optimal settings and the role each component plays in this specific title.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data suggests that the most balanced experience for this combination is achieved at 1920x1080 with Medium settings. At this preset, the system produces an average of 99 FPS, with a minimum of 84 FPS and a maximum of 114 FPS. This places the frame rate well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, while the minimum FPS indicates that even in demanding scenes, performance remains stable and does not dip into stutter territory. While the Low preset at 1080p yields a higher average of 132 FPS, the Medium settings provide a significant visual upgrade over Low for a 33 FPS reduction in average frame rate, which is a worthwhile trade-off for a stealth game where visibility and detail are important.

For users with 1440p monitors, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 provides the best experience, delivering an average of 63 FPS. The minimum of 54 FPS is close to the 60 FPS target but may be noticeable in fast-paced action sequences. The High preset at this resolution drops the average to 48 FPS, which is less ideal for a responsive experience. Although the Low preset at 1440p achieves a high 84 FPS average, the Medium settings offer a far superior visual presentation while still maintaining an average frame rate that is very close to 60 FPS.

The Ultra preset is not recommended for this hardware combination at any resolution. At 1920x1080, it produces an average of 55 FPS, which is below the desired 60 FPS standard. At 2560x1440, the average falls to 35 FPS, and at 3840x2160, it drops to an unplayable 19 FPS. The visual fidelity gained by moving from High to Ultra does not compensate for the significant loss in performance, making it a poor choice for this GPU. Similarly, the High preset at 4K is not viable, as it only manages a 25 FPS average.

The data indicates that the sweet spot for this hardware combination is the Medium preset. It offers the best compromise between visual quality and performance across both 1080p and 1440p resolutions, ensuring a consistent and enjoyable gameplay experience in Hitman 2. For 1080p users who prioritize frame rate above all else, the Low preset offers a very high frame rate, but for the majority of players, the Medium preset will be the most satisfying choice.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, based on the Turing architecture, is the primary bottleneck for this system in Hitman 2, especially at higher resolutions. Its 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus with 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth proves to be a limiting factor as the resolution increases. The benchmark results show a clear pattern: at 1920x1080 Medium, the average FPS is 99; at 2560x1440 Medium, it drops to 63; and at 3840x2160 Medium, it plummets to 34. This steep decline demonstrates that the GPU's memory capacity and bandwidth are insufficient to handle the increased data load at higher resolutions.

The GPU's core clocks, with a boost clock of 1680 MHz, are also a contributing factor. While these clocks are not low, the RTX 2060's raw processing power, as indicated by its 6.451 TFLOPS FP32 performance, is simply not enough to maintain high frame rates in a demanding title like Hitman 2 at 4K. The GPU's performance percentile of 58 versus all other GPUs places it in the mid-range tier, which aligns with its measured performance in this game. It is capable of handling 1080p and 1440p gaming, but it is outclassed at 4K resolution.

The RTX 2060's 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores support the game's DirectX 12 Ultimate API, but they do not translate into a significant performance advantage at the standard rasterization settings tested here. The frame rate data shows that the GPU's traditional rendering capabilities are the main driver of performance. The 6 GB VRAM is a critical constraint, as it likely forces the game to evict textures and geometry from memory, leading to the significant frame rate drops seen when moving from 1440p to 4K. The data strongly suggests that for this game, the GPU is the decisive component, and its limitations dictate that users should stick to 1080p or 1440p with Medium settings to achieve a smooth experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and preset for a smooth 60 FPS experience with this hardware?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 with Medium settings provides an average of 99 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset achieves an average of 63 FPS, which is also very close to the 60 FPS target, making it a viable option for 1440p monitors.

Q: Can this system run Hitman 2 at 4K resolution?

A: The measured FPS data indicates that 4K gaming is not recommended. At 3840x2160, the High preset averages only 25 FPS, and the Medium preset averages 34 FPS. The Low preset is the only one that approaches playability with a 45 FPS average, but it does not maintain a consistent 60 FPS.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to Medium in terms of performance?

A: The Ultra preset is significantly more demanding. At 1920x1080, the average FPS drops from 99 on Medium to 55 on Ultra, a 44 FPS decrease. At 2560x1440, it drops from 63 to 35, and at 3840x2160, it drops from 34 to 19. This performance cost is substantial.

Q: Is the RTX 2060 or the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus the main factor limiting performance?

A: The benchmark results clearly indicate the RTX 2060 is the limiting factor. The performance scales down predictably with resolution, a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck. The CPU's strong multi-core score of 44253 in Cinebench R23 suggests it has ample processing power, while the GPU's mid-range percentile of 58 highlights its limitations at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the average FPS difference between the Low and Medium presets at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 132 FPS, while the Medium preset averages 99 FPS. This represents a 33 FPS decrease when moving from Low to Medium, but the Medium preset offers a notably better visual experience.

Q: What are the minimum FPS figures for the Medium preset across all resolutions?

A: The measured data provides minimum FPS for the Medium preset. At 1920x1080, the minimum is 84 FPS. At 2560x1440, the minimum is 54 FPS. At 3840x2160, the minimum is 29 FPS. These figures show that 1080p provides a very stable experience, while 1440p can have some noticeable dips.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the system is clearly overburdened. The Ultra preset yields an average of 19 FPS, which is unplayable. The High preset is not much better, with an average of 25 FPS. The Medium preset manages an average of 34 FPS, with a minimum of 29 FPS and a maximum of 39 FPS, but this is still too low for a smooth experience. The Low preset is the only playable option at 4K, producing an average of 45 FPS, but it is still below the 60 FPS target.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance becomes more acceptable. The Low preset produces a high average of 84 FPS, making it ideal for competitive play or high refresh rate monitors. The Medium preset provides a good balance with an average of 63 FPS, a minimum of 54 FPS, and a maximum of 73 FPS. The High preset maintains a playable average of 48 FPS, but the Ultra preset drops to an average of 35 FPS, showing that it is not a viable choice for this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the system performs at its best. The Low preset achieves an exceptional average of 132 FPS, making it perfect for high-refresh-rate displays. The Medium preset is the recommended choice, with a strong average of 99 FPS and a minimum of 84 FPS, ensuring a stable and smooth experience. The High preset delivers a solid 75 FPS average, which is still above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset, with an average of 55 FPS, is the only setting at this resolution that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, confirming that the GPU is not powerful enough to handle the highest settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination ranks 2360 out of 3001 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places it in the lower 21% of all tested systems, indicating that it is a below-average performer for this specific game. This low ranking is primarily due to the GPU's limitations, as the system struggles to maintain high frame rates at higher resolutions and settings, which are common metrics for ranking.

The GPU's performance percentile of 58 versus all other GPUs confirms its mid-range status. In comparison to its nearest rivals, the RTX 2060 is almost identical in average benchmark score to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580, with a deltaPct of 0. It is also very close to the AMD Radeon 680M, which has a deltaPct of 0.1, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM, with a deltaPct of 0.6. This suggests that the RTX 2060's raw performance is on par with these other cards, but it is not sufficient to place the combo in a higher rank for this demanding title.

The CPU, however, is a very strong performer. The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus has a percentile of 96 versus all other CPUs, placing it in the top 4%. Its average benchmark score of 93785 is nearly identical to its closest rival, the Intel Xeon 6520P, which has a deltaPct of 0. It is also only 1.5% behind the AMD EPYC 4564P and 1.9% behind the AMD EPYC 9175F. This data shows that the CPU is not the reason for the low combo rank; rather, it is the GPU that holds the system back from achieving a higher position in the rankings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus plays a supporting role in Hitman 2, providing more than enough processing power to avoid bottlenecking the RTX 2060. This is evident from the measured FPS data, which shows performance scaling with resolution and settings, a classic indicator of a GPU-limited scenario. The CPU's high core and thread count of 24 each, combined with a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, ensures that it can handle the game's simulation and AI tasks without becoming a limiting factor.

The CPU's strong synthetic benchmark results further support this conclusion. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44253 and single-core score of 2439 demonstrate exceptional processing capability. The Passmark single-thread score of 5068 also indicates strong per-core performance, which is important for games that rely on a few heavily loaded threads. These scores suggest that the CPU has massive headroom for this game, and its performance is not a constraint.

The fact that the combo ranks 2360 out of 3001, despite having a top-tier CPU, reinforces the idea that the RTX 2060 is the sole bottleneck. The CPU's 96th percentile ranking versus all other CPUs shows that it is a high-end component, while the GPU's 58th percentile shows it is a mid-range one. In Hitman 2, the GPU's workload, which involves rendering the detailed environments and character models, is far more demanding than the CPU's workload. Consequently, the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus easily feeds the GPU with data, and the system's performance is entirely dictated by the graphics card's capabilities.