Hitman 2

Hitman 2, a 2018 stealth title, presents an interesting case study for the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 pairing. The benchmark data reveals a system that is overwhelmingly capable at this game's standard resolutions, though it encounters predictable limitations at the extreme high end. The measured frames per second (FPS) across the three tested resolutions and four quality presets provide a clear picture of where this combination excels and where it begins to strain, offering a definitive guide for users looking to optimize their experience.

Resolution Scaling

The performance trajectory from 1080p to 4K is a textbook demonstration of how increasing pixel count shifts the bottleneck from the processor to the graphics card. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system produces an average of 236 FPS. This high frame rate, far beyond the refresh rate of most standard monitors, indicates that the CPU is doing the heavy lifting to feed the GPU. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset, the average drops to 151 FPS, a significant 36% reduction, showing that the GPU is starting to take on more work. Finally, at 3840x2160 Low, the average falls to 81 FPS, another 46% decrease from the 1440p figure. This steep, consistent drop as resolution climbs is the signature of a GPU-bound scenario at higher pixel counts.

A similar pattern emerges when examining the High preset. The system delivers 134 FPS at 1080p, which is excellent for smooth gameplay. At 1440p, this drops to 86 FPS, a 36% reduction that mirrors the scaling seen on Low. At 4K High, the average plummets to 46 FPS. This is a massive 66% drop from the 1440p result, highlighting that the RTX 4070 is being pushed to its absolute limit at 4K with these higher-fidelity settings. The progression is not linear; the percentage loss from 1440p to 4K is much larger than from 1080p to 1440p, indicating that the GPU's rendering resources become critically scarce at the 4K resolution.

The data for the Ultra preset reinforces this analysis. At 1080p, the system manages a very playable 99 FPS average. At 1440p, this falls to 63 FPS, a 36% drop. At 4K Ultra, the average collapses to 34 FPS, a 46% reduction from the 1440p score. This final result is below the threshold for a consistently smooth experience. The consistent percentage drop between 1080p and 1440p across all settings (36% for Low, High, and Ultra) strongly suggests that at these resolutions, the GPU's fillrate and shading capabilities are the primary limiting factor, scaling almost perfectly with the increase in pixel count. The even more severe drop at 4K, particularly at High and Ultra, shows that the GPU is running out of raw processing power to maintain the same level of performance.

Settings Recommendations

For users with a 1080p or 1440p display, the benchmark results indicate that this combination offers a wealth of options. At 1920x1080, even the Ultra preset achieves an average of 99 FPS, which is well within the range for a smooth, high-refresh-rate experience. The High preset provides a substantial increase to 134 FPS, offering a great balance between visual fidelity and performance for competitive or fast-paced play. The Medium preset, with an average of 177 FPS and a minimum of 151 FPS, is the optimal choice for users with 144Hz or higher refresh rate monitors who prioritize maximum frame rates above all else, as it provides a significant performance buffer over High and Ultra settings.

The situation changes when moving to 2560x1440. The Ultra preset produces an average of 63 FPS, which is playable but may not be ideal for all users, especially in a stealth game where consistent framing is key. The High preset, at 86 FPS, is an excellent sweet spot, offering a significant visual upgrade over Medium while maintaining a frame rate that is smooth on most displays. The Medium preset, with an average of 113 FPS and a minimum of 96 FPS, is the best choice for high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors, as it ensures a consistently fluid experience without sacrificing too much in the way of graphical detail.

At 3840x2160, the data suggests that compromises are necessary. The High preset averages just 46 FPS, which is not ideal for a smooth experience. The Medium preset, with a 60 FPS average and a minimum of 51 FPS, is the most viable option for 4K gaming. It provides a stable, console-like performance level that is acceptable for a slower-paced stealth game. The Ultra preset, at 34 FPS, is not recommended for a playable experience. The Low preset, at 81 FPS, is the only way to achieve a high frame rate at 4K, but it requires a significant sacrifice in visual quality. Therefore, the data suggests that for the best experience per the measured rows, users should target High settings at 1440p, Medium settings at 4K, and can use High or Ultra at 1080p with confidence.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Hitman 2 at 4K with the highest settings?

A: The data shows that at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the system achieves an average of 34 FPS. This is below the generally accepted threshold for smooth gameplay, indicating that the Ultra preset is not a viable option for 4K in this game.

Q: What is the best resolution to play at for a high refresh rate (144Hz) monitor?

A: For a 144Hz monitor, the 1920x1080 resolution with Medium settings is the best option, yielding an average of 177 FPS and a minimum of 151 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset also provides a good experience with an average of 113 FPS and a minimum of 96 FPS, which is suitable for a 100Hz+ monitor.

Q: How does the 4K High preset compare to the 1440p High preset?

A: The performance cost is substantial. The average FPS drops from 86 FPS at 2560x1440 to 46 FPS at 3840x2160, a 46% reduction. This highlights that the RTX 4070 is significantly stressed by the increase in pixel count when using the High preset.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The benchmark data indicates that at 1080p and 1440p, the GPU is the primary limiting factor. This is evidenced by the consistent 36% drop in performance from 1080p to 1440p across all settings. At 4K, the GPU is even more heavily stressed, as shown by the larger performance drops at High and Ultra settings.

Q: What is the expected frame rate range for the Medium preset at 1440p?

A: The measured data for the Medium preset at 2560x1440 shows an average FPS of 113, with a minimum of 96 FPS and a maximum of 130 FPS. This provides a stable and consistent performance window.

Q: Is the game playable at 4K at all with this hardware?

A: Yes, but with caveats. The Medium preset at 4K achieves an average of 60 FPS with a minimum of 51 FPS, which is playable. The Low preset is also an option, providing a high 81 FPS average, but with reduced visual fidelity. The High and Ultra presets are not recommended.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is a detailed breakdown of the measured average FPS for the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination.

1920x1080:

At 1080p, the system is clearly CPU-bound at lower settings and GPU-bound at higher ones. The Low preset yields an extremely high average of 236 FPS. The Medium preset produces an average of 177 FPS, with a minimum of 151 FPS and a maximum of 204 FPS, showing a wide performance envelope. Moving to High, the average drops to 134 FPS. The Ultra preset, while demanding, still delivers an excellent average of 99 FPS, making it a very viable option for high-refresh-rate 1080p gaming.

2560x1440:

At 1440p, the GPU begins to assert itself as the primary bottleneck. The Low preset still provides a very high average of 151 FPS. The Medium preset averages 113 FPS, with a minimum of 96 FPS and a maximum of 130 FPS, making it a solid choice for high-refresh monitors. The High preset delivers a comfortable 86 FPS average, which is ideal for 60Hz to 100Hz displays. The Ultra preset, however, sees a significant drop to an average of 63 FPS, indicating that this is the first setting where the GPU's limits start to impact the experience.

3840x2160:

At 4K, the RTX 4070 is pushed to its limits. The Low preset is the only one that provides a high frame rate, averaging 81 FPS. The Medium preset is the most balanced, achieving a 60 FPS average with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS. The High preset drops to a less smooth 46 FPS average. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, resulting in an average of just 34 FPS, which is not recommended for a consistent gameplay experience.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 is the central component in determining frame rates at higher resolutions and settings. Its performance is characterized by its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for the assets in Hitman 2 at all tested settings, as evidenced by the consistent frame times at Medium settings across resolutions. The GPU's 5888 shading units, operating at a boost clock of 2475 MHz, are responsible for the raw pixel pushing power that is tested heavily at 4K.

The data shows that the RTX 4070's performance scales predictably with resolution, but with a notable cliff at 4K High and Ultra. The 46% drop from 1440p High to 4K High suggests that the GPU's compute and fillrate capabilities are saturated. The GPU's 64 ROPs and 184 TMUs work to process the visual data, but the sheer pixel count at 3840x2160 overwhelms them when high-detail shaders are active. The GPU's 29.15 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is the theoretical peak, and the measured results show that this power is insufficient to maintain high frame rates at the most demanding settings. In the context of this game, the RTX 4070 is a very strong 1080p and 1440p card, but it is only adequate for 4K at medium or lower presets. Its overall benchmark percentile of 81% versus all GPUs and its average benchmark score of 37648 place it as a high-midrange part, which aligns perfectly with its measured performance in this title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus provides the foundational processing power for this system. With 24 cores and 24 threads, it has an immense amount of parallel processing capability for a desktop CPU. Its high boost clock of 5.50 GHz ensures that single-threaded performance, which is often critical for game logic and physics, is excellent. This is reflected in its strong Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2439 and multi-core score of 44253. The CPU's 36 MB of shared L3 cache helps keep frequently accessed data close to the cores, reducing latency.

In the context of Hitman 2's measured FPS, the CPU's role becomes clear when analyzing the transition from 1080p to 1440p. The consistent 36% drop in average FPS across all settings from 1080p to 1440p suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck at these resolutions; it is able to feed the GPU with frames faster than the GPU can render them. Even at 1080p Low, where the average FPS is 236, the CPU is capable of sustaining this high output. The data implies that the CPU is not the limiting factor in any of the tested scenarios. The CPU's performance is sufficient to avoid constraining the RTX 4070, allowing the GPU to be the sole determinant of frame rates. Its percentile ranking of 96% versus all CPUs and an average benchmark score of 93785 confirms its position as a top-tier processor, more than capable of handling the demands of this 2018 title without creating a bottleneck.

How This Combo Ranks

The combined performance of the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 in Hitman 2 places it in a strong position globally. The combo rank is 716 out of 3001 tested combinations, putting it in the top 24% of all systems tested for this game. This ranking is a direct result of the measured FPS data, which shows excellent performance at 1080p and 1440p, but only moderate results at 4K.

This ranking makes sense when considering the individual components. The CPU is a top-tier performer, ranking in the 96th percentile, which helps ensure it doesn't hold the system back. The GPU, while ranking in the 81st percentile, is a capable mid-to-high-end part that delivers strong results at mainstream resolutions. The 716th rank out of 3001 reflects a system that is better than the vast majority of others, but is not at the absolute top tier, which would be reserved for combinations with more powerful GPUs that can maintain high frame rates at 4K. The system's performance is a perfect illustration of its component breakdown: a top-tier CPU paired with a high-midrange GPU results in a combo that excels at 1080p and 1440p gaming, but falls short of the elite level at 4K. The data confirms this is a highly capable pairing for most users, with its primary limitation being the resolution and settings ceiling imposed by the graphics card.