Hitman 2

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 paired with the Intel Core i5-14400F delivers playable frame rates in Hitman 2, but the data reveals that the GPU is the definitive bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the combination is capable of excellent performance, yet the transition to 4K severely cripples the experience, indicating that this setup is best suited for high-refresh-rate 1080p or standard 1440p gaming. The measured results show a clear performance hierarchy across the three tested resolutions, with the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus proving to be the limiting factors in the game's most demanding settings.

Resolution Scaling

The performance degradation across resolutions is stark and highlights a GPU-bound scenario. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves a smooth 90 FPS on High settings, which drops to 58 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally plummets to 31 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 36% performance loss from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 47% loss from 1440p to 4K. The scaling pattern suggests that the RX 9060 is being pushed to its limits as pixel count increases, with the 4K resolution requiring more than double the processing power of 1080p.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings widens dramatically at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the spread from Low (159 FPS) to Ultra (66 FPS) is 93 FPS, while at 4K, the same settings spread is only 31 FPS (54 FPS Low vs 23 FPS Ultra). This compression indicates that at 4K, the GPU is so saturated that even lowering settings cannot fully compensate for the resolution overhead. The Medium preset at 4K produces 41 FPS, which is barely playable, while the Ultra preset at 4K drops to an unplayable 23 FPS.

The 1440p results show a more balanced picture, with High settings delivering 58 FPS and Medium reaching 76 FPS. This resolution represents the sweet spot for this combo, as the GPU can still maintain respectable frame rates without being completely overwhelmed. The data suggests that players targeting 4K would need to significantly compromise on visual fidelity, as even Low settings at 4K (54 FPS) barely reach the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14400F + AMD Radeon RX 9060 combination ranks 1739 out of 3001 tested combos in Hitman 2, placing it in the 42nd percentile overall. This mid-pack ranking is somewhat surprising given the individual components' performance, but it reflects the game's demanding nature on GPU resources. The combo's position suggests that while it outperforms the majority of tested systems, there are many combinations that deliver significantly higher frame rates in this title.

The CPU component of this combo ranks in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32279. This places the i5-14400F comfortably in the upper tier of processors, just 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U and 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i9-11900. However, the GPU ranks only in the 59th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 16014. This 24-percentile gap between CPU and GPU performance explains why the combo's overall ranking is dragged down by the graphics card.

The GPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which scores 0.7% higher, and the AMD Radeon RX 7700, which scores 1% higher. These comparisons indicate that the RX 9060 is positioned in the mid-range graphics tier, capable of handling most games at 1080p and 1440p but struggling with 4K. The combo's rank of 1739 suggests that many other configurations with stronger GPUs or more balanced pairings achieve better results in Hitman 2 specifically.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus provides 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which proves insufficient for Hitman 2's most demanding scenarios. At 4K Ultra, the average frame rate drops to 23 FPS, indicating that the GPU's memory bandwidth and capacity are overwhelmed by the game's texture and geometry requirements. The 4 nm Navi 44 chip, with its 1792 shading units and 64 ROPs, delivers a pixel rate of 191.4 GPixel/s, yet this is not enough to maintain smooth performance at higher resolutions.

The GPU's clock speeds show a significant boost from 1700 MHz base to 2990 MHz boost, with a game clock of 2400 MHz. This boost behavior allows the card to perform well at lower resolutions where thermal and power headroom are available. The 132 W TDP and 300 W suggested PSU indicate a power-efficient design, but the performance ceiling is ultimately limited by the memory subsystem. The 21.43 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is respectable, yet the 288.0 GB/s bandwidth creates a bottleneck in memory-intensive scenes.

In Hitman 2, the GPU's performance scales predictably with settings changes. At 1080p, moving from High to Low increases frame rates by 77% (from 90 to 159 FPS), while at 4K, the same settings change yields only a 74% improvement (from 31 to 54 FPS). This suggests that the GPU's compute units are the primary constraint at 1080p, while at 4K, the memory bandwidth and capacity become equally limiting factors. The Medium preset at 1080p delivers 119 FPS with a minimum of 101 FPS, showing that the GPU can maintain consistent frame pacing when not pushed to its limits.

FAQ

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

A: The measured data shows that 2560x1440 on Medium settings delivers 76 FPS average with a minimum of 65 FPS, making it the most balanced option for playable performance. At 1920x1080, High settings achieve 90 FPS, while 4K at any setting fails to reach a consistent 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 9060 compare to the RTX 3060 Ti in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RX 9060 scores 16014 on average, which is 0.7% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's 16129. This places the two cards in a very similar performance tier, though game-specific results may vary.

Q: Is the i5-14400F a bottleneck for the RX 9060?

A: The CPU ranks in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 59th percentile, indicating that the CPU is significantly more powerful. Benchmark results suggest the GPU is the limiting component, especially at higher resolutions where frame rates drop disproportionately.

Q: What frame rate can users expect at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured data shows 66 FPS average at 1920x1080 on Ultra settings. While this is playable, it is noticeably lower than the 90 FPS achieved on High settings.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM affect 4K performance?

A: Yes, the 8 GB GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus appears to be a limiting factor at 3840x2160. The 4K results show severe frame rate drops even on Low settings (54 FPS), suggesting the memory capacity and bandwidth are insufficient for the game's 4K assets.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to all other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 1739 out of 3001 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 42% of systems. This ranking reflects the GPU's mid-tier positioning despite the CPU's strong performance.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F provides robust processing power that exceeds the demands of Hitman 2 at all tested settings. With 10 cores and 16 threads, this Raptor Lake architecture processor features a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, enabling strong single-threaded performance. The CPU's benchmark scores confirm its capability: 3055 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 21645 in multi-core, with a Passmark single-thread score of 3701.

The 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample capacity for the game's AI and physics calculations. The CPU's 83rd percentile ranking among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 32279, places it ahead of several competitors. The nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, scores within 0.1% of the i5-14400F, while the Intel Core i9-11900 trails by 0.2%.

In the context of Hitman 2, the CPU's performance headroom means that frame rates are dictated almost entirely by the GPU. The 1080p Low preset achieves 159 FPS, which is likely near the engine's maximum frame rate, suggesting the CPU is not limiting even in the least demanding scenarios. The 4K results, which show frame rates dropping below 60 FPS across all settings, further confirm that the CPU is not the bottleneck — the GPU's workload increases with pixel count while the CPU's game logic workload remains relatively constant.

The i5-14400F's 65 W TDP and support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory make it a versatile platform component. The CPU's cache hierarchy, with 80 KB of L1 cache per core, is well-suited for the game's frequently accessed code paths. Geekbench results of 2058 for single-core and 11268 for multi-core reinforce the processor's balanced capabilities, ensuring that Hitman 2's AI-driven stealth mechanics and crowd simulations run without CPU-induced stutters.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings configuration depends on the target resolution. For 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 90 FPS average, which is ideal for smooth gameplay on standard 60 Hz monitors or entry-level high-refresh displays. Players seeking maximum frame rates can use the Low preset to achieve 159 FPS, while the Medium preset at 119 FPS offers a balanced compromise with a minimum of 101 FPS ensuring consistency.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, delivering 76 FPS average with a minimum of 65 FPS. This configuration avoids the 58 FPS of High settings, which may introduce noticeable frame pacing issues on variable refresh rate displays. The Ultra preset at 43 FPS is not recommended, as it falls below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The Low preset at 102 FPS is viable for competitive play, but the Medium preset provides a better visual experience without sacrificing playability.

For 3840x2160, no settings preset achieves a consistent 60 FPS, making 4K gaming impractical for this combo. The Low preset at 54 FPS is the only option that approaches playability, but even this requires significant visual compromises. The Medium preset at 41 FPS is borderline playable on displays with adaptive sync, while High (31 FPS) and Ultra (23 FPS) should be avoided entirely. Users with 4K displays should consider running the game at 1440p resolution with Medium settings for the best experience, as the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 288.0 GB/s bandwidth cannot sustain native 4K rendering with acceptable performance.