Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread desktop processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. In Hitman 2, a stealth title that relies on complex AI routines and detailed crowd simulations, this CPU’s multi-threaded capacity is substantial. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21914 places it in the 88th percentile of all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 32508 is effectively tied with the Intel Core i7-12800H (0% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 (0.2% delta). The single-core performance, measured at 3093 in Cinebench R23, is also strong, which matters for the game’s primary game-thread logic. However, the measured frame rates in this combination are overwhelmingly constrained by the graphics card, not the processor. The data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the average FPS is 66.5, which is the highest recorded across all configurations. As settings increase, the FPS drops sharply, indicating that the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU’s role here is to ensure that the game’s simulation and draw calls are processed quickly enough to not bottleneck the GTX 1650, which it clearly accomplishes given the consistent scaling of performance with GPU load. The processor’s 20 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory also contribute to a responsive system, but the benchmark results point to the GPU as the primary determinant of playability.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average FPS this combo can achieve in Hitman 2?

A: The highest recorded average frame rate is 66.5 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F has an average benchmark score of 32508. This is essentially identical to the Intel Core i7-12800H (32513, 0% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 (32446, 0.2% delta). It is also within half a percent of the AMD Ryzen 7 250 and Intel Core i7-13705H.

Q: Is the GTX 1650’s performance closer to any specific rival GPU?

A: Yes, the GTX 1650’s average benchmark score is 8713. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile scores 8746, a delta of -0.4%, while the AMD Radeon 550X scores 8749, also a delta of -0.4%. The NVIDIA Quadro P2200 is 0.5% behind.

Q: At what resolution does the combo become unplayable even on Low settings?

A: At 3840x2160 (4K) with Low settings, the average FPS drops to 26. This is below the typical threshold for smooth gameplay. At 2560x1440 with Low settings, the average FPS is 45.9, which is more viable but still marginal.

Q: Does the Ultra preset provide a playable experience at 1080p?

A: The data shows 29.7 average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings. This is below the 30 FPS baseline often considered the minimum for playability, making it a poor choice for this hardware combination.

Q: What does the combo’s rank of 1701 out of 1795 indicate?

A: This rank places the combination in the bottom 5% of all tested CPU-GPU pairings for Hitman 2. It indicates that this pairing is not competitive for high-end play, but the measured FPS data still shows it can handle lower settings at 1080p.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and predictable pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which strongly indicates that the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is the bottleneck in this system. Starting at 1920x1080 with High settings, the average FPS is 40.1. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same High preset, the average FPS drops to 27.2, a reduction of 12.9 FPS. At 3840x2160, the average FPS falls to 14.2, which is less than half of the 1080p figure. This scaling is consistent with a GPU that is running out of pixel throughput and memory bandwidth, as the GTX 1650 has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with a bandwidth of 128.1 GB/s.

The pattern is even more pronounced when considering the Low settings. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 66.5 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 45.9 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 26 FPS. The frame rate at 4K Low is lower than the frame rate at 1080p Ultra (29.7 FPS), which shows that the resolution increase demands more from the GPU than the settings change does. This data suggests that the Intel Core i5-14400F is not the limiting component at any of these resolutions. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see similar FPS numbers across different resolutions at the same settings, because the CPU workload would be roughly constant. Instead, the FPS drops proportionally with the increase in pixel count, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU’s high single-thread and multi-thread scores, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core of 21914, further support this conclusion, as it has ample headroom to feed frames to the GPU.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured results, the optimal experience for this combination in Hitman 2 is achieved by prioritizing resolution over graphical fidelity. The only configuration that consistently delivers an average FPS above 60 is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which produces 66.5 FPS. This is the clear recommendation for a smooth, responsive experience. The Medium preset at 1080p yields 54 FPS, which is playable but not as fluid, and represents a compromise for slightly better visuals. The High preset at 1080p drops to 40.1 FPS, which is acceptable for a stealth game that does not require twitch reflexes, but it is noticeably less smooth.

At 2560x1440, the situation becomes more challenging. The Low preset at 45.9 FPS is the only setting that approaches playability, but even this is below the 60 FPS target. The Medium and High presets at 1440p produce 33.6 and 27.2 FPS respectively, which are likely to feel sluggish. At 3840x2160, all settings are below 30 FPS, with Low at 26 FPS, Medium at 20.4 FPS, High at 14.2 FPS, and Ultra at 12.4 FPS. These are not recommended for any serious gameplay. The Ultra preset is the worst performer across all resolutions, and at 1080p it only achieves 29.7 FPS, which is worse than the Low preset at 1440p. The data indicates that users should stick to 1080p and use Low or Medium settings to get the best balance of frame rate and visual quality. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 12.5 FPS, while the jump from Medium to High costs 13.9 FPS, showing diminishing returns for each step up in settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14400F and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 holds a combo rank of 1701 out of 1795 tested combinations in Hitman 2. This places it in the 5th percentile of all tested systems, meaning that 94.8% of other combinations perform better in this game. This low ranking is primarily attributable to the GPU, which is in the 43rd percentile of all GPUs and has an average benchmark score of 8713. The CPU, in contrast, is in the 88th percentile, showing a stark imbalance in the pair’s capabilities.

This rank is not surprising given the measured FPS. The pair fails to break 30 FPS at 4K even on Low settings, and struggles to maintain 60 FPS at 1080p on Medium. The data shows that the GTX 1650, with its 4 GB of VRAM and 2.984 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, is a significant limiting factor. While the CPU is powerful enough to handle the game’s logic, the GPU cannot render the frames fast enough to take advantage of it. The ranking suggests that this combo is suitable for esports titles or older games at low resolutions, but for Hitman 2, it is a low-tier configuration. The nearest rival GPUs, such as the RTX 3050 A Mobile and the Radeon 550X, all have similar average scores (within 0.5%), which indicates that the GTX 1650 is at the bottom of its performance class. The high CPU rank does little to lift the overall combo rank, as the game’s performance is clearly GPU-bound.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact measured average frame rates for each tested configuration.

| Resolution | Settings | Average FPS |

| :--------- | :------- | ----------: |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 66.5 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 54.0 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 40.1 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 29.7 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 45.9 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 33.6 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 27.2 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 15.7 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 26.0 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 20.4 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 14.2 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 12.4 |

At 1080p, the spread between Low and Ultra is 36.8 FPS, showing a steep cost for higher fidelity. The 1440p results show a similar trend, with a spread of 30.2 FPS between Low and Ultra. At 4K, the entire range of scores is compressed between 12.4 and 26.0 FPS, indicating that the GPU is completely saturated regardless of settings. The data also shows that the difference between Medium and High at 4K is only 6.2 FPS, whereas at 1080p it is 13.9 FPS. This suggests that at higher resolutions, the GPU is so limited that reducing settings has a smaller relative impact. The best configuration for any semblance of playability is 1080p Low, which is the only one to exceed 60 FPS. The 1080p Medium setting is the only other configuration that comes close, at 54 FPS. All other settings and resolutions fall below 50 FPS, with the majority falling below 30 FPS.