Hitman 2

Hitman 2 is a stealth game that scales surprisingly well across resolutions, and the data for this Intel Core i5-14400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination reveals a system that is heavily balanced toward the CPU at lower resolutions, while the GPU becomes the definitive limiting factor at 4K. The measured FPS deltas between 1080p and 4K are stark, indicating where the bottleneck shifts and what settings you should prioritize.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 is dramatic and tells a clear story about component utilization. At 1080p with Low settings, this combo produces 310 FPS average. Moving to 2560x1440 Low drops that to 203 FPS, a 34.5% reduction. Going all the way to 4K Low yields 112 FPS, which is a 63.9% decrease from the 1080p figure. This steep decline indicates that at 1080p, the i5-14400F is doing most of the heavy lifting, and the RTX 2060 is not yet saturated.

The pattern holds across all settings. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 224 at 1080p, to 147 at 1440p, to 81 at 4K. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is a 44.9% drop, while the 1080p to 1440p drop is 34.4%. This suggests that as resolution increases, the pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth of the RTX 2060 become the primary constraints. The 4K Ultra result of 61 FPS average is the lowest point in the dataset, and it is still playable, but it shows a clear performance cliff compared to the 168 FPS average at 1080p Ultra.

What this means practically is that at 1080p, you are likely CPU-bound or at least balanced, as evidenced by the extremely high frame rates that exceed typical high-refresh displays. At 1440p, the system finds a sweet spot where the load is more evenly distributed, still delivering over 200 FPS on Low and 110 FPS on Ultra. At 4K, the GPU is unequivocally the limiting component; the 112 FPS at Low versus 61 FPS at Ultra shows a 45.5% performance swing purely from settings, which is a hallmark of a GPU-limited scenario. The data indicates that users targeting 4K should stick to High or Medium presets to maintain fluid motion, as the jump to Ultra costs a significant 20 FPS average (81 to 61) over High.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is a Turing-architecture card with 6 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock is rated at 1680 MHz. In Hitman 2, the VRAM capacity appears sufficient, as the game does not show catastrophic failures at 4K, but the performance deltas suggest that memory bandwidth and raw compute are the bottlenecks at that resolution. The card's FP32 performance is 6.451 TFLOPS, which is modest by modern standards, but the data shows it is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming in this title.

The GPU's 48 ROPs and 120 TMUs contribute to its pixel and texture fill rates of 80.64 GPixel/s and 201.6 GTexel/s, respectively. At 4K, these numbers are pushed hard, explaining why the frame rate drops from 112 FPS at Low to 81 FPS at High. The card's average benchmark score of 15290 places it in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM (0.6% higher) and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 (0.8% higher). This indicates that the RTX 2060 is positioned at the entry level of modern gaming performance, and its behavior in Hitman 2 aligns with that positioning: capable at 1080p and 1440p, but struggling to maintain high frame rates at 4K with maxed-out settings.

The GPU's 6 GB VRAM is not explicitly stressed in the data, but the performance degradation at 4K Ultra (61 FPS) versus 4K High (81 FPS) suggests that texture quality and other VRAM-intensive settings have a direct impact on throughput. The card also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, which is relevant for modern rendering paths, but the measured results show that raw rasterization performance is the limiting factor here, not feature support. The 14 Gbps effective memory clock is standard for the generation, and the 192-bit bus width is a known constraint for higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo better suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming in Hitman 2?

A: The data shows excellent performance at both resolutions. At 1080p, the average FPS ranges from 168 (Ultra) to 310 (Low). At 1440p, it ranges from 110 (Ultra) to 203 (Low). Both are well above the 60 FPS threshold, but 1440p offers a better balance of image quality and frame rate, with High settings delivering 147 FPS average.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Hitman 2?

A: Yes, but with compromises. The 4K results range from 61 FPS at Ultra to 112 FPS at Low. The High preset at 81 FPS average is the most balanced option for 4K, providing a smooth experience without requiring the lowest settings.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 compare to its nearest competitors based on benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 2060's average benchmark score is 15290. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580, scores 15283, a delta of 0%. The AMD Radeon 680M is 0.1% higher, and the RTX 3050 OEM is 0.6% higher. These are all extremely close, indicating the RTX 2060 is a baseline for this performance tier.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The extremely high frame rates at 1080p, such as 310 FPS on Low and 224 FPS on High, suggest that the Intel Core i5-14400F is keeping up with the GPU's output. The CPU's multi-core score of 21645 in Cinebench R23 and single-core score of 3055 indicate strong processing power that is not likely to be the limiting factor at this resolution. The GPU is likely the constraint, but it is a high-performing constraint at 1080p.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset yields 203 FPS average, while the Ultra preset yields 110 FPS average. This is a 45.8% reduction in performance from Low to Ultra, which is a significant cost for the visual fidelity upgrade.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems for Hitman 2?

A: It ranks 34th out of 3711 tested combos. This places it in the top 1% of all configurations tested for this game, indicating that despite the GPU's age, the combination of the i5-14400F and RTX 2060 is highly effective for Hitman 2.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend entirely on your target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p, the Ultra preset is viable at 168 FPS average, which is excellent for high-refresh monitors. However, if you have a 240Hz display, the High preset at 224 FPS or even Low at 310 FPS will better utilize that refresh rate. The Medium preset at 264 FPS is a strong middle ground, offering a balance between visual quality and raw speed.

At 1440p, the High preset is the recommended starting point, delivering 147 FPS average. This is likely to be the "best experience" in terms of visual fidelity per frame. The Ultra preset drops to 110 FPS, which is still smooth, but the 37 FPS difference between High and Ultra may not justify the graphical gains for most users. The Medium preset at 173 FPS is a great option for competitive play or for those who prioritize frame rate over shadows and reflections.

For 4K, the High preset is the clear winner for a playable experience, hitting 81 FPS average. The Ultra preset's 61 FPS is borderline for smooth gameplay, and the Low preset at 112 FPS sacrifices too much visual quality. The Medium preset at 95 FPS is a decent alternative if you want a bit more visual polish than High but cannot tolerate the Ultra frame rate. The data suggests that High is the "sweet spot" for 4K, providing a 20 FPS advantage over Ultra while maintaining a high level of detail.

The pattern across all resolutions is that the High preset offers the best performance-to-quality ratio. It consistently maintains a high frame rate relative to Ultra, with the delta being 37 FPS at 1080p, 37 FPS at 1440p, and 20 FPS at 4K. Choosing High over Ultra will yield a more responsive experience without a dramatic drop in visual fidelity.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of an Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 achieves a combo rank of 34 out of 3711 tested combos for Hitman 2. This is an exceptional ranking, placing it in the 99th percentile of all systems tested. It indicates that this pairing is exceptionally well-optimized for this game, likely due to the CPU's strong single-threaded performance (3055 in Cinebench R23 single-core) and the GPU's adequate rasterization power.

The CPU itself is in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32279. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (0.1% higher) and the Intel Core i9-11900 (0.2% higher), showing that the i5-14400F is a top-tier performer in its class. The GPU is in the 58th percentile of all GPUs, which is average, but its pairing with the high-performing CPU boosts the overall combo ranking.

The fact that this combo ranks so highly in Hitman 2 suggests that the game is more CPU-bound than many other titles. The i5-14400F's 10 cores and 16 threads, with a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, are likely providing a significant advantage in handling the game's AI and simulation logic. This ranking also implies that upgrading the GPU alone would not yield massive gains in this title, as the CPU is doing a substantial amount of the work. The 34th rank out of 3711 is a strong endorsement for this build's suitability for Hitman 2, particularly for those who play at 1080p or 1440p.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: Average 310 FPS. This is the highest recorded average in the entire dataset, indicating a CPU-bound scenario where the GPU is not the primary constraint.
• Medium: Average 264 FPS, with a minimum of 224 FPS and a maximum of 304 FPS. The minimum FPS matches the High preset's average, showing good frame pacing.
• High: Average 224 FPS. This is a solid result for a high-refresh monitor, offering a good balance of visual quality and speed.
• Ultra: Average 168 FPS. The most demanding preset at 1080p, but still well above the 144 Hz threshold, making it suitable for most gaming displays.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: Average 203 FPS. A significant drop from 1080p Low (310 FPS), showing the increased pixel load on the GPU.
• Medium: Average 173 FPS, with a minimum of 147 FPS and a maximum of 199 FPS. The minimum FPS is still high enough for a smooth experience.
• High: Average 147 FPS. This is the recommended preset for 1440p, delivering high detail without compromising frame rate.
• Ultra: Average 110 FPS. This is a playable frame rate, but the 37 FPS drop from High is noticeable. It is best for those who prioritize visual fidelity over a higher refresh rate.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: Average 112 FPS. This shows that even at low settings, the GPU is working hard to fill the 4K pixel count.
• Medium: Average 95 FPS, with a minimum of 81 FPS and a maximum of 110 FPS. The minimum FPS is the same as the High preset average, which is a good sign for consistency.
• High: Average 81 FPS. This is the sweet spot for 4K, providing a smooth experience that is close to the 60 FPS baseline.
• Ultra: Average 61 FPS. The lowest result in the dataset, but it is still technically playable. The 20 FPS drop from High to Ultra makes High the more sensible choice for 4K gaming.

The data across all resolutions and settings shows a consistent pattern: the RTX 2060 is a capable 1080p and 1440p card, but it requires careful settings management at 4K to maintain a high frame rate. For those with a 4K display, the High preset is the only logical choice, as it offers a 32% performance increase over Ultra while only sacrificing a modest amount of visual quality.