Hitman 2

Hitman 2 is a stealth game that rewards patience, but the hardware running it needs to keep up with dense crowds, complex AI, and sprawling levels. For the combination of an Intel Core i5-14400F and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER, the measured data reveals a system that is well-balanced at 1080p, but becomes increasingly GPU-limited as resolution climbs. This pairing, ranking 1343 out of 1795 tested combos, offers a clear picture of where its strengths and limitations lie across the four tested presets.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K dramatically reshapes the performance profile of this setup. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 143.7 FPS, but that figure plummets to 47.9 FPS at 4K, representing a 66.7% drop in frame rate. This massive scaling factor indicates that at lower resolutions, the CPU is doing the heavy lifting, while the GPU has headroom to spare. Conversely, the gap narrows at higher settings: at Ultra, the frame rate falls from 58.7 FPS at 1080p to just 18.8 FPS at 4K, a 68.0% reduction that still points squarely at the GPU as the bottleneck.

The data shows a clear inflection point between 1440p and 4K. At 1440p High, the system produces 54.4 FPS, which is playable, but moving to 4K High drops that to 29.4 FPS, a 45.9% loss that pushes the experience below the 30 FPS threshold. The 4K Ultra result of 18.8 FPS is the worst-case scenario, confirming that this combination is not designed for maximum fidelity at 4K. The scaling pattern suggests that the RTX 2060 SUPER, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, simply runs out of pixel-pushing capacity at 4K, while the i5-14400F continues to feed frames adequately.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. In this game, its role becomes evident in the 1080p Low result of 143.7 FPS, which is the highest measured frame rate across any resolution and setting. This score indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions, allowing the GPU to stretch its legs. The processor's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support (DDR4 or DDR5) provide sufficient bandwidth for Hitman 2's level streaming.

Benchmark data places this CPU in the 88th percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 32508. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-12800H, scores 32513 with a 0% delta, showing they are effectively tied. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 trails by a mere 0.2%, while the AMD Ryzen 7 250 leads by 0.2%. In practical terms, the i5-14400F has more than enough single-thread performance—evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3093—to handle Hitman 2's AI and physics calculations without becoming a bottleneck. The multi-core score of 21914 in Cinebench R23 further confirms that even when the game utilizes multiple threads, this CPU has ample headroom.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with 2176 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. Its base clock of 1470 MHz boosts to 1650 MHz, and it carries 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's role in Hitman 2 is decisive at higher resolutions: at 4K Ultra, the frame rate collapses to 18.8 FPS, a clear sign that the graphics card is overwhelmed by the combination of resolution and settings.

The GPU sits in the 63rd percentile of all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 19774. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN, scores 19706 with a 0.3% delta, meaning the RTX 2060 SUPER holds a slight edge. The RTX 2070 is 0.5% behind, while the Quadro K5200 and Tesla K40m trail by 0.8% and 1.3% respectively. In gaming terms, this places the RTX 2060 SUPER in a competitive mid-range tier. The 12 nm process node and 10,800 million transistors on a 445 mm² die contribute to its 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, which is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming but falls short for 4K. The 175 W TDP and suggested 450 W PSU indicate a power-efficient design that pairs well with the i5-14400F's 65 W TDP.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Hitman 2 with this CPU and GPU combo?

A: The data shows 1440p High produces 54.4 FPS, which is above the 30 FPS playability threshold and offers a good balance of visual quality and smoothness. At 1080p High, the system achieves 83.1 FPS, which is excellent for competitive play, but 1440p provides a more immersive experience without sacrificing playability.

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

A: The measured results indicate that 4K is not viable for smooth gameplay. At 4K Low, the system produces 47.9 FPS, which is marginal, but 4K High drops to 29.4 FPS and 4K Ultra falls to 18.8 FPS. These lower frame rates suggest the GPU is the limiting factor at this resolution.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The i5-14400F has an average benchmark score of 32508, which places it in the 88th percentile. Its closest competitor, the Intel Core i7-12800H, scores 32513 with a 0% delta, making them statistically identical. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 is 0.2% behind, while the AMD Ryzen 7 250 is 0.2% ahead.

Q: Is the RTX 2060 SUPER strong enough for high refresh rate gaming at 1080p?

A: Yes, the data supports this. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 143.7 FPS, which is well above 144 Hz refresh rates. Even at 1080p High, the 83.1 FPS result is suitable for 60-75 Hz monitors, and 1080p Medium produces 106.8 FPS.

Q: What is the biggest performance gap between settings at a given resolution?

A: At 4K, the difference between Low (47.9 FPS) and Ultra (18.8 FPS) is 29.1 FPS, representing a 60.8% performance loss. This is the largest relative gap in the measured data, highlighting the significant cost of Ultra settings at high resolution.

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

A: The combination ranks 1343 out of 1795 tested combos, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. This ranking reflects its mid-range GPU and solid but not top-tier CPU, making it a balanced but not exceptional pairing for Hitman 2.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance between visual fidelity and playable frame rates, the data points to 1440p High as the optimal configuration. At this setting, the system produces 54.4 FPS, which is smooth enough for a stealth game that doesn't require twitch reflexes. The 1080p Medium setting offers a higher 106.8 FPS, making it a better choice for those with 144 Hz monitors, but the visual downgrade from High is noticeable in Hitman 2's detailed environments. If you prioritize frame rate above all else, 1080p Low achieves 143.7 FPS, but this sacrifices the atmospheric lighting and shadows that define the game's mood. The 4K Ultra setting is not recommended, as the 18.8 FPS result makes the game effectively unplayable. Similarly, 4K High at 29.4 FPS is borderline, while 4K Medium at 39 FPS is the only 4K option that approaches playability, though still below the 60 FPS ideal.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its strongest results across all settings. Low settings produce 143.7 FPS, Medium yields 106.8 FPS, High drops to 83.1 FPS, and Ultra settles at 58.7 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 59.2% performance reduction, indicating that the GPU is the primary constraint even at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease proportionally. Low settings achieve 91.6 FPS, which remains highly playable. Medium produces 68.3 FPS, while High drops to 54.4 FPS. Ultra is the weakest option here, yielding 38.9 FPS, which is still above the 30 FPS floor but noticeably less smooth than the lower presets.

At 3840x2160, the performance falls off a cliff. Low settings produce 47.9 FPS, which is the only 4K result that approaches playability. Medium drops to 39 FPS, High falls to 29.4 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 18.8 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 29.1 FPS, and the overall trend confirms that 4K is not a viable resolution for this hardware combination in Hitman 2.