Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 pairing in Hitman 2 is a study in high-refresh-rate capability and GPU-bound scaling. The processor, with 10 cores and 16 threads, has a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, using the Raptor Lake architecture on a 10 nm process. Its benchmark scores — 21,645 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 3,055 in single-core — place it in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, just 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i9-11900 and 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i7-12800H in average benchmark score. The GPU, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with 9,728 shading units and 16 GB of GDDR6X memory, sits in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, with a Passmark G3D score of 34,457, nearly matching the RTX 4080 SUPER (0.1% delta). In Hitman 2, the data shows that the i5-14400F is never the bottleneck; the frame rates are dictated almost entirely by the RTX 4080 and the chosen settings, and the measured results confirm this across every resolution tested.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

Hitman 2 is a stealth game that, on modern hardware, leans heavily on GPU throughput for its crowd and lighting effects, but it still requires a solid CPU baseline for game logic and AI. The i5-14400F provides that baseline decisively. With 10 cores and 16 threads, it has enough parallel headroom to handle background tasks while the game runs, and its 4.70 GHz boost clock ensures single-threaded responsiveness. The processor’s Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3,055 and Geekbench single-core score of 2,058 indicate strong per-thread performance, which is critical for the game's frame pacing in crowded environments.

However, the measured FPS data reveals that the CPU is rarely the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 302 FPS average, which is a figure that would stress most CPUs, yet the i5-14400F keeps pace. The processor’s Passmark multithread score of 25,470 and integer math score of 81,524 show it can feed frames rapidly, but the bottleneck shifts to the GPU as resolution and settings climb. At 1080p Ultra, the average drops to 126 FPS, a 58% reduction from Low, which is a GPU-side penalty, not a CPU one. The i5-14400F’s 20 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support (DDR4 or DDR5) provide ample bandwidth for the RTX 4080’s 716.8 GB/s memory interface, but the game simply does not demand more than 10 cores at these settings.

Benchmark results place the i5-14400F in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 32,279. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, scores 32,233 (0.1% delta), and the Intel Core i9-11900 scores 32,226 (0.2% delta). This means the processor is comfortably mid-pack among high-end desktop chips, but its role in Hitman 2 is to stay out of the way. The data shows that the CPU's performance is sufficient to drive the RTX 4080 to its limits; there is no evidence of CPU-induced frame drops in the measured results. The game’s engine, released in 2018, is not particularly thread-hungry, so the i5-14400F’s 16 threads are more than adequate, and the 4.70 GHz boost clock ensures that even the most CPU-sensitive scenes, such as large crowds in Sapienza, will not see a processor bottleneck.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: How does the i5-14400F compare to its nearest CPU rivals in overall benchmark scores?

A: The i5-14400F has an average benchmark score of 32,279, which is 0.1% higher than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U (32,233) and 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i9-11900 (32,226). It is 0.5% ahead of the Intel Core i7-12800H (32,121) but 0.2% behind the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS (32,354). In practical terms, these are negligible differences, meaning the CPU’s performance is essentially tied with its closest competitors.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Hitman 2 if targeting 60 FPS?

A: At 4K (3840x2160) with High settings, the combo averages 58 FPS, which is just below 60. To hit a solid 60 FPS at 4K, you would need to drop to Medium settings, which yields 77 FPS average (with a min of 66 FPS). Alternatively, at 1440p High, the average is 110 FPS, offering a large margin above 60 FPS.

Q: Does the RTX 4080 perform significantly better than its nearest GPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54,247. It is 0.1% ahead of the RTX 4080 SUPER (54,209), 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54,828), 2.6% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55,698), and 2.7% ahead of the AMD Radeon 8060S (55,757). Lower percentage deltas mean the RTX 4080 is actually slightly behind the AMD cards in this metric, but the differences are under 3%.

Q: How much FPS does the RTX 4080 lose when going from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the average FPS is 172. At 1440p High, it is 110, and at 4K High, it is 58. This represents a 66% drop from 1080p to 4K (172 to 58 FPS), showing that the GPU is heavily stressed at higher resolutions.

Q: Is the i5-14400F a bottleneck for the RTX 4080 in this game?

A: The data suggests no. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 302 FPS average, which is a CPU-intensive scenario, yet the frame rate is still extremely high. If the CPU were a bottleneck, you would see diminishing returns at lower settings, but the FPS scales normally with GPU load. The processor’s 83rd percentile ranking and high single-core scores (3,055 in Cinebench R23) support this.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations for Hitman 2?

A: This combination of i5-14400F and RTX 4080 ranks 255th out of 3,711 tested combos in the database. This places it in the top 7% of all configurations tested for this game, indicating strong overall performance.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data for Hitman 2 shows a clear and predictable pattern of GPU-bound scaling. At 1080p High, the combo delivers 172 FPS average. Moving to 1440p High drops that to 110 FPS, a 36% reduction. At 4K High, the average falls to 58 FPS, a 66% reduction from 1080p. This steep decline is textbook GPU-limited behavior; the RTX 4080’s rendering workload increases quadratically with pixel count, and the CPU’s frame generation is not the constraining factor.

Looking at Low settings, the scaling is even more pronounced. At 1080p Low, the average is 302 FPS, which is an exceptional figure that shows the CPU can feed frames at a very high rate. At 1440p Low, it drops to 193 FPS (36% lower), and at 4K Low, it drops to 103 FPS (66% lower). The consistent percentage drops across settings (roughly 36% from 1080p to 1440p, and 66% from 1080p to 4K) confirm that the GPU is the sole limiter. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the percentage drops would be smaller at lower resolutions, as the CPU would cap the maximum FPS. Instead, the FPS scales almost perfectly with pixel count.

The Medium settings row includes min and max FPS values, which further illuminate the GPU’s role. At 1080p Medium, the average is 227 FPS with a min of 193 and max of 261. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 145 FPS with a min of 123 and max of 167. At 4K Medium, the average is 77 FPS with a min of 66 and max of 89. The spread between min and max FPS is roughly 30% of the average in each case, indicating that frame times are consistent and not subject to CPU hitches. The 4K Medium row’s min FPS of 66 is still above a 60 FPS target, which is a useful reference point. Overall, the data indicates that the RTX 4080 is the limiting component at all resolutions, and the i5-14400F has ample headroom.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the database of tested configurations for Hitman 2, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-14400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 255th out of 3,711 combos. This percentile placement is significant: it puts this build in the top 6.9% of all tested systems, which is a strong result for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU. The rank reflects the overall average FPS across all tested settings and resolutions, and it shows that the i5-14400F does not drag down the RTX 4080’s performance in this game.

To contextualize the rank, consider the GPU’s synthetic standing. The RTX 4080 sits in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, is only 0.1% ahead in average benchmark score. This means the GPU is near the top of the performance hierarchy, and the combo’s 255th rank is likely limited by the CPU’s 83rd percentile standing, but not severely. If the CPU were a weaker model, the rank would be lower, but the i5-14400F’s 10 cores and high boost clock keep it competitive. The data shows that the combo outperforms many systems with higher-tier CPUs but lower-tier GPUs, because Hitman 2 rewards GPU power heavily. The 255th rank out of 3,711 confirms the balance of this pairing; it is not the absolute fastest, but it is well above the median and offers a smooth experience at high refresh rates on 1440p and acceptable 4K performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

1080p (1920x1080):

• Low: Average FPS 302. This is the highest measured frame rate in the entire dataset, indicating the CPU can push frames well beyond typical monitor refresh rates.
• Medium: Average FPS 227, with a min of 193 and max of 261. The frame pacing is consistent, with a spread of 68 FPS between min and max.
• High: Average FPS 172. This is a solid 144Hz-class result, though not quite reaching 240Hz.
• Ultra: Average FPS 126. This is still above 120 FPS, making it viable for high-refresh displays, but it shows a 58% drop from Low.

1440p (2560x1440):

• Low: Average FPS 193. This is still excellent for competitive or high-refresh play.
• Medium: Average FPS 145, with a min of 123 and max of 167. The min FPS is well above 60, and the average is close to 144Hz territory.
• High: Average FPS 110. This is a smooth experience for 100Hz+ monitors.
• Ultra: Average FPS 81. This is a good target for 60-75Hz displays, but not for high refresh rates.

4K (3840x2160):

• Low: Average FPS 103. This shows that even at 4K, the RTX 4080 can push past 100 FPS on low settings, which is impressive.
• Medium: Average FPS 77, with a min of 66 and max of 89. The min FPS is above 60, making this the lowest settings that guarantee a 60 FPS floor.
• High: Average FPS 58. This is just below a 60 FPS target, which may cause occasional stutters on a 60Hz display.
• Ultra: Average FPS 43. This is not a comfortable experience for most users, as it falls below 45 FPS.

The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p is for maximum frame rates, 1440p is the sweet spot for balanced quality and speed, and 4K requires settings compromises. The Medium settings at each resolution provide the only rows with min/max FPS data, and they consistently show a min FPS that is roughly 85% of the average, indicating stable performance.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience depends on your display’s refresh rate and resolution. For a 1440p monitor with a 144Hz refresh rate, the High preset is the optimal choice. It delivers 110 FPS average, which is close to the refresh limit, and the visual quality is significantly better than Medium. If you have a 144Hz display and want to ensure you never dip below 144 FPS, the Medium preset at 1440p (145 FPS average, 123 min) is the safer bet, though the visual fidelity loss may not be worth it for a single-player stealth game.

For 4K displays, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation. It delivers 77 FPS average with a min of 66 FPS, which comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. The High preset at 4K (58 FPS average) is borderline, and the Ultra preset (43 FPS) is not playable for most users. If you prioritize visual quality over frame rate, the High preset at 4K is acceptable, but the data suggests that Medium offers the best balance of quality and performance at this resolution.

At 1080p, the High preset (172 FPS average) is the sweet spot for most users, as it provides a high frame rate without the visual compromises of Medium or Low. The Ultra preset at 1080p (126 FPS) is also viable for 120Hz displays, but the jump from High to Ultra is not worth the 27% performance hit in a game where High already looks excellent. For competitive play or if you have a 240Hz monitor, the Low preset at 1080p (302 FPS) is the only option that can fully saturate such a display, but it sacrifices most graphical features. In summary, the data points to 1440p High as the best overall experience for this combo, with 4K Medium as a strong alternative for those who prioritize resolution over frame rate.