Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 delivers a wide performance envelope in Hitman 2, scaling from exceptionally high frame rates at lower settings to more demanding loads at 4K Ultra. The data shows a system that is firmly capable of high-refresh-rate gameplay at 1080p and 1440p, while 4K requires setting expectations appropriately. This analysis walks through the measured results, component roles, and scaling behavior.

FAQ

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

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the system achieves 118.7 FPS, which is a strong balance of visual quality and smoothness. For maximum frame rates, 1920x1080 with Low settings produces 322.7 FPS, while 3840x2160 with Ultra settings drops to 43.4 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-core performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i5-14400F scores 21914 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, placing it in the 88th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 32508 is essentially tied with the Intel Core i7-12800H, which scores 32513, a delta of 0%. It also matches the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 7645 (32446, delta 0.2%) and is slightly behind the AMD Ryzen 7 250 (32584, delta -0.2%).

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile?

A: The RTX 5080 sits in the 89th percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 59188. Its closest rival is the Intel Arc A580 with a score of 57756, representing a 2.5% advantage for the RTX 5080.

Q: What settings should I use for 4K gaming?

A: At 3840x2160, Medium settings provide 84 FPS, which is the only setting level that clears the 60 FPS threshold. High settings yield 63 FPS, while Ultra drops to 43.4 FPS. Low settings at 4K reach 108.2 FPS.

Q: How does frame rate scale from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: The frame rate drops from 181.5 FPS at 1920x1080 to 118.7 FPS at 2560x1440, and finally to 63 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 65.3% drop from 1080p to 4K, indicating a growing GPU bottleneck.

Q: Is the i5-14400F sufficient for high frame rates?

A: Yes, the data suggests the CPU is not a limiting factor at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system reaches 322.7 FPS, and even at Ultra settings it maintains 136.2 FPS, showing headroom in the CPU's 10-core, 16-thread configuration.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is the dominant performance driver in this configuration, particularly at higher resolutions. Its 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is crucial for Hitman 2's detailed environments at 4K. The GPU's boost clock of 2617 MHz and base clock of 2295 MHz allow it to sustain high throughput, evidenced by its 56.28 TFLOPS FP32 compute capability.

The GPU's role becomes increasingly pronounced as resolution rises. At 1920x1080, the RTX 5080 is partially held back by the CPU, as evidenced by the massive frame rates at Low settings (322.7 FPS). However, at 3840x2160, the GPU's workload becomes the primary constraint. The measured data shows a clear progression: at 4K, dropping from Ultra to Low settings more than doubles the average frame rate from 43.4 FPS to 108.2 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is the bottleneck at this resolution, and its 89th percentile ranking among all GPUs (average score 59188) confirms its high-end positioning.

The GPU's nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the Intel Arc A580 (57756, delta 2.5%) and the Intel Arc A570M (58239, delta 1.6%). In actual gameplay, this translates to the RTX 5080 being able to handle Hitman 2's stealth mechanics and crowd AI without stutter, as seen in the consistent frame rates across different settings at each resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14400F provides the processing foundation for this system. With 10 cores and 16 threads, it offers substantial parallel processing capability, which is reflected in its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 21914. The CPU's boost clock of 4.70 GHz and base clock of 2.50 GHz allow it to handle both single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads effectively.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's role is most evident at lower resolutions where frame rates are extremely high. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves 322.7 FPS, which suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with enough draw calls to saturate its rendering pipeline. The i5-14400F's 20 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB per-core L2 cache help maintain low latency for game logic and AI calculations.

The CPU's performance metrics place it in the 88th percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 32508 is nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-12800H (32513, delta 0%), indicating that the i5-14400F offers comparable multi-threaded performance to a higher-tier mobile processor. The single-core performance is also strong, with a Geekbench single-core score of 2333, which is important for Hitman 2's main-thread rendering and physics calculations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates show a consistent pattern across all resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance: Low settings produce 322.7 FPS, Medium produces 238.7 FPS, High produces 181.5 FPS, and Ultra produces 136.2 FPS. All values comfortably exceed the 60 FPS threshold, and even Ultra settings maintain a frame rate suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the GPU beginning to work harder. Low settings yield 208.1 FPS, Medium yields 153.8 FPS, High yields 118.7 FPS, and Ultra yields 88.5 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at Ultra settings is 47.7 FPS, indicating a 35% reduction in frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the system's limits become apparent. Low settings achieve 108.2 FPS, Medium achieves 84 FPS, High achieves 63 FPS, and Ultra drops to 43.4 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is the only measured configuration that falls below 60 FPS, making it unsuitable for smooth gameplay without adjustments. The progression from Ultra to Low at 4K shows a 64.8 FPS improvement, demonstrating the GPU's sensitivity to settings at this resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the system's bottleneck characteristics. At High settings, the frame rate drops from 181.5 FPS at 1080p to 118.7 FPS at 1440p (a 34.6% reduction), and then to 63 FPS at 4K (a 46.9% reduction from 1440p). This accelerating decline is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where the increased pixel count directly impacts rendering time.

At Low settings, the scaling is different: 322.7 FPS at 1080p drops to 208.1 FPS at 1440p (35.5% reduction), then to 108.2 FPS at 4K (48% reduction). The percentage drops are similar across settings, but the absolute values suggest that at 1080p Low, the CPU may be a partial bottleneck, as the 322.7 FPS figure is close to what the i5-14400F can theoretically feed.

The resolution scaling data indicates that the RTX 5080 is the primary limiting component at 1440p and 4K, while the CPU becomes more relevant at 1080p with lower settings. At 4K Ultra, the 43.4 FPS result shows that the GPU's 16 GB of VRAM and 960.0 GB/s bandwidth are not enough to maintain high frame rates with maximum visual fidelity.

Settings Recommendations

For the best experience at each resolution, the measured data provides clear guidance. At 1920x1080, Ultra settings (136.2 FPS) are recommended, as they deliver well above 60 FPS while providing the best visual quality. Even at Ultra, the frame rate is high enough for competitive play or smooth exploration.

At 2560x1440, High settings (118.7 FPS) offer an excellent balance. The drop from Ultra (88.5 FPS) to High is significant, but High still provides most visual features while maintaining a frame rate that exceeds most display refresh rates. Medium settings (153.8 FPS) are also viable for players prioritizing frame rate over visuals.

At 3840x2160, Medium settings (84 FPS) are the recommended choice, as they are the only setting level that provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. High settings (63 FPS) are playable but leave little headroom for demanding scenes. Ultra settings (43.4 FPS) should be avoided unless the player is willing to accept sub-60 FPS performance, while Low settings (108.2 FPS) sacrifice too much visual quality for the frame rate gain.

The overall recommendation is to use High settings at 1440p for the best balance of visuals and performance, or Medium settings at 4K for a smooth experience with modern resolution.