Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 580 ranks 1677th out of 1795 tested combos in Hitman 2, placing it in the bottom 7% of all configurations. This is a severe mismatch: the CPU is a top-tier performer, sitting in the 93rd percentile against all processors, while the GPU is an older mid-range part that falls in the 53rd percentile against all graphics cards. The data indicates that this combination is heavily GPU-limited, and the resulting frame rates reflect that constraint rather than any deficiency in the processor. The i5-14600K’s benchmark scores—such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core result of 32881 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2803—suggest it is capable of feeding a much faster graphics card, but the RX 580 cannot translate that headroom into playable performance in this title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 1677 out of 1795 places it in the lower tier of tested configurations for Hitman 2. This low standing is not due to the CPU; the Intel Core i5-14600K ranks in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49166. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, which scores 49062 (a 0.2% difference), and the Intel Core i5-14600KF, which scores 49367 (a -0.4% difference). These deltas are negligible, meaning the i5-14600K is statistically tied with those parts in synthetic workloads. However, the GPU’s percentile rank of 53rd among all GPUs, with an average score of 13559, tells a different story. The RX 580’s nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (13564, 0% delta) and the GeForce GTX 950 (13549, 0.1% delta), both of which are much older architectures. In Hitman 2, the measured FPS data shows that even at 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo only achieves 75.4 FPS average, which is far below what the CPU alone could support. The ranking reflects a system where the processor is effectively idle waiting for the GPU to render frames.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is the limiting factor in this pairing. It features 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s base clock is 1257 MHz with a boost clock of 1340 MHz, and its memory runs at 2000 MHz (8 Gbps effective). These are modest figures by modern standards, and the data confirms they are insufficient for Hitman 2 at higher settings. The GPU’s shading units number 2304, with 144 texture mapping units and 32 ROPs, yielding a pixel rate of 42.88 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 193.0 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 6.175 TFLOPS. In Hitman 2, the GPU’s role is to render the game’s detailed environments, which include large crowds and complex lighting. The measured FPS shows that at 3840x2160 Ultra, the combo drops to 12.3 FPS average, which is unplayable. Even at 1920x1080 Ultra, the average is only 30.4 FPS, indicating the GPU cannot handle the game’s demanding effects at that quality level. The RX 580’s 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for most textures, but the raw compute power is inadequate for sustained high framerates in this title.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-14600K too powerful for the AMD Radeon RX 580 in Hitman 2?

A: Yes. The CPU’s percentile rank is 93rd among all CPUs, while the GPU’s percentile is 53rd. The measured FPS data shows the combo is GPU-bound, as lowering resolution from 3840x2160 to 1920x1080 at Low settings increases average FPS from 28.2 to 75.4, a 2.7x improvement that reflects GPU load scaling.

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

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combo approaches playable framerates. At 1920x1080 Medium, the average FPS is 58.4, and at Low it is 75.4. At 2560x1440, even Low settings only yield 47.6 FPS average, which is borderline.

Q: How does the RX 580 compare to its nearest rivals in terms of benchmark scores?

A: The RX 580 has an average benchmark score of 13559, which is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (13564, 0% delta) and the GeForce GTX 950 (13549, 0.1% delta). The AMD Radeon Pro 455 scores 13416 (1.1% delta), and the NVIDIA P106-090 scores 13716 (-1.1% delta). These differences are within noise.

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 1920x1080 in Hitman 2?

A: Only at Low settings, where the average FPS is 75.4. At Medium, the average drops to 58.4 FPS, and at High it falls to 42.5 FPS. At Ultra, the average is 30.4 FPS, which is not smooth.

Q: What is the impact of the CPU’s multi-threading performance on this game?

A: The i5-14600K’s multi-core performance is strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32881 and a Passmark multithread score of 38682. However, Hitman 2’s measured FPS does not improve proportionally with these scores, indicating the GPU is the bottleneck.

Q: Is the RX 580’s 8 GB VRAM enough for Hitman 2?

A: The 8 GB VRAM appears sufficient, as the GPU’s limitation is compute-bound rather than memory-bound. The measured FPS at 3840x2160 High (15.4 FPS) versus 1920x1080 High (42.5 FPS) shows a 2.8x increase from resolution scaling, not from VRAM capacity changes.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Hitman 2 reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution and settings increase. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves its best results: Low settings produce an average of 75.4 FPS, Medium yields 58.4 FPS, High drops to 42.5 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 30.4 FPS. The step from Medium to High costs 15.9 FPS (27%), while the step from High to Ultra costs 12.1 FPS (28%). This suggests that the GPU’s shader and texture units are overwhelmed by the higher-quality effects.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS decreases substantially. Low settings give 47.6 FPS, which is a 37% drop from the same settings at 1080p. Medium provides 36.2 FPS, High falls to 29.2 FPS, and Ultra only manages 20.5 FPS. These numbers indicate that the RX 580 cannot maintain a smooth experience at this resolution, as even Low settings fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the results are largely unplayable. Low settings yield 28.2 FPS, Medium drops to 21.6 FPS, High falls to 15.4 FPS, and Ultra is just 12.3 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at 4K is 15.9 FPS, which is a 56% reduction. This demonstrates that the GPU’s 256.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 6.175 TFLOPS of compute are insufficient for 4K rendering in this title. The data shows that the combo is only viable at 1920x1080, and even then, only at Low or Medium settings for a reasonably smooth experience. The lack of min and max FPS values means the data cannot indicate stutter or frame pacing, but the averages are consistent with a GPU-bound scenario.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal experience for this combo in Hitman 2 is at 1920x1080 with Medium settings, which delivers an average of 58.4 FPS. This is the highest settings preset that remains close to the 60 FPS target. Low settings at 1080p push the average to 75.4 FPS, providing a comfortable margin for demanding scenes, but the visual quality reduction is significant. High settings at 1080p drop to 42.5 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and may feel sluggish during action sequences. Ultra at 1080p is not recommended, as 30.4 FPS average is borderline for a stealth game that requires precise timing.

At 2560x1440, the data suggests using Low settings (47.6 FPS) as the only viable option, but even this falls short of 60 FPS. Medium at 1440p (36.2 FPS) and High (29.2 FPS) are too slow for comfortable play. For users with a 1440p monitor, the recommendation is to either lower the resolution to 1920x1080 or accept a sub-50 FPS experience. At 3840x2160, all settings produce averages below 30 FPS, making the game unplayable at that resolution. The data indicates that the RX 580 should be paired with a lower-resolution display for Hitman 2, and the i5-14600K’s performance is irrelevant at 4K because the GPU cannot keep up. The best balance of visual fidelity and performance is 1920x1080 Medium, which offers a 58.4 FPS average and retains most of the game’s graphical features. If smoothness is paramount, Low settings at 1080p provides the highest headroom.