Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 presents a stark study in bottlenecking within Hitman 2. The data shows a configuration where the processor’s substantial compute potential is almost entirely neutralized by the graphics card’s limited throughput, resulting in a playable but heavily constrained experience at lower resolutions and a slideshow at 4K.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a dramatic collapse in performance as resolution increases, a signature of GPU-bound rendering. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 72 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded across the entire test matrix. This indicates that at this resolution and setting, the system is still capable of delivering fluid motion. However, the decline is steep and immediate when moving up the resolution ladder. At 1440p with Low settings, the average FPS falls to 45.4, and at 4K with Low settings, it plummets to 22.6. This represents a 68.6% drop in frame rate from 1080p Low to 4K Low, clearly demonstrating that the GTX 1650 is the limiting component.

The scaling pattern becomes even more pronounced at higher graphical presets. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 40.5, dropping to 23.9 at 1440p High and then crashing to 10.4 at 4K High. The transition from 1080p to 1440p alone cuts performance by roughly 41% at High settings, while the jump from 1440p to 4K reduces it by another 56.5%. This non-linear degradation is typical of a GPU that is running out of pixel-pushing capability; the 4 GB framebuffer and limited memory bandwidth of 128.1 GB/s on the GTX 1650 are simply overwhelmed by the sheer number of pixels required at 3840x2160. The data suggests that the i5-14600K is not the constraint here; even at 4K Ultra, which yields a paltry 10.5 FPS, the CPU is still waiting on the GPU to finish its work. The Intel Core i5-14600K, with its 14 cores and 20 threads, is capable of far higher frame rates in this game, but the GTX 1650’s 2.984 TFLOPS of FP32 compute acts as a hard ceiling, making the resolution scaling curve almost entirely dependent on the graphics card’s capabilities.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured performance, the optimal settings for this combination depend entirely on the target resolution and acceptable frame rate. At 1080p, the data strongly supports using Medium settings, which delivers an average of 52.8 FPS. This is a significant improvement over the 40.5 FPS average of High settings, and it offers a more stable foundation for a stealth game where reaction time matters. While Low settings at 1080p reach 72 FPS, the visual compromise is generally unnecessary to achieve a playable experience, as Medium provides a smoother balance of fidelity and speed. The Ultra preset at 1080p produces 31.9 FPS, which is below the threshold for comfortable play in a fast-paced action sequence, making it a poor trade-off for the marginal visual gain.

At 1440p, the options become more limited. The Low preset, with an average of 45.4 FPS, is the only setting that provides a consistently playable frame rate. Medium drops to 30.4 FPS, which is playable but noticeably less fluid, while High and Ultra fall to 23.9 and 16 FPS, respectively, rendering them unsuitable for active gameplay. For users insisting on 1440p, the data indicates that Low settings are the only viable choice. At 4K, the situation is dire. The highest average FPS recorded is 22.6 at Low settings, which is below the standard for smooth gameplay. All other presets at this resolution—High, Medium, and Ultra—yield averages of 10.4, 17.8, and 10.5 FPS, respectively, which are effectively unplayable. The benchmark results suggest that 4K is not a realistic target for this GPU in Hitman 2, regardless of the powerful CPU backing it. The best experience per the measured rows is unequivocally 1080p with Medium settings, which offers a frame rate nearly double that of High while remaining visually acceptable.

GPU Role

The GTX 1650’s role in this pairing is the dominant performance limiter. Its specifications—4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus with 128.1 GB/s bandwidth, and a boost clock of 1665 MHz—are clearly insufficient for high-fidelity rendering at modern resolutions. The GPU’s performance percentile of 43 versus all GPUs places it in the lower half of the market, and its average benchmark score of 8713 is modest. This is reflected in the gaming results, where the GPU’s memory capacity becomes a critical issue. At 4K, the frame buffer is almost certainly being exceeded, forcing the system to rely on slower memory swapping, which contributes to the catastrophic frame rate drops. The 4 GB VRAM is a severe constraint in Hitman 2, a game with large, detailed environments that require significant texture memory at higher presets.

The GPU’s compute capabilities are equally limiting. With a texture rate of 93.24 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 53.28 GPixel/s, the card is unable to keep up with the demands of the game’s rendering pipeline at higher settings. While the i5-14600K boasts a high single-core score of 4642 in Cinebench R23 and a multi-core score of 32881, this compute power goes largely unused in this scenario. The GPU’s nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile and AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100, are separated by less than 0.5% in average benchmark scores, indicating that this GTX 1650 is performing in line with its expected class. The data clearly shows that the GPU is the bottleneck; no amount of CPU headroom can compensate for the GTX 1650’s lack of raw pixel and texture throughput. The card’s DirectX 12 score of 35 in Passmark underscores its weakness in the modern API that Hitman 2 can utilize, further cementing its role as the performance ceiling.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Hitman 2 at 4K?

A: No. The measured data shows the best 4K result is 22.6 FPS on Low settings, with High, Medium, and Ultra all falling below 18 FPS. This is not a playable experience.

Q: What is the best resolution and settings for this system?

A: The data indicates 1920x1080 with Medium settings is optimal, yielding an average of 52.8 FPS. This offers the best balance between visual quality and smoothness.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-14600K the reason for the low frame rates?

A: No. The processor is extremely capable, with a 93rd percentile ranking versus all CPUs. The limiting factor is the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, which has a 43rd percentile ranking versus all GPUs.

Q: How much performance is lost when going from 1080p to 1440p?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 40.5 at 1080p to 23.9 at 1440p, a reduction of approximately 41%. At Low settings, it drops from 72 to 45.4 FPS.

Q: Is the Ultra preset ever worth using with this GPU?

A: Only at 1080p, where it hits 31.9 FPS, but this is a marginal gain over High and likely not worth the performance hit. At 1440p and 4K, Ultra is unplayable at 16 and 10.5 FPS, respectively.

Q: How does the GTX 1650 compare to its closest rivals in this context?

A: The GTX 1650’s average benchmark score of 8713 is within 0.5% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile and AMD Radeon Pro WX 5100, indicating it is performing exactly as expected for its class, which is still far too slow for high-end gaming.

How This Combo Ranks

In the overall database of tested combinations, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 ranks 1741 out of 1795 combos in Hitman 2. This places it in the bottom 3% of all tested systems, a poor result that reflects the severe mismatch between the high-end CPU and the entry-level GPU. The rank of 1741 is a direct consequence of the GPU’s inability to translate the CPU’s power into frame rate. While the i5-14600K is a top-tier processor, its performance is entirely wasted when paired with a graphics card that has a 43rd percentile ranking. The data suggests that virtually any system with a more balanced component selection would outperform this combination.

The combo’s rank of 1741 is a clear indictment of the pairing’s gaming potential. It demonstrates that a powerful CPU cannot overcome a weak GPU in a graphics-intensive title like Hitman 2. The benchmark results indicate that the system is effectively held hostage by the GTX 1650’s 4 GB of VRAM and limited compute power. This is a configuration that would only be suitable for very old or less demanding games, or for users who prioritize CPU-intensive tasks over gaming. In the context of Hitman 2, however, the data is unambiguous: this is one of the weakest-performing combinations in the entire database, offering a playable experience only at 1080p with low-to-medium settings, and falling far behind the majority of other tested hardware pairings.