Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER combination delivers a decisive performance curve in Hitman 2, where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution climbs. At 1080p, the system is clearly CPU-bound at lower settings, but the RTX 4070 SUPER’s 12 GB of VRAM and 35.48 TFLOPS of FP32 compute ensure that 4K remains playable, though the step to Ultra settings proves punishing. This combo ranks in the 82nd percentile of all tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and non-linear, revealing where the graphics card takes over from the processor. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 263.9 FPS at 1920x1080 to 90.5 FPS at 3840x2160 — a 65.7% reduction. This massive decline indicates that at 1080p Low, the CPU is heavily limiting performance; the i5-14600K’s 14 cores and 20 threads can feed frames far faster than the GPU can render them at higher resolutions. The data shows that the RTX 4070 SUPER’s 504.2 GB/s memory bandwidth becomes the limiting factor as pixel count rises.

Moving to Medium settings, the scaling pattern shifts. The average FPS drops from 199.2 at 1080p to 125.4 at 1440p, then to 65.9 at 4K. The 1440p result is 63% of the 1080p figure, while 4K is just 33% of it. This suggests that at Medium, the GPU is already the dominant constraint at 1440p, with the 12 GB GDDR6X frame buffer and 192-bit bus width being taxed by the increased resolution. At 4K Medium, the system delivers 65.9 FPS, which is smooth but far from the high-refresh territory seen at 1080p.

At High settings, the resolution scaling becomes more moderate in relative terms. The average FPS goes from 150.4 at 1080p to 96.1 at 1440p (a 36% drop) and then to 51.6 at 4K (a 46% drop from 1440p). This indicates that High settings are the most balanced for this combo, as the workload scales more predictably with pixel count. The Ultra preset, however, is brutal: 112.3 FPS at 1080p falls to 70.3 at 1440p and just 40.0 at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is only 35.6% of the 1080p Ultra figure, showing that the GPU’s shading units and RT cores are saturated by the combination of high resolution and maximum graphical fidelity.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of 4K gaming in Hitman 2?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K High settings, the average FPS is 51.6, which is playable. At 4K Medium, it improves to 65.9 FPS. However, 4K Ultra drops to 40.0 FPS, which is below the smooth threshold for most players.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance at 1080p?

A: The i5-14600K, with a boost clock of 5.30 GHz and a single-core score of 4642 in Cinebench R23, is clearly capable of high frame rates. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 263.9 FPS, indicating that the CPU is the limiting factor at this resolution and settings level, not the GPU.

Q: What is the recommended resolution for competitive play?

A: For maximum frame rates, 1080p with Low settings delivers 263.9 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors. Even at 1080p High, the combo maintains 150.4 FPS, offering a strong balance between visual quality and responsiveness.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 SUPER’s 12 GB VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: The data suggests yes. At 4K Ultra, the VRAM capacity does not appear to cause a catastrophic failure, though the 40.0 FPS result shows compute limits. The 12 GB frame buffer is adequate for Hitman 2’s 2018-era assets.

Q: How does this combo’s rank compare to other tested configurations?

A: The combo ranks 319 out of 1795 tested combinations, placing it in the top 17.8% of all configurations. This indicates strong overall performance in Hitman 2, despite the demanding 4K Ultra scenario.

Q: Which resolution offers the best experience?

A: 1440p provides the best balance. At High settings, it delivers 96.1 FPS, which is smooth and visually detailed. At Medium, it reaches 125.4 FPS, offering a high-refresh experience with decent visuals.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing, particularly at higher resolutions. Its base clock of 1980 MHz and boost clock of 2475 MHz provide substantial compute headroom, with the card delivering 35.48 TFLOPS of FP32 performance. The data shows that at 4K, the GPU is the clear bottleneck: even at Low settings, the average FPS is 90.5, which is far below the 263.9 FPS seen at 1080p Low. This indicates that the GPU’s 7168 shading units and 224 texture mapping units are being fully utilized as pixel count increases.

The memory subsystem plays a critical role in the resolution scaling. The 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus provides 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. At 4K, this bandwidth is taxed heavily, as evidenced by the 65.7% drop in performance from 1080p to 4K at Low settings. The 21 Gbps effective memory speed is sufficient for this game, but the 192-bit bus width limits the card’s ability to scale to 4K Ultra, where the average FPS falls to 40.0.

The RTX 4070 SUPER’s architecture, with 56 RT cores and 224 tensor cores, does not appear to provide a specific advantage in Hitman 2, as the game predates widespread ray tracing adoption. Instead, the raw rasterization performance is what matters. The card’s 80 ROPs and 554.4 GTexel/s texture rate are the key factors in the measured results. Benchmark results show the GPU scoring 29995 in Passmark G3D, placing it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs, which aligns with its strong showing at 1440p High and 4K Medium.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo demonstrates its high-refresh potential. Low settings produce an average of 263.9 FPS, which is exceptional. Medium settings yield 199.2 FPS, still far above the 144 Hz threshold. High settings deliver 150.4 FPS, which is ideal for most esports displays. Ultra settings reduce the average to 112.3 FPS, which remains smooth but shows the impact of maximum graphical fidelity.

The 2560x1440 results show a more balanced profile. Low settings still deliver a very high 168.4 FPS, indicating that the CPU is not a limiting factor at this resolution. Medium settings produce 125.4 FPS, which is excellent for 1440p gaming. High settings maintain 96.1 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS standard but below the high-refresh threshold. Ultra settings drop to 70.3 FPS, which is playable but shows the GPU’s limitations at this resolution with maximum settings.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the sole bottleneck. Low settings produce 90.5 FPS, which is surprisingly high for 4K and indicates that the card can handle the resolution when graphical features are reduced. Medium settings yield 65.9 FPS, which is a solid 4K experience. High settings deliver 51.6 FPS, which is borderline for smooth gameplay. Ultra settings fall to 40.0 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and suggests that this preset is too demanding for the RTX 4070 SUPER at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K plays a crucial role in ensuring that the GPU is not starved for data, particularly at lower resolutions. With 14 cores and 20 threads, the CPU provides ample parallel processing capability. Its boost clock of 5.30 GHz and single-core score of 4642 in Cinebench R23 indicate strong per-thread performance, which is essential for games like Hitman 2 that rely on a few heavily loaded threads.

At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 263.9 FPS, which is a clear indication that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU beyond its rendering capacity. The CPU’s 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache help reduce memory latency, which is critical for maintaining high frame rates. The data shows that at 1080p Medium, the FPS drops to 199.2, and at 1080p High, it drops to 150.4. This scaling suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor until the GPU’s workload increases significantly.

At 1440p and 4K, the CPU’s role diminishes as the GPU becomes the bottleneck. However, the i5-14600K’s 125 W TDP and Raptor Lake architecture ensure that it does not introduce frame pacing issues. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 49166 places it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, and it is within 0.4% of the Intel Core i5-14600KF’s score of 49367. This indicates that the non-K variant performs essentially identically, making the CPU a reliable partner for the RTX 4070 SUPER across all tested resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and performance, the High preset at 1440p is the standout recommendation. The data shows an average FPS of 96.1, which is well above the 60 FPS standard and provides a detailed image without the severe performance penalty of Ultra. If a higher frame rate is preferred, dropping to Medium at 1440p yields 125.4 FPS, which is a 30% improvement over High while maintaining acceptable visual fidelity.

At 1080p, High settings are the optimal choice for most users. The 150.4 FPS average is ideal for 144 Hz displays, and the visual quality is significantly better than Medium’s 199.2 FPS, which offers diminishing returns in image sharpness. Ultra at 1080p is not recommended, as the 112.3 FPS average is only slightly higher than the 1440p High result, making the extra graphical features not worth the resolution downgrade.

For 4K, Medium settings are the most practical. The 65.9 FPS average is smooth and provides a better experience than High’s 51.6 FPS, which risks noticeable stutter in fast-paced stealth sequences. Ultra at 4K should be avoided entirely, as the 40.0 FPS result is below the playable threshold. The data indicates that High at 1440p or Medium at 4K are the two most balanced configurations for this combo.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER ranks 319 out of 1795 tested combos in Hitman 2, placing it in the top 17.8% of all configurations. This strong ranking is driven by the CPU’s high single-thread performance and the GPU’s substantial rasterization power. The CPU’s percentile rank of 93 among all CPUs is slightly higher than the GPU’s percentile rank of 84, indicating that the processor provides more headroom relative to its peers.

Compared to other top-tier combos, this pairing sits in a competitive position. The GPU’s nearest rival, the NVIDIA RTX A6000, scores 42653 in average benchmark tests, which is only 0.2% higher than the RTX 4070 SUPER’s 42576. This small delta suggests that the 4070 SUPER is delivering near-workstation-level performance in gaming workloads. The CPU’s nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, scores 49062, which is 0.2% lower than the i5-14600K’s 49166, showing that Intel’s offering is marginally faster in this game’s workload.

The rank of 319 out of 1795 indicates that there are 318 configurations that outperform this combo, but the vast majority of tested systems (1476 combos) deliver worse performance. This places the combo in a strong position for 1440p high-refresh gaming and 4K medium-settings play, making it a versatile choice for Hitman 2. The data confirms that this is a well-balanced pairing where the CPU and GPU complement each other effectively across all resolutions and settings.