Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 produces a spread of results in Hitman 2 that clearly delineates the workload balance between CPU and GPU. At 1080p, the combo delivers high frame rates across all presets, but the scaling to 4K reveals a steep performance cliff that points directly at the graphics card as the limiting factor. This is a pairing that excels at high-refresh 1080p and 1440p gaming, but it will struggle to maintain playable frame rates at 4K on higher presets.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a predictable and pronounced drop as resolution increases, but the magnitude of that drop varies significantly by preset. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 183.8 FPS at 1920x1080 to 115.7 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of roughly 37%. Pushing further to 3840x2160 yields 60 FPS, which is a 48% drop from the 1440p figure and only about a third of the 1080p performance. This pattern indicates that even at Low settings, the GPU is being heavily taxed at 4K, though the 60 FPS average remains technically playable.

The situation becomes more pronounced at higher presets. At High settings, the combo delivers 103.7 FPS at 1080p, drops to 69 FPS at 1440p, and then falls to 37.3 FPS at 4K. The 1440p to 4K transition alone costs nearly 46% of the performance. At Medium settings, the numbers are 139 FPS, 89.5 FPS, and 45.9 FPS for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K respectively. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, yielding 78.5 FPS at 1080p, 49.6 FPS at 1440p, and a mere 23.9 FPS at 4K.

The data strongly suggests that the RTX 5060’s 8 GB of GDDR7 memory and 128-bit bus are the primary bottlenecks at 4K. The frame rate halving from 1440p to 4K at High and Medium settings is a classic sign of the GPU running out of memory bandwidth or capacity, rather than the CPU being unable to feed it. At 1080p and 1440p, the scaling is more linear and typical of a GPU-bound scenario, but 4K pushes the card past its comfort zone.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its 24 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory make it a strong all-around performer. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 32881 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 4642 in single-core, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 49166 puts it nearly neck-and-neck with the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, which scores 49062, a negligible 0.2% difference.

In the context of Hitman 2, the CPU’s strong single-thread performance is crucial for the game’s stealth AI and physics calculations. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 183.8 FPS, which is likely near the upper limit of what the CPU can push in this title. However, the frame rate scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings (183.8 to 115.7 FPS) suggests that the CPU is not the primary limiter at lower resolutions; the GPU is simply running out of headroom. The 14600K’s boost clock of 5.30 GHz and 20 threads ensure that it will not bottleneck the RTX 5060 in almost any scenario, as evidenced by the fact that the frame rate drops are consistent with GPU-bound behavior across all presets.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with 3840 shading units and 48 ROPs. It features 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock is 2497 MHz, and it has a TDP of 145 W. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 20891 in Passmark G3D and 120785 in Geekbench OpenCL. Its average benchmark score of 30109 places it in the 73rd percentile of all GPUs, with a near-perfect match to the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT, which scores 30097, a 0% delta.

The game data reveals the RTX 5060’s limits. At 4K Ultra, the combo produces only 23.9 FPS, which is unplayable. Even at 4K High, the 37.3 FPS average is below the 40 FPS threshold that many players consider acceptable. The GPU’s 8 GB VRAM is likely a significant factor here, as Hitman 2’s high-resolution textures can easily exceed that capacity. The card’s 128-bit memory bus, despite GDDR7 speed, limits the bandwidth needed for 4K rendering. Conversely, at 1080p and 1440p, the RTX 5060 shows its strength, with 1440p High delivering 69 FPS and 1080p High hitting 103.7 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is well-suited for mainstream resolutions but is not designed for 4K gaming on demanding presets.

Settings Recommendations

For a smooth experience, the data points to 1440p as the sweet spot for this combo, provided you are willing to adjust presets. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset delivers 89.5 FPS, which is excellent for a stealth game where fluid camera movement matters. The High preset at 1440p yields 69 FPS, which is still very playable and offers better visual fidelity. For those with high-refresh 1080p monitors, the Ultra preset at 78.5 FPS is the best choice, as it provides the highest visual quality while maintaining frame rates well above 60.

At 4K, the situation is dire. The Low preset at 60 FPS is the only playable option, but it sacrifices most of the visual detail that makes the game appealing. The Medium preset at 45.9 FPS is borderline, but it may feel sluggish in action sequences. The High preset at 37.3 FPS and Ultra at 23.9 FPS should be avoided entirely. Therefore, the recommended approach is to prioritize 1440p Medium or High for the best balance of visual quality and performance. If 4K is a must, dropping to Low is the only way to achieve a consistent 60 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

Among the 1795 tested combos in the database, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 ranks 848th in Hitman 2. This places it in the middle of the pack, which is consistent with the GPU’s 73rd percentile ranking and the CPU’s 93rd percentile. The rank suggests that while the CPU is top-tier, the GPU holds the combo back from the upper echelons of performance. The data shows that the combo’s performance is heavily skewed by the GPU’s limitations at higher resolutions, which drags down its overall standing. In a game like Hitman 2, where CPU single-thread performance is important, the 14600K does its part, but the RTX 5060 simply cannot compete with higher-end cards that have more VRAM and bandwidth.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers a full range of playable results. The Low preset averages 183.8 FPS, which is exceptionally high and indicates that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU well beyond what the card can render at higher settings. Medium drops to 139 FPS, High to 103.7 FPS, and Ultra to 78.5 FPS. All of these are smooth and well above 60 FPS, making 1080p a non-issue for this pairing.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain strong. Low averages 115.7 FPS, Medium 89.5 FPS, and High 69 FPS. The Ultra preset falls to 49.6 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. The step from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 37% of performance at Low settings and about 33% at High settings, showing a consistent GPU-bound scaling.

At 3840x2160, the results are mostly disappointing. Low averages 60 FPS, which is just at the edge of playable. Medium drops to 45.9 FPS, High to 37.3 FPS, and Ultra to 23.9 FPS. The drop from 1440p to 4K is severe, with the High preset losing 46% of its frame rate. This clearly indicates that the RTX 5060 is not suitable for 4K gaming in Hitman 2 beyond the lowest settings.