Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination delivers a robust Hitman 2 experience, with benchmark results showing a clear hierarchy across settings and resolutions. The data indicates that this pairing is capable of high refresh-rate play at 1080p and maintains playable frame rates at 4K, though the performance scaling reveals distinct bottlenecks depending on the workload. This analysis walks through the measured FPS data to determine the optimal configuration, the impact of resolution scaling, and where this specific combo ranks among the 1795 tested combinations.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

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. It features a 24 MB shared L3 cache and supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory, with a TDP of 125 W. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32881 and a single-core score of 4642, placing it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. Its average benchmark score of 49166 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, which scores 49062, a mere 0.2% difference, and slightly ahead of the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, which scores 48698, a 1% gap.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's contribution is most evident at lower resolutions where the graphics card is not the primary constraint. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 256.7 FPS, which is the highest measured frame rate in the entire dataset. This suggests that the i5-14600K's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by its Geekbench single-core score of 2803, is sufficient to feed the RTX 5070 without creating a bottleneck at this resolution. The processor's multi-threading capabilities, reflected in its Passmark multithread score of 38682, also help maintain consistent frame pacing in the game's open-world stealth scenarios, which often involve numerous AI-driven NPCs. The data shows that as settings increase at 1080p, the frame rate drops to 191.7 FPS at Medium, 143.9 FPS at High, and 107.5 FPS at Ultra, indicating that the CPU can sustain high throughput even when the GPU workload increases.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of the trade-offs between visual fidelity and performance. At 1080p, the Ultra preset delivers 107.5 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, but the High preset at 143.9 FPS offers a more comfortable margin for high-refresh-rate monitors. The Medium preset at 191.7 FPS is ideal for competitive play, while Low at 256.7 FPS maximizes responsiveness. For a balanced experience, the High preset at 1080p is recommended, as it provides a 33.8% improvement over Ultra while maintaining a substantial frame rate advantage.

At 1440p, the High preset drops to 96.1 FPS, which is still well above 60 FPS, while Ultra falls to 70 FPS, which is playable but may be less consistent on VRR displays. The Medium preset at 124.2 FPS offers a good middle ground, delivering 29.2% more performance than High. For 1440p gaming, the High preset is the best choice for visual quality without sacrificing responsiveness, as it keeps the frame rate near the 100 FPS mark.

At 4K, the situation becomes more demanding. The High preset produces 50.1 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS ideal, while the Medium preset at 69.1 FPS is the only option that exceeds 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 38.3 FPS is playable but may feel stuttery in fast-paced sequences. The Low preset at 90 FPS shows that the GPU can handle the resolution when the graphical load is reduced. Therefore, for 4K, the Medium preset is the recommended setting, as it provides the best balance of visual quality and performance, staying above 60 FPS without the steep drop seen in High.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The FPS scaling across resolutions reveals the GPU as the primary limiting component at higher settings. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 256.7 FPS at 1080p to 162.4 FPS at 1440p and 90 FPS at 4K. This represents a 36.7% decrease from 1080p to 1440p and a 44.6% decrease from 1440p to 4K. The relatively linear decline suggests that the RTX 5070's raw compute power, which includes 6144 shading units and a boost clock of 2512 MHz, is being stressed as the pixel count increases.

At High settings, the drop is more pronounced: from 143.9 FPS at 1080p to 96.1 FPS at 1440p (a 33.2% decrease) and then to 50.1 FPS at 4K (a 47.9% decrease from 1440p). This steep decline at 4K indicates that the GPU's 12 GB of GDDR7 memory and 672.0 GB/s bandwidth are being heavily utilized, but the 4K resolution pushes the render pipeline to its limits. The fact that the CPU maintains high frame rates at 1080p Low settings, where the GPU is less stressed, confirms that the i5-14600K is not the bottleneck in this scenario. The data shows that the RTX 5070's performance degrades as resolution increases, which is typical for a mid-range GPU in a demanding title like Hitman 2, where the game's stealth mechanics and detailed environments require significant graphical processing.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 combination is ranked 351 out of 1795 tested combos in Hitman 2, placing it in the top 20% of all configurations. This ranking is based on the measured FPS data across all settings and resolutions, and it reflects the combo's strong overall performance. The CPU's percentile of 93 vs all CPUs and the GPU's percentile of 83 vs all GPUs indicate that this pairing is above average, but the ranking suggests that there are many combos with higher-end components that achieve better results.

When compared to other tested combos, the RTX 5070's average benchmark score of 41687 puts it in line with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, which scores 41441, a 0.6% difference. This means that in terms of raw GPU compute, the RTX 5070 is comparable to a previous-generation flagship. The CPU's average score of 49166 is also close to the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, but the combo's rank of 351 indicates that the pairing works well together, with no significant bottleneck preventing the GPU from performing at its peak. The ranking data shows that this combo is a solid mid-to-high-end option, capable of delivering high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, with acceptable performance at 4K.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture with a 5 nm process node and features 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 2325 MHz and a boost clock of 2512 MHz, with 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units. Its FP32 performance is rated at 30.87 TFLOPS, and it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4. The GPU's TDP is 250 W, and it requires a 600 W power supply.

In Hitman 2, the GPU's role is dominant at higher resolutions and settings. At 4K Ultra, the combo achieves only 38.3 FPS, which is a 61.3% drop from the 1080p Ultra score of 107.5 FPS. This indicates that the game's Ultra settings, which likely include high-resolution textures and advanced lighting effects, are extremely demanding on the GPU's memory and compute resources. The 12 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the memory bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s may become a limiting factor, especially with high-resolution textures. The GPU's Passmark G3D score of 29137 and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 5077 show that it is a capable performer, but Hitman 2's specific workload, which involves large crowds and detailed environments, requires substantial GPU resources to maintain high frame rates at 4K.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset for 1080p gaming with this combo?

A: The High preset at 1080p delivers 143.9 FPS, which is 33.8% faster than Ultra (107.5 FPS) while maintaining high visual quality. For competitive play, the Low preset at 256.7 FPS is the best option.

Q: Can this combo maintain 60 FPS at 4K?

A: Yes, but only at Medium settings, which produces 69.1 FPS. The High preset drops to 50.1 FPS, and Ultra falls to 38.3 FPS, so Medium is the only 4K preset that exceeds 60 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600K has an average benchmark score of 49166, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X (49062) and 1% higher than the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (48698).

Q: What is the GPU's performance relative to the RTX 3090?

A: The RTX 5070 has an average benchmark score of 41687, which is 0.6% higher than the RTX 3090's score of 41441, indicating near-parity in raw compute performance.

Q: What resolution shows the largest frame rate drop?

A: The largest drop occurs from 1440p to 4K at High settings, where the frame rate falls from 96.1 FPS to 50.1 FPS, a 47.9% decrease, highlighting the GPU's struggle with 4K rendering.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any resolution?

A: The data does not show a CPU bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 256.7 FPS, indicating the CPU can feed the GPU effectively. The frame rate drops are consistent with GPU limitations as resolution increases.