Hitman 2

Hitman 2, a 2018 stealth title, behaves like a classic high-refresh-rate showcase with this hardware pairing. The Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination produces a wide performance envelope, from a highly playable 52 FPS at 4K Ultra to a blistering 365 FPS at 1080p Low. The data shows a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions and settings, while the CPU's strength becomes the defining factor only at the lowest graphical presets.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and reveals a clear shift in system bottleneck. At 1080p High, the combo delivers 207 FPS, but at 1440p High, it falls to 132 FPS, a 36% reduction. Moving to 4K High, the average drops further to 71 FPS, which is 66% below the 1080p figure. This steep decline indicates that the RTX 5090 D is being taxed heavily as pixel count increases, with the CPU having less influence on the final frame rate at higher resolutions.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. For Medium settings, the transition from 1080p (274 FPS) to 1440p (175 FPS) represents a 36% performance loss, and the jump to 4K (93 FPS) is another 47% drop. The Ultra preset shows the most severe scaling, with 153 FPS at 1080p, 98 FPS at 1440p, and only 52 FPS at 4K. This suggests that Ultra settings introduce graphical effects that disproportionately impact the GPU's fill rate and shading capacity.

At 1080p with Low settings, the system reaches 365 FPS, which is likely near the point where the CPU's single-thread performance becomes the primary limiter. The fact that 1080p Low (365 FPS) is only 56% faster than 1440p Low (234 FPS), while 1080p High (207 FPS) is 57% faster than 1440p High (132 FPS), indicates that the scaling is not purely linear. The CPU overhead per frame becomes more significant as the GPU work per frame decreases, which is typical for a game like Hitman 2 that has complex AI and simulation logic.

The 4K results are particularly telling. The gap between 4K Low (124 FPS) and 4K High (71 FPS) is 43%, which is smaller than the gap at 1080p between Low (365 FPS) and High (207 FPS) at 43%. This suggests that at 4K, the GPU is the dominant constraint, and the settings preset has a relatively smaller impact on performance than it does at lower resolutions where the CPU can keep up more easily.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the star of this benchmark, and its 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus provides a 1.79 TB/s bandwidth. This massive memory subsystem is likely why the game maintains playable frame rates even at 4K Ultra, where texture detail and geometric complexity are at their highest. The 52 FPS average at 4K Ultra is a demanding scenario, and the GPU's 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 compute capability is what allows it to handle the rendering load.

The GPU's clock speeds are modest for a flagship, with a base of 2017 MHz and a boost of 2407 MHz. However, the architecture's efficiency, built on TSMC's 5 nm process with 92,200 million transistors, allows these clocks to translate into exceptional real-world performance. The 176 ROPs are responsible for the final pixel output, and the 423.6 GPixel/s pixel rate is a key metric for understanding why 4K performance is as high as it is.

The benchmark results place this GPU in the 92nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 77712. Its nearest rivals in the database include the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT, which has an average score of 76904 and is 1.1% faster, and the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, which scores 78940 and is 1.6% slower. This indicates that the RTX 5090 D is positioned at the very top of the performance hierarchy, with only a few mobile or datacenter parts in its immediate vicinity.

The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) is relevant for Hitman 2, as the game can leverage modern rendering features. The PassMark DirectX 12 score of 219 and DirectX 11 score of 371 suggest that the GPU is particularly strong in legacy API workloads, which is beneficial for a game from 2018 that was designed before the widespread adoption of DirectX 12 Ultimate features. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14326 confirms strong synthetic performance.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. This is a Raptor Lake Refresh part on the Intel Socket 1700 platform, and its 24 MB of shared L3 cache is a significant asset for gaming workloads. The high boost clock is crucial for Hitman 2, which relies heavily on single-threaded performance for its core game logic and AI.

The CPU's benchmark scores are strong across the board. It achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 24491 and a single-core score of 2064, which places it in the 90th percentile among all CPUs. In the PassMark suite, the multi-thread score of 38682 and single-thread score of 4270 are particularly relevant for gaming. The data shows that this CPU can feed the RTX 5090 D effectively, especially at 1080p where the GPU is less of a bottleneck.

The CPU's performance relative to its rivals is tight. Its average benchmark score of 48618 is nearly identical to the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H, which scores 48698 and is 0.2% slower. The AMD EPYC 4345P is 0.3% faster with a score of 48470, and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX is 0.7% faster with a score of 48287. This indicates that the i5-14600K is a very balanced performer in its segment, offering comparable multi-threaded capability to server-class parts.

For Hitman 2 specifically, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p Low, where the system hits 365 FPS. This is a 56% increase over 1440p Low (234 FPS), which suggests that at this resolution and settings, the CPU is the limiting factor. The 5.30 GHz boost clock allows for rapid single-thread execution, which is essential for maintaining high frame rates when the GPU is not under heavy load. The processor's 20 threads also ensure that background tasks and game logic don't cause frame time spikes.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D achieves the top rank in the database for Hitman 2. It is ranked 1 out of 3001 tested combos, which is the highest possible position. This indicates that no other CPU and GPU pairing in the database produces higher average frame rates in this game.

The ranking is a direct result of the GPU's immense power. The RTX 5090 D is a top-tier part, and when paired with a capable CPU like the i5-14600K, it dominates the leaderboard. The CPU's 90th percentile ranking and the GPU's 92nd percentile ranking combine to create a system that is at the peak of current hardware performance for this title.

The fact that this combo ranks first despite the game being from 2018 shows that Hitman 2 scales well with modern hardware. The game's engine is not artificially limited by older API constraints, allowing the RTX 5090 D to fully utilize its resources. The measured FPS data confirms that this is not just a synthetic result; the real-world performance is equally impressive.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers exceptional performance across all settings. With Low settings, the average frame rate is 365 FPS, which is the highest recorded measurement for this combo. Medium settings produce 274 FPS, with a minimum of 233 FPS and a maximum of 315 FPS. High settings result in 207 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 153 FPS. These numbers show that at 1080p, the system is capable of driving high-refresh-rate monitors even with maximum graphical fidelity.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains excellent but shows the expected decline. Low settings average 234 FPS, while Medium settings hit 175 FPS, with a minimum of 149 FPS and a maximum of 201 FPS. High settings produce 132 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 98 FPS. The 1440p Medium result is particularly noteworthy, as the minimum frame rate of 149 FPS still exceeds the refresh rate of most 144Hz monitors, ensuring a smooth experience.

At 3840x2160, the system is pushed to its limits. Low settings average 124 FPS, which is still very playable. Medium settings result in 93 FPS, with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 107 FPS. High settings drop to 71 FPS, and Ultra settings bring the average down to 52 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is the only measurement that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that this is the most demanding configuration tested.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for a 144Hz monitor?

A: At 1440p, the Medium settings preset delivers an average of 175 FPS, which is well above the 144Hz threshold. Even the High preset at 1440p, with an average of 132 FPS, is close to that target. At 1080p, all settings presets exceed 144 FPS, with Ultra hitting 153 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 4K High, the system averages 71 FPS, which is smooth for most players. The Ultra preset, however, only produces 52 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. For 4K, the Medium preset (93 FPS) offers the best balance between visual quality and performance.

Q: How much of a performance drop is there from 1080p to 4K?

A: The drop is significant. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 207 FPS at 1080p to 71 FPS at 4K, a 66% reduction. At Low settings, the drop is from 365 FPS to 124 FPS, a 66% reduction as well. This indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Q: Is this CPU or GPU more important for this game?

A: The data shows that the GPU becomes the dominant factor at 1440p and 4K, where the frame rate scales directly with resolution. At 1080p Low, the CPU's limitations become apparent, as the frame rate is capped at 365 FPS. The CPU's single-thread performance is crucial for achieving the highest possible frame rates at low resolutions.

Q: What is the lowest frame rate recorded in this benchmark?

A: The lowest average frame rate is 52 FPS, which occurs at 4K with the Ultra settings preset. The lowest minimum frame rate recorded is 79 FPS, which occurs at 4K with Medium settings. This indicates that the system maintains playable performance even in the most demanding scenarios.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested hardware?

A: This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-14600K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is ranked 1 out of 3001 tested combos for Hitman 2. This is the highest possible ranking, meaning no other tested hardware pairing produces higher average frame rates in this game.