Hitman 2

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

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is a 14-core, 20-thread processor from the Core 14th Gen series, built on Raptor Lake architecture with a 10 nm process node. Its base clock is 3.50 GHz, boosting to 5.30 GHz, with a 125 W TDP and support for both DDR4 and DDR5 memory. The CPU sits in the 93rd percentile versus all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49,367.

For Hitman 2, a stealth game released in late 2018, the CPU's role is substantial but secondary to the GPU in most tested configurations. The benchmark data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 69.2 FPS, which is the highest measured frame rate across all resolutions and settings. This suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU adequately at lower graphical loads. However, the processor's single-thread performance, as indicated by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4,643, is strong enough to handle Hitman 2's AI and physics simulation without becoming the primary bottleneck in most scenarios.

The CPU's multicore capabilities are also notable, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 32,889 and a Passmark multithread score of 38,697. These figures indicate that the processor has ample headroom for background tasks and game logic, but the measured FPS drops suggest that the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution and settings increase. The CPU's nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600K, scores 49,166 with a delta of 0.4%, meaning the 14600KF is essentially performance-equivalent to its non-F counterpart. The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X trails slightly at 49,062 with a 0.6% delta, placing the 14600KF marginally ahead of a high-core-count competitor.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14600KF and AMD Radeon RX 570 ranks 1,704th out of 1,795 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places the pairing in the bottom 5% of all tested configurations, which is a poor result for a CPU that otherwise performs in the 93rd percentile. The discrepancy is explained entirely by the GPU: the RX 570 is an end-of-life graphics card from 2017, and its benchmark scores reflect its age.

The GPU's percentile versus all GPUs is 74, but its average benchmark score of 30,158 is modest. The nearest rivals for the RX 570 include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 with a delta of 0.2% and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT also at 0.2%, which suggests that the RX 570's average benchmark score is statistically tied to much newer cards in synthetic tests. However, in Hitman 2 specifically, the measured FPS tells a different story. The combo's rank of 1,704 out of 1,795 means that nearly every other CPU-GPU pairing tested delivers higher frame rates.

The data indicates that the CPU's high performance is wasted when paired with this GPU. The combo's poor rank is not a reflection of the processor's capabilities but rather a consequence of the GPU's limited fill rate and memory bandwidth. Users considering this pairing should expect performance that is dramatically below what the CPU alone would suggest, as the GPU becomes the constraining factor in all tested scenarios.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a steep decline as resolution increases, which is a clear indicator of GPU-bound performance. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 69.2 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 43.6 FPS, a reduction of 25.6 FPS or 37%. At 4K Low, the frame rate falls to 23.4 FPS, which is 45.8 FPS lower than 1080p Low — a 66% decrease.

The pattern is consistent across all settings. At 1080p High, the combo delivers 39.9 FPS; at 1440p High, 27 FPS; and at 4K High, 15.7 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at High settings represents a 60.7% drop in frame rate. This steep decline is typical of a GPU that is overwhelmed by pixel throughput, not a CPU that is struggling with game logic.

If the CPU were the limiting factor, frame rates would remain relatively flat across resolutions because the CPU workload does not scale with pixel count. Instead, the data shows that FPS drops roughly proportionally to the increase in resolution, which is the hallmark of a GPU bottleneck. The RX 570's 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for 4K rendering, and even at 1440p, the card struggles to maintain playable frame rates in most settings. The conclusion is unambiguous: the RX 570 is the limiting component in this pairing, and the 14600KF's processing power is largely idle at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo produces its best results. With Low settings, the average FPS is 69.2. Medium settings yield 53 FPS, High settings drop to 39.9 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 29.9 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 39.3 FPS, indicating that the GPU's performance scales poorly with increased graphical fidelity. At 1080p, the card can deliver playable frame rates at Low and Medium, but High and Ultra fall below the 40 FPS threshold that many users consider acceptable for a stealth game.

At 2560x1440, the performance degrades significantly. Low settings average 43.6 FPS, Medium settings 36.2 FPS, High settings 27 FPS, and Ultra settings 16.9 FPS. The drop from 1080p Low to 1440p Low is 25.6 FPS, and the Ultra setting at 1440p is nearly unplayable at 16.9 FPS. The data suggests that 1440p is only viable at Low or Medium settings, and even then, the frame rates are marginal for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the results are consistently poor. Low settings average 23.4 FPS, Medium settings 17 FPS, High settings 15.7 FPS, and Ultra settings 12.5 FPS. No setting at 4K produces a frame rate that could be considered playable for a stealth game that requires precise timing and stealth mechanics. The gap between 1080p Low and 4K Low is 45.8 FPS, and the Ultra setting at 4K is 56.7 FPS lower than 1080p Low. The RX 570 is simply not equipped for 4K gaming in Hitman 2, regardless of the CPU's capabilities.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 570 is based on the Polaris 20 chip with GCN 4.0 architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It features 2,048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, with a base clock of 1168 MHz and a boost clock of 1244 MHz. The card has 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its pixel rate is 39.81 GPixel/s, and its texture rate is 159.2 GTexel/s, with an FP32 performance of 5.095 TFLOPS.

For Hitman 2, the GPU's memory capacity and bandwidth are critical. The game's levels are dense with objects, NPCs, and lighting effects, and 4 GB of VRAM is insufficient at higher resolutions and settings. The measured FPS data supports this: at 1080p, where the 4 GB memory is less likely to overflow, the card performs reasonably at Low and Medium. At 1440p and 4K, the memory bandwidth becomes a bottleneck, and the frame rates collapse.

The GPU's TDP is 150 W, and it requires a 450 W power supply, which is modest by modern standards. Its DirectX 12 (12_0) and Vulkan 1.3 support are adequate for Hitman 2, but the card's age is evident in its performance. The nearest rivals for the RX 570 include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 with a delta of 0.2%, which suggests that in synthetic benchmarks, the RX 570 is not far behind much newer cards. However, in real-world gaming, the RX 570's lack of modern features like hardware ray tracing and its limited VRAM are severe disadvantages.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience for this combo is at 1080p with Low settings, which yields 69.2 FPS. This is the only configuration that exceeds the 60 FPS threshold, and it does so by a comfortable margin. At 1080p Medium, the frame rate drops to 53 FPS, which is still playable but not as smooth. Users who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate could consider 1080p High at 39.9 FPS, but this is a compromise that may not be acceptable for a game that requires quick reactions.

At 1440p, the recommended setting is Low, which produces 43.6 FPS. Medium at 1440p drops to 36.2 FPS, and High falls to 27 FPS, making these settings less desirable. Ultra at 1440p at 16.9 FPS is not recommended. At 4K, none of the settings are playable, with the highest frame rate being 23.4 FPS at Low. Users who own a 4K monitor should avoid this resolution entirely with this combo.

The data shows a clear pattern: the RX 570 is best utilized at 1080p with lower settings, where it can deliver a smooth experience. The CPU's power is not the limiting factor; rather, the GPU's performance ceiling dictates that users should prioritize frame rate over graphical quality. For the best overall experience, 1080p Low is the clear winner, with 1080p Medium as a viable alternative for users who prefer slightly better visuals.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can achieve in Hitman 2?

A: The highest average FPS is 69.2, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 12.5 (Ultra settings) to 23.4 (Low settings). None of the 4K configurations produce playable frame rates.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this pairing?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The FPS drops steeply as resolution increases, which indicates a GPU bottleneck. The CPU ranks in the 93rd percentile versus all CPUs, while the GPU is end-of-life.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested CPU-GPU pairings in Hitman 2?

A: The combo ranks 1,704th out of 1,795 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 5% of all tested configurations.

Q: What settings are recommended for the best experience?

A: 1080p with Low settings is recommended, as it produces 69.2 FPS. 1080p Medium at 53 FPS is a viable alternative for better visuals.

Q: How does the RX 570's benchmark score compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RX 570 has an average benchmark score of 30,158. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 with a 0.2% delta and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT also with a 0.2% delta, indicating they are statistically tied in synthetic benchmarks.