Hitman 2

Hitman 2, a stealth title from 2018, remains a demanding benchmark for modern hardware. This analysis examines the performance of the Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7600. The data reveals a combination that is heavily constrained by the graphics card at higher resolutions, while the processor provides ample headroom at 1080p. The measured frame rates show a clear narrative of GPU-bound performance scaling, with the CPU's strong multi-threaded capabilities ensuring it never becomes the primary bottleneck in this title.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 presents a substantial load increase for the AMD Radeon RX 7600. At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 82 FPS at 1080p to 53 FPS at 1440p, a significant reduction of 29 FPS. Moving to 4K, the average falls further to 28 FPS, which is less than half of the 1080p figure. This steep decline indicates that the GPU is the limiting component; as pixel count quadruples, the render throughput of the RX 7600 is overwhelmed.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. For instance, at Low settings, the average FPS declines from 145 at 1080p to 93 at 1440p, and then to 49 at 4K. Similarly, the Ultra preset shows a drop from 61 FPS at 1080p to 39 FPS at 1440p, culminating in a barely playable 21 FPS at 4K. This consistent downward trend across presets confirms that the resolution is the primary driver of performance change, rather than a specific setting. The frame rate deltas between resolutions are large, suggesting that the RX 7600’s 8 GB memory buffer and 128-bit bus are saturated by the higher pixel throughput, particularly at 4K.

The data indicates that 1080p is the sweet spot for this GPU, where it can deliver high frame rates even on Ultra settings. At 1440p, the card remains viable for High and Medium presets, but the drop to 39 FPS on Ultra suggests a compromise is necessary for smoother gameplay. The 4K results are uniformly low, with even the Low preset only achieving 49 FPS, which points to the GPU being the absolute bottleneck, with the CPU's performance having minimal impact on these figures.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal experience balances visual fidelity with playable frame rates. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an average of 82 FPS, which is a solid target for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset offers a higher average of 109 FPS, with minimums of 93 FPS, ensuring a more consistent experience that avoids dips below 60 FPS. For users prioritizing frame rate above all else, the Low preset at 145 FPS is the maximum performance option, but it sacrifices visual detail. The Ultra preset at 1080p, while achieving 61 FPS, is the most demanding and may introduce occasional stutters, so High or Medium is the recommended balance.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset provides a playable average of 70 FPS, with minimums of 59 FPS, making it the best choice for maintaining a stable experience near the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 53 FPS is acceptable for slower-paced stealth gameplay, but the Medium preset offers a more comfortable margin. The Low preset at 93 FPS is the performance option, but it diminishes the visual quality that makes the game’s environments detailed. The Ultra preset at 39 FPS is not recommended for this resolution, as it falls below the threshold for fluid motion.

For 4K resolution (3840x2160), none of the presets achieve a comfortable 60 FPS. The Low preset at 49 FPS is the only option that approaches playability, while Medium (37 FPS) and High (28 FPS) are too slow for a responsive experience. The Ultra preset at 21 FPS is effectively unplayable. Therefore, the data suggests that this combination is not suited for 4K gaming, and users should either lower the resolution or accept significant performance compromises. The measured data clearly indicates that the Medium preset at 1080p or 1440p provides the most balanced experience, offering a high average frame rate with reliable minimums.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific combination of hardware is ranked 2579 out of 3711 tested combos for Hitman 2. This places it in the lower-middle tier of all tested systems, indicating that while it is not a top-tier performer, it is far from the bottom. The percentile ranking for the CPU alone is 90th, meaning the Intel Core i5-14600KF outperforms 90% of all CPUs in the database. However, the GPU's percentile is just 57th, which drags down the overall combo ranking. This disparity highlights the imbalance of this pairing for this specific game.

The combo rank suggests that the RX 7600 is the limiting factor preventing this system from achieving a higher position. The CPU's high percentile and benchmark scores indicate it is capable of pushing much more powerful graphics cards. The nearest rivals for the CPU, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, show a delta of just 0.3%, meaning the i5-14600KF performs nearly identically in synthetic tests. For the GPU, the nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM, with a delta of -0.2%, showing that the RX 7600 is on par with that card in average benchmark scores.

The low combo rank is a direct result of the GPU's mid-pack performance. While the CPU is a high-end part, the GPU is a mainstream offering. In a game like Hitman 2, which is not heavily CPU-dependent at higher resolutions, the GPU's limitations become the deciding factor in the final frame rate. The data shows that to improve this combo's rank, a more powerful GPU would be necessary, as the CPU already has significant headroom. The 2579 rank out of 3711 shows that users with this combo will get playable performance at 1080p, but will not be competitive with systems using higher-tier graphics cards.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average of 145 FPS, which is the highest recorded. The Medium preset follows with an average of 109 FPS, with a minimum of 93 FPS and a maximum of 125 FPS, indicating a stable frame time. The High preset drops to an average of 82 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 61 FPS. These figures show a clear performance hierarchy, with each higher preset costing a significant number of frames.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 93 FPS, which is a substantial drop from the 1080p figure. The Medium preset averages 70 FPS, with minimums of 59 FPS and maximums of 80 FPS. The High preset averages 53 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 39 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows an average reduction of roughly 35-40% across all presets, which is consistent with the increased pixel count. The minimum FPS data for Medium at 1440p (59 FPS) is close to the average, suggesting good frame pacing.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops significantly. The Low preset averages 49 FPS, the Medium preset averages 37 FPS (with a minimum of 32 and maximum of 43), the High preset averages 28 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 21 FPS. The data shows that the RX 7600 is unable to maintain 60 FPS at 4K on any setting. The Medium preset’s minimum of 32 FPS indicates that even the most optimized settings will have noticeable hitches. The frame rates at 4K are consistently below the playable threshold, making this resolution impractical for this hardware combination.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7600 is the primary performance limiter in this configuration for Hitman 2. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is a key factor in the performance drops observed at higher resolutions. At 4K, the 8 GB buffer and limited bandwidth become a bottleneck, as the card struggles to feed the shader units with enough data to maintain high frame rates. The boost clock of 2655 MHz and game clock of 2250 MHz are respectable, but they cannot compensate for the memory constraints.

The GPU’s benchmark scores place it in the 57th percentile, with an average score of 15171. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM, has a delta of -0.2%, indicating near-identical performance. The RX 7600’s Passmark G3D score of 16634 and 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 2310 reflect its mid-range positioning. In Hitman 2, this translates to strong 1080p performance but inadequate 4K performance. The data suggests the card is well-suited for 1080p and entry-level 1440p gaming, but its 8 GB memory and 128-bit interface limit its high-resolution capabilities.

The GPU’s DirectX 12 Passmark score of 58 is notably low, but this is a synthetic test and does not directly correlate to real-world game performance. The architecture is RDNA 3.0, and it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, which is beneficial for modern game features. However, in this specific title, the GPU’s raw throughput and memory bandwidth are the deciding factors. The measured FPS data confirms that the RX 7600 is the component that dictates performance, as the frame rates scale directly with resolution, a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1920x1080 on High settings?

A: The average frame rate at 1080p on High settings is 82 FPS.

Q: Can this hardware combination achieve 60 FPS at 2560x1440 on Ultra settings?

A: No. The measured average FPS at 1440p on Ultra is 39 FPS, which is well below the 60 FPS target.

Q: What is the best preset for a smooth 60 FPS experience at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 1440p delivers an average of 70 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS, making it the most suitable option for maintaining near-60 FPS performance.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600KF has a delta of 0.3% compared to the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, indicating nearly identical average benchmark scores.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The highest average frame rate is 145 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 on Low settings.

Q: Is this combo ranked in the top half of all tested systems for Hitman 2?

A: No, it is ranked 2579 out of 3711 combos, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF plays a supporting role in Hitman 2, providing ample processing power that prevents it from being a bottleneck. With 14 cores (6 performance and 8 efficiency) and 20 threads, the CPU has substantial multi-threading capabilities. Its boost clock of 5.30 GHz and base clock of 3.50 GHz ensure high single-threaded performance, which is often crucial for game logic and physics. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32544 and single-core score of 4594 demonstrate its strength in both heavily threaded and lightly threaded workloads.

The CPU’s 24 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory contribute to its overall responsiveness. In the context of Hitman 2, the CPU is more than sufficient to feed the RX 7600 at 1080p, where frame rates are high. However, as resolution increases, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, and the CPU’s utilization likely decreases. The data shows that at 4K, the frame rates are so low that the CPU is likely idle waiting for the GPU to complete its work. This is a classic sign of a system where the CPU is not the performance ceiling.

The CPU’s average benchmark score of 49394 places it in the 90th percentile, with rivals like the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G showing a delta of just 0.4%. This indicates that the i5-14600KF is a top-tier processor in synthetic tests. However, in Hitman 2, its high performance does not translate to high frame rates at 4K because the GPU cannot keep up. The CPU’s role is to ensure that the GPU is always fed with data, and at 1080p and 1440p, it does this effectively, as evidenced by the consistent frame rates. For users looking to upgrade, the CPU would be able to support a more powerful GPU without becoming a limiting factor.