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 based on the Raptor Lake-R architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process node. Its base clock is 3.50 GHz with a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, and it carries 24 MB of shared L3 cache alongside 2 MB per-core L2 cache and 80 KB per-core L1 cache. The chip supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus, and it offers PCIe Gen 5 with 16 CPU lanes. It scores in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 49,367.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's influence is most apparent when frame rates are not bound by the GPU. At 1080p Low settings, the combo delivers 256.5 FPS, which is the highest measured average across all tested settings and resolutions. That figure indicates the processor is capable of feeding the GPU far beyond typical display refresh rates. The single-thread performance is strong, as evidenced by the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4,643, which helps in a stealth game where AI calculations and world state updates occur frequently. Multi-threaded workloads also scale well—the R23 multi-core score is 32,889—but Hitman 2's engine does not require massive thread counts; the 20 threads available here provide ample headroom.

Comparing to nearby CPUs in the database, the i5-14600KF sits within 0.6% of the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and 0.4% of the Intel Core i5-14600K in average benchmark score. It is 1.4% ahead of the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H and 0.5% behind the AMD EPYC 4345P. These margins are narrow, meaning any of these processors would likely produce similar frame pacing in CPU-bound scenarios. The boost clock of 5.30 GHz is a key asset; Hitman 2 benefits from high per-core frequency, and the measured data at lower resolutions shows the CPU holding up its end of the bottleneck equation.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT uses the Navi 31 chip on a 5 nm TSMC process, with an RDNA 3.0 architecture. It has 20 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 320-bit bus, yielding 800.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's base clock is 1387 MHz, with a boost clock of 2394 MHz and a game clock of 2025 MHz. Memory runs at 2500 MHz, effective at 20 Gbps. The card has 5,376 shading units, 336 texture mapping units, 192 ROPs, and 84 ray tracing cores. Its FP32 throughput is 51.48 TFLOPS, and it achieves a pixel rate of 459.6 GPixel/s with a texture rate of 804.4 GTexel/s. The GPU sits in the 82nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 38,358.

In Hitman 2, the RX 7900 XT's role becomes clear when comparing settings at the same resolution. At 1080p, dropping from Ultra to Low raises the average FPS from 104.2 to 256.5, a change of 152.3 FPS. At 4K, the same settings change moves from 36.4 to 86.5 FPS, a 50.1 FPS difference. This indicates the GPU is the primary limiter at higher resolutions and higher quality presets. The 20 GB VRAM is far beyond what Hitman 2 requires, even at 4K Ultra, so memory capacity is not a constraint. The bandwidth of 800.0 GB/s helps maintain consistent frame delivery when texture detail and draw distances increase.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the database are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 Mobile (deltaPct 0.0), NVIDIA CMP 70HX (0.3% faster), NVIDIA GeForce MX570 (0.4% slower), and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 Mobile (0.6% faster). These margins are negligible in real-world terms, though the RX 7900 XT's desktop-class power envelope—300 W TDP with a suggested 700 W PSU—gives it a distinct advantage in sustained load scenarios.

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

The measured data shows a clear progression across resolutions. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 144.4 at 1080p to 91.2 at 1440p, then to 50.5 at 4K. That is a 65% drop from 1080p to 4K. At Ultra settings, the figures are 104.2, 67.5, and 36.4 for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K, respectively—a 65% reduction as well. Low settings show the steepest relative decline: 256.5 at 1080p, 165.1 at 1440p, and 86.5 at 4K, which is a 66% drop.

The consistency of these percentages—around 65-66%—suggests that the GPU is the dominant scaling factor across all presets. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the drop from 1080p to 4K would be much smaller, since higher resolutions would not increase CPU load proportionally. Instead, the frame rate nearly halves when pixel count quadruples, which is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p Low, the 256.5 FPS result shows the CPU can push well beyond 200 FPS, but even at that setting, the GPU still has work to do. The 1440p to 4K step at Low settings (165.1 to 86.5 FPS) further confirms that the RX 7900 XT is the limiting component; halving the pixel density does not recover frame rates linearly, but the trend is unmistakable.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i5-14600KF and AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT ranks 413th out of 1,795 tested combos in Hitman 2. That places it in the top 23% of all pairings in the database. This rank reflects the balance between the two components: the CPU is in the 93rd percentile among CPUs, and the GPU is in the 82nd percentile among GPUs. Neither component is the absolute fastest in its class, but their pairing produces frame rates that are competitive with many higher-ranked combinations.

Given that Hitman 2 is a 2018 title, the absolute performance here is high, but not exceptional. The top-performing combos in the database likely use faster GPUs or CPUs with higher single-thread scores. The i5-14600KF's average benchmark score of 49,367 is only 0.4% ahead of the i5-14600K (49,166) and 0.6% ahead of the Ryzen 9 5950X (49,062), meaning a swap to either of those CPUs would not meaningfully change the rank. Similarly, the RX 7900 XT's average score of 38,358 is within 0.6% of the RTX 4080 Mobile (38,135), so the rank is not sensitive to minor GPU variations. The 413th position is a result of the overall hardware tier, not a specific bottleneck.

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

The data provides four settings presets at three resolutions. At 4K, the High preset delivers 50.5 FPS, while Ultra drops to 36.4 FPS. Medium yields 64.9 FPS, and Low reaches 86.5 FPS. For a stealth game where reaction time matters less than environmental awareness, 4K High at 50.5 FPS is playable, but it is below the 60 FPS threshold that many players prefer. Dropping to Medium at 4K raises the average to 64.9 FPS, which is a more comfortable margin, and the visual difference between High and Medium in Hitman 2 is often subtle—shadow quality and ambient occlusion are the primary changes.

At 1440p, the High preset achieves 91.2 FPS, which is smooth and visually detailed. Medium hits 119.9 FPS, and Low reaches 165.1 FPS. Ultra at 1440p is 67.5 FPS, which is acceptable but not ideal for high-refresh-rate displays. At 1080p, all presets exceed 100 FPS except Ultra, which sits at 104.2 FPS. Low (256.5 FPS) and Medium (191.2 FPS) are far above typical 144 Hz or 240 Hz display refresh rates, meaning the CPU and GPU are delivering more frames than the display can show.

The best experience per the measured rows is 1440p High at 91.2 FPS. It balances visual fidelity with a frame rate that exceeds 60 FPS and approaches 90 FPS, which is smooth on most monitors. If 4K is the target, Medium at 64.9 FPS is the recommended preset, as it avoids the sub-60 FPS territory of High (50.5) and Ultra (36.4). For competitive or high-refresh play, 1080p Medium at 191.2 FPS or Low at 256.5 FPS are the top choices, though the latter sacrifices too much visual detail for a game that rewards observation.

FAQ

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

A: The highest measured average is 256.5 FPS at 1080p with Low settings.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the combo drop below 60 FPS?

A: At 4K, both High (50.5 FPS) and Ultra (36.4 FPS) fall below 60 FPS. At 1440p, Ultra achieves 67.5 FPS, which is above 60 FPS.

Q: How does this combo's rank compare to the total number of tested combos?

A: The combo ranks 413th out of 1,795 tested combos, placing it in the top 23% of all pairings.

Q: Which component is the primary bottleneck at 4K Ultra?

A: The GPU is the limiting component, as evidenced by the 36.4 FPS result at 4K Ultra versus the CPU's ability to deliver 256.5 FPS at 1080p Low.

Q: What is the average benchmark score of the CPU, and how does it compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600KF has an average benchmark score of 49,367, which is 0.4% higher than the Intel Core i5-14600K's score of 49,166.

Q: Does the GPU have enough memory for 4K Ultra settings in this game?

A: Yes, the 20 GB of GDDR6 memory is more than sufficient for Hitman 2, which does not require that capacity even at 4K Ultra.