Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER produces a distinctive performance profile in Hitman 2, one that is heavily dictated by the graphics card. The CPU, a 14-core, 20-thread Raptor Lake part with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, sits in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs. Its synthetic benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32889 and a single-core score of 4643, place it marginally ahead of its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14600K, by 0.4% in average benchmark score. This processing headroom is substantial for a game like Hitman 2, which relies on simulation and AI logic; however, the data suggests that at higher settings and resolutions, the CPU's potential is largely untapped.

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

The Core i5-14600KF’s architecture provides a robust foundation for Hitman 2’s CPU-bound tasks, such as NPC scheduling and crowd simulation. With 14 cores and 20 threads, the processor offers ample parallel capacity, and its high boost clock of 5.30 GHz ensures that the primary game thread, which is often the bottleneck in stealth titles, can execute rapidly. In synthetic workloads, the processor demonstrates its strength: a Geekbench single-core score of 2778 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4273 indicate strong per-core performance. This is critical because Hitman 2’s engine typically relies on a few heavily loaded threads for game logic, and the data shows this CPU has significant single-thread velocity.

However, the measured frame rates reveal a clear trend: the CPU’s capability is only visible at lower graphical settings. At 1080p with Low settings, the combination produces an average of 141.8 FPS, a figure that suggests the CPU is feeding the GPU efficiently. Yet, as resolution and settings increase, the frame rate collapses, indicating that the GPU, not the CPU, becomes the limiting factor. The CPU’s Cinebench R15 multi-core score of 3315 and Passmark multithread score of 38697 are far beyond what Hitman 2 requires for a smooth experience, even in dense crowds. The processor’s 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache also help maintain low-latency access to game assets, which is beneficial for maintaining consistent frame times in complex environments.

The benchmark results show that the CPU is not the source of performance degradation in this pairing. When comparing to its nearest rivals, the i5-14600KF is 0.6% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X and 1.4% ahead of the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H in average scores. This places it in a performance tier that is more than sufficient for Hitman 2’s logic. The data implies that the CPU’s role is to provide a stable, high-frequency base that avoids bottlenecking the GPU at lower settings, but it cannot compensate for the GPU’s limitations at higher graphical loads.

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

Analyzing the measured FPS rows, the most balanced experience at each resolution is found at the Medium preset. At 1080p, Medium yields an average of 105.6 FPS, which is substantially higher than the 84.4 FPS at High and the 58.1 FPS at Ultra. While Low settings provide the highest frame rate at 141.8 FPS, the visual compromise is likely significant for a stealth game where observing environmental details is key. Medium strikes a better balance, delivering over 100 FPS while presumably retaining a reasonable level of graphical fidelity.

At 1440p, the Medium preset again emerges as the optimal choice, producing an average of 71.9 FPS. This is a playable frame rate, whereas the High preset drops to 54.3 FPS, and Ultra falls to 38.7 FPS, which is approaching a less fluid experience. The data suggests that Medium at 1440p is the sweet spot for maintaining a solid frame rate without dipping into the 40s or 30s. For 4K, the situation becomes more constrained. The Medium preset at 4K yields 38.5 FPS, which is marginally playable but not ideal. The High preset at 4K drops to 28.7 FPS, and Ultra is only 23.3 FPS, both of which are below the threshold for a responsive stealth experience. In this case, Low settings at 4K, producing 46.4 FPS, may be the only viable option for a smooth experience, though the visual quality would be significantly reduced.

The data indicates that the Ultra preset is generally not worthwhile with this configuration. At every resolution, the jump from High to Ultra incurs a significant FPS penalty: from 84.4 to 58.1 at 1080p, from 54.3 to 38.7 at 1440p, and from 28.7 to 23.3 at 4K. This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces rendering features that are too demanding for the RTX 2060 SUPER, and the performance cost outweighs the visual benefit. Therefore, the recommended preset is Medium, which provides the best combination of frame rate and visual quality across all tested resolutions.

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

The FPS scaling across resolutions provides a clear diagnosis of the system’s bottleneck. At High settings, the transition from 1080p to 1440p results in a drop from 84.4 FPS to 54.3 FPS, a reduction of 35.7%. Moving from 1440p to 4K at High settings further reduces the frame rate to 28.7 FPS, a 47.1% drop from the 1440p figure. This steep and consistent decline as pixel count increases is the classic signature of a GPU-bound scenario. The RTX 2060 SUPER’s rendering capabilities, specifically its 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, are being saturated by the increasing pixel workload.

Similarly, at Low settings, the frame rates scale from 141.8 FPS at 1080p to 93.4 FPS at 1440p and then to 46.4 FPS at 4K. Even with reduced graphical complexity, the 4K resolution halves the performance relative to 1440p, further confirming that the GPU is the principal limiting factor. The CPU, with its high single-core and multi-core scores, is not the constraint here; if it were, the frame rates would remain relatively flat across resolutions, as the CPU workload would not increase with pixel count. Instead, the data shows a near-linear relationship between resolution and performance loss, which is indicative of the GPU’s pixel fillrate and memory bandwidth limits.

The RTX 2060 SUPER’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are also relevant. At 4K, the larger frame buffer demands more memory bandwidth, and the data suggests that the card’s 256-bit bus is being stressed, leading to the significant FPS drops. The 4K results, with an average of 28.7 FPS at High, demonstrate that this GPU is not designed for high-fidelity 4K gaming in Hitman 2. The scaling pattern indicates that users should target 1080p or 1440p for a playable experience, as the GPU’s computational resources are quickly exhausted at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Hitman 2 with this CPU and GPU combination?

A: Based on the measured data, 1440p with Medium settings provides an average of 71.9 FPS, which is a good balance. At 1080p, Medium settings yield 105.6 FPS, which is a very smooth experience, but 1440p offers a better visual upgrade while remaining playable.

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-14600KF a bottleneck for the RTX 2060 SUPER in this game?

A: No, the data shows the CPU is not the limiting factor. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 141.8 FPS, and the FPS drops primarily as resolution increases, which is a GPU-bound behavior. The CPU’s high single-core score of 4273 in Passmark suggests it has more than enough processing power for Hitman 2’s logic.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Hitman 2?

A: The data suggests it is not ideal. At 4K with High settings, the average FPS is 28.7, which is below a desirable threshold. Even at Medium settings, the average FPS is 38.5, which is playable but not smooth. Low settings at 4K provide 46.4 FPS, but with significant visual compromises.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its closest rival, the RTX 2070?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 19774, which is 0.5% higher than the RTX 2070’s 19680 score. This indicates that their raw performance is nearly identical, and the measured FPS in Hitman 2 would be expected to be very similar between the two.

Q: Why does the Ultra preset perform so poorly compared to High?

A: The Ultra preset incurs a substantial FPS cost. At 1080p, it drops from 84.4 FPS at High to 58.1 FPS at Ultra. At 1440p, the drop is from 54.3 FPS to 38.7 FPS. This suggests Ultra introduces effects that heavily tax the GPU’s 7.181 TFLOPS of compute performance, making High a more efficient choice.

Q: What is the performance percentile of the RTX 2060 SUPER compared to all GPUs?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER is in the 63rd percentile for all GPUs. This indicates that while it is not a top-tier card, it outperforms a majority of its contemporaries, which aligns with its ability to handle 1080p and 1440p gaming well in this title.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the dominant factor in this system’s Hitman 2 performance. With a base clock of 1470 MHz and a boost clock of 1650 MHz, the Turing-based GPU’s 2176 shading units are tasked with rendering the game’s detailed environments. The card’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, running at an effective 14 Gbps across a 256-bit bus, provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but the data shows it is strained at 4K, where the larger frame buffer and higher texture demands lead to the significant FPS drops observed.

The GPU’s compute capabilities, measured at 7.181 TFLOPS for FP32, are the primary constraint at higher settings. The measured FPS shows that the card’s performance is heavily influenced by the preset. At 1080p, the card can deliver 84.4 FPS at High, but this drops to 58.1 FPS at Ultra, suggesting that the Ultra preset uses effects that saturate the GPU’s compute units. The card’s 136 texture mapping units and 64 ROPs also play a role; the pixel rate of 105.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 224.4 GTexel/s are sufficient for lower resolutions but become bottlenecks at 4K.

The GPU’s benchmark scores contextualize its performance. Its Passmark G3D score of 16462 places it in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 19774 is 0.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN and 0.5% higher than the RTX 2070. This indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER is a solid mid-range performer from its generation. In Hitman 2, the data reveals that the GPU is the limiting component at all settings above Low at 1080p. The 4K results, which see the card struggling to maintain 30 FPS at High settings, confirm that this GPU is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming. The card’s 175 W TDP and 450 W suggested PSU are not factors in the measured performance, but its dual-slot design and 1x 8-pin power connector are standard for this class. The RTX 2060 SUPER provides a playable experience at Medium settings for most resolutions, but its architectural limits are clearly exposed at 4K Ultra.