Hitman 2

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti places at rank 1341 out of 3711 tested combinations for Hitman 2. This puts the combo in the 64th percentile of all tested systems, indicating a solidly above-average configuration that sits comfortably in the upper-middle tier of the database. The ranking reflects the balance between a high-end 14th-gen CPU and a mid-high range GPU from the Ampere generation.

Benchmark results show this pairing is well-suited for Hitman 2's stealth gameplay, where frame rate consistency matters more than raw peak performance. The combo's position at roughly the 64th percentile means it outperforms the majority of tested systems while remaining short of the top-tier configurations that dominate the leaderboard. The data indicates that this is a capable setup for the game, though not one that will challenge the highest-ranked enthusiast builds.

When examining the CPU's standalone performance, the Core i5-14600KF achieves a 90th percentile ranking against all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49394. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, which scores 49228 (a 0.3% difference), and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G at 49196 (0.4% difference). The CPU's strong multi-threaded performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32544, ensures that Hitman 2's simulation and AI workloads are handled without bottlenecking the GPU.

On the graphics side, the RTX 3070 Ti holds a 75th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average score of 29945. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile (29928, 0.1% behind) and the AMD Radeon RX 6800 (30095, 0.5% ahead), placing it in a tightly contested performance band. This GPU's position reinforces the overall combo ranking, as it delivers strong but not class-leading rasterization performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti serves as the primary rendering workhorse in this configuration, and its specifications directly influence Hitman 2's measured performance. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 608.3 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is sufficient for Hitman 2's environments, which feature dense crowds, complex lighting, and detailed textures, though the 8 GB capacity becomes a limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Clock speeds are set at a base of 1575 MHz and a boost of 1770 MHz, with memory running at 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The GPU's Ampere architecture delivers 21.75 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, with 6144 shading units, 192 TMUs, and 96 ROPs. These specifications translate to measured frame rates that scale predictably across resolutions in Hitman 2.

At 4K Ultra settings, the GPU produces an average of 29 FPS, which drops below playable thresholds for most users. However, at 4K Low settings, the average jumps to 70 FPS, demonstrating that the GPU has the raw compute power to handle the game but requires settings adjustments at higher resolutions. The 8 GB VRAM capacity appears to be a constraint at 4K Ultra, where texture-heavy scenes may exceed available memory, causing performance to degrade.

The GPU's role becomes more pronounced at lower resolutions, where it can fully stretch its legs. At 1080p Ultra, the average reaches 85 FPS, while 1080p Low achieves 204 FPS, indicating that the RTX 3070 Ti is not the bottleneck at this resolution. The data suggests that Hitman 2's engine is well-optimized for NVIDIA hardware, and the GPU's 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores provide headroom for future titles, though Hitman 2 itself does not heavily leverage ray tracing in the measured settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Hitman 2?

A: The data shows 1440p High provides the best balance, with an average of 74 FPS, while 1440p Medium reaches 98 FPS. At 1080p, all settings are playable, with Ultra averaging 85 FPS and High at 116 FPS.

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

A: At 4K, the combo achieves 39 FPS on High settings and 52 FPS on Medium, but only 29 FPS on Ultra. For playable 4K performance, Medium settings are recommended, as they deliver an average above 50 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Core i5-14600KF scores 49394 on average, placing it 0.3% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (49228) and 0.4% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (49196). It trails the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 by 0.8% (49796).

Q: What is the GPU's competitive position relative to similar cards?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti averages 29945 in benchmarks, sitting 0.1% above the RTX 5070 Mobile (29928) and 0.5% above the RTX 2080 Ti (29783). The AMD RX 6800 leads it by 0.5% (30095).

Q: Is the 8 GB VRAM sufficient for Hitman 2?

A: The measured data indicates yes for most settings, but 4K Ultra performance drops to 29 FPS, likely due to VRAM pressure. At 1440p and below, the GPU maintains playable frame rates across all settings.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to all tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 1341 out of 3711 tested combinations, placing it in the 64th percentile. This is a strong showing, though not top-tier.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1080p, the combo demonstrates its full capability. Low settings produce an average of 204 FPS, which is more than sufficient for high-refresh-rate displays. Medium settings yield 153 FPS (minimum 130 FPS, maximum 176 FPS), while High settings achieve 116 FPS. Ultra settings bring the average down to 85 FPS, still comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a 58% reduction in frame rate, indicating that the GPU is the primary driver of performance at this resolution.

Moving to 1440p, the results show a predictable drop. Low settings average 131 FPS, Medium averages 98 FPS (minimum 83 FPS, maximum 113 FPS), and High averages 74 FPS. Ultra settings fall to 55 FPS, which is playable but begins to show the GPU's limitations at higher settings. The transition from 1080p to 1440p reduces frame rates by roughly 35-40% across all settings, a consistent scaling pattern that reflects the increased pixel count.

At 4K, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and bandwidth constraints become evident. Low settings average 70 FPS, which is surprisingly strong, while Medium averages 52 FPS (minimum 44 FPS, maximum 60 FPS). High settings drop to 39 FPS, and Ultra falls to 29 FPS, making it unsuitable for smooth gameplay. The 4K results show a wider performance gap between Low and Ultra (141% difference) compared to lower resolutions, suggesting that the GPU's memory subsystem becomes a bottleneck at this resolution.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF plays a supportive but critical role in Hitman 2's performance. With 14 cores and 20 threads, the CPU handles the game's simulation, AI, and physics workloads efficiently. Base clock is 3.50 GHz with a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, providing strong single-thread performance that Hitman 2 relies on for its stealth mechanics and crowd simulation.

The CPU's 14th Gen Raptor Lake architecture, built on a 10 nm process, includes 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB L2 per core. This cache configuration helps reduce memory latency in CPU-bound scenes. Benchmark results show the CPU excels in multi-threaded workloads, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32544 and a single-core score of 4594. Geekbench scores of 17085 (multi-core) and 2445 (single-core) further confirm its capability.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's role is most apparent at 1080p Low, where the GPU is not stressed, and the average reaches 204 FPS. This high frame rate indicates that the CPU can feed the GPU effectively without becoming a bottleneck. The data suggests that even at 4K, where GPU load is highest, the CPU maintains sufficient performance, as evidenced by the consistent scaling from 1080p to 4K across settings.

The CPU's 125 W TDP and unlocked multiplier allow for overclocking headroom, though the measured results reflect stock performance. Its position at the 90th percentile among all CPUs, with a score 0.3% above the Ryzen 9 7900, indicates it provides ample headroom for Hitman 2's requirements.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and frame rate, the data supports 1440p High as the optimal configuration. This setting delivers 74 FPS on average, which is smooth for the game's deliberate pacing, while maintaining high-quality textures and lighting. Players with 1440p displays will find this the sweet spot, as it avoids the frame rate drops seen at Ultra while preserving most visual fidelity.

At 1080p, High settings at 116 FPS provide an excellent experience, especially for players with 144Hz or higher refresh rate monitors. The jump to Ultra at 85 FPS is still playable but offers diminishing returns in visual improvements. For competitive or high-refresh gaming, Medium settings at 153 FPS maximize responsiveness without sacrificing too much graphical quality.

For 4K displays, Medium settings at 52 FPS is the recommended choice, as it provides the only playable frame rate above 50 FPS. High settings at 39 FPS are borderline, and Ultra at 29 FPS should be avoided. The data suggests that 4K gaming is possible with this combo, but only with moderate settings.

The overall recommendation is to prioritize 1440p High or 1080p High for the best experience. These settings leverage the GPU's strengths while maintaining frame rates above 60 FPS, ensuring Hitman 2's stealth gameplay remains fluid and responsive.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals important insights about this combo's bottleneck characteristics. At Low settings, the average drops from 204 FPS at 1080p to 131 FPS at 1440p (a 36% reduction) and then to 70 FPS at 4K (a 47% reduction from 1440p). This progressive decline indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor, as CPU performance remains constant across resolutions.

At Medium settings, the scaling shows 153 FPS at 1080p, 98 FPS at 1440p (36% drop), and 52 FPS at 4K (47% drop from 1440p). The consistent percentage drops suggest that the GPU's rendering pipeline scales linearly with pixel count, typical of a well-balanced system where the CPU is not bottlenecking.

However, at Ultra settings, the pattern changes. The average drops from 85 FPS at 1080p to 55 FPS at 1440p (35% drop), but then to 29 FPS at 4K (47% drop from 1440p). The steeper decline at 4K Ultra suggests that the 8 GB VRAM capacity is being exceeded, causing additional performance penalties beyond just the increased pixel count. This is supported by the fact that the 4K Ultra result falls below what would be expected from pure resolution scaling.

The scaling data indicates that this combo is GPU-limited at all resolutions, with the CPU providing sufficient headroom even at 1080p Low. The only exception is at 4K Ultra, where VRAM constraints compound the GPU's workload, creating a disproportionate performance hit. For users targeting 4K, staying at Medium settings avoids this VRAM pressure while maintaining reasonable frame rates.