Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is an exceptionally high-end combination for 2018's Hitman 2. The data shows that this pairing delivers overwhelmingly high frame rates across all tested resolutions and settings, placing it at the top of the database. With a combo rank of 1 out of 3001 tested configurations, this system is the definitive benchmark for this title, but the measured results also reveal a significant imbalance between the CPU and GPU components that dictates the optimal way to play. The following analysis breaks down the performance metrics, focusing on how resolution scaling, component roles, and settings presets interact to produce the final on-screen experience.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep, indicating a clear shift in system bottleneck. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the system produces an average of 207 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the average drops to 132 FPS, a reduction of 75 FPS (approximately 36%). The jump to 3840x2160 further reduces the average to 71 FPS, which is a 61 FPS drop from 1440p and a significant 136 FPS drop from 1080p. This scaling pattern is typical for a system where the CPU is the primary limiter at lower resolutions, but the GPU becomes the dominant constraint as pixel count increases.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the Intel Core i5-14600KF’s strong single-threaded performance (a Geekbench single-core score of 2445) is likely the limiting factor, as the RTX 5090 D is not being fully utilized. The frame rate only increases by 28% when going from 1440p High to 1080p High (132 to 207 FPS), which is a smaller gain than the 34% increase in pixel count. This indicates that the CPU is holding the system back from reaching even higher frame rates at 1080p. The GPU’s role becomes more pronounced at 4K, where the 71 FPS average on High settings shows a massive performance hit that can only be attributed to the sheer rendering load on the graphics card.

The scaling from Medium to High settings also reveals the system's limits. At 4K, the difference between Medium (93 FPS) and High (71 FPS) is a 22 FPS drop, while the difference between High and Ultra (52 FPS) is a 19 FPS drop. This shows that the RTX 5090 D is being pushed hard at 4K, and even a single settings tier increase results in a substantial frame rate penalty. The 1080p results tell a different story, where the jump from High (207 FPS) to Ultra (153 FPS) is a 54 FPS drop, suggesting that the CPU is also strained by the higher CPU overhead of the Ultra preset, even at lower resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is the primary driver of performance at higher resolutions. Its 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus provides a massive 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth, which is more than sufficient to handle the textures and geometry of Hitman 2 at 4K Ultra. The data confirms this, as the GPU is clearly the bottleneck at 3840x2160, where the frame rate scales significantly with settings changes. The core clocks, with a base of 2017 MHz and a boost of 2407 MHz, are high, but the sheer number of processing units (21760 shading units) is what enables the card to maintain playable frame rates at 4K.

The GPU's synthetic benchmark scores further contextualize its gaming performance. Its Passmark G3D score of 44065 and average benchmark score of 77712 place it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. While its nearest rivals in the database—the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT and NVIDIA Tesla P100 variants—show similar average scores, the 5090 D’s performance in Hitman 2 is exceptional. The data shows that at 1080p, the GPU is likely underutilized, as the frame rates are likely capped by the CPU. However, the measured results show that even at 1080p Ultra, the system still achieves a very high 153 FPS, proving the GPU has ample headroom.

The card's memory configuration is a key factor in its 4K performance. The 32 GB of VRAM is a significant asset, ensuring that there is no texture thrashing or memory-related stuttering, even at the Ultra preset. While the game is from 2018 and may not require this much VRAM, the headroom ensures consistent frame times. The high memory bandwidth is also crucial for the 4K resolution, where the GPU must process a massive amount of pixel data. The data shows that the GPU is the clear limiting factor at 4K, as the transition from Medium to High to Ultra presets results in predictable and significant FPS drops, demonstrating that the visual fidelity is being constrained by the graphics card's processing power.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF provides the foundational processing power for the game's simulation and AI logic. With 14 cores and 20 threads, it is a highly capable processor, but Hitman 2 is a title that often relies more on single-core performance. The CPU's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4594 and Geekbench single-core score of 2445 are strong, but they are the components that likely limit performance at 1080p. The benchmark results show that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 365 FPS, which is a staggeringly high number, but the jump to 1440p Low (234 FPS) and 4K Low (124 FPS) shows a linear scaling with pixel count that is more characteristic of a GPU limitation.

The CPU's performance relative to its rivals is very tight. Its average benchmark score of 49394 puts it in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, and its nearest rivals, such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (with a deltaPct of 0.3%) and the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 (with a deltaPct of -0.8%), are within a single percentage point of its average score. This indicates that the 14600KF is a top-tier processor, but its performance in Hitman 2 is not unique. The data suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at 4K, where the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, but it does cap the maximum achievable frame rate at 1080p.

The CPU's architecture, with a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, is well-suited for gaming. The high clock speed helps to minimize latency in game logic and draw calls, which is critical for achieving high frame rates. However, the data shows that the system is unable to exceed 365 FPS at 1080p Low, which is likely a CPU limit. The fact that the same CPU can produce a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32544 demonstrates its multi-threaded capability, but this does not translate into higher frame rates in Hitman 2 at lower resolutions. This suggests that the game is not fully utilizing the CPU's multi-core potential, and the single-threaded performance is the deciding factor at 1080p.

Settings Recommendations

The optimal settings preset depends entirely on the target resolution and the desired balance between visual quality and frame rate. For 4K gaming, the data strongly suggests that the Ultra preset is not viable for a smooth experience. The 4K Ultra average of 52 FPS is below the typical 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay. The High preset is a better choice, offering a 71 FPS average, which is playable, but the Medium preset provides a much more comfortable margin with a 93 FPS average and a minimum FPS of 79. For a 4K display, the Medium preset appears to be the sweet spot, offering a significant performance boost over High while likely still looking very good.

At 1440p, the High preset is the best recommendation. It achieves a 132 FPS average, which is well above the refresh rate of most high-refresh monitors. The Ultra preset at 1440p drops to 98 FPS, which is still very good, but the 34 FPS difference between High and Ultra is a substantial price to pay for the extra graphical fidelity. The Medium preset at 175 FPS is an option for those with a 240Hz monitor, but the High preset's balance of quality and speed is more practical. For 1080p, the Ultra preset is the clear winner, as it achieves a 153 FPS average, which is still incredibly high and provides the best visual experience. The High preset at 207 FPS is also excellent, but the Ultra preset's higher fidelity is worth the performance cost at this resolution.

The data indicates that the system is powerful enough to handle High settings at 4K, but the performance margin is thinner than at lower resolutions. The 4K High average of 71 FPS is exactly at the edge of playability, and any demanding scene could cause a noticeable dip. The Medium preset provides a much larger safety buffer, with its 79 FPS minimum, ensuring a consistent experience. In summary, the recommended presets are: Medium for 4K, High for 1440p, and Ultra for 1080p. This combination of settings and resolutions leverages the GPU's power where it's most needed while avoiding the CPU bottleneck at lower resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-14600KF and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D ranks first overall in the database for Hitman 2, with a combo rank of 1 out of 3001 tested combinations. This is a definitive top-tier result, indicating that no other tested hardware pairing in the database produces higher average frame rates in this game. This reflects the raw power of both components, even though the data shows that the system is not perfectly balanced for all scenarios.

The ranking is particularly impressive considering the age of the game. Hitman 2 is a 2018 title, and modern hardware far exceeds its requirements. However, the combo rank of 1 shows that this pairing is the absolute best for maximizing performance, even in an older title. The high percentile rankings of the individual components—the CPU in the 90th percentile and the GPU in the 92nd percentile—contribute to this top overall ranking. It is important to note that while the GPU's nearest rivals have similar average synthetic scores, the measured FPS in Hitman 2 places this combo above them all.

The fact that this combo ranks first is a clear indicator that the RTX 5090 D, despite being a modern powerhouse, is the component that pushes this system to the top. The CPU, while strong, is not the highest-scoring in the database, but its performance is sufficient to not hold the GPU back in the higher resolution tests where the ranking is likely determined. The 1st place ranking out of 3001 combos confirms that for users seeking the absolute highest frame rates in Hitman 2, this is the definitive hardware configuration to look for.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is a detailed breakdown of the measured average frame rates for this system across all tested settings and resolutions.

1920x1080

The 1080p results are exceptionally high. The Low preset yields an average of 365 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this system. The Medium preset averages 274 FPS, with a minimum of 233 FPS and a maximum of 315 FPS. The High preset achieves a 207 FPS average, and the Ultra preset, while the most demanding, still produces a very high average of 153 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra shows a gradual decrease, with the Ultra preset being 42% slower than the Low preset.

2560x1440

At 1440p, the performance remains very strong. The Low preset averages 234 FPS. The Medium preset produces an average of 175 FPS, with a minimum of 149 FPS and a maximum of 201 FPS. The High preset averages 132 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 98 FPS. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 1440p is consistent with the increase in pixel count, showing that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor.

3840x2160

The 4K results show the system's limits. The Low preset is the fastest, averaging 124 FPS. The Medium preset averages 93 FPS, with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 107 FPS. The High preset averages 71 FPS, and the Ultra preset is the most demanding, with an average of just 52 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra at 4K is 72 FPS, which is a 58% reduction in performance. This demonstrates the immense load placed on the GPU at this resolution, and the data clearly shows that the Ultra preset is not suitable for a high-refresh-rate 4K experience.