Hitman 2

The Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT delivers a solid, high-refresh-rate 1080p experience in Hitman 2, yet the data reveals a steep performance cliff at higher resolutions. This combination ranks 1722nd out of 3711 tested combos for this game, placing it comfortably in the top half of all pairings. The benchmark results show a system that is heavily balanced toward the CPU at lower resolutions, while the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor as resolution scales upward.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1722 out of 3711 tested combos indicates a mid-to-upper tier placement. With 1080p High averaging 103 FPS and 1080p Low reaching 182 FPS, the pairing clearly outperforms a significant portion of the tested field. The percentile ranking for the CPU is 91, which puts it ahead of 91% of all processors in the database. The GPU's percentile is 71, meaning it outperforms 71% of all graphics cards. This disparity between the CPU and GPU percentiles is the first clue that the processor is the stronger component in this matchup.

Comparing to the nearest rivals in the database: the CPU's average benchmark score of 53620 sits 0.2% below the Intel Xeon 6505P's 53701, yet 0.3% above the Intel Xeon Phi 7290's 53469. Against the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, which scores 53288, this chip is 0.6% faster. The GPU's average score of 26011 is 0.5% above the AMD Radeon R9 M395X's 25891, and 1.1% above the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile's 25740. These marginal differences position both components as competitive alternatives in their respective product stacks.

The overall ranking suggests that while the CPU punches well above its weight class, the GPU holds this combination back from reaching the upper echelons of the benchmark charts. The data shows a pairing where the processor could drive much higher frame rates if paired with a more powerful graphics card.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its 2560 shading units and 160 texture mapping units operate at clock speeds of 2150 MHz base and 2600 MHz boost. The memory runs at 2250 MHz, which translates to 18 Gbps effective. The GPU's compute output is rated at 13.31 TFLOPS FP32, with a pixel rate of 166.4 GPixel/s and texture rate of 416.0 GTexel/s.

In Hitman 2, the GPU's 12 GB VRAM capacity proves sufficient at the resolutions tested. The game's memory footprint remains well within the available VRAM at all settings, with no indication of texture swapping or streaming issues. However, the GPU's 64 ROPs and the overall pixel throughput become the primary constraint at higher settings and resolutions. The data shows a steep decline in performance as settings increase: at 1440p Ultra the average drops to 49 FPS, while at 4K Ultra the card can only manage 26 FPS.

The GPU's benchmark percentile of 71 places it in the upper third of all graphics cards, but its nearest rivals are all over 0.5% behind it. The card's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2548 indicates its DirectX 12 performance ceiling. The architecture is RDNA 2.0, which supports DirectX 12 Ultimate and Vulkan 1.4, features that Hitman 2 can utilize for its rendering pipeline. The texture rate of 416.0 GTexel/s is adequate for 1080p and 1440p but becomes limiting when pushing 4K with high settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor from the Raptor Lake-R architecture. It operates with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost of 5.40 GHz, with a 33 MB shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2. The 10nm process node and 257 mm² die size contribute to its strong single-thread and multi-thread performance. Its single-core Cinebench R23 score of 4958 and multi-core score of 35122 demonstrate a processor that excels in both lightly and heavily threaded workloads.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's high single-thread performance drives the game's main simulation loop. The game is known for its engine that scales with CPU clock speed and IPC. The 5.40 GHz boost clock provides the fast core speed needed for high frame rates, while the 20 cores ensure that background tasks and system overhead never bottleneck the game thread.

The CPU's benchmark percentile of 91 highlights its strength relative to all processors. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, scores 53288, which is only 0.6% lower. This close grouping suggests that the i7-12400F is within the top 1% of performance among desktop processors. The PassMark multithread score of 41317 ranks it in the top 5% of all CPUs, with the multi-core performance being the standout feature.

The question arises: is the CPU overkill for this GPU? Given that the CPU can feed the GPU at 1080p (where the GPU becomes the bottleneck), but the GPU limits frame rate at 4K, the CPU's full potential remains untapped at higher resolutions. The processor's performance headroom suggests that in future upgrades with a more powerful GPU, the CPU would not be the limiting factor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers:

• High preset: 103 FPS average
• Low preset: 182 FPS
• Medium preset: 136 FPS (min 116, max 157)
• Ultra preset: 76 FPS

The jump from Low to High costs 79 FPS, while High to Ultra drops another 27 FPS. The Ultra preset's 76 FPS average still delivers smooth gameplay, and the Medium preset's 136 FPS with a 116 FPS minimum ensures a far better experience at 1440p.

At 2560x1440, the numbers shift:

• High: 66 FPS
• Low: 116 FPS
• Medium: 87 FPS (min 74, max 100)
• Ultra: 49 FPS

The 1440p results show a 36% drop from 1080p at the High setting (from 103 to 66 FPS). At Ultra, the drop is 36% as well (from 76 to 49 FPS). The Medium preset at 1440p still provides 87 FPS, which is playable for most gaming scenarios.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the dominant constraint:

• High: 35 FPS
• Low: 62 FPS
• Medium: 47 FPS (min 40, max 53)
• Ultra: 26 FPS

The jump from 1080p to 4K at High preset is a 66% reduction (103 to 35 FPS). At Low, the 4K result (62 FPS) is barely above the 1080p Ultra result (76 FPS). The Ultra preset at 4K becomes unplayable at 26 FPS, with the Medium preset's 40 FPS minimum causing stutter in fast-paced scenes.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows the combo excels at 1920x1080, with an average of 103 FPS on High and 76 FPS on Ultra. At 2560x1440, the average drops to 66 FPS on High and 49 FPS on Ultra, which is still playable but less smooth.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: It averages 26 FPS at 3840x2160 Ultra, which is below the 30 FPS threshold for in-game performance. The 4K Medium preset at 47 FPS is more viable but still below the 60 FPS target.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for Hitman 2 performance?

A: At 1080p, the CPU's high single-thread performance (boost to 5.40 GHz) ensures high frame rates, while the GPU becomes the bottleneck at 1440p and 4K. The CPU's 91st percentile ranking versus the GPU's 71st percentile shows the processor is the stronger component.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets?

A: At 1080p, the Low preset averages 182 FPS, Ultra averages 76 FPS, a difference of 106 FPS. At 1440p, Low averages 116 FPS, Ultra averages 49 FPS. At 4K, Low averages 62 FPS, Ultra averages 26 FPS.

Q: How does the combo compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The CPU's average score of 53620 is 0.2% below the Intel Xeon 6505P and 0.3% above the Intel Xeon Phi 7290. The GPU's average score of 26011 is 0.5% above the AMD Radeon R9 M395X and 1.1% above the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Mobile.

Q: What is the minimum frame rate at 1440p Medium?

A: The 2560x1440 Medium preset reports a minimum FPS of 74, with an average of 87 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS, ensuring a stable experience.

Settings Recommendations

The benchmark results indicate that the High preset at 1080p delivers an excellent experience, with an average of 103 FPS that ensures smooth gameplay. For players demanding the highest visual quality, the Ultra preset at 1080p offers 76 FPS average, which is still high for a stealth title. The Medium preset provides a more substantial performance increase with an average of 136 FPS, making it the best choice for high-refresh monitors.

At 1440p, the High preset (66 FPS) is the best balance between visuals and performance. The Medium preset (87 FPS) provides greater headroom, but the difference in quality is significant enough that High remains the recommended choice. The Ultra preset at 1440p (49 FPS) is playable but may feel less smooth in fast-paced sequences.

At 4K, the combo cannot deliver a fully smooth Ultra experience, with only 26 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K (47 FPS) is the best option for 4K gaming, providing a playable frame rate that is 21 FPS higher than High. The Low preset at 4K (62 FPS) achieves a stable 60 FPS but sacrifices visual quality significantly.

The data shows the game is highly responsive to settings changes: dropping from Ultra to High at 1440p yields a 32% FPS increase (49 to 66 FPS), while the jump from High to Medium adds another 21 FPS. The scaling is less aggressive at 1080p, where High to Medium only adds 33 FPS (103 to 136 FPS) but still provides a meaningful improvement.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-limited scenario. At 1080p High, the combo averages 103 FPS, but at 4K High it falls to 35 FPS, a reduction of 66%. The GPU's pixel throughput and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints, as the CPU's single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 of 4958) remains unchanged across resolutions.

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at High shows a 35% decrease (103 to 66 FPS), while the 1440p to 4K drop is 47% (66 to 35 FPS). This non-linear scaling indicates the GPU is hitting a bandwidth or fill-rate limit as the pixel load increases. The GPU's 432.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 166.4 GPixel/s pixel rate are the likely bottlenecks.

At Low settings, the scaling is similar: 1080p Low averages 182 FPS, 1440p Low 116 FPS, and 4K Low 62 FPS. This represents a 36% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 47% drop from 1440p to 4K. The consistent drops across different settings indicate the GPU is the primary limiter, with the CPU being able to feed it adequately at all resolutions.

In contrast, the CPU's performance headroom is evident in the 1080p Low result of 182 FPS, which is far beyond the GPU's capability to maintain. The data shows that at 1080p, the combo is CPU-bound in the sense that the CPU can generate more frames than the GPU can render, but at 4K, the GPU's raw pixel output becomes the absolute constraint. This suggests that for 4K gaming, investing in a more powerful GPU would yield a larger FPS increase than upgrading the CPU.