Hitman 2

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT lands at rank 665 out of 1,795 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places the pairing in the upper-middle tier of the database, meaning it outperforms roughly 63% of all recorded configurations while still leaving headroom before the top echelon. The combo’s standing reflects a balanced partnership: the CPU’s 94th percentile ranking among all processors is stronger than the GPU’s 76th percentile, suggesting the processor is the more capable half of this duo in synthetic workloads.

In raw compute terms, the i7-14700F posts an average benchmark score of 54,097, sitting nearly level with the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X (54,450, a -0.6% delta) and just 1.1% behind the Ryzen 9 9900X3D (54,681). The Intel chip edges out the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 (53,469, +1.2%) and the AMD EPYC 7313P (53,206, +1.7%). For the GPU, the RX 7800 XT’s average score of 32,619 places it within a hair of the AMD FirePro S9300 X2 (32,540, +0.2%) and the NVIDIA P104-100 (32,747, -0.4%), showing that this graphics card sits in a tightly contested performance band. The game-specific rank, however, tells the real story: Hitman 2’s measured frames show this combo can push high refresh rates at 1080p but struggles to maintain playable 4K Ultra, a pattern consistent with a mid-range GPU paired with an overqualified CPU.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo better suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming in Hitman 2?

A: The data shows strong performance at both resolutions, but 1080p is clearly the sweet spot. At High settings, the combo delivers 122.5 FPS at 1080p versus 75.4 FPS at 1440p, a 62.5% advantage for the lower resolution. Even at 1440p High, the frame rate remains comfortably above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU’s multi-core strength compare to its single-core performance?

A: The i7-14700F excels in multi-threaded workloads, scoring 35,443 in Cinebench R23 multi-core versus 5,003 in single-core. This 7.1x ratio indicates heavy parallel processing capability, which matters for Hitman 2’s crowd and physics simulations, though the single-core score still ranks in the top percentile.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory configuration and does it affect 4K performance?

A: The RX 7800 XT features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 624.1 GB/s of bandwidth. At 4K, the combo drops to 43.7 FPS on High settings, suggesting the memory capacity is sufficient but the overall GPU throughput becomes the limiting factor at that resolution.

Q: How does the combo’s rank compare to the CPU’s and GPU’s individual standings?

A: The combo ranks in the 63rd percentile (665 of 1,795), while the CPU sits in the 94th percentile and the GPU in the 76th percentile among their respective categories. This gap indicates the GPU drags the overall combo ranking below what the CPU alone would suggest.

Q: What are the best settings for a 60 FPS target at 1440p?

A: Medium settings at 1440p produce 103.4 FPS, while High yields 75.4 FPS. Ultra drops to 59.9 FPS, barely missing the 60 FPS mark, so High is the recommended preset for a consistent 60+ FPS experience at 1440p.

Q: Does the CPU hold back the GPU at any resolution?

A: No, the evidence points to the GPU as the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 211.6 FPS, and at 4K Low it falls to 74.6 FPS. The CPU’s high single-thread score (5,003 in Cinebench R23) keeps pace even at low resolutions where CPU overhead is highest.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F brings 20 cores and 28 threads to Hitman 2, running on the Raptor Lake architecture with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This configuration sits in the 94th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54,097. The processor’s 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample fast storage for game assets, while its Gen 5 PCIe lanes (16 from the CPU) ensure the GPU communicates without bandwidth constraints.

In Hitman 2, the CPU’s role is primarily to manage AI routines, crowd density, and physics interactions across the game’s sandbox levels. The 28 threads allow the game engine to distribute these tasks efficiently, and the high boost clock ensures responsive single-threaded performance for player actions. Benchmark results show the CPU’s multi-core might: Cinebench R23 multi-core scores 35,443, while Geekbench multi-core hits 16,571. These figures align with the game’s ability to maintain high frame rates even when the GPU is not the bottleneck, as seen in the 1080p Low result of 211.6 FPS.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks include the Ryzen 9 9900X (54,450 average score, -0.6% delta) and the Ryzen 9 9900X3D (54,681, -1.1%), indicating the i7-14700F is statistically tied with these top-tier chips. For Hitman 2, this means the processor will never be the weak link; the GPU’s 76th percentile standing is the deciding factor in overall combo performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data reveals a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and settings. At 1080p, the combo delivers 211.6 FPS on Low, 158.1 FPS on Medium, 122.5 FPS on High, and 88.3 FPS on Ultra. These numbers show that even at Ultra, the 1080p experience exceeds 60 FPS by a wide margin, making this resolution the prime target for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates drop predictably: 135.6 FPS on Low, 103.4 FPS on Medium, 75.4 FPS on High, and 59.9 FPS on Ultra. The Ultra preset at 1440p sits just below the 60 FPS threshold, which is a critical detail for gamers aiming for smooth motion. At 4K, the performance curve steepens: 74.6 FPS on Low, 55.9 FPS on Medium, 43.7 FPS on High, and 32.7 FPS on Ultra. The 4K Ultra result is notably below playable standards, while 4K Low remains viable for those prioritizing frame rate over visuals.

The scaling from Low to Ultra at each resolution shows consistent GPU-bound behavior. At 1080p, the jump from Low to Ultra costs 123.3 FPS (a 58% reduction), while at 4K the same jump costs 41.9 FPS (a 56% reduction). This proportional drop across resolutions indicates the GPU is the primary limiter, with the CPU maintaining enough headroom to avoid compounding the performance loss.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate degradation from 1080p to 4K reveals how the combo’s components share the workload. At Low settings, 1080p produces 211.6 FPS, which falls to 135.6 FPS at 1440p (a 36% drop) and 74.6 FPS at 4K (a 65% drop from 1080p). This pattern holds across all presets: High settings drop from 122.5 FPS at 1080p to 75.4 FPS at 1440p (38% loss) and 43.7 FPS at 4K (64% loss).

The consistent ~36% penalty from 1080p to 1440p and ~64% penalty from 1080p to 4K indicates that pixel count is the dominant factor, which points squarely at the GPU as the limiting component. The RX 7800 XT’s 624.1 GB/s memory bandwidth and 37.32 TFLOPS of FP32 compute are simply insufficient to maintain 1080p-level performance at 4K, especially on higher presets. Conversely, the CPU’s 20 cores and 5.40 GHz boost clock ensure that resolution scaling does not introduce CPU-side bottlenecks — the frame drops align with what pure GPU throughput would predict.

For gamers, this scaling behavior means the combo is best deployed at 1080p or 1440p, where the GPU can flex its muscle. At 4K, the experience becomes playable only on Low settings, and even then the 74.6 FPS result carries a significant visual compromise. The data suggests that 1440p High (75.4 FPS) is the optimal balance of fidelity and smoothness, while 4K should be reserved for slower-paced stealth segments rather than action-heavy encounters.

Settings Recommendations

The measured presets offer a clear hierarchy for different priorities. For maximum frame rate at 1080p, Low settings deliver 211.6 FPS, which is ideal for competitive play or high-refresh-rate displays. However, the visual compromise is substantial, and Medium (158.1 FPS) or High (122.5 FPS) provide much better image quality while still exceeding 120 FPS. Ultra at 1080p (88.3 FPS) remains above the 60 FPS threshold and is the best choice for visual purists who still want smooth motion.

At 1440p, the recommendation hinges on the 60 FPS target. High settings produce 75.4 FPS, offering a comfortable margin above 60 FPS with strong visual fidelity. Ultra (59.9 FPS) misses the target by a fraction, making it a risky choice for those sensitive to frame pacing. Medium (103.4 FPS) is the overdeliver option, giving near-Ultra visuals with a 70% performance uplift over Ultra. For 4K, Low (74.6 FPS) is the only preset that clears 60 FPS, while Medium (55.9 FPS) is playable but not ideal for fast-paced sequences.

The data-driven verdict: 1080p Ultra or 1440p High offer the best experience-to-effort ratio. The 1440p High result of 75.4 FPS is particularly compelling because it balances resolution, detail, and smoothness without requiring the frame-rate sacrifices of 4K or the visual downgrades of 1080p Low. Users with 1440p monitors should set High and enjoy a stable 75 FPS, while 4K owners should accept Low settings as the pragmatic choice.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT is built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 32 chip, fabricated on TSMC’s 5 nm process with 28,100 million transistors. Its 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 624.1 GB/s of bandwidth, and the card boosts to 2430 MHz with a game clock of 2124 MHz. These specifications place the GPU in the 76th percentile of all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 32,619.

In Hitman 2, the GPU’s role is decisive. The frame rate scaling across resolutions and settings consistently points to the graphics card as the bottleneck, particularly at 4K where even Low settings (74.6 FPS) strain the hardware. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4,157 and Passmark G3D score of 24,176 indicate solid DirectX 12 performance, which Hitman 2 leverages. The GPU’s nearest rivals include the AMD FirePro S9300 X2 (32,540 average score, +0.2% delta) and the NVIDIA P104-100 (32,747, -0.4%), showing the RX 7800 XT sits in a tight performance cluster.

The 16 GB memory capacity is more than sufficient for Hitman 2’s assets, even at 4K Ultra, but the compute throughput (37.32 TFLOPS FP32) and pixel rate (233.3 GPixel/s) limit the card’s ability to push high resolutions with heavy effects. The 60 ray accelerators support ray-traced effects, though the game’s implementation is not demanding enough to justify a major frame rate hit. Overall, the GPU is the limiting factor in this combo, and its 76th percentile standing relative to the CPU’s 94th percentile emphasizes that users seeking higher 4K performance would need to upgrade the graphics card first.