Hitman 2

The pairing of Intel’s 20-core Core i7-14700F with the entry-level NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 creates one of the most extreme CPU/GPU imbalances seen in the Hitman 2 database. The data shows a processor that ranks in the 94th percentile against all CPUs, paired with a graphics card that sits in the 43rd percentile. This is a classic bottleneck scenario, and the measured frame rates across resolutions make the nature of that bottleneck explicit.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate curve from 1080p to 4K reveals a system that is almost entirely GPU-limited at every tested setting. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 67.4 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same Low preset drops that figure to 42.7 FPS, a reduction of roughly 37%. Scaling further to 4K at Low yields just 25.7 FPS, which is about 62% below the 1080p result. This steep, near-linear decline with pixel count is the signature of a graphics card that has reached its absolute ceiling.

The pattern holds across all quality presets. At Medium settings, the average frame rate falls from 49.8 FPS at 1080p to 33.5 FPS at 1440p, then to 17.4 FPS at 4K. High settings show a similar trajectory: 41.9 FPS at 1080p, 27 FPS at 1440p, and 14.3 FPS at 4K. Even the Ultra preset, which starts at a meager 29.4 FPS at 1080p, drops to 16.3 FPS at 1440p and bottoms out at 12.9 FPS at 4K.

What the data does not show is any evidence of CPU limitation. The i7-14700F, with its 28 threads and 5.40 GHz boost capability, is far more capable than what this workload demands. If the CPU were the constraint, the frame rates would remain relatively flat as resolution increases, because the processor would be doing the same amount of work regardless of pixel count. Instead, the consistent and substantial FPS drops at every step up in resolution indicate that the GTX 1650’s 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and 128-bit bus are the determining factors. The GPU is the limiting component in every single measured configuration.

How This Combo Ranks

In the overall Hitman 2 combo leaderboard, this pairing ranks 1723rd out of 1795 tested combinations. That places it in the bottom 4% of all system configurations in the database, which is a remarkably low position for a processor of this caliber. The CPU alone outperforms its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks — the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X scores just 0.6% higher, and the Ryzen 9 9900X3D is 1.1% ahead — yet the system’s in-game performance is dragged down by the GPU.

The GTX 1650’s own benchmark position tells a similar story. Its average benchmark score of 8713 puts it nearly level with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile (8746, a 0.4% gap) and the AMD Radeon 550X (8749, also 0.4% ahead). The Quadro P2200 trails by 0.5%. This is a graphics card that sits at the very bottom of the performance spectrum, and its 43rd percentile ranking among all GPUs confirms it.

The contrast between the components is stark. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 54097 places it just 0.6% behind the Ryzen 9 9900X, while the GPU’s score of 8713 is essentially tied with mobile and workstation parts that are not designed for gaming. This combo rank of 1723 out of 1795 reflects the reality that in Hitman 2, the total system performance is only as strong as its weakest link, and that link is unequivocally the graphics card.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy of playable configurations. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers an average of 67.4 FPS, which is the only setting in the entire test matrix that approaches a smooth 60 FPS baseline. The Medium preset at 1080p yields 49.8 FPS, which is playable but requires accepting some frame drops during intense scenes. High at 1080p drops to 41.9 FPS, and Ultra falls to 29.4 FPS.

For 1440p, the options become more limited. Low settings produce 42.7 FPS, which is marginal but potentially acceptable for a stealth game that does not demand twitch reflexes. Medium at 1440p results in 33.5 FPS, and High drops to 27 FPS. Ultra at 1440p is effectively unplayable at 16.3 FPS.

At 4K, no setting is viable. The best result is Low at 25.7 FPS, followed by Medium at 17.4 FPS, High at 14.3 FPS, and Ultra at 12.9 FPS. These numbers are all well below the threshold for comfortable gameplay, and even the highest preset is less than half of what would be considered a minimum playable frame rate.

The recommendation from the data is straightforward: play at 1080p with Low settings to achieve the best balance of visual fidelity and frame rate. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 17.6 FPS (from 67.4 to 49.8), which is a significant penalty for a modest visual improvement. Moving from Medium to High costs another 7.9 FPS, and High to Ultra costs 12.5 FPS. The only configuration that provides a smooth experience is 1080p Low, and that is the setting that should be used for any serious playthrough.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The full matrix of measured average frame rates is as follows.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset produces 67.4 FPS, Medium produces 49.8 FPS, High produces 41.9 FPS, and Ultra produces 29.4 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 38 FPS, showing that each step up in quality costs a substantial portion of the available performance headroom.

At 2560x1440, the numbers compress significantly. Low yields 42.7 FPS, Medium yields 33.5 FPS, High yields 27 FPS, and Ultra yields 16.3 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings costs 24.7 FPS, which is a 37% reduction. At Ultra, the same resolution change costs 13.1 FPS, a 45% reduction.

At 3840x2160, the GTX 1650 is completely overwhelmed. Low produces 25.7 FPS, Medium produces 17.4 FPS, High produces 14.3 FPS, and Ultra produces 12.9 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is only 12.8 FPS, indicating that the GPU is so far beyond its limits that quality settings have diminishing impact on the final frame rate.

Across all resolutions, the delta between Low and Ultra is consistent: 38 FPS at 1080p, 26.4 FPS at 1440p, and 12.8 FPS at 4K. This pattern confirms that the graphics card’s rendering capacity is the sole constraint, and that higher resolutions exacerbate the GPU’s inability to keep up with even the lowest quality settings.

FAQ

Q: Is this system capable of running Hitman 2 at 60 FPS?

A: The only configuration that reaches near 60 FPS is 1080p with Low settings, which averages 67.4 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 49.8 FPS, and every other setting or resolution falls below that threshold.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: 1920x1080 is the only resolution that provides any playable results. At 1440p, the best case is Low settings at 42.7 FPS, and at 4K, even Low settings only reach 25.7 FPS.

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

A: The Intel Core i7-14700F has an average benchmark score of 54097, which is 0.6% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and 1.1% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D. It is 1.2% higher than the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 and 1.7% higher than the AMD EPYC 7313P.

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

A: The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 has an average benchmark score of 8713. It is 0.4% lower than the RTX 3050 A Mobile, 0.4% lower than the Radeon 550X, 0.5% lower than the Radeon Pro WX 5100, and 0.5% higher than the Quadro P2200.

Q: Why does performance drop so much from 1080p to 4K?

A: The frame rate decreases sharply with each resolution increase because the GTX 1650’s 4 GB of GDDR5 memory and 128.1 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for the higher pixel counts. The CPU is not a limiting factor at any resolution.

Q: What is the system’s overall rank in Hitman 2?

A: This combination ranks 1723rd out of 1795 tested combos in the game, placing it in the bottom 4% of all configurations. This rank reflects the GPU’s low performance relative to the CPU’s high capability.