Hitman 2

Hitman 2 is an older title, but that does not make it easy on modern hardware at its highest settings. The data for the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 combination shows a clear narrative: this is a system that can dominate at 1080p and 1440p, but 4K Ultra pushes the GPU to its absolute limit. The benchmark results indicate a significant performance cliff as resolution and settings scale, which tells us exactly where the bottleneck lies for this specific pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a dramatic shift in performance as you move from 1080p to 4K. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 236 FPS. Stepping up to 2560x1440 at Low settings drops that to 151 FPS, a reduction of 85 FPS. Moving to 3840x2160 at Low yields 81 FPS, which is less than half of the 1080p result. This steep decline is a classic sign of the GPU becoming the primary limiting factor; the CPU has plenty of headroom at lower resolutions, but the RTX 4070's rendering workload increases exponentially with pixel count.

The scaling pattern becomes more telling when examining the High preset. At 1080p High, the system produces 134 FPS. At 1440p High, it falls to 86 FPS, and at 4K High, it drops to 46 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p reduces performance by 48 FPS, while the jump from 1440p to 4K reduces it by another 40 FPS. This shows a consistent, heavy load on the graphics card. The 4K High result of 46 FPS is just barely playable for a stealth game, but it highlights that the RTX 4070, while powerful, is not a 4K high-refresh card for this title.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution further confirms the GPU-bound nature. At 1080p, the spread is 137 FPS (from 236 Low to 99 Ultra). At 1440p, the spread is 88 FPS (from 151 Low to 63 Ultra). At 4K, the spread narrows to 47 FPS (from 81 Low to 34 Ultra). This narrowing spread at 4K indicates that even at Low settings, the GPU is working so hard that the additional load from Ultra settings has a relatively smaller absolute impact on frame rate. The data suggests that the Core i7-14700F has more than enough processing power to feed the RTX 4070 at all tested resolutions, making the graphics card the sole arbiter of final performance.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Hitman 2 at 4K with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but only with settings adjustments. The measured data shows 4K High at 46 FPS, 4K Medium at 60 FPS, and 4K Low at 81 FPS. The 4K Ultra preset drops to just 34 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the best resolution for high-refresh-rate monitors?

A: At 1080p, the system can push well over 100 FPS on all presets. The Low preset hits 236 FPS, Medium hits 177 FPS, and High hits 134 FPS. At 1440p, the High preset (86 FPS) and Medium preset (113 FPS) are also viable for 100Hz+ monitors.

Q: How much of a performance difference is there between Low and Ultra settings?

A: The difference is substantial at all resolutions. At 1080p, the gap is 137 FPS (236 vs 99). At 1440p, the gap is 88 FPS (151 vs 63). At 4K, the gap is 47 FPS (81 vs 34).

Q: Is the Core i7-14700F bottlenecking the RTX 4070 in this game?

A: No. The benchmark results show that performance scales consistently with resolution, which is the hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU's 20 cores and 28 threads provide ample headroom, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset?

A: The measured data includes min FPS for Medium settings. At 1080p, the minimum is 151 FPS with a maximum of 204 FPS. At 1440p, the minimum is 96 FPS with a maximum of 130 FPS. At 4K, the minimum is 51 FPS with a maximum of 69 FPS.

Q: Does this combo rank high among all tested systems for Hitman 2?

A: It ranks 916 out of 3711 tested combos, placing it in the top 25% of all configurations tested for this game.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. With a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, it has a wide performance envelope. In this benchmark context, its role is to feed the RTX 4070 without becoming a constraint. The data strongly suggests it succeeds. The fact that FPS scales so directly with resolution—a purely GPU-centric variable—implies the CPU is not the limiting factor at any tested setting.

Consider the 1080p Low result of 236 FPS. This is a very high frame rate that demands significant CPU work for game logic and draw calls. The fact that the system can maintain this level without a reported bottleneck indicates the 14700F's single-thread performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4958, is more than adequate. Even at 1080p Ultra, which increases the number of objects and draw calls, the system still manages 99 FPS, suggesting the CPU has significant headroom remaining.

The CPU's multi-threaded capability is also relevant for background tasks and system overhead. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35122 and Geekbench multi-core score of 19620 indicate a processor that can handle modern game engines and concurrent applications without issue. This is a desktop processor with a 65 W TDP, which is efficient for its performance class. In Hitman 2, which is not particularly CPU-intensive by modern standards, the 14700F is likely operating far below its maximum capacity, allowing the RTX 4070 to dictate the final frame rate. The data shows that the CPU's job is done well; the graphics card is the component that determines playability.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS rows provide clear guidance for the best experience. For players targeting 1080p, the High preset at 134 FPS is an excellent choice, offering a strong balance of visual quality and speed. However, the Medium preset at 177 FPS is also attractive for competitive play or high-refresh-rate displays, and it still provides a solid visual experience. The Ultra preset at 99 FPS is playable and offers the highest fidelity, but the jump from High to Ultra is not worth the 35 FPS loss for most users.

At 1440p, the High preset at 86 FPS is the sweet spot. It provides a comfortable frame rate for a stealth game, which benefits from smooth camera movement. The Medium preset at 113 FPS is even better for those prioritizing frame rate, and the data shows a minimum of 96 FPS, meaning it rarely dips below the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 63 FPS is playable but leaves little margin for demanding scenes, as the average is only just above the 60 FPS target.

For 4K, the recommendation is clear: use the Medium preset. The 4K Medium result of 60 FPS is the only preset at this resolution that hits the standard 60 FPS target, with a minimum of 51 FPS. The High preset at 46 FPS is a compromise, but the Medium setting provides a much more consistent experience. The Low preset at 81 FPS is viable for those who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity, but Medium offers a significant visual upgrade for the 21 FPS average cost. The Ultra preset at 34 FPS should be avoided unless the player is willing to tolerate significant stutter and low responsiveness.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware for Hitman 2, the i7-14700F and RTX 4070 combination sits at rank 916 out of 3711 combos. This places it in the upper echelon of tested systems, specifically in the top 25%. This ranking is consistent with the measured FPS, which shows the system is capable of high refresh rates at mainstream resolutions and playable frame rates at 4K.

The rank indicates that while this is a very strong pairing, there are 915 other combinations that achieve higher average performance in this game. These are likely to include higher-tier GPUs that can handle 4K Ultra more effectively. However, the rank also means that this combo outperforms the majority of systems tested. It is a high-end pairing that delivers excellent results in Hitman 2, with the primary limitation being the RTX 4070's 12 GB of VRAM and raw compute power at 4K Ultra. The CPU's percentile ranking of 91 among all CPUs and the GPU's percentile ranking of 81 among all GPUs support this assessment. The system is well-balanced, with the GPU being the slightly weaker link in this specific title at high resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset provides a detailed look at performance across all tested configurations.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the results are as follows:

• Ultra: 34 FPS average
• High: 46 FPS average
• Medium: 60 FPS average, with a minimum of 51 and maximum of 69
• Low: 81 FPS average

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the results are:

• Ultra: 63 FPS average
• High: 86 FPS average
• Medium: 113 FPS average, with a minimum of 96 and maximum of 130
• Low: 151 FPS average

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the results are:

• Ultra: 99 FPS average
• High: 134 FPS average
• Medium: 177 FPS average, with a minimum of 151 and maximum of 204
• Low: 236 FPS average

These numbers reveal a consistent hierarchy. The Low preset is always significantly faster than the next step up, and the Medium preset offers a substantial improvement over High in terms of frame rate. The Ultra preset is consistently the most demanding, with its cost in FPS being most pronounced at 4K. For a smooth experience, the data points to Medium as the versatile choice across all resolutions, while High is a good option for 1080p and 1440p users with standard 60Hz monitors. The 4K Ultra result is the only configuration that falls below the 40 FPS mark, confirming that this setting is beyond the practical capabilities of this hardware.