Hitman 2

The Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti delivers a strong, if not top-tier, experience in Hitman 2, with performance that scales predictably across resolutions and settings. The data indicates a system that is well-balanced for 1440p high-refresh gaming, while 4K Ultra remains a challenge that requires compromising on quality presets.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At the High settings preset, the average frame rate drops from 157 FPS at 1920x1080 to 101 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 56 FPS. Moving further up to 3840x2160, the average falls to 54 FPS, which is less than half of the 1080p figure. This steep decline indicates that at 4K, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti's rendering workload becomes the primary limiting factor.

The scaling behavior at the Low preset is even more dramatic, highlighting the CPU's strength. At 1080p Low, the system achieves an average of 277 FPS. When the resolution increases to 1440p Low, the average drops to 177 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 95 FPS. The fact that 1080p Low produces such an exceptionally high frame rate suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU is still capable of feeding the GPU, but the GPU is already starting to hit its limits. The gap between 1080p and 1440p at Low settings (a 100 FPS drop) is much larger than the gap between 1440p and 4K (an 82 FPS drop), which shows that the GPU's performance curve is not linear and that the most significant performance hit occurs when moving from 1080p to 1440p.

At Medium settings, the frame rate drops from 208 FPS at 1080p to 133 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 71 FPS at 4K. This pattern reinforces that the RTX 4070 Ti is the bottleneck at higher resolutions. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, shows the same trend: 116 FPS at 1080p, 74 FPS at 1440p, and a playable but modest 39 FPS at 4K. The data suggests that for a consistent 60+ FPS experience, 1440p is the sweet spot for this combo on High or Ultra settings, while 4K requires dropping to Medium or Low settings to achieve smooth frame rates. The system is clearly GPU-limited at 4K, whereas at 1080p, the high frame rates indicate the CPU is doing its job effectively without holding the GPU back.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Hitman 2 with this CPU and GPU combo for a high-refresh-rate monitor?

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 is the optimal resolution for high refresh rates. At High settings, the system averages 101 FPS, and at Medium settings, it averages 133 FPS, both of which are well-suited for 144Hz displays. 1080p offers even higher frame rates (up to 277 FPS at Low), but 1440p provides a better balance of visual fidelity and performance.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Hitman 2?

A: Yes, but with significant compromises. At 4K High settings, the average FPS is 54, which is playable but not ideal for fast-paced action. To achieve a smoother 60 FPS or higher at 4K, you must drop to Medium settings, which yields an average of 71 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is not recommended, as it only produces an average of 39 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's core count affect performance in this game?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700F has 20 cores and 28 threads. The benchmark results, particularly the high frame rates at 1080p Low (277 FPS), indicate that the CPU is not a bottleneck at lower resolutions. The data suggests that the CPU has ample headroom to handle the game's logic and physics, allowing the GPU to be the primary driver of performance at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the difference in performance between the Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: The difference is substantial. At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 177 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 74 FPS. This represents a 103 FPS difference, or roughly a 58% reduction in performance when moving from the lowest to the highest quality settings. This provides a wide range of options for players to prioritize either frame rate or visual quality.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 Ti's 12 GB of VRAM sufficient for Hitman 2 at 4K?

A: The measured data indicates that the GPU can handle 4K in this game, with a 71 FPS average at Medium settings. While specific VRAM usage is not provided, the fact that the game runs at playable frame rates at 4K Medium suggests that the 12 GB memory capacity is sufficient for this title at those settings. There is no data to suggest that VRAM is a limiting factor.

Q: Given the performance at 1080p, is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at that resolution?

A: At 1080p, the system is likely GPU-limited, even at Low settings. The average of 277 FPS at Low is very high, but the CPU is likely capable of producing even more. The data shows that as settings increase at 1080p (from Low to Ultra), the frame rate drops from 277 to 116 FPS, which is a clear sign that the GPU is struggling to keep up with the increased graphical workload. The CPU's performance is strong enough to not be the primary constraint.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. It operates with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, which allows it to handle both lightly-threaded and heavily-threaded workloads with ease. In the context of Hitman 2, a stealth game with complex AI and simulation systems, the CPU's robust multi-core performance is critical for maintaining consistent frame times and avoiding stutters, especially when many NPCs are on screen.

The benchmark results for the i7-14700F show strong synthetic performance, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35122 and a single-core score of 4958. This indicates that the CPU has both high multi-threaded throughput and excellent single-thread speed, which is beneficial for game engines that rely on a mix of main-thread tasks and background simulation. The PassMark multi-thread score of 41317 and single-thread score of 4257 further corroborate this, showing that the CPU is capable of sustaining high performance across various workloads.

In the game data, the CPU's role becomes apparent when examining the 1080p Low preset, where the average FPS reaches 277. This high frame rate suggests that the CPU is able to process game data quickly enough to feed the GPU, even at high speeds. The fact that the frame rate drops significantly when moving to higher resolutions indicates that the GPU becomes the bottleneck. The CPU's 33 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support also contribute to its ability to handle game data efficiently. While the exact game-specific CPU usage is not provided, the high frame rates at lower resolutions strongly suggest that the i7-14700F is more than capable of supporting the RTX 4070 Ti in Hitman 2, ensuring that the GPU is the primary factor determining performance at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is ranked 517th out of 3711 tested combos in this database for Hitman 2. This places the combo in the top 14% of all tested systems, which is a respectable position given the large number of possible CPU and GPU pairings. The data shows that this is a high-performing combination for this game, though it is not at the very top of the leaderboard.

The GPU itself is a strong performer. The RTX 4070 Ti has a percentile rank of 84 against all GPUs, and its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile, which is only 0.8% faster. It also sits close to the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT, which is 1.3% slower. This indicates that the RTX 4070 Ti is a very capable card, positioned near the top of the performance stack. In contrast, the CPU has a percentile rank of 91 against all CPUs. Its nearest rival is the Intel Xeon 6505P, which is 0.2% slower, and the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X, which is 0.6% slower. This reinforces that the i7-14700F is also a top-tier processor.

The combo's overall rank of 517 suggests that, while both components are individually excellent, there are other combinations that yield higher frame rates in Hitman 2. This could be due to other CPUs with even higher single-core performance or GPUs with more raw power. However, the measured FPS data shows that this combo delivers a highly playable experience at 1440p, with average frame rates well above 100 FPS on High settings. The rank reflects the overall balance of the system, and the data indicates that it is a very strong choice for this game, even if it is not the absolute fastest.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For players with a 1080p 144Hz or 240Hz monitor, the Ultra preset is a solid choice, as it averages 116 FPS, which is sufficient for a 144Hz display and only slightly below the threshold for 240Hz. For those with a 1080p 360Hz monitor, the Medium preset, with an average of 208 FPS, is the better option to maximize frame rates while still retaining a good level of visual quality.

For 1440p, which appears to be the sweet spot for this hardware, the High preset is the recommended choice, delivering an average of 101 FPS. This provides a smooth, high-quality experience that is ideal for most 144Hz monitors. If you prefer higher frame rates, the Medium preset at 133 FPS is an excellent alternative, offering a significant performance boost while only reducing some visual effects. The Ultra preset at 74 FPS is also playable and provides the best image quality, but it may not be suitable for competitive play where higher frame rates are preferred.

At 4K, the recommendations change significantly. The Ultra preset is not viable, as it only averages 39 FPS. The High preset, at 54 FPS, is playable but not ideal. For a consistent 60 FPS experience, the Medium preset is the best option, averaging 71 FPS and providing a good balance between visual fidelity and performance. If you prioritize frame rate above all else at 4K, the Low preset averages 95 FPS, but this comes with a significant reduction in visual quality. For most players, the Medium preset at 4K is the recommended choice, as it offers the best experience per the measured data.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is a detailed breakdown of the measured average FPS for the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti in Hitman 2.

1920x1080:

• Ultra: The average frame rate is 116 FPS. This preset provides the highest visual quality while still maintaining a frame rate that is well-suited for high-refresh-rate monitors.
• High: The average frame rate is 157 FPS. This is a strong option for players with 144Hz displays who want a high level of detail.
• Medium: The average frame rate is 208 FPS, with a minimum of 177 FPS and a maximum of 239 FPS. This preset offers excellent performance for competitive play or 240Hz monitors.
• Low: The average frame rate is 277 FPS. This is the highest performance setting, ideal for maximizing frame rates for esports-style play.

2560x1440:

• Ultra: The average frame rate is 74 FPS. This is a playable frame rate that offers excellent visual quality, though it may not be ideal for very high refresh rate displays.
• High: The average frame rate is 101 FPS. This is the recommended setting for 1440p, providing a smooth experience with high visual fidelity.
• Medium: The average frame rate is 133 FPS, with a minimum of 113 FPS and a maximum of 153 FPS. This preset offers a great balance between quality and speed, making it ideal for 144Hz monitors.
• Low: The average frame rate is 177 FPS. This is an excellent option for players who want the highest possible frame rates at 1440p, though it sacrifices visual quality.

3840x2160:

• Ultra: The average frame rate is 39 FPS. This is not recommended for a smooth gaming experience, as the frame rate is too low for most players.
• High: The average frame rate is 54 FPS. This is a playable frame rate, but it is not ideal for action-heavy scenes.
• Medium: The average frame rate is 71 FPS, with a minimum of 60 FPS and a maximum of 82 FPS. This is the recommended setting for 4K, as it provides a stable frame rate with decent visual quality.
• Low: The average frame rate is 95 FPS. This is the best option for 4K gaming if you prioritize frame rate, but it comes with a significant reduction in visual effects and detail.