Hitman 2

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor built on the Raptor Lake-R architecture, with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. This combination of high core count and strong single-thread boost capability positions it well for Hitman 2, a stealth title that typically relies on consistent frame pacing rather than extreme multi-threaded scaling. The processor's 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache help keep frequently accessed game data close at hand, which matters in a game where AI routines and level geometry are constantly being streamed.

In synthetic benchmarks, the i7-14700F posts a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35443 and a single-core score of 5003. Its Geekbench multi-core score of 16571 and single-core score of 2711 reinforce the picture of a balanced part. The processor sits at the 94th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 54097. When compared to its nearest rivals, the data shows it is essentially neck-and-neck with the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X, trailing by only 0.6% in average score. Against the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D, it trails by 1.1%, while it leads the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 by 1.2% and the AMD EPYC 7313P by 1.7%. These deltas are small enough that real-world gaming differences will be dictated more by game engine behavior than by raw CPU throughput.

For Hitman 2 specifically, the measured frame rates suggest the CPU is not the limiting factor at most settings. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 347.3 FPS, which is far beyond what most displays can show. Even at 1440p Low, the system delivers 223.4 FPS. These numbers indicate that the i7-14700F has ample headroom to feed the GPU in this title. The processor's 65 W TDP is modest for a 20-core part, but that specification is about power envelope, not performance ceiling — the boost clock of 5.40 GHz is what drives single-thread responsiveness in Hitman 2's frame generation loop.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU built on a 5 nm process at TSMC, with 92,200 million transistors on a 750 mm² die. It features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, yielding 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth. The memory clock runs at 1750 MHz, which translates to 28 Gbps effective. These specifications matter for Hitman 2 because the game's levels are dense with interactive objects, NPCs, and dynamic lighting — all of which consume memory bandwidth and capacity. At 4K Ultra, the combo drops to 48 FPS, which suggests that even 32 GB of VRAM and 1.79 TB/s of bandwidth can be taxed by the highest settings in this title.

The GPU's base clock is 2017 MHz with a boost clock of 2407 MHz. With 21760 shading units, 680 texture mapping units, and 176 ROPs, the RTX 5090 is built for raw throughput. Its FP32 performance of 104.8 TFLOPS and texture rate of 1,636.8 GTexel/s indicate that the card can push massive amounts of geometry and pixel data when the game engine allows it. In Hitman 2, the measured results show that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution and settings increase. At 1080p Low, the system hits 347.3 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it falls to 48 FPS — a drop of more than 86% that points squarely at GPU-bound rendering.

The RTX 5090 sits at the 94th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 84306. Its nearest rivals in the database are the RTX 5090 D (0.1% ahead), the RTX 5050 Mobile (0.2% ahead), the AMD Radeon PRO W6600 (1.3% behind), and the NVIDIA CMP 40HX (1.6% behind). These deltas are tiny, meaning the RTX 5090 is effectively at the top of the tested GPU hierarchy. In Hitman 2, this translates to very high frame rates at lower resolutions, but the game's Ultra preset still manages to bring the card to its knees at 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 14th out of 1795 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places it in the top 1% of all configurations in the database, which is expected given the caliber of both components. The rank reflects not just the raw power of the GPU, but also the ability of the i7-14700F to keep up with it. In a game like Hitman 2, where frame rates can swing wildly based on scene complexity, a top-tier CPU prevents the GPU from stalling on draw calls.

What is notable is that this combo does not rank first, despite the RTX 5090 being one of the fastest GPUs available. The 14th position suggests that some other CPU-GPU pairings achieve higher average FPS in this specific title. This could be due to the i7-14700F's memory architecture or the way Hitman 2's engine handles its 20-core configuration. However, the margin between rank 1 and rank 14 in a pool of 1795 combos is likely small — the measured FPS values at 1080p High (198.6 FPS) and 1440p High (124.6 FPS) show that this system is already delivering excellent playability.

The percentile data reinforces this: both the CPU and GPU sit at the 94th percentile individually, and the combo lands at 14th overall. This consistency suggests that the pairing is well-balanced for Hitman 2, with neither component dragging the other down. The data shows a system that is heavily GPU-limited at higher settings, which is the ideal scenario for a gaming rig — the CPU has headroom, and the GPU is the active performance driver.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Hitman 2 with this combo?

A: Based on the measured data, 1440p High provides the best balance of visual quality and performance, delivering 124.6 FPS. At 4K High, the system still holds 67.3 FPS, which is playable, but 1440p offers a much higher frame rate without requiring a drop to Medium settings.

Q: How much performance is lost when going from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At 1080p High, the combo achieves 198.6 FPS. At 4K High, it drops to 67.3 FPS. This represents a 66% reduction in average frame rate, showing that the GPU is heavily taxed as pixel count increases.

Q: Is the Ultra preset worth using at 1440p?

A: At 1440p Ultra, the system delivers 95.7 FPS. This is a 23% drop from 1440p High (124.6 FPS). The data shows that Ultra is still playable, but the frame rate cost is substantial for what may be marginal visual gains in a stealth game.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU in Hitman 2?

A: The data suggests no. At 1080p Low, the system hits 347.3 FPS, which is far beyond typical display refresh rates. Even at 1440p Low, it achieves 223.4 FPS. These numbers indicate the i7-14700F has enough headroom to feed the RTX 5090 in this title.

Q: How does this combo compare to other top-tier systems?

A: The combo ranks 14th out of 1795 tested configurations. This places it in the top 1% of all systems in the database. The CPU and GPU both sit at the 94th percentile of their respective categories, indicating a well-matched pairing.

Q: What is the lowest playable frame rate this system produces?

A: The lowest measured average is 48 FPS at 4K Ultra. While this is below the 60 FPS threshold many players prefer, it is still technically playable. All other settings and resolutions produce averages above 67 FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 347.3 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 223.4 FPS, and at 4K Low it falls to 117.4 FPS. This is a 66% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, which is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario where pixel count drives performance.

At High settings, the scaling is even more pronounced: 198.6 FPS at 1080p, 124.6 FPS at 1440p, and 67.3 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 46%, while the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 37%. This suggests that the RTX 5090's memory bandwidth of 1.79 TB/s becomes a limiting factor at 4K, as the game's texture and lighting demands exceed what lower resolutions require.

The Ultra preset shows the steepest decline: 146.6 FPS at 1080p, 95.7 FPS at 1440p, and 48 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is particularly telling — it is the only measured configuration that falls below 60 FPS. This indicates that Hitman 2's Ultra settings are extremely demanding, likely due to high-resolution shadow maps, ambient occlusion, and post-processing effects that disproportionately affect pixel throughput.

The scaling data also reveals the limiting component. At 1080p, the system is likely CPU-limited in some scenes, given the massive frame rates (347.3 FPS at Low). As resolution increases, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. The fact that 4K Ultra produces 48 FPS while 4K Low produces 117.4 FPS shows that the GPU is the active constraint — the CPU cannot overcome the GPU's rendering load at higher settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear hierarchy of performance across settings and resolutions. For competitive play or high-refresh displays, 1080p Low offers the highest frame rate at 347.3 FPS, but this sacrifices visual quality. A better choice for most players is 1080p High at 198.6 FPS, which retains meaningful visual fidelity while still exceeding 144 Hz displays.

At 1440p, the data shows that High settings (124.6 FPS) offer the best experience. Medium settings deliver 164.3 FPS, which is smoother but visually reduced, while Ultra drops to 95.7 FPS. The 23% frame rate cost of Ultra over High is hard to justify unless the player prioritizes image quality over smoothness. For a stealth game where slow, deliberate movement is common, 95.7 FPS at Ultra is acceptable, but 124.6 FPS at High is the sweet spot.

At 4K, the recommendation changes. High settings (67.3 FPS) are the most balanced option, providing near-60 FPS gameplay with good visuals. Medium settings (87.7 FPS) offer a smoother experience with only a modest visual downgrade. Low settings (117.4 FPS) are viable for players who prioritize frame rate above all, but the visual penalty in Hitman 2's detailed environments is significant. Ultra at 4K (48 FPS) is the only configuration that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, making it unsuitable for most players despite the visual payoff.

In summary, the data suggests the following: for 1080p, use High; for 1440p, use High; for 4K, use Medium or High depending on whether frame rate or visual fidelity is more important. The system is capable of running Hitman 2 at excellent frame rates across all tested configurations, with only 4K Ultra failing to maintain 60 FPS.