Hitman 2

The pairing of an Intel Core i7-14700K with a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 presents a stark contrast in capabilities, and the measured frame rates in Hitman 2 reflect this imbalance. The data shows a system where a top-tier processor is severely restrained by an entry-level graphics card, resulting in a gaming experience that is playable only under specific conditions. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across resolutions and settings to understand where the bottleneck lies and what users can realistically expect.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic GPU-bound scenario. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 67.3 FPS, but this drops to 43.1 FPS at 2560x1440 and further down to 25.9 FPS at 3840x2160. This scaling pattern is a clear indicator that the GTX 1650 is the limiting component; as the pixel count increases, the GPU's workload grows exponentially, and its 128.1 GB/s memory bandwidth and 2.984 TFLOPS of compute power are simply overwhelmed.

The most telling evidence of the GPU bottleneck is the Ultra preset performance. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 28.1, which is already below the threshold for smooth gameplay. Moving to 1440p Ultra yields 15.4 FPS, and 4K Ultra plummets to a nearly unplayable 7.6 FPS. This dramatic collapse with increased settings, rather than resolution alone, suggests that the GTX 1650's 4 GB of GDDR5 memory is also being saturated, causing severe frame rate degradation. The data implies that the i7-14700K, with its 20 cores and 28 threads, is never the limiting factor in this configuration; even at 1080p Low, the CPU has ample headroom that the GPU cannot utilize.

How This Combo Ranks

Within the benchmark database, this specific combination of CPU and GPU ranks 1756th out of 1795 tested combos for Hitman 2. This places it in the bottom 2.2% of all configurations, a position that underscores the profound mismatch between the components. The i7-14700K alone sits in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, but the GTX 1650 only reaches the 43rd percentile of all GPUs. The combination's rank is dragged down almost entirely by the graphics card's performance ceiling.

This ranking is not a reflection of the CPU's capability but rather a demonstration of how a weak GPU can cripple an otherwise powerful system. The data shows that while the i7-14700K's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-14700KF, have virtually identical average scores (70104 versus 70074, a delta of 0%), none of that processing power translates into gaming performance when paired with a GTX 1650. The result is a system that performs at a level far below what the CPU alone would suggest, making it a cautionary example of component pairing.

FAQ

Q: What is the best average FPS this combo can achieve in Hitman 2?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 67.3 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Is this system capable of playing Hitman 2 at 4K resolution?

A: The data shows it is not viable. At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 25.9 on Low to 7.6 on Ultra, all well below playable thresholds.

Q: How does the GTX 1650's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GTX 1650 has an average benchmark score of 8713. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 A Mobile, scores 8746, a delta of -0.4%, indicating near-identical performance.

Q: What is the impact of the CPU's power on this game's performance?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700K has a benchmark score of 70074, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. However, its impact on Hitman 2 is minimal because the GPU is the bottleneck; the CPU's power remains largely unused.

Q: Are the measured FPS figures actual test results?

A: Yes, the data is marked as `dataIsMeasured`, confirming that these are real benchmark results rather than estimates.

Q: What is the most demanding setting preset for this system?

A: The Ultra preset is the most demanding, yielding the lowest average FPS at every resolution. At 4K Ultra, the system only manages 7.6 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system shows a clear hierarchy of performance based on settings. Low settings produce an average of 67.3 FPS, which is the only preset that approaches a smooth 60+ FPS experience. Medium settings yield 52.2 FPS, High drops to 41.8 FPS, and Ultra falls to 28.1 FPS. This spread of 39.2 FPS between Low and Ultra demonstrates the significant cost of graphical fidelity on the GTX 1650.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop substantially across the board. Low settings average 43.1 FPS, which is still playable but not ideal. Medium settings produce 33.9 FPS, High settings yield 22.4 FPS, and Ultra becomes a slideshow at 15.4 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 27.7 FPS, but the overall performance is much lower, indicating that the GPU is struggling with the increased pixel load.

At 3840x2160, the system is completely out of its depth. Low settings average just 25.9 FPS, Medium drops to 20.7 FPS, High manages 11.7 FPS, and Ultra is nearly unresponsive at 7.6 FPS. The performance degradation from 1080p to 4K is 61.5% on Low settings, highlighting the severe impact of resolution on this GPU.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 is the definitive bottleneck in this configuration. Its 4 GB of GDDR5 memory, clocked at 2001 MHz with an 8 Gbps effective rate, is insufficient for the demands of Hitman 2 at higher settings. The 128-bit memory bus provides a bandwidth of 128.1 GB/s, which is simply too low to feed the rendering pipeline at 1440p or 4K resolutions, leading to the dramatic frame rate drops seen in the data.

The GPU's compute capabilities, rated at 2.984 TFLOPS for FP32, are also limiting. With 896 shading units and 32 ROPs, it can handle 1080p gaming at moderate settings, but it lacks the raw power for more intensive workloads. The data suggests that the 4 GB VRAM capacity is a critical constraint. At 1080p Ultra, the system likely exceeds the memory limit, causing severe stuttering and the low 28.1 FPS average. This is further evidenced by the fact that even at 4K Low, the system only manages 25.9 FPS, a performance level that is more consistent with a memory bandwidth limitation than a pure compute shortage.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the only configuration that provides a consistently smooth experience is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which averages 67.3 FPS. This is the only preset that exceeds the 60 FPS threshold, making it the clear recommendation for gameplay. For users who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, the Medium preset at 1080p, averaging 52.2 FPS, is a viable compromise, offering a noticeable improvement in detail while remaining playable.

At 2560x1440, the options are limited. Low settings at 43.1 FPS are playable, but the experience is not ideal. The High preset at 22.4 FPS is borderline, and Ultra is not recommended. The data strongly suggests that 3840x2160 is not a viable resolution for this combo, as even Low settings fail to reach 30 FPS. The best user experience is achieved by sticking to 1080p and adjusting settings to prioritize frame rate, as the GPU's limitations are too significant to overcome at higher resolutions.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a powerhouse that is almost entirely underutilized in this pairing. With 20 cores, 28 threads, and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, it has an average benchmark score of 70074, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44534 and single-core score of 6287 demonstrate immense processing capability. However, Hitman 2's frame rates are determined by the GPU, not the CPU, and the data shows that the i7-14700K's power has no positive effect on the measured FPS.

The CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic, but with a GTX 1650, the GPU is so slow that it cannot keep up with even a modest CPU. The i7-14700K's 33 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache are more than sufficient for this workload. The bottleneck is confirmed by comparing the CPU's performance to its nearest rivals; the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, which scores 70420 (a -0.5% delta), would perform identically in this game. The data implies that the i7-14700K is capable of handling far more demanding games, but it is entirely wasted in this configuration.