Hitman 2

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

The Intel Core i7-14700K sits at the heart of this configuration, and its specifications make it a heavyweight contender for Hitman 2's CPU demands. With 20 cores and 28 threads, this processor presents a substantial parallel processing foundation, while its base clock of 3.40 GHz and boost clock of 5.60 GHz provide the raw single-thread speed that stealth-action titles often prioritize. The Raptor Lake-R architecture, built on a 10 nm process, pairs these high frequencies with a 33 MB shared L3 cache, which can be instrumental in keeping frequently accessed game data close to the execution cores.

Benchmark data reinforces the CPU's standing: in Cinebench R23, the processor scores 44534 in multi-core and 6287 in single-core tests, while Geekbench results show 18896 multi-core and 2932 single-core scores. These numbers place the i7-14700K in the 96th percentile among all CPUs, a position that suggests it is unlikely to be the limiting factor in most gaming scenarios. However, the measured FPS in Hitman 2 tells a more nuanced story.

At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 160.3 FPS, while High settings yield 88.4 FPS. The gap between these presets indicates that even at lower graphical loads, the GPU's workload still scales significantly, suggesting that Hitman 2's engine does not purely rely on CPU throughput. The i7-14700K's nearest rivals — the Intel Core i7-14700KF with a deltaPct of 0, the AMD EPYC 9115 at 0.3, the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X at -0.5, and the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 at -1.4 — all sit within a tight performance envelope. This clustering implies that the CPU's headroom is more than adequate; the processor's 20-core configuration rarely becomes the bottleneck even when frame rates dip at higher resolutions.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is an interesting pairing with the i7-14700K, as it represents a much older generation (Turing architecture from 2019) that is now marked as end-of-life. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus delivers 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, while the boost clock reaches 1770 MHz. The GPU's 2560 shading units and 64 ROPs provide the rendering throughput, though its 9.062 TFLOPS FP32 performance is modest by modern standards.

This GPU's percentile ranking sits at 65 among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 22206. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA RTX A400 (-0.5 deltaPct), NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z (0.9), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile (-2.3), and AMD Radeon RX 5700 (2.5). These comparisons show the RTX 2070 SUPER holding its own against newer mobile parts and older desktop flagships, but the data from Hitman 2 reveals where its limits lie.

At 4K Ultra settings, the combo manages only 23.7 FPS, while dropping to High settings at the same resolution raises this to 33 FPS. The 8 GB VRAM capacity becomes a critical consideration here — Hitman 2's Ultra preset at 4K likely pushes texture memory demands close to or beyond this limit, forcing the GPU to manage data more carefully. The 12 nm process and 215 W TDP also indicate thermal and power constraints that may affect sustained performance, though the measured FPS numbers do not include min or max frame data to confirm any stuttering.

# Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS across resolutions reveals a predictable but steep scaling curve. At 1080p Low, the system produces 160.3 FPS; moving to 1440p Low drops this to 102.7 FPS (a 35.9% reduction), and 4K Low further reduces it to 54.4 FPS (a 47% drop from 1440p). This pattern intensifies at higher settings: 1080p Ultra runs at 67.8 FPS, 1440p Ultra falls to 43 FPS, and 4K Ultra bottoms out at 23.7 FPS.

The scaling behavior strongly indicates a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU's ample headroom allows the RTX 2070 SUPER to flex its capabilities, but the GPU's rendering load grows quadratically with pixel count. The transition from 1080p to 1440p at High settings (88.4 to 58.6 FPS) represents a 33.7% drop, while 1440p to 4K at the same settings (58.6 to 33 FPS) shows a 43.7% reduction. These percentages exceed the linear pixel-count increase, suggesting that memory bandwidth and shading unit limitations become more pronounced as resolution climbs.

The data implies that the i7-14700K's 5.60 GHz boost clock and 20 cores are underutilized at 4K, where the GPU's 448.0 GB/s bandwidth and 9.062 TFLOPS throughput struggle to keep up with fill-rate demands. Conversely, at 1080p, the CPU's single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6287) is sufficient to feed the GPU without creating a bottleneck.

# FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achievable with this combo in Hitman 2?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 160.3, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700KF?

A: The i7-14700K and i7-14700KF have identical average benchmark scores, with a deltaPct of 0, indicating no measurable performance difference in synthetic tests.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU more likely to limit performance at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 4K Ultra, the combo delivers only 23.7 FPS, which is 64.8% lower than the 1080p Ultra result. This steep drop points to the GPU as the primary limiting component, given the CPU's high percentile ranking and ample core count.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking among all tested GPUs?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks in the 65th percentile, with an average benchmark score of 22206.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 1440p at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, 1080p produces 122.2 FPS, while 1440p drops to 77.5 FPS, representing a 36.6% reduction.

Q: Which resolution provides the most balanced experience relative to the CPU's capabilities?

A: At 1440p High, the combo achieves 58.6 FPS, which is close to the 60 FPS target, while the CPU's 96th percentile ranking suggests it retains headroom, making this resolution a reasonable middle ground.

# Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 4K gaming, High settings (33 FPS) are the only viable option above 30 FPS, though this is marginal; the Ultra preset (23.7 FPS) is not playable for smooth action, and Medium (38.7 FPS) offers a more stable experience at the cost of visual fidelity. Low settings at 4K (54.4 FPS) provide the smoothest experience but sacrifice graphical detail significantly.

At 1440p, the data suggests High settings (58.6 FPS) as the best compromise — it approaches the 60 FPS threshold while maintaining visual quality, and Medium (77.5 FPS) offers a comfortable margin above 60. Low settings (102.7 FPS) are ideal for competitive play or high-refresh-rate monitors, while Ultra (43 FPS) is only suitable for those prioritizing visuals over performance.

For 1080p, High settings (88.4 FPS) deliver a smooth experience with strong visuals, and Medium (122.2 FPS) is excellent for high-refresh displays. Low (160.3 FPS) maximizes frame rate for esports-style play, while Ultra (67.8 FPS) remains above 60 FPS, making it the best choice for maximum visual quality without sacrificing playability. The data indicates that the GPU's 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p Ultra but may struggle with 4K Ultra, as evidenced by the steep FPS drop.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its strongest performance. Low settings produce 160.3 FPS, Medium reaches 122.2 FPS, High achieves 88.4 FPS, and Ultra drops to 67.8 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 92.5 FPS, showing a clear linear relationship between preset complexity and frame rate.

Moving to 2560x1440, the numbers scale down predictably. Low settings yield 102.7 FPS, Medium 77.5 FPS, High 58.6 FPS, and Ultra 43 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra here is 59.7 FPS, a narrower margin that suggests diminishing returns as the GPU becomes more taxed.

At 3840x2160, performance becomes more constrained. Low settings manage 54.4 FPS, Medium falls to 38.7 FPS, High drops to 33 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 23.7 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is just 30.7 FPS, indicating that the GPU's architectural limits (2560 shading units, 448.0 GB/s bandwidth) are the primary constraint at this resolution. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is also a factor, as Ultra presets likely push memory allocation beyond comfortable margins.

# How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 1103 out of 1795 tested combos for Hitman 2. This places it in the 61.4th percentile of all configurations, which is a modest standing given the CPU's high performance tier. The discrepancy between the CPU's 96th percentile ranking and the combo's mid-tier game ranking underscores the GPU's role as the limiting factor in this pairing.

The CPU's nearest rivals — the i7-14700KF, EPYC 9115, Ryzen 9 9950X, and Xeon Platinum 8270 — all have similar average scores, but the RTX 2070 SUPER's 65th percentile GPU ranking drags the overall combo down. In a game like Hitman 2, which scales heavily with GPU workload as seen in the 4K results, the GPU's age and end-of-life status are more relevant than the CPU's modern architecture.

The combo's rank also indicates that many other combinations achieve better performance, likely those pairing newer GPUs with similar or lesser CPUs. However, the data shows that at 1080p Medium and below, this combo delivers over 120 FPS, which would place it competitively against many higher-ranked configurations in lower-resolution scenarios. The rank reflects an average across all tested resolutions and settings, where the 4K weakness pulls the overall standing down.