Hitman 2

Hitman 2 is a stealth game from 2018 that scales impressively across hardware tiers. For the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination, the measured data reveals a system that is heavily overqualified for this title, delivering playable frame rates even at 4K Ultra while scaling to extreme refresh rates at 1080p. The RTX 4080, with its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth, is the dominant force here, while the 20-core i7-14700K provides ample headroom. The benchmark results show a clear hierarchy: frame rates drop by roughly half when moving from 1080p to 4K at identical settings, but the experience remains smooth across the boardeboard unless the Ultra preset is forced at 4K. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data, the specific roles of the CPU and GPU, and provides actionable settings recommendations based on the numbers.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to run Hitman 2 with this hardware?

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 with the High preset offers the best combination of visual quality and performance, hitting 110 FPS average. It provides 91% more frames than 4K High (58 FPS) while still looking far better than Low presets.

Q: Can this system handle 4K Ultra settings?

A: The data shows 4K Ultra averages only 43 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. This is the only measured configuration that falls short of 60 FPS, so it is not recommended for fast-paced play.

Q: How big is the performance gap between Low and Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p, Low averages 302 FPS while Ultra averages 126 FPS, meaning Ultra delivers 58% fewer frames. The gap narrows at higher resolutions: at 4K, Low averages 103 FPS while Ultra averages 43 FPS, a 58% reduction as well.

Q: Is the RTX 4080's 16 GB VRAM enough for Hitman 2?

A: Yes, the memory capacity is not a limiting factor. The game's highest measured demand, at 4K Ultra, still runs within the card's memory pool, as evidenced by the playable (if sub-60 FPS) results; no texture streaming issues are indicated in the data.

Q: Does the i7-14700K bottleneck the RTX 4080 in this game?

A: No, the data does not suggest a CPU bottleneck. At 1080p Low, where CPU load is typically highest, the system still achieves 302 FPS, indicating the processor is not limiting the GPU's output at any resolution tested.

Q: Should I use Medium or High settings at 1440p?

A: The data shows 1440p High averages 110 FPS, which is 24% lower than Medium's 145 FPS but provides a significant visual upgrade. For a 144Hz monitor, High is the better choice since it stays above 100 FPS; for 60Hz displays, either works.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is the primary driver of Hitman 2's frame rates, and the data shows its performance scales predictably with resolution and settings. At 1080p, the card is nowhere near its limits: Low settings produce 302 FPS, and even Ultra settings hold at 126 FPS. This suggests the GPU has massive headroom, and the limiting factor at 1080p Low is likely the game engine's frame rate cap or CPU overhead, not the graphics card.

The RTX 4080's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth provide ample bandwidth for Hitman 2's textures, even at 4K. The measured 4K results confirm this: High settings average 58 FPS, Medium 77 FPS, and Low 103 FPS. The card's 2205 MHz base and 2505 MHz boost clocks are consistent with these results. When compared to its nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, this card's average benchmark score is only 0.1% lower (54247 vs 54209), which is a negligible difference in practice. Against the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X, the RTX 4080 is 1.1% ahead, and it leads the RX 6750 GRE 12 GB by 2.6%.

The 48.74 TFLOPS of FP32 compute power is far more than Hitman 2 requires, given its 2018 release date. The data shows the GPU is the bottleneck at 4K Ultra, where the average FPS drops to 43, likely due to the pixel shader load and memory pressure. However, at 1440p and below, the RTX 4080 effortlessly maintains high frame rates across all presets, indicating that the card's raw performance is the deciding factor in the most demanding scenario (4K Ultra) but is otherwise overkill for this title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700K plays a supporting role in Hitman 2, and the measured FPS data shows it does not bottleneck the RTX 4080 in any tested configuration. With 20 cores and 28 threads, the CPU has massive parallel processing capability, but Hitman 2 is not a heavily threaded game. The 3.40 GHz base clock and 5.60 GHz boost clock provide high single-thread performance, which is what matters most for this title's game logic and physics.

The CPU's benchmark results reinforce its strength: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 33440.5 and a single-core score of 2160. In the PassMark single-thread test, it scores 4472, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. Compared to its nearest rivals, the i7-14700K is 0.1% ahead of the AMD EPYC 9115, 0.2% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, and 0.7% behind the Ryzen 9 7940HX. These deltas are all within 1%, meaning the CPU performance is effectively equivalent to its top competitors for gaming.

In practice, the CPU's impact on Hitman 2 is negligible. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 302 FPS, which is a clear sign that the i7-14700K can feed the RTX 4080 faster than the game can render frames. Even at 4K Ultra, where the GPU is stressed, the CPU is not the limiting factor since the average FPS of 43 is solely determined by the graphics card's pixel throughput. The data suggests that any modern high-end CPU would produce similar results, but the i7-14700K's high boost clock ensures it never holds the system back, even in the least GPU-intensive scenarios.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 combination ranks 255th out of 3711 tested combos for Hitman 2. This places it in the top 6.9% of all systems tested. The rank reflects the raw performance of the two components, but the measured FPS data shows that this ranking is conservative for a game like Hitman 2, which is not particularly demanding by 2024 standards.

The 255th rank is heavily influenced by the fact that many faster combos exist (e.g., those with RTX 4090 or newer GPUs), but the data shows this combo still delivers excellent real-world performance. For context, the RTX 4080's average benchmark score of 54247 puts it at the 86th percentile of all GPUs, and the i7-14700K's average score of 69355 puts it at the 94th percentile of all CPUs. The combination of a top-tier CPU and an upper-mid-range GPU results in a system that is more than capable for Hitman 2.

What this ranking means in practice is that there are 254 combos that produce higher average FPS, but the measured results show this combo is already beyond the point of diminishing returns for this game. At 1440p High, it hits 110 FPS, which is smooth on any standard monitor. The rank becomes more relevant in newer, more demanding titles, but for Hitman 2, this combo is effectively in the top tier of playable systems.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the best experience is achieved by prioritizing resolution over settings, but with a cap on how high you push the preset. For a standard 60 Hz display, 4K High is the sweet spot, averaging 58 FPS. This is just below 60 FPS, but the Medium preset at 4K averages 77 FPS, providing a comfortable buffer if you prefer smoothness over maximum visual fidelity.

For 1440p, the High preset averages 110 FPS, which is ideal for 100 Hz or 120 Hz monitors. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 81 FPS, which still clears 60 FPS but sacrifices 26% of the frame rate compared to High. Since Hitman 2's visual difference between High and Ultra is often subtle, High is the recommended setting at this resolution.

At 1080p, the data shows that High settings average 172 FPS, which is more than enough for any 144 Hz or 165 Hz monitor. The Ultra preset at 1080p averages 126 FPS, which is still high but not worth the visual upgrade if you are chasing maximum refresh rates. The Low preset at 1080p hits 302 FPS, but this is only relevant for competitive play in a stealth game, which is not a typical use case.

The single configuration to avoid is 4K Ultra, which averages 43 FPS. This is the only measured setup that dips below 60 FPS, and the 33% drop in performance from High to Ultra at 4K (58 to 43 FPS) is not justified by the marginal visual gains. For the best overall experience, use 1440p High or 4K Medium depending on your display's native resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo is consistent across three resolutions and four settings, providing a clear picture of performance scaling.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 103 FPS average
• Medium: 77 FPS average, with a minimum of 66 FPS and a maximum of 89 FPS
• High: 58 FPS average
• Ultra: 43 FPS average

At 4K, the jump from Low to Medium costs 26 FPS, and the jump from Medium to High costs 19 FPS. The drop from High to Ultra is 15 FPS. The Medium preset is the only one at 4K that maintains a minimum FPS above 60, making it the safest choice for consistent performance.

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 193 FPS average
• Medium: 145 FPS average, with a minimum of 123 FPS and a maximum of 167 FPS
• High: 110 FPS average
• Ultra: 81 FPS average

At 1440p, the scaling is smoother. Low to Medium costs 48 FPS, Medium to High costs 35 FPS, and High to Ultra costs 29 FPS. All presets at 1440p exceed 60 FPS, and even the Ultra preset's 81 FPS average is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay.

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 302 FPS average
• Medium: 227 FPS average, with a minimum of 193 FPS and a maximum of 261 FPS
• High: 172 FPS average
• Ultra: 126 FPS average

At 1080p, the system is clearly CPU-limited at Low settings, as the 302 FPS average is an extreme outlier. The Medium preset's minimum of 193 FPS ensures no noticeable stuttering on high-refresh monitors. The scaling from Medium to High (55 FPS) and High to Ultra (46 FPS) is consistent, but all presets at 1080p are far beyond what any standard display can show.

The data reveals that the RTX 4080's performance is best utilized at 1440p, where the gap between High and Ultra is 29 FPS, allowing for flexibility. At 4K, the GPU's limitations are exposed at the Ultra preset, but the Medium preset provides a playable experience with a 77 FPS average attire. For players with a 1440p 144 Hz monitor, the High preset is the recommended starting point, with the option to drop to Medium if frame rates above 144 FPS are desired.