Hitman 2

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT places 622nd out of 1795 tested combinations for Hitman 2. That puts this combo in the 65th percentile of all tested systems, a solidly above-average position that reflects a balanced pairing of a high-end 2023 CPU with a 2020 flagship GPU. The ranking suggests this is a capable setup for the game, though not a top-tier contender—there are 621 faster combos, which indicates that while the parts are strong individually, the overall result is constrained by the GPU's age and the game's specific demands.

Benchmark data shows the CPU is the stronger component in this pairing. The i7-14700KF scores in the 96th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 70104. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700K, scores 70074, a delta of 0%. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X trails by 0.4%, while the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 leads by 1.3%. The GPU, meanwhile, sits in the 87th percentile among all GPUs with an average score of 49982. Its closest competitor, the Intel Arc A550M, is only 0.5% ahead, while the NVIDIA RTX A1000 leads by 1.7% and the NVIDIA CMP 50HX trails by 1.9%. The data indicates the CPU is punching well above its weight class, while the GPU is merely adequate for the task.

GPU Role

The Radeon RX 6800 XT brings 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 512.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its clock speeds are substantial: a base of 1825 MHz, a game clock of 2015 MHz, and a boost clock of 2250 MHz. Memory runs at 2000 MHz with 16 Gbps effective speed. These specifications translate into a pixel rate of 288.0 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 648.0 GTexel/s, with FP32 compute at 20.74 TFLOPS. For Hitman 2, a stealth game built around detailed environments, the 16 GB VRAM is more than sufficient, and the high memory bandwidth helps maintain consistent frame pacing at higher resolutions.

The GPU's performance in Hitman 2 scales predictably with settings. At 4K, the card manages 41.5 FPS on High, 55.9 FPS on Medium, and 77.6 FPS on Low, but only 32.2 FPS on Ultra. The steep drop from High to Ultra—a 22.4% reduction—indicates that the Ultra preset demands more from the GPU than its raw compute can comfortably deliver at 3840x2160. The 72 ray tracing cores are present but Hitman 2's implementation does not appear to be the primary bottleneck; rather, the sheer pixel throughput at 4K is what limits the card. The GPU's 87th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with a 2.6% lead over the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER, confirms it is a competent but not exceptional performer in this title.

FAQ

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems for Hitman 2?

A: It ranks 622nd out of 1795 tested combinations, placing it in the 65th percentile of all systems.

Q: What is the strongest component in this pairing?

A: The CPU is clearly stronger, scoring in the 96th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU sits in the 87th percentile among all GPUs.

Q: Can this system achieve 60 FPS at 4K in Hitman 2?

A: Only on Low settings, where it hits 77.6 FPS. On Medium it drops to 55.9 FPS, on High to 41.5 FPS, and on Ultra to 32.2 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for smooth gameplay?

A: At 1440p, the combo delivers 77.6 FPS on High and 58.5 FPS on Ultra, both playable, while 1080p on High reaches 127.8 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The i7-14700KF scores 70104 on average, essentially tied with the i7-14700K at 70074 (0% delta), and 0.4% ahead of the Ryzen 9 9950X.

Q: Is the GPU's VRAM a limiting factor?

A: No, the 16 GB GDDR6 memory with 512.0 GB/s bandwidth is ample for Hitman 2, and the bottleneck appears to be raw rasterization throughput at high resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how this combo handles Hitman 2 across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system is exceptionally fast: Low settings produce 221.5 FPS, Medium 165.4 FPS, High 127.8 FPS, and Ultra 90.5 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is substantial—a 59.1% drop—but even at Ultra, the frame rate is well above the 60 FPS threshold, making 1080p a comfortable experience at any preset.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains strong but begins to show strain. Low settings yield 141.5 FPS, Medium 107.3 FPS, High 77.6 FPS, and Ultra 58.5 FPS. The drop from High to Ultra is 24.6%, and at Ultra the system just misses the 60 FPS mark. This resolution is ideal for High settings, where the frame rate matches the 4K Low figure of 77.6 FPS, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor rather than the CPU.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes dramatically. Low settings deliver 77.6 FPS, Medium 55.9 FPS, High 41.5 FPS, and Ultra 32.2 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra is steep—a 58.5% reduction—and even Medium falls below 60 FPS. The 4K High result of 41.5 FPS is 67.5% lower than the 1080p High result of 127.8 FPS, highlighting the GPU's struggle with pixel throughput at this resolution. The data shows a clear pattern: the RX 6800 XT is a 1440p-class card for this game, with 4K requiring significant settings compromises.

Settings Recommendations

For the best balance of visual quality and frame rate, the data points to 1440p on High settings as the sweet spot for this combo. At 2560x1440 with High settings, the system achieves 77.6 FPS, which is smooth and responsive for a stealth game where precision matters. This setting also matches the 4K Low performance exactly, indicating that the GPU is being utilized effectively without overburdening it.

At 1080p, Ultra settings are the clear choice, delivering 90.5 FPS. This exceeds the 60 FPS threshold by 50.8%, and the visual fidelity of Ultra at 1080p is likely superior to High at 1440p in terms of texture detail and effects. The data shows that at 1080p, even Ultra leaves headroom, so users can prioritize image quality without sacrificing smoothness.

For 4K, the recommendation shifts to Low settings, which produce 77.6 FPS. Medium at 4K drops to 55.9 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target, while High and Ultra are not viable at 32.2-41.5 FPS. The difference between 4K Low and 4K Medium is 38.8%, suggesting that Medium's additional effects are too costly for the GPU. Users with 4K displays should accept Low settings or consider the 1440p route for a better experience.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. Its cache hierarchy includes 80 KB L1 per core, 2 MB L2 per core, and 33 MB shared L3. The CPU's benchmark results are impressive: Cinebench R23 multicore scores 44557, singlecore 6290; Geekbench multicore 19287, singlecore 2972; and Passmark multithread 52425 with a single-thread score of 4480. These numbers place it in the 96th percentile among all CPUs.

In Hitman 2, a game that is primarily GPU-bound at high resolutions, the CPU's role is to ensure no frame drops occur during complex AI and physics calculations. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 221.5 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's limit, but at higher resolutions the GPU takes over as the bottleneck. The CPU's 20 cores and 28 threads are overkill for this game, but the high boost clock of 5.60 GHz ensures strong single-thread performance, which is what matters for game logic. The nearest rival, the i7-14700K, is essentially identical in performance, and the 0% delta confirms that the KF variant's lack of integrated graphics has no impact on gaming.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K reveals the limiting component clearly. At High settings, the system delivers 127.8 FPS at 1080p, 77.6 FPS at 1440p, and 41.5 FPS at 4K. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is a 39.3% reduction, and from 1440p to 4K is a 46.5% reduction. Total drop from 1080p to 4K is 67.5%. This pattern is consistent with a GPU-limited scenario: as resolution increases, the GPU's workload grows faster than the CPU's, and the frame rate falls accordingly.

At Low settings, the scaling is similar but with higher absolute numbers: 221.5 FPS at 1080p, 141.5 FPS at 1440p, and 77.6 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p drop is 36.1%, and 1440p to 4K is 45.2%. The fact that 4K Low matches 1440p High at 77.6 FPS is telling—it suggests the GPU is the bottleneck in both cases, and the CPU has ample headroom. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates would cluster closer together across resolutions.

The Ultra settings tell the same story more dramatically: 90.5 FPS at 1080p, 58.5 FPS at 1440p, and 32.2 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p drop is 35.4%, and 1440p to 4K is 44.9%. These consistent percentage drops across all settings confirm that the RX 6800 XT is the limiting component in this pairing. The i7-14700KF, with its 96th percentile CPU ranking, is never the bottleneck in Hitman 2, even at 1080p Low where the frame rate exceeds 220 FPS. The data shows that users should target 1440p for the best experience, as 4K demands too much from the GPU, while 1080p leaves significant performance on the table.