Hitman 2

The Intel Core i7-14700KF paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 delivers a broad performance envelope in Hitman 2, but the data reveals a system that is heavily constrained by graphics load at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the combination produces exceptional frame rates that indicate a CPU-bound scenario, while at 4K, the frame rates plummet to levels that suggest the GPU is the primary bottleneck. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data to understand the scaling behavior, the role of the specific components, and how this pairing ranks among other tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates across the three tested resolutions show a classic performance curve, but the magnitude of the drop is particularly steep. Starting at 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo achieves an average of 126.8 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the average falls to 78.5 FPS, a reduction of roughly 38%. The leap to 3840x2160 is even more punishing, with the average dropping to 45.2 FPS, which is only about 36% of the 1080p performance.

This scaling pattern strongly suggests that the RX 9070 becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases. The 1080p High result of 126.8 FPS is high enough that the Core i7-14700KF, with its 20 cores and 28 threads, is likely not the primary constraint. However, the 4K High result of 45.2 FPS indicates a significant graphics workload that the GPU struggles to sustain. The data implies that at 1080p, the CPU has headroom, but at 4K, the GPU's rendering capabilities are fully saturated.

The delta between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution further confirms this. At 1080p, the spread between Low (223.7 FPS) and Ultra (95 FPS) is 128.7 FPS, showing that the CPU can feed the GPU even at high frame rates. At 4K, the spread narrows to 41.6 FPS (73.6 FPS Low vs 32 FPS Ultra), which indicates that the GPU's raw throughput is the deciding factor, regardless of the graphics preset. The performance cliff between 1440p and 4K is particularly notable, as the 4K Ultra result of 32 FPS is the only sub-60 FPS average recorded, suggesting that this configuration is not optimized for 4K Ultra gaming in this title.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: The measured average FPS for 2560x1440 at Medium settings is 105.4 FPS.

Q: How does the 4K High result compare to the 1080p High result?

A: The 3840x2160 High average is 45.2 FPS, which is significantly lower than the 1920x1080 High average of 126.8 FPS, representing a drop of approximately 64%.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the bottleneck at 4K Ultra?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The 4K Ultra average of 32 FPS is low, and the frame rate scales heavily with resolution, which is a classic sign of GPU saturation rather than CPU limitation.

Q: What is the best-performing settings preset at 1080p based on the data?

A: The Low preset at 1920x1080 yields the highest average at 223.7 FPS, but for a balance of visual quality and performance, the High preset at 126.8 FPS is a strong candidate, as it provides a substantial increase in fidelity over Low while remaining well above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations in this game?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700KF + AMD Radeon RX 9070 combination ranks 620th out of 1795 tested combos for Hitman 2, placing it in the upper half of the database.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves 142.2 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves 57.4 FPS, a difference of 84.8 FPS.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 is built on the RDNA 4.0 architecture with a Navi 48 chip on a 4 nm process. It features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, which provides a memory bandwidth of 644.6 GB/s. The GPU's boost clock is rated at 2520 MHz, with a game clock of 2070 MHz. These specifications contribute to a texture rate of 564.5 GTexel/s and a pixel rate of 322.6 GPixel/s.

In Hitman 2, the GPU's role is clearly defined by the resolution scaling data. The 16 GB VRAM buffer is more than sufficient for the game's demands, as there is no evidence of memory-related stuttering or a hard cap on performance. Instead, the compute and shading capabilities of the RX 9070 are the primary drivers of the results. The FP32 performance of 36.13 TFLOPS is substantial, but the 4K Ultra result of 32 FPS shows that the game's most demanding settings can overwhelm the GPU's throughput.

The RX 9070's percentile ranking versus all GPUs is 79, and its average benchmark score is 34780. However, its nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA A2 (avg score 34866, deltaPct -0.2) and the AMD Radeon HD 7970 (avg score 34541, deltaPct 0.7). These rival comparisons, while based on synthetic averages, suggest that the RX 9070 sits in a specific performance tier. In this game, the measured data shows that the GPU is capable of high refresh rates at 1080p and 1440p with appropriate settings, but it struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K Ultra, where the average dips to 32 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank in Hitman 2 is 620 out of 1795 tested combos, placing it in the 65th percentile of all configurations in the database. This is a strong showing, indicating that the pairing of the Core i7-14700KF and RX 9070 is well-suited for this title, though not at the very top of the charts.

The CPU component, the Intel Core i7-14700KF, has an average benchmark score of 70104 and sits in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-14700K (avg score 70074, deltaPct 0) and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (avg score 70420, deltaPct -0.4). This indicates that the CPU is performing exactly as expected for its tier, with negligible differences from its closest competitors. The GPU, as noted, has an average score of 34780 and a percentile rank of 79.

The combined rank of 620 suggests that while the CPU is a top-tier performer, the GPU's mid-to-high-tier standing pulls the overall combo down slightly. In scenarios where the game is CPU-bound, such as 1080p Low (223.7 FPS), the combo shines. In GPU-bound scenarios, like 4K Ultra (32 FPS), the rank would likely be lower. The data shows a balanced system that is more capable at lower resolutions, but the GPU becomes a limiting factor at 4K, which is reflected in the overall rank.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and refresh rate. For 1440p and 4K displays, the High preset appears to be the sweet spot for this combo. At 2560x1440 High, the average is 78.5 FPS, which is smooth for most players and a significant improvement over the Medium preset's 105.4 FPS in terms of visual fidelity. At 3840x2160 High, the average drops to 45.2 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold but still playable for a stealth game where framerate consistency is less critical than in fast-paced action titles.

For 1080p, the High preset at 126.8 FPS is recommended for a balanced experience, as it offers a substantial visual upgrade over Medium (166.5 FPS) while maintaining a high frame rate. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 95 FPS, which is still excellent, but the visual gains over High are often marginal in Hitman 2. The Low preset at 1080p (223.7 FPS) is only recommended for competitive play or if the user has a very high refresh rate monitor, as the visual compromise is significant.

At 4K, the Ultra preset is not recommended, as the 32 FPS average will result in noticeable stutter and a suboptimal experience. The Medium preset at 4K (54.5 FPS) is a better option than High if the user is sensitive to frame rate drops, but High provides a better visual balance. The data suggests that the best experienced preset is High at 1440p, delivering 78.5 FPS with a good balance of quality and speed. For 4K users, High is the highest recommended setting, while 1080p users can safely push to High or Ultra depending on their preference for visual polish over raw FPS.