Hitman 2

The pairing of Intel’s Core i7-14700KF with NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER presents a study in asymmetry. The CPU sits in the 94th percentile of all processors, a top-tier part, while the GPU lands in the 62nd percentile, a decidedly mid-range component. Benchmark results in Hitman 2 reflect this imbalance clearly, showing a system where the graphics card becomes the primary arbiter of performance at higher resolutions, while the processor’s strength is only fully revealed at lower settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured data shows a steep and predictable decline in frame rates as resolution increases, a pattern that firmly identifies the GPU as the limiting factor. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces 82 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops this to 52 FPS, a 37% reduction, and then to 4K, the average falls to 28 FPS, which is 66% lower than the 1080p result. This scaling curve is characteristic of a system where the rendering workload expands faster than the GPU’s ability to process it.

The picture changes dramatically when examining Low settings. Here, the 1080p result is 145 FPS. At 1440p Low, the system still manages a highly playable 93 FPS, and even at 4K Low, it achieves 49 FPS. The delta between 1080p and 4K at Low settings is a 66% drop, which is nearly identical to the percentage drop seen at High settings. This consistency suggests that even when the visual load is lightened, the RTX 2060 SUPER’s raw throughput is still the bottleneck; the i7-14700KF is not being stressed enough to cause a plateau.

The most telling data point comes from the Medium preset, which is the only one with min and max FPS values. At 1080p Medium, the average is 109 FPS with a minimum of 92 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average falls to 69 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS. The minimum frame rates remain relatively high, indicating that the CPU is consistently feeding the GPU enough data to avoid severe hitches. The fact that the average FPS scales almost linearly with the pixel count (109 to 69 to 37 at 4K) reinforces that the RTX 2060 SUPER’s pixel throughput is the dominant constraint. The i7-14700KF’s 20 cores and 28 threads are not the limiting factor here; the data indicates the GPU is working at its absolute limit while the CPU waits.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core i7-14700KF bottlenecking the RTX 2060 SUPER in Hitman 2?

A: No. The benchmark results indicate the opposite. The frame rates scale almost exactly with resolution changes, which is a hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario. The minimum frame rates at Medium settings are also relatively close to the averages, suggesting the CPU is delivering frames without stuttering.

Q: Can this combo achieve a stable 60 FPS experience at 1440p?

A: Yes, but only with specific settings. At 1440p High, the average is 52 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target. However, at 1440p Medium, the average jumps to 69 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS, making it the sweet spot for a smooth experience at that resolution.

Q: How does performance at 4K Ultra compare to 1080p Ultra?

A: The difference is stark. At 1080p Ultra, the system averages 60 FPS. At 4K Ultra, the average plummets to 21 FPS. This represents a 65% reduction in performance, making 4K Ultra unplayable for this combination.

Q: What is the best resolution for high refresh rate gaming with this setup?

A: The data shows that 1080p is the only resolution that consistently pushes past 100 FPS. At 1080p Low, the average is 145 FPS, and at 1080p Medium, it is 109 FPS. Even at 1080p High, the 82 FPS average is respectable, but for the highest refresh rates, Low or Medium settings are required.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals in general compute performance?

A: Its average benchmark score is 18093. It is 0.4% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile and 1.5% behind the AMD Radeon RX 460. This places it in a competitive bracket with those parts, though it trails the Intel Arc A770M by 1.6%.

Q: Is the i7-14700KF's performance significantly different from its closest rivals?

A: The data shows it is very tightly clustered. It is only 0.2% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and 0.4% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX. It is 1% behind the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K. These are all statistically negligible differences in average benchmark scores.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, built on a 10 nm process. Its base clock is 3.40 GHz, with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 44167 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 6235 in single-core, placing it in the 94th percentile of all CPUs. This is a massive amount of computational headroom for a game like Hitman 2.

The game’s performance data, however, shows that this headroom is largely unused. At 1080p Low, where the GPU load is minimal, the system produces 145 FPS. If the CPU were a bottleneck, we would expect to see a hard ceiling on this frame rate, regardless of resolution. Instead, we see that at 4K Low, the frame rate drops to 49 FPS. This 66% reduction is entirely attributable to the GPU’s workload, not the CPU. The CPU is capable of far more work than the RTX 2060 SUPER can demand of it.

The core and thread count are simply not a factor in this specific configuration. The CPU’s single-core strength, evidenced by a 4480 Passmark single-thread score, is more than adequate for the game’s main simulation thread. The data suggests that even a significantly less powerful CPU would yield nearly identical results in this pairing, as the RTX 2060 SUPER is the definitive performance ceiling. The i7-14700KF is, for all intents and purposes, operating with a massive amount of spare capacity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset provides a clear matrix of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080, the combo scales from a very high 145 FPS on Low to a still-playable 60 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset averages 109 FPS with a minimum of 92 FPS, showing a strong 1% low. The High preset averages 82 FPS. This is the only resolution where the Ultra preset breaks the 60 FPS barrier.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. The Low preset averages 93 FPS, which is still excellent. The Medium preset averages 69 FPS with a minimum of 59 FPS, making it a viable option for 60 FPS gaming. The High preset falls to 52 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 39 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 2060 SUPER is clearly out of its depth. The Low preset averages 49 FPS, which is borderline playable. The Medium preset averages 37 FPS with a minimum of 31 FPS. The High preset drops to 28 FPS, and the Ultra preset is a slideshow at 21 FPS. For 4K gaming, only the Low preset approaches a playable frame rate.

The pattern is consistent: each step up in resolution costs roughly a third of the frame rate, and each step up in settings costs a similar proportion. The Medium settings preset offers the most balanced experience, with the only recorded minimum frame rates in the dataset, suggesting a more stable frame pacing than the other presets.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested CPU and GPU combinations for Hitman 2, this specific pairing of the i7-14700KF and RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 2631 out of 3711 combos. This places it in the bottom 30% of all tested systems. This low ranking is a direct consequence of the GPU’s mid-range status; the RTX 2060 SUPER’s 62nd percentile ranking among all GPUs holds the combo back.

The high-performing CPU does little to boost the combo’s rank in this game. The ranking is a holistic view of the system’s gaming performance, and in this case, the GPU’s limitations are the overwhelming factor. The data suggests that this combo is outperformed by a significant majority of other pairings, including those with weaker CPUs but stronger GPUs. The i7-14700KF is a top-tier part that is effectively wasted in this configuration for Hitman 2, as its capabilities are far beyond what the RTX 2060 SUPER can utilize.

The nearest CPU rivals, like the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X which is only 0.9% behind in general compute, would likely produce the exact same frame rates in this game when paired with this GPU. The ranking of 2631 reflects the fact that in GPU-bound scenarios, the specific CPU model is almost irrelevant to the final outcome.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the optimal settings depend entirely on the user’s target resolution and refresh rate. For 1080p, the High preset at 82 FPS is a solid choice for a smooth experience on a standard 60Hz monitor. For users with a 144Hz display, the Medium preset at 109 FPS is the clear winner, as it provides a high average frame rate with a minimum of 92 FPS, ensuring a fluid experience without major dips.

For 1440p, the Medium preset is the only configuration that consistently achieves a 60 FPS experience. With an average of 69 FPS and a minimum of 59 FPS, it is the recommended choice. The High preset at 52 FPS may be acceptable for slower-paced games, but for Hitman 2’s stealth mechanics, the extra smoothness of Medium is preferable.

For 4K, the data shows no good options. The Low preset at 49 FPS is the only one that approaches playability, but the visual compromises are severe. The Medium preset at 37 FPS is too choppy for the game’s precise movements. The data indicates that this combo is not suited for 4K gaming, and users should stick to 1080p or 1440p. The best overall experience, balancing visual quality and frame rate, is the Medium preset at 1440p. It offers a significant visual upgrade over 1080p while maintaining a stable, high-performance frame rate that the other presets cannot match at that resolution.