Hitman 2

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a 20-core, 28-thread desktop processor from the Core 14th Gen series, built on Intel’s Raptor Lake architecture. It operates with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, which are the primary drivers for single-threaded performance in Hitman 2. The processor’s cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and a shared 33 MB L3 cache. Benchmark data from Cinebench R23 shows a multi-core score of 44557 and a single-core score of 6290, indicating strong headroom for both heavily threaded workloads and the lighter threads that typically govern game logic.

In the context of Hitman 2, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and manage AI, physics, and game state. The measured frame rates at 1080p with Low settings reach 319.6 FPS, which is well beyond what most displays can show, suggesting that the CPU is not a limiting factor at this resolution and preset. The processor’s percentile ranking against all CPUs is 96, placing it in the top tier. Compared to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700K, the average benchmark score is nearly identical with a deltaPct of 0, meaning the KF variant offers essentially the same computational performance in synthetic tests. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X sits slightly ahead with a deltaPct of -0.4, while the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 trails by 1.3 percent. These margins are small, indicating that the 14700KF is well matched to its direct competition for CPU-bound scenarios.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and features 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s. Its base clock is 2295 MHz with a boost clock of 2617 MHz, and the memory runs at 1875 MHz with an effective data rate of 30 Gbps. The GPU contains 10752 shading units, 336 texture mapping units, and 112 raster output units, along with 84 RT cores and 336 tensor cores. Its FP32 performance is 56.28 TFLOPS, which provides substantial raw compute for rendering Hitman 2’s environments.

For a game like Hitman 2, which is primarily rasterization-bound rather than ray-tracing intensive, the RTX 5080’s high pixel rate of 293.1 GPixel/s and texture rate of 879.3 GTexel/s are critical. The data shows that at 4K Ultra settings, the average frame rate drops to 48 FPS, indicating that the GPU is heavily taxed at maximum quality. However, at 1080p Low, the average FPS reaches 319.6, demonstrating that the GPU has enormous headroom when pixel count and shading complexity are reduced. The GPU’s percentile rank against all GPUs is 89, which is high but not top-tier, and its average benchmark score of 59188 places it near rivals like the Intel Arc A570M (deltaPct 1.6) and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500X (deltaPct 2.6). The RTX 5080’s 16 GB VRAM is ample for Hitman 2, as the game’s textures and draw distances do not appear to exceed this capacity at any tested setting, given that frame rates scale consistently with resolution changes.

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

The measured frame rates show a clear pattern of diminishing returns as resolution increases, which is indicative of a GPU-bound workload. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 134.8. Moving to 1440p Ultra, the average drops to 88.7, a reduction of roughly 34 percent. At 4K Ultra, the average falls to 48 FPS, which is a 64 percent decrease from the 1080p figure. This steep decline reveals that the RTX 5080 is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the CPU’s capability to issue draw calls is less stressed when the GPU is busy rendering more pixels.

Comparing Low settings across resolutions provides further insight. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 319.6, which drops to 203.4 at 1440p Low (a 36 percent reduction) and then to 107.7 at 4K Low (a 66 percent reduction from 1080p). The consistency of these percentage drops across different presets suggests that the scaling is driven by pixel throughput rather than by any specific setting. The fact that 4K Low still achieves 107.7 FPS indicates that the GPU has enough raw power to run the game smoothly even at the highest resolution, provided that visual fidelity is sacrificed. Conversely, the jump from 1080p Low to 1080p Ultra only reduces FPS from 319.6 to 134.8, which is a 58 percent drop, showing that the settings themselves also impose a significant load. This data points to a balanced system where the CPU is rarely the limiter, but the GPU’s performance scales predictably with resolution and preset complexity.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 achieves a rank of 70 out of 1795 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places the pair in the top 4 percent of all configurations in the database, which is a strong showing for a high-end desktop setup. The rank reflects the aggregate performance across all measured resolutions and settings, and given the data, it is clear that the combo excels at lower resolutions where the CPU can drive very high frame rates. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 243.1, and at 1440p High, it is 117.8, both of which are excellent for competitive or high-refresh-rate play.

The rank also benefits from the CPU’s strong single-thread performance, as Hitman 2’s engine relies on a few primary threads for game logic. The 14700KF’s Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6290 is sufficient to keep up with the GPU’s output at 1080p, as evidenced by the 319.6 FPS result at Low settings. However, at 4K Ultra, the combo’s rank is pulled down by the GPU’s inability to maintain high frame rates, with the average sitting at 48 FPS. This is not a flaw in the pairing but rather a natural consequence of the resolution’s pixel count. Compared to other combos that might feature a weaker CPU with the same GPU, the 14700KF ensures that the GPU is fully fed, avoiding any CPU-induced stalls that could lower the rank further.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Based on the measured frame rates, the Medium preset at 1440p offers the most balanced experience, delivering an average of 154 FPS. This is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay and provides a significant visual upgrade over Low settings, which achieve 203.4 FPS at the same resolution. The difference between Medium and High at 1440p is notable, with High dropping to 117.8 FPS, which is still playable but begins to sacrifice the fluidity that the hardware is capable of. For users with high-refresh-rate monitors, 1080p Medium is an excellent choice, as it hits 243.1 FPS, giving ample headroom for a 240 Hz display.

At 4K, the choice is more constrained. The High preset yields 64.6 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS target, while Ultra drops to 48 FPS, which may feel less responsive in a stealth game where precise timing matters. The Medium preset at 4K offers 82.1 FPS, which is a better compromise between visual quality and performance, allowing for smoother camera panning and more consistent frame pacing. The Low preset at 4K achieves 107.7 FPS, but the visual penalty is steep, with reduced shadows and textures. Therefore, the data suggests that 1440p Medium is the sweet spot for this combo, balancing the GPU’s load and the CPU’s feed rate, while 4K users should favor Medium or High over Ultra to avoid sub-60 FPS dips.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this combo in Hitman 2?

A: The highest measured average frame rate is 319.6 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: How does the CPU’s performance compare to its closest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700K?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700KF has an average benchmark score of 70104, while the Intel Core i7-14700K scores 70074, resulting in a deltaPct of 0, meaning their performance is effectively identical.

Q: What is the frame rate at 4K Ultra settings, and is it suitable for smooth play?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 48 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold commonly considered necessary for smooth play in action-oriented games.

Q: Which resolution and preset combination offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 with Medium settings delivers an average of 154 FPS, providing a high frame rate while maintaining a moderate level of visual quality.

Q: Does the GPU’s 16 GB VRAM become a limiting factor at any tested setting?

A: No, the frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K does not show any abrupt drops attributable to VRAM capacity, indicating that 16 GB is sufficient for all tested presets in Hitman 2.

Q: What is the combo’s overall rank in the database for this game?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 combination ranks 70 out of 1795 tested combos in Hitman 2, placing it in the top 4 percent of all configurations.