Hitman 2

Hitman 2 is a stealth game that scales unusually well with modern hardware, and the combination of the Intel Core i7-14700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 produces a clear performance profile. The data indicates that this pairing is capable of delivering very high frame rates across all resolutions, but the relationship between resolution and settings reveals where the bottleneck shifts. This analysis focuses strictly on the measured FPS rows, the hardware specifications, and the benchmark scores provided.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, which points to the GPU becoming the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 342 FPS at 1920x1080 to 219 FPS at 2560x1440, and then to 117 FPS at 3840x2160. That is a 66% reduction moving from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the RTX 5090 is being pushed harder by the pixel count rather than the CPU.

The scaling pattern with Medium settings shows a similar trend: 257 FPS at 1080p, 164 FPS at 1440p, and 87 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is nearly half, which is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance. At High settings, the numbers are 194 FPS at 1080p, 124 FPS at 1440p, and 66 FPS at 4K. The 4K result is noticeably lower, suggesting that even a flagship GPU like the RTX 5090, with its 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth, starts to feel the pressure of Hitman 2’s rendering demands at Ultra-HD.

Ultra settings amplify this trend further: 143 FPS at 1080p, 91 FPS at 1440p, and 49 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the lowest in the entire dataset, and the gap between 1080p and 4K is over 65%. This indicates that at Ultra, the GPU is heavily taxed, but the CPU still has headroom. The i7-14700KF, with 20 cores and 28 threads, is unlikely to be the constraint at any resolution, given its strong multi-core performance in benchmarks like Cinebench R23 (44167 multi-core, 6235 single-core). Instead, the data suggests that the RTX 5090 is the limiting component as resolution increases, particularly at higher settings where pixel shading and memory bandwidth become critical.

Settings Recommendations

The measured rows provide a clear hierarchy for balancing visual quality and frame rate. For 1080p users, High settings at 194 FPS is a strong choice, offering a significant jump from Ultra’s 143 FPS while still maintaining excellent smoothness. If maximum responsiveness is desired, Low settings deliver 342 FPS, but that sacrifices visual fidelity for a frame rate that exceeds most high-refresh-rate displays. Medium at 257 FPS is a middle ground that keeps the game looking decent while staying well above 200 FPS.

At 1440p, the data shows that High settings at 124 FPS is the sweet spot for a smooth experience on standard 144Hz monitors. Ultra at 91 FPS is playable but leaves performance on the table, and the 33 FPS difference between High and Ultra may not justify the visual upgrade for most players. Low at 219 FPS is overkill unless using a 240Hz panel, while Medium at 164 FPS is a solid alternative if you prefer slightly better visuals without dropping below 144 FPS.

For 4K, the situation is more nuanced. High settings at 66 FPS is just above the 60 FPS threshold, making it the minimum recommended preset for a playable experience. Medium at 87 FPS offers a better margin, but the drop from High to Medium is only 21 FPS, which is a reasonable trade-off for stability. Ultra at 49 FPS is not recommended for smooth gameplay, as it falls below 50 FPS and would be noticeable in a stealth title where precision matters. Low at 117 FPS is surprisingly strong, but it likely removes too many visual details that help with immersion and enemy spotting.

The data indicates that High settings provide the best balance of visual quality and frame rate across all resolutions. The only exception is 4K, where Medium might be preferable if you want to avoid the 60 FPS boundary. The RTX 5090’s 32 GB VRAM is not a limiting factor here, as even the highest settings likely fit well within that capacity, but the rendering load at 4K Ultra is what pushes the GPU to its limits.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 is a dominant force in this pairing, with a 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs and an average benchmark score of 79842. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (deltaPct 0.3) and AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (deltaPct 1.1), but the RTX 5090 leads them slightly. The GPU’s specifications are substantial: 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, a boost clock of 2407 MHz, and 21760 shading units. These numbers translate directly to the measured FPS, particularly at higher resolutions.

At 1080p, the RTX 5090 is clearly not the bottleneck, as Low settings hit 342 FPS. The GPU’s raw compute power (104.8 TFLOPS FP32) is more than enough for the pixel count, and the data shows the CPU must be keeping up. However, at 4K Ultra, the GPU’s limits become apparent with 49 FPS, indicating that even with 1.79 TB/s of memory bandwidth, the rendering load of Hitman 2 at that resolution and preset is substantial. The 92,200 million transistors on the GB202 chip are working hard, but the frame rate drop suggests a need for more shading throughput or bandwidth.

The VRAM allocation is not a concern in this game, as 32 GB is far beyond what Hitman 2 likely requires, even at 4K with high-resolution textures. The GPU’s clock speeds, base 2017 MHz and boost 2407 MHz, are consistent with the performance seen in the measured rows. The data shows that the RTX 5090 excels at lower resolutions where it can push frame rates into the 200-300 FPS range, but at 4K, it settles into a more modest 49-117 FPS range depending on settings. This is a typical pattern for a flagship GPU in a 2018 title, where the game’s engine may not fully utilize the newer architecture’s features.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete dataset reveals a clear progression of performance across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, Low settings achieve an average of 342 FPS, which is the highest measured value in the entire table. Medium settings produce 257 FPS with a minimum of 218 FPS and a maximum of 295 FPS, showing a tight frame time distribution. High settings deliver 194 FPS, and Ultra drops to 143 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 199 FPS, indicating that settings have a massive impact at 1080p, but even the lowest result is well above playable thresholds.

Moving to 2560x1440, Low settings hit 219 FPS, Medium averages 164 FPS with a minimum of 140 FPS and maximum of 189 FPS, High reaches 124 FPS, and Ultra falls to 91 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 128 FPS, which is smaller than at 1080p but still significant. The Medium settings row shows a 49 FPS range between minimum and maximum, which is the largest variance in the dataset, suggesting occasional frame spikes that could be noticeable on a 144Hz monitor.

At 3840x2160, Low settings achieve 117 FPS, Medium averages 87 FPS with a minimum of 74 FPS and maximum of 101 FPS, High drops to 66 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 49 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 68 FPS, and the Medium row’s 27 FPS variance indicates less stability than at lower resolutions. The 4K Ultra result is the only measured value below 50 FPS, making it the least desirable configuration for smooth gameplay.

Across all resolutions, the Medium settings rows are the only ones with complete min/max data, providing insight into frame pacing. At 1080p, the minimum of 218 FPS is still high, but at 4K, the minimum of 74 FPS is closer to the average of 87 FPS, suggesting that the GPU is more consistent under load. The data indicates that Medium is a reliable preset for maintaining stable frame rates, while Ultra sacrifices significant performance for marginal visual gains.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, but only at Low or Medium settings. The measured data shows 117 FPS at Low and 87 FPS at Medium for 3840x2160, while High settings drop to 66 FPS and Ultra falls to 49 FPS. For a stable 60 FPS, Medium is the safest choice.

Q: Which resolution provides the best frame rate headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors?

A: At 1920x1080, all settings exceed 140 FPS, with Low hitting 342 FPS and Medium at 257 FPS. Even Ultra at 143 FPS is above 120 FPS, making 1080p the best choice for 144Hz or 240Hz displays.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 compare to its nearest rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score of 79842, which is 0.3% higher than the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (79605) and 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78940). It trails the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X by 1.4% (80959).

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 4K Ultra?

A: The data points to the GPU being the limiting factor. At 3840x2160 Ultra, the average FPS is 49, while the i7-14700KF has strong multi-core performance (44167 in Cinebench R23) that should handle the game’s logic. The GPU’s 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 is still not enough to maintain higher frame rates at that preset.

Q: What is the frame time variance like at different resolutions?

A: The only settings with min/max data are Medium. At 1080p, the range is 77 FPS (218-295), at 1440p it is 49 FPS (140-189), and at 4K it is 27 FPS (74-101). The variance shrinks as resolution increases, indicating more consistent frame pacing at higher GPU loads.

Q: Does the 32 GB VRAM offer any advantage in this game?

A: The 32 GB GDDR7 memory on the RTX 5090 is far more than Hitman 2 requires, even at 4K Ultra. The measured FPS drops are not due to VRAM capacity but rather to the GPU’s shading and bandwidth limits, so the extra memory does not help in this specific title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a powerhouse that is unlikely to bottleneck the RTX 5090 in Hitman 2. With 20 cores, 28 threads, a base clock of 3.40 GHz, and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, the CPU has ample headroom for the game’s logic and AI routines. The benchmark scores support this: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44167 and a single-core score of 6235 place it in the 94th percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F (0.2% higher average score) and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K (-1% lower), showing that it is competitive with modern alternatives.

In Hitman 2, the CPU’s role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and manage the game’s stealth AI. The data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 342 FPS, which would be impossible if the CPU were holding back the GPU. Even at 1080p Ultra, the 143 FPS result is well above typical CPU-bound thresholds, suggesting that the i7-14700KF’s single-threaded performance, as evidenced by the Geekbench single-core score of 2578, is sufficient for this title.

The CPU’s 33 MB of shared L3 cache and DDR5 memory support (though the specific bandwidth is not listed) likely help with loading times and level transitions, but the measured FPS data does not show any CPU-related dips. The Passmark multi-thread score of 52425 and the single-thread score of 4480 indicate that the CPU can handle both the game’s main thread and background tasks without issue. The combo rank of 77 out of 3711 combinations suggests that this CPU-GPU pairing is well above average for Hitman 2, further confirming that the CPU is not a limiting factor.

The architecture, Raptor Lake-R on a 10 nm process, is mature and optimized for gaming workloads. The 125 W TDP is manageable for most cooling solutions, and the unlocked multiplier allows for overclocking, though the measured results already show strong performance. In summary, the i7-14700KF provides a solid foundation for the RTX 5090, ensuring that the GPU is the primary driver of frame rates across all resolutions and settings. The data indicates a balanced pairing that excels at 1080p and 1440p, with 4K performance limited only by the GPU’s capabilities.