Hitman 2

# How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER places at rank 2158 out of 3711 tested combos for Hitman 2. This positions the pairing in the lower-middle portion of the database, which may seem surprising given the CPU's pedigree. However, the ranking reflects the GPU's limitations rather than the processor's capabilities. The RTX 2070 SUPER sits at the 65th percentile among all GPUs, while the i9-14900K ranks at the 95th percentile among CPUs. This asymmetry creates a system where the graphics card becomes the primary constraint in most scenarios, preventing the combination from climbing higher in the rankings. The combo's standing suggests that while this pairing can handle the game, it does so with noticeable compromises at higher fidelity settings, particularly at 4K resolution where average frame rates dip below playable thresholds.

# FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Hitman 2?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 provides the most consistent experience, with average FPS ranging from 159 at Low settings down to 67 at Ultra. At 2560x1440, averages span from 102 at Low to 43 at Ultra, while 3840x2160 sees a dramatic drop, with averages from 54 at Low to just 23 at Ultra.

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

A: The Core i9-14900K's average benchmark score of 79097 places it 0.3% behind the Core i9-14900KF (79371), 0.6% behind the Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (79574), and 1.2% behind the AMD EPYC 7413 (80041). It outperforms the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (77740) by 1.7%.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER's average benchmark score of 20282 places it 1% ahead of the Quadro M4000M (20480), 1.2% ahead of the RTX 3070 Mobile (20534), 1.3% ahead of the Intel Arc B570 (20556), and 1.5% ahead of the Intel Arc A750 (20582). Note that the deltaPct values indicate the rivals' scores are relatively close, with the RTX 2070 SUPER trailing each by those percentages.

Q: What are the CPU's key specifications?

A: The i9-14900K features 24 cores and 32 threads, with a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz. It has a 36 MB shared L3 cache, 2 MB per-core L2 cache, and 80 KB per-core L1 cache. The processor supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in dual-channel configuration.

Q: What are the GPU's key specifications?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, with a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. It operates at a base clock of 1605 MHz and boost clock of 1770 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). The card includes 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, 64 ROPs, 40 RT cores, and 320 tensor cores.

Q: Is the data measured or estimated?

A: The dataIsMeasured field confirms that all FPS values in this database are from actual benchmark testing, not theoretical calculations or estimates.

# CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a 24-core, 32-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, fabricated on Intel's 10 nm process node. Its base clock of 3.20 GHz and boost clock of 6.00 GHz represent a wide frequency envelope, allowing the CPU to scale performance based on workload demands. In synthetic benchmarks, this processor achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 39399.5 and a single-core score of 2262.5, demonstrating substantial headroom for both multi-threaded and lightly-threaded tasks. The Geekbench scores of 21697 multicore and 2655 single-core reinforce this picture of a high-performing processor.

For Hitman 2, a stealth title that often involves complex AI calculations, crowd simulations, and physics interactions across large sandbox maps, the CPU's thread count and clock speeds are relevant. The game can benefit from the 32 threads when processing multiple AI agents simultaneously, though the single-core performance is equally important for maintaining consistent frame pacing. The fact that the combo ranks below the 50th percentile suggests that even with this powerful CPU, the game's performance is gated by other factors. The CPU's 36 MB of shared L3 cache helps maintain data locality for game assets, while the 2 MB per-core L2 cache reduces latency for frequently accessed data structures.

Interestingly, the CPU's performance in the PassMark physics test (3140) and multithread test (58674) indicates strong compute capabilities that could theoretically support high frame rates. However, the measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 159 FPS average, which is respectable but not exceptional for a CPU of this caliber. This suggests that the game engine itself may have optimization limits, or that the GPU becomes the limiting factor even at lower resolutions. The CPU's 95th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates that it is not the bottleneck in this configuration.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080 resolution, the combo delivers its strongest performance across all settings. With Low settings, the average FPS reaches 159, providing exceptionally smooth gameplay. Moving to Medium settings, the average drops to 120 FPS, with a minimum of 102 and maximum of 137 FPS. High settings yield an average of 90 FPS, while Ultra settings reduce the average to 67 FPS. This progression shows a predictable relationship between visual fidelity and frame rate, with each step up in settings costing roughly 20-30 FPS.

At 2560x1440 resolution, the performance scales down significantly. Low settings produce an average of 102 FPS, which remains comfortably playable. Medium settings average 76 FPS, with a minimum of 65 and maximum of 88 FPS, indicating some frame time variance. High settings drop to 58 FPS average, while Ultra settings fall to 43 FPS. The gap between settings widens at this resolution, with the difference between Low and Ultra being 59 FPS, compared to 92 FPS at 1080p.

The 3840x2160 resolution presents the most challenging scenario. Low settings average 54 FPS, which is borderline playable. Medium settings average 41 FPS, with a minimum of 35 and maximum of 47 FPS. High settings drop to 31 FPS average, while Ultra settings plunge to 23 FPS. These numbers indicate that the RTX 2070 SUPER struggles to maintain smooth performance at 4K, particularly at higher quality presets. The data shows that for 4K gaming, only Low settings provide an average above 50 FPS, and even that comes with potential frame dips during intense scenes.

# Resolution Scaling

Examining the FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals important insights about the system's bottleneck. At Low settings, the transition from 1080p (159 FPS) to 1440p (102 FPS) represents a 35.8% drop, while moving from 1440p to 4K (54 FPS) shows a 47.1% drop. This pattern of increasing performance degradation at higher resolutions indicates growing GPU pressure. At Medium settings, the drops are 36.7% from 1080p (120 FPS) to 1440p (76 FPS), and 46.1% from 1440p to 4K (41 FPS). High settings show drops of 35.6% from 1080p (90 FPS) to 1440p (58 FPS), and 46.6% from 1440p to 4K (31 FPS).

These consistent percentage drops across settings suggest that the scaling behavior is resolution-driven rather than setting-driven. The RTX 2070 SUPER's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth likely becomes saturated at higher resolutions, particularly 4K, where texture data and frame buffers consume more memory bandwidth. The GPU's 12 nm Turing architecture, while capable, lacks the raw throughput needed to maintain high frame rates at 4K in a title like Hitman 2.

The fact that the FPS drops are relatively uniform across different settings indicates that the limiting factor is the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth rather than its shader compute. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see less variation between resolutions, as the CPU workload remains constant regardless of output resolution. The data points to a classic GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions, with the CPU's substantial headroom going unused. At 4K Ultra (23 FPS), the system is clearly GPU-limited, while at 1080p Low (159 FPS), the GPU is still keeping pace with the CPU's frame generation capability.

# Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and acceptable frame rate. At 1920x1080, Medium settings offer an excellent balance, with an average of 120 FPS and a minimum of 102 FPS that ensures smooth gameplay without significant dips. High settings at 1080p (90 FPS average) provide a better visual experience while remaining above the 60 FPS threshold, making this the recommended preset for players prioritizing image quality.

At 2560x1440, Medium settings (76 FPS average, 65 FPS minimum) deliver the best experience, as they maintain playable frame rates while offering improved visual fidelity over Low settings (102 FPS). High settings at 1440p (58 FPS) dip below the 60 FPS mark, which may cause noticeable stutter during fast-paced action sequences. For players with high-refresh-rate 1440p monitors, Low settings provide the highest frame rates, but Medium is the sweet spot for balancing performance and visuals.

At 3840x2160, the options are more constrained. Low settings (54 FPS average) are the only preset that maintains an average above 50 FPS, making this the recommended choice for 4K gaming. Medium settings (41 FPS) may be acceptable for slower-paced stealth gameplay, but the 35 FPS minimum could become problematic during crowded scenes. High and Ultra settings at 4K produce averages of 31 and 23 FPS respectively, which are generally below playable thresholds for most users. The data suggests that 4K is not a practical target for this combo unless visual fidelity is heavily sacrificed.

# GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture using TSMC's 12 nm process node, featuring 13,600 million transistors on a 545 mm² die. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1605 MHz and a boost clock of 1770 MHz, with 2560 shading units handling compute tasks. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which becomes a critical factor at higher resolutions. The card includes 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores, though Hitman 2's implementation of ray tracing is limited, so these units have minimal impact on the measured performance.

The GPU's benchmark scores show a PassMark G3D score of 18169 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1651, placing it at the 65th percentile among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 20282 is closely matched by its nearest rivals, with the Quadro M4000M (20480), RTX 3070 Mobile (20534), Arc B570 (20556), and Arc A750 (20582) all within 1.5% of its performance. This tight clustering indicates that the RTX 2070 SUPER occupies a competitive performance tier, but one that is clearly below modern mid-range offerings.

In Hitman 2, the GPU's role is central to determining playable settings. The measured FPS data reveals that the card's performance ceiling is reached at 1080p Medium, where it achieves 120 FPS average. Beyond this point, increasing resolution or settings produces diminishing returns, with 4K Ultra yielding just 23 FPS. The GPU's 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gameplay, but at 4K, the memory may become a limiting factor as texture resolution and draw distances increase. The card's 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is adequate for 1080p but appears insufficient for maintaining high frame rates at 4K, where the pixel throughput demands are substantially higher.

The GPU's End-of-life production status and 2019 release date suggest that it predates the current generation of graphics cards, and its performance in this game reflects its age. The 215 W TDP and dual-slot form factor indicate a power-hungry design by modern standards, though the suggested 550 W PSU provides adequate headroom. For Hitman 2, the RTX 2070 SUPER delivers acceptable performance at 1080p and 1440p, but falls short at 4K, making it a card best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming with this CPU pairing.