Hitman 2

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates for Hitman 2 with the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 reveal a clear progression as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the combination delivers an average of 110 FPS on High settings, which drops to 70 FPS at 2560x1440, and further to 38 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 65% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K on the High preset, indicating that the rendering load scales aggressively with pixel count.

The scaling pattern becomes more pronounced when examining the Low settings tier. At 1080p Low, the system produces 194 FPS, but this falls to 124 FPS at 1440p and 66 FPS at 4K. The 4K Low figure is roughly one-third of the 1080p Low result, suggesting that the RTX 3070's pixel throughput becomes the dominant constraint at higher resolutions. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is likely a contributing factor, as Hitman 2's larger texture sets and draw distances at 4K can pressure memory capacity and bandwidth.

The Medium preset shows a similar trajectory: 146 FPS at 1080p, 93 FPS at 1440p, and 50 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with 81 FPS at 1080p, 52 FPS at 1440p, and just 28 FPS at 4K. The gap between Medium and Ultra at 4K is particularly stark — 50 FPS versus 28 FPS — which indicates that the Ultra preset introduces effects that disproportionately tax the GPU at high pixel counts.

What does this say about the limiting component? At 1080p, the CPU has more headroom to feed the GPU, as evidenced by the 194 FPS Low result. The i9-14900K's 24 cores and 32 threads, with a boost clock of 6.00 GHz, provide ample single-thread performance for Hitman 2's stealth gameplay logic. However, as resolution climbs, the RTX 3070's 5888 shading units and 20.31 TFLOPS FP32 throughput become the bottleneck. The data suggests that at 1440p High (70 FPS), the system is GPU-limited but still playable, while at 4K High (38 FPS), the GPU is clearly the restricting factor.

The percentile data supports this reading. The RTX 3070 sits at the 61st percentile among all GPUs, while the i9-14900K ranks in the 95th percentile among all CPUs. In a resolution-scaling scenario, the lower-ranked component (the GPU) will naturally become the limiting factor as workload increases. The measured FPS drops from 1080p to 4K are consistent with a GPU that is increasingly saturated, rather than a CPU that is struggling to keep up.

FAQ

Q: How does the i9-14900K + RTX 3070 combo perform at 1080p in Hitman 2?

A: At 1920x1080, the combination delivers 194 FPS on Low settings, 146 FPS on Medium, 110 FPS on High, and 81 FPS on Ultra. These numbers indicate that the system is capable of high refresh rate gameplay at 1080p across all presets, with even the demanding Ultra preset clearing the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is the RTX 3070's 8 GB VRAM sufficient for Hitman 2 at 4K?

A: The measured 4K results show 38 FPS on High and 28 FPS on Ultra, which suggests the GPU is struggling at this resolution. While the 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth may be adequate for the game's textures at lower settings, the frame rates indicate that the GPU's compute capacity is the primary limitation at 4K, not just memory capacity.

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

A: Based on the measured data, 2560x1440 on High settings offers 70 FPS, which is a solid balance of visual quality and smoothness. At 1080p, the system can push well beyond 100 FPS on High, making it ideal for high refresh rate monitors. The 4K results are below 60 FPS on all presets, so that resolution is not recommended for consistent playability.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 1601 out of 3711 tested combinations in Hitman 2. This places it in the upper-middle portion of the database, reflecting a capable pairing that is not at the top tier but still delivers respectable performance in this title.

Q: Does the Ultra preset provide a worthwhile improvement over High?

A: The data shows that at 1080p, Ultra delivers 81 FPS versus 110 FPS on High — a 26% reduction in frame rate. At 1440p, Ultra drops to 52 FPS versus 70 FPS on High, and at 4K, Ultra falls to 28 FPS versus 38 FPS on High. Given the significant frame rate cost, High appears to be the more sensible choice unless visual fidelity is prioritized over smoothness.

Q: How does the i9-14900K's CPU performance relate to Hitman 2's results?

A: The i9-14900K ranks in the 95th percentile among all CPUs, with a boost clock of 6.00 GHz and 32 threads. In Hitman 2, a stealth game that relies on AI and physics calculations, this CPU provides ample headroom. The fact that frame rates drop consistently across resolution increases indicates the GPU becomes the bottleneck, not the CPU.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is built on the Ampere architecture with a GA104 chip manufactured on Samsung's 8 nm process. It features 5888 shading units, 184 texture mapping units, and 96 ROPs, along with 46 RT cores and 184 tensor cores. The GPU's base clock is 1500 MHz with a boost clock of 1725 MHz, and it has a TDP of 220 W with a suggested PSU of 550 W.

In Hitman 2, the RTX 3070's role is defined by its memory configuration and compute throughput. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This is a meaningful factor in a game like Hitman 2, which features large, detailed environments in locations like Miami and Mumbai. The game's draw distances and crowd simulations can place significant demands on memory bandwidth, particularly at higher resolutions.

The measured FPS data shows that the RTX 3070's performance scales predictably with settings. At 1080p, the GPU delivers 146 FPS on Medium and 110 FPS on High, indicating that it has substantial headroom for the game's visual effects at this resolution. The drop to 81 FPS on Ultra suggests that the Ultra preset introduces effects that heavily tax the GPU's shading units and memory subsystem.

At 1440p, the RTX 3070 produces 93 FPS on Medium and 70 FPS on High, which is still smooth for most players. The Ultra preset at 52 FPS is borderline, and the 4K results — 50 FPS on Medium and 28 FPS on Ultra — confirm that this GPU is not designed for 4K gaming in demanding titles. The 4K Low result of 66 FPS shows that even with reduced settings, the GPU is working hard to maintain playable frame rates.

The RTX 3070's percentile ranking of 61 among all GPUs places it in the mid-range tier. Its average benchmark score of 17208 is close to the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (17083, 0.7% delta), which suggests these two GPUs have similar overall performance. In Hitman 2 specifically, the RTX 3070's 8 GB memory capacity and 20.31 TFLOPS FP32 compute are the key specifications that determine its ability to handle the game's rendering demands.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 ranks 1601 out of 3711 tested combinations in Hitman 2. This places it in the 43rd percentile of all tested combos, meaning it outperforms a majority of pairings in the database but is not among the top performers.

The i9-14900K itself ranks in the 95th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 79097. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-14900KF (79371, -0.3% delta) and the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (79574, -0.6% delta), indicating that the i9-14900K is essentially tied with these processors in overall performance. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 trails by 1.7% with a score of 77740.

The RTX 3070, by contrast, ranks in the 61st percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 17208. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT (17083, 0.7% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 (17037, 1% delta), showing that the GPU is closely matched with these competitors. The NVIDIA Tesla K40c is 1.5% ahead with a score of 17468.

The rank of 1601 out of 3711 reflects the pairing of a top-tier CPU with a mid-range GPU. In Hitman 2, this combination is CPU-heavy in terms of system balance — the i9-14900K's 24 cores and 32 threads provide far more processing power than the RTX 3070 can utilize in most scenarios. The measured FPS data confirms this: at 1080p Low, the system reaches 194 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's maximum frame delivery for this game, but at 4K Ultra, the GPU's limitations cap performance at 28 FPS.

Compared to other combos in the database, this pairing's mid-pack rank suggests that while the CPU is excellent, the GPU holds back the overall result. A system with a more balanced CPU-GPU pairing might achieve a higher rank in Hitman 2, as the game's performance at higher resolutions is clearly GPU-bound.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance for optimizing Hitman 2 with this hardware combination. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 110 FPS, which is an excellent experience for most players. The Ultra preset at 81 FPS is also playable, and the gap between High and Ultra — 29 FPS — suggests that players with high refresh rate monitors should stick with High to maximize smoothness.

At 2560x1440, the recommended setting is High, which produces 70 FPS. This is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay and offers a good balance of visual quality and performance. The Medium preset at 93 FPS is also viable for players who prioritize frame rate, while Ultra at 52 FPS may be acceptable for those who prefer maxed-out visuals over consistency.

At 3840x2160, none of the presets achieve 60 FPS. The Low preset at 66 FPS is the only option that approaches smooth playability, while Medium at 50 FPS and High at 38 FPS are playable but not ideal. Ultra at 28 FPS is not recommended for most players. For 4K, the data suggests that dropping to Low settings is necessary to maintain a playable frame rate.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset offers the most consistent experience. At 1080p, Medium delivers 146 FPS with a minimum of 124 FPS and a maximum of 168 FPS. At 1440p, Medium provides 93 FPS with a range of 79-107 FPS. At 4K, Medium yields 50 FPS with a range of 42-57 FPS. The minimum FPS figures for Medium are notably higher than the averages for Ultra at the same resolution, indicating that Medium provides a more stable frame pacing.

For players seeking the best experience, the data points to 1440p High as the sweet spot, offering 70 FPS with good visual fidelity. If higher frame rates are preferred, 1080p High at 110 FPS is an excellent choice. The Ultra preset is best reserved for 1080p, where it still clears 80 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured frame rates for Hitman 2 with the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 is as follows:

1920x1080:

• Low: 194 FPS average
• Medium: 146 FPS average, with a minimum of 124 FPS and a maximum of 168 FPS
• High: 110 FPS average
• Ultra: 81 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Low: 124 FPS average
• Medium: 93 FPS average, with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 107 FPS
• High: 70 FPS average
• Ultra: 52 FPS average

3840x2160:

• Low: 66 FPS average
• Medium: 50 FPS average, with a minimum of 42 FPS and a maximum of 57 FPS
• High: 38 FPS average
• Ultra: 28 FPS average

The Medium preset is the only one with minimum and maximum FPS data recorded across all resolutions, providing insight into frame pacing. At 1080p Medium, the range from 124 to 168 FPS shows a 44 FPS spread, which is relatively tight for a game with dynamic crowd scenes. At 1440p Medium, the range narrows to 28 FPS (79-107), and at 4K Medium, the range is 15 FPS (42-57).

The scaling from Low to Ultra at each resolution shows consistent patterns. At 1080p, the progression is 194 → 146 → 110 → 81 FPS, with each preset tier costing roughly 25-35% of the previous tier's performance. At 1440p, the progression is 124 → 93 → 70 → 52 FPS, and at 4K, it is 66 → 50 → 38 → 28 FPS.

The 4K results are particularly notable for their low absolute values. Even at Low settings, 4K only reaches 66 FPS, which is barely above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 38 FPS and Ultra at 28 FPS are well below playable thresholds for most users. This data reinforces the conclusion that the RTX 3070 is not suited for 4K gaming in Hitman 2, regardless of CPU capability.