Hitman 2

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a 24-core, 32-thread desktop processor built on Intel's Raptor Lake-R architecture and manufactured on a 10 nm process. Its base clock is 3.20 GHz with a boost clock of 6.00 GHz, and it carries 36 MB of shared L3 cache alongside 2 MB of L2 cache per core. This processor supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory through a dual-channel memory bus and includes integrated UHD Graphics 770, though the benchmark results here reflect the discrete GPU pairing.

In the context of Hitman 2, the CPU's high single-thread performance is particularly relevant. The processor's boost clock of 6.00 GHz and its 709-point Cinebench R15 single-core score indicate strong per-thread capability, which matters for a stealth title where AI logic, NPC routines, and game simulation often run on fewer threads. The multi-core side is equally robust — the R23 multi-core score of 49872 and Geekbench multi-core score of 20370 suggest that the processor can handle any background tasks without contending with the game's main threads.

The benchmark data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the combo reaches 277.9 FPS, which is well beyond what most displays can refresh. This high frame rate at the lowest settings indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor at this resolution — the processor has enough headroom to feed frames far faster than the GPU can render them when graphical load is minimal. At 1080p Ultra, the frame rate drops to 114.1 FPS, which still represents a strong result but shows that the GPU begins to take on more responsibility as settings increase.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 97 versus all CPUs places it in the top tier of processors, and its average benchmark score of 79824 places it within 0.3% of the AMD EPYC 7413, which scores 80041. The nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-14900KF, scores 79245 with a deltaPct of 0.7%, meaning the 14900K is essentially at parity with its KF counterpart. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF and 265K score 79240 and 79102 respectively, both with a deltaPct of 0.7% and 0.9%, indicating the 14900K holds a slight edge over these alternatives.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using TSMC's 5 nm process, with a die size of 294 mm² and 35,800 million transistors. It features 12 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has a base clock of 2310 MHz and a boost clock of 2610 MHz, with memory running at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective). The card includes 7680 shading units, 240 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output units, along with 60 ray tracing cores and 240 tensor cores.

For Hitman 2, the GPU's 12 GB VRAM capacity is more than sufficient for the game's texture and geometry demands at all tested resolutions, including 4K. The memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s supports high-resolution rendering without becoming a bottleneck. The card's FP32 performance of 40.09 TFLOPS and texture rate of 626.4 GTexel/s indicate substantial fill-rate capability, which aligns with the measured frame rates across settings.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 85 versus all GPUs places it above the majority of graphics cards. Its average benchmark score of 44900 is within 0.6% of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile (45152), and within 1.5% of the Intel Arc A730M (45592). The AMD Radeon Pro 580 scores 44195 with a deltaPct of 1.6%, and the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT scores 45642 with a deltaPct of -1.6%. These comparisons situate the RTX 4070 Ti in a competitive mid-to-high tier.

The measured FPS data reveals the GPU's scaling behavior. At 4K Ultra, the combo produces 42.5 FPS, while at 4K High it reaches 51.9 FPS — a difference that shows how settings impact the GPU load. At 1080p Low, the 277.9 FPS result demonstrates that the GPU can operate far beyond typical refresh rates when the CPU has minimal graphical work to process.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti ranks 239th out of 1795 tested combos for Hitman 2. This places the combo in the top 13.3% of all tested configurations, which is a strong showing for a game that is now several years old. The rank reflects how the processor and GPU work together specifically within this title, accounting for the game's engine characteristics and how it utilizes hardware.

This ranking is notable because Hitman 2 is a game that tends to favor CPU performance due to its simulation-heavy stealth gameplay. The i9-14900K's high single-thread performance, evidenced by its 7040-point Cinebench R23 single-core score, helps ensure that the game's AI and physics calculations do not become a bottleneck. The RTX 4070 Ti then provides sufficient GPU throughput to render the game's detailed environments at high settings.

When comparing this combo's rank to the individual component percentiles, the CPU's 97th percentile ranking is higher than the GPU's 85th percentile. This suggests that the processor is more capable relative to its peers than the graphics card is relative to its own peers. However, the combo rank of 239 out of 1795 indicates that the pairing works well together for this specific title, despite the GPU being the more likely constraint at higher resolutions and settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. With Low settings, the average FPS is 277.9. Medium settings produce 205.9 FPS, High settings yield 157.4 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 114.1 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline, with the largest relative drop occurring between Medium and High (a reduction of 48.5 FPS) and between High and Ultra (a reduction of 43.3 FPS).

At 2560x1440, the frame rates scale down proportionally. Low settings average 180.5 FPS, Medium settings average 135.4 FPS, High settings average 98.4 FPS, and Ultra settings average 76.4 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p at each setting level is consistent: Low falls by 97.4 FPS, Medium by 70.5 FPS, High by 59.0 FPS, and Ultra by 37.7 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates are the most demanding on the GPU. Low settings average 92.8 FPS, Medium settings average 71.2 FPS, High settings average 51.9 FPS, and Ultra settings average 42.5 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 50.3 FPS, which shows how much headroom exists in the lower settings for users who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity.

The data shows that the combo maintains playable frame rates (above 60 FPS) at 4K only on Low and Medium settings. At 4K High, the 51.9 FPS result falls below the 60 FPS threshold, and at 4K Ultra, the 42.5 FPS result is noticeably lower. At 1440p, all settings except Ultra stay above 90 FPS, with Ultra at 76.4 FPS still comfortably above 60. At 1080p, even Ultra settings produce 114.1 FPS, which is well above typical display refresh rates.

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

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the balance between CPU and GPU load in this configuration. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 277.9 FPS at 1080p to 180.5 FPS at 1440p (a 35.0% reduction), and then to 92.8 FPS at 4K (a 48.6% reduction from 1440p). The total drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 66.6%.

At Ultra settings, the scaling is more moderate in percentage terms but still significant. The frame rate drops from 114.1 FPS at 1080p to 76.4 FPS at 1440p (a 33.0% reduction), and then to 42.5 FPS at 4K (a 44.4% reduction from 1440p). The total drop from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings is 62.8%.

The pattern across settings indicates that the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the CPU is likely providing frames faster than the GPU can render them, resulting in the 277.9 FPS ceiling. As resolution increases to 4K, the GPU's rendering workload grows, and the frame rate becomes more dependent on the graphics card's capabilities. This is expected behavior for a game that scales pixel count directly with resolution.

The fact that the percentage drop from 1080p to 4K is similar at Low (66.6%) and Ultra (62.8%) settings suggests that the GPU is the consistent limiting factor at high resolutions regardless of graphical fidelity. However, the absolute frame rates at 1080p Low (277.9 FPS) versus 1080p Ultra (114.1 FPS) show that settings still have a substantial impact on GPU load even at lower resolutions. This indicates that at 1080p, both components have headroom, with the CPU capable of driving higher frame rates if the GPU could keep up, and the GPU capable of rendering more detailed scenes if the settings were lowered.

The data supports the conclusion that this combo is well-balanced for Hitman 2 at 1080p and 1440p, where it delivers high frame rates across all settings. At 4K, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and users seeking higher frame rates would need to reduce settings or resolution. The combo's rank of 239 out of 1795 reflects this balanced performance profile, with the CPU's strength ensuring that the GPU is the primary constraint only at the highest resolutions.