Hitman 2

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates across the three resolutions reveal a classic GPU-bound scaling curve, but with some notable inflection points. At 1080p, the combination of the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 produces exceptionally high frame rates across all presets. The Low preset at 1920x1080 reaches 333.9 FPS, while the Ultra preset still maintains 140.1 FPS. This wide gap between presets at the same resolution indicates that the rendering workload is scaling significantly with visual fidelity, rather than being constrained by the CPU's ability to feed the GPU.

Moving to 1440p, the frame rates remain high but the scaling pattern shifts. The Low preset drops to 218 FPS, representing a 34.7% reduction from the 1080p result. The Medium preset falls from 248.9 to 159.2 FPS, a 36.0% reduction. High drops from 189.7 to 121.5 FPS (36.0% reduction), and Ultra from 140.1 to 91.5 FPS (34.7% reduction). The consistency of these percentage drops across all four presets—all clustering around the 35% mark—suggests that the resolution increase is imposing a uniform additional workload on the GPU, with the CPU continuing to provide sufficient frame data.

The transition to 4K reveals the most dramatic scaling. The Low preset at 3840x2160 produces 116.5 FPS, which is a 46.6% reduction from the 1440p result. Medium drops to 88.2 FPS (44.6% reduction), High to 64 FPS (47.3% reduction), and Ultra to 50.9 FPS (44.4% reduction). The slightly larger percentage reductions at 4K compared to the 1440p step indicate that the GPU is beginning to approach its throughput limits. The fact that even the Low preset at 4K cannot reach the frame rates of the Ultra preset at 1080p (116.5 vs. 140.1 FPS) confirms that pixel throughput is the dominant factor at this resolution.

The data indicates that at 1080p, the system is not fully GPU-bound, as evidenced by the massive spread between Low and Ultra presets (333.9 vs. 140.1 FPS). This suggests the CPU is capable of driving the GPU to very high frame rates when the graphical load is light. At 4K, however, the spread narrows considerably (116.5 vs. 50.9 FPS), showing that the GPU's pixel and shading throughput becomes the primary bottleneck. The limiting component at 4K is clearly the RTX 4090's rendering capabilities, while at 1080p the i9-14900K's 32 threads and high boost clock are sufficient to avoid becoming the constraining factor.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K brings substantial processing resources to this pairing. With 24 cores and 32 threads, the processor offers a high degree of parallel throughput, which is relevant for Hitman 2's simulation and AI workloads. The base clock of 3.20 GHz and boost clock of 6.00 GHz provide strong single-thread performance, which is often the more critical factor for game logic and draw call submission. The 36 MB of shared L3 cache helps keep frequently accessed game data close to the cores, reducing memory latency penalties.

The benchmark results for the i9-14900K place it in the 97th percentile of all CPUs, indicating top-tier performance. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 49872 and single-core score of 7040 demonstrate balanced capabilities across both heavily threaded and lightly threaded workloads. In the context of this game, the CPU's role appears to be sufficiently fulfilled, as the frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K follows the expected pattern of a GPU-limited scenario at higher resolutions.

Comparing to its nearest rivals, the i9-14900K sits within a tight performance band. The AMD EPYC 7413 has an average benchmark score of 80041, which is 0.3% below the i9-14900K's 79824. The Intel Core i9-14900KF scores 79245 (0.7% higher), while the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF and 265K score 79240 (0.7% higher) and 79102 (0.9% higher) respectively. These deltas are negligible in real-world gaming terms, suggesting that the i9-14900K's processing power is not a differentiator that would meaningfully impact Hitman 2 frame rates. The game's engine appears to be well-optimized for the available thread count, and the 6.00 GHz boost clock ensures that single-threaded tasks are handled with minimal latency.

The measured frame rates at 1080p Low (333.9 FPS) suggest that the CPU is capable of submitting frames faster than the GPU can render them at lower graphical settings. This is indicative of a processor that does not introduce a bottleneck until frame rates reach levels far beyond typical display refresh rates. At 4K, the CPU's influence diminishes further, as the GPU takes over as the primary determinant of performance.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is the dominant component in this configuration, equipped with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, yielding 1.01 TB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU's base clock of 2235 MHz and boost clock of 2520 MHz, combined with its 16384 shading units, provide substantial raw compute throughput. The Ada Lovelace architecture, built on a 5 nm process, delivers this performance within a 450 W TDP envelope.

The GPU's benchmark results place it in the 91st percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 66473. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla T4 (66733, 0.4% higher), NVIDIA Tesla P40 (66127, 0.5% lower), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 (67097, 0.9% higher), and NVIDIA Quadro P6000 (67320, 1.3% higher). These deltas are small, but notably, all of the nearest rivals are professional or workstation-oriented cards rather than gaming-focused products, which suggests the RTX 4090's gaming performance is in a class of its own.

The measured frame rates in Hitman 2 show the RTX 4090's capabilities across the preset spectrum. At 4K Ultra, the card produces 50.9 FPS, which is playable but not exceptionally smooth for a fast-paced stealth game. Dropping to 4K High improves this to 64 FPS, a 25.7% increase. The 4K Medium preset delivers 88.2 FPS, and 4K Low reaches 116.5 FPS. This progression demonstrates that the GPU has significant headroom at lower presets, but the Ultra preset's demands on shadow quality, reflections, and post-processing effects clearly stress the card's resources.

The 24 GB VRAM capacity is more than sufficient for Hitman 2, which was released in 2018 and does not require the memory footprint of more recent titles. The 1.01 TB/s bandwidth ensures that texture streaming and geometry data can be fed to the shading units without stuttering, even at 4K resolution. The GPU's performance at 1080p Ultra (140.1 FPS) versus 1080p Low (333.9 FPS) shows a 58.0% reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest preset, which is a substantial impact from settings changes alone.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 38th out of 1795 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places it in the top 2.1% of all configurations in the database. The high ranking is expected given the caliber of both components, but it is not the absolute top combination, suggesting that there are a few other pairings that achieve higher frame rates in this particular game.

The ranking reflects the balance between the CPU and GPU. While both components are near the top of their respective performance hierarchies, the game's engine appears to be more sensitive to GPU performance than CPU performance. The RTX 4090's 91st percentile standing among GPUs, combined with the i9-14900K's 97th percentile standing among CPUs, creates a system where neither component is a bottleneck at typical gaming resolutions. The rank of 38 indicates that a few combinations with similarly powerful GPUs and slightly stronger CPUs, or perhaps configurations with faster memory, achieve marginally better results.

The position within the broader database also highlights the diminishing returns of pairing top-tier components. The i9-14900K's nearest CPU rivals all perform within 0.9% of its average benchmark score, and the RTX 4090's nearest GPU rivals are within 1.3%. This tight clustering means that the combo's rank is more dependent on the specific game's optimization than on raw component performance. In Hitman 2, the data shows that this pairing is highly capable, ranking in the top 38 out of 1795, but not the absolute best.

Settings Recommendations

For users targeting 60 FPS as a baseline, the measured data provides clear guidance. At 4K, the High preset delivers 64 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset at 4K drops to 50.9 FPS, which is below this target. Therefore, the High preset at 4K offers the best balance of visual fidelity and playable frame rates, providing a 25.7% improvement over Ultra while maintaining a smooth experience.

At 1440p, all presets exceed the 60 FPS threshold. The Ultra preset produces 91.5 FPS, which is more than sufficient for a stealth game where reaction times matter but competitive frame rates are not essential. The High preset at 1440p delivers 121.5 FPS, offering a 32.8% improvement over Ultra with only a modest reduction in visual quality. For users with high refresh rate displays, the Medium preset at 159.2 FPS or Low preset at 218 FPS would be preferable, though these settings reduce the game's visual richness.

At 1080p, the system is capable of exceeding 140 FPS even on the Ultra preset. The High preset reaches 189.7 FPS, and Medium reaches 248.9 FPS. The Low preset's 333.9 FPS is far beyond what any current display can show, making it unnecessary for practical use. For 1080p gaming, the Ultra preset at 140.1 FPS provides the best visual experience without sacrificing smoothness, as this frame rate is well above the 60 FPS target and suitable for 144 Hz displays.

Across all resolutions, the High preset consistently offers the most balanced experience. It provides a significant improvement over Medium and Low in visual quality, while maintaining frame rates that are 25.7% to 37.4% higher than Ultra. The data shows that the Ultra preset's additional graphical features come at a substantial performance cost, making High the recommended choice for users who prioritize both visual quality and gameplay smoothness. For users with G-Sync or FreeSync displays, the slightly lower frame rates of Ultra may be acceptable, but for the majority of users, High represents the optimal setting per the measured rows.