Hitman 2

Hitman 2, a 2018 stealth classic, remains a demanding title even for modern flagship hardware. This analysis examines the performance of the Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D, using the measured data to understand where bottlenecks lie and what settings offer the best experience. The data reveals a combo that ranks near the top of the database but whose performance scaling exposes a clear CPU limitation at lower resolutions.

FAQ

Q: How does this CPU+GPU combo rank against all other tested combinations in Hitman 2?

A: This combo ranks 3rd out of 3711 tested combinations. It is positioned in the top 0.1% of all systems, indicating exceptional performance for this title.

Q: What is the biggest performance difference between the i9-14900K and its closest rival?

A: The Intel Core i9-14900K has an average benchmark score of 79097, which is 1.7% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395, which scores 77740. It is also 0.3% behind the Intel Core i9-14900KF, which scores 79371.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 D compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT?

A: The RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77712, which is 1.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (score of 78940). It is also 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (score of 76904).

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in Hitman 2?

A: The highest average FPS is 365, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is a significant jump from the 207 FPS average at High settings at the same resolution.

Q: At which resolution and settings does the frame rate drop below 60 FPS?

A: The only configuration that falls below 60 FPS is at 3840x2160 (4K) resolution with Ultra settings, where the average FPS is 52. All other tested settings at 4K, including High, maintain an average above 70 FPS.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 207 at 1920x1080 to 132 at 2560x1440, and finally to 71 at 3840x2160. This represents a 65.7% decrease in frame rate from 1080p to 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K is a 24-core, 32-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture. With a base clock of 3.20 GHz and a boost clock of 6.00 GHz, it possesses substantial single-thread and multi-thread capability. In Hitman 2, a game that relies heavily on single-core performance for game logic and AI, this high boost clock is critical for driving high frame rates.

The benchmark results for this CPU show a dominant position in the database. It scores 39399.5 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2262.5 in single-core. More telling is its Passmark single-thread score of 4697, which directly correlates with the kind of instruction-level throughput needed for a stealth game's simulation. This processing power ensures that the CPU is rarely a limiting factor, especially at higher resolutions where the GPU takes on more of the rendering load.

However, the data suggests the i9-14900K's performance is so strong that it can actually become a bottleneck at lower resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 365 FPS. The CPU's ability to feed the GPU with enough data at this frame rate confirms its power, but it also means that the game's engine, not the CPU, is likely the limiting factor. With 32 threads and a large 36 MB shared L3 cache, the i9-14900K provides a massive amount of headroom, preventing any hitches from background tasks and ensuring that complex crowd scenarios in Hitman 2's sandbox levels are processed smoothly. The data shows no min FPS data for Low settings, but for Medium settings at 1440p, the min FPS is 149, indicating strong frame pacing even under load.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is a behemoth of a graphics card. It is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and features 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, providing a massive 1.79 TB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU has a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz. This sheer memory bandwidth is essential for high-resolution textures and detailed environments in Hitman 2.

The GPU's benchmark scores are equally impressive. It achieves a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14326 and a Passmark G3D score of 44065. These numbers place it in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs, a top-tier position. However, the nearestRivals data reveals a curious anomaly: it is 1.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT in average benchmark score. This is unusual for a flagship desktop card and suggests either a driver issue or that the benchmark suite weights certain tests that favor the mobile Radeon card.

In Hitman 2, the RTX 5090 D's role is to render the game's detailed environments, lighting, and shadows. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the combo averages 52 FPS. This is surprisingly low for a card of this caliber and indicates a significant performance bottleneck. The GPU is not the limiting factor here; the game's engine is. Hitman 2 was released in 2018 and its DX12 implementation may not fully utilize the RTX 5090 D's architecture. The game is likely hitting a draw-call or physics limit on the CPU, preventing the GPU from being fully utilized. This is further supported by the fact that the RTX 5090 D's nearest rivals are mobile and data-center GPUs, not other desktop gaming cards, suggesting a unique performance profile that does not translate perfectly to older games.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i9-14900K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D is ranked 3rd out of 3711 combos for Hitman 2. This is an elite standing, placing it above 99.9% of all other systems tested. The ranking is a composite of the CPU and GPU scores, and given the top-tier nature of both components, a high rank is expected.

The rank of 3rd, rather than 1st, is an interesting data point. It implies that there are two other system configurations that perform better in this specific game. Considering the performance data, which shows a sharp FPS drop at 4K Ultra, it is likely that the two higher-ranked combos feature CPUs with a different architecture that handles the game's engine limitations better, or perhaps a different driver configuration for the GPU. The deltaPct between the i9-14900K and the highest-scoring rival, the AMD EPYC 7413, is only -1.2%, which is a negligible difference. This tells us that the CPU's raw performance is not the differentiator; rather, it is the platform's ability to handle the game's specific code. The i9-14900K's high single-core performance (Passmark single-thread score of 4697) is a strength, but Hitman 2's engine may not scale perfectly with its hybrid core architecture, potentially giving an edge to CPUs with more uniform core layouts.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling data reveals a classic CPU-bound scenario at lower resolutions. The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K is not linear, which tells a story about where the bottleneck lies.

• 1080p to 1440p: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 207 to 132, a 36.2% decrease. This is a substantial drop, but the frame rates remain very high.
• 1440p to 4K: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 132 to 71, a 46.2% decrease.
• Overall Scaling (1080p to 4K): The total drop at High settings is from 207 FPS to 71 FPS, a 65.7% reduction.

This scaling pattern is telling. If the GPU were the sole bottleneck, we would expect the frame rate to roughly halve when moving from 1080p to 4K, as the pixel count quadruples. While the drop is severe, it is not a perfect 4x reduction. The fact that the FPS at 1080p High (207) is so high suggests the CPU is already working near its limit. At 4K, the GPU has more work to do, and the frame rate drops to a level where the GPU is more utilized. The ultra settings at 4K show the combo failing to maintain 60 FPS, indicating that this configuration is pushing the game engine beyond its stable limits. The data suggests that the i9-14900K is the primary driver of frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, while the RTX 5090 D's raw power becomes more relevant at 4K, but is still hamstrung by the game's engine.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across all settings and resolutions.

1920x1080:

• Low: avg 365 FPS
• Medium: avg 274 FPS (min 233, max 315)
• High: avg 207 FPS
• Ultra: avg 153 FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: avg 234 FPS
• Medium: avg 175 FPS (min 149, max 201)
• High: avg 132 FPS
• Ultra: avg 98 FPS

3840x2160:

• Low: avg 124 FPS
• Medium: avg 93 FPS (min 79, max 107)
• High: avg 71 FPS
• Ultra: avg 52 FPS

The data shows a clear hierarchy. At 1080p, even Ultra settings (153 FPS) are well above the 144Hz refresh rate of most gaming monitors. This makes the CPU the clear limiting factor. The jump from Low to Ultra at 1080p is a 58.1% performance drop, which is significant. At 1440p, Ultra settings still maintain an average of 98 FPS, which is a good experience for high-refresh-rate monitors. The 4K data is where the combo's limitations show. Medium settings (93 FPS) are playable, but High (71 FPS) and Ultra (52 FPS) dip into territory where a high-refresh-rate 4K monitor cannot be fully utilized. The min FPS data for Medium settings shows a consistent 85% of the average FPS across all resolutions, indicating a stable frame pacing when using this preset.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the best experience depends heavily on the target resolution.

For 1920x1080 users, the Ultra preset is the clear recommendation. It delivers an average of 153 FPS, which is more than enough for a smooth experience on even the fastest 1080p monitors. The CPU is the bottleneck here, so there is no need to sacrifice visual fidelity. The extra detail from Ultra settings will not cost a playable frame rate.

For 2560x1440 users, the High preset offers an excellent balance. It provides an average of 132 FPS, which is perfect for 144Hz monitors. While Ultra (98 FPS) is still playable, High provides a more comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold and is less likely to drop below it in intense scenes. The data shows that High settings offer a 34.7% performance increase over Ultra at this resolution.

For 3840x2160 users, the Medium preset is the only viable option for a high-refresh-rate experience. It delivers an average of 93 FPS, which is smooth, but the High (71 FPS) and Ultra (52 FPS) presets fall below the 60 FPS mark for the latter. The 4K Ultra setting is the only configuration in the entire dataset that fails to achieve a 60 FPS average. Therefore, to maintain a consistent 60+ FPS experience, Medium settings are recommended for 4K. If a player has a 60Hz 4K monitor, High settings at 71 FPS would also be acceptable, but Medium offers a significant headroom for frame time spikes.