Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the Intel Arc B570 presents a compelling mid-range combination for Hitman 2, but the data reveals a clear story of resolution-dependent performance. At 1080p, this combo delivers smooth, playable frame rates across most settings, while 1440p requires a significant compromise, and 4K remains largely out of reach for sustained 60 FPS gameplay. The measured FPS data shows a distinct pattern: the Arc B570’s performance scales predictably with resolution, but the demands of Hitman 2’s Ultra preset at higher resolutions quickly overwhelm the GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo demonstrates its peak performance. The Low preset yields an average of 123 FPS, which is the highest figure recorded in the entire dataset. Moving up to Medium settings, the average drops to 93 FPS, with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 106 FPS, indicating a stable experience well above the 60 FPS playability threshold. The High preset continues this trend with an average of 70 FPS, still comfortably playable. However, the Ultra preset at 1080p presents a notable challenge, dropping the average to 52 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Stepping up to 2560x1440, the performance impact is immediate. The Low preset remains playable with an average of 79 FPS, but the margin shrinks considerably. The Medium preset averages 59 FPS, with a minimum of 50 FPS and a maximum of 68 FPS, placing it just under the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset drops to an average of 45 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls further to 33 FPS. The data suggests that at 1440p, only the lowest settings can maintain a consistent 60 FPS experience.

At 3840x2160, the Arc B570’s limits become starkly apparent. Even the Low preset only manages an average of 42 FPS. The Medium preset averages 32 FPS, with a minimum of 27 FPS and a maximum of 36 FPS, showing significant frame time inconsistency. The High preset drops to 24 FPS, and the Ultra preset bottoms out at 18 FPS. These numbers indicate that 4K resolution is simply not viable for this combination in Hitman 2, with even the most forgiving settings failing to reach half the playable threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

In the comprehensive benchmark database, this specific configuration of the Intel Core i5-14400F and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2986 out of 3711 tested combos for Hitman 2. This places the combo in the lower half of all tested systems, which is a significant finding given the individual component scores. The CPU itself sits in the 83rd percentile among all processors, while the GPU ranks in the 65th percentile among all graphics cards. The discrepancy between these component rankings and the in-game combo rank suggests that the game’s performance is heavily dependent on the GPU, and the Arc B570’s mid-pack standing limits the overall potential.

The combo rank of 2986 out of 3711 indicates that while this system can play Hitman 2, it does so at a level that is below the median of all tested configurations. This is not a reflection of a weak CPU, as the i5-14400F’s benchmark scores are robust, but rather a signal of how demanding Hitman 2’s higher presets are on graphics hardware. The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor, and the combo’s rank reflects the Arc B570’s position in the overall GPU hierarchy.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is as follows. At 1920x1080, the High preset achieves an average of 70 FPS, making it the best playable option. The Ultra preset falls short at 52 FPS, so High is the ceiling for a smooth experience. At 2560x1440, only the Low preset clears the threshold, averaging 79 FPS. The Medium preset’s 59 FPS average is a near miss, but it does not meet the playable standard. At 3840x2160, no preset achieves 60 FPS, meaning the resolution is not playable at any setting; the highest recorded average is 42 FPS on Low.

The scaling between resolutions is steep. From 1080p High at 70 FPS to 1440p High at 45 FPS, there is a 35.7% drop in performance. Similarly, from 1440p Low at 79 FPS to 4K Low at 42 FPS, the drop is 46.8%. This indicates that Hitman 2 is highly sensitive to pixel count, and the Arc B570’s 10 GB GDDR6 memory and 160-bit bus, while adequate for 1080p, become strained at higher resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the Intel Core i5-14400F’s average benchmark score of 32279 is nearly identical to that of the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, which scores 32233, a mere 0.1% difference. The Intel Core i9-11900 is also close, with a score of 32226 and a 0.2% delta. On the other side, the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS scores 32354, which is 0.2% higher, and the Intel Core i7-12800H scores 32121, 0.5% lower. These four CPUs would all deliver virtually identical performance in CPU-bound scenarios within Hitman 2, meaning the choice between them would have minimal impact on frame rates.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc B570’s average benchmark score of 20556 is closely matched by the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which scores 20534, a 0.1% difference. The Intel Arc A750 scores 20582, 0.1% higher, while the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M and AMD Radeon R9 M390X trail and lead respectively by small margins. The RTX 3070 Mobile and Arc A750 would produce nearly identical FPS in Hitman 2, making them viable alternatives if the B570 is unavailable. The data suggests that swapping to any of these nearest rivals would result in a change of less than 1% in overall performance, so the user experience would be indistinguishable.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Hitman 2 at 60 FPS on 1080p?

A: Yes. The measured data shows that at 1920x1080, the High preset averages 70 FPS, the Medium preset averages 93 FPS, and the Low preset averages 123 FPS, all comfortably above the 60 FPS playable threshold. Only the Ultra preset falls below at 52 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only option that maintains an average above 60 FPS, achieving 79 FPS. The Medium preset averages 59 FPS, which is just below the playable threshold of 60 FPS.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this hardware in Hitman 2?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS recorded is 42 on the Low preset. The Medium preset averages 32 FPS, High averages 24 FPS, and Ultra averages 18 FPS. No settings preset reaches the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 2986 out of 3711 tested configurations for Hitman 2, placing it in the lower half of all systems. The CPU ranks in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, but the GPU’s 65th percentile ranking is a more significant factor in the combo’s overall position.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Medium and High presets at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Medium preset averages 93 FPS, while the High preset averages 70 FPS. This represents a 24.7% decrease in average frame rate when moving from Medium to High, but both remain playable.

Q: Are there similar performing components that could be swapped in?

A: The CPU’s nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U, has an average benchmark score within 0.1% of the i5-14400F. The GPU’s nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, is also within 0.1%. Swapping to these or other listed rivals would result in a less than 1% overall performance difference in Hitman 2.

The Verdict

This PC can run Hitman 2, but the experience is heavily dependent on the chosen resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the system is fully capable, with the High preset delivering a 70 FPS average and the Medium preset reaching 93 FPS. The Ultra preset’s 52 FPS average is a notable miss, but the High preset offers a strong visual experience that stays above the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, the verdict is more cautious: the Low preset achieves 79 FPS, but the Medium preset’s 59 FPS average falls just short of the playable mark. This means users at 1440p must sacrifice visual quality to maintain smooth gameplay. At 3840x2160, the verdict is clear: this combo cannot run the game at 60 FPS, as even the lowest settings only reach an average of 42 FPS.

The playable settings per resolution are straightforward. At 1080p, High, Medium, and Low are all playable, with High being the best option that meets the threshold. At 1440p, only Low is playable. At 4K, there are no playable settings. The data indicates that the Arc B570 is a capable 1080p GPU for this title, but it lacks the bandwidth and raw compute to handle higher pixel counts while maintaining playable frame rates.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling between resolutions and presets reveals a clear division of labor. At 1080p, the CPU’s strength, evidenced by its 83rd percentile ranking and robust benchmark scores like 21645 in Cinebench R23 multicore, ensures that the GPU is the bottleneck. The frame rate differences between presets at 1080p are substantial—from 123 FPS on Low to 52 FPS on Ultra—which indicates that the GPU is being progressively taxed more heavily as settings increase. The CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU at these lower resolutions.

As resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, the GPU’s limitations become the dominant factor. The average FPS drops are consistent with the GPU being saturated by the increased pixel count. For example, the 1440p High preset at 45 FPS is 35.7% lower than the 1080p High preset at 70 FPS, a drop that cannot be mitigated by the CPU’s capabilities. At 4K, the GPU is clearly overwhelmed, with frame rates falling to 24-42 FPS across all presets, and the CPU’s performance becomes irrelevant to the outcome.

The data implies that in Hitman 2, the GPU is the primary determinant of playability at resolutions above 1080p. The CPU’s role is to maintain consistent minimum frame rates, and the i5-14400F does its part, but the Arc B570’s 380.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 11.52 TFLOPS FP32 performance are simply insufficient for the higher resolution presets. This combo is a classic example of a balanced 1080p gaming system that struggles when pushed beyond its designed resolution envelope.