Hitman 2

Intel Core i7-14700F paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents an unusual combination: a high-end 20-core desktop processor driving an integrated-class graphics solution. For Hitman 2, the recorded measurements show that the graphics component becomes the decisive bottleneck at every resolution and preset. The data below breaks down exactly what this system delivers.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the Arc B390 produces playable results nowhere. The Ultra preset averages 11 FPS, which is a slideshow. High settings improve that to 16 FPS, still far below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings at 4K deliver an average of 21 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 17 FPS and a maximum of 24 FPS. Low settings are the fastest at this resolution, reaching an average of 27 FPS. None of these numbers approach the playable threshold, and even the best case, Low at 27 FPS, is less than half of the target.

Moving to 2560x1440, the situation improves but remains firmly in unplayable territory. Ultra averages 21 FPS. High settings reach 29 FPS. Medium produces an average of 39 FPS, with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 44 FPS. Low settings at 1440p are the standout here, hitting 51 FPS on average. That is close to 60 FPS but still short. The gap between Low and Medium at this resolution is 12 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 10 FPS, and High to Ultra drops another 8 FPS. Every step up in quality costs a meaningful chunk of frame rate.

At 1920x1080, the system finally crosses the 60 FPS mark. Low settings average 80 FPS, which is comfortably above the threshold. Medium settings average exactly 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS. High settings drop to 46 FPS, and Ultra falls to 34 FPS. The scaling from Low to Medium is a 20 FPS reduction, from Medium to High another 14 FPS, and from High to Ultra a further 12 FPS. The recorded maximum at Medium, 69 FPS, shows that some scenes run faster, but the 51 FPS minimum indicates occasional dips below the target.

The pattern across all resolutions is consistent: Low settings are the only preset that comes close to or exceeds 60 FPS, and only at 1080p does the system fully reach it. Medium at 1080p is exactly at the threshold but no higher. At 1440p and 4K, even Low settings fail to hit 60 FPS.

CPU and GPU Roles

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on Raptor Lake with a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. Its benchmark scores are strong, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35122 and a single-core score of 4958. The CPU ranks in the 91st percentile among all processors. This is far more compute power than Hitman 2 requires for the frame rates shown.

The Intel Arc B390, by contrast, is a low-power integrated GPU with a 3 nm Panther Lake chip, 1536 shading units, and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its only recorded benchmark is a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, which places it in the 9th percentile among all GPUs. The GPU's performance level is the limiting factor throughout.

Evidence for this comes from how frame rates scale with resolution. At 1080p Low, the system averages 80 FPS. At 1440p Low, it drops to 51 FPS, a 36% reduction. At 4K Low, it falls to 27 FPS, another 47% drop. If the CPU were the bottleneck, resolution changes would have a smaller effect because the CPU workload stays roughly constant. Instead, the steep decline as pixel count rises indicates the GPU is saturated.

Preset scaling tells the same story. At 1080p, going from Low to Ultra cuts the average from 80 FPS to 34 FPS, a 58% loss. That kind of sensitivity to graphics settings is typical of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU has ample headroom, as shown by its multi-core and single-core benchmark results, but it cannot compensate for the GPU's limited fill rate and shading power.

The GPU's memory is system shared, meaning it uses the same memory as the CPU. This further ties performance to the integrated graphics design. The Arc B390's pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s. At 4K Ultra, the game demands far more than those rates can supply, which is why the average FPS collapses to 11.

For Hitman 2 specifically, the game's stealth genre involves large, detailed environments with many NPCs. That typically stresses both CPU and GPU, but in this pairing, the GPU fails first. The data shows that at 1080p Medium, the system hits exactly 60 FPS, but at 1440p Medium, it drops to 39 FPS. If the CPU were the constraint, the 1440p result would be closer to 1080p because the CPU's per-frame work does not double with resolution. The consistent pattern across all measured points is that the Arc B390 is the binding constraint.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset reaches 60 FPS. The best recorded average is 27 FPS at Low settings. Since even the lowest quality setting falls far below the playable threshold, there is no recommended preset for 4K.

At 2560x1440, the same applies. Low settings average 51 FPS, which is the highest result at this resolution, but it misses the 60 FPS target. Medium averages 39 FPS, High 29 FPS, and Ultra 21 FPS. None are viable for smooth play.

At 1920x1080, Medium settings are the best option that stays at or above 60 FPS. The average is exactly 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS. Low settings are faster at 80 FPS, but Medium offers higher visual quality while still meeting the threshold. High settings drop to 46 FPS, which is below the target, so Medium is the ceiling for playable performance.

For any user who prioritizes frame rate stability over visual fidelity, Low at 1080p is the only preset that provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. Medium is exactly at the threshold, meaning any heavy scene could push it below. The recorded minimum of 51 FPS at Medium confirms that dips happen.

The Verdict

According to the recorded data, this PC can run Hitman 2, but only under specific conditions. At 1920x1080, Low and Medium settings clear the 60 FPS threshold. Low averages 80 FPS, and Medium averages exactly 60 FPS. High settings at 1080p average 46 FPS, which is not playable by the 60 FPS standard. Ultra at 1080p averages 34 FPS.

At 2560x1440, no preset reaches 60 FPS. The closest is Low at 51 FPS, which is playable if the user tolerates sub-60 performance, but the database's playable threshold is 60 FPS, so it fails that criterion. Medium at 1440p averages 39 FPS, High 29 FPS, and Ultra 21 FPS.

At 3840x2160, all presets are far below the threshold. Low averages 27 FPS, Medium 21 FPS, High 16 FPS, and Ultra 11 FPS.

The verdict is clear: this system is a 1080p machine for Hitman 2. Users should run the game at Medium settings for the best balance of visuals and frame rate, or Low settings for a safer margin above 60 FPS. Any resolution above 1080p requires dropping to Low, and even then, 1440p Low misses the target. 4K is not viable in any configuration.

The CPU is not the problem. The i7-14700F's benchmark scores place it far above what this game needs, and its 91st percentile ranking among CPUs confirms it is a high-end part. The Arc B390's 9th percentile GPU ranking and its nearest rivals, all of which are low-end NVIDIA parts from years ago, make it clear that the GPU is the limiting factor.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i7-14700F's nearest rivals in the database are close in average benchmark score. The Intel Xeon 6505P scores 53701, which is 0.2% lower than the i7-14700F's 53620 average. The Intel Xeon Phi 7290 scores 53469, a 0.3% difference. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X scores 53288, 0.6% lower. The AMD EPYC 7313P scores 53206, 0.8% lower. In practical terms, any of these CPUs would behave nearly identically in Hitman 2, since the game's bottleneck is the GPU. A user with a Ryzen 9 7900X or an EPYC 7313P would see the same FPS numbers with the same Arc B390.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc B390's nearest rivals are all significantly older and slower. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, which is 1.3% higher than the Arc B390's 1482. The NVIDIA GeForce 800M scores 1460, 1.5% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, 2.5% higher. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, 2.7% higher. These delta values are small, meaning the Arc B390 and these GPUs are essentially in the same performance class. A system with any of these GPUs would produce nearly identical Hitman 2 frame rates, assuming the CPU is not the bottleneck.

The practical takeaway is that swapping the i7-14700F for a Ryzen 9 7900X or a Xeon 6505P would not change the gaming experience with this GPU. Swapping the Arc B390 for a GeForce GT 710 would also produce similar results. The performance envelope is defined by the GPU's 9th percentile standing, not the CPU's 91st percentile.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Hitman 2 at 60 FPS?

A: Yes, but only at 1920x1080 with Low or Medium settings. Low averages 80 FPS, and Medium averages exactly 60 FPS. At 2560x1440, the best result is Low at 51 FPS, which is below 60. At 3840x2160, even Low averages only 27 FPS.

Q: What is the best graphics preset for 1080p?

A: Medium settings are the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS. The average is 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS. Low settings are faster at 80 FPS, but Medium offers better visuals while still meeting the threshold.

Q: Why does the system perform so poorly at 1440p and 4K?

A: The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated GPU with a 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs. Its performance drops sharply as resolution increases. At 1440p Low, the average is 51 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 27 FPS. The CPU, an i7-14700F, is not the limiting factor.

Q: Is the CPU powerful enough for this game?

A: Yes. The i7-14700F has a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35122 and a single-core score of 4958, placing it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs. The recorded frame rates are limited by the GPU, not the processor.

Q: How does the Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390's average benchmark score is 1482. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX at 1463, the GeForce 800M at 1460, the GT 625 OEM at 1446, and the GT 710 at 1443. All are within 2.7% of each other, so they would perform similarly in Hitman 2.

Q: What happens if I lower the resolution from 1080p to 1440p?

A: At 1440p, the highest average FPS is 51 at Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium drops to 39 FPS, High to 29 FPS, and Ultra to 21 FPS. The system is not playable at 1440p by the 60 FPS standard.

Q: Is there any preset at 4K that hits 60 FPS?

A: No. The fastest 4K preset is Low at 27 FPS. Medium averages 21 FPS, High 16 FPS, and Ultra 11 FPS. No combination of settings at 3840x2160 reaches the playable threshold.