Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X paired with the Intel Arc B390 produces a severely GPU-limited experience in Hitman 2, with the measured frame rates placing this combination near the bottom of the database. Across all tested resolutions and settings, the Arc B390’s performance ceiling is the dominant constraint, and the data shows that even the Ryzen 5 5600X’s strong single-threaded capabilities cannot compensate for the graphics subsystem’s limitations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep and consistent performance decline as resolution increases, which is a hallmark of a system where the GPU is the primary bottleneck. At 1920x1080 with High settings, the combo averages 46 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same settings drops the average to 29 FPS, a reduction of 17 FPS or roughly 37% lower than the 1080p result. At 3840x2160 High, the average falls further to 16 FPS, which is just over one-third of the 1080p High score. This scaling pattern indicates that the Arc B390’s rendering throughput is being exhausted by the increasing pixel count, and the CPU is not the limiting factor in these scenarios.

The Low settings preset shows a similar trajectory but with higher absolute numbers. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 80 FPS, which drops to 51 FPS at 1440p and then to 27 FPS at 4K. The proportional drop from 1080p to 1440p is about 36%, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is roughly 47%. This non-linear scaling suggests that memory bandwidth or fill-rate constraints on the GPU become more pronounced at higher resolutions, as the Arc B390 relies on System Shared memory with System Dependent bandwidth.

Medium settings provide the only row with min and max FPS data across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the average is 60 FPS with a min of 51 and max of 69. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 39 FPS with min 33 and max 44. At 4K Medium, the average is 21 FPS with min 17 and max 24. The gap between min and max FPS narrows as resolution rises, from an 18 FPS spread at 1080p to a 7 FPS spread at 4K, indicating that frame pacing becomes more consistent but at a much lower performance level when the GPU is fully saturated.

Ultra settings produce the lowest results across the board. The 1080p Ultra average is 34 FPS, which falls to 21 FPS at 1440p and 11 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 13 FPS, and from 1440p to 4K is another 10 FPS. This suggests that at Ultra, the additional shading and texture work scales almost linearly with pixel count, and the GPU cannot maintain playable rates at any resolution above 1080p. Overall, the resolution scaling analysis points to a GPU that is the clear limiting component, with the CPU’s performance headroom unused in all tested configurations.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2662 out of 3001 tested combos in Hitman 2, placing it in the bottom 11% of all systems in the database. The percentileVsAllGpus for the Arc B390 is 9, meaning it performs better than only 9% of all GPUs in general benchmarks, which aligns with the low in-game ranking. Conversely, the Ryzen 5 5600X has a percentileVsAllCpus of 75, indicating it outperforms 75% of all CPUs in general workloads. This stark contrast between CPU and GPU percentiles confirms that the combo’s poor ranking is almost entirely attributable to the graphics card.

The CPU’s nearest rivals in average benchmark score are all within a narrow band. The AMD Ryzen 7 4800H has an avgScore of 21749 with a deltaPct of 0.1, meaning the 5600X is essentially tied with it. The AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U and Intel Core i7-11700 both have avgScore values of 21874 and 21891 respectively, with deltaPct values of -0.5, meaning the 5600X trails them by half a percent. Even the AMD EPYC 9554P, a server-class processor, is only 0.6% ahead with an avgScore of 21899. This indicates that the CPU is performing exactly as expected for its class, and swapping it for any of these rivals would not materially change Hitman 2’s frame rates given the GPU constraint.

On the GPU side, the nearest rivals are all older or lower-end NVIDIA parts. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX has an avgScore of 1463 with a deltaPct of 1.3, putting the Arc B390 slightly ahead. The GeForce 800M scores 1460 with a deltaPct of 1.5, and the GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446 with a deltaPct of 2.5. The GeForce GT 710 is the closest competitor at 1443 with a deltaPct of 2.7. These rivals all belong to a performance tier that is generally considered unsuitable for modern gaming at high resolutions, which contextualizes why the combo ranks so poorly in Hitman 2. The data shows that the Arc B390’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 is the sole benchmark recorded, and it places the GPU in the 9th percentile overall.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution built on the Xe3-LPG architecture, using a 3 nm process from Intel. It features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operations units, along with 12 ray tracing cores. The base clock is 300 MHz, which boosts to 2500 MHz, and the pixel rate is listed as 60.00 GPixel/s with a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is 7.680 TFLOPS, and FP16 is 15.36 TFLOPS with a 2:1 ratio. These specifications, while not trivial on paper, are severely constrained by the memory configuration.

The Arc B390 uses System Shared memory, meaning it has no dedicated VRAM. The memory size, type, bus width, and bandwidth are all listed as System Shared or System Dependent. This is the critical weakness in Hitman 2, a game that benefits substantially from dedicated graphics memory bandwidth. The measured FPS data reflects this: at 1080p Low, the combo reaches 80 FPS, but this drops to 51 FPS at 1440p and 27 FPS at 4K. The lack of dedicated VRAM means the GPU must compete with the CPU for memory bandwidth, and at higher resolutions, the data traffic increases, further degrading performance. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, which sits at the 9th percentile among all GPUs, aligns with the in-game results showing that this GPU is only suitable for very low graphical loads.

The GPU’s TDP is 80 W, and it is an IGP with no power connectors, indicating that it shares power delivery with the CPU. The boost clock of 2500 MHz is respectable for an integrated part, but the System Dependent bandwidth negates any clock advantage. In Hitman 2, the GPU’s role is to render the game’s detailed environments, and the data shows that it can only do so at playable frame rates when the resolution is low and the settings are reduced. The 12 ray tracing cores are present, but Hitman 2 does not heavily utilize ray tracing, and the overall FP32 throughput is insufficient for the game’s demands at higher settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. Low settings produce an average of 80 FPS, which is the highest measured value across all configurations. Medium settings yield 60 FPS on average, with a minimum of 51 and maximum of 69 FPS. High settings drop to 46 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 34 FPS. The transition from Low to Medium costs 20 FPS, while Medium to High costs another 14 FPS, and High to Ultra costs 12 FPS. This indicates that each settings tier imposes a significant performance penalty, and only Low settings provide a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 51 FPS on Low, 39 FPS on Medium, 29 FPS on High, and 21 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset shows a min of 33 and max of 44 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across settings: Low loses 29 FPS, Medium loses 21 FPS, High loses 17 FPS, and Ultra loses 13 FPS. The absolute losses are larger at lower settings because the GPU is less bound by shader work and more by pixel throughput. No setting at 1440p reaches 60 FPS, and only Low settings exceed 50 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 27 FPS on Low, 21 FPS on Medium, 16 FPS on High, and 11 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset has a min of 17 and max of 24 FPS. The 4K results are uniformly below 30 FPS, which is generally considered the minimum for a playable experience in a stealth game like Hitman 2. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 16 FPS, which is smaller than the 46 FPS gap at 1080p, showing that at this resolution, the GPU is so saturated that settings changes have a diminished impact. The data shows that 1080p Low is the only configuration that delivers a smooth experience, while 1440p and 4K are only suitable for screenshots or very low-intensity gameplay.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer, built on a 7 nm process from TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, with a TDP of 65 W. The cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and a 32 MB L3 cache. It supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration with a theoretical bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, and it has 20 PCIe Gen 4 lanes. The CPU’s benchmark scores are strong for its class: Cinebench R23 multicore is 11838, single-core is 1541, Geekbench multicore is 9173, and single-core is 1989. The 3DMark scores show scaling from 1793 for 2 threads to 5588 for max threads, indicating good multi-threading efficiency.

In Hitman 2, the CPU’s role is to handle game logic, AI, and draw call submission. Given that the GPU is the bottleneck, the CPU’s performance is largely untapped. The measured FPS at 1080p Low is 80, which is the highest value, and at 1080p Ultra it drops to 34. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see similar frame rates across different GPU settings, but that is not the case. Instead, the frame rates scale directly with GPU workload, confirming that the Ryzen 5 5600X has ample headroom. The CPU’s nearest rivals, all within 0.6% in average score, would likely produce identical Hitman 2 results with this GPU.

The CPU’s single-thread performance, as evidenced by the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1541 and PassMark single-thread score of 3364, is more than sufficient for Hitman 2’s engine. The game was released in 2018 and is not particularly demanding on modern CPUs. The 12 threads provided by the 5600X are more than enough for the game’s multi-threaded tasks. The data suggests that any modern 6-core or better CPU would not be a limiting factor with the Arc B390, and the 5600X’s performance is essentially irrelevant to the final frame rates in this configuration.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the only viable configuration for a smooth gameplay experience is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which produces an average of 80 FPS. This is the only combination that exceeds 60 FPS, providing a comfortable margin for Hitman 2’s stealth mechanics where consistent frame pacing is important. The 1080p Medium preset averages 60 FPS, but with a minimum of 51 FPS, there are occasional dips below the 60 FPS threshold. For players who prefer higher visual fidelity, 1080p Medium is playable, but the min FPS of 51 indicates that crowded scenes or complex lighting may cause stutter.

At 1440p, Low settings yield 51 FPS, which is borderline for a smooth experience. This may be acceptable for players who prioritize resolution over settings, but the 29 FPS High average is not recommended for active gameplay. The 4K resolution is not viable for any settings, with the highest average being 27 FPS on Low. The data shows that the Arc B390 cannot handle 4K in Hitman 2, and even 1440p requires the lowest settings to approach playability. For the best balance between visual quality and performance, 1080p Medium is the recommended preset, as it provides an average of 60 FPS and the only min/max data in the entire set shows a reasonable spread from 51 to 69 FPS. However, for consistent performance without dips, 1080p Low is the safest choice.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for this system in Hitman 2?

A: The measured data shows that 1920x1080 with Low settings delivers an average of 80 FPS, which is the highest score. The 1920x1080 Medium preset averages 60 FPS with a min of 51 and max of 69, making it the best choice for higher quality while staying near 60 FPS.

Q: Can this system run Hitman 2 at 4K?

A: No. At 3840x2160, the highest average FPS is 27 on Low settings, with Medium at 21, High at 16, and Ultra at 11. All 4K results are below 30 FPS, which is not considered playable.

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

A: The Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% higher than the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% higher than the GeForce GT 710 (1443). All are in the bottom tier of GPU performance.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X the bottleneck in this combination?

A: No. The CPU has a percentileVsAllCpus of 75, while the GPU has a percentileVsAllGpus of 9. The frame rates scale with resolution and settings, indicating GPU limitation. If the CPU were the bottleneck, frame rates would be more consistent across settings.

Q: What is the CPU’s performance relative to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 5600X has an average benchmark score of 21771. It is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 7 4800H (21749), and 0.5% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U (21874) and Intel Core i7-11700 (21891). It is 0.6% behind the AMD EPYC 9554P (21899).

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this system?

A: The only min FPS values are for Medium settings: 51 FPS at 1920x1080, 33 FPS at 2560x1440, and 17 FPS at 3840x2160. No min FPS data is available for Low, High, or Ultra settings.