Hitman 2

# Hitman 2 with AMD Ryzen 5 5600X + Intel Arc B570

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X paired with the Intel Arc B570 delivers a playable but resolution-sensitive experience in Hitman 2, with the combo ranking 2399th out of 3001 tested configurations. The data shows a system that can handle 1080p and 1440p gaming comfortably at medium settings, but struggles significantly at 4K, particularly at higher quality presets. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across resolutions and settings, examining the roles of the CPU and GPU in shaping these results.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance cliff as resolution increases, indicating the Intel Arc B570 becomes the primary limiting factor at higher pixel counts. From 1080p Low to 4K Low, average FPS drops from 123 to 42 — a 65.9% reduction. This dramatic scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering workload grows exponentially with pixel count while the CPU remains relatively underutilized.

At 1080p Medium, the system achieves 93 FPS average, but this falls to 59 FPS at 1440p Medium and further to 32 FPS at 4K Medium. The progression from 1080p to 1440p represents a 36.6% performance loss at Medium settings, while moving from 1440p to 4K at the same preset costs another 45.8% of performance. These scaling factors are steeper than what would be expected from a purely CPU-limited scenario, confirming that the Arc B570's rendering throughput is the bottleneck once pixel counts rise.

The High preset tells a similar story: 70 FPS at 1080p, 45 FPS at 1440p, and just 24 FPS at 4K. The 4K High result falls below the 30 FPS threshold typically considered minimum for acceptable gameplay, indicating this combination is not viable at that resolution with high-quality settings. Interestingly, the gap between Low and High at 4K is 18 FPS, while at 1080p the same settings gap is 53 FPS — showing that at 4K, the GPU is so saturated that even reducing settings yields diminishing returns.

The Ultra preset reinforces this pattern with 52 FPS at 1080p, 33 FPS at 1440p, and 18 FPS at 4K. The difference between 1080p and 1440p Ultra is 19 FPS, while the 1440p to 4K drop is 15 FPS. This relatively modest absolute difference at the high end suggests the GPU's memory bandwidth and compute resources are exhausted at 1440p Ultra, making the jump to 4K less punishing percentage-wise than lower settings.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X brings six cores and twelve threads based on the Zen 3 architecture, code-named Vermeer, manufactured on a 7 nm process at TSMC. With a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, this processor offers strong single-thread performance that is well-suited to Hitman 2's engine. The CPU's L3 cache totals 32 MB, with 64 KB of L1 and 512 KB of L2 per core, providing ample fast storage for game data.

Benchmark results show the Ryzen 5 5600X achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 11,838 and a single-core score of 1,541. Its 3DMark scores scale from 917 in single-thread to 5,588 in max-thread tests, indicating good multi-threading efficiency. The processor sits at the 75th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 21,771. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 4800H (0.1% faster), AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 6650U (0.5% slower), and Intel Core i7-11700 (0.5% slower) — all essentially performance equals.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's role is most evident at 1080p Low, where the system reaches 123 FPS. This high frame rate suggests the CPU can feed the GPU adequately at lower resolutions, but the GPU becomes the constraint as settings and resolution increase. The fact that 1080p Medium drops to 93 FPS and 1080p High to 70 FPS indicates that even at 1080p, the Arc B570 starts to limit performance, not the Ryzen 5 5600X. The CPU's 65W TDP and dual-channel DDR4 memory support with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for this title, and the processor's PCIe Gen 4 interface with 20 lanes provides adequate bandwidth for the GPU.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570, based on the Xe2-HPG architecture (Battlemage generation), is built on a 5 nm process at TSMC with 19,600 million transistors on a 272 mm² die. It features 2,304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units, along with 18 ray tracing cores. The GPU operates at a fixed 2500 MHz base and boost clock, with memory running at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective) across a 160-bit bus, yielding 380.0 GB/s bandwidth.

The 10 GB GDDR6 memory is a notable asset for Hitman 2, as it provides sufficient capacity for high-resolution textures without hitting VRAM limits that could cause stuttering. The GPU's compute capabilities include 11.52 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 23.04 TFLOPS FP16, with a pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s. These specifications place the Arc B570 at the 65th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20,556. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (0.1% faster), Intel Arc A750 (0.1% slower), and NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (0.4% faster).

In Hitman 2, the Arc B570's performance characteristics become clear through the measured frame rates. At 1080p Low, the 123 FPS average demonstrates the GPU can achieve high frame rates when pixel workload is modest. However, the 4K Low result of 42 FPS shows the GPU's rendering throughput is insufficient for 4K gaming, even at minimal settings. The GPU's 150W TDP and dual-slot design with a single 8-pin power connector suggest it is a mid-range part, and the benchmark data confirms this positioning — capable at 1080p and playable at 1440p, but not designed for 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its strongest results across all settings. Low settings achieve 123 FPS average, providing a very smooth experience. Medium settings yield 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS and maximum of 106 FPS, indicating consistent frame pacing. High settings produce 70 FPS average, still well within playable territory. Ultra settings drop to 52 FPS, which is acceptable for slower-paced stealth gameplay but not ideal for fast action sequences.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance degrades predictably. Low settings maintain 79 FPS, a solid result for 1440p. Medium settings deliver 59 FPS with a range of 50 to 68 FPS, providing a playable experience with some headroom. High settings fall to 45 FPS, which is borderline for smooth gameplay. Ultra settings produce 33 FPS, below the 60 FPS target but still technically playable for a stealth game where reaction times are less critical.

At 3840x2160, the results are largely disappointing. Low settings achieve 42 FPS, which is playable but not smooth. Medium settings produce 32 FPS with a minimum of 27 and maximum of 36, indicating noticeable frame drops during demanding scenes. High settings fall to 24 FPS, which is below acceptable thresholds for most players. Ultra settings bottom out at 18 FPS, making the game essentially unplayable at this configuration.

The Medium preset is the only one with complete min/max data across all resolutions, showing frame ranges of 79-106 at 1080p, 50-68 at 1440p, and 27-36 at 4K. These ranges indicate that frame pacing becomes less consistent as resolution increases, with the 4K Medium spread of 9 FPS representing a 28.1% variation from minimum to maximum.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Hitman 2 at 1080p with high settings?

A: Yes, the measured average FPS at 1080p High is 70, which provides a smooth experience for stealth gameplay. The system handles 1080p well across all settings, from 123 FPS at Low to 52 FPS at Ultra.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combination?

A: 1440p Medium offers the best balance, delivering 59 FPS average with a range of 50-68 FPS. This provides good visual quality while maintaining playable frame rates, whereas 4K only reaches 32 FPS at Medium settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The 65.9% FPS drop from 1080p Low to 4K Low (123 to 42 FPS) indicates GPU-bound scaling, while the CPU's strong single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1,541) is sufficient for this title.

Q: How does the Arc B570 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20,556, sitting at the 65th percentile. It is essentially tied with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (0.1% faster) and Intel Arc A750 (0.1% slower), while the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M is 0.4% faster.

Q: What settings should be avoided at 4K resolution?

A: All settings above Low should be avoided at 4K. The measured results show 24 FPS at High and 18 FPS at Ultra, both below acceptable playability thresholds. Even Medium at 4K only reaches 32 FPS with minimums as low as 27 FPS.

Q: Does the 10 GB VRAM cause any issues in Hitman 2?

A: The measured data does not indicate VRAM-related problems. The frame rates scale consistently with resolution and settings, suggesting the 10 GB GDDR6 memory with 380.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for this game's requirements.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal configuration for this system is 1080p with High settings, which delivers 70 FPS average. This provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold while maintaining good visual quality. For players seeking maximum smoothness, 1080p Low at 123 FPS offers the best frame rate, though visual fidelity suffers. The 1080p Medium preset at 93 FPS represents a strong middle ground, with a minimum of 79 FPS ensuring consistent performance.

For 1440p displays, the Medium preset at 59 FPS is the recommended choice, as it stays close to the 60 FPS target with a minimum of 50 FPS. The 1440p High preset at 45 FPS is playable but may cause noticeable stuttering in crowded scenes, while 1440p Low at 79 FPS sacrifices visual quality for a smoother experience. At 1440p Ultra, the 33 FPS result is marginal and not recommended.

At 4K resolution, only the Low preset at 42 FPS is viable, and even this is borderline. The Medium preset at 32 FPS with minimums of 27 FPS will produce visible frame drops, while High and Ultra at 24 and 18 FPS respectively are not playable. Players with 4K displays should either lower resolution or accept significant compromises in visual settings.

The Ultra preset is consistently the weakest option across all resolutions, providing only 52 FPS at 1080p and 18 FPS at 4K. The performance cost of Ultra settings appears disproportionate to the visual benefits in this title, making it the least recommended preset for this hardware combination.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600X + Intel Arc B570 combination ranks 2399th out of 3001 tested configurations in Hitman 2, placing it in the lower 20% of all combos tested. This ranking reflects the system's inability to maintain high frame rates at 4K resolution, which likely drags down its overall position relative to configurations with more powerful GPUs.

The CPU component ranks well on its own merits — the Ryzen 5 5600X sits at the 75th percentile among all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 21,771. Its nearest rivals are all within 0.6% performance, indicating the processor is not the weak link in this pairing. The GPU, however, ranks at the 65th percentile with an average score of 20,556, and the combination's overall ranking suggests the GPU's mid-range positioning limits the system's ability to compete with higher-end configurations in this game.

The significant gap between the CPU's strong standalone performance (75th percentile) and the combo's low ranking (20th percentile) indicates that the Arc B570 is the limiting factor in Hitman 2. The measured FPS data supports this conclusion, showing that the system excels at 1080p but falls short at 4K, where GPU-bound workloads dominate. For players prioritizing this game, the data suggests that a more powerful GPU would yield greater performance improvements than upgrading the CPU, as the Ryzen 5 5600X provides ample processing headroom at all tested resolutions.