Hitman 2

Hitman 2 is a game from 2018 that continues to challenge modern hardware, and the combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and the Intel Arc B390 yields a very specific performance profile. The data indicates a system where the graphics processor is the overwhelming bottleneck, resulting in a playable experience only at the lowest settings and resolution. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS results to explain exactly where this pairing stands.

Resolution Scaling

The measured data reveals a severe performance cliff as resolution increases, pointing directly at the Intel Arc B390 as the limiting component. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 80 FPS. Stepping up to 1440p at the same settings drops the average to 51 FPS, a reduction of 29 FPS (approximately 36%). Moving to 4K at Low settings further reduces the average to 27 FPS, which is less than half of the 1080p result. This steep decline is characteristic of a GPU that is hitting its pixel throughput and memory bandwidth limits.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings. With High settings, the average frame rate falls from 46 FPS at 1080p to 29 FPS at 1440p (a 17 FPS drop) and finally to 16 FPS at 4K. The Medium preset shows a similar trajectory, with averages of 60 FPS at 1080p, 39 FPS at 1440p, and 21 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset, which is the most demanding, starts at just 34 FPS at 1080p and plummets to 21 FPS at 1440p and 11 FPS at 4K. The fact that even the 1440p results are mostly below the 60 FPS threshold indicates that the GPU is saturated long before the CPU’s capabilities become a factor.

This data suggests that the Ryzen 5 8400F is not the primary constraint in this pairing. The CPU has a boost clock of 4.70 GHz and 6 cores, which is sufficient for a game of this era. The performance degradation from 1080p to 4K is so pronounced that it can only be attributed to the graphics processor. The Arc B390’s architecture, which is an integrated graphics solution (IGP) with a 300 MHz base and 2500 MHz boost clock, is simply not designed to handle the pixel fill rate demands of 4K in a game like Hitman 2. The system shared memory, with bandwidth described as "System Dependent," further compounds this issue, as the GPU competes with the CPU for memory access.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the only configuration that provides a consistently fluid experience is the 1080p Low preset, which averages 80 FPS. This is the only setting and resolution combination that clears the 60 FPS bar by a significant margin. The 1080p Medium preset averages exactly 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS, which could be acceptable for some players but is not ideal for maintaining a stable frame rate in action-heavy stealth sequences.

For users who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate, the 1080p High preset is the highest quality option that remains semi-playable, with an average of 46 FPS. However, this is a compromise, as the frame rate is below the standard for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as it yields an average of 34 FPS at 1080p and drops to 11 FPS at 4K, making the game feel sluggish and unresponsive. At 1440p, the Low preset (51 FPS) is the only viable option, but it still falls short of a locked 60 FPS experience.

The data shows that this hardware combination is best suited for 1080p gaming with graphical settings dialed back. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 20 FPS on average, while the jump from Medium to High costs an additional 14 FPS. The leap from High to Ultra costs 12 FPS, bringing the average down to 34 FPS. The performance cost of each preset tier is substantial, reinforcing the notion that the GPU is the limiting factor. For a stable and responsive experience in Hitman 2, the 1080p Low preset is the only clear recommendation from the measured data.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this hardware?

A: The measured data shows that the 1920x1080 Low preset is the only configuration that provides a high average frame rate of 80 FPS. This is the most optimal choice for smooth gameplay.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Hitman 2?

A: No. The results show that at 3840x2160, even the Low preset only achieves an average of 27 FPS, which is not a playable experience. The Ultra preset at this resolution drops to 11 FPS.

Q: How does the 1440p performance compare to 1080p?

A: There is a significant drop in performance. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 80 at 1080p to 51 at 1440p. At High settings, it falls from 46 FPS to 29 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: The data strongly indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. The frame rates scale dramatically with resolution, which is a hallmark of a graphics-limited scenario. The CPU’s performance is sufficient, as evidenced by the relatively high FPS at 1080p Low.

Q: What is the highest quality preset that maintains a playable frame rate at 1080p?

A: The High preset, with an average of 46 FPS, is the highest quality option that can be considered playable, though it is below the 60 FPS standard. The Medium preset is a safer choice for a more stable experience, averaging 60 FPS.

Q: Are there any settings where the frame rate is stable enough for competitive play?

A: The 1080p Low preset, with an average of 80 FPS, is the only setting that provides a high enough frame rate for a competitive edge. All other settings have averages at or below 60 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data presents the measured average FPS for each resolution and settings combination tested.

1920x1080:

• Low: 80 FPS average
• Medium: 60 FPS average, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS
• High: 46 FPS average
• Ultra: 34 FPS average

2560x1440:

• Low: 51 FPS average
• Medium: 39 FPS average, with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 44 FPS
• High: 29 FPS average
• Ultra: 21 FPS average

3840x2160:

• Low: 27 FPS average
• Medium: 21 FPS average, with a minimum of 17 FPS and a maximum of 24 FPS
• High: 16 FPS average
• Ultra: 11 FPS average

The data shows a consistent pattern: a roughly 35-40% reduction in average FPS when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and another 40-50% reduction when moving from 1440p to 4K. This consistent scaling confirms that the rendering pipeline is the primary constraint. The minimum FPS data points for Medium settings show that frame time consistency also suffers at higher resolutions, with the 4K Medium preset dipping to 17 FPS.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the dominant factor in this system's performance in Hitman 2. Its benchmark score in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is 1482, which places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. This is a very low score, and the nearest rivals are older, entry-level graphics solutions like the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463 score, 1.3% slower) and the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460 score, 1.5% slower). The data clearly shows that the Arc B390 is performing at a level far below what is needed for demanding modern gaming.

The GPU's specifications support this conclusion. It has a boost clock of 2500 MHz and a base clock of 300 MHz, but its memory is "System Shared," meaning it uses the system's main memory rather than dedicated VRAM. The bandwidth is listed as "System Dependent," which in practice means it is limited by the memory bus and speed of the Ryzen 5 8400F's DDR5 memory, which has a bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s. This is a significant bottleneck for a game like Hitman 2, which requires high memory throughput for textures and geometry.

The GPU's compute capabilities are also limited. It has 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, and its FP32 performance is 7.680 TFLOPS. The pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s, which at 4K resolution means it can theoretically fill a 3840x2160 frame at a rate that is insufficient for high frame rates. The measured FPS data confirms this: the Ultra preset at 4K yields only 11 FPS, indicating that the GPU is completely overwhelmed. The 12 RT cores are present, but given the overall performance level, they are not a factor in achieving playable frame rates in this title. The Arc B390's role is to be the primary limiter, capping the system's performance in all tested configurations.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F provides a strong foundation that is largely untapped in this specific game due to the GPU bottleneck. The CPU has 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Zen 4 architecture, with a base clock of 4.20 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. Its benchmark results are solid, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 20851 and a single-core score of 2943. It achieves an average benchmark score of 25005, placing it in the 77th percentile of all CPUs, which indicates a capable mid-range processor.

In comparison to its nearest rivals, the Ryzen 5 8400F is essentially on par. It scores 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F (24964 score), 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i7-11850H (24935 score), and 0.4% higher than the Intel Core i7-13620H (24911 score). It is 0.4% slower than the AMD EPYC 9474F (25103 score). This data shows that the CPU's performance is competitive with its peers and is not a weak point in the system.

The CPU's role in Hitman 2 is to handle game logic, AI, and physics. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 80 FPS, which suggests the CPU is capable of feeding frames to the GPU at that rate. However, as the resolution increases and the GPU becomes more strained, the CPU's utilization likely drops, as it must wait for the GPU to complete its rendering tasks. The CPU's 16 MB of shared L3 cache is a standard configuration, and its 4 nm process node and 65 W TDP indicate an efficient design. The data implies that the Ryzen 5 8400F is not a limiting factor; the system's performance ceiling is defined entirely by the Intel Arc B390.