Hitman 2

# Hitman 2 with AMD Ryzen 5 9600X + Intel Arc B570

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X paired with the Intel Arc B570 delivers a playable but constrained experience in Hitman 2, with the measurement set showing a clear pattern: the combination ranks 2399th out of 3001 tested combos for this title, placing it in the lower third of the database. The data reveals a system that can handle the game at 1080p with reasonable fluidity, but struggles significantly as resolution climbs, pointing to the GPU as the primary limiting factor in most scenarios. This analysis walks through the measured FPS rows, the hardware characteristics that explain them, and practical settings guidance based strictly on the observed numbers.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep and consistent drop as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, which is the classic signature of a GPU-bound workload. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 123 FPS at 1080p to 79 FPS at 1440p, then to 42 FPS at 4K. That represents a 36% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 47% reduction from 1440p to 4K — the scaling is roughly proportional to the pixel count increase, which indicates the graphics card is doing the heavy lifting. The High settings row tells a similar story: 70 FPS at 1080p, 45 FPS at 1440p, and 24 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p here is 36%, and from 1440p to 4K it is 47%, again matching pixel-count scaling almost exactly.

This near-perfect proportionality is a strong indicator that the CPU is not the bottleneck at higher resolutions. If the Ryzen 5 9600X were limiting performance, the FPS would plateau or degrade more slowly as resolution increases, because the CPU work per frame stays roughly constant while GPU work per frame grows. Instead, the data shows the frame rate halving from 1440p to 4K in every settings tier, which is precisely what happens when the GPU is saturated. The fact that the 4K numbers are very low — 18 FPS at Ultra, 24 FPS at High, 32 FPS at Medium, 42 FPS at Low — reinforces that the Arc B570 is simply out of its depth at this resolution for Hitman 2, regardless of how much the CPU has to offer.

At 1080p, the scaling pattern changes slightly. The jump from Low to Medium costs 30 FPS (123 to 93), and from Medium to High another 23 FPS (93 to 70). The step from High to Ultra is 18 FPS (70 to 52). These are large absolute drops, but the 1080p Low result of 123 FPS shows the system has headroom when the GPU load is low enough. The fact that 1080p Ultra still manages 52 FPS — above the 4K Medium result of 32 FPS — suggests that resolution is a far more dominant factor than settings for this combo. In short, the data indicates that Hitman 2 with this hardware is playable at 1080p across all settings, marginal at 1440p for Low and Medium, and effectively unplayable at 4K except at the very lowest settings.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture (Battlemage generation) using a 5 nm process from TSMC, with 19,600 million transistors on a 272 mm² die. Its memory configuration is 10 GB of GDDR6 on a 160-bit bus, delivering 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 raster operation units, with 18 ray tracing cores. Its base and boost clocks are both 2500 MHz, and memory runs at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The pixel rate is 200.0 GPixel/s and texture rate is 360.0 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 11.52 TFLOPS.

Benchmark data places this GPU at the 65th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556. Its nearest rivals in the database are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (score 20534, deltaPct 0.1), the Intel Arc A750 (score 20582, deltaPct -0.1), the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (score 20480, deltaPct 0.4), and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X (score 20662, deltaPct -0.5). The deltaPct values are all within 0.5% of the Arc B570's average score, meaning these GPUs are statistically indistinguishable in overall benchmark terms. However, the measured FPS in Hitman 2 tells a more specific story: the Arc B570's 10 GB VRAM and 380 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K results (18-42 FPS depending on settings) suggest the GPU's compute throughput and memory bandwidth are insufficient for this game at that resolution.

The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4 are relevant because Hitman 2 is a title that scales well with modern APIs, and the Arc B570's Passmark DirectX 12 score of 72 (out of the listed metrics) is modest compared to its DirectX 11 score of 118. This could explain why the game performs better at lower settings where the rendering path is less demanding. The GPU's 150 W TDP and dual-slot design with a single 8-pin power connector are typical for this class, but the data does not show any thermal or power-related throttling indicators — the FPS scaling is purely a function of resolution and settings, as expected.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is a 6-core, 12-thread desktop processor from the 9000 series, built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge codename) using a 4 nm TSMC process. It has 8,315 million transistors on a 70.6 mm² die. Its base clock is 3.90 GHz with a 5.40 GHz boost clock, and it draws a 65 W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and 32 MB shared L3. Memory support is DDR5 with dual-channel configuration and 89.6 GB/s bandwidth, and it supports ECC memory. The CPU runs on the AMD Socket AM5 platform with PCIe Gen 5 (24 lanes from the CPU). It has integrated Radeon Graphics, but that is irrelevant for this discrete GPU setup.

The CPU's benchmark results place it at the 81st percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29713. Its nearest rivals are the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE (score 29656, deltaPct 0.2), the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H (score 29868, deltaPct -0.5), the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT (score 29879, deltaPct -0.6), and the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS (score 29955, deltaPct -0.8). All of these are within 1% of the 9600X's average score, indicating that the 9600X sits in a very tightly packed performance tier. In multi-threaded workloads, the Cinebench R23 multicore score is 17528.5, while the single-core score is 2183.5. The Geekbench multicore score is 14438 and single-core is 2923. The Passmark multithread score is 30027, with single-thread at 4570.

In the context of Hitman 2, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and handle game logic. Given that the FPS scaling with resolution is nearly perfect (as detailed in the Resolution Scaling section), the data strongly implies that the Ryzen 5 9600X is not the bottleneck at 1440p or 4K. At 1080p, however, the CPU could become more relevant. The 1080p Low result of 123 FPS is high, suggesting the CPU can push well over 120 FPS in this game when the GPU load is minimal. The 1080p Ultra result of 52 FPS is far below that, indicating the GPU is still the limiter even at 1080p Ultra. If the CPU were the constraint, we would expect the FPS to stay similar across settings at a given resolution, but the data shows large variations (123 to 52 FPS at 1080p), which means the GPU is the bottleneck throughout. The 6 cores and 12 threads with a 5.40 GHz boost clock provide ample single-thread performance for Hitman 2's engine, and the 32 MB L3 cache helps with game data locality. The 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth is more than sufficient for a game of this era.

FAQ

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 9600X powerful enough for Hitman 2 at 4K?

A: Yes, the CPU is not the limiting factor. The measured FPS drops proportionally to pixel count from 1080p to 4K (e.g., 123 to 79 to 42 FPS at Low settings), which indicates the GPU is saturated. The Ryzen 5 9600X sits at the 81st percentile among all CPUs, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2183.5, so it has ample headroom.

Q: Can the Intel Arc B570 handle Hitman 2 at 1440p?

A: It depends on the settings. The data shows 79 FPS at Low, 59 FPS at Medium, 45 FPS at High, and 33 FPS at Ultra for 2560x1440. Medium settings with 59 FPS average is playable, but Ultra drops to 33 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target most players expect.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: The measured FPS at 1920x1080 ranges from 123 FPS at Low to 52 FPS at Ultra, with Medium at 93 FPS and High at 70 FPS. All settings at 1080p are above 50 FPS, making this the only resolution where every settings tier is playable.

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

A: The average benchmark score for the Arc B570 is 20556, with the closest rival being the Intel Arc A750 at 20582 (deltaPct -0.1) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile at 20534 (deltaPct 0.1). All four nearest rivals are within 0.5% of the Arc B570's score, meaning they perform nearly identically in aggregate benchmarks.

Q: Does the CPU's 6-core/12-thread configuration matter for this game?

A: Hitman 2 is not heavily multi-threaded compared to modern titles, but the 9600X's single-core performance is strong (Geekbench single-core 2923, Passmark single-thread 4570). The 1080p Low result of 123 FPS shows the CPU can drive high frame rates, and the FPS scaling with resolution confirms the GPU is the limiting factor, not the core count.

Q: Is the 10 GB VRAM on the Arc B570 sufficient for Hitman 2?

A: The measured data does not show any VRAM-related stutters or crashes, and the 10 GB GDDR6 with 380 GB/s bandwidth supports 1080p and 1440p play. However, the 4K results are very low (18-42 FPS), which is more likely due to compute throughput than VRAM capacity, but the data does not isolate the cause.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend on the target frame rate and resolution. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers 93 FPS average with a minimum of 79 FPS and maximum of 106 FPS. This is the sweet spot for smooth gameplay, as it provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS and a 27 FPS improvement over High (70 FPS average). For players who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate, High at 70 FPS is still playable, but Ultra drops to 52 FPS, which may feel less responsive. The 1080p Low setting at 123 FPS is excessive for most displays and sacrifices too much visual quality for the gain.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the only settings tier that achieves a 59 FPS average (with min 50 and max 68), which is just under the 60 FPS threshold. Low at 79 FPS is smooth, but the visual downgrade is noticeable. High at 45 FPS is borderline, and Ultra at 33 FPS is too low for comfortable play. Therefore, for 1440p, Medium is the recommended balance, as it maintains playability with a 50 FPS minimum. For 4K (3840x2160), the data shows no settings tier reaches 60 FPS. Low at 42 FPS is the highest average, followed by Medium at 32 FPS, High at 24 FPS, and Ultra at 18 FPS. Even Low at 42 FPS is below the standard 60 FPS target, so 4K is not recommended for this combo unless the user accepts a sub-60 FPS experience.

In summary, the best experience per the measured rows is 1080p Medium (93 FPS average, 79 FPS minimum) for smooth gameplay, or 1440p Medium (59 FPS average, 50 FPS minimum) if the user prioritizes resolution over frame rate. The data does not support 4K as a viable option, as even the lowest settings produce only 42 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS table for this combo is as follows:

At 1920x1080, Low settings produce an average of 123 FPS with no min/max data recorded. Medium settings yield 93 FPS average, with a minimum of 79 FPS and maximum of 106 FPS. High settings average 70 FPS with no min/max data. Ultra settings average 52 FPS with no min/max data.

At 2560x1440, Low settings average 79 FPS with no min/max data. Medium settings average 59 FPS, with a minimum of 50 FPS and maximum of 68 FPS. High settings average 45 FPS with no min/max data. Ultra settings average 33 FPS with no min/max data.

At 3840x2160, Low settings average 42 FPS with no min/max data. Medium settings average 32 FPS, with a minimum of 27 FPS and maximum of 36 FPS. High settings average 24 FPS with no min/max data. Ultra settings average 18 FPS with no min/max data.

The only rows with min/max data are the Medium settings across all three resolutions: 1080p (79-106 FPS), 1440p (50-68 FPS), and 4K (27-36 FPS). These ranges show a consistent pattern of roughly 30-35% variation between minimum and maximum, which is typical for a game with variable scene complexity. The absence of min/max data for other settings does not imply a lack of variance; it simply means those values were not recorded in the measurement set. The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p Low (123 FPS) > 1080p Medium (93 FPS) > 1440p Low (79 FPS) > 1080p High (70 FPS) > 1440p Medium (59 FPS) > 1080p Ultra (52 FPS) > 1440p High (45 FPS) > 4K Low (42 FPS) > 1440p Ultra (33 FPS) > 4K Medium (32 FPS) > 4K High (24 FPS) > 4K Ultra (18 FPS). This ordering demonstrates that resolution has a larger impact than settings on frame rate, which is consistent with the GPU-bound analysis.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2399th out of 3001 tested combos in Hitman 2, placing it in the 20th percentile of the database (lower 20% of all combos). This low ranking is surprising given the individual component percentiles: the CPU is at the 81st percentile among all CPUs, and the GPU is at the 65th percentile among all GPUs. The discrepancy between the component-level percentiles and the combo-level rank suggests that either Hitman 2 is particularly demanding on the specific combination, or that the database includes many faster combos that push this one down.

The nearest CPU rivals (AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE, Ryzen 7 7840H, Ryzen 7 5800XT, Ryzen 7 8845HS) all have average scores within 0.8% of the 9600X, meaning the CPU is not uniquely weak or strong relative to its peers. Similarly, the nearest GPU rivals (RTX 3070 Mobile, Arc A750, Quadro M4000M, Radeon R9 M390X) are all within 0.5% of the Arc B570's average score. Yet the combo rank of 2399 out of 3001 (80% of combos are better) indicates that this pairing does not translate its component-level strengths into top-tier Hitman 2 performance. The measured FPS data confirms this: even at 1080p Low (123 FPS), the combo does not reach the high frame rates that top-tier systems would achieve, and at 4K Ultra (18 FPS), it is clearly in the lower echelon.

The ranking reflects the dataIsMeasured flag being true, meaning these are actual measured results rather than estimates. The rank of 2399 suggests that while the components are individually mid-to-high tier, the combination is held back by the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions. The CPU's high percentile does not rescue the combo because Hitman 2 is GPU-bound at all settings above 1080p Low. For users considering this combo, the rank indicates that it is better suited for 1080p gaming, where the measured FPS ranges from 52 to 123, rather than for high-resolution play, where the GPU's 4K performance (18-42 FPS) drags the overall ranking down. In the context of the database, this combo is a decent 1080p performer but a poor 1440p-to-4K option, and the ranking reflects that limitation.