Hitman 2

# Hitman 2 with AMD Ryzen 7 3700X + Intel Arc B580

The measured frame rates for this combination show a clear pattern: Hitman 2 scales predictably with resolution, but the relationship between settings presets and performance reveals where the Intel Arc B580 and AMD Ryzen 7 3700X each become the limiting factor. Across the 12 measured data points, the system delivers playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p with appropriate settings, while 4K remains a challenge that demands careful preset selection. The data indicates a mostly balanced pairing, though the GPU's performance ceiling becomes apparent at higher resolutions, while the CPU's 8-core, 16-thread configuration provides ample headroom for this stealth title.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep performance drop as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At High settings, the system delivers 81.4 FPS at 1080p, drops to 52.4 FPS at 1440p, and falls to 30.1 FPS at 4K. This represents a 63% reduction from 1080p to 4K at High settings. The scaling pattern suggests that the Intel Arc B580 becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, as pixel throughput demand increases dramatically.

At Low settings, the resolution scaling is even more pronounced: 137.6 FPS at 1080p drops to 87.1 FPS at 1440p (a 37% reduction) and then to 48.7 FPS at 4K (a further 44% reduction). The 4K Low result remains above 30 FPS, indicating that even at the lowest preset, the GPU cannot maintain high frame rates at 4K. The gap between 1440p and 4K at Low settings (87.1 to 48.7 FPS) is larger than the gap between 1080p and 1440p (137.6 to 87.1 FPS), which is typical for a GPU-limited scenario where the render target size quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

Medium settings show a similar trajectory: 104.7 FPS at 1080p, 69.7 FPS at 1440p, and 38.8 FPS at 4K. Ultra settings produce the lowest frame rates across all resolutions, with 59.5 FPS at 1080p, 37.8 FPS at 1440p, and 20.8 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is the only measured point below 30 FPS, confirming that this preset is not viable at 4K with this hardware combination.

The scaling behavior indicates that at 1080p, the CPU may still contribute to performance, as the 137.6 FPS Low result is high enough to stress the Ryzen 7 3700X's single-thread performance. However, the steep drops at higher resolutions point to the GPU as the dominant limiter. The Arc B580's 13.67 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 456.0 GB/s memory bandwidth are simply insufficient for 4K Ultra in this title.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for optimal settings at each resolution. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers 81.4 FPS, which is comfortably above 60 FPS for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset pushes this to 104.7 FPS, while Low reaches 137.6 FPS. For players prioritizing frame rate at 1080p, Medium offers the best balance, but High remains fully playable and likely provides better visual fidelity. Ultra at 1080p drops to 59.5 FPS, which is borderline for a 60 Hz display, making it a less compelling choice unless visual quality is paramount.

At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers 52.4 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for competitive play. Medium improves this to 69.7 FPS, making it the recommended preset for 1440p. Low reaches 87.1 FPS, which is excellent for high-refresh-rate monitors, but the visual trade-off may be significant. Ultra at 1440p falls to 37.8 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and not recommended for this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. High delivers 30.1 FPS, which is just at the edge of playability for slower-paced stealth gameplay. Medium improves to 38.8 FPS, and Low reaches 48.7 FPS. Ultra at 4K produces 20.8 FPS, which is not recommended for a playable experience. For 4K, the Low preset is the only option that approaches 50 FPS, while Medium provides a more balanced experience at 38.8 FPS. The data suggests that 4K playable frame rates require sacrificing visual quality, as even High settings only reach 30.1 FPS.

The best experience across the board is at 1440p Medium (69.7 FPS) or 1080p High (81.4 FPS), depending on whether resolution or visual fidelity is prioritized. The 4K Medium result of 38.8 FPS is the highest 4K preset above 30 FPS, making it the most viable 4K option.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B580's specifications provide context for its measured performance in Hitman 2. The GPU features 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units, with a base and boost clock of 2670 MHz. It has 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, yielding 456.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The GPU's FP32 compute is rated at 13.67 TFLOPS, and its pixel rate is 213.6 GPixel/s.

The benchmark results show the Arc B580 sits at the 66th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23021. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, which scores 23181, a delta of -0.7% (meaning the Arc B580 is 0.7% slower). This close proximity to the RTX 4060 suggests the Arc B580 should deliver similar performance in most titles, and the Hitman 2 results are consistent with this positioning.

The GPU's memory capacity of 12 GB is ample for Hitman 2, which was released in 2018 and does not require large frame buffers at 1080p or 1440p. Even at 4K Ultra, the 20.8 FPS result is more likely limited by compute and memory bandwidth than by capacity, as the game's texture requirements are modest by modern standards. The 456.0 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K results suggest it becomes a limiting factor at higher pixel counts.

The boost clock of 2670 MHz is relatively high for a modern GPU, and the 5 nm process node from TSMC allows for this clock speed while maintaining a 190 W TDP. The GPU's thermal and power design is conservative, with a suggested PSU of 450 W and a single 8-pin power connector. In Hitman 2, the GPU's performance scales predictably with settings, and the measured frame rates align with its position between the RTX 4060 and the AMD Radeon 760M.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS measured for this combination at 1080p?

A: The highest 1080p result is 137.6 FPS at Low settings, followed by 104.7 FPS at Medium and 81.4 FPS at High.

Q: Is 4K Ultra playable with this hardware?

A: No, the 4K Ultra preset produces only 20.8 FPS, which is below the 30 FPS threshold for playability. The 4K Medium result of 38.8 FPS is the highest 4K preset that remains playable.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B580 compare to its nearest rival in benchmark scores?

A: The Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 scores 23181, a delta of -0.7%. The AMD Radeon 760M scores 22999, a delta of 0.1%.

Q: What is the recommended preset for 1440p gaming on this system?

A: Based on the measured data, Medium settings at 1440p deliver 69.7 FPS, which is the best balance above 60 FPS. High at 1440p drops to 52.4 FPS, which is below 60 FPS.

Q: Does the Ryzen 7 3700X bottleneck the Arc B580 in Hitman 2?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not a significant bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 137.6 FPS, which indicates the 8-core, 16-thread CPU can drive high frame rates, but the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases.

Q: How much does the average FPS drop from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 81.4 at 1080p to 30.1 at 4K, a reduction of 51.3 FPS, or approximately 63%.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor from the Zen 2 architecture, built on a 7 nm process node from TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, with 32 MB of L3 cache. The CPU's benchmark scores place it at the 85th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 28631. Its nearest rival is the Intel Core i5-12600, which scores 28654, a delta of -0.1% — essentially identical performance.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. The measured frame rates at 1080p Low (137.6 FPS) indicate that the Ryzen 7 3700X can sustain high frame rates when the GPU is not the bottleneck. The CPU's multi-core performance, as shown by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 19087, provides ample headroom for the game's AI and simulation systems, which are typically not heavily threaded but benefit from the 16 threads available.

The single-core performance, measured at 2694 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 1672 in Geekbench single-core, is adequate for Hitman 2's main thread. The game's stealth mechanics and AI pathfinding are likely to be single-thread-bound in some scenarios, but the 4.40 GHz boost clock helps mitigate this. The PassMark single-thread score of 2656 further confirms the CPU's competitive single-thread capability.

The 65 W TDP is notably low for an 8-core processor, and the memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s (dual-channel DDR4) is sufficient for this title. The CPU's 24 PCIe Gen 4 lanes provide ample bandwidth for the Arc B580, which uses a PCIe 4.0 x8 interface. In Hitman 2, the CPU's performance is unlikely to be a limiting factor at 1440p or 4K, as the GPU's measured frame rates drop significantly at these resolutions, suggesting the workload is firmly GPU-bound.

The data shows that the Ryzen 7 3700X and Intel Arc B580 form a well-balanced pairing for Hitman 2. At 1080p, the CPU can push frame rates high enough to expose the GPU's limits, while at higher resolutions, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck. The CPU's 85th percentile ranking and near-identical average score to the Intel Core i5-12600 confirm that it remains competitive for gaming workloads, even as newer processors have been released since its 2019 debut.