Hitman 2

# Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data for Hitman 2 with the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and Intel Arc B390 combination reveals a clear hierarchy across presets, with Medium delivering the most balanced experience. At 1920x1080, Medium produces an average of 60 FPS with a minimum of 51 and maximum of 69 FPS, which is the only preset at that resolution that maintains a consistent playable frame rate while offering visual quality above the lowest tier. The Low preset reaches 80 FPS average, but the jump from Low to Medium costs only 20 FPS (from 80 to 60) while providing substantially improved visuals, making Medium the sweet spot.

At 2560x1440, Medium drops to 39 FPS average with a range of 33 to 44 FPS, which is borderline for smooth gameplay but remains the best compromise between fidelity and performance. The High preset at 1440p yields 29 FPS average, while Low achieves 51 FPS — the difference between Medium and High is only 10 FPS, but the step down to Low gains 12 FPS over Medium. For players prioritizing frame rate at 1440p, Low is the safer choice, but Medium remains viable for those who accept lower frame pacing.

At 3840x2160, no preset delivers a comfortable experience. Medium produces 21 FPS average (17-24 FPS range), Low reaches 27 FPS, High manages 16 FPS, and Ultra falls to 11 FPS. The data indicates that 4K is not practical for this combination; even the lowest settings fail to reach 30 FPS. The recommendation across all resolutions is to use Medium at 1080p for the best experience per the measured rows, with Low as a fallback at 1440p if frame rate consistency matters more than visual detail.

# GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, fabricated on Intel's 3 nm process. Its performance profile is the primary constraint in this system. The GPU's benchmark data shows a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs — a very low position that signals entry-level integrated graphics capability. Its nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (score 1463, 1.3% slower), GeForce 800M (score 1460, 1.5% slower), GeForce GT 625 OEM (score 1446, 2.5% slower), and GeForce GT 710 (score 1443, 2.7% slower). These comparisons show the Arc B390 is competitive with a cluster of very old, low-end discrete GPUs, and it edges them out by small margins.

The GPU operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, but it relies entirely on system shared memory — there is no dedicated VRAM. The memory bus width and bandwidth are both listed as "System Shared" and "System Dependent," respectively, meaning performance scales with the host system's DDR4 memory configuration. The Ryzen 7 5800XT supports dual-channel DDR4 with a theoretical memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, but the GPU's access to this bandwidth is shared with the CPU, creating contention. The pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are modest figures that align with the low shading unit count of 1536. The FP32 throughput of 7.680 TFLOPS and FP16 of 15.36 TFLOPS (2:1 ratio) are theoretical maxima that the shared memory subsystem is unlikely to sustain in real workloads.

The GPU's TDP of 80 W with no power connectors and an IGP slot width indicates it is designed for portable or low-power devices, which explains its placement in the 9th percentile. For Hitman 2, the data shows that the GPU becomes the bottleneck at higher resolutions — the FPS drops are steep when moving from 1080p to 1440p to 4K, which is characteristic of a GPU that lacks the memory bandwidth and fill rate for high pixel counts. The 12 ray tracing cores and DirectX 12 Ultimate support are modern features, but in a game like Hitman 2 from 2018-11-12, these capabilities are irrelevant to the measured results, which show the GPU struggling even at Low settings in 4K.

# CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT is a desktop processor from the 5000 series, built on Zen 3 architecture (codename Vermeer) using TSMC's 7 nm process. It has 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and boost clock of 4.80 GHz. The CPU's TDP is 105 W, and it supports up to 4,150 million transistors on a 74 mm² die. The cache hierarchy includes 64 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and 32 MB shared L3. This is a strong multi-threaded processor, but its performance in Hitman 2 is largely irrelevant because the GPU is the limiting factor.

Benchmark data for the 5800XT shows a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23794 and single-core score of 3359, placing it in the 81st percentile of all CPUs. The 3DMark scores range from 959 (single-thread) to 7683 (16-thread) and 7680 (max-thread), showing excellent scaling across core counts. PassMark results include a multi-thread score of 28053 and single-thread of 3535. The nearest CPU rivals are the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H (avg score 29868, 0% delta), Ryzen 7 8845HS (avg 29955, -0.3% delta), Ryzen 7 7840HS (avg 29955, -0.3% delta), and Ryzen 5 9600X (avg 29713, 0.6% delta). These comparisons show the 5800XT is essentially neck-and-neck with modern laptop-class processors and slightly behind the 9600X.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's 8 cores and 16 threads are more than adequate for the game's threading model. The game was released in 2018, and even at that time, 8-core processors were overkill for its requirements. The measured FPS data reveals that resolution scaling has a dramatic impact — from 80 FPS at 1080p Low to 27 FPS at 4K Low — which is a 66% drop. This pattern indicates the GPU saturates long before the CPU reaches its limits. The CPU's boost clock of 4.80 GHz provides strong single-threaded performance (Cinebench R23 single-core of 3359), which benefits games that rely on a primary thread, but Hitman 2's engine can utilize multiple cores, and the 5800XT has ample headroom. The data shows no scenario where the CPU would be the bottleneck; all FPS figures are consistent with GPU-bound performance scaling.

# How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2662 out of 3001 tested combos for Hitman 2, placing it in the bottom 11% of all combinations. This rank reflects the GPU's severe limitation — the CPU is in the 81st percentile of all CPUs, but the GPU is in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, creating a massive imbalance. The combo's position is driven entirely by the GPU, as the CPU's high percentile ranking cannot compensate for the integrated graphics' low throughput.

Benchmark results indicate that this pairing is mismatched: a high-end desktop CPU from 2024-07-30 (launch MSRP $249) is paired with an integrated GPU that performs comparably to 2011-era discrete graphics. The GPU's nearest rivals (GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, GT 710) are all from a much older generation, and the Arc B390 only beats them by 1.3% to 2.7%. In the context of 3001 tested combos, being ranked 2662 means there are 339 combos that perform worse, but the overwhelming majority of systems deliver better frame rates in Hitman 2. The combo's rank is consistent across resolutions — it does not improve at lower settings because the GPU's fundamental capabilities are the constraint, and the CPU's power cannot be utilized.

# Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K is steep and reveals the limiting component clearly. At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 60 at 1920x1080 to 39 at 2560x1440 (a 35% reduction) and then to 21 at 3840x2160 (a 65% reduction from 1080p). At Low settings, the drop is from 80 at 1080p to 51 at 1440p (36% reduction) to 27 at 4K (66% reduction). High settings show 46 at 1080p, 29 at 1440p (37% reduction), and 16 at 4K (65% reduction). Ultra settings have 34 at 1080p, 21 at 1440p (38% reduction), and 11 at 4K (68% reduction).

The consistent ~35% drop from 1080p to 1440p and ~65% drop from 1080p to 4K across all settings is a hallmark of GPU-bound performance. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively flat as resolution increases, since the CPU workload stays constant while the GPU workload grows. The data shows no such plateau — every resolution increase produces a proportional FPS decrease, indicating the GPU's pixel throughput and memory bandwidth (both system-dependent) are the limiting factors. The pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s are fixed hardware limits, and at 4K (8.3 million pixels), even Low settings require more fill rate than the GPU can sustain. The system shared memory bandwidth, which is dependent on the host's DDR4 configuration, also becomes a bottleneck at higher resolutions where memory traffic increases.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values are: Low at 80, Medium at 60 (min 51, max 69), High at 46, and Ultra at 34. The spread from Low to Ultra is 46 FPS, showing that the GPU has some headroom at this resolution but still cannot reach high refresh rates. The Medium preset's minimum of 51 FPS indicates that even the average 60 FPS figure includes dips below the 60 FPS threshold, which may cause perceptible stutter. Low at 80 FPS is the only preset that provides comfortable headroom above 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the measured averages are: Low at 51, Medium at 39 (min 33, max 44), High at 29, and Ultra at 21. The step from Low to Medium costs 12 FPS, while Medium to High costs 10 FPS, and High to Ultra costs 8 FPS. This linear degradation suggests the GPU is scaling predictably with the increased pixel count and quality settings. The Medium preset's minimum of 33 FPS is below the 30 FPS threshold for playable frame rates, while Low maintains an average above 50 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the measured averages are: Low at 27, Medium at 21 (min 17, max 24), High at 16, and Ultra at 11. None of these averages reach the 30 FPS minimum for playable gameplay, and the Medium preset's minimum of 17 FPS indicates severe frame pacing issues. The drop from Low to Ultra at 4K is 16 FPS, which is a 59% reduction. All 4K figures are below playable thresholds, confirming the GPU's limitation at high pixel counts. The data shows that 1080p Low is the only configuration that delivers a consistently smooth experience, with 1080p Medium being acceptable for players who prioritize visual quality over frame rate consistency.

# FAQ

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

A: The measured data shows that 1920x1080 with Low settings produces an average of 80 FPS, while Medium at the same resolution yields 60 FPS average (51-69 range). For a balance of visual quality and performance, 1080p Medium is the best choice, as it maintains an average of 60 FPS.

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

A: No. At 3840x2160, even the Low preset only achieves 27 FPS average, and Medium drops to 21 FPS (17-24 range). All 4K presets fall below the 30 FPS playable threshold, indicating the GPU is insufficient for 4K gaming in this title.

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

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, placing it in the 9th percentile. It outperforms the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, 1.3% slower), GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% slower), GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% slower), and GeForce GT 710 (1443, 2.7% slower) by small margins.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT a bottleneck for this game?

A: No. The CPU's benchmark scores (Cinebench R23 multi-core 23794, single-core 3359) place it in the 81st percentile, and the FPS scaling with resolution shows GPU-bound performance. The 8-core, 16-thread processor with a 4.80 GHz boost clock is more than sufficient for Hitman 2.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Low averages 80 FPS while Ultra averages 34 FPS, a difference of 46 FPS. The Medium preset at 60 FPS provides the best middle ground, with High at 46 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems?

A: This combination ranks 2662 out of 3001 tested combos for Hitman 2, placing it in the bottom 11% of all systems. The rank reflects the GPU's 9th percentile performance, which cannot be offset by the CPU's 81st percentile ranking.