Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 paired with the Intel Arc B390 in Hitman 2 produces a heavily GPU-bound experience, where the integrated graphics solution becomes the primary constraint across all tested resolutions. This combination ranks 2662nd out of 3001 tested hardware combos in this game, placing it in the lower percentile of systems, which is consistent with the Arc B390’s standing as a 9th percentile GPU among all tested graphics cards. The Ryzen 7 7700, by contrast, sits in the 87th percentile among all CPUs, indicating a substantial performance imbalance where the processor’s capabilities far exceed what the graphics subsystem can deliver in this title.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700 is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Raphael, built on TSMC’s 5 nm process node. It operates with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz, with a TDP of 65 watts. The chip features 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and a shared 32 MB L3 cache. Memory support includes DDR5 with a dual-channel bus, offering a theoretical bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s, and the CPU supports ECC memory. The processor communicates over PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes from the CPU itself.

Benchmark data shows the Ryzen 7 7700 delivers strong multi-threaded performance. In Cinebench R23, it scores 18760 in multicore and 1930 in single-core tests. Geekbench results show 15371 in multicore and 2525 in single-core. The 3DMark suite reveals scaling from 1049 in single-thread to 8484 in 16-thread tests, with an 8-thread score of 6933. Passmark results include 34470 in multithread and 4063 in single-thread tests, with a physics score of 1978.

The nearest rivals to the Ryzen 7 7700, based on average benchmark scores, include the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 with an average score of 40048 and a deltaPct of 0.1, meaning the 7700 is 0.1% ahead. The Intel Core 5 221E scores 40144, putting it 0.2% behind the 7700. The AMD Ryzen 9 270 scores 40246, 0.4% behind, and the Intel Core i9-13905H scores 40313, 0.6% behind. These deltas are marginal, indicating the 7700 performs essentially on par with a cluster of similarly positioned CPUs.

In Hitman 2, the CPU’s role is theoretically significant given the game’s simulation of AI, NPC routines, and physics in dense stealth scenarios. The 8-core, 16-thread configuration with a 5.30 GHz boost clock provides ample headroom for such workloads. However, the measured frame rates in this game do not reflect CPU limitations. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 80 FPS, but at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 34 FPS. This scaling pattern, where higher settings reduce FPS dramatically, points to the GPU as the bottleneck rather than the CPU. The Ryzen 7 7700’s single-thread score of 1930 in Cinebench R23 and 1049 in 3DMark single-thread suggests it could handle higher frame rates if the graphics subsystem were more capable. The data indicates the CPU is not the limiting factor in any measured configuration.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, part of the Arc Graphics-M generation built on Intel’s 3 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operation units, along with 12 ray tracing cores. Its pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s. Floating point performance is 7.680 TFLOPS for FP32 and 15.36 TFLOPS for FP16. The TDP is 80 watts, and it is an IGP with no power connectors or dedicated slot width.

Memory for the Arc B390 is system shared, meaning it uses the host system’s DDR5 memory rather than dedicated VRAM. The memory type, bus width, and bandwidth are all listed as system dependent, and the clock speed for memory is system shared as well. This architecture means the GPU competes with the CPU for memory bandwidth, though the Ryzen 7 7700’s dual-channel DDR5 at 83.2 GB/s provides a reasonable baseline.

The Arc B390’s benchmark presence is limited to a single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482. This places it in the 9th percentile among all GPUs, indicating it performs worse than the vast majority of tested graphics cards. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX with a score of 1463 and a deltaPct of 1.3, meaning the Arc B390 is 1.3% faster. The GeForce 800M scores 1460, 1.5% behind, the GT 625 OEM scores 1446, 2.5% behind, and the GT 710 scores 1443, 2.7% behind. These rivals are all older, low-end discrete GPUs, which contextualizes the Arc B390’s performance tier as extremely entry-level.

In Hitman 2, the GPU’s role is dominant. The measured FPS scales nearly linearly with settings changes, and the absolute numbers are low. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 80, but at 1080p Ultra, it falls to 34. At 1440p, the range is 51 FPS on Low to 21 FPS on Ultra. At 4K, the range is 27 FPS on Low to 11 FPS on Ultra. These figures indicate that the Arc B390’s compute capabilities, measured at 7.680 TFLOPS, are insufficient for Hitman 2’s rendering demands at higher settings. The system shared memory setup may also contribute to performance degradation at higher resolutions, where memory pressure increases. The GPU’s boost clock of 2500 MHz does not compensate for its limited shading units and memory bandwidth constraints.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 80 at 1080p to 51 at 1440p, a 36.25% reduction, and then to 27 at 4K, a 47.06% reduction from 1440p. At Medium settings, FPS drops from 60 at 1080p to 39 at 1440p (35% reduction) and then to 21 at 4K (46.15% reduction). At High settings, FPS drops from 46 at 1080p to 29 at 1440p (36.96% reduction) and then to 16 at 4K (44.83% reduction). At Ultra settings, FPS drops from 34 at 1080p to 21 at 1440p (38.24% reduction) and then to 11 at 4K (47.62% reduction).

The consistent percentage drops across settings, roughly 35-38% from 1080p to 1440p and 45-48% from 1440p to 4K, indicate that the GPU is the limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, resolution scaling would show minimal FPS changes because the CPU workload remains relatively constant regardless of pixel count. Instead, the FPS drops correlate with the increased pixel count, which directly increases the GPU’s rasterization and shading workload. The Arc B390’s 24 ROPs and 48 TMUs are simply overwhelmed by the pixel processing demands at higher resolutions.

The data also shows that the gap between settings narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 46 FPS (80 vs. 34). At 1440p, the difference is 30 FPS (51 vs. 21). At 4K, the difference is 16 FPS (27 vs. 11). This narrowing suggests that at higher resolutions, the GPU becomes so saturated that even reducing settings provides diminishing returns. The system shared memory bandwidth may also be a factor, as higher resolutions require more memory transactions, and the shared pool with the CPU could create contention.

The single 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 for the Arc B390 provides a baseline for its DX12 performance, and Hitman 2’s results are consistent with a GPU in this low percentile. The Ryzen 7 7700’s high CPU percentile of 87 confirms that the processor is not the constraining factor in this scaling behavior. The FPS drops are purely a function of the GPU’s limited processing power.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

Given the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and acceptable frame rates. At 1080p, the Low preset yields an average FPS of 80, which is the only configuration that approaches smooth gameplay. Medium at 1080p provides 60 FPS on average, which is playable but with a 25% reduction from Low. High at 1080p drops to 46 FPS, which may be borderline for action sequences, and Ultra falls to 34 FPS, which is likely too low for a stealth game requiring quick reactions.

At 1440p, the Low preset achieves 51 FPS on average, which is acceptable for most players. Medium at 1440p provides 39 FPS, which is a noticeable step down, and High drops to 29 FPS, which is marginal. Ultra at 1440p is 21 FPS, essentially unplayable. At 4K, all settings are below 30 FPS, with Low at 27 FPS being the highest. Medium at 4K is 21 FPS, High is 16 FPS, and Ultra is 11 FPS. None of these 4K configurations provide a smooth experience.

The recommendation is to prioritize the Low preset for any resolution above 1080p. At 1080p, Low offers the best balance with 80 FPS, which is the highest measured average in this test. If visual fidelity is a priority, Medium at 1080p with 60 FPS is the next best option, as it maintains a playable frame rate while improving textures and effects. For 1440p, Low at 51 FPS is the only viable choice, as Medium at 39 FPS approaches the lower limit of playability. The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as it reduces FPS by 57.5% compared to Low at 1080p, and the visual gains do not justify the performance loss given the GPU’s limitations.

The measured min FPS values for Medium settings show that at 1080p, the minimum is 51 FPS, at 1440p it is 33 FPS, and at 4K it is 17 FPS. These minimums indicate frame pacing stability, with the 1080p Medium configuration maintaining a minimum above 50 FPS, which is acceptable. The 1440p Medium minimum of 33 FPS is on the edge, and the 4K Medium minimum of 17 FPS is too low for consistent gameplay.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Hitman 2 with this hardware?

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 is the best resolution. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 80 FPS average, and at 1080p Medium, it achieves 60 FPS. Higher resolutions result in significantly lower frame rates, with 1440p Low at 51 FPS and 4K Low at 27 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals in this game?

A: The Arc B390’s 3DMark Steel Nomad score is 1482, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M, 2.5% higher than the GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% higher than the GT 710. These are all low-end GPUs, and the Arc B390’s performance in Hitman 2 is consistent with that tier.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 a bottleneck in Hitman 2?

A: No. The Ryzen 7 7700 ranks in the 87th percentile among all CPUs, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 18760. The FPS scaling with resolution and settings indicates the GPU is the limiter. The CPU has sufficient headroom, as even at 1080p Low with 80 FPS, the CPU is not preventing higher frame rates.

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

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves 80 FPS average, while the Ultra preset achieves 34 FPS average. This represents a 57.5% reduction in frame rate when moving from Low to Ultra. The Medium preset is at 60 FPS, and High is at 46 FPS.

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

A: Technically yes, but not at playable frame rates. The highest 4K average FPS is 27 at Low settings. Medium at 4K is 21 FPS, High is 16 FPS, and Ultra is 11 FPS. These are all below the typical threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 7700’s multi-threaded performance compare to its rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 7700 has an average benchmark score of 40081. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365, scores 40048, which is 0.1% lower. The Intel Core 5 221E scores 40144, 0.2% higher, and the AMD Ryzen 9 270 scores 40246, 0.4% higher. The Intel Core i9-13905H scores 40313, 0.6% higher. These deltas are negligible.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

The measured FPS data for Hitman 2 with the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 and Intel Arc B390 is as follows, presented by resolution and settings.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset achieves an average FPS of 80. The Medium preset achieves an average of 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS. The High preset achieves an average of 46 FPS. The Ultra preset achieves an average of 34 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 46 FPS, with Low being the highest and Ultra the lowest.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves an average FPS of 51. The Medium preset achieves an average of 39 FPS, with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 44 FPS. The High preset achieves an average of 29 FPS. The Ultra preset achieves an average of 21 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 30 FPS. Compared to 1080p, the Low preset drops by 29 FPS, the Medium by 21 FPS, the High by 17 FPS, and the Ultra by 13 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves an average FPS of 27. The Medium preset achieves an average of 21 FPS, with a minimum of 17 FPS and a maximum of 24 FPS. The High preset achieves an average of 16 FPS. The Ultra preset achieves an average of 11 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 16 FPS. Compared to 1440p, the Low preset drops by 24 FPS, the Medium by 18 FPS, the High by 13 FPS, and the Ultra by 10 FPS.

The data shows that the Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum FPS values across all resolutions. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 51 FPS and the maximum is 69 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 33 FPS and the maximum is 44 FPS. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 17 FPS and the maximum is 24 FPS. These ranges indicate that the Medium preset has some frame time variance, but the average values are consistent with the overall scaling pattern.

The combination rank in game is 2662 out of 3001, placing this system in the bottom 11.3% of tested configurations for Hitman 2. The GPU’s 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs and the CPU’s 87th percentile ranking among all CPUs highlight the extreme imbalance. The system’s average benchmark score for the GPU is 1482, while the CPU’s average benchmark score is 40081, further confirming that the graphics subsystem is the dominant constraint in this game. The measured FPS values across all settings and resolutions reflect a hardware pairing where the CPU is overqualified and the GPU is underpowered for Hitman 2’s requirements.