Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents an extreme case of component imbalance in Hitman 2. The data shows a system where the CPU is exceptionally capable, while the GPU is positioned far below mainstream performance tiers. This analysis interprets the measured frame rates to explain how resolution and settings dictate playability, what each component contributes, and what the practical experience looks like across the tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1080p to 4K demonstrates a severe performance drop that points squarely at the graphics processor as the limiting factor. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 80 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, the average falls to 51 FPS, a reduction of 29 frames. At 4K Low, the average collapses to just 27 FPS. This scaling pattern — roughly 36% performance loss from 1080p to 1440p, and another 47% loss from 1440p to 4K — indicates that the GPU is saturated by the increasing pixel count.

The frame rate behavior across resolutions tells a clear story about where the bottleneck resides. When the resolution increases, the workload on the graphics card rises proportionally, and the Intel Arc B390 simply lacks the raw throughput to maintain playable frame rates. The 1080p Low result of 80 FPS is the only configuration that approaches a smooth experience. At 1440p, even Low settings drop below the 60 FPS threshold, and at 4K, every settings preset fails to reach 30 FPS. The data suggests that this is not a CPU-limited scenario at any resolution; rather, the GPU's limited pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s appear to be the hard ceilings.

Consider the difference between Low and Ultra at each resolution. At 1080p, the spread from Low to Ultra is 46 FPS (80 down to 34). At 1440p, that spread narrows to 30 FPS (51 down to 21). At 4K, the spread is just 16 FPS (27 down to 11). This narrowing gap as resolution increases is a hallmark of GPU-bound performance — the graphics card is already working at its maximum capacity, so reducing settings yields diminishing returns. The CPU, with its 8 cores and 16 threads based on Zen 4 architecture, is not the constraint here; it is waiting on the GPU at every turn.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 7 7700X brings substantial processing power to this pairing. Its 8 cores and 16 threads operate with a base clock of 4.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, built on a 5 nm process from TSMC. The CPU's benchmark results reinforce its high-end positioning. In Cinebench R23, it scores 19,088 in multi-core and 1,987 in single-core. Geekbench results show 12,451 multi-core and 2,289 single-core. The Passmark single-thread score of 4,190 and multithread score of 35,686 place it in the 85th percentile among all CPUs tested.

For Hitman 2, a stealth game from 2018, the CPU's single-thread performance is particularly relevant. The game's simulation and AI logic typically rely on a few heavily loaded threads, and the 7700X's 5.40 GHz boost clock provides ample headroom. The 3DMark results show a single-thread score of 1,090, with 2-thread at 2,112, 4-thread at 4,074, and 8-thread at 7,057. These scores indicate strong scaling across the first few cores, which is what a game like Hitman 2 would leverage. The CPU's performance is not the reason frame rates are low; the data shows no scenario where the CPU appears to hold back the GPU.

The nearest rivals to the 7700X in the processor benchmark database include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845 with an average score of 35,802 (0.3% behind), the Intel Core 7 250H at 35,728 (0.5% behind), and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 350 at 35,719 (0.5% behind). The Intel Core Ultra 9 185H trails by 0.7% with a score of 35,670. The 7700X's average benchmark score of 35,909 places it just ahead of these competitors, confirming its position as a top-tier desktop processor. In this Hitman 2 test, the CPU's role is to feed frames to the GPU without becoming a bottleneck, and the data suggests it does so effectively — the GPU is the clear performance limiter.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the opposite extreme. This integrated graphics solution, based on the Xe3-LPG architecture and Panther Lake chip, is manufactured on a 3 nm process by Intel. It has 1,536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster operations units, along with 12 ray tracing cores. The clocks show a base of 300 MHz and a boost of 2,500 MHz. Its memory is system shared, with bandwidth listed as system dependent, meaning it relies on the host system's DDR5 memory rather than dedicated VRAM.

The GPU's benchmark data is stark. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 1,482, which places it in the 9th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all legacy NVIDIA parts: the GeForce GT 520MX scores 1,463 (1.3% behind), the GeForce 800M scores 1,460 (1.5% behind), the GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1,446 (2.5% behind), and the GeForce GT 710 scores 1,443 (2.7% behind). This positioning is critical — the Arc B390 competes with integrated and entry-level discrete GPUs from over a decade ago, not with modern gaming hardware.

For Hitman 2, this GPU performance translates directly to the measured frame rates. The data shows that even at 1080p Low, the average FPS is 80, which is acceptable, but that is the peak. At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 60, at High it falls to 46, and at Ultra it sinks to 34. The GPU's 7.680 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 15.36 TFLOPS of FP16 compute are simply insufficient for higher settings at mainstream resolutions. The shared memory architecture means there is no dedicated VRAM pool, and the bandwidth is dependent on the system's memory configuration, which further limits performance in texture-heavy scenes.

The 4K results are particularly telling. At 4K Low, the average is 27 FPS; at Medium it is 21 FPS; at High it is 16 FPS; and at Ultra it is 11 FPS. These numbers are all well below playable thresholds, confirming that the GPU cannot handle 4K rendering in this game under any settings. The GPU's memory is listed as system shared, which means the frame buffer competes with the CPU for memory bandwidth, and at 4K, the increased memory pressure likely contributes to the severe performance degradation.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a complete picture of what to expect from this combination. At 1920x1080, the results range from a low of 34 FPS on Ultra to a high of 80 FPS on Low. The Medium preset delivers 60 FPS average, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS. High settings produce 46 FPS average. The 1080p Low result is the only configuration that offers a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, while Medium hits exactly 60 FPS average, which is playable but leaves no headroom for demanding scenes.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. Low settings yield 51 FPS average, which is borderline playable but subject to dips. Medium produces 39 FPS average, with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 44 FPS. High settings give 29 FPS, and Ultra drops to 21 FPS. None of the 1440p configurations reach the 60 FPS target, and even the Low preset falls short of a smooth experience. The minimum frame rates at Medium (33 FPS) indicate that the experience would feel stuttery during action sequences.

At 3840x2160, the results are uniformly poor. Low settings average 27 FPS, Medium averages 21 FPS (with a minimum of 17 and maximum of 24), High averages 16 FPS, and Ultra averages 11 FPS. These frame rates are below the threshold for acceptable gameplay, and the data suggests that 4K is not viable with this GPU in Hitman 2, regardless of settings. The Medium preset at 4K shows a narrow band of 17 to 24 FPS, indicating that the GPU is consistently saturated.

The pattern across all resolutions is consistent: the GPU is the limiting factor, and lowering settings provides more relief at lower resolutions. At 1080p, dropping from Ultra to Low nearly doubles the frame rate (34 to 80 FPS). At 1440p, the same settings change improves from 21 to 51 FPS. At 4K, the improvement is from 11 to 27 FPS. The absolute gains shrink as resolution increases, reinforcing that the GPU's pixel throughput is the bottleneck.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Hitman 2, this pairing ranks 2,662 out of 3,001 combos. This places it in the bottom 11% of all tested systems, which aligns with the measured frame rates. The ranking reflects the GPU's severe limitation, despite the CPU's strength. The Ryzen 7 7700X is in the 85th percentile among CPUs, but the Arc B390 is in the 9th percentile among GPUs, and the overall combo ranking is dragged down by the graphics component.

The rank of 2,662 out of 3,001 means that the vast majority of other CPU-GPU combinations tested in Hitman 2 deliver higher frame rates. This is not surprising given the GPU's performance class. The data shows that a high-end CPU cannot compensate for a low-end GPU in this game, as the frame rates are consistently GPU-bound. The ranking is a direct consequence of the Arc B390's position among its nearest rivals, which are all entry-level parts from a previous generation.

The practical implication of this ranking is that this system is not suited for Hitman 2 at any resolution above 1080p, and even at 1080p, only Low and Medium settings provide acceptable frame rates. The combo's position in the bottom 11% of tested systems indicates that users with this configuration would need to significantly lower expectations compared to typical gaming setups. The CPU's high percentile ranking does not translate to in-game performance when paired with such a weak GPU.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the best experience with this combo is at 1920x1080 with Low or Medium settings. The Low preset delivers 80 FPS average, which is the smoothest result in the entire dataset. Medium settings at 1080p produce 60 FPS average, with a minimum of 51 FPS, which is also playable but with less margin. The choice between Low and Medium depends on whether visual fidelity or frame rate consistency is prioritized. For a stealth game where precise timing matters, the 80 FPS from Low settings provides the best responsiveness.

At 1440p, the data does not support a strong recommendation. The Low preset at 51 FPS is the only result above 40 FPS, but it still falls short of the 60 FPS target. Medium at 39 FPS is playable but not ideal, and High and Ultra at 29 and 21 FPS respectively are too low for comfortable gameplay. If a user must play at 1440p, Low settings are the only viable option, but the experience will be suboptimal.

At 4K, no settings preset is recommended. The highest average frame rate is 27 FPS at Low, which is below the threshold for acceptable gameplay in a fast-paced stealth title. The Ultra preset at 11 FPS is essentially unplayable. The data clearly indicates that this combination is not intended for 4K gaming in Hitman 2.

In summary, the optimal configuration is 1080p with Low settings for the best frame rate, or 1080p with Medium settings for a balance of visual quality and performance at exactly 60 FPS average. Users should avoid 1440p and 4K entirely, as the GPU cannot maintain playable frame rates at those resolutions. The CPU has ample headroom for this game, but the GPU's performance ceiling dictates that lower resolutions and settings are necessary for a playable experience.