Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and Intel Arc B580 combination delivers a workable, though not exceptional, experience in Hitman 2, with performance that hinges heavily on resolution and settings. The data shows a clear 1080p-focused pairing, where the CPU’s strong single-threaded capabilities meet the GPU’s mid-range rasterization limits. This analysis breaks down the measured frames, the role of each component, and provides concrete recommendations based solely on the benchmark results.

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with 32 MB of shared L3 cache. The processor’s PassMark single-thread score is 4691, which is a critical metric for a game like Hitman 2, where frame pacing and draw-call processing often depend on per-core performance rather than raw multi-threaded throughput. Its multithread score of 36470 and integer math score of 120788 indicate strong overall compute, but the single-thread figure is what explains the CPU’s ability to keep up with the GPU at lower resolutions.

The CPU’s 94th percentile ranking among all tested processors places it well above average, and its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (0.2% ahead), Intel Core i7-14700KF (0.2% behind), AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (0.7% ahead), and Intel Core i7-14700K (0.9% ahead). These margins are negligible, meaning the 9700F’s compute headroom is comparable to those high-end parts. In Hitman 2, this headroom translates to a CPU that is rarely the primary bottleneck at 1080p, as evidenced by the frame rates scaling more dramatically with GPU load than with resolution changes alone.

At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 140 FPS, and at 1080p Medium it hits 105 FPS, with a minimum of 89 FPS and a maximum of 121 FPS. These numbers suggest the CPU can feed the Arc B580 sufficiently to avoid stutter-induced dips, as the minimum frame rate is only 16 FPS below the average at Medium settings. The 5.50 GHz boost clock is likely a key factor here, as Hitman 2’s engine tends to favor a few heavily loaded threads for AI, physics, and scene management. The 8-core layout provides redundancy for background tasks without sacrificing single-core speed, which is a balance that shows in the measured results.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Ryzen 7 9700F and Intel Arc B580 ranks 2262 out of 3001 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places it in the lower-middle tier of all configurations, which is somewhat surprising given the CPU’s high percentile ranking. The rank reflects the GPU’s limitations more than the CPU’s capabilities, as the Arc B580’s 68th percentile among all GPUs and its average benchmark score of 23021 pull the overall combo down relative to pairs with stronger graphics cards.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks are the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (0.2% ahead), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (0.6% ahead), NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 (0.7% behind), and NVIDIA P106-100 (1.0% behind). These are older or mid-range cards, and the fact that the Arc B580 is within 1% of an RTX 3080 in average score suggests it has competitive rasterization power, but the combo rank indicates that in Hitman 2, the specific driver and architecture behavior may not scale perfectly. The 2262 rank out of 3001 means roughly 75% of tested combos perform better, which is a sobering context for the 1080p results.

That said, the rank is not a condemnation. It reflects a pairing where the CPU is overqualified for the GPU, and the bottleneck shifts almost entirely to the graphics card as resolution increases. At 1080p, the combo’s performance is respectable, but the rank suggests that users with higher-end GPUs would see significantly better frame rates, while the 9700F would remain a stable foundation. The data does not indicate any CPU-induced bottleneck at 1080p, as the frame rate differences between Low and Medium settings are proportional to GPU workload.

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

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent drop as resolution increases, which is typical for a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p High, the average FPS is 79. Moving to 1440p High reduces that to 51 FPS, a 35.4% drop. At 4K High, the average falls to 27 FPS, which is a 47.1% drop from 1440p and a 65.8% drop from 1080p. These percentage declines are steep, indicating that the Arc B580’s render throughput is the limiting factor, not the CPU.

The pattern holds across all settings. For Low settings, 1080p yields 140 FPS, 1440p yields 89 FPS (a 36.4% drop), and 4K yields 48 FPS (a 46.1% drop from 1440p). For Medium settings, the averages are 105 FPS at 1080p, 67 FPS at 1440p, and 36 FPS at 4K, with the minimum frame rate at 1440p being 57 FPS and at 4K being 30 FPS. The consistency of these drops—roughly 35% from 1080p to 1440p and another 45-50% from 1440p to 4K—suggests a linear scaling with pixel count, which is the signature of a GPU that is saturated rather than a CPU that is stalling.

The 4K Ultra result of 20 FPS is particularly telling. It is the lowest measured average, and it confirms that the Arc B580 cannot handle the combination of high resolution and maximum settings in Hitman 2. The CPU’s role becomes increasingly passive as resolution rises, as the frame rate is dictated by the GPU’s pixel and texture fill rates. The data does not show any anomaly where the CPU would cause a disproportionate drop at higher resolutions, so the conclusion is that the limiting component is the Intel Arc B580.

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

At 1920x1080, the full range of settings is playable, but with diminishing returns at Ultra. The Low preset achieves an average of 140 FPS, which is smooth for any display. Medium drops to 105 FPS, with a minimum of 89 FPS and a maximum of 121 FPS, indicating stable frame delivery. High further reduces the average to 79 FPS, which is still above the 60 FPS threshold for most monitors. Ultra is the outlier, with an average of 58 FPS, which is the only 1080p result that dips below the 60 FPS mark, though it remains technically playable.

At 2560x1440, the performance becomes more demanding. Low still provides a solid 89 FPS average, making it the only 1440p preset that exceeds 60 FPS comfortably. Medium averages 67 FPS, with a minimum of 57 FPS and a maximum of 77 FPS, meaning there are moments where the frame rate drops below 60 FPS, but the overall experience is acceptable. High averages 51 FPS, which is borderline, and Ultra averages 37 FPS, which is suboptimal for fast-paced stealth action. The 1440p data shows that the Arc B580 is stretched, and users would need to lower settings to maintain fluidity.

At 3840x2160, the results are largely unplayable for competitive or smooth gameplay. Low averages 48 FPS, which is the only 4K preset above 30 FPS. Medium averages 36 FPS, with a minimum of 30 FPS and a maximum of 41 FPS, indicating severe frame pacing issues. High averages 27 FPS, and Ultra averages 20 FPS. These numbers suggest that 4K is not a viable option for this combo in Hitman 2, even at the lowest settings, as the frame rates are too low for consistent gameplay. The measured data shows a clear ceiling: 1080p is the sweet spot, 1440p is a compromise, and 4K is not recommended.

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

The Intel Arc B580 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture (Battlemage generation) with 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s. Its base and boost clocks are both 2670 MHz, with a memory clock of 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The GPU has 2560 shading units, 160 TMUs, and 80 ROPs, with a pixel rate of 213.6 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 427.2 GTexel/s. Its FP32 performance is 13.67 TFLOPS, which is competitive for its class.

In Hitman 2, the GPU’s 12 GB VRAM is not a bottleneck at any measured resolution, as the game’s textures and geometry fit well within that capacity. The limiting factor is the raw compute and fill rate, as seen in the 4K results. The GPU’s PassMark G3D score is 15748, and its average benchmark score is 23021, which places it in the 68th percentile. The nearest rival data shows the Arc B580 is nearly identical in synthetic performance to an RTX 2080 (0.6% ahead), but in Hitman 2, the measured FPS at 4K Ultra (20 FPS) suggests that driver optimizations or architecture-specific quirks may prevent it from matching that card’s real-world performance in this title.

The GPU’s memory bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the pixel rate of 213.6 GPixel/s becomes a constraint. The data shows that from 1080p High to 4K High, the average FPS drops from 79 to 27, which is a 65.8% reduction. This aligns with the increase in pixel count (from ~2.07 million to ~8.29 million, a 4x increase), but the actual drop is less than 4x, indicating that other factors like texture fill and shader complexity also play a role. The GPU’s TDP is 190 W with a suggested PSU of 450 W, but these are not directly reflected in the FPS data; they are context for system requirements.

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

Based on the measured FPS, the best experience for this combo is at 1080p Medium settings. The average of 105 FPS with a minimum of 89 FPS and a maximum of 121 FPS provides a smooth, stutter-free experience that exceeds the refresh rate of most standard 60 Hz monitors and approaches 120 Hz displays. The minimum frame rate of 89 FPS is high enough to avoid noticeable dips, making it the optimal balance between visual fidelity and performance.

At 1080p High, the average drops to 79 FPS, which is still playable, but the minimum frame rate is not measured, so there is a risk of occasional dips. Medium is safer because it has a documented minimum of 89 FPS, ensuring consistency. At 1440p, Medium is the best option, with an average of 67 FPS and a minimum of 57 FPS. This is borderline for 60 FPS gameplay, but it is the highest settings preset that maintains an average above 60 FPS. Low at 1440p offers 89 FPS, but the visual compromise is significant.

For 4K, no setting is recommended for a good experience. Low averages 48 FPS, which is playable but not smooth, and Medium averages 36 FPS with a minimum of 30 FPS, which is too inconsistent. The data shows that the Ultra preset is only viable at 1080p, where it averages 58 FPS, but even then, the lack of a measured minimum means users may encounter frame drops. The safest recommendation is 1080p Medium, as it is the only preset that combines a high average with a verified minimum above 85 FPS.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this CPU and GPU in Hitman 2?*

A: The data indicates 1920x1080 with Medium settings is optimal, yielding an average of 105 FPS with a minimum of 89 FPS and a maximum of 121 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU’s performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700F’s average benchmark score is 69996, placing it 0.2% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX, 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i7-14700KF, 0.7% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X, and 0.9% ahead of the Intel Core i7-14700K.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with the Intel Arc B580 in this game?

A: No, the measured results show that 4K High averages 27 FPS and 4K Ultra averages 20 FPS, which are below playable thresholds. Even 4K Low only reaches 48 FPS.

Q: What is the GPU’s synthetic benchmark standing relative to other cards?

A: The Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021, which is 0.2% behind the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP, 0.6% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080, 0.7% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, and 1.0% ahead of the NVIDIA P106-100.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at 1080p?

A: The data does not indicate a CPU bottleneck. The CPU’s single-thread score is 4691, and the frame rates scale predictably with settings, suggesting the GPU is the limiting component even at 1080p.

Q: What is the combo’s overall rank among tested configurations?

A: This CPU and GPU combination ranks 2262 out of 3001 tested combos in Hitman 2, placing it in the lower-middle tier of all configurations.