Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X paired with the Intel Arc B390 delivers a fundamentally GPU-bound experience in Hitman 2, with frame rates that collapse as resolution increases. The data indicates this combo is positioned near the bottom of the database hierarchy for this title, ranking 2662 out of 3001 tested combinations. While the CPU offers exceptional multi-threaded performance, the integrated graphics solution severely limits the playability of this stealth title at anything above 1080p.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates demonstrate a steep and consistent penalty as resolution climbs, confirming that the Intel Arc B390 is the definitive bottleneck in this configuration. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 80 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings, the average drops to 51 FPS, a substantial 36% reduction. At 4K, the average falls further to 27 FPS, which represents a 66% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This scaling behavior is characteristic of a graphics solution overwhelmed by pixel count rather than a CPU limitation.

The High preset tells a similar story. At 1080p, the average is 46 FPS. At 1440p, this drops to 29 FPS, and at 4K, it reaches a nearly unplayable 16 FPS average. The pattern is linear and harsh; each resolution step approximately halves the performance headroom. When examining the Medium preset, the only settings row with min/max data, the trend is confirmed. At 1080p, the average is 60 FPS with a minimum of 51 and maximum of 69. At 1440p, the average falls to 39 FPS (min 33, max 44), and at 4K, it bottoms out at 21 FPS (min 17, max 24).

The Ultra preset is the most demanding and the least viable. It starts at 34 FPS at 1080p, drops to 21 FPS at 1440p, and plummets to 11 FPS at 4K. The delta between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 46 FPS, while at 4K, the delta narrows to 16 FPS. This narrowing gap suggests that at 4K, the GPU is so saturated that even reducing graphical fidelity cannot recover meaningful performance. The limiting component is unequivocally the Intel Arc B390; the Ryzen 7 9700X’s capabilities are never the constraining factor in this data set.

How This Combo Ranks

In Hitman 2, this CPU-GPU pairing ranks 2662 out of 3001 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 11% of all configurations. This is a low ranking, driven almost entirely by the GPU’s performance percentile. The Intel Arc B390 sits at the 9th percentile among all tested GPUs, indicating that 91% of graphics cards in the database outperform it. Its average benchmark score is 1482, which places it in direct competition with legacy mobile parts. The nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (score 1463, 1.3% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (score 1460, 1.5% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (score 1446, 2.5% slower), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (score 1443, 2.7% slower). This places the Arc B390 at the very entry level of graphics capability, roughly on par with decade-old discrete solutions.

In contrast, the CPU is a high performer. The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X sits at the 86th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37943. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core i9-14901E (score 37911, 0.1% slower), the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (score 37904, 0.1% slower), the Intel Core 5 211E (score 37829, 0.3% slower), and the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132 (score 37804, 0.4% slower). The CPU is essentially tied with these top-tier parts, showing that the processor is not the weak link. The massive disparity between the CPU’s 86th percentile ranking and the GPU’s 9th percentile ranking creates a profoundly unbalanced system for gaming, where the graphics solution negates the CPU’s substantial potential.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the only viable path to a smooth experience is to prioritize resolution over fidelity. The 1080p Low preset is the only configuration that breaks the 60 FPS barrier, achieving an average of 80 FPS. This is the definitive recommendation for any user seeking responsive gameplay, as it provides a 33% performance headroom over the 60 FPS target. The 1080p Medium preset also hits the 60 FPS average mark exactly, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS, suggesting it is playable but with occasional dips below the ideal threshold.

At 1440p, the situation becomes marginal. The Low preset averages 51 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target but may be acceptable for a stealth game where twitch reflexes are less critical. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 39 FPS, which is noticeably less smooth. The High and Ultra presets at 1440p are not recommended, with averages of 29 and 21 FPS respectively. At 4K, all presets fail to provide a playable experience. The Low preset averages 27 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 11 FPS. These numbers indicate that 4K is not a realistic option for this combo in Hitman 2.

The data suggests that users should treat this as a 1080p machine for this game. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p costs 20 FPS on average but provides better visual quality. The jump from Medium to High costs another 14 FPS, and High to Ultra costs 12 FPS. The trade-off is steep, so the optimal balance between visual fidelity and frame rate is the Medium preset at 1080p, which maintains an average of 60 FPS while offering a moderate uplift in detail over Low. For users who prioritize frame rate above all else, the Low preset at 1080p is the clear choice.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured data set provides a granular view of the combo’s capabilities across three resolutions and four settings presets.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 80 FPS. The Medium preset delivers an average of 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 and a maximum of 69. The High preset delivers an average of 46 FPS. The Ultra preset delivers an average of 34 FPS. This shows a clear stepwise degradation as settings increase, with the gap between Low and Medium (20 FPS) being larger than the gap between Medium and High (14 FPS) and High and Ultra (12 FPS).

At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers an average of 51 FPS. The Medium preset delivers an average of 39 FPS, with a minimum of 33 and a maximum of 44. The High preset delivers an average of 29 FPS. The Ultra preset delivers an average of 21 FPS. The relative performance gaps remain consistent, but the absolute numbers are all pushed below the 60 FPS threshold.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset delivers an average of 27 FPS. The Medium preset delivers an average of 21 FPS, with a minimum of 17 and a maximum of 24. The High preset delivers an average of 16 FPS. The Ultra preset delivers an average of 11 FPS. The minimum frame rate of 17 FPS at 4K Medium is indicative of severe stuttering, making this resolution impractical for any serious play session.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Hitman 2 at 4K resolution?

A: No. The data shows that even at the Low preset, the average frame rate at 3840x2160 is only 27 FPS. The High preset averages 16 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 11 FPS. None of these scores approach a playable threshold.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1080p gameplay?

A: The Medium preset at 1920x1080 provides an average of 60 FPS with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS. This offers a balanced experience. The Low preset, averaging 80 FPS, is preferable if maximum smoothness is the priority.

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

A: The Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482. It is 1.3% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (score 1463), 1.5% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (score 1460), 2.5% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (score 1446), and 2.7% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (score 1443). It sits at the 9th percentile among all GPUs.

Q: How does the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700X has an average benchmark score of 37943. It is 0.1% faster than the Intel Core i9-14901E (score 37911) and the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (score 37904), 0.3% faster than the Intel Core 5 211E (score 37829), and 0.4% faster than the AMD Ryzen AI Embedded P132 (score 37804). It sits at the 86th percentile among all CPUs.

Q: What is the performance difference between 1080p and 1440p at High settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with High settings, the average frame rate is 46 FPS. At 2560x1440 with High settings, the average drops to 29 FPS. This represents a 17 FPS (37%) reduction in performance when moving to the higher resolution.

Q: What is the combo's overall rank in this game?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and Intel Arc B390 combination ranks 2662 out of 3001 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places it in the bottom portion of the database, indicating below-average performance for this specific game.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is a Zen 5 architecture processor, codenamed Granite Ridge, built on a 4 nm process by TSMC. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The CPU has a TDP of 65 watts and supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, offering a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. It also features 80 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU demonstrates strong multi-threaded capability. It scores 20485 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2211 in single-core. In Geekbench, it scores 17906 multi-core and 3023 single-core. The Passmark multi-thread score is 37161, with a single-thread score of 4654. These scores place it at the 86th percentile, showing that it is a high-end processor capable of handling demanding workloads.

However, in Hitman 2, the CPU’s role is secondary. The measured frame rates are so low that the GPU is clearly the limiting factor. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score for the GPU is 1482, which is minimal. The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 TMUs, and 24 ROPs, with a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its FP32 performance is 7.680 TFLOPS, and it operates with a TDP of 80 watts. This specification set is insufficient for modern gaming at high resolutions.

The data shows that even at 1080p Low, where the CPU would theoretically be most impactful, the average frame rate of 80 FPS is modest. This suggests that the GPU is still the limiter, as a more powerful graphics solution would likely push frame rates much higher, allowing the Ryzen 7 9700X’s 8 cores and 16 threads to shine. In this configuration, the CPU’s potential is entirely masked by the GPU’s performance ceiling. The CPU’s high boost clock of 5.50 GHz and strong single-thread score of 2211 in Cinebench R23 cannot compensate for the graphics bottleneck. This pairing showcases a classic imbalance, where a top-tier desktop processor is hamstrung by an integrated graphics solution that ranks in the bottom 9% of all GPUs.