Hitman 2

Hitman 2, a stealth title from 2018, remains a demanding showcase for modern hardware, particularly when paired with an enthusiast-class processor and an entry-level integrated GPU. The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and the Intel Arc B390 presents a peculiar pairing: a top-tier CPU designed for maximum gaming throughput alongside a graphics solution whose benchmark percentile suggests it sits near the bottom of the discrete GPU hierarchy. This database entry analyzes the measured frame rates across resolutions and settings, offering a detailed look at how this specific combo handles the game. The data reveals a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited, where the CPU’s substantial compute headroom is left largely untapped, resulting in a playable experience only at the lowest graphical presets and resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data for this combo shows a steep and predictable decline as resolution increases, confirming that the Intel Arc B390 is the primary bottleneck. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 80 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset, the average drops to 51 FPS, a reduction of 29 FPS. At 3840x2160, the average plummets to 27 FPS. This scaling pattern—from 80 to 51 to 27 FPS—illustrates the GPU struggling to maintain frame output as pixel count quadruples from 1080p to 4K.

The behavior under High settings reinforces this conclusion. At 1080p High, the average is 46 FPS. At 1440p High, it falls to 29 FPS, and at 4K High, it reaches a barely interactive 16 FPS. The progression from 46 to 29 to 16 FPS is nearly linear, which is characteristic of a GPU that is saturated with work at every resolution. A more balanced system might show a smaller relative drop from 1080p to 1440p if the CPU were a limiting factor, but here the frame rate is almost entirely dictated by the graphics processor’s fill rate and shading power.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution further highlights the GPU’s limitations. At 1080p, the jump from Low (80 FPS) to Ultra (34 FPS) represents a 46 FPS loss. At 1440p, the spread is 30 FPS (51 Low vs. 21 Ultra). At 4K, the spread narrows to 16 FPS (27 Low vs. 11 Ultra). This narrowing spread at higher resolutions is telling: when the GPU is already overwhelmed by pixel throughput, the additional cost of higher-quality textures and effects has a smaller absolute impact because the baseline performance is so low. The data shows that the limiting component is unequivocally the Intel Arc B390, whose 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs.

The 1080p Medium result of 60 FPS average, with minimums of 51 FPS and maximums of 69 FPS, is the only configuration that approaches a smooth 60 FPS experience outside of Low settings. At 1440p Medium, the average falls to 39 FPS, and at 4K Medium to 21 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p at Medium costs 21 FPS, while the jump to 4K costs an additional 18 FPS. These numbers suggest that the B390’s memory bandwidth, listed as "System Dependent" and shared with the system, becomes a critical constraint as resolution increases, further limiting performance beyond raw compute.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel’s 3 nm process. Its role in this game is defined by its modest specifications: 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output pipelines. The GPU operates at a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, with a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s. These figures, while present in the data, do not translate into playable frame rates at high resolutions. The FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS is the theoretical ceiling for its compute work, but Hitman 2’s rendering demands quickly exhaust this capability.

The B390’s memory configuration is unusual: it uses "System Shared" memory, with bandwidth listed as "System Dependent." This means the GPU relies on the same DDR5 memory pool as the CPU, and its performance is tied to the system’s memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s (for the Ryzen processor). In practice, this shared memory arrangement introduces latency and bandwidth contention that affects frame pacing, especially at higher resolutions where the GPU must fetch larger textures and geometry. The lack of dedicated VRAM is a severe handicap for a game like Hitman 2, which features large, detailed environments.

The GPU’s benchmark score in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 is 1482, which places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals, according to the data, are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (score 1463, deltaPct 1.3), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (score 1460, deltaPct 1.5), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (score 1446, deltaPct 2.5). These are all legacy, low-end mobile or OEM parts from over a decade ago, underscoring how far behind modern discrete GPUs the B390 sits. The deltaPct values show the B390 is only 1.3% to 2.7% faster than these ancient parts, meaning it offers no meaningful generational advantage in raw compute for this workload.

The CPU’s role, while not directly measured in the FPS data, is contextualized by its own benchmarks. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D, with 8 cores and 16 threads, scores 23230 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2080 in single-core. Its 3DMark scores range from 1212 (single-thread) to 10081 (16-threads). These numbers indicate a processor that is far more capable than what the B390 can utilize in this game. The CPU’s percentile vs. all CPUs is 87, and its average benchmark score is 39768, placing it in the upper echelon of processors. In this pairing, the CPU is effectively idle, waiting on the GPU to finish each frame. The game is not CPU-bound at any resolution, as evidenced by the FPS drops scaling directly with resolution increases.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate this combo achieves in Hitman 2?

A: The highest average frame rate is 80 FPS, recorded at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: Is this combo capable of a stable 60 FPS experience at 1440p?

A: No. At 2560x1440, the highest average FPS is 51 (Low settings), which falls below 60. Medium settings at 1440p yield 39 FPS, High yields 29 FPS, and Ultra yields 21 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals in raw GPU benchmark scores?

A: The B390’s 3DMark Steel Nomad score is 1482. Its nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX with a score of 1463 (0.4% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M with 1460 (1.5% slower), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM with 1446 (2.5% slower).

Q: At which settings and resolution does the combo achieve exactly 60 FPS average?

A: The only configuration that hits exactly 60 FPS average is 1920x1080 with Medium settings. The minimum FPS in that test was 51, and the maximum was 69.

Q: What is the performance cost of moving from 1080p Low to 4K Low?

A: The average frame rate drops from 80 FPS at 1920x1080 Low to 27 FPS at 3840x2160 Low, a loss of 53 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU show any signs of bottlenecking in this game?

A: No. The FPS drops consistently as resolution increases, indicating the GPU is the limiting factor. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D’s high benchmark scores (e.g., 23230 in Cinebench R23 multi-core) suggest it has ample headroom that is not being used.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested CPU and GPU combinations for Hitman 2, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2662 out of 3001 combos. This places it in the bottom 11% of all tested configurations, which is consistent with the GPU’s low 9th percentile standing among all GPUs. The rank of 2662 reflects the poor playability at higher settings, as the combo is only competitive at the lowest graphical presets and resolutions.

The ranking is driven entirely by the GPU’s performance, as the CPU is a top-tier part. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D has an average benchmark score of 39768, with nearest rivals including the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 (score 40048, deltaPct -0.7) and the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 (score 40081, deltaPct -0.8). These deltas are within 1% of the 9800X3D, showing that the CPU is on par with other high-end processors. However, in this combo, that CPU power does not translate into higher frame rates because the B390 cannot keep up.

For context, the combo’s rank of 2662 out of 3001 means that 2661 other CPU/GPU pairings deliver better performance in Hitman 2. This is a poor result for a system with such a powerful CPU. The data shows that the GPU is the sole reason for the low rank. If the B390 were paired with a much weaker CPU, the frame rates would likely be similar, as the game would still be GPU-bound. The 9800X3D’s contributions, such as its 96 MB of shared L3 cache and 5.20 GHz boost clock, do nothing to alleviate the B390’s rendering bottleneck in this title.

The measured FPS data confirms that the combo ranks near the bottom because it cannot sustain playable frame rates at 1440p or 4K. At 1080p, only Low and Medium settings provide averages above 46 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields just 34 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The rank of 2662 is a direct consequence of these measured results.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the only sensible recommendation for a playable experience is to use Low settings at 1920x1080, which yields an average of 80 FPS. This is the only configuration that provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, with no minimum FPS recorded to suggest severe stuttering. For users who prefer Medium settings, the 1080p Medium preset delivers an average of 60 FPS, with minimums of 51 FPS and maximums of 69 FPS. This is borderline playable, but the minimum FPS dips below 60, which could result in occasional hitches during busy scenes.

At 2560x1440, the data suggests that only Low settings are viable, with an average of 51 FPS. This is below 60 FPS, so users may experience some judder, but it is still a smooth enough experience for a stealth game where precise timing is less critical than in fast-paced shooters. Medium settings at 1440p drop to 39 FPS, which is likely too low for a comfortable experience. High and Ultra settings at 1440p (29 and 21 FPS respectively) are not recommended for active gameplay.

At 3840x2160, none of the settings are recommended for actual play. The highest average is 27 FPS at Low settings, which is below the 30 FPS threshold for minimal interactivity. Medium yields 21 FPS, High 16 FPS, and Ultra 11 FPS. These are all effectively unplayable, and the data indicates that the Intel Arc B390 is not suited for 4K gaming in this title.

The recommendation is to prioritize resolution over settings. Dropping to 1080p Low provides the best balance of frame rate and visual clarity, as higher settings at the same resolution (e.g., 1080p High at 46 FPS) do not offer a sufficient improvement in visual fidelity to justify the 34 FPS loss. The Medium preset at 1080p is a reasonable middle ground for users who cannot tolerate the visual downgrades of Low, but they should be prepared for frame rates that occasionally dip below 60 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table summarizes the measured average FPS for each resolution and settings combination tested.

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low settings: 27 FPS average
• Medium settings: 21 FPS average (minimum 17 FPS, maximum 24 FPS)
• High settings: 16 FPS average
• Ultra settings: 11 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low settings: 51 FPS average
• Medium settings: 39 FPS average (minimum 33 FPS, maximum 44 FPS)
• High settings: 29 FPS average
• Ultra settings: 21 FPS average

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low settings: 80 FPS average
• Medium settings: 60 FPS average (minimum 51 FPS, maximum 69 FPS)
• High settings: 46 FPS average
• Ultra settings: 34 FPS average

The data shows a clear hierarchy: 1080p Low is the only configuration that offers a truly fluid experience. The 1080p Medium result is technically playable but with notable frame time variance (minimum 51 FPS). All other settings and resolutions fall below 60 FPS, with 4K results ranging from 11 to 27 FPS, making the game effectively unplayable at that resolution. The lack of minimum FPS data for most settings (indicated by null values) means only the Medium presets recorded full frame time data, which showed a 12-13 FPS spread between minimum and maximum across resolutions.

The progression from 1080p Low (80 FPS) to 1440p Low (51 FPS) to 4K Low (27 FPS) demonstrates the GPU’s inability to handle pixel throughput. Similarly, 1080p Ultra (34 FPS) is only slightly better than 4K Low (27 FPS), highlighting that the B390’s compute resources are so limited that even extreme resolution reductions cannot compensate for high settings. The measured values align with the GPU’s low 3DMark score and its 9th percentile ranking, confirming that the Intel Arc B390 is the definitive performance ceiling for this combo in Hitman 2.