Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X paired with the Intel Arc B390 ranks 2662nd out of 3001 tested combos in Hitman 2, placing it in the bottom 11% of all configurations. This is a profoundly GPU-limited pairing for this title, with the Arc B390 delivering frame rates that are only playable at 1080p with Low settings. The benchmark data shows a stark reality: despite having a top-tier CPU with 12 cores and 24 threads, the integrated-class graphics solution cannot push modern stealth-action gameplay at acceptable frame rates in most configurations. The following analysis breaks down exactly where this combo succeeds and where it fails, using the measured FPS data and component specifications to explain the performance ceiling.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2662 out of 3001 tested combinations places this system in the bottom 11.3% of all tested hardware pairings for Hitman 2. This is a poor result, and the data clearly indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The Arc B390's average benchmark score of 1482 places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, meaning it outperforms only 9% of the graphics cards in the database. In contrast, the Ryzen 9 5900X sits in the 87th percentile of all CPUs, a massive disparity that highlights the imbalance of this pairing.

The nearest GPU rivals to the Arc B390 illustrate just how low it sits in the performance hierarchy. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, which is 1.3% lower, while the GeForce 800M scores 1460 (1.5% lower), the GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446 (2.5% lower), and the GeForce GT 710 scores 1443 (2.7% lower). These are all legacy or entry-level mobile/desktop parts, and the Arc B390 only marginally outperforms them. For a game like Hitman 2, which was released in 2018 and has modest hardware demands, ranking 2662nd out of 3001 means this combo is suited only for the absolute lowest settings and resolutions.

When comparing the CPU to its nearest rivals, the Ryzen 9 5900X holds its own impressively. It scores 41376 on average, which is 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 7 366H (41263), 0.4% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 7 356H (41215), and 0.4% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 440 (41208). It also beats the Intel Core i7-14650HX (41576) by 0.5%. These are all modern, high-performance mobile or desktop chips, and the 5900X trades blows with them. This confirms that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo; the GPU is dragging the entire system down to near-bottom rankings.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the defining component in this combo, and its specifications explain why the FPS numbers are so low. It features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output pipelines. The GPU has 12 ray tracing cores and a base clock of 300 MHz with a boost clock of 2500 MHz. Its pixel rate is 60.00 GPixel/s and its texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 7.680 TFLOPS. These are modest numbers for a modern GPU, and the fact that it uses System Shared memory (with system-dependent bandwidth) means it competes for bandwidth with the CPU, further limiting its gaming performance.

The GPU's performance in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test is 1482, which is its only benchmark score. This places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, confirming its entry-level positioning. In Hitman 2, this translates to a maximum of 80 FPS at 1080p Low, and it degrades rapidly as resolution and settings increase. At 4K Ultra, the combo manages only 11 FPS, which is unplayable. The GPU's 80 W TDP and integrated form factor (IGP) mean it is designed for low-power, portable devices, not high-end gaming. The data shows that the Arc B390 is simply not equipped to handle Hitman 2's crowd simulations and detailed environments at any appreciable quality level.

The GPU's memory configuration is critical to understanding its performance. With System Shared memory, the GPU has no dedicated VRAM pool, relying instead on the system's DDR4 memory (the CPU supports dual-channel DDR4 with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth). This shared bandwidth creates a bottleneck in demanding scenes, which is reflected in the steep FPS drops at higher resolutions. The 12 ray tracing cores are present but largely irrelevant here, as the game's performance is so low that ray tracing would be unusable. The data indicates that this GPU is best suited for esports titles or very light gaming, not a stealth game like Hitman 2 that requires consistent frame pacing.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a system that is severely GPU-limited at every step. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 80 FPS, which is the only playable configuration. Moving to 1080p Medium drops the average to 60 FPS, and High yields 46 FPS, while Ultra falls to 34 FPS. This is a clear linear degradation as settings increase, indicating the GPU is working at its absolute limit.

At 1440p, the performance drops significantly. Low settings produce 51 FPS, Medium 39 FPS, High 29 FPS, and Ultra 21 FPS. The drop from 1080p Low (80 FPS) to 1440p Low (51 FPS) is a 36% reduction, showing that the GPU cannot sustain frame rates as pixel count increases. Moving to 4K makes the combo nearly unusable: Low yields 27 FPS, Medium 21 FPS, High 16 FPS, and Ultra 11 FPS. The scaling from 1080p Low to 4K Low is a 66% drop in FPS, which is far steeper than what would be expected if the CPU were the bottleneck. If the Ryzen 9 5900X were limiting performance, the FPS would remain relatively flat across resolutions, but the data shows a dramatic decline, confirming the GPU as the sole constraint.

The measured FPS data at 4K Medium shows a minimum of 17 FPS and a maximum of 24 FPS, with an average of 21 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range is 33 to 44 FPS with an average of 39 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the range is 51 to 69 FPS with an average of 60 FPS. These ranges show that even at the same settings, the frame rate varies wildly, which is a sign of GPU memory bandwidth limitations. The CPU's 12 cores and 24 threads are more than capable of feeding the GPU, but the GPU's System Shared memory cannot keep up with the data demands of Hitman 2's levels at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings to play Hitman 2 with this combo?

A: The only configuration that provides a consistently playable experience is 1080p with Low settings, which yields an average of 80 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 60 FPS, which is still acceptable for most players, but the minimum FPS of 51 may cause noticeable stutters in crowded areas.

Q: How does this combo compare to the best-performing systems?

A: With a rank of 2662 out of 3001 combos, this system is in the bottom 11% of all tested configurations. This places it well below the median, meaning the vast majority of systems tested will outperform it in Hitman 2.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this combo?

A: The GPU is the definitive bottleneck. The Arc B390 sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, while the Ryzen 9 5900X sits in the 87th percentile of all CPUs. The FPS drops dramatically from 1080p to 4K, which is characteristic of a GPU-limited system, not a CPU-limited one.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Hitman 2?

A: No. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 11, and at 4K Low, it is only 27. These frame rates are far below the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, making 4K entirely unviable for this title.

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

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482 in 3DMark Steel Nomad, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% higher than the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% higher than the GeForce GT 710 (1443). These are all entry-level parts, showing the B390's low standing.

Q: What are the CPU's core and clock specifications?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X has 12 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. It has 64 MB of L3 cache and a TDP of 105 W, based on the Zen 3 architecture on a 7 nm process.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this combo's capabilities in Hitman 2. At 1080p, the performance ranges from playable to poor depending on settings. Low settings deliver an average of 80 FPS, which is the highest score in the entire dataset. Medium settings average 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS. High settings drop to an average of 46 FPS, and Ultra falls to 34 FPS. These numbers show that only Low and Medium settings at 1080p are viable for a smooth experience, and even then, the minimum FPS at Medium suggests occasional drops below 60.

At 1440p, the performance becomes marginal at best. Low settings average 51 FPS, which is technically playable but with noticeable frame drops in busy scenes. Medium settings average 39 FPS, with a range of 33 to 44 FPS. High settings average 29 FPS, and Ultra averages 21 FPS. None of these configurations meet the standard of 60 FPS, and the minimum FPS at Medium (33) indicates severe stuttering during action sequences.

At 4K, the combo is effectively unusable for this game. Low settings average 27 FPS, which is below the threshold for playable frame rates. Medium settings average 21 FPS, with a minimum of 17 and a maximum of 24. High settings average 16 FPS, and Ultra averages 11 FPS. These numbers are far below any acceptable standard for a stealth game that requires precise timing and reaction. The data shows a clear pattern: the Arc B390 is only capable of delivering smooth gameplay at 1080p with the lowest settings, and even then, the performance is barely adequate.

The settings scaling at each resolution is consistent. At 1080p, moving from Low to Medium reduces FPS by 25%, from Medium to High by 23%, and from High to Ultra by 26%. At 1440p, the reductions are 24%, 26%, and 28% respectively. At 4K, the reductions are 22%, 24%, and 31%. This shows that the GPU's performance degrades proportionally with settings, with no sudden cliffs that would indicate a CPU bottleneck. The consistency of these drops reinforces the conclusion that the GPU is the sole limiting factor.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 5900X is a high-end desktop processor that is completely overqualified for the GPU it is paired with. It features 12 cores and 24 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. The CPU has 64 MB of L3 cache and a 7 nm process node, with a TDP of 105 W. Its benchmark scores are excellent: a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16262, a Geekbench multicore score of 14118, and a Passmark multithread score of 39002. These numbers place it in the 87th percentile of all CPUs, making it a top-tier processor for gaming and productivity.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's role is to handle the game's AI, physics, and draw call processing. The 12 cores and 24 threads are more than sufficient for this task, and the data shows that the CPU is never the bottleneck. The FPS drops from 80 at 1080p Low to 27 at 4K Low are entirely attributable to the GPU's inability to render at higher resolutions. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the FPS would remain relatively constant across resolutions, but the data shows a 66% drop from 1080p to 4K at the same settings.

The CPU's nearest rivals in performance include the Intel Core Ultra 7 366H (0.3% lower), Intel Core Ultra 7 356H (0.4% lower), AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 440 (0.4% lower), and Intel Core i7-14650HX (0.5% higher). These comparisons show that the Ryzen 9 5900X is competitive with modern high-end mobile and desktop chips, despite being released in late 2020. The CPU's single-thread performance is also strong, with a Geekbench single-core score of 2083 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1527, which ensures that Hitman 2's primary thread is well-served.

The memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s from dual-channel DDR4 is a potential limitation, but it does not manifest in the data because the GPU's System Shared memory is the primary consumer of bandwidth. The CPU's 8,300 million transistors and 64 MB of L3 cache provide ample headroom for the game's data demands. In summary, the Ryzen 9 5900X is a powerful processor that is wasted in this combo, as the Intel Arc B390 cannot leverage its capabilities. Upgrading the GPU would yield massive performance gains in Hitman 2, while upgrading the CPU would provide no measurable benefit.