Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X paired with the Intel Arc B390 delivers a decidedly modest gaming experience in Hitman 2, placing near the bottom of the database. With a combo rank of 2662 out of 3001 tested configurations, this pairing sits in the 11th percentile of all recorded combos, indicating that while it can run the game, it does so with significant performance limitations that require careful settings management to achieve playable frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 9 9900X and Arc B390 ranks 2662 out of 3001 tested combos in Hitman 2, placing it firmly in the lower tier of the database. This ranking reflects a fundamental imbalance: the CPU is a high-end desktop processor while the GPU is an integrated-class part with performance characteristics closer to entry-level mobile graphics.

The Arc B390's individual standing illustrates the bottleneck clearly. It holds a percentile rank of just 9 among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1482. Its nearest rivals in the database are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GT 625 OEM, and GT 710 — all legacy or ultra-low-end parts. The B390 scores 1.3% higher than the GT 520MX, 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M, 2.5% higher than the GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% higher than the GT 710. These are margins of a few points, not the kind of separation that suggests headroom for demanding titles.

The Ryzen 9 9900X, by contrast, sits at the 92nd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 57498. Its nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 9015 (0.1% lower), AMD EPYC 7313 (0.2% higher), Intel Core i9-14900 (1.1% higher), and Intel Xeon Platinum 8260M (1.4% higher). This processor is clearly not the limiting factor in this configuration. The data suggests that the GPU is responsible for the low combo ranking, as the CPU's substantial compute resources are left largely underutilized in this game.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Hitman 2 at 1080p with playable frame rates?

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. The measured data shows 80 FPS at 1080p Low, 60 FPS at 1080p Medium, and 46 FPS at 1080p High. Ultra drops to 34 FPS, which is below the typical 60 FPS target for smooth gameplay.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: 1080p is the only resolution where the combo consistently achieves playable frame rates across multiple settings. At 1440p, only Low settings reach above 50 FPS, and at 4K, even Low settings only manage 27 FPS.

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

A: The B390 scores 1482 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, which is 1.3% higher than the GT 520MX, 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M, 2.5% higher than the GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% higher than the GT 710. These are all extremely close scores, indicating the B390 is in the same performance class as these older parts.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 9900X the bottleneck in this setup?

A: No. The CPU ranks at the 92nd percentile among all processors, with multi-core scores like 32172 in Cinebench R23 and 22174 in Geekbench multicore. The GPU's 9th percentile ranking indicates it is the limiting component.

Q: What frame rates can be expected at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The measured average is 39 FPS, with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 44 FPS. This is playable but not smooth, and frame drops may be noticeable during action sequences.

Q: Does the combo support modern graphics APIs for this game?

A: The GPU supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4, which covers the API requirements for Hitman 2.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate data reveals a steep performance cliff as resolution increases, confirming that the GPU is the dominant constraint. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 80 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 51 FPS, a 36% reduction. At 4K Low, the frame rate falls to 27 FPS, which is 66% lower than the 1080p result. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU that is heavily pixel-bound, where each additional pixel rendered has a direct and substantial impact on throughput.

The trend persists across all settings. At Medium settings, the drop from 1080p (60 FPS) to 1440p (39 FPS) is 35%, and the drop to 4K (21 FPS) is 65%. High settings show 46 FPS at 1080p, 29 FPS at 1440p (37% reduction), and 16 FPS at 4K (65% reduction). Ultra settings follow the same pattern: 34 FPS at 1080p, 21 FPS at 1440p (38% reduction), and 11 FPS at 4K (68% reduction).

The consistency of these percentage drops across all settings is telling. A CPU-bound scenario would typically show smaller frame rate differences between resolutions at lower settings, because the CPU work remains constant while GPU load decreases. Here, the frame rate scales almost linearly with pixel count, indicating the GPU is saturated at every resolution and setting combination. The Ryzen 9 9900X's capabilities — 12 cores, 24 threads, and a 5.60 GHz boost clock — are far beyond what this game requires at these frame rates, so the GPU's fill rate and shading power define the experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates span twelve combinations of resolution and quality preset. At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the combo delivers its best results. Low settings produce 80 FPS average, Medium produces 60 FPS (with a minimum of 51 FPS and maximum of 69 FPS), High produces 46 FPS, and Ultra produces 34 FPS. The Medium preset is the only one at 1080p with reported minimum and maximum values, suggesting the others were run without full frame time capture.

At 2560x1440, performance drops noticeably. Low settings average 51 FPS, Medium averages 39 FPS (minimum 33, maximum 44), High averages 29 FPS, and Ultra averages 21 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p maintains a minimum above 30 FPS, which is often considered the baseline for playable frame rates, though it hovers close to that threshold.

At 3840x2160, the results are largely unusable for actual gameplay. Low settings average 27 FPS, Medium averages 21 FPS (minimum 17, maximum 24), High averages 16 FPS, and Ultra averages 11 FPS. These figures are below the threshold for smooth motion and would likely result in a stuttering, laggy experience.

The data shows that the combo is only viable at 1080p and, to a lesser extent, 1440p with Low settings. The 4K results are uniformly poor across all presets, with even the lowest quality settings failing to reach 30 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p is the only configuration that combines a 60 FPS average with a minimum above 50 FPS, making it the most balanced option in the dataset.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal experience for this combo is the Medium preset at 1920x1080. This configuration delivers a 60 FPS average with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS, providing a consistent frame pacing that avoids the dips below 30 FPS seen at higher resolutions. The 60 FPS average aligns with the standard target for smooth gameplay, and the 51 FPS minimum indicates that even demanding scenes should remain fluid.

The Low preset at 1080p offers higher raw performance at 80 FPS, but the visual quality trade-off is substantial. For players who prioritize frame rate above all else, this is the only setting that exceeds 75 FPS, providing headroom for potential frame drops without falling below 60 FPS. However, the Medium preset's balance of quality and performance makes it the better default choice.

At 1440p, the Low preset is the only viable option, averaging 51 FPS. This is playable but leaves little margin for demanding scenes, and the 33 FPS minimum at Medium settings shows that even a modest quality increase can cause significant frame drops. The 1440p Medium preset's 39 FPS average is below the 60 FPS threshold and may feel choppy in fast-paced situations.

The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution. At 1080p it averages 34 FPS, at 1440p it averages 21 FPS, and at 4K it averages 11 FPS. These frame rates are below acceptable thresholds for a stealth game where precise timing and reaction are important. Players should avoid Ultra settings entirely with this combo.

For 4K, the data suggests that no settings preset provides a satisfactory experience. The highest average at 4K is 27 FPS on Low settings, which is below the 30 FPS minimum threshold for playability. Users with 4K displays should either lower the resolution to 1080p or accept that this game is not playable at native 4K with this hardware.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 9 9900X is a 12-core, 24-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, codenamed Granite Ridge, built on TSMC's 4 nm process. It features a base clock of 4.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, with a 64 MB L3 cache and 1 MB L2 cache per core. The CPU supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and 89.6 GB/s bandwidth, and it connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's role is secondary to the GPU's limitations. The game's frame rates are consistently low across all resolutions, and the scaling pattern suggests the GPU is the bottleneck at every setting. The 9900X's benchmark scores — 32172 in Cinebench R23 multicore, 2253 in single-core, and 22174 in Geekbench multicore — indicate a processor with substantial headroom for this workload. The 3DMark scores, including 12552 with 16 threads and 13929 with max threads, further confirm that the CPU can handle far more demanding tasks than this game presents at the measured frame rates.

The CPU's single-thread performance, as shown by the 1286 3DMark single-thread score and 4672 Passmark single-thread score, is more than adequate for Hitman 2's AI and game logic. The game is not known for being CPU-intensive, and the 9900X's high boost clock of 5.60 GHz ensures that even single-threaded tasks are handled efficiently. However, these capabilities are effectively wasted when the GPU can only produce 16 FPS at 4K High or 46 FPS at 1080p High.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database include the AMD EPYC 9015 and EPYC 7313, as well as the Intel Core i9-14900 and Xeon Platinum 8260M. The 9900X scores within 1.4% of all of these parts, placing it in a competitive range for high-end desktop and server processors. This positioning reinforces that the CPU is not the weak link in this combo; the Arc B390's integrated-class performance is the defining factor in the measured results.