Hitman 2

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D paired with the Intel Arc B370 presents an extreme asymmetry in Hitman 2. The data shows a top-tier CPU constrained by an entry-level integrated GPU, resulting in a combination that is heavily bound by graphics performance at every measurable setting. This analysis breaks down the measured frame rates, component roles, and practical recommendations based solely on the provided benchmark data.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a stark and predictable decline as resolution increases, confirming that the Intel Arc B370 is the definitive performance limiter in this configuration. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 73 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440 at the same Low preset drops the average to 46 FPS, a reduction of 27 FPS or approximately 37%. The scaling continues at 3840x2160, where the Low preset yields only 25 FPS on average. This pattern is consistent across all settings presets.

At High settings, the resolution scaling is equally pronounced. The average frame rate falls from 41 FPS at 1920x1080 to 26 FPS at 2560x1440, and further down to 14 FPS at 3840x2160. The gap between 1080p and 4K at High settings represents a 27 FPS difference, or roughly a 66% drop in performance. This steep decline indicates that the GPU's pixel throughput and shading capabilities are saturated early, and the CPU's substantial headroom—evidenced by its 24 threads and high boost clock—cannot compensate for the render load.

The Medium preset shows a similar trajectory, with averages of 54 FPS at 1080p, 35 FPS at 1440p, and 19 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset, which demands the most from the GPU, starts at a mere 30 FPS at 1080p and plummets to 19 FPS at 1440p and 10 FPS at 4K. The data suggests that the limiting component is unequivocally the GPU; the frame rate scales almost linearly with the number of pixels, a hallmark of a fill-rate or shader-bound scenario. The CPU, with its 12 cores and 128 MB of L3 cache, is never the bottleneck in these measurements, as no setting shows a plateau that would indicate CPU saturation.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. Its role in this combo is defined by its modest specifications: 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output pipelines. The base clock is 300 MHz, boosting up to 2400 MHz, which provides a peak FP32 throughput of 6.144 TFLOPS. The memory configuration is system-shared, meaning the GPU relies on the CPU's DDR5 memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s, which is system-dependent and not dedicated VRAM.

These specifications explain the measured results. The GPU's raw compute power is sufficient for 1080p gaming at lower presets, but it struggles as the resolution and settings increase. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark score of 1184 places this GPU in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, with nearest rivals including the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and ATI Radeon HD 5770, which score 1186 and 1190 respectively. This places the Arc B370 in a performance tier that is roughly equivalent to legacy entry-level discrete cards, not modern gaming hardware.

The lack of dedicated VRAM is a critical factor. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 10, which is unplayable, but even at 1080p Ultra, the average of 30 FPS indicates that the GPU is overwhelmed by the combination of high-resolution textures and advanced effects. The boost clock of 2400 MHz helps at lower loads, but the architecture’s limited ROPS and TMUs cap the pixel and texture fill rates at 48.00 GPixel/s and 96.00 GTexel/s, respectively. In Hitman 2, which features dense environments and complex lighting, these limits are quickly reached. The data shows that the GPU is the sole reason for the low frame rates, as the CPU’s performance metrics would suggest it could handle far higher FPS in a balanced system.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a high-end desktop processor with 12 cores and 24 threads, based on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge). It operates at a base clock of 4.40 GHz and boosts up to 5.50 GHz, with a TDP of 120 W. Its cache hierarchy is extensive, including 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a substantial 128 MB of L3 cache. This CPU is designed for heavy multi-threaded workloads and gaming, as reflected in its benchmark scores.

In synthetic tests, the CPU shows strong performance. It scores 47737 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 6739 in single-core, placing it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF, which has an average score of 55093 (0.6% higher), and the Intel Core Ultra 5 245K, which scores 54053 (1.3% lower). The Geekbench multi-core score of 22884 and single-core score of 3041 further underscore its capability. However, in this gaming combo, the CPU’s role is largely underutilized.

In Hitman 2, the CPU is responsible for game logic, AI, and physics, but the measured FPS data shows that the GPU is the bottleneck. For instance, at 1080p Low, the average FPS is 73, which is respectable, but the CPU could likely push higher if the GPU allowed. The fact that the 4K Low average is 25 FPS, a 66% drop from 1080p Low, confirms that the CPU is not the limiting factor; otherwise, the frame rate would remain more constant across resolutions. The CPU’s high single-thread performance (6739 in R23 single-core) and 24 threads provide ample headroom for Hitman 2’s engine, but the Arc B370 cannot translate that CPU capability into higher frame rates. The data indicates that the CPU is effectively idle waiting for the GPU to complete its rendering tasks, making this a profoundly unbalanced pairing for gaming.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and the user’s tolerance for frame rate dips. At 1920x1080, the Low preset yields an average of 73 FPS, which is the only setting that provides a clearly smooth experience. The Medium preset drops to 54 FPS on average, with minimums of 46 FPS, which is still playable but may show stutter in dense scenes. High settings reduce the average to 41 FPS, and Ultra falls to 30 FPS. For a responsive experience at 1080p, the data supports Low or Medium, with Medium offering a better visual balance without sacrificing too much performance.

At 2560x1440, the situation becomes more constrained. Low settings produce 46 FPS average, which is acceptable for slower-paced stealth gameplay, but Medium drops to 35 FPS, and High falls to 26 FPS. Ultra is not viable at 19 FPS. For 1440p, the recommendation is Low, as it is the only preset that maintains an average above 45 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 30 FPS suggests it could be playable, but frame pacing may suffer.

At 3840x2160, none of the presets deliver a playable experience. The Low preset averages 25 FPS, Medium averages 19 FPS, High averages 14 FPS, and Ultra averages 10 FPS. The data suggests that 4K is outside the capability of this GPU, and users should avoid it entirely. The best experience per the measured rows is at 1080p with Low or Medium settings, where the average FPS exceeds 54, providing a stable foundation for the game’s stealth mechanics. The Ultra preset is only recommended for screenshots or static scenes, as the 30 FPS average at 1080p is borderline for action sequences.

How This Combo Ranks

In the context of all tested combinations, this pairing of the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2768 out of 3001 combos for Hitman 2. This places it in the bottom 8% of all tested systems, a position that reflects the severe GPU bottleneck. The rank is not indicative of the CPU’s quality—which is in the 91st percentile—but rather the overall system’s inability to deliver competitive frame rates in this game.

The combo’s rank is dragged down by the GPU’s 5th percentile performance. While the CPU would be a top-tier choice for a dedicated graphics card, its pairing with an integrated GPU creates a system that underperforms even modest dedicated graphics solutions. The nearest rival GPUs, such as the ATI Radeon HD 5770, score similarly in synthetic benchmarks, but those are discrete cards from a bygone era. The data shows that this combo is designed for basic productivity or light gaming at best, not for a demanding title like Hitman 2. The rank of 2768 out of 3001 is a clear signal that users seeking playable frame rates in this game should consider a different GPU or a lower resolution.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where playable frame rates are achievable. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 73, and at Medium, it is 54. Higher resolutions result in average FPS below 46, which is less consistent.

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

A: No. The measured FPS at 3840x2160 ranges from 10 FPS (Ultra) to 25 FPS (Low), which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The data indicates that 4K is not viable for this pairing.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: The GPU is the definitive bottleneck. The CPU has 12 cores and 24 threads with high benchmark scores, but the frame rates drop significantly with resolution, indicating the GPU cannot keep up with the render load.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad, which is 0.2% lower than the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186) and 0.5% lower than the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190). This places it in a similar performance tier to those legacy cards.

Q: What settings should I use for the best experience at 1080p?

A: The Low preset offers the highest average FPS at 73, while Medium provides a balance with 54 FPS average and 46 FPS minimum. High and Ultra are lower at 41 and 30 FPS respectively, which may cause noticeable dips.

Q: Does the CPU’s 128 MB of L3 cache help in this game?

A: While the cache is a strong feature for gaming, the measured data shows it does not overcome the GPU bottleneck. The frame rates are limited by the Arc B370’s performance, so the cache’s benefits are not realized in Hitman 2.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average FPS measured for each resolution and settings preset. Minimum and maximum values are only provided for the Medium preset across all resolutions.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|---------|---------|

| 1920x1080 | Low | 73 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 54 | 46 | 63 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 41 | - | - |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 30 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 46 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 35 | 30 | 40 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 26 | - | - |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 19 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 25 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 19 | 16 | 21 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 14 | - | - |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 10 | - | - |

The data reveals a consistent pattern: the frame rate halves approximately with each resolution step up. For example, at Low settings, the average FPS goes from 73 (1080p) to 46 (1440p) to 25 (4K). This linear scaling is a clear indicator of a GPU-bound system. The Medium preset’s minimum FPS values—46, 30, and 16 for 1080p, 1440p, and 4K respectively—show that the frame time variance increases with resolution, leading to less stable performance. The Ultra preset at 4K, with an average of 10 FPS, is effectively a slideshow. In summary, the measured FPS breakdown confirms that this combo is only capable of smooth gameplay at 1080p with lower settings, and any attempt to increase resolution or graphical fidelity results in a severe performance penalty.