Hitman 2

# Hitman 2 with AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D + Intel Arc B390

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D paired with the Intel Arc B390 produces a profoundly GPU-limited experience in Hitman 2, with the integrated graphics solution delivering playable frame rates only at 1080p Low settings. The combo ranks 2662 out of 3001 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 11.3% of all tested systems for this title. Benchmark results show a clear pattern: the 12-core, 24-thread Zen 5 processor is never the bottleneck, while the Arc B390's integrated graphics—which sits at the 9th percentile among all GPUs—caps performance at sub-60 FPS averages in all but the most forgiving settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a steep performance degradation as resolution increases, which is the signature of a GPU-bound configuration. At 1080p Low, the combo averages 80 FPS; dropping to 1440p Low reduces that to 51 FPS, a 36.3% decline. Pushing to 4K Low further drops the average to 27 FPS, representing a 66.3% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This scaling behavior is far more aggressive than what a CPU-limited system would exhibit, since the Ryzen 9 9900X3D's single-thread performance—a 3DMark single-thread score of 1269 and Geekbench single-core score of 3041—is more than sufficient for a 2018 stealth title.

The resolution penalty becomes even more pronounced at higher quality presets. At High settings, the transition from 1080p (46 FPS) to 1440p (29 FPS) costs 37.0% performance, and moving to 4K (16 FPS) represents a 65.2% loss from the 1080p figure. Medium settings show a similar trajectory: 60 FPS at 1080p, 39 FPS at 1440p (−35.0%), and 21 FPS at 4K (−65.0%). These consistent 35-37% drops between 1080p and 1440p, followed by further 45-48% drops between 1440p and 4K, indicate that the Arc B390's fill rate and memory bandwidth—both system-dependent since the GPU uses shared system memory—are the limiting factors.

The Ultra preset data tells the most telling story about resolution scaling. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 34 FPS; 1440p Ultra drops to 21 FPS (−38.2%); and 4K Ultra falls to 11 FPS (−67.6% from 1080p). The fact that even the lowest resolution with the highest settings fails to reach 60 FPS confirms that the GPU's compute resources—7.680 TFLOPS FP32 across 1536 shading units—are simply insufficient for Hitman 2's higher-fidelity rendering paths. The data suggests that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p only viable at Low settings and 4K being effectively unplayable at any quality level.

How This Combo Ranks

With a rank of 2662 out of 3001 tested combos, this pairing sits in the 11.3rd percentile of all CPU-GPU combinations evaluated for Hitman 2. This placement is unsurprising given the components' individual standings: the GPU ranks in the 9th percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 1482, while the CPU ranks in the 91st percentile among all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 54762. The massive disparity between the two components' relative performance tiers means the system's gaming capability is dictated almost entirely by the weaker link.

The GPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database illustrate its performance class. The Arc B390's average score of 1482 is 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% ahead of the GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% ahead of the GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% ahead of the GeForce GT 710 (1443). These are all entry-level or legacy integrated graphics solutions, which contextualizes why the combo's Hitman 2 results are so constrained. The CPU's nearest rivals, by contrast, include the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (0.6% behind at 55093), the Core Ultra 5 245K (1.3% ahead at 54053), the Xeon 6505P (2.0% ahead at 53701), and the Core i7-14700F (2.1% ahead at 53620) — all processors that would never be the limiting factor in a gaming workload.

The combo's rank relative to its component parts suggests that pairing a top-tier CPU with a bottom-tier GPU produces results that reflect the GPU's capabilities almost exclusively. In Hitman 2, this means the system lands in the bottom 12% of tested configurations despite having a CPU that outperforms 91% of all processors in general benchmarks. This ranking pattern is consistent with the measured FPS data, which shows no scenario where the CPU's 12 cores or 5.50 GHz boost clock would be exercised to their limits.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture and built on Intel's 3 nm process. Its specifications include 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, 24 raster output pipelines, and 12 ray tracing cores. The GPU operates at a 300 MHz base clock with a 2500 MHz boost clock, producing a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s. The FP32 compute throughput is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS, with FP16 at 15.36 TFLOPS (2:1).

Critically for gaming performance, the Arc B390 uses system shared memory with bandwidth described as "system dependent." This means the GPU's memory performance is tied to the host system's DDR5 memory configuration, which for the Ryzen 9 9900X3D is dual-channel with 89.6 GB/s theoretical bandwidth. In a game like Hitman 2 that features large, detailed environments, the shared memory architecture likely contributes to the steep performance penalties seen at higher resolutions, where memory bandwidth requirements scale with pixel count.

The GPU's benchmark presence in the database is minimal, with a single 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482. This score places it at the 9th percentile among all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are all legacy NVIDIA mobile or OEM parts. The DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4 API compatibility are modern, but the raw compute and rasterization capabilities are clearly limited. The RTX-class ray tracing cores (12 of them) are present, though Hitman 2 does not utilize ray tracing, so they have no bearing on these results.

The measured FPS data shows the GPU's performance envelope clearly: even at 1080p Low, the average of 80 FPS is the only result above 60 FPS across all tested configurations. The 4K Ultra result of 11 FPS represents a 86.3% reduction from the best-case scenario, underscoring how quickly the GPU's resources are exhausted as resolution and quality settings increase.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best performance. Low settings produce an average of 80 FPS, which is the only measured configuration to exceed 60 FPS. Medium settings average 60 FPS with a minimum of 51 FPS and maximum of 69 FPS, placing it right at the edge of smooth gameplay. High settings drop to 46 FPS average, while Ultra falls to 34 FPS. The 1080p results show a clear progression: each step up in quality from Low to Ultra costs approximately 14-15 FPS on average, with the Ultra preset representing a 57.5% reduction from Low.

At 2560x1440, performance becomes more constrained. Low settings average 51 FPS, which is playable but below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings average 39 FPS with a minimum of 33 FPS and maximum of 44 FPS. High settings average 29 FPS, and Ultra drops to 21 FPS. The 1440p data shows a 36.3% reduction from 1080p at Low settings, 35.0% at Medium, 37.0% at High, and 38.2% at Ultra. This consistent ~35-38% penalty across all quality presets indicates a uniform resolution bottleneck.

At 3840x2160, the results are largely unplayable. Low settings average 27 FPS, Medium averages 21 FPS with a minimum of 17 FPS and maximum of 24 FPS, High averages 16 FPS, and Ultra averages 11 FPS. The 4K results show a 66.3% reduction from 1080p at Low, 65.0% at Medium, 65.2% at High, and 67.6% at Ultra. None of the 4K configurations come close to 30 FPS, which is typically considered the minimum for a playable experience in a stealth title where precise timing matters.

The minimum FPS data available for Medium settings shows the frame time consistency at each resolution: 51 FPS minimum at 1080p, 33 FPS at 1440p, and 17 FPS at 4K. These minimums suggest that even the average figures may not fully convey the stuttering and frame pacing issues that would occur during busy scenes with multiple NPCs or complex lighting.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the only configuration that consistently delivers smooth gameplay is 1080p with Low settings, which averages 80 FPS. This provides sufficient headroom above the 60 FPS target to accommodate scene complexity variations. The 1080p Medium preset averages exactly 60 FPS with a minimum of 51 FPS, which is borderline — players seeking a stable experience would likely notice occasional dips below the refresh rate. The 1080p High preset at 46 FPS and Ultra at 34 FPS are playable but not ideal for a game that benefits from responsive controls.

At 1440p, only the Low preset (51 FPS average) approaches acceptable playability, though it falls short of 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 39 FPS and High at 29 FPS are below the threshold for smooth gameplay, and Ultra at 21 FPS is not recommended. At 4K, none of the presets achieve playable frame rates, with the best result being 27 FPS at Low settings — this is marginal at best for a stealth game where reaction times matter.

The data suggests a tiered approach: for the best experience, use 1080p Low or Medium. The Medium preset's 60 FPS average with a 51 FPS minimum represents the highest visual quality that maintains near-60 FPS performance. If visual fidelity is prioritized over frame rate, 1080p High at 46 FPS is the next step up, but the jump from Medium to High costs 14 FPS (23.3%) for presumably modest visual gains. The Ultra preset at 1080p provides 34 FPS, which is a 43.3% reduction from Medium — this is a steep price for the highest settings. For users with 1440p displays, the Low preset is the only viable option, and even then, the 51 FPS average may require accepting some frame rate variability.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D is a 12-core, 24-thread processor from the 9000 series, built on the Zen 5 architecture with the Granite Ridge codename. It features a 4.40 GHz base clock and 5.50 GHz boost clock, with a 120 W TDP. The CPU is manufactured on TSMC's 4 nm process with 16,630 million transistors across a 2x 70.6 mm² die size. Its cache hierarchy includes 80 KB L1 per core, 1 MB L2 per core, and a substantial 128 MB L3 cache. The processor supports DDR5 memory in dual-channel configuration with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth, and it has a 91st percentile ranking among all CPUs.

In the context of Hitman 2, the CPU's capabilities are far beyond what the game requires. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1269 and Geekbench single-core score of 3041 indicate strong per-core performance, which matters for a game that likely relies on a few main threads for game logic and AI. The multi-threaded benchmarks — Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 47737, Geekbench multi-core of 22884, and PassMark multithread score of 56154 — demonstrate enormous headroom that Hitman 2 will never utilize. The game's 2018 release date means it was designed for far less capable hardware.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database — Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (0.6% lower average score), Core Ultra 5 245K (1.3% higher), Xeon 6505P (2.0% higher), and Core i7-14700F (2.1% higher) — all represent modern high-end processors. This grouping confirms that the 9900X3D is firmly in the top tier of CPU performance. However, the measured FPS data shows no evidence of CPU limitation: the frame rates scale almost perfectly with GPU load, and the resolution penalties are consistent with a pure GPU bottleneck. The CPU's 128 MB L3 cache and 12 cores provide no tangible benefit in this pairing because the GPU cannot feed frames fast enough to stress the processor.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this system in Hitman 2?

A: The measured data shows 1080p Low delivers 80 FPS average, while 1080p Medium delivers 60 FPS average with a 51 FPS minimum. For the best balance of visual quality and frame rate, 1080p Medium is the highest preset that maintains a 60 FPS average.

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

A: The Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% higher than the GeForce 800M, 2.5% higher than the GeForce GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% higher than the GeForce GT 710.

Q: Can this system run Hitman 2 at 4K?

A: No 4K configuration achieves playable frame rates. The best 4K result is 27 FPS at Low settings, with Medium at 21 FPS, High at 16 FPS, and Ultra at 11 FPS. All of these are below the 30 FPS minimum typically needed for acceptable gameplay.

Q: Is the Ryzen 9 9900X3D the bottleneck in this configuration?

A: No. The CPU ranks in the 91st percentile among all CPUs with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 47737 and single-core score of 6739. The resolution scaling pattern in the FPS data indicates a pure GPU bottleneck, as frame rates drop consistently with increasing resolution regardless of CPU load.

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

A: At 1440p, Low settings average 51 FPS, Medium averages 39 FPS, High averages 29 FPS, and Ultra averages 21 FPS. Only the Low preset approaches acceptable playability, though it falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems for Hitman 2?

A: The combo ranks 2662 out of 3001 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 11.3% of all tested systems for this game. This ranking reflects the GPU's 9th percentile performance among all GPUs, despite the CPU's 91st percentile ranking.