Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the Intel Arc B370 produces a very specific performance profile in Hitman 2. The measured data reveals a configuration that is heavily constrained at higher resolutions, with the 1080p results showing a more balanced, though still limited, picture. The following analysis breaks down the benchmark results for this hardware combination.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a steep performance penalty as resolution increases, which is the clearest indicator of where the bottleneck lies. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces an average of 41 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same High preset drops the average to 26 FPS, a reduction of roughly 37%. Pushing further to 4K at High settings yields just 14 FPS on average, which is about 66% lower than the 1080p result.

This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario. When the resolution increases, the number of pixels the renderer must process grows substantially. The Arc B370, with its modest specifications, simply cannot keep up with the demand. The fact that the frame rate falls off a cliff between 1080p and 4K suggests that the graphics card is the primary limiting factor at these higher resolutions. The CPU, while not a high-end part, has enough headroom at 1440p and 4K to not be the main constraint.

The pattern across all settings is consistent. At Low settings, the drop from 1080p (73 FPS) to 1440p (46 FPS) is a 37% decrease, and to 4K (25 FPS) is a 66% decrease. This proportional drop across different presets reinforces the idea that the GPU's pixel throughput is the wall. The i5-10400F's six cores and twelve threads are sufficient to feed the GPU at 1080p, but as the pixel count grows, the Arc B370's execution units become saturated.

The data indicates that 1080p is the only viable resolution for anything approaching smooth gameplay. Even then, the highest framerates are only achievable at the cost of visual fidelity. The 4K results, which range from 10 FPS at Ultra to 25 FPS at Low, are all well below the threshold for playable performance. The 1440p results are borderline, with the Low preset hitting 46 FPS but the Medium preset falling to 35 FPS. The scaling behavior points to a graphics card that is out of its depth beyond 1080p.

Settings Recommendations

For this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-10400F and Intel Arc B370, the measured FPS data offers a clear guide for optimizing the experience in Hitman 2. The primary goal is to achieve a playable frame rate, which the data suggests is only reliably found at 1080p. The performance ceiling at this resolution is 73 FPS on the Low preset, which is the only setting that breaks the 60 FPS threshold.

The Medium preset at 1080p provides an average of 54 FPS, with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 63 FPS. This is a more balanced choice. It offers a significant visual upgrade over Low while keeping the average frame rate above 50 FPS. The data shows that the frame time consistency is reasonable, with the minimum not dipping too far below the average. This preset appears to be the best compromise between visual quality and smoothness for this hardware.

The High preset at 1080p drops the average to 41 FPS. This is a substantial step down from Medium and approaches the territory where the game may feel less responsive. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields only 30 FPS on average, which is below the standard for a comfortable action-stealth game. Based on the measured rows, the Medium preset at 1920x1080 is the recommended starting point. It provides a playable experience without the significant visual downgrade of Low.

For those who prioritize frame rate above all else, the Low preset at 1080p is the only option that consistently delivers high performance. At 1440p, the Low preset manages 46 FPS, which is playable, but the Medium preset falls to 35 FPS. The 4K resolution is not recommended for any setting, as even the Low preset only achieves 25 FPS. The data suggests that users should stick to 1080p and adjust the preset between Low and Medium based on their preference for smoothness versus visual fidelity.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Hitman 2 with this hardware based on the data?

A: The measured data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the average frame rate exceeds 40 FPS for any preset. At 2560x1440, the highest average is 46 FPS on Low, and at 3840x2160, the highest average is 25 FPS on Low. Therefore, 1080p is the recommended resolution for a playable experience.

Q: How does the Medium preset at 1080p compare to the High preset at 1080p?

A: The Medium preset at 1080p achieves an average of 54 FPS, with a minimum of 46 FPS. The High preset at the same resolution averages 41 FPS. The data indicates that the Medium preset offers a substantial performance advantage, being 13 FPS faster on average, while likely providing a visual experience close to High.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B370 capable of running Hitman 2 at 4K?

A: The benchmark results indicate it is not capable of a smooth experience. At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are 10 FPS on Ultra, 14 FPS on High, 19 FPS on Medium, and 25 FPS on Low. All of these results are well below playable thresholds.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves an average of 46 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 19 FPS. This represents a 27 FPS difference, or a 142% improvement for the Low preset over Ultra. The data suggests that the GPU is too weak to handle the added visual complexity of Ultra at this resolution.

Q: Does the data show a stable frame rate for any configuration?

A: The only configuration with min and max FPS data is the Medium preset. At 1080p, it fluctuates between 46 and 63 FPS. At 1440p, it ranges from 30 to 40 FPS. At 4K, it is between 16 and 21 FPS. This shows that the frame rate is not perfectly stable, but the 1080p Medium range is the most consistent.

Q: How much faster is the Low preset compared to Ultra at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 73 FPS, while Ultra averages 30 FPS. The Low preset is 43 FPS faster, which is a 143% increase in average frame rate. This highlights the significant performance cost of the Ultra preset for this hardware.

How This Combo Ranks

The benchmark database places this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-10400F and Intel Arc B370 at rank 2768 out of 3001 tested combos for Hitman 2. This places it in the bottom 8% of all configurations. The percentile ranking for the GPU alone is 5, indicating it performs better than only 5% of all tested graphics cards. This low GPU percentile is a strong indicator of why this combo ranks so poorly.

The CPU, in contrast, has a percentile of 68, meaning it is better than 68% of all tested CPUs. This disparity in percentiles confirms that the graphics card is the primary bottleneck. The CPU has the processing power to handle the game's logic, but the Arc B370 cannot render frames fast enough to utilize that power fully. The combo rank is a direct result of this imbalance.

The data suggests that this combo is not well-suited for Hitman 2. A rank of 2768 out of 3001 means that the vast majority of other tested systems will deliver a better experience. The low rank is almost entirely attributable to the GPU's performance, which is in the 5th percentile. While the CPU is a decent mid-range part, it is held back by the graphics solution it is paired with. For this game, the combination is a poor match, as the GPU fails to provide a playable experience at higher resolutions and settings.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is the dominant factor in this combo's performance. Its benchmark score is 1184 on the 3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 test, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. This score is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, with the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 scoring 1186 and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 scoring 1190. The performance delta is less than 1% in either direction, indicating that the Arc B370's raw compute power is on par with these older, low-tier cards.

The GPU's specifications reflect its limited performance. It has a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz. While the boost clock is reasonably high, the underlying architecture does not have the throughput to translate that into high frame rates. The memory configuration is "System Shared," which means it relies on the system's main memory. This is a significant disadvantage compared to dedicated VRAM, as it shares bandwidth with the CPU. The data shows the GPU has 1280 shading units and 20 ROPs, which are low numbers for modern gaming.

The impact of this GPU is clear in the measured FPS. At 1080p, the best result is 73 FPS on Low, but this drops to 41 FPS on High. The GPU's limited pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth cause the performance to collapse at higher resolutions. At 4K, the average FPS is below 25 for all settings. This is a graphics solution that is fundamentally not designed for demanding gaming workloads. The ROP count of 20 and the shared memory architecture are the likely culprits for the poor resolution scaling observed in the data.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of this combo's performance across different settings and resolutions. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low averages 73 FPS, Medium averages 54 FPS (min 46, max 63), High averages 41 FPS, and Ultra averages 30 FPS. This shows a clear and consistent drop in performance as the preset quality increases. The 1080p Medium setting is the only one that provides a minimum frame rate above 45 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the performance takes a significant hit. The Low preset averages 46 FPS, Medium averages 35 FPS (min 30, max 40), High averages 26 FPS, and Ultra averages 19 FPS. The step from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 35% of the average frame rate at every preset. This confirms the GPU's inability to handle the increased pixel count. The 1440p Medium setting has a minimum of 30 FPS, which is on the edge of playability.

At 3840x2160, the results are mostly unplayable. The Low preset averages 25 FPS, Medium averages 19 FPS (min 16, max 21), High averages 14 FPS, and Ultra averages 10 FPS. The data shows that the Arc B370 is completely overwhelmed at 4K. The frame rates are consistently below 30 FPS, which is generally considered the minimum for a playable experience. The breakdown highlights that this combo is only suitable for 1080p gaming, and even then, only with lower presets.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F provides the processing foundation for this combo. It has 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. The CPU's benchmark results are respectable for its class. It scores 10283 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 1451 in single-core. In the broader benchmark database, it has an average score of 14185, placing it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. This indicates it is a capable mid-range processor.

The CPU's nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score include the Intel Xeon 6756E (14163, 0.2% slower) and the AMD EPYC 7552 (14115, 0.5% slower). It also sits near the Intel Core 7 160UL (14232, 0.3% faster) and the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C (14277, 0.6% faster). These small deltas show that the i5-10400F is right in the middle of a cluster of similarly performing processors. Its single-thread performance in Passmark is 2541, which is adequate for gaming.

In the context of Hitman 2, the CPU's role is to handle game logic, AI, and draw calls. The data suggests that the i5-10400F is not the limiting factor in this combo. The frame rates are consistently low across all resolutions, which is a symptom of a GPU bottleneck. If the CPU were the issue, we would expect to see less of a performance drop when moving from 1080p to 1440p. Since the frame rate drops by over 35% at each resolution step, it is clear that the GPU is the primary constraint. The CPU has enough headroom to feed the GPU at 1080p, but the GPU cannot process the frames fast enough to produce high FPS.