Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-10400F paired with the Intel Arc B390 produces a very specific performance profile in Hitman 2, one defined by the GPU's severe limitations. The data indicates that this combo ranks in the bottom tier of tested configurations, sitting at rank 2662 out of 3001 total combos. This places the system in the 11th percentile of all tested pairings for this title, a figure that sets expectations for the entire analysis. The benchmark results show a component pairing where the graphics solution acts as the primary constraint, with the CPU's capabilities largely untapped at most settings.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a stark relationship between resolution and performance, highlighting the Arc B390 as the definitive bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 80 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings drops the average to 51 FPS, a reduction of 29 frames. At 4K with Low settings, the average plummets to 27 FPS. This scaling pattern is a classic indicator of a GPU-limited scenario; as the pixel count increases, the workload on the graphics processor grows exponentially, and the Arc B390's limited compute resources are quickly overwhelmed.

The progression from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings represents a 36.25% drop in frame rate, while the jump from 1440p to 4K represents a 47.06% drop. This accelerating decline is consistent with a graphics card that has a fixed pixel throughput and texture processing capability. The Arc B390's pixel rate is listed at 60.00 GPixel/s and its texture rate at 120.0 GTexel/s, figures that are modest compared to discrete solutions, and the data indicates these limits are hit early. The GPU's performance percentile, ranking at just 9% of all GPUs, corroborates this, showing it is not designed for high-resolution rendering.

When analyzing the scaling at higher settings, the pattern becomes even more pronounced. At High settings, the frame rate drops from 46 FPS at 1080p to 29 FPS at 1440p, a 36.96% reduction, and then to 16 FPS at 4K, a 44.83% reduction from 1440p. The Ultra preset shows the most dramatic scaling, moving from 34 FPS at 1080p to 21 FPS at 1440p and finally to 11 FPS at 4K. These numbers suggest that the GPU's memory bandwidth, listed as "System Dependent" due to its shared memory architecture, is a critical limiting factor. The Intel Core i5-10400F supports dual-channel DDR4 with a memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s, which is shared with the GPU, creating a significant constraint at higher resolutions.

The data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in resolution scaling. The i5-10400F has 6 cores and 12 threads with a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, which is generally sufficient for a game from 2018. The benchmark scores for the CPU, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 10283 and a single-core score of 1451, indicate a competent processor. The fact that frame rates scale down so dramatically with resolution indicates that the graphics pipeline is saturated, not the CPU. The system is leaving performance on the table; the CPU is capable of feeding more frames, but the GPU cannot render them.

Settings Recommendations

Given the measured data, the choice of settings is a trade-off between visual fidelity and playable frame rates. The benchmark results indicate that the most balanced experience is achieved at 1080p with Medium settings. This configuration yields an average FPS of 60, with a minimum of 51 and a maximum of 69. The minimum frame rate is crucial here, as it suggests the experience remains relatively stable without severe drops that would impact gameplay. This is the only configuration in the entire dataset that achieves a 60 FPS average, making it the optimal target for smooth gameplay.

At 1080p, the Low preset offers the highest average frame rate at 80 FPS, which provides a significant headroom above 60 FPS. However, the visual degradation from Low to Medium is typically substantial in a game like Hitman 2, which relies on detailed environments for its stealth mechanics. The Medium preset at 1080p appears to be the sweet spot, providing the best balance between the 60 FPS average and the visual quality improvements that the preset likely offers over Low. The High preset at 1080p drops the average to 46 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and may feel less fluid.

For users with 1440p monitors, the data shows that the Low preset is the only viable option for a playable experience, delivering an average of 51 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p drops to 39 FPS, which is a noticeable reduction in smoothness, and the High preset falls to 29 FPS. Pushing to 4K resolution is not recommended based on the data. The Low preset at 4K only manages 27 FPS, and the Medium preset drops to 21 FPS with a minimum of 17 FPS, which would likely result in a stuttery and unresponsive experience. The Ultra preset is effectively unplayable at all resolutions, with averages of 34 FPS at 1080p, 21 FPS at 1440p, and 11 FPS at 4K.

The data indicates that the Ultra preset is not a realistic option for this hardware combination. The performance cost of moving from High to Ultra is significant, representing a 26.09% drop at 1080p (from 46 to 34 FPS) and a 31.25% drop at 1440p (from 29 to 21 FPS). This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces effects that are disproportionate to the hardware's capabilities. Therefore, the recommendation is to prioritize resolution and preset settings based on the 1080p Medium configuration as the baseline for a playable and visually acceptable experience.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is the dominant factor in this combo's performance, and its specifications paint a clear picture of its limitations. It is an integrated graphics processor (IGP) based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process node. The GPU has 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units. Its boost clock is listed at 2500 MHz, with a base clock of 300 MHz. The FP32 performance is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS, and the texture rate is 120.0 GTexel/s.

These raw specifications are modest, but the most significant constraint is the memory configuration. The Arc B390 uses "System Shared" memory, meaning it has no dedicated VRAM. It relies on the system's main memory, which for the i5-10400F is dual-channel DDR4 with a theoretical bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s. This is a severe bottleneck for a graphics card. In Hitman 2, which relies on streaming textures and geometry, the lack of dedicated high-bandwidth memory is likely the primary cause of the low frame rates at higher resolutions.

The GPU's benchmark results confirm its position in the market. Its only 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rivals in the database are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, with an average score of 1463, and the NVIDIA GeForce 800M, with a score of 1460. The deltaPct values show the Arc B390 is only 1.3% and 1.5% faster than these competitors, respectively. This places the Arc B390 in the same performance tier as very old, entry-level mobile GPUs, which are not suited for modern gaming at high settings. The data suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor in every measured scenario, and its performance is the primary reason for the combo's low rank.

How This Combo Ranks

The combined performance of the Intel Core i5-10400F and the Intel Arc B390 places this system at rank 2662 out of 3001 tested combos in Hitman 2. This rank puts the combo in the bottom 11% of all configurations. This is a poor result, driven almost entirely by the GPU's lack of computational power and memory bandwidth. The CPU's performance is not the issue here; it ranks in the 68th percentile against all CPUs, which is a solid mid-range result.

The disparity between the CPU and GPU performance is stark. The i5-10400F has a passmark multi-thread score of 12115 and a single-thread score of 2541, indicating a capable processor. Its nearest CPU rivals include the Intel Xeon 6756E with an average score of 14163 and a deltaPct of 0.2%, and the AMD EPYC 7552 with a score of 14115 and a deltaPct of 0.5%. These are enterprise-class processors, which shows the i5-10400F is a strong performer for its class.

In contrast, the GPU's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and GeForce 800M. These are GPU names from over a decade ago, and the Arc B390's performance is only 2.5% to 2.7% faster than the GT 625 OEM or GT 710. This massive gap in relative performance between the CPU and GPU means the combo is severely imbalanced for gaming. The system is effectively a strong CPU paired with a very weak GPU, leading to a rank that reflects the weakest link in the chain. The combo rank is a direct consequence of the GPU's 9th percentile standing, dragging down an otherwise competent CPU.

CPU Role

While the GPU is the primary bottleneck, the Intel Core i5-10400F's role is to feed the graphics card with data. The data indicates that the CPU is more than capable of this task in Hitman 2. The processor features 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. It has a 12 MB shared L3 cache. These specifications are more than adequate for a game released in 2018.

The CPU's benchmark scores support this assessment. It achieves a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 10283 and a single-core score of 1451. The Geekbench multi-core score is 6257, and the single-core score is 1420. The 3DMark tests show a score of 4748 for 16 threads and 688 for a single thread. These numbers indicate a processor that can handle the physics, AI, and game logic of Hitman 2 without becoming a limiting factor.

The evidence for the CPU not being the bottleneck is in the FPS scaling. If the CPU were the limiting factor, we would expect to see similar frame rates across different resolutions. Instead, the frame rates drop significantly as the resolution increases. For example, at Medium settings, the FPS goes from 60 at 1080p to 39 at 1440p and 21 at 4K. This scaling is purely a function of GPU load. The CPU is likely rendering the same number of frames per second in each scenario, but the GPU cannot keep up with the increased pixel workload. The CPU's memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s is also a shared resource, but the data suggests the CPU's compute capability is not saturated. The system is GPU-bound in all tested scenarios.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of the combo's performance across all tested settings and resolutions.

At 1920x1080, the results are as follows:

• Low: Average FPS of 80.
• Medium: Average FPS of 60, with a minimum of 51 and a maximum of 69.
• High: Average FPS of 46.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 34.

At 2560x1440, the results are:

• Low: Average FPS of 51.
• Medium: Average FPS of 39, with a minimum of 33 and a maximum of 44.
• High: Average FPS of 29.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 21.

At 3840x2160, the results are:

• Low: Average FPS of 27.
• Medium: Average FPS of 21, with a minimum of 17 and a maximum of 24.
• High: Average FPS of 16.
• Ultra: Average FPS of 11.

The only configuration with a minimum FPS above 30 is the 1080p Medium setting, which has a minimum of 51 FPS. The 1440p Medium setting has a minimum of 33 FPS, which is just above the 30 FPS threshold but still below the 60 FPS target. All other configurations either have no minimum data recorded or imply sub-30 FPS performance based on the average. The 4K configurations are all below 30 FPS on average, making them unsuitable for gameplay. The data clearly shows a steep cliff in performance as resolution increases, with the 1080p Medium setting being the only viable point for a consistent experience.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1080p with Medium settings is the optimal configuration, delivering an average FPS of 60 with a minimum of 51 FPS, which is the only measured setting that reaches the 60 FPS target.

Q: Can this combo run the game at 4K resolution?

A: No. At 4K, the highest average FPS is 27 at Low settings, and the Medium preset only achieves 21 FPS. All 4K configurations average below 30 FPS, making them unplayable.

Q: Which component is the bottleneck in this system?

A: The GPU is the definitive bottleneck. Frame rates scale down dramatically with resolution, indicating GPU limitation. The CPU's performance percentile (68%) is much higher than the GPU's (9%), and the CPU has sufficient benchmark scores to handle the game's logic.

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

A: The Intel Arc B390's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 is only 1.3% faster than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and 1.5% faster than the GeForce 800M, placing it in the performance tier of very old entry-level GPUs.

Q: Is the CPU strong enough for this game?

A: Yes. The Intel Core i5-10400F has 6 cores and 12 threads with a boost clock of 4.30 GHz. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 10283, and its single-core score is 1451, which are sufficient for a 2018 game title.

Q: What is the performance difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the Low preset averages 80 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 34 FPS. This represents a 57.5% drop in performance when moving from the lowest to the highest settings.