Hitman 2

# Hitman 2 with Intel Core i5-12400 + Intel Arc B570

Hitman 2 presents a demanding workload for this pairing, with benchmark results showing a clear progression from playable frame rates at 1080p to a slideshow-like experience at 4K. The Intel Core i5-12400 and Intel Arc B570 combination achieves a combo rank of 2399 out of 3001 tested configurations, placing it in the lower third of all tested system pairings for this title. The data reveals a system that is decisively GPU-limited at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides ample headroom at lower settings where frame rates scale dramatically.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep performance cliff as resolution increases, which is the hallmark of a GPU-bound scenario. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo produces 123 FPS average, but this drops to 79 FPS at 1440p and then to 42 FPS at 4K — a reduction of roughly 36% from 1080p to 1440p and another 47% from 1440p to 4K. This scaling pattern indicates that the Intel Arc B570's rendering throughput is the primary constraint, not the CPU.

When examining High settings, the same trend persists but with lower absolute numbers: 70 FPS at 1080p falls to 45 FPS at 1440p and then to 24 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p is approximately 36%, which aligns closely with the Low settings scaling. However, the drop from 1440p to 4K at High settings is 47%, suggesting that the GPU's memory bandwidth of 380.0 GB/s and its 10 GB GDDR6 frame buffer become increasingly taxed as pixel count grows.

Ultra settings paint an even more constrained picture, with 52 FPS at 1080p collapsing to 33 FPS at 1440p and finally to 18 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is below any playable threshold, and even 1440p Ultra remains marginal. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Ultra represents a 65% performance loss, which is more severe than the 62% loss observed at High settings and the 66% loss at Low settings. This non-linear behavior suggests that memory bandwidth and fill-rate limits (the GPU's pixel rate is 200.0 GPixel/s and texture rate is 360.0 GTexel/s) are being saturated at higher resolutions, with Ultra settings adding further pressure through increased shader complexity.

The Medium preset provides the only complete min/max data in the pack, allowing for a finer-grained analysis. At 1080p Medium, the average is 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS and maximum of 106 FPS; at 1440p Medium, the average drops to 59 FPS with a range of 50 to 68 FPS; and at 4K Medium, the average is 32 FPS with a range of 27 to 36 FPS. The minimum frame rates track closely with the averages — about 85% of the average at each resolution — indicating consistent frame pacing rather than sporadic spikes. This consistency suggests the GPU is operating at a steady utilization ceiling rather than encountering intermittent bottlenecks.

How This Combo Ranks

This pairing ranks 2399th out of 3001 tested combos for Hitman 2, placing it in the bottom 20% of all configurations. That ranking is notable given that the individual components hold respectable standalone positions. The Intel Core i5-12400 sits at the 72nd percentile among all CPUs, and the Intel Arc B570 sits at the 65th percentile among all GPUs. The gap between component-level percentiles and the in-game combo rank indicates that this specific pairing does not translate its raw benchmark strengths into Hitman 2 performance as effectively as other combinations might.

The CPU's nearest rivals based on average benchmark score provide context for its processing headroom. The AMD EPYC 7643 scores 18697 against the i5-12400's 18683, a delta of -0.1% — essentially a tie. The Intel Core i7-1355U is 0.3% ahead, the AMD Ryzen AI 5 330 is 0.7% ahead, and the Intel Core i3-14100F trails by 0.9%. These margins are trivial, meaning the i5-12400's computational capability is on par with a wide range of processors. The game's frame rates, however, do not reflect any CPU limitation — the resolution scaling is far too steep for that.

On the GPU side, the Intel Arc B570's nearest rivals show a similarly tight cluster. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile is 0.1% ahead, the Intel Arc A750 is 0.1% behind, the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M is 0.4% ahead, and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X is 0.5% behind. The Arc B570's average benchmark score of 20556 places its raw compute in the same class as these products, yet Hitman 2's measured results reveal that the game's engine does not consistently extract that theoretical performance. The 4K results in particular suggest that the GPU's 160-bit memory bus and 10 GB frame buffer are limiting factors in this title.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 brings 6 cores and 12 threads to this pairing, built on the Alder Lake architecture with a 10 nm process. Its base clock of 2.50 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz provide the single-thread performance that Hitman 2's stealth gameplay mechanics typically favor. The processor's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 18 MB of shared L3, which supports the kind of rapid data access that game logic and AI routines require.

Synthetic benchmarks show a processor that scales well with thread count. The 3DMark results progress from 910 in single-thread to 1692 in 2-thread, 3012 in 4-thread, 4745 in 8-thread, and 5873 in 16-thread tests, with max-thread scoring 5890. This scaling curve demonstrates that the processor adds meaningful performance up to 8 threads and then plateaus — a pattern consistent with a 6-core/12-thread design where additional logical threads yield diminishing returns. Cinebench R23 scores of 2257 single-core and 15989 multi-core reinforce this picture, as does Geekbench's 1848 single-core and 8564 multi-core.

In Hitman 2, the CPU's role becomes evident when examining the frame rate deltas between Low and Ultra settings at a fixed resolution. At 1080p, the jump from Low (123 FPS) to Ultra (52 FPS) represents a 58% reduction, which is almost entirely attributable to GPU workload. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the Low and Ultra results would be much closer because the CPU work would not scale with graphical settings. The fact that 1080p Low achieves 123 FPS — a number that exceeds the refresh rate of most displays — indicates the i5-12400 can feed frames faster than the Arc B570 can render them at lower settings.

The passmark multi-thread score of 18747 and single-thread score of 3456 further confirm that this CPU is not a bottleneck for Hitman 2. The processor's 65 W TDP and dual-channel DDR4/DDR5 memory support are adequate for the game's requirements, and the 72nd percentile ranking among all CPUs means it outperforms a substantial majority of processors. In this game, the CPU role is to maintain a consistent frame delivery pipeline, which it does admirably — the measured frame rates at 1080p Low and Medium show no signs of CPU-induced stutter or thread saturation.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. Low settings produce an average of 123 FPS, Medium produces 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 and maximum of 106, High produces 70 FPS, and Ultra produces 52 FPS. All four presets at 1080p are technically playable, though Ultra dips below the 60 FPS threshold that many consider the baseline for smooth action. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 71 FPS, which demonstrates the GPU's sensitivity to graphical complexity at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops are substantial. Low settings average 79 FPS, which remains smooth, but Medium falls to 59 FPS with a range of 50 to 68 FPS, High drops to 45 FPS, and Ultra collapses to 33 FPS. The 1440p Medium result is borderline — the minimum of 50 FPS is playable but not ideal for a stealth game where precise timing matters. The 1440p High and Ultra results are both below the 60 FPS threshold, making them less desirable for competitive or precision play.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles across all presets. Low settings average 42 FPS, Medium averages 32 FPS with a range of 27 to 36, High averages 24 FPS, and Ultra averages 18 FPS. None of these results reach the 60 FPS target, and even the Low preset at 4K falls short of a smooth experience. The 4K Medium minimum of 27 FPS and 4K Ultra average of 18 FPS indicate that this resolution is effectively outside the capability envelope of the Intel Arc B570 in this title.

The min/max data available for Medium settings shows that the frame time variance is modest. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 85% of the average; at 1440p Medium, it is 85%; and at 4K Medium, it is 84%. This consistency across resolutions suggests that the GPU is not encountering unpredictable spikes or thermal throttling — it is simply operating at a sustained level of utilization that happens to be below playable thresholds at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of 60 FPS at 1080p with High settings?

A: Yes, the measured data shows 70 FPS average at 1920x1080 with High settings, which exceeds the 60 FPS threshold. The Medium preset achieves 93 FPS, and Low reaches 123 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for this pairing in Hitman 2?

A: The data indicates 1920x1080 is the only resolution where all four presets achieve playable frame rates. At 2560x1440, only Low and Medium presets remain above 50 FPS, while at 3840x2160, even Low settings only reach 42 FPS.

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

A: The Intel Core i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 18683, which is within 0.9% of its closest rivals — the AMD EPYC 7643, Intel Core i7-1355U, AMD Ryzen AI 5 330, and Intel Core i3-14100F. Its percentile rank of 72 indicates it outperforms most CPUs.

Q: Does the GPU bottleneck the CPU at any settings?

A: The steep frame rate drops from Low to Ultra at every resolution indicate GPU limitation. At 1080p Low, the 123 FPS result shows the CPU can deliver frames well beyond what the GPU renders at higher settings.

Q: What 4K performance can be expected?

A: The best 4K result is 42 FPS at Low settings. Medium averages 32 FPS, High averages 24 FPS, and Ultra averages 18 FPS. None of these reach a smooth 60 FPS target.

Q: How consistent are frame times?

A: For the Medium preset, minimum frame rates are approximately 85% of the average at all three resolutions — 79 FPS at 1080p, 50 FPS at 1440p, and 27 FPS at 4K — indicating stable frame pacing without major hitches.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data points to 1920x1080 as the resolution where this combo can deliver a fully satisfactory experience. At 1080p, the High preset achieves 70 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold and offers better visual fidelity than Medium's 93 FPS or Low's 123 FPS. The High preset represents the best balance of image quality and performance for Hitman 2, as it provides a comfortable margin above the playability baseline without the steep performance cost of Ultra.

For players who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, 1080p Ultra at 52 FPS is a viable choice, though the sub-60 FPS average may result in occasional perceptible frame pacing issues in fast-moving scenes. The Ultra preset's 52 FPS is close enough to 60 that most users would find it acceptable, but the 18 FPS drop from High to Ultra is significant — a 35% performance penalty for what is typically a marginal visual improvement.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is the only recommendation, with 59 FPS average and a 50 FPS minimum. The High preset at 45 FPS and Ultra at 33 FPS are below comfortable playability thresholds. The 1440p Low preset at 79 FPS is smooth but sacrifices substantial visual detail; Medium is the better trade-off. For 4K, no preset achieves 60 FPS, so this resolution should be avoided unless the user accepts the 42 FPS Low preset as a compromise for screenshot purposes or non-action gameplay.

The settings hierarchy is consistent across resolutions: Low always delivers roughly 1.3x the frame rate of Medium, Medium delivers about 1.3x High, and High delivers about 1.4x Ultra. These consistent ratios suggest that each preset tier imposes a similar incremental load on the Intel Arc B570, making the relative trade-offs predictable. Given that Hitman 2 is a stealth game where precise movement and timing matter, maintaining at least 50 FPS minimum is advisable; the 1080p High preset (70 FPS average, no reported minimum below playable) and the 1440p Medium preset (59 FPS average, 50 FPS minimum) are the safest choices.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture (Battlemage generation) using a 5 nm TSMC process, with 19,600 million transistors on a 272 mm² die. Its 2304 shading units, 144 TMUs, and 80 ROPs provide the raw compute for Hitman 2's rendering, while 18 ray tracing cores handle any RT effects the game may employ. The GPU's 11.52 TFLOPS FP32 performance and 23.04 TFLOPS FP16 (2:1) are substantial for its class, and the 10 GB GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus delivers 380.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

In Hitman 2, the GPU's role is dominant. The resolution scaling analysis shows that frame rates are almost entirely determined by the Arc B570's output, with the CPU providing no observable constraint. The GPU's 65th percentile ranking and average benchmark score of 20556 place it in a competitive position, but the game's measured results reveal specific limitations. The 160-bit memory bus and 10 GB frame buffer appear to be the constraining factors at higher resolutions, where the 4K results show a disproportionately steep decline compared to the 1080p to 1440p transition.

The GPU's clock behavior is notable: both base and boost clocks are 2500 MHz, which is unusually flat. This suggests the card operates at a consistent frequency under load, which aligns with the consistent frame times observed in the Medium preset data. The 150 W TDP and single 8-pin power connector indicate a power-efficient design that does not require exotic cooling, and the PCIe 4.0 x8 interface provides adequate bandwidth for the game's data transfer needs.

Synthetic benchmarks for the GPU show a mixed profile. The Geekbench Vulkan score of 96844 is strong, but the PassMark DirectX 11 score of 118 and DirectX 12 score of 72 reveal that the card's performance varies significantly by API and workload. The PassMark G3D score of 14195 and GPU compute score of 7281 indicate solid general-purpose compute capability. However, Hitman 2's engine may not fully leverage the card's architectural strengths, as evidenced by the 4K Ultra average of 18 FPS — a result that is below what the GPU's raw FP32 throughput would suggest if perfectly utilized.

The GPU's nearest rivals — the RTX 3070 Mobile, Arc A750, Quadro M4000M, and Radeon R9 M390X — all score within 0.5% of the Arc B570 in average benchmark terms. This tight cluster indicates that the B570 is competitively positioned in raw compute, but Hitman 2's specific rendering paths favor certain architectures over others. The game's 2018 release date may also play a role, as older titles often have optimization quirks that do not align perfectly with newer GPU architectures. For this pairing, the practical conclusion is that the Arc B570 is a capable 1080p GPU for Hitman 2, adequate at 1440p with settings compromises, and insufficient at 4K regardless of settings.