Hitman 2

Hitman 2’s performance with the Intel Core i5-13400F and Intel Arc B580 reveals a configuration that is decisively bound by its graphics card at higher resolutions, yet shows surprising headroom at 1080p. The measured frame rates across the board indicate a pairing where the CPU’s substantial multi-threaded capabilities are often left waiting on the GPU’s output, particularly as pixel counts rise. This data suggests that while the combo ranks in the lower quartile of all tested pairings, its behavior is consistent with a mid-range graphics solution struggling against a demanding stealth title’s shadow and crowd simulations.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and tells a clear story about which component is the limiting factor. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 136.4 at 1920x1080 to 87.7 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 48.7 FPS, and then plummets further to 47.3 at 3840x2160. This represents a 65% loss in performance from the lowest to the highest resolution tested at Low settings. The pattern is consistent across all presets: High settings drop from 80.2 FPS at 1080p to 50.5 at 1440p and finally to 25.4 at 4K. This scaling curve is characteristic of a GPU-limited scenario, where the Arc B580’s rendering throughput, rather than the CPU’s processing speed, dictates the final frame output.

The data implies that the i5-13400F is not the bottleneck at any resolution, but its influence becomes most apparent at 1080p where the GPU has less work to do. The fact that the combo achieves 136.4 FPS at Low 1080p but only 56.4 FPS at Ultra 1080p shows that the graphics card’s fill rate and shading power are the primary constraints. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is a massive 26.7 FPS, highlighting how the GPU’s memory bandwidth and compute units are saturated by the game’s visual effects. This is a classic case where resolution scaling acts as a lever, with the CPU’s 10 cores and 16 threads providing ample headroom to feed frames until the GPU is completely overwhelmed.

How This Combo Ranks

In the broader context of the benchmark database, this specific combination of the Intel Core i5-13400F and Intel Arc B580 holds a combo rank of 1411 out of 1795 tested configurations for Hitman 2. This places it in the bottom 21% of all pairings, which is a surprising result given the individual components’ specifications. The rank suggests that while the CPU is a strong performer in synthetic tests, the GPU’s real-world gaming performance in this title drags the overall combo down significantly. The data indicates that many other combinations, likely featuring more powerful graphics cards, achieve substantially higher frame rates, making this pairing less competitive for high-refresh-rate or high-fidelity gaming.

The percentile ranking for the GPU alone is 66, meaning it outperforms 66% of all GPUs in the database’s aggregate benchmarks, yet the in-game combo ranking is much lower. This discrepancy underscores how Hitman 2’s specific engine demands, particularly its handling of large crowds and complex lighting, can penalize GPUs that perform well in other synthetic workloads. The i5-13400F’s own percentile of 82 shows it is a well-above-average processor, but its partner’s limitations cap the overall experience. This combo confirms the idea that a strong CPU cannot compensate for a GPU that is overtaxed by a game’s specific rendering path.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B580, with its 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, provides a bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the data shows it struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K Ultra, where the average dips to 20.6 FPS. The GPU’s boost clock is fixed at 2670 MHz, a relatively high frequency, yet its raw compute power of 13.67 TFLOPS appears insufficient for the game’s highest preset at dense resolutions. The 80 ROPs and 160 TMUs are tasked with handling the game’s pixel and texture output, and the benchmark results suggest they are saturated quickly as resolution increases.

The VRAM capacity of 12 GB is notable, but the measured FPS suggests that memory size is not the limiting factor here. Instead, the GPU’s overall throughput is the constraint, as evidenced by the linear scaling of frame rates with resolution changes. The card’s performance relative to its nearest rivals is telling: it is only 0.1% faster than the AMD Radeon 760M and 0.3% faster than the NVIDIA P106-100, but 0.7% slower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060. In Hitman 2, this places the Arc B580 in a competitive but not dominant position, and the data implies that its architecture is more efficient at lower resolutions where the memory bandwidth can be utilized more effectively.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the configuration demonstrates a wide range of performance depending on the preset. Low settings produce an average of 136.4 FPS, which is highly playable and indicates CPU headroom. Medium settings reduce this to 105.9 FPS, still smooth for most displays. High settings yield 80.2 FPS, which is respectable, but Ultra drops significantly to 56.4 FPS. This 80 FPS spread between Low and Ultra at 1080p shows that the GPU’s shading units are the primary variable, with the CPU able to maintain high frame delivery even at the lowest preset.

Moving to 2560x1440, the numbers compress and shift downward. Low settings average 87.7 FPS, a 35.7% drop from 1080p Low, while High settings deliver 50.5 FPS and Ultra falls to 40.1 FPS. The gap between presets narrows, indicating that the GPU is becoming the bottleneck for all settings. At 3840x2160, the situation becomes critical. Low settings struggle to maintain 47.3 FPS, which is borderline for smooth gameplay, while High drops to 25.4 FPS and Ultra becomes nearly unplayable at 20.6 FPS. The data shows that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combo at any setting, as even the lowest preset fails to reach 60 FPS.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, the measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 80.2, which exceeds the 60 FPS threshold. However, at Ultra settings, the average drops to 56.4 FPS, which is below 60 FPS.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rival, the RTX 4060?

A: The Intel Arc B580’s average benchmark score is 23021, which is 0.7% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060’s score of 23181. This indicates a very close performance level in synthetic tests.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to maintain a high refresh rate?

A: To achieve an average FPS above 100, the only viable option is 1920x1080 with Low or Medium settings, which produce 136.4 and 105.9 FPS respectively. At 1440p, even Low settings only reach 87.7 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU’s performance create a bottleneck at 4K Ultra settings?

A: No, the data indicates the opposite. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 20.6, which is extremely low and suggests the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU’s high multi-threaded score of 21279 in Cinebench R23 indicates it has plenty of processing power left unused.

Q: How does the combo’s overall rank compare to the individual component rankings?

A: The combo ranks 1411 out of 1795, which is in the bottom 21%. The CPU’s percentile is 82 and the GPU’s percentile is 66, both of which are higher than the combo’s overall in-game rank.

Q: Is there a significant difference between Medium and High presets at 1440p?

A: Yes, there is a 14.4 FPS difference. Medium settings average 64.9 FPS, while High settings average 50.5 FPS. This makes Medium a more suitable choice for smoother gameplay at 1440p.

Settings Recommendations

For players seeking the best balance between visual quality and frame rate, the data points to 1920x1080 with Medium settings as the most optimal choice. This configuration yields an average of 105.9 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS standard and provides a fluid experience for a stealth game where quick reactions are sometimes necessary. The jump from Medium to High at 1080p costs 25.7 FPS, which is a significant trade-off for marginal visual improvements. Given that the game is playable at High with an 80.2 FPS average, users with 60Hz displays could opt for this preset, but those with higher refresh rate monitors will find Medium to be the sweet spot.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation shifts to Low settings, which produce an 87.7 FPS average. This is the only preset at this resolution that offers a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. Medium at 1440p dips to 64.9 FPS, which is close to the threshold but may experience occasional drops in busy scenes. For 4K gaming, no preset provides a playable experience, as even Low settings only manage 47.3 FPS. Therefore, the data strongly suggests that users should stick to 1080p or 1440p with lower presets to avoid the severe frame rate penalties seen at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. Its substantial L3 cache of 20 MB shared across the cores helps with game logic and asset streaming. In Hitman 2, the CPU’s role is to handle the AI-driven crowd simulations and physics calculations, which are known to be demanding. The benchmark results show that the CPU is not a limiting factor in this pairing, as the frame rates scale primarily with resolution and graphical preset, not with CPU load. The processor’s multi-threaded performance in Cinebench R23, scoring 21279, is strong, and its single-thread score of 3004 suggests it can handle the game’s primary game thread without issue.

The data indicates that at 1080p Low, where the GPU has the least work, the FPS reaches 136.4, which is likely near the CPU’s maximum frame delivery limit for this game. However, the CPU’s performance is more than sufficient for the GPU’s output at higher settings. The comparison to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D, shows a delta of -0.5%, meaning the i5-13400F is slightly slower in average benchmark score. Yet, in this game, the CPU’s performance is not the deciding factor. The 65W TDP and 10 nm process node indicate an efficient processor that can sustain its boost clocks under load, providing consistent frame times that allow the GPU to work without stutter. This is a case where the CPU is a silent partner, enabling the GPU to be the sole determinant of visual fidelity and frame rate.