Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the Intel Arc B570 presents a compelling mid-range combination for Hitman 2, a stealth title from 2018. The measured data shows a system that delivers playable frame rates at mainstream resolutions but struggles to maintain smooth performance at 4K with higher detail settings. This analysis breaks down the performance characteristics, scaling behavior, and practical settings for this specific hardware pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and revealing. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces an average of 70 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops that to 45 FPS, and at 4K it falls to 24 FPS. That represents a 66% reduction in average frame rate from 1080p to 4K at High settings. The scaling pattern is similar across other settings, but the absolute numbers tell a clear story about where this system's limits lie.

The data indicates the Arc B570 becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 123 FPS average, which suggests the CPU is feeding frames efficiently. The i5-14600K has the headroom to push well beyond 120 FPS in this scene, but the GPU's rendering capacity caps the output. At 4K Low, the average drops to 42 FPS, a 66% reduction from the 1080p Low result. This is a classic sign of GPU-bound performance, where the graphics card's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the limiting factors.

The scaling from Medium to High at each resolution is also informative. At 1080p, Medium averages 93 FPS and High averages 70 FPS, a 23 FPS gap. At 1440p, the same settings gap is 14 FPS (59 vs 45). At 4K, the gap narrows to 8 FPS (32 vs 24). As resolution climbs, the GPU work per frame increases, and the relative cost of moving from Medium to High shrinks because the pixel throughput dominates. This suggests that at 4K, even dropping from High to Medium only recovers a modest 8 FPS, while dropping from High to Low recovers 18 FPS.

The Ultra preset is the outlier. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 52 FPS, which is 18 FPS below High. At 1440p Ultra, it falls to 33 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it bottoms out at 18 FPS. The Ultra preset appears to include effects that are disproportionately expensive on this GPU architecture, given the large jump in cost from High. For a smooth experience, the data clearly points away from Ultra at any resolution above 1080p.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K is a 14-core, 20-thread processor based on Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its benchmark scores place it in the 90th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 48618. For Hitman 2, a game that is not heavily threaded, this CPU provides substantial single-thread headroom, evidenced by a Geekbench single-core score of 2491 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2064.

The CPU's role in this combo is to ensure the GPU is fed with frames, and the data shows it does so effectively at 1080p. The 123 FPS average at Low settings indicates the CPU can drive high frame rates without being the limiting factor. The nearest rival comparisons show the i5-14600K is 0.7% ahead of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245HX and 0.3% ahead of the AMD EPYC 4345P in average benchmark score, while being 0.2% behind the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H and 0.8% behind the Intel Core Ultra 5 245. These are marginal differences, meaning the CPU's performance class is well-established.

The multi-threaded capabilities of this CPU, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 24491 and a Passmark multithread score of 38682, are not fully utilized by Hitman 2, but they ensure the system handles background tasks and other modern workloads without contention. The 24 MB of shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 cache provide ample data locality for the game's AI and physics calculations. In practice, the benchmark results indicate that the CPU is never the bottleneck at any resolution tested, as the FPS drops are consistent with GPU-bound scaling.

The data suggests that the i5-14600K is overqualified for this game at 1080p, where the Arc B570 limits performance. However, this CPU headroom is not wasted; it means the system can handle future game updates or more demanding titles without needing a processor upgrade. The 125W TDP and 10nm process node are standard for this performance class, and the CPU's active production status confirms ongoing availability.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Hitman 2 at 60 FPS on 4K?

A: No. The best 4K result is 42 FPS at Low settings. Medium averages 32 FPS, and High averages 24 FPS. No tested setting achieves 60 FPS at 3840x2160.

Q: What is the best resolution for consistent high frame rates?

A: 1080p is the only resolution where all settings exceed 50 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the average is 93 FPS, and at High, it is 70 FPS. 1440p is playable only at Low (79 FPS) or Medium (59 FPS).

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 33 FPS, which is 12 FPS lower than High's 45 FPS. The gap is significant and suggests Ultra is not practical at this resolution.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1080p Low?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU is capable of higher frame rates, but the Arc B570 caps the output at 123 FPS average. This is evident from the steep FPS drops as resolution increases, which is characteristic of GPU-bound performance.

Q: What is the frame time consistency at 1440p Medium?

A: The measured data shows a minimum of 50 FPS and a maximum of 68 FPS, with an average of 59 FPS. This indicates a stable experience, with the minimum still above the 30 FPS playability threshold.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: This combo ranks 2399 out of 3001 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places it in the lower half of all tested systems, reflecting the Arc B570's mid-range GPU performance relative to other configurations.

Settings Recommendations

For a balance of visual quality and playability, the data points to 1080p Medium as the sweet spot. The 93 FPS average is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and the minimum of 79 FPS ensures no noticeable stutters. The jump from Medium to High at 1080p costs 23 FPS (from 93 to 70), which is a significant reduction for marginal visual gains. If you prefer higher detail, 1080p High at 70 FPS is still playable, but the headroom for drops is smaller.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is the only option that maintains a consistent 60 FPS experience, averaging 59 FPS with a minimum of 50 FPS. The Low preset at 1440p averages 79 FPS, which is smoother but sacrifices visual fidelity. The High preset at 1440p drops to 45 FPS, which is playable but may feel less fluid in fast-paced stealth sequences. For 1440p, Medium is the recommended preset, as it offers a good compromise between detail and performance.

At 4K, no setting achieves 60 FPS. The Low preset averages 42 FPS, which is the only option that approaches playability, though it will feel less smooth. The Medium preset at 32 FPS is borderline, and High and Ultra are not recommended due to sub-30 FPS averages. If you must play at 4K, the Low preset is the only viable choice, but the experience will be compromised.

The Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution. At 1080p, it averages 52 FPS, which is acceptable but 18 FPS lower than High. At 1440p, it drops to 33 FPS, and at 4K, it falls to 18 FPS. The performance cost of Ultra is disproportionate to its visual benefit, and the measured data shows that High provides a better experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-14600K + Intel Arc B570 combination ranks 2399 out of 3001 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places it in the bottom 20% of all tested systems. This ranking is driven primarily by the GPU's performance, as the CPU is well above average for gaming workloads. The Arc B570's average benchmark score is 20556, placing it in the 65th percentile among all GPUs, but its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile and the Intel Arc A750, which are both older or lower-tier parts.

The combo's rank is a reflection of the GPU's limitations at higher resolutions. The data shows that the i5-14600K is not the bottleneck, as its CPU percentile is 90, meaning it outperforms 90% of all CPUs. The GPU's 65th percentile is the limiting factor. This indicates that for Hitman 2, upgrading the GPU would yield a larger performance gain than upgrading the CPU.

The measured FPS data confirms this ranking. At 1080p, the combo performs adequately, but at 1440p and 4K, it falls behind more powerful configurations. The nearest GPU rival, the Intel Arc A750, has a nearly identical average benchmark score (20582 vs 20556), which suggests similar in-game performance. This places the B570 in a specific performance tier, and the combo's rank reflects that tier's position within the tested pool.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160 (4K), the measured average FPS values are as follows:

• Low: 42 FPS
• Medium: 32 FPS (minimum 27, maximum 36)
• High: 24 FPS
• Ultra: 18 FPS

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the measured average FPS values are:

• Low: 79 FPS
• Medium: 59 FPS (minimum 50, maximum 68)
• High: 45 FPS
• Ultra: 33 FPS

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the measured average FPS values are:

• Low: 123 FPS
• Medium: 93 FPS (minimum 79, maximum 106)
• High: 70 FPS
• Ultra: 52 FPS

The data shows a consistent pattern across all settings. The step from Low to Medium costs roughly 20-25% performance at each resolution, while the step from Medium to High costs another 20-25%. The step from High to Ultra is the most expensive, costing roughly 25-35% performance. The minimum and maximum FPS values for Medium settings show a tight range, indicating stable frame pacing, with the 1080p minimum at 79 FPS and the 4K minimum at 27 FPS.

The resolution scaling is linear in terms of pixel count: 1080p has 2.07 megapixels, 1440p has 3.68 megapixels, and 4K has 8.29 megapixels. The FPS drops are roughly proportional to this pixel increase, confirming that the GPU is the primary constraint. The CPU's performance is sufficient to maintain these frame rates, as evidenced by the 123 FPS result at 1080p Low, which is well above the refresh rate of most monitors. This breakdown provides a clear picture for any user considering this hardware combination for Hitman 2.