Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-14600K paired with the Intel Arc B580 presents a mid-range combination for Hitman 2, a 2018 stealth title. The measured data shows a system capable of smooth 1080p and 1440p play, but one that is clearly constrained by the graphics card at higher resolutions and settings. This analysis breaks down the benchmark results, focusing on how the CPU and GPU characteristics shape the performance profile.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings, revealing a classic GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 77 FPS at 1920x1080 to 53.4 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 23.6 FPS. Moving to 3840x2160, the frame rate plummets further to 24.6 FPS, representing a 68% decrease from the 1080p baseline. This pattern is even more pronounced at Ultra settings, where the 57.4 FPS at 1080p drops to 39.8 FPS at 1440p and finally to an unplayable 19.1 FPS at 4K.

The scaling behavior indicates that the Intel Arc B580 is the limiting factor as resolution increases. The GPU's 13.67 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 456.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth are insufficient to maintain high frame rates when pixel count quadruples. The low settings at 4K, which achieve 48.4 FPS, show that even when the graphical load is reduced, the card struggles to reach 60 FPS at this resolution. This contrasts with the 1080p Low result of 142 FPS, where the CPU's strong single-thread performance of 4642 in Cinebench R23 single-core allows the GPU to operate near its peak output. The data suggests that 1920x1080 is the sweet spot for this combination, with 1440p being viable only at lower presets.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B580's specifications directly explain its performance in Hitman 2. With 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 80 ROPs, the card has a solid foundation for rasterized game rendering. The 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides a 456.0 GB/s bandwidth, which is ample for a game from 2018. However, the architecture's performance in this title is moderate, as evidenced by its 66th percentile ranking among all GPUs.

The GPU's benchmark scores align with the measured frame rates. The PassMark G3D score of 15748 and the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3068 place it in a competitive but not top-tier position. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, has an average benchmark score of 23181, which is 0.7% higher than the Arc B580's 23021. This marginal difference in synthetic tests translates to the observed gaming performance, where the card is capable but not exceptional. The clock speeds, with a base and boost of 2670 MHz, are consistent, but the card's 190 W TDP suggests it operates within a moderate power envelope, potentially limiting sustained boost clocks under heavy loads.

In Hitman 2, the GPU's role is most critical at 4K. The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 yields only 19.1 FPS, while the High preset at the same resolution produces 24.6 FPS. This indicates that the card's pixel fill rate and shading capacity are overwhelmed by the combination of high resolution and intensive effects. Conversely, at 1080p, the GPU is more than sufficient, with the Low preset hitting 142 FPS, showing that the card can deliver high refresh rates when the CPU is not the bottleneck.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600K provides robust processing power that prevents it from being a bottleneck in most scenarios. With 14 cores and 20 threads, the CPU has substantial multi-threaded capability, scoring 32881 in Cinebench R23 multi-core. This places it in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 49166. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X, scores 49062, a mere 0.2% difference, indicating the i5-14600K is statistically on par with a high-end 16-core part.

The CPU's single-core performance is equally strong, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4642 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2803. This is crucial for Hitman 2, a game that often relies on a few heavily loaded threads for game logic and AI. The base clock of 3.50 GHz and boost clock of 5.30 GHz provide excellent responsiveness. However, the data shows that the CPU's influence on FPS diminishes as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the 142 FPS result demonstrates the CPU's ability to feed the GPU efficiently. At 4K Ultra, the 19.1 FPS result is entirely GPU-limited, as the CPU has ample headroom to process frames that the GPU cannot render quickly enough.

The CPU's 24 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support for DDR4 and DDR5 help maintain low latency access to game data. Its PassMark multi-thread score of 38682 and integer math score of 125737 further confirm its capability for general processing tasks. In this specific combination, the i5-14600K is not the limiting factor; the data consistently points to the Arc B580 as the component that defines the performance ceiling.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution. For a 60 FPS target, the data shows that only the 1920x1080 resolution with Medium settings (106.9 FPS) or better is suitable. The High preset at 1080p achieves 77 FPS, providing a good balance of visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset at 1080p, at 57.4 FPS, is just below the 60 FPS threshold but is still playable for most users.

At 2560x1440, the High preset delivers 53.4 FPS, which is acceptable for slower-paced stealth games but not ideal for fast action. The Medium preset at 1440p, with 65.8 FPS, is the recommended choice for a smoother experience at this resolution. The Low preset at 1440p, at 88.4 FPS, is the only way to achieve a high refresh rate, but it sacrifices visual fidelity. The 4K resolution is not recommended for this combination, as even the Low preset (48.4 FPS) fails to reach 60 FPS, and the High preset (24.6 FPS) is barely playable. The Ultra preset at 4K, at 19.1 FPS, should be avoided entirely.

The data suggests that the best overall experience is at 1080p with High settings, offering a 77 FPS average that balances the visual enhancements of the High preset with the GPU's capabilities. For users prioritizing frame rate, the Medium preset at 1440p provides a solid 65.8 FPS without the visual degradation of the Low preset.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU/GPU combo in Hitman 2?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the most effective resolution. At High settings, it achieves 77 FPS, and even the Ultra preset yields 57.4 FPS. Higher resolutions show significant performance drops, with 1440p High at 53.4 FPS and 4K High at 24.6 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Hitman 2?

A: Not at playable frame rates. The best 4K result is the Low preset at 48.4 FPS. The High preset at 4K drops to 24.6 FPS, and Ultra is at 19.1 FPS, all below the 60 FPS target.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B580 compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021, which is 0.7% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060's 23181. The AMD Radeon 760M is nearly identical at 22999, a 0.1% difference.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU scores in the 93rd percentile, while the GPU is in the 66th percentile. At 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 19.1 FPS, which is a GPU limitation, as the CPU has sufficient headroom.

Q: What is the highest FPS recorded in the benchmark data?

A: The highest average FPS is 142, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This demonstrates the CPU's ability to drive high frame rates when the GPU workload is low.

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

A: At 1920x1080, the High preset averages 77 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 57.4 FPS. This represents a 19.6 FPS drop for the increased visual quality of the Ultra preset.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data presents all measured average FPS values for the Intel Core i5-14600K and Intel Arc B580 combination in Hitman 2.

1920x1080:

• Low: 142 FPS
• Medium: 106.9 FPS
• High: 77 FPS
• Ultra: 57.4 FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: 88.4 FPS
• Medium: 65.8 FPS
• High: 53.4 FPS
• Ultra: 39.8 FPS

3840x2160:

• Low: 48.4 FPS
• Medium: 37.5 FPS
• High: 24.6 FPS
• Ultra: 19.1 FPS

The data shows a clear progression: at each resolution, lowering the preset increases the frame rate, and at each preset, lowering the resolution increases the frame rate. The most significant jump occurs when moving from 1440p to 1080p at Low settings, where the FPS increases from 88.4 to 142, a 53.6 FPS improvement. The least impactful change is from High to Ultra at 4K, where the FPS only drops from 24.6 to 19.1. This comprehensive breakdown confirms that the system is best utilized at 1080p, with diminishing returns as resolution and settings increase. The combination's overall rank of 1392 out of 1795 tested combos reflects this mid-range positioning, capable of solid performance in less demanding configurations but not a high-end powerhouse.