Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the Intel Arc B580 produces a specific performance profile in Hitman 2 that is heavily dictated by resolution and graphical presets. The measured data reveals a system capable of high refresh rates at 1080p but one that struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K with higher settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve a 60 FPS average or higher?

A: At 1920x1080, all presets except Ultra exceed 58.5 FPS, with Low hitting 140.7 FPS, Medium at 104.9 FPS, and High at 81.7 FPS. At 2560x1440, only the Low preset (91.4 FPS) and Medium preset (67.3 FPS) achieve an average above 60 FPS.

Q: How significant is the performance drop between the High and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: The drop is substantial. At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 48.8 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 37.4 FPS. This represents a difference of 11.4 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset imposes a significant additional load over High.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B580 more of a bottleneck at 4K or at 1080p in this game?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the limiting factor at 4K. At 3840x2160, even the Low preset only averages 49.1 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages just 22.3 FPS. In contrast, at 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom to push the GPU to 140.7 FPS on the Low preset.

Q: What is the average FPS difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: The difference is 82.2 FPS. The Low preset averages 140.7 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 58.5 FPS, showing that the Ultra preset more than halves the frame rate.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 1383 out of 1795 tested combinations. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the database, indicating that while it can deliver smooth performance at lower settings, it is not a top-tier configuration for Hitman 2.

Q: Does the data show this combo can handle 4K gaming at any setting?

A: No. The highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 49.1 on the Low preset. The High preset averages 25.2 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 22.3 FPS, both of which are below playable thresholds for most users.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-14600KF is a 14-core processor with 20 threads, built on the Raptor Lake architecture. Its 24 MB of shared L3 cache and boost clock of 5.30 GHz are key attributes for gaming workloads. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 32889 and single-core score of 4643 indicate strong processing capabilities that should not bottleneck a mid-range GPU in most scenarios.

In Hitman 2, the CPU’s role becomes evident when examining the scaling between presets at 1080p. The jump from Low (140.7 FPS) to Medium (104.9 FPS) is a 35.8 FPS drop, while the jump from High (81.7 FPS) to Ultra (58.5 FPS) is a 23.2 FPS drop. This non-linear scaling suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at high frame rates, but the game’s engine becomes more demanding on the graphics card as settings increase.

The processor’s performance relative to its rivals shows it is a well-balanced part. It sits 0.4% ahead of the Intel Core i5-14600K and 0.6% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X in average benchmark scores. This indicates that the 14600KF is not a limiting factor in this pairing; its computational headroom allows the Arc B580 to operate at its full potential, particularly at lower resolutions where the CPU must prepare frames quickly.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B580 is built on the Xe2-HPG architecture and features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is locked at 2670 MHz. The GPU’s 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3068 and Passmark G3D score of 15748 place it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs, indicating a solid mid-range performer.

The B580’s memory capacity and bandwidth are crucial for Hitman 2 at higher resolutions. At 3840x2160 with the High preset, the average FPS is 25.2, while at 1080p High it is 81.7. This dramatic scaling highlights that the GPU is the dominant bottleneck at 4K. The data shows the GPU’s performance is closely matched with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, which is 0.7% ahead in average benchmark scores, and the AMD Radeon 760M, which is 0.1% behind.

The GPU’s compute capabilities, measured at 13.67 TFLOPS FP32, are sufficient for 1080p gaming at high settings but are overwhelmed by the pixel throughput required at 4K. The pixel rate of 213.6 GPixel/s is a limiting factor when rendering Hitman 2’s detailed environments at ultra-high resolutions. The data implies that the B580 is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where its VRAM and bandwidth can be effectively utilized.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data provides a clear hierarchy for optimal settings based on the target resolution. For 1920x1080, the High preset offers the best balance, averaging 81.7 FPS. While the Medium preset is faster at 104.9 FPS, the High preset provides better visual fidelity without sacrificing the smoothness expected for a stealth game. The Ultra preset at 58.5 FPS is borderline, and players seeking a locked 60 FPS experience may find it inconsistent.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, yielding an average of 67.3 FPS. The Low preset is faster at 91.4 FPS but likely compromises visual clarity. The High preset at 48.8 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold, making it less desirable for action sequences. The Ultra preset at 37.4 FPS is not recommended for competitive or fluid gameplay.

For 3840x2160, no preset achieves a 60 FPS average. The Low preset is the only option that approaches playability at 49.1 FPS, but users should expect significant compromises in visual quality. The data indicates that 4K gaming is not viable on this combo for Hitman 2, and users should either lower the resolution or accept sub-50 FPS performance.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific configuration of the Intel Core i5-14600KF and Intel Arc B580 ranks 1383 out of 1795 tested combos for Hitman 2. This places it in the 23rd percentile of all tested systems, meaning that 412 other configurations performed worse. The rank reflects the GPU’s mid-range standing, as the CPU is a high-end part that is not holding the system back.

The ranking implies that while the CPU is a strong performer—sitting in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs—the GPU’s 66th percentile standing drags the overall combo down. The data suggests that pairing this CPU with a more powerful GPU would yield a significantly higher rank. However, within the context of this GPU’s capabilities, the system performs as expected for a mid-range gaming rig, particularly at 1080p where it can deliver high frame rates.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data shows a consistent pattern across all resolutions: Lower settings yield higher frame rates, and the gap widens as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are 140.7 FPS (Low), 104.9 FPS (Medium), 81.7 FPS (High), and 58.5 FPS (Ultra). The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline, with the Ultra preset being 58.4% slower than Low.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 91.4 FPS (Low), 67.3 FPS (Medium), 48.8 FPS (High), and 37.4 FPS (Ultra). The relative performance gap between settings remains similar to 1080p, but the absolute numbers are lower. The High to Ultra drop of 11.4 FPS is notable, suggesting that Ultra settings introduce effects that heavily tax the GPU.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 49.1 FPS (Low), 37.6 FPS (Medium), 25.2 FPS (High), and 22.3 FPS (Ultra). The Low preset is the only one that stays above 30 FPS, and the Ultra preset is nearly unplayable. The difference between High and Ultra at 4K is only 2.9 FPS, indicating that the GPU is fully saturated and the additional settings have diminishing returns.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear picture of the system’s bottlenecks. At the Low preset, the average FPS drops from 140.7 at 1920x1080 to 91.4 at 2560x1440, a 35.0% decrease, and further to 49.1 at 3840x2160, a 65.1% decrease from 1080p. This scaling is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, where increasing the pixel count directly impacts render time.

At the Ultra preset, the average FPS drops from 58.5 at 1080p to 37.4 at 1440p, a 36.1% decrease, and to 22.3 at 4K, a 61.9% decrease from 1080p. The similarity in percentage drops across presets suggests that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at all resolutions. The CPU’s performance is sufficient to keep up, as evidenced by the high frame rates at 1080p Low, which approach the GPU’s maximum output.

The data implies that the Intel Arc B580 is the component that dictates the system’s performance ceiling in Hitman 2. The CPU has ample headroom, as shown by its ability to maintain 140.7 FPS at 1080p Low. Users looking to improve 4K performance would need to reduce settings significantly, as the current configuration cannot handle the pixel throughput required for high-fidelity 4K gaming.