Hitman 2

# Hitman 2 with Intel Core i9-14900K + Intel Arc B390

The pairing of Intel's flagship 24-core Raptor Lake desktop processor with an integrated Xe3-LPG graphics solution produces a notably lopsided configuration for Hitman 2, where the CPU's exceptional compute headroom is throttled by a GPU that ranks in the 9th percentile among all tested graphics cards. Benchmark results across three resolutions and four quality presets reveal a system that is consistently GPU-limited, with frame rates that range from a barely playable 80 FPS at 1080p Low to an unplayable 11 FPS at 4K Ultra. The measured data indicates that this combination is best suited for lower-resolution, lower-detail gameplay, as the Intel Arc B390's integrated nature and shared memory architecture create a hard ceiling on performance that no amount of CPU capability can overcome.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep and consistent performance drop as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, which is the hallmark of a GPU-bound configuration. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 46 FPS at 1080p to 29 FPS at 1440p, then further to 16 FPS at 4K — a cumulative reduction of approximately 65% from the starting point. This pattern is even more pronounced at Low settings, where 80 FPS at 1080p drops to 51 FPS at 1440p and finally to 27 FPS at 4K, representing a 66% total decline. The scaling behavior indicates that pixel throughput, not geometry or draw-call processing, is the limiting factor, as the Arc B390's 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate and 120.0 GTexel/s texture rate are simply insufficient to maintain frame rates as the render target grows.

The resolution scaling curve becomes steeper at higher quality presets, which is a second indicator of GPU saturation. From 1080p to 4K, the Ultra preset falls from 34 FPS to 11 FPS, a 68% reduction, while Medium falls from 60 FPS to 21 FPS, a 65% drop. The similarity of these percentage drops across presets suggests that the GPU is operating at its architectural limits regardless of settings, and that the additional shading work at higher presets is not the primary bottleneck — the sheer number of pixels is. The fixed-function ROP count of 24, combined with a 2500 MHz boost clock, yields a pixel throughput that is the decisive constraint, and the data shows that no quality preset can escape this limitation at 4K, where even Low settings only manage 27 FPS.

The transition from 1080p to 1440p is particularly punishing relative to the 1440p-to-4K step. At High settings, 1080p to 1440p loses 17 FPS (46 to 29), while 1440p to 4K loses 13 FPS (29 to 16) — the first step is the larger absolute loss despite the smaller pixel-count increase. This nonlinearity suggests the GPU is operating near a throughput cliff around the 1440p mark, where the combination of fragment shading and memory bandwidth (labeled "System Dependent" in the specifications) begins to collapse. This is consistent with a shared-memory IGP architecture, where system memory bandwidth becomes a secondary bottleneck as resolution increases, compounding the pixel-rate limitation.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i9-14900K brings substantial compute resources to this pairing, with 24 cores and 32 threads based on Raptor Lake architecture on a 10 nm process. Its benchmark results are emphatic: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 39399.5 places it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, and its Geekbench multi-core score of 21697 confirms strong parallel throughput. The single-core performance is equally robust, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2262.5 and a 6.00 GHz boost clock that ensures rapid response in lightly threaded workloads. For Hitman 2, a stealth game that typically uses a handful of threads for AI, physics, and game logic, this CPU is dramatically over-provisioned — the game's demands are nowhere near the CPU's 36 MB shared L3 cache and 2 MB per-core L2 capacity.

The measured frame rates prove that the CPU is not the constraint in this configuration. At 1080p Low, the 80 FPS result is the highest recorded across all settings and resolutions, yet even this is modest for a CPU with a PassMark single-thread score of 4697 and a PassMark physics score of 3140. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect frame rates to remain flat or decline only slightly as resolution increases, since the game logic and draw-call submission load would stay constant. Instead, the FPS drops precipitously with resolution, which is the exact signature of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU's 125 W TDP and 24 cores are simply waiting on the GPU to deliver frames, and the data shows no scenario where CPU throughput limits the result.

The CPU's nearest rivals in aggregate benchmark scores — the Intel Core i9-14900KF at 0.3% higher score, the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus at 0.6% higher, and the AMD EPYC 7413 at 1.2% higher — are all within a 1.2% band, confirming that the i9-14900K is at the zenith of CPU performance. Its 1.7% advantage over the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 further cements its position. However, in the context of Hitman 2 with this GPU, these CPU differences are immaterial; the frame rates would be identical with any of these rivals because the Arc B390's 1482 average 3DMark Steel Nomad score is the limiting factor. The CPU's role is therefore to ensure zero frame-time stalls from game logic, which it does with overwhelming margin, but it cannot compensate for the GPU's rendering deficit.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture on a 3 nm process, with 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units. Its specifications reveal a design aimed at efficiency rather than raw performance: a 300 MHz base clock and 2500 MHz boost clock, a 80 W TDP, and no dedicated memory — instead using "System Shared" memory with bandwidth described as "System Dependent." The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482 places it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are all legacy NVIDIA parts: the GeForce GT 520MX (1.3% slower), GeForce 800M (1.5% slower), GeForce GT 625 OEM (2.5% slower), and GeForce GT 710 (2.7% slower). This is a GPU that is positioned at the very bottom of the performance hierarchy, and the Hitman 2 data reflects that reality.

In a game like Hitman 2, the GPU's responsibilities include scene rendering, shadow mapping, reflections, and post-processing — all of which are heavily dependent on fill rate and memory bandwidth. The Arc B390's 7.680 TFLOPS FP32 throughput is theoretically adequate for 1080p gaming at low-to-medium settings, and the measured 80 FPS at 1080p Low confirms this. However, the shared memory architecture is a severe liability, as the system memory bandwidth is not specialized for graphics workloads, and the "System Dependent" bandwidth means performance varies with the platform's memory configuration. The 4K results — 27 FPS at Low, 21 FPS at Medium, 16 FPS at High, and 11 FPS at Ultra — are all well below playability thresholds, demonstrating that the GPU cannot sustain the pixel and texture fetch rates required at that resolution.

The GPU's thermal and power envelope is remarkably modest at 80 W, and its IGP form factor means no power connectors or discrete slot width, which makes it an odd pairing with a 125 W desktop CPU. The data shows that the GPU's 60.00 GPixel/s pixel rate and 120.0 GTexel/s texture rate are the binding constraints across all measured configurations. The RT cores (12) and DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) are present in the specification, but the frame rates indicate that ray-traced effects, if enabled, would be utterly unplayable. The GPU's percentile ranking of 9 versus the CPU's 95 creates a massive imbalance, and the measured FPS values are the direct consequence of this GPU bottleneck.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i9-14900K and Intel Arc B390 ranks 2662 out of 3001 tested combos in Hitman 2, placing it in the bottom 11% of all system configurations. This ranking is unsurprising given the GPU's 9th percentile position, but it is notable that the combo does not rank even lower — the CPU's high performance likely prevents the system from falling into the bottom 5%, as the game's CPU overhead is minimal and the i9-14900K handles it effortlessly. The rank of 2662 means that 2661 other CPU-GPU pairings deliver higher frame rates in this game, and only 339 combos perform worse, which are likely systems with similarly weak GPUs paired with less capable CPUs.

The delta between the CPU's 95th percentile and the GPU's 9th percentile creates a configuration where the combo rank is almost entirely determined by the GPU. The data shows that the i9-14900K's nearest CPU rivals — the i9-14900KF, Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus, and EPYC 7413 — would all produce identical or near-identical combo rankings when paired with the same GPU, because the GPU is the bottleneck in every resolution and settings combination. Conversely, pairing this CPU with a higher-performing GPU would dramatically improve the combo rank, as the CPU has ample headroom to feed a much faster graphics card. The fact that this combo sits at 2662 out of 3001 is a direct reflection of the GPU's low absolute performance, not any deficiency in the CPU.

The rank also suggests that for a game released in 2018, the Arc B390 is insufficient for modern expectations at higher resolutions. The 4K Ultra result of 11 FPS is below the threshold for even a slideshow-like experience, and the 1440p High result of 29 FPS is marginal at best. Only the 1080p Low and Medium results (80 and 60 FPS) approach what most users would consider playable, and even these are not consistently smooth, as the Medium preset's min FPS of 51 indicates potential frame-time spikes. The combo rank of 2662 thus encapsulates a system that is only viable at the lowest resolution and settings combinations, and users seeking higher fidelity would need to consider a discrete GPU.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the highest average frame rates are observed: 80 FPS at Low, 60 FPS at Medium, 46 FPS at High, and 34 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset provides the only measured min/max range at this resolution (51 to 69 FPS), which suggests a relatively stable experience, whereas the other presets have no min/max data recorded. The step from Low to Medium is a 20 FPS drop, from Medium to High is a 14 FPS drop, and from High to Ultra is a 12 FPS drop — a consistent degradation pattern as quality increases, with the largest single penalty occurring when moving from Low to Medium. At 1080p, the Low preset is the only one that clears the 60 FPS threshold with substantial margin, while Medium is exactly at 60 FPS, and High and Ultra fall below.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates drop noticeably: 51 FPS at Low, 39 FPS at Medium, 29 FPS at High, and 21 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset again records min/max values (33 to 44 FPS), indicating a playable but not smooth experience. The gaps between presets shrink in absolute terms compared to 1080p — Low to Medium is a 12 FPS drop, Medium to High is a 10 FPS drop, and High to Ultra is an 8 FPS drop — which suggests that the GPU is becoming more uniformly bottlenecked as resolution increases, with each settings tier having less headroom to differentiate. No preset at 1440p reaches 60 FPS, and only Low exceeds 50 FPS, making this resolution marginal for anything beyond the lowest settings.

At 3840x2160, the results are uniformly poor: 27 FPS at Low, 21 FPS at Medium, 16 FPS at High, and 11 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset is the only one with min/max data (17 to 24 FPS), which shows a narrow band that is consistently below playability. The differences between presets are compressed further — Low to Medium is 6 FPS, Medium to High is 5 FPS, and High to Ultra is 5 FPS — indicating that the GPU is completely saturated and settings have diminishing impact. The 4K Low result of 27 FPS is the best case at this resolution, yet it is still below the 30 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for playable frame rates, and the 4K Ultra result of 11 FPS is effectively a static image sequence rather than a playable game.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal experience for this configuration is at 1920x1080 with the Low preset, which delivers 80 FPS average. This is the only measured configuration that exceeds 75 FPS, providing sufficient headroom for smooth gameplay in Hitman 2's stealth-oriented mechanics, where precise timing and reaction are important. The Low preset at 1080p is the clear recommendation for players who prioritize frame rate and responsiveness over visual fidelity, as the 80 FPS result is more than double the 34 FPS of the Ultra preset at the same resolution.

For users who prefer a balance between visual quality and performance, the 1920x1080 Medium preset at 60 FPS is the second-best option, with a min FPS of 51 that indicates occasional dips but generally stable performance. This preset provides the highest visual quality that still maintains a 60 FPS average, making it the recommended choice for those who find Low too sparse. The 1440p Low preset at 51 FPS is also viable for users with 1440p displays, offering a reasonable frame rate, but it is 36% slower than 1080p Low and may not justify the resolution increase. The 1440p Medium at 39 FPS is borderline, and any settings above this, including all 4K presets, are not recommended due to frame rates below 30 FPS.

The data shows that the Ultra preset is not viable at any resolution, with the best Ultra result being 34 FPS at 1080p, which is below the 60 FPS target and likely to feel sluggish in fast-paced scenes. The High preset at 1080p (46 FPS) is playable but not ideal, and at 1440p (29 FPS) and 4K (16 FPS) it falls below acceptable thresholds. The Medium preset at 1440p (39 FPS) and 4K (21 FPS) similarly miss the mark. Therefore, the recommendation hierarchy is: 1080p Low (80 FPS) for maximum smoothness, 1080p Medium (60 FPS) for balanced quality, 1440p Low (51 FPS) for higher resolution with acceptable performance, and 1080p High (46 FPS) as a compromise for those who cannot tolerate Low settings. All other measured configurations should be avoided.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this system in Hitman 2?

A: The measured data shows that 1920x1080 with the Low preset delivers the highest average frame rate at 80 FPS, making it the best option. The 1080p Medium preset follows at 60 FPS, which is the highest quality preset that still achieves 60 FPS average.

Q: Can this system run Hitman 2 at 4K resolution?

A: No, the 4K results are all below playable thresholds. The best 4K result is 27 FPS at Low settings, and the worst is 11 FPS at Ultra. Even the Medium preset at 4K only averages 21 FPS with a minimum of 17 FPS, which is not a viable gaming experience.

Q: How does the Intel Core i9-14900K's CPU performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i9-14900K has an average benchmark score of 79097, which is 0.3% lower than the Intel Core i9-14900KF (79371), 0.6% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus (79574), and 1.2% lower than the AMD EPYC 7413 (80041). It is 1.7% higher than the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (77740).

Q: What is the GPU's performance ranking relative to other graphics cards?

A: The Intel Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, with an average 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX at 1463 (1.3% lower), followed by the GeForce 800M at 1460 (1.5% lower), and the GeForce GT 625 OEM at 1446 (2.5% lower).

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance in this game?

A: The GPU is the clear limiting factor. The CPU ranks in the 95th percentile with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 39399.5, while the GPU ranks in the 9th percentile. Frame rates drop significantly with resolution increases (80 FPS at 1080p Low to 27 FPS at 4K Low), which is the signature of GPU-bound performance.

Q: What is the system's overall ranking among tested combos in Hitman 2?

A: This combination ranks 2662 out of 3001 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 11% of all configurations. This is consistent with the GPU's low performance percentile, despite the CPU's high performance.