Hitman 2

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and Intel Arc B570 combination delivers a fundamentally playable experience in Hitman 2 at 1080p, but the data shows a sharp performance cliff as resolution increases. This pairing sits near the bottom quartile of tested configurations, ranking 2399th out of 3001 combos, which places it in the 20th percentile overall. The measured FPS numbers reveal a system that is clearly GPU-limited at higher resolutions, yet the CPU’s modest 10-core/10-thread configuration still plays a role in constraining maximum frame rates at lower settings.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and consistent across all settings presets. At Medium settings, the average frame rate falls from 93 FPS at 1920x1080 to 59 FPS at 2560x1440, a 36.6% reduction, and then plummets to 32 FPS at 3840x2160, representing a 65.6% loss from the 1080p baseline. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario, where the Arc B570’s 10 GB of GDDR6 memory and 160-bit bus become the limiting factor.

At Low settings, the trend is equally pronounced. The system produces 123 FPS at 1080p, drops to 79 FPS at 1440p (a 35.8% decrease), and finally reaches only 42 FPS at 4K, which is a 65.9% reduction from the 1080p result. The consistency of these percentage drops across Low and Medium presets strongly indicates that the GPU’s raw throughput, not memory capacity or bandwidth, is the dominant constraint. The pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and texture rate of 360.0 GTexel/s are simply insufficient for 4K rendering in this title.

High settings show a similar but slightly steeper decline. From 70 FPS at 1080p, performance falls to 45 FPS at 1440p (a 35.7% drop) and then to 24 FPS at 4K, which is a 65.7% loss. Ultra settings follow the same pattern: 52 FPS at 1080p, 33 FPS at 1440p (36.5% lower), and 18 FPS at 4K (65.4% lower). The near-identical percentage reductions across all four presets—hovering around 36% for the 1080p-to-1440p step and 65-66% for the 1080p-to-4K step—suggest that resolution scaling is entirely predictable and independent of graphical complexity.

The 4K results are uniformly unplayable, with even the Low preset only mustering 42 FPS and the Ultra preset falling to 18 FPS. The 1440p results are playable at Low (79 FPS) and Medium (59 FPS) but marginal at High (45 FPS) and poor at Ultra (33 FPS). The 1080p results are the only tier where the combination shows genuine strength, with Low hitting 123 FPS and Medium reaching 93 FPS.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is the clear bottleneck in this configuration, particularly at higher resolutions. Its 10 GB of GDDR6 memory with 380.0 GB/s bandwidth is adequate for 1080p and even 1440p in a 2018 title, but the 160-bit bus width limits memory throughput at 4K. The GPU’s boost clock of 2500 MHz is fixed, matching its base clock, which indicates the card operates at a single frequency point. This static clock behavior means the silicon’s performance is entirely dependent on its 2304 shading units and 80 ROPs, which deliver an FP32 throughput of 11.52 TFLOPS.

The GPU’s benchmark results contextualize its position. Its Passmark G3D score of 14195 places it at the 65th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20556. The nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (scoring 20534, a 0.1% delta) and the Intel Arc A750 (scoring 20582, a -0.1% delta). This places the B570 in a competitive middle ground, but the game-specific results show that Hitman 2 is not particularly kind to this architecture. The DirectX 11 Passmark score of 118 and DirectX 12 score of 72 suggest the card’s driver overhead may be a factor, though the game’s age likely means it relies on DX11 paths.

The memory configuration is notable: 10 GB is more than sufficient for Hitman 2’s requirements, and the 380.0 GB/s bandwidth does not appear to be a limiting factor at 1080p. However, the 4K results tell a different story. The consistent 65% performance drop from 1080p to 4K across all settings implies the GPU’s pixel fill rate and shading capacity are exhausted, not its memory subsystem. The 200.0 GPixel/s pixel rate translates to roughly 18.5 FPS at 4K if the GPU were fully pixel-bound, which aligns closely with the measured 18 FPS at Ultra settings.

Settings Recommendations

The optimal experience for this combination is clearly at 1080p with Medium settings, which delivers 93 FPS average with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 106 FPS. This preset provides a substantial improvement over High settings (70 FPS) while maintaining frame times comfortably above 60 FPS. The 79 FPS minimum ensures that even the most demanding scenes in Hitman 2’s crowded sandbox levels remain fluid.

For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, Low settings at 1080p achieve 123 FPS, which is a 32.3% improvement over Medium. However, this comes at the cost of visual fidelity, and the jump from Low to Medium only costs 30 FPS (123 to 93), making Medium the better balance. High settings at 1080p (70 FPS) are acceptable for players who prefer better shadows and textures, but the 23 FPS drop from Medium to High is significant relative to the visual gains in a stealth game where clarity matters.

At 1440p, Medium settings (59 FPS) are the only viable option for smooth gameplay, though the minimum of 50 FPS is borderline. Low settings (79 FPS) are a safer choice for consistent performance, while High (45 FPS) and Ultra (33 FPS) are not recommended due to the risk of frame drops during action sequences. The 4K resolution is effectively unusable with this combination, as even Low settings (42 FPS) fail to reach 60 FPS, and the data shows no preset that would provide a playable experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination ranks 2399th out of 3001 tested configurations, placing it in the bottom 20% of all CPU-GPU pairings. This low ranking is somewhat surprising given the individual components’ performance percentiles: the CPU sits at the 85th percentile of all processors with an average benchmark score of 36938, while the GPU is at the 65th percentile. The discrepancy between component-level performance and the combined ranking suggests that the pairing is poorly matched for this specific game, likely due to the GPU’s limitations at higher resolutions.

In the context of Hitman 2, this ranking means the combination is outperformed by approximately 80% of other tested systems. The CPU’s nearest rivals—the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (deltaPct 0), AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (-0.2), AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (-0.4), and Intel Core i9-12900T (-0.5)—all have nearly identical average scores, indicating that the CPU itself is not the weak link. Similarly, the GPU’s rivals—the RTX 3070 Mobile (0.1), Arc A750 (-0.1), Quadro M4000M (0.4), and R9 M390X (-0.5)—are within 0.5% of the Arc B570’s average score. The combination’s poor ranking is therefore a function of the game’s specific demands rather than a fundamental weakness in either component.

The measured data confirms this interpretation. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 123 FPS, which is respectable for a mid-range pairing. However, the inability to maintain playable frame rates at 4K, combined with the ranking, suggests that Hitman 2 favors configurations with higher GPU throughput. The 2399th rank out of 3001 combos indicates that users with this pairing should expect to run the game at reduced resolutions and settings compared to the majority of tested systems.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 contributes meaningfully to the system’s performance, though its role is secondary to the GPU in Hitman 2. With 10 cores and 10 threads, the CPU has no hyper-threading, which limits its ability to handle parallel workloads efficiently. Its base clock of 3.30 GHz and boost clock of 4.90 GHz provide solid single-thread performance, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655 and Passmark single-thread score of 4412. These scores place the CPU at the 85th percentile of all processors, indicating strong per-core capability.

The CPU’s multi-threaded performance is adequate but not exceptional. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 25891 and Passmark multi-thread score of 30459 demonstrate that the 10-core configuration can handle modern workloads, but the lack of threads means it cannot match higher-core-count rivals in heavily threaded scenarios. The 20 MB of shared L3 cache is reasonable for a mid-range processor, and the memory bandwidth of 102.4 GB/s over dual-channel DDR5 provides sufficient data throughput for gaming.

In Hitman 2, the CPU’s influence is most apparent at 1080p with Low settings, where the system reaches 123 FPS. This frame rate is likely near the CPU’s maximum output in this game, as the GPU is not fully utilized at these settings. The boost clock of 4.90 GHz ensures that single-threaded game logic and AI routines run efficiently, which is critical for a stealth game with complex NPC behaviors. However, the 10-thread limit may cause occasional frame hitches in crowded scenes, though the measured minimum FPS of 79 at 1080p Medium suggests the CPU handles the load adequately.

The CPU’s rival comparisons show that it is competitively positioned. Its average benchmark score of 36938 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36945, deltaPct 0) and slightly higher than the Ryzen 5 5500X3D (37018, deltaPct -0.2). This suggests that in CPU-bound scenarios, the Ultra 5 225 performs on par with established mid-range processors. The 3 nm process node and 17,800 million transistors on a 243 mm² die indicate a modern, efficient design that contributes to consistent performance without thermal throttling issues.

FAQ

*Q: What is the best resolution for this CPU-GPU combination in Hitman 2?*

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where the combination delivers consistently high frame rates, with Medium settings achieving 93 FPS average and Low settings reaching 123 FPS. At 1440p, only Low (79 FPS) and Medium (59 FPS) are playable, while 4K is not viable at any setting.

Q: How does this pairing compare to other tested configurations?

A: The combination ranks 2399th out of 3001 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 20%. This is despite the CPU being at the 85th percentile and the GPU at the 65th percentile, indicating the pairing is not optimally balanced for this game.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B570 the limiting factor in this system?

A: Yes, the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The consistent 65% FPS drop from 1080p to 4K across all settings, combined with the GPU’s 65th percentile ranking, confirms that the Arc B570’s 11.52 TFLOPS and 200.0 GPixel/s pixel rate cannot handle 4K rendering in Hitman 2.

Q: What settings preset provides the smoothest experience?

A: Medium settings at 1080p offer the best balance, with a 93 FPS average and a 79 FPS minimum. This ensures no frame drops below 60 FPS while maintaining better visual quality than Low settings, which achieve 123 FPS but with reduced detail.

Q: Does the CPU’s lack of hyper-threading affect performance?

A: The 10-core/10-thread configuration has no hyper-threading, which limits multi-threaded performance. However, the CPU’s 85th percentile ranking and strong single-thread score of 4412 in Passmark suggest this is not a major issue in Hitman 2, as the game benefits more from the 4.90 GHz boost clock.

Q: How does the Arc B570 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556, placing it within 0.5% of the RTX 3070 Mobile (20534), Arc A750 (20582), Quadro M4000M (20480), and R9 M390X (20662). This indicates the GPU is competitively positioned in synthetic benchmarks, but its game-specific performance in Hitman 2 lags due to the game’s rendering demands.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination delivers its strongest results. Low settings produce an average of 123 FPS, which is the highest measured frame rate across all configurations. Medium settings achieve 93 FPS average, with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 106 FPS. High settings reduce the average to 70 FPS, while Ultra settings drop to 52 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 71 FPS, indicating that the GPU’s shading capabilities are stretched as settings increase.

At 2560x1440, performance falls significantly. Low settings reach 79 FPS, which is a 35.8% reduction from 1080p. Medium settings average 59 FPS, with a minimum of 50 FPS and a maximum of 68 FPS, making it the only playable preset at this resolution. High settings drop to 45 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 33 FPS. The 1440p results show that the Arc B570’s 2304 shading units and 80 ROPs are sufficient for medium-detail rendering but struggle with higher presets.

At 3840x2160, the system is clearly overmatched. Low settings produce 42 FPS, Medium averages 32 FPS with a minimum of 27 FPS and a maximum of 36 FPS, High settings drop to 24 FPS, and Ultra plummets to 18 FPS. None of these results meet the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, and even the 42 FPS at Low settings would be marginal for a stealth game requiring precision. The 4K data confirms that this combination is not intended for high-resolution gaming in Hitman 2, as the GPU’s pixel rate of 200.0 GPixel/s and 10 GB memory capacity are insufficient for the game’s rendering requirements at this resolution.