Hitman 2

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 paired with the Intel Arc B370 delivers a strictly entry-level experience in Hitman 2, with performance metrics that place the combo in the bottom tier of all tested configurations. The data shows a fundamental hardware limitation: the Arc B370's integrated graphics architecture, combined with the CPU's desktop-class power, produces frame rates that are only viable at the lowest settings and resolution. Across all twelve measured configurations, the combo never achieves a 60 FPS average, and only one setting/resolution pair breaks the 70 FPS mark. This is not a system for high-refresh-rate stealth play; it is a configuration that can render the game at playable, if modest, frame rates under specific conditions.

Settings Recommendations

The optimal experience for this combo is unequivocally at 1920x1080 with Low settings, where the average frame rate reaches 73 FPS. This is the only measured configuration that exceeds the 60 FPS threshold generally considered smooth for action games, and it does so by a comfortable margin. The jump from Low to Medium at 1080p results in a significant performance drop to 54 FPS average, a 26% reduction that sacrifices the fluidity needed for Hitman 2's stealth mechanics, where precise timing and quick camera movements are essential. While 54 FPS is technically playable, the data suggests that the visual fidelity gained from Medium settings does not compensate for the loss of frame rate consistency. The measured minimum for Medium at 1080p is 46 FPS, which means dips below the 60 FPS target are common, potentially causing noticeable stutter during crowded or particle-heavy scenes.

At 2560x1440, the situation becomes more constrained. Low settings yield an average of 46 FPS, which is borderline acceptable for a slower-paced stealth title, but the frame rate is already below the 60 FPS ideal. Choosing Medium at 1440p drops the average to 35 FPS with a minimum of 30 FPS, which falls into the territory where input lag and visual choppiness can impair gameplay. The 3840x2160 resolution is essentially impractical for this hardware, with even Low settings only managing 25 FPS average. For players who prioritize frame rate over visual detail, the clear directive is to run at 1080p Low. For those who demand higher resolution, 1440p Low is the only viable option, accepting a sub-60 FPS experience. Ultra settings are not recommended at any resolution, as the highest average achieved is 30 FPS at 1080p, which is below the minimum threshold for acceptable playability in most scenarios. The data strongly favors a "performance first" approach: the measured 73 FPS at 1080p Low is a usable baseline, and any quality increase beyond that comes at a steep, measurable cost to smoothness.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 functions as an integrated graphics processor (IGP), a fact that fundamentally shapes its performance in Hitman 2. With a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, the GPU's compute potential is severely limited by its memory architecture; it relies on System Shared memory, meaning bandwidth is entirely dependent on the system's DDR5 configuration and is not a dedicated VRAM pool. The data reflects this limitation: the GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is only 1184, placing it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs. This is a stark indicator of its position, sitting just above the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (score 1186, deltaPct -0.2) and ATI Radeon HD 5770 (score 1190, deltaPct -0.5) in the benchmark hierarchy, and slightly below the AMD FirePro M2000 (score 1168, deltaPct 1.4). These rivals are over a decade old, confirming that the Arc B370's integrated solution is not competitive with even modest dedicated graphics cards from previous generations.

In the context of Hitman 2, the GPU's role is the primary bottleneck. The measured FPS scaling follows a clear pattern: as resolution increases, frame rates collapse. At 1080p, the GPU can leverage its 1280 shading units and 20 ROPs to produce 73 FPS at Low settings, but this performance is fragile. Increasing the resolution to 1440p at the same Low settings drops the average to 46 FPS, a 37% reduction. Pushing to 4K at Low settings yields only 25 FPS, a 66% reduction from the 1080p baseline. This scaling indicates that the GPU is pixel-bound, struggling to fill the increasing number of pixels required at higher resolutions. The texture rate of 96.00 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 48.00 GPixel/s are simply insufficient for modern game loads at high resolutions. Furthermore, the GPU's 25 W TDP and "IGP" slot width confirm it is not a discrete solution, and its performance in this game is a direct consequence of that design. The data shows that the Arc B370 is the limiting factor, and no CPU-side optimization can overcome the GPU's fundamental lack of rendering power.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this CPU and GPU combination?

A: The highest measured average is 73 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only configuration that surpasses the 60 FPS mark, with all other settings and resolutions yielding lower averages.

Q: Is the Intel Arc B370 capable of running Hitman 2 at 4K resolution?

A: The data indicates that 4K is not a playable option for this GPU. At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are 25 FPS at Low, 19 FPS at Medium, 14 FPS at High, and 10 FPS at Ultra. These figures are all well below the minimum threshold for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 5 235's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score is 46062, placing it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, has an average score of 46030, a delta of 0.1%, showing near-identical performance. It is also within 0.2% of the AMD EPYC 4364P and AMD EPYC 7303, and 0.1% behind the Intel Core i9-13900HX.

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

A: At 1920x1080, Low settings produce an average of 73 FPS, while Ultra settings produce an average of 30 FPS. This represents a 59% reduction in frame rate when moving from the lowest to the highest quality preset.

Q: Is there a measurable minimum frame rate recorded for any configuration?

A: Yes, the Medium settings presets include minimum frame rate data. At 1920x1080 Medium, the minimum is 46 FPS and the maximum is 63 FPS. At 2560x1440 Medium, the minimum is 30 FPS and the maximum is 40 FPS. At 3840x2160 Medium, the minimum is 16 FPS and the maximum is 21 FPS.

Q: Does the GPU's integrated nature affect its performance ranking?

A: The data strongly suggests this is the case. The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1184 places it in the 5th percentile of all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are legacy parts like the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 and ATI Radeon HD 5770. This indicates that its performance is comparable to very old, low-end dedicated hardware.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data paints a consistent picture of performance scaling across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. Low settings achieve an average of 73 FPS, making it the only playable high-refresh-rate option. Medium settings drop to 54 FPS average, with a recorded range of 46 to 63 FPS, indicating frame time inconsistency. High settings yield 41 FPS average, and Ultra settings bottom out at 30 FPS average. This resolution is the only one where the game is truly playable at a standard level.

At 2560x1440, the performance falls below the 60 FPS threshold for all presets. Low settings achieve 46 FPS average, which is acceptable for a stealth game but not ideal. Medium settings produce 35 FPS average, with a range of 30 to 40 FPS, showing tighter but lower performance. High settings drop to 26 FPS average, and Ultra settings yield a marginal 19 FPS average. The data indicates that 1440p is only feasible at Low settings, and even then, the frame rate is below the smoothness target.

At 3840x2160, the configuration is not viable for gameplay. Low settings produce 25 FPS average, which is below the threshold for playable. Medium settings yield 19 FPS average, with a minimum of 16 and maximum of 21 FPS. High settings drop to 14 FPS average, and Ultra settings are essentially a slideshow at 10 FPS average. This resolution is clearly outside the capabilities of the Arc B370, as the GPU cannot handle the pixel count even at the lowest quality settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 5 235 and Intel Arc B370 ranks 2768 out of 3001 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places it in the bottom 8% of all configurations, a position that reflects the GPU's severe limitations despite the CPU's strong performance. The CPU itself is not the issue; the Ultra 5 235 is a high-end desktop processor that scores in the 89th percentile of all CPUs, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 14769 and a single-core score of 2085. The bottleneck is entirely the GPU, which is an integrated solution with a 3DMark score in the 5th percentile. The ranking is a direct consequence of this imbalance.

The delta between the CPU's high percentile (89) and the GPU's low percentile (5) is stark. This is a system with a powerful processor that is completely held back by its graphics solution. In practical terms, the combo rank of 2768 means that the vast majority of other hardware pairings, including those with much weaker CPUs, will outperform this setup in Hitman 2 due to having a more capable dedicated GPU. The data shows that this is a case where the whole is far less than the sum of its parts; the CPU's potential is squandered by the GPU's inability to render frames efficiently. For a game like Hitman 2, which is not particularly demanding on the CPU, the graphics card is the sole determinant of playability, and this combo's rank reflects that reality.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 235 is a desktop processor with 14 cores and 14 threads, based on the Arrow Lake architecture and built on a 3 nm process node. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a TDP of 65 W. Its L3 cache is 24 MB shared, providing a solid foundation for gaming workloads. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU performs admirably, with a Passmark multithread score of 37816 and a single-thread score of 4516. Its Cinebench R23 scores are 14769 (multicore) and 2085 (single-core), which are strong figures that place it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs. The nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 375, is virtually identical in average score, with a delta of 0.1%.

However, in Hitman 2, the CPU's role is secondary. The game's engine is not heavily multi-threaded, and the data shows that the frame rates are limited by the GPU, not the CPU. The measured FPS does not scale with CPU performance; instead, it scales with resolution and settings, which are GPU-bound variables. The CPU's high single-thread performance, as evidenced by the 2085 Cinebench R23 single-core score, is sufficient to feed the GPU with draw calls and game logic, but the GPU cannot keep up. The result is that the CPU sits largely idle while the GPU struggles. This is a classic case of a CPU being "too good" for its paired GPU; the processor has the headroom to handle more demanding graphics cards, but it is constrained by the Arc B370's output. The data suggests that in this specific configuration, the CPU is not a limiting factor at any of the tested settings, as the GPU's rendering time is always the bottleneck.