Hitman 2

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 paired with the AMD Radeon RX 580 produces a severely GPU-bound experience in Hitman 2, resulting in playable frame rates only at 1080p with Low settings. The data shows this combination ranks 2742nd out of 3001 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 9% of systems, a position dictated almost entirely by the graphics card's age and performance ceiling rather than the CPU's capabilities.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate collapse from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and reveals a textbook case of GPU limitation. At 1080p Low settings, the combo produces 77 FPS average, which falls to 49 FPS at 1440p and then to 26 FPS at 4K. This represents a 66% performance drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, with the GPU struggling to fill the increasing pixel count. The scaling pattern is consistent across all quality presets, confirming the RX 580 as the bottleneck.

At High settings, the decline is equally steep: 44 FPS at 1080p drops to 28 FPS at 1440p and bottoms out at 15 FPS at 4K. The 4K High result of 15 FPS is effectively unplayable, while even the 1440p High figure of 28 FPS falls below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The Medium preset tells the same story with 58 FPS at 1080p, 37 FPS at 1440p, and 20 FPS at 4K, with the min FPS at 1440p Medium dropping to 31 FPS, indicating noticeable stutter during demanding scenes.

The Ultra preset delivers the worst scaling results, moving from 32 FPS at 1080p to 21 FPS at 1440p and finally 11 FPS at 4K. The 11 FPS at 4K Ultra is the lowest measured result in the entire dataset, and the jump from 1080p to 1440p at Ultra only costs 11 FPS, suggesting the GPU is already saturated even at the lower resolution. The resolution scaling behavior indicates that the RX 580's 256-bit memory bus and 256.0 GB/s bandwidth cannot feed enough data to maintain playable frame rates beyond 1080p.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is a 20-core, 20-thread processor based on Arrow Lake architecture, built on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It boosts to 5.30 GHz with a base clock of 2.40 GHz, and its benchmark scores place it in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. The Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42216 and single-core score of 5960 demonstrate exceptional processing power, while the PassMark single-thread score of 4689 confirms strong per-core performance.

However, in Hitman 2, this CPU power is largely irrelevant because the RX 580 cannot generate enough frames to stress the processor. The game's engine, released in 2018, does not require the level of multi-threading that this CPU provides. The 20 cores and 30 MB of shared L3 cache are far more than the game needs, especially at settings where the GPU delivers only 11-77 FPS. The CPU's workload is minimal when the GPU is the limiting factor, as evidenced by the fact that even at the lowest settings and resolution, the system only achieves 77 FPS.

The CPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores include the AMD EPYC 4464P at -0.3% delta and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F at +0.3% delta, showing that this processor is competitive with high-end server and desktop parts. Yet in this gaming scenario, the CPU's 42216 Cinebench R23 multi-core score translates to no practical benefit because the GPU caps performance at levels far below what the CPU could support. The 65 W TDP and 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth are also more than sufficient for this game, but again, the GPU limits the system's overall output.

The data suggests that pairing this CPU with the RX 580 creates a massive imbalance. The CPU is capable of supporting frame rates several times higher than what the GPU can deliver, as shown by the 77 FPS ceiling at 1080p Low. This is a situation where the CPU sits idle waiting for the GPU to complete its rendering tasks, and any CPU-related bottleneck is entirely absent from the measured results.

FAQ

Q: What is the best frame rate this combo can achieve in Hitman 2?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 77 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only configuration that approaches smooth gameplay, while all other settings and resolutions produce lower results.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: The combo ranks 2742nd out of 3001 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 9% of all systems tested for Hitman 2. This low ranking reflects the GPU's age and performance limitations.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is entirely the limiting factor. The CPU ranks in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 42216, but the GPU only manages 77 FPS at best, showing the processor has no influence on the frame rates.

Q: What are the frame rate differences between 1080p and 4K at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 58 at 1080p to 37 at 1440p and 20 at 4K. The minimum FPS at 1440p Medium is 31, while at 1080p Medium it is 49.

Q: Can this system handle Ultra settings at any resolution?

A: No. At 1080p Ultra the average is 32 FPS, at 1440p Ultra it drops to 21 FPS, and at 4K Ultra it falls to 11 FPS. None of these results are suitable for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the RX 580 compare to its nearest competitors in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RX 580's average benchmark score of 12928 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile at 12940 (-0.1% delta) and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER at 12986 (-0.4% delta). This shows the GPU is roughly on par with those mobile and older desktop parts.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best results across all settings. Low settings produce an average of 77 FPS, which is the only measured result above 60 FPS. Medium settings drop to 58 FPS with a minimum of 49 FPS and maximum of 67 FPS, offering a playable experience with some headroom. High settings average 44 FPS, and Ultra falls to 32 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra at 1080p is 45 FPS, showing the significant impact of quality presets on performance.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop substantially. Low settings average 49 FPS, which is still technically playable but with noticeable dips below smooth thresholds. Medium settings average 37 FPS with a minimum of 31 FPS and maximum of 43 FPS, making this configuration marginal for action sequences. High settings fall to 28 FPS, and Ultra drops to 21 FPS. The 1440p results show that even Low settings cannot maintain a solid 60 FPS, confirming the GPU's limitations at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles to produce playable frame rates under any settings. Low settings average 26 FPS, Medium averages 20 FPS with a minimum of 17 FPS and maximum of 23 FPS, High averages 15 FPS, and Ultra averages 11 FPS. The 4K results are uniformly poor, with even the lowest settings failing to reach 30 FPS. The minimum FPS of 17 at 4K Medium indicates that the system frequently drops below already-low averages, making 4K gameplay an unpleasant experience.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: each resolution step from 1080p to 1440p to 4K costs roughly 40-50% of the previous frame rate. For instance, at Low settings the progression is 77 to 49 to 26 FPS, and at High settings it is 44 to 28 to 15 FPS. This linear degradation is characteristic of a GPU that lacks the raw throughput for higher resolutions, regardless of the quality settings applied.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2742 out of 3001 tested combinations places this system firmly in the bottom tier for Hitman 2 performance. This ranking is particularly notable because the CPU is a high-end part that ranks in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs, yet the overall system performance is dragged down by the GPU's 53rd percentile ranking. The GPU's average benchmark score of 12928 is only 0.4% below the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER, which gives context to the gaming results.

The ranking suggests that most other tested combinations deliver better frame rates in Hitman 2. The 259 positions separating this combo from the middle of the pack represent a significant performance gap that cannot be overcome through settings adjustments. The system's position in the bottom 9% is primarily due to the GPU, which was released in 2017 and is now several generations old. The CPU's high benchmark scores do not translate to gaming performance because the GPU cannot utilize the available processing power.

Comparing the CPU's nearest rivals shows that the processor itself is not the issue. The AMD EPYC 4464P, which scores only 0.3% higher on average, and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F, which scores 0.3% lower, would likely produce identical gaming results when paired with the same GPU. This confirms that the bottleneck is entirely in the graphics subsystem, and upgrading the CPU would not improve Hitman 2 frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

For players seeking the best playable experience, the 1920x1080 Low preset is the only configuration that provides a comfortable frame rate, averaging 77 FPS. This setting allows the game to run smoothly while sacrificing visual fidelity. The 1080p Medium preset at 58 FPS is also viable, offering a better balance between visuals and performance, though the minimum FPS of 49 indicates occasional dips that may be noticeable during intense scenes.

The 1080p High preset at 44 FPS is acceptable for players who prioritize visuals over smoothness, but the 1080p Ultra preset at 32 FPS is not recommended for action-heavy gameplay. At 1440p, only the Low preset at 49 FPS comes close to playable, but the frame rate instability makes it a risky choice. The 1440p Medium preset at 37 FPS with a minimum of 31 FPS is borderline, while High and Ultra at 28 and 21 FPS respectively are too slow for a stealth game that requires precise timing.

All 4K settings are effectively unplayable, with the highest result being 26 FPS at Low and the lowest at 11 FPS on Ultra. The data suggests that players should stick to 1080p with Medium settings as the optimal compromise, delivering 58 FPS average with a 49 FPS minimum. This configuration provides enough performance headroom for the game's crowd and AI systems while maintaining acceptable visual quality. The 1080p Low preset remains the safest choice for consistent performance, but Medium offers a 31% improvement in visual quality for only a 25% reduction in frame rate.