Hitman 2

Intel Core Ultra 7 265 paired with Intel Arc B570 in Hitman 2 produces a combination that ranks 2399th out of 3001 tested configurations. The data shows a processor that sits in the 93rd percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU lands in the 65th percentile among all graphics cards. This pairing delivers playable frame rates at 1080p and 1440p with adjusted settings, but struggles at 4K where even Medium settings dip below 35 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Hitman 2?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 as the most viable resolution, with an average of 93 FPS at Medium settings and 123 FPS at Low settings. At 2560x1440, Medium settings yield 59 FPS, while 3840x2160 drops to 32 FPS at Medium.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 7 265 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The CPU’s average benchmark score of 64640 is 0.3% lower than the AMD EPYC 4464P (64823) and 0.7% lower than the AMD EPYC 9124 (65104). It is 0.3% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F (64438) and 0.7% higher than the AMD EPYC 7343 (64202).

Q: What is the GPU’s position relative to its closest competitors?

A: The Intel Arc B570 scores 20556 on average, which is 0.1% above the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534) and 0.4% above the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (20480). It trails the Intel Arc A750 (20582) by 0.1% and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X (20662) by 0.5%.

Q: Does raising settings from Low to Ultra improve image quality without destroying playability?

A: At 1080p, the jump from Low (123 FPS) to Medium (93 FPS) costs 30 FPS, while High (70 FPS) and Ultra (52 FPS) continue the decline. The step from Medium to High removes 23 FPS, suggesting Medium offers the best balance for smooth gameplay.

Q: How much does resolution scaling affect performance?

A: Moving from 1080p Medium (93 FPS) to 1440p Medium (59 FPS) drops performance by 36.6%. From 1440p Medium to 4K Medium (32 FPS), the drop is 45.8%. The total decline from 1080p to 4K is 65.6%.

Q: What are the minimum FPS figures for this combo?

A: The only measured minimum FPS values are at Medium settings: 79 FPS at 1080p, 50 FPS at 1440p, and 27 FPS at 4K. Maximum FPS at these settings are 106, 68, and 36 respectively.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 features 20 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. Its architecture is Arrow Lake-S on a 3 nm process from TSMC, containing 17,800 million transistors across a 243 mm² die. The cache hierarchy includes 192 KB L1 per core, 3 MB L2 per core, and 30 MB shared L3. Memory support is DDR5 with dual-channel configuration and 102.4 GB/s bandwidth. The processor maintains a 65 W TDP and connects via Intel Socket 1851 with PCIe Gen 5 (20 lanes CPU-only). Its release date is 2025-01-06, and the launch MSRP is $394.

Benchmark results show the CPU’s multi-threaded strength: Cinebench R23 multi-core scores 42216, while single-core reaches 5960. PassMark multi-thread score is 49682, with single-thread at 4689. The CPU’s 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs reflects solid performance, though its nearest rivals—all EPYC or 265F variants—are within 0.7% in average score. In Hitman 2, the game’s stealth mechanics often involve complex AI routines and physics calculations, which benefit from the CPU’s 20 threads. The 5.30 GHz boost clock helps maintain frame pacing in crowded environments, though the game is from 2018 and may not utilize all 20 threads efficiently.

The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo hits 123 FPS, indicating the CPU is not a bottleneck at lower settings. However, at 4K Ultra (18 FPS), the CPU’s contribution is overshadowed by GPU limits. The 30 MB L3 cache likely aids in keeping frequently accessed game data close, reducing latency in hitman’s open-ended levels. The CPU’s 93rd percentile score suggests it outperforms most processors, yet the GPU’s 65th percentile ranking means the pairing is GPU-limited in most scenarios.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 uses the BMG-G21 chip with Xe2-HPG architecture, built on a 5 nm process from TSMC with 19,600 million transistors on a 272 mm² die. It includes 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 80 raster output pipelines, with 18 ray tracing cores. The GPU clocks at a base and boost of 2500 MHz, with memory running at 2375 MHz (19 Gbps effective). The 10 GB GDDR6 memory operates on a 160-bit bus, delivering 380.0 GB/s bandwidth. Its TDP is 150 W, requiring a single 8-pin power connector and a suggested 450 W PSU. The card measures 272 mm in length and is dual-slot. Display outputs include 1x HDMI 2.1a and 3x DisplayPort 2.1. The launch MSRP is 219 USD.

Pixel rate is 200.0 GPixel/s, and texture rate is 360.0 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance at 11.52 TFLOPS. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 20556 places it in the 65th percentile, with nearest rivals being the RTX 3070 Mobile (0.1% higher), Arc A750 (0.1% lower), and R9 M390X (0.5% lower). In Hitman 2, the 10 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p textures, but at 4K, the frame rates suggest memory bandwidth limitations. The 380 GB/s bandwidth is modest for 4K workloads, explaining why 4K Ultra drops to 18 FPS.

The GPU’s DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) aligns with Hitman 2’s modern rendering features, but the game’s 2018 release means it likely uses DX11 primarily. PassMark DirectX 11 score of 118 indicates decent DX11 performance, while DX12 score of 72 is lower. The data shows the GPU struggles at 4K, with High settings at 24 FPS and Ultra at 18 FPS. At 1080p, the GPU handles Low settings at 123 FPS, but this is likely CPU-limited, as the GPU’s 65th percentile ranking suggests it cannot sustain such high frame rates at higher settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 2399th out of 3001 tested combinations in Hitman 2, placing it in the bottom 20% of all configurations. This low rank reflects the GPU’s relative weakness compared to the CPU’s strength. The CPU alone sits in the 93rd percentile, while the GPU is in the 65th percentile—a noticeable mismatch. The combo’s rank suggests that most other tested pairs either have stronger GPUs or more balanced configurations.

The data indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor in most scenarios. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 123 FPS, which is respectable for a stealth game. However, at 4K Ultra, the 18 FPS result shows the GPU cannot keep pace with the CPU’s capabilities. The rank of 2399 out of 3001 indicates that this pairing is below average for Hitman 2, primarily due to GPU constraints. The nearest rival GPUs (RTX 3070 Mobile, Arc A750) have similar average scores, so swapping the GPU would not drastically change the ranking unless paired with a weaker CPU.

The CPU’s nearest rivals are server-grade EPYC processors, which are not typical gaming CPUs, yet they score similarly. This suggests the Ultra 7 265 is a strong gaming processor, but the B570 holds it back in this title. The combo’s rank relative to others implies that users would need to lower settings significantly to achieve playable frame rates at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution. At 1080p, Medium settings provide 93 FPS average with a minimum of 79 FPS, making it the best choice for smooth gameplay. High settings drop to 70 FPS, which is still playable but sacrifices 23 FPS for marginal visual gains. Low settings at 123 FPS are unnecessary for a stealth game, as the genre does not demand ultra-high refresh rates. Ultra at 52 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold and should be avoided.

At 1440p, Medium settings yield 59 FPS with a minimum of 50 FPS, which is acceptable but not ideal. Low settings at 79 FPS provide a smoother experience, while High at 45 FPS and Ultra at 33 FPS are less desirable. For 4K, none of the settings are truly playable: Medium at 32 FPS, Low at 42 FPS, High at 24 FPS, and Ultra at 18 FPS. The data suggests that 1080p Medium is the best experience, offering a balance of visual quality and performance.

The minimum FPS figures at Medium settings (79 at 1080p, 50 at 1440p, 27 at 4K) indicate that frame drops are manageable at lower resolutions but become problematic at 4K. The maximum FPS values (106 at 1080p, 68 at 1440p, 36 at 4K) show that the combo can burst higher but averages are more consistent. Given the game’s stealth nature, consistent frame pacing is more important than peak FPS, making Medium settings the recommended choice.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers the following averages: Low settings achieve 123 FPS, Medium 93 FPS (minimum 79, maximum 106), High 70 FPS, and Ultra 52 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline of 30, 23, and 18 FPS respectively. The Medium setting provides the best balance, with a minimum FPS of 79 that prevents noticeable stutter during crowded scenes.

At 2560x1440, Low settings reach 79 FPS, Medium 59 FPS (minimum 50, maximum 68), High 45 FPS, and Ultra 33 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 20 FPS, from Medium to High is 14 FPS, and from High to Ultra is 12 FPS. The minimum FPS of 50 at Medium suggests occasional dips below 60 FPS, which may be noticeable in fast-paced moments.

At 3840x2160, Low settings achieve 42 FPS, Medium 32 FPS (minimum 27, maximum 36), High 24 FPS, and Ultra 18 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 10 FPS, Medium to High is 8 FPS, and High to Ultra is 6 FPS. The minimum FPS of 27 at Medium indicates significant frame drops, making 4K unplayable for this combo.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a clear performance degradation as resolution increases. From 1080p Medium (93 FPS) to 1440p Medium (59 FPS), the frame rate drops by 34 FPS or 36.6%. From 1440p Medium to 4K Medium (32 FPS), the drop is 27 FPS or 45.8%. The total decline from 1080p to 4K is 61 FPS or 65.6%. This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting component, as resolution scaling affects GPU workload more than CPU workload.

At Low settings, the scaling is similar: 1080p (123 FPS) to 1440p (79 FPS) is a 35.8% drop, and 1440p to 4K (42 FPS) is a 46.8% drop. The consistency of these percentages across settings suggests that the GPU’s memory bandwidth (380 GB/s) and pixel rate (200 GPixel/s) are the bottlenecks. The CPU’s performance remains constant regardless of resolution, so the FPS drops are directly attributable to GPU limitations.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings (52 FPS to 18 FPS) shows a 65.4% decline, mirroring the Medium settings’ drop. This uniformity indicates that the GPU is consistently the limiting factor, and the CPU’s 20 cores and 5.30 GHz boost clock are not challenged by Hitman 2’s workloads. The data suggests that users seeking higher resolutions would need a more powerful GPU, as the B570’s 10 GB VRAM and 160-bit bus cannot sustain playable frame rates at 4K.