Hitman 2

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus paired with the Intel Arc B390 integrated graphics presents a highly unbalanced configuration for Hitman 2, a stealth title from 2018. The benchmark data shows that the system’s performance is overwhelmingly constrained by the GPU, which ranks in the 9th percentile among all tested graphics processors. While the CPU is a high-end desktop part with 24 cores and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, its capabilities are largely irrelevant to the frame rates achieved in this game, as the Arc B390 delivers results that are more in line with entry-level mobile graphics. The measured frames per second (FPS) across resolutions and settings reveal a component that struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 1080p and falls to single digits at 4K with the Ultra preset.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K in Hitman 2 is steep and consistent, indicating that the Intel Arc B390 is the definitive limiting component in this system. At the High preset, the average frame rate falls from 46 FPS at 1920x1080 to 29 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 37%. Moving to 3840x2160, the average drops further to 16 FPS, which represents a 65% decrease from the 1080p figure. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU that is severely bandwidth and compute limited, as the number of pixels to render quadruples from 1080p to 4K, while the frame rate does not come close to maintaining a proportional throughput.

For the Low preset, the scaling is slightly more forgiving in absolute terms but still shows a clear GPU bottleneck. The average frame rate at 1920x1080 is 80 FPS, which drops to 51 FPS at 2560x1440 and then to 27 FPS at 3840x2160. While the 1080p result is the only playable figure across all resolutions for this preset, the 67% reduction from 1080p to 4K reinforces that the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are insufficient for higher resolutions. The Medium preset follows the same trend, with averages of 60 FPS at 1080p, 39 FPS at 1440p, and 21 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, yielding 34 FPS at 1080p, 21 FPS at 1440p, and a marginal 11 FPS at 4K.

The data shows a near-linear relationship between resolution and frame rate for this configuration. For instance, moving from 1440p to 4K at Medium settings reduces the average from 39 FPS to 21 FPS, a 46% drop, which is close to the expected 2.25x pixel count increase. This behavior suggests that the CPU is not a limiting factor at any resolution; if it were, the frame rate would plateau or show diminishing drops as resolution increases. Instead, the consistent scaling indicates that the Arc B390’s execution units and memory system are saturated, and any increase in pixel workload directly translates to lower performance. The 4K results, ranging from 11 to 27 FPS depending on settings, are all below the threshold for smooth gameplay, and even the best 4K result (Low preset at 27 FPS) is barely interactive.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process by Intel. Its role in Hitman 2 is defined by its specifications: 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units. The GPU operates at a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz, with a pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS. Critically, the memory is marked as "System Shared," meaning it relies on the system’s DDR5 memory, which is dual-channel with a bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s.

These specifications translate directly into the measured FPS results. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 benchmark score for the Arc B390 is 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in that benchmark are the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (score 1463, deltaPct 1.3), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (score 1460, deltaPct 1.5), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (score 1446, deltaPct 2.5), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (score 1443, deltaPct 2.7). These are all low-end or legacy parts, confirming that the Arc B390’s raw performance is at the very bottom of the desktop GPU spectrum. In Hitman 2, this results in frame rates that are playable only at 1080p with Low or Medium settings, and even then, the average of 80 FPS at Low and 60 FPS at Medium leaves limited headroom for demanding scenes.

The boost clock of 2500 MHz is relatively high for an integrated GPU, but it cannot compensate for the shared memory architecture and the limited number of execution units. The system’s memory bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s is the likely bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the GPU must fetch textures and geometry from the same memory pool as the CPU. The performance drop from 1080p to 4K, where the frame rate at High settings falls from 46 to 16 FPS, is consistent with a GPU that is constrained by memory bandwidth rather than compute. The FP32 throughput of 7.680 TFLOPS would theoretically be sufficient for 1080p gaming at medium settings in many titles, but the shared memory and the lack of dedicated VRAM reduce effective performance. The Arc B390’s 3DMark score, which is within 2.7% of the GeForce GT 710, is a strong predictor of its Hitman 2 performance, as the game’s engine scales with GPU fill rate and memory bandwidth.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achieved by this system in Hitman 2?

A: The highest average frame rate is 80 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rival in terms of 3DMark Steel Nomad score?

A: The Arc B390 scores 1482, which is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (score 1463) and 2.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (score 1443).

Q: Is the 4K Ultra preset playable with this configuration?

A: No, the 4K Ultra preset yields an average frame rate of 11 FPS, which is far below a playable threshold.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p and 1440p at Medium settings?

A: At Medium settings, the average frame rate drops from 60 FPS at 1920x1080 to 39 FPS at 2560x1440, a 35% reduction.

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

A: The GPU is the limiting component. The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus has 24 cores and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, but the frame rates are consistently low across all resolutions, indicating the Intel Arc B390 is saturated.

Q: What is the minimum frame rate recorded in the measured data?

A: The only minimum frame rate recorded is 17 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with the Medium settings preset.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for Hitman 2 with the Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and Intel Arc B390 covers 12 distinct configurations, spanning four resolution and settings combinations. At 1920x1080, the Low preset produces an average of 80 FPS, which is the only result above 60 FPS in the entire dataset. The Medium preset at 1080p averages 60 FPS, with a minimum of 51 FPS and a maximum of 69 FPS, indicating that frame times are relatively stable but the system is already near its limit. The High preset at 1080p drops to an average of 46 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 34 FPS. These results show that at 1080p, the system can handle Low and Medium settings for a playable experience, but High and Ultra push the GPU too far.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance degrades noticeably. The Low preset averages 51 FPS, which is a 36% drop from the 1080p Low result. The Medium preset averages 39 FPS, with a minimum of 33 FPS and a maximum of 44 FPS. The High preset averages 29 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 21 FPS. None of these 1440p results reach the 60 FPS target, and only the Low preset approaches playability. At 3840x2160, the results are poor across the board. The Low preset averages 27 FPS, the Medium preset averages 21 FPS with a minimum of 17 FPS and a maximum of 24 FPS, the High preset averages 16 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 11 FPS. The 4K results are all below 30 FPS, confirming that this configuration is not suitable for 4K gaming in Hitman 2.

The data also shows the impact of settings at each resolution. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra reduces the average frame rate by 57.5% (from 80 to 34 FPS). At 1440p, the same comparison shows a 58.8% reduction (from 51 to 21 FPS). At 4K, the reduction is 59.3% (from 27 to 11 FPS). This consistent percentage reduction across resolutions indicates that the settings presets impose a similar relative load on the GPU, regardless of pixel count. The maximum FPS values are only provided for the Medium preset at each resolution: 69 FPS at 1080p, 44 FPS at 1440p, and 24 FPS at 4K. These maximums are 15%, 13%, and 14% higher than their respective averages, suggesting that frame pacing is reasonably consistent but with occasional spikes.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is a desktop processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, based on the Arrow Lake Refresh codename and manufactured on a 3 nm process by TSMC. It features 24 cores and 24 threads, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The CPU has a 36 MB shared L3 cache, with 192 KB of L1 and 3 MB of L2 per core. Its memory support is DDR5 with a dual-channel bus and a bandwidth of 115.2 GB/s. The processor’s TDP is 125 W, and it was released with a launch MSRP of $299.

In CPU-centric benchmarks, the Ultra 7 270K Plus performs strongly. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 44253, and its single-core score is 2439. The Passmark multi-thread score is 68574, with a single-thread score of 5068. The average benchmark score across all tests is 93785, placing it in the 96th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in terms of average score are the Intel Xeon 6520P (93786, deltaPct 0), the AMD EPYC 4564P (95183, deltaPct -1.5), the AMD EPYC 9175F (95615, deltaPct -1.9), and the AMD EPYC 4565P (95764, deltaPct -2.1). These are all server or workstation processors, indicating that the Ultra 7 270K Plus competes with high-end enterprise parts in raw compute.

However, in Hitman 2, the CPU’s role is minimal. The measured frame rates are consistently low, even at 1080p where the CPU’s single-thread performance would matter most. The 1080p Low preset averages 80 FPS, which is a reasonable result, but the frame rate drops to 46 FPS at High and 34 FPS at Ultra, showing that the GPU is the bottleneck. If the CPU were limiting performance, the frame rates would be similar across different settings at the same resolution, as the CPU workload is largely independent of graphics settings. Instead, the frame rate scales with the GPU load, confirming that the Ultra 7 270K Plus is not the constraint. The CPU’s 24 cores and 24 threads are overkill for a single-threaded game like Hitman 2, but its high boost clock of 5.50 GHz ensures that it can feed the GPU with draw calls and physics data without issue. The CPU’s 96th percentile ranking in synthetic benchmarks is irrelevant to the gaming experience here, as the Arc B390’s 9th percentile GPU ranking dominates the outcome.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for Hitman 2 with this configuration depend on the target resolution and the acceptable frame rate. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 80 FPS, which is smooth and responsive. The Medium preset averages 60 FPS, which is also acceptable for most players, and it provides better visual quality with only a 25% reduction in frame rate compared to Low. The High preset at 1080p averages 46 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target but may be tolerable for a stealth game that does not require rapid reflexes. The Ultra preset at 1080p averages 34 FPS, which is likely to feel stuttery and is not recommended.

For 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 51 FPS, which is the only playable option at this resolution. The Medium preset averages 39 FPS, which is borderline, and the High and Ultra presets (29 FPS and 21 FPS, respectively) are too slow. At 3840x2160, none of the presets achieve a playable frame rate, with the best result being 27 FPS at Low. Therefore, the recommendation is to play at 1080p with the Medium preset for the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. The Medium preset provides a 60 FPS average with a minimum of 51 FPS, ensuring that frame drops are rare. If a higher frame rate is desired, the Low preset at 1080p offers 80 FPS, but the visual quality is noticeably reduced. For players who prioritize image quality over frame rate, the High preset at 1080p is the highest setting that remains above 30 FPS, but it is not ideal. The data suggests that this system is best suited for 1080p gaming with modest settings, and higher resolutions should be avoided unless the player is willing to accept sub-30 FPS performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus and Intel Arc B390 combination ranks 2662 out of 3001 tested combos in Hitman 2. This places it in the bottom 11.3% of all configurations, which is consistent with the GPU’s low performance percentile. The combo rank reflects the overall gaming experience, and the data shows that this pairing is severely mismatched. The CPU is a high-end part that ranks in the 96th percentile among all CPUs, but the GPU ranks in the 9th percentile, and the game’s performance is entirely dependent on the GPU. The ranking of 2662 indicates that the vast majority of other tested combos deliver better frame rates in Hitman 2, even if they use weaker CPUs.

The combo’s rank is driven by the Arc B390’s performance, which is comparable to legacy NVIDIA parts like the GeForce GT 710 and GT 520MX in synthetic benchmarks. In Hitman 2, the frame rates are low enough that only the 1080p Low and Medium presets provide a passable experience. The combo’s position at 2662 out of 3001 means that 88.7% of tested systems outperform it in this game. This is expected, as the Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution intended for basic tasks, not for gaming at high settings. The CPU’s high core count and fast boost clock do not help in this scenario, as the GPU simply cannot process frames fast enough. For a benchmark database, this combo serves as an example of how a top-tier CPU cannot compensate for a low-end GPU in a graphics-intensive workload. The rank of 2662 is a clear indicator that this configuration is not suitable for Hitman 2 beyond casual play at low settings, and users seeking better performance would need to pair the Ultra 7 270K Plus with a discrete GPU that ranks higher in the database.