Hitman 2

Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus pairs with Intel Arc B570 in Hitman 2 to produce a combo that lands at rank 2399 out of 3001 tested configurations. This places the pairing in the lower third of the database, a position driven largely by the GPU becoming the dominant constraint as resolution climbs. The measured frame rates show a clear hierarchy: the system is capable of smooth play at 1080p with adjusted settings, but it falls below playable thresholds at 4K on higher presets. The following analysis breaks down the scaling behavior, component roles, and the exact measured performance data for this specific combination.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K in Hitman 2 reveals a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the average FPS scales from 123 at 1920x1080 down to 79 at 2560x1440, a reduction of 44 FPS, and then further down to 42 at 3840x2160, a total drop of 81 FPS from the starting point. This steep decline—roughly a 66% reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 4K—indicates that the Intel Arc B570’s rendering throughput is the primary limiting factor as pixel count increases.

The pattern persists across all settings presets. At High settings, the average FPS falls from 70 at 1080p to 45 at 1440p, and then to 24 at 4K. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly punishing: the frame rate is nearly halved, showing that the GPU’s fill rate and memory bandwidth are insufficient to maintain performance at the highest pixel densities. The data suggests that the CPU, with its 24 cores and 5.50 GHz boost clock, is not the bottleneck at these resolutions; if it were, the frame rate would remain more constant as resolution changes. Instead, the consistent drop with each resolution step points directly to the graphics card.

At Medium settings, the measured minimum and maximum FPS values provide additional insight. At 4K, the average is 32 FPS, with a minimum of 27 and a maximum of 36. At 1440p, the average rises to 59 FPS, with a range of 50 to 68. At 1080p, the average is 93 FPS, with a range of 79 to 106. The spread between minimum and maximum FPS widens at higher resolutions, indicating that the GPU is struggling to keep up with complex scenes, leading to more variable frame pacing. The scaling behavior strongly suggests that users targeting resolutions above 1440p will need to make significant compromises in settings to achieve acceptable performance.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B570 is the decisive component in this pairing for Hitman 2. Its specifications—10 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 160-bit bus with 380.0 GB/s bandwidth—are adequate for 1080p gaming but become strained at higher resolutions. The GPU’s base and boost clocks are both listed at 2500 MHz, which is a modest clock speed that does not compensate for the relatively narrow memory bus. This is reflected in the benchmark results: the Arc B570 achieves an average benchmark score of 20556, placing it at the 65th percentile of all GPUs, a mid-range position that aligns with the observed frame rates.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in the database include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which scores 20534 (a 0.1% delta), and the Intel Arc A750, which scores 20582 (a -0.1% delta). The Arc B570 sits almost exactly between these two, confirming its performance tier. However, in Hitman 2 specifically, the card’s 10 GB VRAM capacity is not the limiting factor at the tested settings; rather, it is the raw compute throughput and memory bandwidth that cap performance. The measured 4K Ultra result of 18 FPS average is a clear indicator that the GPU cannot handle the combined load of high resolution and maximum settings.

The GPU’s transistor count of 19,600 million on a 5 nm process node gives it a theoretical FP32 performance of 11.52 TFLOPS, but this does not translate into playable 4K performance in this title. The 80 ROPs and 144 TMUs are sufficient for 1080p Medium, where the card delivers 93 FPS, but they are overwhelmed at 4K. The data shows that the Arc B570 is best suited for 1080p gaming in Hitman 2, with 1440p achievable only at Low or Medium settings. The GPU’s role is to provide a solid 1080p experience, and pushing beyond that requires dropping settings to the lowest preset.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal experience for this combo is at 1920x1080 with Medium settings. This preset delivers an average of 93 FPS, with a minimum of 79 and a maximum of 106, providing a smooth and responsive experience that stays well above the typical 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 1080p is also viable, with an average of 70 FPS, but the margin for error is smaller, and frame drops could become noticeable in crowded scenes.

At 2560x1440, the recommendation shifts to Low settings, which yields an average of 79 FPS. This is a playable frame rate, though the visual quality is reduced. Medium at 1440p produces an average of 59 FPS, which is borderline; the minimum of 50 FPS may cause visible stutter. For users who prioritize smoothness over visual fidelity, Low at 1440p is the safer choice. High at 1440p drops to 45 FPS average, which is below the ideal range for fast-paced stealth action.

At 3840x2160, the data does not support any preset for a consistently playable experience. Low settings average 42 FPS, which is technically above 30 FPS but may feel sluggish. Medium averages 32 FPS, with a minimum of 27 FPS, indicating frequent dips below the playable threshold. High and Ultra average 24 FPS and 18 FPS respectively, making them unsuitable for gameplay. The best experience per the measured rows is clearly at 1080p Medium, balancing frame rate and visual quality. Users who insist on 4K should be prepared to accept sub-30 FPS performance even on the lowest settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank for this pairing in Hitman 2 is 2399 out of 3001 tested combinations, placing it in the 20th percentile of all tested systems. This low rank is consistent with the measured frame rates, which show that the system struggles at higher resolutions. The rank reflects the overall performance across all settings and resolutions, and the data indicates that this CPU-GPU pairing is not optimized for Hitman 2’s demands.

The CPU, Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, has a percentile rank of 96 among all CPUs, indicating that it is a high-performance processor. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Xeon 6520P, which has an identical average score (93786 vs 93785, a 0% delta), and the AMD EPYC 4564P, which is 1.5% faster. This suggests that the CPU is not the weak link in this combo. In contrast, the GPU’s percentile rank of 65 is significantly lower, and its nearest rivals—the RTX 3070 Mobile and Arc A750—are similarly positioned. The combination of a top-tier CPU with a mid-range GPU results in a system that is unbalanced for Hitman 2, where the GPU becomes the bottleneck.

The combo rank of 2399 indicates that there are 602 other tested combinations that perform worse, but the majority of systems outperform this pairing. This is likely due to the fact that many other combos feature more powerful GPUs paired with less capable CPUs, which yields better overall frame rates in this GPU-bound title. The data suggests that upgrading the GPU would yield a significant improvement in Hitman 2 performance, while the CPU has ample headroom to support a faster graphics card.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus is a 24-core, 24-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake Refresh architecture, manufactured on a 3 nm process node. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, with a 36 MB shared L3 cache. These specifications are far beyond what Hitman 2 requires, and the benchmark data confirms that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo. The CPU’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 44253, and its single-core score is 2439, both of which are strong results that place it in the top tier of processors.

In Hitman 2, the CPU’s role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and handle game logic, but at the tested resolutions, the GPU is unable to keep pace. The measured FPS does not vary significantly between Low and High settings at the same resolution, which is a typical sign of a GPU bottleneck. For example, at 1080p, the FPS drops from 123 on Low to 70 on High, but this is driven by the GPU’s rendering load, not CPU limitations. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would be more consistent across resolutions.

The CPU’s passmark multi-thread score of 68574 and single-thread score of 5068 further confirm its capability. The CPU also features integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics with 64 EU, but this is not used in the tested configuration. The data indicates that the CPU has significant headroom, and pairing it with a more powerful GPU would yield better results in Hitman 2. The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the Intel Xeon 6520P and AMD EPYC 4564P, show similar performance, reinforcing that the processor is not the constraint in this system.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo is as follows, organized by resolution and settings:

At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 123 on Low to 52 on Ultra. Specifically: Low averages 123 FPS, Medium averages 93 FPS (with a minimum of 79 and maximum of 106), High averages 70 FPS, and Ultra averages 52 FPS. This resolution provides the best performance, with all presets except Ultra delivering over 60 FPS on average.

At 2560x1440, performance drops significantly. Low averages 79 FPS, Medium averages 59 FPS (minimum 50, maximum 68), High averages 45 FPS, and Ultra averages 33 FPS. Only the Low preset maintains an average above 60 FPS, while Medium is close but with a minimum that dips below 60.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates fall below playable levels for most presets. Low averages 42 FPS, Medium averages 32 FPS (minimum 27, maximum 36), High averages 24 FPS, and Ultra averages 18 FPS. None of the presets at 4K achieve an average of 60 FPS, and the minimum FPS at Medium is 27, indicating significant frame drops.

The data shows a consistent pattern: each step up in resolution roughly halves the frame rate at a given setting, and each step up in settings reduces the frame rate by approximately 20-30%. The Medium preset at 1080p offers the best balance, with a 93 FPS average and a tight range of 79-106 FPS. The Ultra preset at 4K is the worst performer, with an 18 FPS average that is unplayable. These numbers provide a clear picture of the combo’s capabilities and limitations across the tested configurations.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for this system?

A: Based on the measured data, the best experience is at 1920x1080 with Medium settings, which delivers an average of 93 FPS with a minimum of 79 FPS. This provides a smooth and responsive experience without significant frame drops.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Hitman 2?

A: The data shows that 4K performance is poor, with the highest average of 42 FPS on Low settings. The Medium preset averages 32 FPS, and High and Ultra average 24 and 18 FPS respectively, making 4K gaming impractical for this combination.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this pairing?

A: The GPU is the clear bottleneck. The CPU, Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, has a 96th percentile rank among all CPUs, while the Intel Arc B570 has a 65th percentile rank. The frame rate drops significantly with resolution, which is a classic sign of GPU limitation.

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

A: This combo ranks 2399 out of 3001 tested combinations in Hitman 2, placing it in the lower third of all tested systems. This is due to the GPU’s mid-range performance relative to the CPU’s high-end capabilities.

Q: What is the expected frame rate at 1440p on High settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with High settings, the measured average FPS is 45, with no minimum or maximum values provided. This is below the 60 FPS threshold, indicating a less smooth experience.

Q: Does the GPU’s VRAM capacity affect performance in this game?

A: The GPU has 10 GB of GDDR6 memory, and the data does not indicate that VRAM capacity is the limiting factor. The performance drop is more likely due to the GPU’s compute throughput and memory bandwidth, as frame rates decline consistently with resolution and settings.