Microsoft Flight Simulator

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for Microsoft Flight Simulator with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and Intel Arc B390 combination shows a consistent pattern across all tested resolutions: the game struggles to maintain smooth performance, and no tested settings configuration reaches the 60 FPS playable threshold.

At 3840x2160, the results are uniformly low. The High preset delivers an average of 19 FPS, while the Ultra preset matches that same 19 FPS average. Medium settings improve the average to 26 FPS, with a minimum of 22 FPS and a maximum of 30 FPS. The Low preset is the strongest performer at 4K, reaching an average of 33 FPS. Notably, the gap between Low and Medium is 7 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High/Ultra is also 7 FPS, indicating that the most demanding presets collapse to nearly identical performance levels.

Moving to 2560x1440, the results improve but remain well below playability. The Low preset averages 45 FPS, which is the highest figure recorded at this resolution. Medium settings produce an average of 35 FPS, with a minimum of 30 FPS and a maximum of 40 FPS. High drops to 26 FPS, and Ultra falls to 25 FPS. The differential between Low and Medium is 10 FPS, while the difference between High and Ultra is a marginal 1 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset offers no meaningful benefit over High in terms of frame rate at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the best results in the entire dataset appear. The Low preset averages 56 FPS, just 4 FPS shy of the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings average 43 FPS, with a minimum of 37 FPS and a maximum of 50 FPS. High settings drop to an average of 33 FPS, and Ultra averages 31 FPS. The scaling from Low to Medium represents a 13 FPS drop, while Medium to High costs another 10 FPS. The High to Ultra transition costs only 2 FPS, again demonstrating that the most demanding preset yields diminishing returns.

Across all resolutions, the min and max FPS values were only recorded for the Medium preset. At 4K Medium, the spread from minimum to maximum is 8 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the spread is 10 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the spread is 13 FPS. These narrow windows indicate that frame pacing is relatively stable, but the overall averages are far too low for a smooth experience.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a system that is heavily GPU-limited at every resolution and settings combination. The Intel Arc B390, with its shared memory architecture and low 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1482, sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals in average score include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX at 1463 (1.3% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M at 1460 (1.5% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM at 1446 (2.5% slower), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 at 1443 (2.7% slower). This places the Arc B390 at the very bottom of the GPU performance spectrum, and the frame rates in Microsoft Flight Simulator reflect that positioning.

The CPU, by contrast, is a much stronger component. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 sits in the 74th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20468. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V at 20454 (0.1% slower), the AMD Ryzen 5 8500G at 20425 (0.2% slower), the AMD EPYC 9454P at 20422 (0.2% slower), and the AMD EPYC 7713 at 20363 (0.5% slower). The processor is clearly not the bottleneck in this pairing.

Evidence for GPU limitation appears in the resolution scaling. When moving from 1080p Low (56 FPS) to 1440p Low (45 FPS), the frame rate drops by 11 FPS, a 20% reduction. Moving from 1440p Low to 4K Low (33 FPS) drops another 12 FPS, a 27% reduction. This scaling pattern is characteristic of a GPU-bound workload, where increasing pixel count directly reduces output. If the CPU were the limiting factor, the frame rates would remain closer across resolutions, especially at Low settings where geometric complexity is reduced.

The settings scaling further supports GPU dominance. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 25 FPS (56 down to 31). At 1440p, the same comparison shows a 20 FPS difference (45 down to 25). At 4K, the difference shrinks to 14 FPS (33 down to 19). The shrinking delta at higher resolutions is typical of a GPU that is already saturated: when the render target is massive, even lowering settings cannot recover much performance because the pixel throughput itself is the constraint.

The CPU does contribute some minimum-frame-rate stability. The Ryzen 5 5600 has a PassMark single-thread score of 3256 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2584, which are respectable figures. The recorded min FPS values at Medium settings (22 FPS at 4K, 30 FPS at 1440p, 37 FPS at 1080p) are all within 4 to 6 FPS of their respective averages, indicating that the CPU is able to feed frames consistently without severe hitches. A weaker processor would likely show larger gaps between average and minimum FPS in a simulation-heavy title like Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Ultimately, the data indicates that upgrading the GPU would produce far larger frame rate gains than upgrading the CPU. The Ryzen 5 5600 has ample headroom, while the Arc B390 is operating at the edge of its capabilities even at 1080p Low.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Microsoft Flight Simulator at 1920x1080?

A: At 1080p, the best recorded result is 56 FPS average on the Low preset. This falls 4 FPS short of the 60 FPS playable threshold. Medium settings average 43 FPS, High averages 33 FPS, and Ultra averages 31 FPS. No settings configuration at 1080p reaches 60 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset at 2560x1440?

A: The Low preset delivers the highest average at 1440p with 45 FPS. Medium averages 35 FPS, High averages 26 FPS, and Ultra averages 25 FPS. None of these reach the 60 FPS threshold, so there is no playable configuration at this resolution.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463 (1.3% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce 800M scores 1460 (1.5% slower), the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446 (2.5% slower), and the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 scores 1443 (2.7% slower). The Arc B390 leads this group by a narrow margin.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 a strong CPU for this game?

A: The Ryzen 5 5600 sits in the 74th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 20468. Its nearest rivals are all within 0.5% of its score, including the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V (20454) and the AMD Ryzen 5 8500G (20425). The processor is not the limiting factor in this system.

Q: Which component limits performance in Microsoft Flight Simulator with this combo?

A: The GPU is the limiting component. The Arc B390 sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, while the CPU sits in the 74th percentile of all CPUs. Resolution scaling shows steep frame rate drops as pixel count increases, which is characteristic of GPU-bound performance.

Q: Does the Ultra preset provide any benefit over High at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, both High and Ultra average 19 FPS. The Ultra preset offers identical performance to High, meaning there is no frame rate cost to enabling Ultra, but also no additional headroom.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU side, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 has four nearest rivals in the database, all within 0.5% of its average benchmark score. The Intel Core Ultra 7 258V scores 20454, the AMD Ryzen 5 8500G scores 20425, the AMD EPYC 9454P scores 20422, and the AMD EPYC 7713 scores 20363. In practice, any of these processors would deliver nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Microsoft Flight Simulator. The Ryzen 5 8500G is the closest consumer-oriented alternative, while the EPYC parts are server platforms that would behave the same in gaming workloads but are not typical desktop choices.

For the GPU side, the Intel Arc B390 is surrounded by very old, low-end parts. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463, 1.3% slower), NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460, 1.5% slower), NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446, 2.5% slower), and NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (1443, 2.7% slower) are the closest matches. A system with any of these GPUs would produce frame rates very similar to those recorded for the Arc B390. The GT 710 is the most commonly encountered desktop card in this group, and users familiar with its performance in flight simulators would see comparable results here.

The practical implication is that swapping the Ryzen 5 5600 for any of its nearest CPU rivals would change almost nothing in this game, since the GPU is the bottleneck. Swapping the Arc B390 for any of its nearest GPU rivals would also change little, since they are all clustered within 2.7% of each other. The entire performance class represented by this combo is defined by the GPU's low standing in the database.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the best recorded average FPS is 33 on the Low preset. Medium averages 26 FPS, while High and Ultra both average 19 FPS. No preset at 4K comes close to 60 FPS, and even the Low preset falls 27 FPS short of the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset again provides the highest average at 45 FPS. Medium averages 35 FPS, High averages 26 FPS, and Ultra averages 25 FPS. The Low preset is the only one that approaches playability, but it still misses the 60 FPS threshold by 15 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 56 FPS, the closest result to 60 FPS in the entire dataset. Medium averages 43 FPS, High averages 33 FPS, and Ultra averages 31 FPS. The Low preset is the most demanding configuration that comes nearest to the playable threshold, but it still does not clear it.

The recording data contains no settings configuration at any resolution that achieves an average of 60 FPS or higher. The best possible outcome is 1080p Low at 56 FPS, which is 4 FPS below the threshold. For users who are willing to accept frame rates below 60 FPS, the Low preset at 1080p is the strongest option, followed by Low at 1440p (45 FPS) and Low at 4K (33 FPS).

The Verdict

The verdict from the recorded data is clear: this combination of AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and Intel Arc B390 cannot run Microsoft Flight Simulator at a playable frame rate at any resolution or settings preset. The playable threshold in the database is 60 FPS, and the highest recorded average across all 12 tested configurations is 56 FPS (1080p Low). The verdictByResolution data lists empty playable settings arrays for 3840x2160, 2560x1440, and 1920x1080, confirming that no tested configuration clears the threshold.

At 4K, the best average is 33 FPS on Low, which is 27 FPS below the threshold. At 1440p, the best average is 45 FPS on Low, 15 FPS below the threshold. At 1080p, the best average is 56 FPS on Low, 4 FPS below the threshold. The system is close to playable only at 1080p Low, but "close" does not meet the playability standard.

The root cause is the GPU. The Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile of all GPUs in the database, and its performance in this simulator is consistent with that ranking. The Ryzen 5 5600, in contrast, ranks in the 74th percentile of all CPUs and is more than capable of feeding frames. Any path to playable performance would require a substantially stronger graphics solution.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and Intel Arc B390 combination ranks 3302 out of 3714 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the lower 11% of all tested systems, meaning roughly 89% of recorded combinations perform better in this game. The rank reflects the GPU's severe limitation: the CPU is a mid-to-upper tier part, but the Arc B390 drags the overall result down to near the bottom of the database.

The combination's position is consistent with the GPU's 9th percentile standing. Systems in this rank range are those where the graphics card cannot keep up with even modest rendering demands. The CPU's 74th percentile standing does little to help because Microsoft Flight Simulator, at the resolutions and settings tested, is overwhelmingly GPU-bound.

For context, the CPU alone would place this system in a much higher tier if paired with a stronger GPU. The recorded data shows the Ryzen 5 5600 has single-thread and multi-thread scores that would support far higher frame rates, but the Arc B390 caps the output. The combo rank of 3302 out of 3714 is therefore a direct reflection of GPU performance rather than a measure of the CPU's capability. Users considering this pairing should interpret the rank as a warning that the graphics subsystem is the decisive weakness.