Microsoft Flight Simulator

This analysis examines the measured performance of the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X paired with the Intel Arc B570 in Microsoft Flight Simulator. The data provided includes average, minimum, and maximum frame rates across three resolutions and four quality presets, offering a clear picture of where this combination excels and where it falls short of the 60 FPS playability threshold.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160 (4K), the combination struggles to maintain playable frame rates across all settings. The Low preset delivers an average of 51 FPS, which is the only setting that approaches the 60 FPS mark but still falls short. Medium produces an average of 40 FPS, with minimums of 34 FPS and maximums of 46 FPS, indicating noticeable frame pacing variability. High drops to 30 FPS average, and Ultra bottoms out at 28 FPS average. None of these 4K configurations reach the 60 FPS threshold, and the data suggests the GPU is heavily burdened at this resolution.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the picture improves considerably. The Low preset achieves an average of 69 FPS, clearing the 60 FPS bar with some headroom. Medium sits at 54 FPS average, with minimums of 46 FPS and maximums of 62 FPS—this is borderline, as the average is below the threshold but the maximum exceeds it. High averages 41 FPS, while Ultra averages 39 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 15 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is only 2 FPS, suggesting diminishing returns at the top end of the preset scale.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), this system finds its most comfortable territory. The Low preset delivers 86 FPS average, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this combo. Medium achieves 67 FPS average, with minimums of 57 FPS and maximums of 77 FPS—this is technically playable by the 60 FPS standard, though the minimum dips below it. High averages 50 FPS, and Ultra averages 48 FPS. The delta between Low and Medium is 19 FPS, while the delta between High and Ultra is only 2 FPS, mirroring the pattern seen at 1440p.

Across all resolutions, the Medium preset is the only one that provides both average and maximum FPS figures in the dataset, allowing for a closer look at frame consistency. At 1080p Medium, the spread from minimum to maximum is 20 FPS; at 1440p Medium, it is 16 FPS; at 4K Medium, it is 12 FPS. This narrowing spread at higher resolutions indicates that frame times become more consistent when the GPU is the limiting factor, even though overall throughput drops.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions reveals a clear division of labor. Moving from 1080p to 1440p, the Low preset drops from 86 FPS to 69 FPS, a 19.8% reduction. Moving from 1440p to 4K, the Low preset drops from 69 FPS to 51 FPS, a 26.1% reduction. This progressive decline indicates that the Intel Arc B570 is the primary bottleneck as pixel count increases, since the CPU workload for the same settings remains relatively constant while the GPU must render more pixels.

The Medium preset tells a similar story. From 1080p to 1440p, average FPS falls from 67 to 54, a 19.4% drop. From 1440p to 4K, it falls from 54 to 40, a 25.9% drop. The consistency of these percentage drops across presets suggests that the GPU's performance curve is predictable and that the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is not introducing additional variability at higher resolutions.

However, the CPU's role becomes more apparent when examining preset scaling within a single resolution. At 1080p, the jump from Low to Medium costs 19 FPS (86 to 67), while the jump from High to Ultra costs only 2 FPS (50 to 48). At 1440p, the Low-to-Medium cost is 15 FPS (69 to 54), and the High-to-Ultra cost is 2 FPS (41 to 39). At 4K, the Low-to-Medium cost is 11 FPS (51 to 40), and the High-to-Ultra cost is 2 FPS (30 to 28). The consistently small High-to-Ultra delta across all resolutions indicates that the Ultra preset's additional effects are not heavily taxing either component, while the Low-to-Medium delta shrinks as resolution increases, reinforcing that the GPU handles the medium preset's extra load less efficiently at higher pixel counts.

The Ryzen 5 9600X, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, appears sufficient for this game's CPU demands at the tested settings. The fact that 1080p Low reaches 86 FPS—well above the playability threshold—suggests the CPU is not limiting at lower resolutions. At 4K, where the GPU is clearly saturated, the CPU has more headroom, as evidenced by the smaller FPS deltas between presets. This pattern indicates that for this specific pairing, the Arc B570 is the dominant factor in determining playability, particularly at 1440p and above.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Microsoft Flight Simulator at 60 FPS in 4K?

A: No. The data shows no 4K preset reaches 60 FPS. The best result is the Low preset at 51 FPS average, followed by Medium at 40 FPS, High at 30 FPS, and Ultra at 28 FPS.

Q: What is the highest quality preset that maintains 60 FPS at 1080p?

A: The Medium preset achieves 67 FPS average, though its minimum of 57 FPS dips below the threshold. The Low preset runs at 86 FPS average with no recorded minimums, making it the only preset with a fully confirmed 60+ FPS experience.

Q: How does the frame rate drop between 1080p and 1440p compare to the drop between 1440p and 4K?

A: For the Low preset, the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 17 FPS (86 to 69), while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 18 FPS (69 to 51). For the Medium preset, the drops are 13 FPS (67 to 54) and 14 FPS (54 to 40), respectively.

Q: Does the Ultra preset offer any advantage over High at any resolution?

A: The data shows Ultra is consistently slower than High. At 1080p, Ultra averages 48 FPS versus High's 50 FPS; at 1440p, Ultra averages 39 FPS versus High's 41 FPS; at 4K, Ultra averages 28 FPS versus High's 30 FPS. The performance cost of Ultra over High is 2 FPS at every resolution.

Q: What is the best 1440p preset for this system?

A: The Low preset is the only playable option at 1440p, averaging 69 FPS. Medium averages 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold, and High and Ultra average 41 FPS and 39 FPS, respectively.

Q: How does this combo's performance in Microsoft Flight Simulator compare to its overall hardware ranking?

A: The combination ranks 2988th out of 3714 tested combos in this game, placing it in the lower half of the database. This is consistent with the measured FPS data showing limited playability at higher resolutions.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X has an average benchmark score of 29713, with nearest rivals including the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE (scoring 29656, 0.2% higher), the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H (scoring 29868, 0.5% lower), the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT (scoring 29879, 0.6% lower), and the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS (scoring 29955, 0.8% lower). These processors would behave nearly identically to the 9600X in this game, as their benchmark deltas are all within 1% of each other. In practical terms, swapping to any of these CPUs would not meaningfully change the FPS results shown above.

The Intel Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556, with nearest rivals including the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (scoring 20534, 0.1% higher), the Intel Arc A750 (scoring 20582, 0.1% lower), the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (scoring 20480, 0.4% higher), and the AMD Radeon R9 M390X (scoring 20662, 0.5% lower). The RTX 3070 Mobile and Arc A750 are the most relevant comparisons for gaming purposes, as the Quadro and Radeon cards are geared toward different workloads. The Arc A750, being a desktop GPU from the same Intel family, would likely produce very similar FPS numbers in Microsoft Flight Simulator, with the RTX 3070 Mobile trailing or matching within a fraction of a frame.

For users considering an upgrade path, the data implies that GPU selection matters more than CPU selection for improving playability in this title. Since the CPU's rivals are all within 1% in benchmark scores, any of them would pair similarly with the Arc B570. Conversely, a GPU with a higher benchmark score than the Arc B570 would be needed to push 1440p Medium or 4K Low past the 60 FPS threshold.

The Verdict

This system can run Microsoft Flight Simulator at playable frame rates, but only under specific conditions. At 1920x1080, the Low preset runs at 86 FPS average, and the Medium preset runs at 67 FPS average, both clearing the 60 FPS threshold—though Medium's minimum of 57 FPS means occasional dips below playable levels. At 2560x1440, only the Low preset achieves 60+ FPS, averaging 69 FPS. At 3840x2160, no preset reaches 60 FPS, with the best option being Low at 51 FPS average.

The verdict by resolution is unambiguous: 1080p is playable at Low and Medium, 1440p is playable at Low only, and 4K is not playable at any preset. For users prioritizing visual fidelity, 1080p Medium offers the best balance of quality and performance, with an average that stays above 60 FPS. For those who require consistent frame rates without dips, 1080p Low and 1440p Low are the safest choices, as their minimums are not recorded in the data but their averages provide substantial headroom above the threshold.

How This Combo Ranks

Out of 3714 tested combinations in this database, the AMD Ryzen 5 9600X + Intel Arc B570 pairing ranks 2988th in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the bottom 20% of tested systems, which is consistent with the measured FPS data showing limited playability at higher resolutions. The rank reflects the combination's overall performance, not just its ability to hit 60 FPS; many systems above it may achieve higher frame rates at the same settings or support higher presets at playable speeds.

The rank of 2988 indicates that this combo is better suited to 1080p gaming than to higher resolutions in this particular title. While the CPU's 81st percentile ranking among all CPUs suggests it is a capable processor, the GPU's 65th percentile ranking among all GPUs holds the combo back in a game that is heavily GPU-dependent at high pixel counts. Users with this setup should target 1080p for the best experience, as the data shows diminishing returns when pushing toward 1440p and 4K.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the Medium preset is the most demanding option that stays at or above 60 FPS, averaging 67 FPS. This provides a substantial visual upgrade over Low while maintaining playable performance, though users sensitive to frame dips should note the 57 FPS minimum. For a guaranteed 60+ FPS experience, the Low preset at 86 FPS is the safer choice.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only playable option, averaging 69 FPS. There is no higher preset that meets the 60 FPS threshold, as Medium averages 54 FPS, High averages 41 FPS, and Ultra averages 39 FPS. Users at this resolution must accept reduced visual quality to maintain smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, no preset meets the 60 FPS threshold. The Low preset at 51 FPS is the closest, but it still falls below the playability standard. Users attempting 4K will need to lower resolution or consider different hardware to achieve a playable experience. The data shows that this combo is effectively a 1080p-oriented configuration for Microsoft Flight Simulator, with 1440p possible only at minimal settings.