Microsoft Flight Simulator

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a significant bottleneck in the integrated graphics solution, making this combination unsuitable for Microsoft Flight Simulator at any resolution. According to recorded data, the Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 1482, placing it near the very bottom of the performance spectrum. This pairing, ranked 3302 out of 3714 total combinations for this game, fails to reach the 60 FPS threshold at any resolution or preset level.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU components of this system have vastly different performance standings, and the nearest rivals for each reflect this disparity. The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X sits in the 84th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 34260. Its nearest competitors include the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, which scores 34222 and is only 0.1% slower, and the AMD EPYC 4244P, scoring 34220 with a 0.1% delta. On the faster side, the Intel Core i5-13450HX achieves 34333, a 0.2% advantage, while the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H scores 34083, placing it 0.5% behind. These four processors would behave in a nearly identical manner to the 3700X in this system, meaning the CPU is not the limiting factor in this configuration.

The Intel Arc B390, by contrast, is an integrated graphics processor with a 9th percentile ranking and an average benchmark score of 1482, based on the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. Its nearest rivals are all older, low-end discrete graphics cards: the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, which is 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 outperforms these by a small margin, but the data shows that any of these GPUs would produce a very similar experience in this game, which is to say a largely unplayable one. When seeking hardware that would behave similarly, the user should focus on the GPU side, as the Arc B390's performance class is the dominant factor in this system.

CPU and GPU Roles

In this configuration, the GPU is overwhelmingly the limiting component. The Ryzen 7 3700X offers substantial processing power with 8 cores and 16 threads, but the Arc B390's integrated nature and low benchmark standing mean it cannot translate that CPU capability into playable frame rates. The measured FPS data across resolutions and settings clearly demonstrates this imbalance.

At 3840x2160, the system averages 33 FPS on Low settings, 26 FPS on Medium, 19 FPS on High, and 19 FPS on Ultra. Moving to 2560x1440, the averages improve to 45 FPS on Low, 35 FPS on Medium, 26 FPS on High, and 25 FPS on Ultra. At 1920x1080, the averages reach 56 FPS on Low, 43 FPS on Medium, 33 FPS on High, and 31 FPS on Ultra. The scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a consistent drop of approximately 23 FPS on Low settings, from 56 down to 33, and roughly 14 FPS on High settings, from 33 down to 19. This resolution-dependent scaling indicates that the game is heavily GPU-bound in this configuration, as the frame rate decreases proportionally with the pixel count increase.

The difference between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution further emphasizes the GPU's role. At 1920x1080, the gap is 25 FPS, from 56 on Low to 31 on Ultra. At 2560x1440, the gap narrows to 20 FPS, from 45 to 25. At 3840x2160, the gap is 14 FPS, from 33 to 19. The diminishing impact of settings at higher resolutions is typical of a GPU-limited scenario, where the resolution itself becomes the primary burden. The CPU, with its 84th percentile standing and 32 MB of L3 cache, has ample headroom for this simulation's complex flight modeling, but the data suggests the Arc B390 cannot feed frames fast enough to utilize it.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combination is recorded across three resolutions and four settings levels, though min and max values were only captured for Medium settings. The complete breakdown is as follows.

At 1920x1080, the system averages 56 FPS on Low settings, which is the highest average recorded anywhere in the dataset. Medium settings at this resolution average 43 FPS, with a minimum of 37 FPS and a maximum of 50 FPS. High settings average 33 FPS, and Ultra settings average 31 FPS. The Medium settings data shows a relatively tight frame time distribution, with a 13 FPS spread between minimum and maximum.

At 2560x1440, Low settings average 45 FPS, a drop of 11 FPS from 1080p. Medium settings average 35 FPS, with a minimum of 30 FPS and a maximum of 40 FPS. High settings average 26 FPS, and Ultra settings average 25 FPS. The Medium settings spread here is 10 FPS, slightly narrower than at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, Low settings average 33 FPS. Medium settings average 26 FPS, with a minimum of 22 FPS and a maximum of 30 FPS, representing an 8 FPS spread. High and Ultra settings both average 19 FPS. The convergence of High and Ultra at 4K, both at 19 FPS, indicates that the GPU has reached its absolute ceiling at this resolution, and further graphical enhancements no longer affect the frame rate.

The data shows that the system never reaches the 60 FPS playable threshold at any resolution or setting. The closest approach is 56 FPS at 1920x1080 on Low, which is still 4 FPS short of the threshold. The Medium settings at 1080p, with a 37 FPS minimum, show that even the minimum frame rate is well below playable standards.

FAQ

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

A: No. The recorded data shows this combination ranks 3302 out of 3714 total combinations and does not reach the 60 FPS threshold at any resolution or settings level. The highest average FPS recorded is 56 FPS at 1920x1080 on Low settings.

Q: What is the best performance this system can achieve?

A: The best measured performance is 56 FPS average at 1920x1080 on Low settings. At Medium settings on the same resolution, the average drops to 43 FPS with a minimum of 37 FPS and a maximum of 50 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to other GPUs?

A: The Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX with a score of 1463, which is 1.3% slower. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 is 2.7% slower with a score of 1443.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this system?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X ranks in the 84th percentile of CPUs with an average score of 34260, while the Arc B390 ranks in the 9th percentile. The frame rates scale significantly with resolution, indicating a GPU-bound scenario.

Q: What performance can be expected at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the system averages 33 FPS on Low, 26 FPS on Medium, 19 FPS on High, and 19 FPS on Ultra. The Medium settings have a minimum of 22 FPS and a maximum of 30 FPS. These are far below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 3700X perform in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The CPU scores 2092 in Cinebench R15 multicore and 204 in single-core, with a PassMark multithread score of 8899 and a single-thread score of 2656. Its average benchmark score of 34260 places it 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI 7 350.

The Verdict

The verdict is unequivocal: this PC cannot run Microsoft Flight Simulator at a playable level. The verdictByResolution data lists no playable settings for any resolution, meaning there is no preset at 3840x2160, 2560x1440, or 1920x1080 that reaches the 60 FPS threshold. The system ranks 3302 out of 3714 combinations, placing it in the bottom 11% of all tested configurations for this game.

The 1920x1080 resolution on Low settings comes closest, with an average of 56 FPS, but even this falls short of the 60 FPS requirement. At 2560x1440, the best case is 45 FPS on Low, and at 3840x2160, the best case is 33 FPS on Low. The GPU's 9th percentile standing and 7.680 TFLOPS FP32 performance are simply insufficient for the demands of this flight simulator. The 80 W TDP and integrated nature of the Arc B390 further confirm that this is not a gaming-grade graphics solution.

The CPU is not the issue. The Ryzen 7 3700X, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, is a capable processor for this simulation genre. The data indicates that a system with this CPU but a more powerful discrete GPU would perform substantially better. Users seeking to play Microsoft Flight Simulator with this processor should look to pair it with a different graphics solution entirely.

Best Settings per Resolution

Since the verdictByResolution data lists no playable settings at any resolution, there is no preset that maintains 60 FPS or higher. For users who must play at lower frame rates, the following represents the highest measured performance at each resolution, based on the recorded data.

At 3840x2160, no settings level reaches the playable threshold. The best average FPS is 33 on Low settings, which is the highest recorded value at this resolution. High and Ultra both average 19 FPS, making Low the most viable option if one were to attempt 4K play.

At 2560x1440, the best average FPS is 45 on Low settings. Medium settings average 35 FPS, High averages 26 FPS, and Ultra averages 25 FPS. Low settings provide the highest frame rate, but the 45 FPS average is still 15 FPS below the playable threshold.

At 1920x1080, the best average FPS is 56 on Low settings. This is the closest any configuration comes to the 60 FPS threshold, but it still fails to reach it. Medium settings at 43 FPS, High at 33 FPS, and Ultra at 31 FPS all fall further behind. The Medium settings data at this resolution shows a minimum of 37 FPS and a maximum of 50 FPS, indicating that frame times are relatively stable but consistently below playable levels. No preset at any resolution meets the 60 FPS requirement, so the system cannot deliver a satisfactory experience for Microsoft Flight Simulator under any configuration.