Microsoft Flight Simulator

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Microsoft Flight Simulator at 60 FPS on any resolution?

A: No. The recorded data shows no resolution and no preset combination reaches the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average FPS is 56, which is the highest recorded average across all tested configurations. Every other setting at every resolution falls further below the threshold.

Q: What is the best average FPS this combo achieves in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 56 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The next closest is 45 at 2560x1440 with Low settings, then 43 at 1920x1080 with Medium settings. No configuration reaches 60 FPS or higher.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations for Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: The combo ranks 3302 out of 3714 tested combinations. This places it in the lower portion of the database, indicating that the majority of tested hardware pairings deliver higher performance in this game.

Q: What is the difference between the CPU and GPU performance percentiles?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X sits at the 79th percentile among all CPUs, while the Intel Arc B390 sits at the 9th percentile among all GPUs. This large gap suggests the graphics component is the limiting factor for this game.

Q: Which resolution shows the smallest drop from Low to Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160, the average FPS drops from 33 on Low to 19 on Ultra, a decrease of 14 FPS. At 2560x1440, the drop is from 45 to 25, a decrease of 20 FPS. At 1920x1080, the drop is from 56 to 31, a decrease of 25 FPS. The gap widens as resolution decreases.

Q: Are there any settings combinations where the minimum FPS stays above 30?

A: The only recorded minimum FPS values above 30 are at 1920x1080 with Medium settings, where the minimum is 37. At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the minimum is 30. No other recorded minimums reach or exceed 30 FPS.

The Verdict

This PC cannot run Microsoft Flight Simulator at the 60 FPS playable threshold on any resolution or preset combination. The verdict by resolution data is unambiguous: 3840x2160 has no playable settings, 2560x1440 has no playable settings, and 1920x1080 has no playable settings. The closest the combo comes is 56 FPS average at 1920x1080 with Low settings, which is 4 FPS short of the threshold. At 2560x1440 with Low settings, the average drops to 45 FPS. At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the average falls to 33 FPS.

For a flight simulator that demands consistent frame delivery, the data indicates this hardware pairing will require substantial compromises. Even at the lowest resolution and preset, the system does not clear 60 FPS. Users seeking a smooth experience in this game would need to accept frame rates in the mid-50s at best, or consider that the game will run at lower visual quality than intended. The measured results show no configuration where the game maintains a stable 60 FPS average, and the minimum FPS values recorded are even lower. At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 37, which means there are moments where frame delivery drops well below average.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 3302 out of 3714 tested combinations for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the 11th percentile of tested hardware pairings, meaning roughly 89 percent of tested combinations perform better in this game. The ranking reflects a significant mismatch between the two components. The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X is a capable processor, sitting at the 79th percentile among all CPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score of 27578 places it on par with the Intel Core i5-12600K, which has an identical average score of 27578 and a delta of 0 percent. The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X scores 27636, a delta of negative 0.2 percent, meaning the 5700X is marginally behind. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800 scores 27535, a delta of 0.2 percent, meaning the 5700X is marginally ahead. The Intel Core Ultra 5 125H scores 27507, a delta of 0.3 percent.

The Intel Arc B390, however, sits at the 9th percentile among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score is 1482. The nearest rivals are all entry-level NVIDIA parts: the GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463 with a delta of 1.3 percent, the GeForce 800M scores 1460 with a delta of 1.5 percent, the GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446 with a delta of 2.5 percent, and the GeForce GT 710 scores 1443 with a delta of 2.7 percent. The Arc B390 outperforms these parts, but they represent a very low performance tier. This GPU percentile ranking drives the overall combo ranking down despite the processor's strong standing. The data indicates that the GPU is the dominant constraint in this pairing for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the recorded data shows the following average FPS values. Low settings produce an average of 33 FPS with no recorded minimum or maximum. Medium settings produce an average of 26 FPS, with a minimum of 22 and a maximum of 30. High settings produce an average of 19 FPS with no recorded minimum or maximum. Ultra settings produce an average of 19 FPS with no recorded minimum or maximum. The difference between Low and Ultra is 14 FPS, which is the smallest absolute gap across all resolutions.

At 2560x1440, the recorded data shows the following average FPS values. Low settings produce an average of 45 FPS with no recorded minimum or maximum. Medium settings produce an average of 35 FPS, with a minimum of 30 and a maximum of 40. High settings produce an average of 26 FPS with no recorded minimum or maximum. Ultra settings produce an average of 25 FPS with no recorded minimum or maximum. The difference between Low and Ultra is 20 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the recorded data shows the following average FPS values. Low settings produce an average of 56 FPS with no recorded minimum or maximum. Medium settings produce an average of 43 FPS, with a minimum of 37 and a maximum of 50. High settings produce an average of 33 FPS with no recorded minimum or maximum. Ultra settings produce an average of 31 FPS with no recorded minimum or maximum. The difference between Low and Ultra is 25 FPS, which is the largest absolute gap across all resolutions.

The trend across all resolutions is consistent: lowering settings improves average FPS, and lowering resolution improves average FPS. The largest gains come from moving from Medium to Low at each resolution. At 3840x2160, that move gains 7 FPS. At 2560x1440, it gains 10 FPS. At 1920x1080, it gains 13 FPS. The gains from moving between Medium, High, and Ultra are smaller, typically 6 to 10 FPS per step.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows a clear division of labor between the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and the Intel Arc B390 in Microsoft Flight Simulator. The CPU sits at the 79th percentile among all processors, with strong multi-threaded and single-threaded scores. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 13184, and its single-core score is 1499. Its Geekbench multi-core score is 10779, and its single-core score is 2016. These numbers indicate a processor that can handle the simulation and physics workloads this game demands.

The Intel Arc B390, however, sits at the 9th percentile among all GPUs. Its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 1482, a result that places it near entry-level discrete GPUs and integrated graphics. The game's rendering workload appears to be bottlenecked by the GPU at every resolution tested. The evidence for this comes from the scaling patterns in the measured FPS data.

When resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440, the average FPS drops by roughly 20 percent across most settings. When resolution increases from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160, the average FPS drops by another 25 to 30 percent. This scaling pattern is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, where pixel count directly impacts render time. If the CPU were the bottleneck, resolution changes would produce smaller FPS differences, because the simulation workload would remain constant while only the render resolution changed.

The settings scaling also points to GPU limitation. At 1920x1080, moving from Low to Ultra costs 25 FPS. At 2560x1440, the same settings change costs 20 FPS. At 3840x2160, it costs 14 FPS. The diminishing cost of settings changes at higher resolutions suggests the GPU is already saturated and additional settings changes have less relative impact. A CPU-bound system would show the opposite pattern: settings changes would matter more at lower resolutions where the GPU has spare capacity.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent when comparing the Low settings results across resolutions. At 1920x1080 Low, the average is 56 FPS. At 2560x1440 Low, it is 45 FPS. At 3840x2160 Low, it is 33 FPS. The CPU can sustain frame delivery at the lower resolutions, but the GPU cannot push the frame rate to the 60 FPS threshold. The processor is not the limiting factor here; the graphics solution is.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset reaches the 60 FPS threshold. The best average FPS is 33 on Low settings, which is 27 FPS short of playable. Medium settings deliver 26 FPS average, High delivers 19 FPS, and Ultra delivers 19 FPS. Even the most aggressive settings reduction does not approach playable frame rates at this resolution. The data shows no playable settings for 3840x2160.

At 2560x1440, no preset reaches the 60 FPS threshold. The best average FPS is 45 on Low settings, which is 15 FPS short of playable. Medium settings deliver 35 FPS average, High delivers 26 FPS, and Ultra delivers 25 FPS. The gap between the best result and the threshold is smaller than at 4K, but still substantial. The data shows no playable settings for 2560x1440.

At 1920x1080, no preset reaches the 60 FPS threshold. The best average FPS is 56 on Low settings, which is 4 FPS short of playable. Medium settings deliver 43 FPS average, High delivers 33 FPS, and Ultra delivers 31 FPS. The Low preset at 1080p is the closest any configuration comes to the playable threshold, but the verdict by resolution confirms that even this setting does not qualify. The data shows no playable settings for 1920x1080.

For users who must run this game on this hardware, the practical choice is 1920x1080 with Low settings, accepting an average of 56 FPS with occasional dips below the threshold. The Medium preset at 1080p offers a more balanced visual experience at 43 FPS average, with a recorded minimum of 37 FPS, but it sacrifices 13 FPS compared to Low. At 2560x1440, the Low preset at 45 FPS is the only option that stays above 40 FPS on average. At 3840x2160, no setting provides a comfortable experience, with the best option delivering only 33 FPS average on Low. The recorded data makes clear that this combination is not suited for high-resolution or high-preset flight simulation.