Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is one of the most demanding titles in the benchmark database, and this specific combination—the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X paired with the Intel Arc B570—occupies a particular niche in the performance hierarchy. The data indicates this combo ranks 2988 out of 3714 tested combinations, placing it in the lower-middle tier for this specific flight simulator. That percentile position, roughly the 19th percentile from the top, signals that while the hardware is far from obsolete, it is not positioned for high-fidelity simulation at extreme resolutions. The measured frame rates confirm this, with the system only achieving a smooth 60 FPS experience at 1080p Medium and 1440p Low presets, while struggling at 4K across all settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2988 out of 3714 total combinations is a decisive indicator of where this PC stands for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This is not a top-tier configuration; it sits closer to the bottom quartile of tested systems. To contextualize this, consider that the playable threshold in this database is set at 60 FPS. The combo only crosses that threshold at two specific configurations: 1920x1080 with Medium settings (67 FPS average) and 2560x1440 with Low settings (69 FPS average). At every other tested preset and resolution, the average frame rate falls below 60 FPS, which explains the relatively low ranking.

The ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU's performance ceiling. While the Ryzen 7 5800X is a capable processor with an 81st percentile ranking among all CPUs, the Intel Arc B570 only ranks in the 65th percentile among GPUs. In a simulation title that scales significantly with both CPU and GPU load, the weaker link in this chain—the graphics card—drags the overall combo down. The data shows that at 1080p, the system manages 86 FPS on Low but drops to 48 FPS on Ultra, a 44% reduction. This steep decline with increased graphical fidelity points directly at the GPU as the bottleneck, as the CPU's 16 threads and high single-thread performance are less stressed by resolution changes. The combo's rank is a mathematical summary of this imbalance, placing it below more balanced configurations.

CPU and GPU Roles

Benchmark results indicate a clear division of labor between the CPU and GPU in this pairing, with the GPU becoming the dominant constraint as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the scaling from Low to Medium settings shows a 22% performance drop (86 to 67 FPS), and from Medium to High a further 25% drop (67 to 50 FPS). This sharp sensitivity to settings at 1080p suggests that even at the lowest resolution, the Arc B570 is working hard to keep up with the CPU's ability to feed it draw calls. The Ryzen 7 5800X, with its 3.80 GHz base and 4.70 GHz boost clock, is likely keeping the graphics pipeline fed, but the GPU's 2304 shading units and 11.52 TFLOPS of FP32 performance are the limiting factor.

At 2560x1440, the pattern intensifies. The Low preset delivers 69 FPS, but Medium drops to 54 FPS, and High falls to 41 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium at 1440p is 22%, nearly identical to the 1080p gap. However, the absolute numbers are lower, confirming that the GPU is being saturated by the increased pixel count. By 3840x2160, the GPU is unequivocally the bottleneck. Even on Low settings, the system only manages 51 FPS, and Ultra drops to 28 FPS. The CPU's role diminishes at 4K because the GPU cannot process frames fast enough to let the CPU become a limiting factor. The data shows that the Ryzen 7 5800X has ample headroom; it is the Intel Arc B570's 160-bit memory bus and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth that cap performance in this simulation.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a comprehensive view of the system's capabilities across all tested configurations. At 1920x1080, the system delivers 86 FPS on Low, 67 FPS on Medium, 50 FPS on High, and 48 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset is the only one at this resolution that maintains an average above the 60 FPS playable threshold, with a minimum of 57 FPS and a maximum of 77 FPS. The High and Ultra presets fall short, with averages of 50 and 48 FPS respectively, indicating that while the game is playable, smoothness will be compromised in dense scenery or during complex weather events.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance curve steepens. Low settings yield 69 FPS, which is playable, but Medium drops to 54 FPS with a minimum of 46 FPS, making it borderline. High settings produce 41 FPS, and Ultra drops to 39 FPS. The 1440p Medium result is particularly telling: the minimum FPS of 46 suggests noticeable stutters during flight over detailed terrain. At 3840x2160, no preset achieves 60 FPS. Low settings average 51 FPS, Medium 40 FPS, High 30 FPS, and Ultra 28 FPS. The 4K Medium preset has a minimum of 34 FPS, which is far below the playable threshold. This data clearly shows that 4K is not a viable option for this combo, and even 1440p requires significant settings compromises.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Microsoft Flight Simulator at 1080p with High settings?

A: No. The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with High settings is 50 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The Medium preset is the highest playable setting at this resolution, achieving an average of 67 FPS.

Q: What is the best settings preset at 1440p for this combo?

A: The only playable preset at 2560x1440 is Low, which delivers an average of 69 FPS. The Medium preset averages 54 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and not considered playable according to the benchmark criteria.

Q: Is 4K resolution feasible for this hardware?

A: No. All tested 4K presets fail to reach 60 FPS. The best result is 51 FPS on Low settings, and the worst is 28 FPS on Ultra. The 4K Medium preset shows a minimum of 34 FPS, indicating significant performance instability.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to its nearest rival in terms of overall GPU benchmark score?

A: The Arc B570's average benchmark score is 20556, which is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile at 20534, a difference of only 0.1%. It is also very close to the Intel Arc A750, which scores 20582, with the B570 being 0.1% slower.

Q: Does the CPU have a significant impact on the frame rate at 4K?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K. The CPU's performance is sufficient to feed the GPU, but the Arc B570 cannot process frames fast enough at 3840x2160. This is evidenced by the relatively small differences in FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 4K (51 to 28 FPS), which is more attributable to GPU load than CPU limitations.

Q: What is the FPS range for the 1080p Medium preset?

A: The measured average FPS is 67, with a minimum of 57 FPS and a maximum of 77 FPS. The minimum is just below the 60 FPS threshold, so occasional dips may occur during intensive scenes.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, with an average of 67 FPS. This is the optimal balance for smooth gameplay, as the High preset drops to 50 FPS and is not playable. The Medium preset's minimum of 57 FPS is close to the threshold, but the average comfortably clears it.

At 2560x1440, the only playable option is Low, which averages 69 FPS. The Medium preset falls to 54 FPS, which does not meet the 60 FPS requirement. For users willing to accept a lower visual fidelity, Low at 1440p provides a smooth experience, but there is no headroom for higher settings.

At 3840x2160, there is no playable preset. The best result is Low at 51 FPS, which falls below the threshold. Users targeting 4K would need to consider reducing the resolution or accepting frame rates below 60 FPS, which may be tolerable for a flight simulator but is not ideal for smooth flight dynamics.

The Verdict

This PC can run Microsoft Flight Simulator, but only within strict limitations. The verdict by resolution is clear: at 3840x2160, no settings preset achieves 60 FPS, making it unplayable according to the benchmark standard. At 2560x1440, only the Low preset clears the threshold with an average of 69 FPS. At 1920x1080, both Low and Medium presets are playable, with Medium being the highest quality option at 67 FPS average. The system is therefore a 1080p Medium or 1440p Low machine for this title. The Ryzen 7 5800X is not the limiting factor; the Intel Arc B570's performance characteristics cap the experience. Users seeking higher fidelity will need to lower their expectations or upgrade the GPU.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for both components provides context for what similar performance would look like. The Ryzen 7 5800X has an average benchmark score of 29123, which is almost identical to the Intel Core Ultra 5 135H (29093, 0.1% faster) and the Intel Core i5-13500HX (29270, 0.5% slower). Any system with these CPUs would offer equivalent CPU-bound performance in this game, meaning the same frame rates when the GPU is not the bottleneck.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc B570's average score of 20556 is closely matched by the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534, 0.1% slower) and the Intel Arc A750 (20582, 0.1% faster). A system swapping the B570 for either of these GPUs would produce nearly identical FPS results in Microsoft Flight Simulator. The data also lists the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M and AMD Radeon R9 M390X as distant rivals, but their delta percentages (0.4% and -0.5% respectively) place them within a very narrow performance band, though they are less likely to be found in modern gaming rigs. In practical terms, any of these GPU alternatives would behave similarly, meaning the same 1080p Medium and 1440p Low playable settings would apply.