Microsoft Flight Simulator

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for this combination shows a consistent pattern: Microsoft Flight Simulator runs at playable frame rates only at the lowest settings, and even then, the averages fall short of the 60 FPS threshold. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 17 FPS, High averages 18 FPS, Medium averages 23 FPS with minimums of 20 FPS and maximums of 27 FPS, and Low averages 30 FPS. None of these approach the playable threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the situation improves slightly but remains constrained. The Ultra preset averages 23 FPS, High averages 24 FPS, Medium averages 32 FPS with minimums of 27 FPS and maximums of 36 FPS, and Low averages 41 FPS. The step from 4K to 1440p yields roughly a 30% average FPS increase across all presets, yet the ceiling remains far below 60 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the best results appear. Ultra averages 28 FPS, High averages 30 FPS, Medium averages 39 FPS with minimums of 33 FPS and maximums of 45 FPS, and Low averages 50 FPS. The Low preset at 1080p is the only configuration in the entire dataset that comes close to the 60 FPS target, but it still misses by 10 FPS on average.

The min/max data available only for Medium presets reveals the frame time consistency issue. At 4K Medium, the spread from 20 to 27 FPS shows a 7 FPS variance. At 1440p Medium, the spread is 27 to 36 FPS, a 9 FPS variance. At 1080p Medium, the spread is 33 to 45 FPS, a 12 FPS variance. This widening variance at lower resolutions suggests that CPU-side simulation work becomes more visible when GPU load decreases.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data indicates that the Intel Arc B370 is the dominant bottleneck in this pairing. The GPU's benchmark percentile ranks at 5th among all tested GPUs, and its average benchmark score of 1184 places it near the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, a 0.2% difference) and the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, a 0.5% difference). This is an integrated-class GPU with 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster output units, delivering 6.144 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700, by contrast, is a desktop-class processor with 8 cores and 16 threads based on Zen 4 architecture. Its benchmark percentile ranks at 87th among all CPUs, and its average benchmark score of 40081 places it within 0.6% of the Intel Core i9-13905H (40313) and within 0.4% of the AMD Ryzen 9 270 (40246). The CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 18760 and single-core score of 1930 indicate substantial processing headroom for flight simulation workloads.

The resolution scaling tells the story clearly. Moving from 4K to 1440p at Low settings improves average FPS from 30 to 41, a 37% gain. Moving from 1440p to 1080p at Low settings improves average FPS from 41 to 50, a 22% gain. If the CPU were the limiting factor, these resolution reductions would produce smaller gains, since the simulation workload stays constant. The fact that FPS scales strongly with resolution indicates the GPU's pixel throughput is the binding constraint.

At Medium settings, the pattern repeats: 4K averages 23 FPS, 1440p averages 32 FPS, and 1080p averages 39 FPS. The relative gains are 39% and 22% respectively. This consistent scaling pattern across presets reinforces the conclusion that the GPU is the primary limiter at every resolution tested.

The CPU's 3DMark scores provide context for its capability. The 16-thread score of 8484 and single-thread score of 1049 show strong multithreaded and single-threaded performance. Microsoft Flight Simulator benefits from both, particularly for physics and weather simulation. The data suggests the CPU is not the constraint; even at 1080p Low, where the GPU load is lightest, the average FPS of 50 likely reflects the GPU's ceiling rather than CPU simulation limits.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves 60 FPS. The highest average FPS is 30 at Low settings, followed by 23 at Medium, 18 at High, and 17 at Ultra. The database records no playable settings at this resolution, meaning the best configuration is the lowest preset, but it still falls far below the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, the same conclusion applies. Low settings produce 41 FPS, Medium produces 32 FPS, High produces 24 FPS, and Ultra produces 23 FPS. No preset reaches 60 FPS, and the verdict data confirms there are no playable settings at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the situation remains below the threshold but with a closer margin. Low settings average 50 FPS, Medium averages 39 FPS, High averages 30 FPS, and Ultra averages 28 FPS. The 50 FPS average at Low is the best recorded result for this combination, but it still falls 10 FPS short of the 60 FPS playable threshold.

In summary, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS does not exist at any resolution in the recorded data. The closest configuration is 1080p Low at 50 FPS average, which is the highest performance point for this hardware pairing.

The Verdict

This PC cannot run Microsoft Flight Simulator at the 60 FPS playable threshold at any resolution tested. The verdict by resolution records empty playable settings lists for 3840x2160, 2560x1440, and 1920x1080, confirming that no preset achieves the target.

At 4K, the best average is 30 FPS at Low settings, which is exactly half the threshold. At 1440p, the best average is 41 FPS at Low settings, a 32% shortfall. At 1080p, the best average is 50 FPS at Low settings, a 17% shortfall. The Ultra preset at 1080p averages 28 FPS, which is worse than the Low preset at 1440p (41 FPS), illustrating how heavily the GPU struggles with higher visual fidelity.

The data shows a clear verdict: this combination is suited for low-resolution, low-preset flight simulation, but it cannot provide a smooth 60 FPS experience. Users seeking 60 FPS in Microsoft Flight Simulator would need a more capable GPU, as the CPU side shows ample headroom. The Ryzen 7 7700's strong benchmark scores, including a Passmark multi-thread score of 34470 and Geekbench multi-core score of 15371, indicate that the processor is not the limiting factor in this pairing.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combination achieves in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 50, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. The next best is 41 FPS at 2560x1440 Low, followed by 39 FPS at 1920x1080 Medium.

Q: Does the AMD Ryzen 7 7700 bottleneck the Intel Arc B370 in this game?

A: No. The CPU's benchmark percentile ranks at 87th among all CPUs, and its scores (Cinebench R23 multi-core 18760, single-core 1930) indicate strong performance. The FPS scaling between resolutions (30 FPS at 4K Low, 41 FPS at 1440p Low, 50 FPS at 1080p Low) suggests the GPU is the limiting factor.

Q: Is there any preset that reaches 60 FPS at 1080p?

A: No. The best 1080p result is 50 FPS at Low settings. Medium averages 39 FPS, High averages 30 FPS, and Ultra averages 28 FPS. All fall below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The Arc B370's average benchmark score of 1184 is within 0.2% of the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186) and within 0.5% of the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190). It is 1.4% ahead of the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168) and 0.7% behind the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192).

Q: What are the minimum FPS values recorded for this combination?

A: Minimum FPS data is only available for the Medium preset. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 20 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 27 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 33 FPS. No min/max data was recorded for Low, High, or Ultra presets.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 7700 compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 7700's average benchmark score of 40081 is 0.1% ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 (40048) and 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core 5 221E (40144). It is 0.4% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 270 (40246) and 0.6% behind the Intel Core i9-13905H (40313).

How This Combo Ranks

This combination ranks 3428th out of 3714 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the bottom 7.7% of all tested configurations, which aligns with the measured FPS data showing no preset reaching 60 FPS at any resolution.

The ranking reflects the GPU's limitations. The Intel Arc B370 sits at the 5th percentile among all GPUs, and its nearest rivals are all legacy parts from the early 2010s. The ATI Radeon HD 5770, which scores nearly identically (1190 vs 1184, a 0.5% difference), was a mid-range discrete GPU from the DirectX 11 era. The Arc B370's 25 W TDP and integrated form factor (IGP slot width, system shared memory) place it firmly in the entry-level category.

The CPU, by contrast, is far more capable. The Ryzen 7 7700's 87th percentile ranking and 40081 average benchmark score place it among competitive desktop processors. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-13905H, a mobile H-series chip, and the AMD Ryzen 9 270, both scoring within 0.6% of the 7700. This creates an unusual pairing: a high-end desktop CPU with an entry-level integrated GPU.

The 3714 total combos in the database include many configurations with discrete GPUs, which explains the low rank. The measured FPS data confirms that this combination is only viable for low-preset, low-resolution play. Users who prioritize frame rate would need to upgrade the GPU while keeping the CPU, as the data shows the processor has substantial headroom for flight simulation workloads. The combination's rank of 3428 out of 3714 places it just above the bottom 300 configurations, which is consistent with a system that cannot meet the 60 FPS playable threshold at any tested setting.