Microsoft Flight Simulator

AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and Intel Arc B390 is a pairing that sits at the low end of the database for Microsoft Flight Simulator. The recorded data shows a combination that cannot reach the 60 FPS playable threshold at any tested resolution or preset. The benchmark results are consistent with a GPU that ranks near the bottom of all tested graphics cards, while the CPU ranks in the 91st percentile among all processors. This mismatch is visible in the frame rates, which remain modest even at the lowest settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the recorded average frame rates are 19 FPS on High settings, 33 FPS on Low, 26 FPS on Medium, and 19 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset is the only one at this resolution with complete min and max data, showing a minimum of 22 FPS and a maximum of 30 FPS. The Low preset delivers the highest average, 33 FPS, which is 14 frames above the High and Ultra presets. The gap between Low and Medium is 7 FPS, and between Medium and High is also 7 FPS. The Ultra preset matches the High preset at 19 FPS average, indicating a performance plateau at the top end.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages improve but remain below playable levels. High settings produce 26 FPS, Low settings produce 45 FPS, Medium settings produce 35 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 25 FPS. The Medium preset has min and max values of 30 and 40 FPS respectively. The Low preset is 19 FPS ahead of High, and 10 FPS ahead of Medium. The Ultra preset is only 1 FPS behind High, showing that the most demanding preset at this resolution costs very little relative to High. The difference between Low and Ultra is 20 FPS, which is the widest spread at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the averages are higher still, but no preset reaches 60 FPS. High settings average 33 FPS, Low settings average 56 FPS, Medium settings average 43 FPS, and Ultra settings average 31 FPS. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 37 FPS and a maximum of 50 FPS. The Low preset is 23 FPS ahead of High, and 13 FPS ahead of Medium. The Ultra preset is 2 FPS behind High, and 12 FPS behind Medium. The Low preset at 1080p is the single highest average in the entire dataset, at 56 FPS, which is 4 FPS short of the playable threshold.

Across all resolutions, the pattern is consistent: Low settings always deliver the highest average, followed by Medium, then High, then Ultra. The 1080p Low result of 56 FPS is the closest the combination comes to the 60 FPS target. The 1440p Low result of 45 FPS and the 4K Low result of 33 FPS show a clear scaling penalty as resolution increases.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 3840x2160, the database records no playable settings. The best average frame rate at this resolution is 33 FPS, achieved with Low settings. This is 27 FPS below the playable threshold of 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K averages 26 FPS, and the High and Ultra presets both average 19 FPS. None of these settings come close to the target.

For 2560x1440, there are also no playable settings. The best average is 45 FPS on Low, which is 15 FPS short of the threshold. Medium averages 35 FPS, High averages 26 FPS, and Ultra averages 25 FPS. The Low preset is the only one that exceeds 40 FPS at this resolution, but it still falls well below the playable mark.

For 1920x1080, the best average is 56 FPS on Low, which is 4 FPS below the threshold. Medium averages 43 FPS, High averages 33 FPS, and Ultra averages 31 FPS. The database shows that no preset at any resolution clears 60 FPS. The closest result is 1080p Low at 56 FPS, which is a near miss but still a miss. The verdict for every resolution is that no playable settings exist, and the best settings field is null for all three resolutions.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data shows a severe GPU bottleneck. The Intel Arc B390 has a percentile rank of 9 among all GPUs, meaning it sits in the bottom decile. The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D has a percentile rank of 91 among all CPUs, placing it in the top decile. The frame rates in Microsoft Flight Simulator are primarily limited by the GPU, as evidenced by the scaling between resolutions.

At 1080p Low, the average is 56 FPS. At 1440p Low, the average drops to 45 FPS, a reduction of 11 FPS or roughly 20%. At 4K Low, the average drops to 33 FPS, a further reduction of 12 FPS or roughly 27%. This scaling is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where increasing pixel count directly reduces frame rates. The CPU has ample headroom, as shown by its high benchmark scores, but the GPU cannot translate that into higher frame rates.

The presets also show GPU sensitivity. At 1080p, moving from Low to Medium reduces the average from 56 to 43 FPS, a drop of 13 FPS. Moving from Medium to High reduces it from 43 to 33 FPS, a drop of 10 FPS. Moving from High to Ultra reduces it from 33 to 31 FPS, a drop of only 2 FPS. The diminishing returns at Ultra suggest the GPU is already saturated at lower settings. At 4K, the Low to Medium drop is 7 FPS, and the Medium to High drop is also 7 FPS, while High to Ultra shows no change at 19 FPS.

The CPU’s role is minimal in this pairing. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D has a strong multi-threaded score, with a Cinebench R23 multicore result of 47737 and a Geekbench multicore score of 22884. These numbers indicate that the processor is not the limiting factor. The GPU’s 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 is near the bottom of the database, and its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX and the GeForce 800M. This is a clear indication that the GPU is the constraint, and the CPU is effectively waiting for the GPU at every resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination ranks 3302 out of 3714 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the bottom 11% of all recorded configurations. The rank reflects the overall performance, and the data shows that the GPU is the dominant factor in this low placement. The CPU alone would rank much higher, but the pairing drags the overall result down.

The percentile of the GPU at 9 is the key metric. Only a small fraction of tested GPUs score lower. The CPU percentile of 91 is nearly the opposite, indicating a top-tier processor paired with a bottom-tier graphics solution. The combo rank of 3302 out of 3714 means that 412 combos perform worse, and 3301 perform better. This is a clear signal that the GPU is the bottleneck, and the CPU’s potential is largely unused in this game.

The measured FPS values support this ranking. The highest average across all settings and resolutions is 56 FPS, which is below the playable threshold. The database records no playable settings at any resolution, which is consistent with a combo that ranks in the bottom decile.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU are Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF, Intel Core Ultra 5 245K, Intel Xeon 6505P, and Intel Core i7-14700F. The Core Ultra 5 245KF has an average score of 55093, which is 0.6% lower than the Ryzen 9 9900X3D’s average of 54762. The Core Ultra 5 245K scores 54053, which is 1.3% higher than the Ryzen. The Xeon 6505P scores 53701, which is 2% higher, and the Core i7-14700F scores 53620, which is 2.1% higher. These deltas are small, meaning that swapping the CPU for any of these alternatives would produce nearly identical frame rates in this game, because the GPU remains the bottleneck.

The nearest rivals for the GPU are NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, NVIDIA GeForce 800M, NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM, and NVIDIA GeForce GT 710. The GT 520MX has an average score of 1463, which is 1.3% lower than the Arc B390’s 1482. The GeForce 800M scores 1460, which is 1.5% lower. The GT 625 OEM scores 1446, which is 2.5% lower, and the GT 710 scores 1443, which is 2.7% lower. These deltas indicate that the Arc B390 is only marginally faster than these older or entry-level GPUs. In Microsoft Flight Simulator, any of these alternatives would deliver frame rates within a few FPS of the measured results, all below the playable threshold.

The data suggests that the CPU is interchangeable with its rivals without changing the outcome. The GPU is equally close to its rivals, and none of them would push the frame rates above 60 FPS. The limiting factor is the GPU’s low compute capability, not the specific model.

The Verdict

The database verdict for this combination is clear: this PC cannot run Microsoft Flight Simulator at a playable level at any tested resolution or preset. The playable threshold is 60 FPS, and the recorded data shows no setting that reaches that mark. At 3840x2160, the best average is 33 FPS on Low. At 2560x1440, the best average is 45 FPS on Low. At 1920x1080, the best average is 56 FPS on Low. All of these are below the threshold.

The verdict by resolution lists no playable settings for 3840x2160, 2560x1440, or 1920x1080. The best settings field is null for each resolution, and the average FPS at best is also null. This means that even the lowest preset at the lowest resolution fails to deliver 60 FPS. The closest result, 1080p Low at 56 FPS, is 4 FPS short. Users would experience stutter or frame pacing issues at this level, and the game would not feel smooth.

The CPU is capable, but the GPU is not. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D has a high benchmark average of 54762, but the Arc B390 has an average of only 1482. The GPU’s percentile rank of 9 places it near the bottom of all tested graphics cards. The combination rank of 3302 out of 3714 confirms that this is a low-performing setup for this specific title. The verdict is unambiguous: no resolution and no preset reaches the playable threshold.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combination in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: The highest average is 56 FPS, recorded at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is 4 FPS below the playable threshold of 60 FPS.

Q: Are there any playable settings at 2560x1440?

A: No. The database records no playable settings at 2560x1440. The best average is 45 FPS on Low, which is 15 FPS below the threshold.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in average benchmark score?

A: The Ryzen 9 9900X3D has an average score of 54762. The Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF scores 55093, which is 0.6% higher. The Core Ultra 5 245K scores 54053, which is 1.3% lower. The Intel Xeon 6505P scores 53701, which is 2% lower, and the Core i7-14700F scores 53620, which is 2.1% lower.

Q: What is the GPU’s percentile rank among all tested graphics cards?

A: The Intel Arc B390 has a percentile rank of 9, meaning it performs better than only 9% of all GPUs in the database. Its average benchmark score is 1482.

Q: What is the difference between Low and Ultra settings at 3840x2160?

A: At 3840x2160, Low settings average 33 FPS, while Ultra settings average 19 FPS. The difference is 14 FPS, with Low delivering the higher average.

Q: Does the combination rank in the top half of tested combos for this game?

A: No. The combination ranks 3302 out of 3714 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 11% of all recorded configurations for Microsoft Flight Simulator.