Microsoft Flight Simulator

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D paired with the Intel Arc B570 presents a specific performance envelope for Microsoft Flight Simulator, a title known for its demanding simulation workloads. The measured data shows that this combination is highly resolution-sensitive, with playable performance confined to lower resolutions and settings. At 4K, the system falls short of the 60 FPS threshold across all tested presets, while 1440p and 1080p offer viable options only by adjusting graphical fidelity. The following analysis breaks down the measured frame rates, the balance between CPU and GPU workload, and how this specific pairing ranks against other tested configurations.

Best Settings per Resolution

The data indicates a clear hierarchy of playable settings based on the 60 FPS threshold. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset is the most demanding configuration that remains at or above 60 FPS, achieving an average of 67 FPS. This is the optimal balance for this resolution, as the High preset drops to 50 FPS and Ultra falls further to 48 FPS. The Low preset, while faster at 86 FPS, sacrifices visual quality unnecessarily when Medium is still within the playable range.

Moving to 2560x1440, the options narrow considerably. The Low preset is the only setting that clears the 60 FPS bar, averaging 69 FPS. The Medium preset falls below the threshold at 54 FPS, and both High (41 FPS) and Ultra (39 FPS) are significantly lower. For users targeting 1440p, the choice is binary: play at Low settings for smooth performance or accept sub-60 FPS frame rates at higher visual fidelity.

At 3840x2160, no tested preset achieves 60 FPS. The Low preset comes closest with an average of 51 FPS, followed by Medium at 40 FPS, High at 30 FPS, and Ultra at 28 FPS. Since even the lowest settings fail to reach the playable threshold, the verdict for 4K is that this combination cannot run the game at a consistent 60 FPS, regardless of settings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The frame rate scaling across resolutions and presets reveals the shifting balance between CPU and GPU limitations. At 1920x1080, the gap between settings is pronounced: Low scores 86 FPS, Medium 67 FPS, High 50 FPS, and Ultra 48 FPS. This 38 FPS spread indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at this resolution, as increasing graphical load directly impacts frame rates. The CPU, with its 12 cores and 24 threads, provides ample headroom for the simulation's logic, but the Arc B570's rendering throughput caps performance as settings rise.

At 2560x1440, the pattern shifts. The difference between Low (69 FPS) and Medium (54 FPS) is 15 FPS, while High (41 FPS) and Ultra (39 FPS) are nearly identical. The compression between High and Ultra suggests that the GPU is becoming saturated, but the CPU still has capacity. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D's strong single-thread performance (evidenced by its 3dmark single-thread score of 1269) helps maintain playable frame rates at Low, but the GPU's workload at higher settings dominates.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is unequivocally the limiting factor. The frame rates compress further: Low at 51 FPS, Medium at 40 FPS, High at 30 FPS, and Ultra at 28 FPS. The 23 FPS difference between Low and Ultra is smaller than at 1080p, indicating that the GPU is fully utilized even at Low settings. The CPU's role diminishes at this resolution, as pixel throughput becomes the sole constraint. The data shows that the Arc B570, with its 10 GB of GDDR6 memory and 380.0 GB/s bandwidth, is insufficient for 4K flight simulation at any quality level, while the CPU's capabilities are never fully stressed below 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2988 out of 3714 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the lower 20% of all configurations, which reflects the GPU's relative weakness compared to the CPU's strength. The CPU alone sits in the 91st percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 54762, but the GPU's 65th percentile standing (average score 20556) drags the overall gaming performance down.

The rank is particularly telling because the CPU is overkill for this game at the tested settings. The Ryzen 9 9900X3D's nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (deltaPct -0.6) and Intel Core i7-14700F (deltaPct 2.1), show that the CPU's performance is in a tightly contested range. However, the GPU's nearest rivals, including the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (deltaPct 0.1) and Intel Arc A750 (deltaPct -0.1), indicate that the Arc B570 is competing with mid-range and mobile parts. This mismatch explains the low combo rank: a top-tier CPU cannot compensate for a GPU that is fundamentally outclassed at higher resolutions.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Microsoft Flight Simulator at 1080p with 60 FPS?

A: Yes, at Low and Medium settings. The Medium preset averages 67 FPS, while Low averages 86 FPS. High (50 FPS) and Ultra (48 FPS) fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

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

A: The Low preset is the only option that maintains 60 FPS, averaging 69 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 54 FPS, which is below the playable threshold.

Q: Is 4K playable with this hardware?

A: No. All tested presets at 3840x2160 fail to reach 60 FPS. The Low preset averages 51 FPS, Medium 40 FPS, High 30 FPS, and Ultra 28 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to the GPU in this game?

A: The CPU is significantly stronger, ranking in the 91st percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 65th percentile among all GPUs. At 1080p, the GPU is the primary bottleneck; at 4K, the GPU is almost exclusively the limiting factor.

Q: What is the frame rate variance at Medium settings?

A: At 1080p Medium, the frame rate ranges from a minimum of 57 FPS to a maximum of 77 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range is 46 to 62 FPS. At 4K Medium, the range is 34 to 46 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank against all tested configurations?

A: It ranks 2988 out of 3714 combos, placing it in the lower 20% of all tested systems for this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080:

• Low: Average 86 FPS
• Medium: Average 67 FPS, minimum 57 FPS, maximum 77 FPS
• High: Average 50 FPS
• Ultra: Average 48 FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: Average 69 FPS
• Medium: Average 54 FPS, minimum 46 FPS, maximum 62 FPS
• High: Average 41 FPS
• Ultra: Average 39 FPS

3840x2160:

• Low: Average 51 FPS
• Medium: Average 40 FPS, minimum 34 FPS, maximum 46 FPS
• High: Average 30 FPS
• Ultra: Average 28 FPS

The data shows a consistent pattern: as resolution increases, the average frame rate drops across all settings, and the gap between settings narrows. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 38 FPS; at 1440p, it narrows to 30 FPS; at 4K, it compresses to 23 FPS. This reflects the GPU's diminishing ability to differentiate between quality levels as pixel count grows.

The Verdict

The verdict is mixed and heavily resolution-dependent. At 1920x1080, this PC can run the game at Medium settings with an average of 67 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. The Low preset offers even higher performance at 86 FPS, but Medium is the best playable setting for visual quality. At 2560x1440, the system is limited to Low settings, averaging 69 FPS. This is playable, but users seeking higher fidelity must accept frame rates in the 40s or 50s. At 3840x2160, no settings achieve 60 FPS, so the game is not playable at this resolution with this hardware. The best case at 4K is Low settings at 51 FPS, which is below the threshold. In summary, this combination is viable for 1080p and 1440p gaming at reduced settings, but it cannot handle 4K flight simulation.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D's nearest rivals in average benchmark score are the Intel Core Ultra 5 245KF (55093, deltaPct -0.6), Intel Core Ultra 5 245K (54053, deltaPct 1.3), Intel Xeon 6505P (53701, deltaPct 2), and Intel Core i7-14700F (53620, deltaPct 2.1). These processors deliver within 2.1% of the Ryzen's performance, meaning any of them would behave similarly in this game, as the CPU is not the limiting factor at the tested resolutions.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc B570's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile (20534, deltaPct 0.1), Intel Arc A750 (20582, deltaPct -0.1), NVIDIA Quadro M4000M (20480, deltaPct 0.4), and AMD Radeon R9 M390X (20662, deltaPct -0.5). These GPUs all fall within 0.5% of the Arc B570's average score, indicating they would produce nearly identical frame rates in Microsoft Flight Simulator. Users with these alternative GPUs should expect the same playable settings: 1080p Medium, 1440p Low, and no viable 4K option. The Arc A750, in particular, is a direct comparison, as it shares the same generation and performance tier.