Microsoft Flight Simulator

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the Intel Arc B580 delivers a playable experience in Microsoft Flight Simulator, but only at specific resolution and settings combinations. Benchmark data shows this combo is viable at 1080p and 1440p with medium presets, while 4K remains out of reach for smooth gameplay. The measured FPS across all tested configurations reveals a clear performance ceiling that scales predictably with resolution and graphical fidelity.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo produces its strongest results. The Low preset averages 95.6 FPS, which is the highest average recorded across the entire test matrix. Moving to Medium drops the average to 77.9 FPS, still comfortably above the 60 FPS playability threshold. The High preset averages 58.9 FPS, just below that threshold, while Ultra averages 56.9 FPS. The gap between Medium and High is notable: 19 FPS separates the two, indicating a steep cost for the extra visual features in High. The difference between High and Ultra is smaller, just 2 FPS, suggesting diminishing returns at the top end.

At 2560x1440, performance degrades predictably. The Low preset averages 76.8 FPS, which remains playable. Medium averages 62.6 FPS, barely clearing the 60 FPS threshold. High drops to 47.6 FPS, and Ultra falls to 42.9 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is consistent: at Low, the drop is 18.8 FPS; at Medium, it is 15.3 FPS; at High, it is 11.3 FPS; and at Ultra, it is 14 FPS. This indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the relative performance loss tracks with pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles across all settings. The Low preset averages 56.8 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 46.1 FPS, High averages 32.2 FPS, and Ultra averages 28.4 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium costs 10.7 FPS, while the jump from Medium to High costs 13.9 FPS. The data shows no settings combination at 4K reaches playable performance; even the least demanding preset falls short by 3.2 FPS.

The min and max FPS fields are null across all entries, so only average FPS can be used for analysis. This limits the ability to assess frame time consistency, but the averages alone demonstrate a clear performance hierarchy.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the best playable setting is Medium, which averages 77.9 FPS. This is the highest preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at this resolution. Low also clears the threshold at 95.6 FPS, but Medium offers a better visual experience while still maintaining a 17.9 FPS margin above the playability floor. High and Ultra both fall below 60 FPS, making them unsuitable for smooth gameplay.

At 2560x1440, the best playable setting is also Medium, averaging 62.6 FPS. This clears the 60 FPS threshold by only 2.6 FPS, leaving less headroom than at 1080p. Low averages 76.8 FPS and remains playable, but Medium provides superior graphical quality at a smaller performance cost than the jump to High. High and Ultra are not playable at this resolution, with averages of 47.6 FPS and 42.9 FPS respectively.

At 3840x2160, no settings combination is playable. The verdict data lists an empty array for playable settings, and the best settings field is null. The closest to playable is Low at 56.8 FPS, but this falls short of the 60 FPS threshold. Medium, High, and Ultra average 46.1 FPS, 32.2 FPS, and 28.4 FPS respectively, all well below the playable mark.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions reveals which component limits performance. At 1080p, the GPU is under less pressure, and the CPU can feed frames more effectively. The 95.6 FPS at Low suggests the i3-12100F can push beyond 60 FPS when the GPU is not the bottleneck. However, the drop from Low to Medium at 1080p (17.7 FPS) is larger than the drop from Medium to High (19 FPS), indicating that GPU load increases significantly with each preset tier.

At 1440p, the GPU becomes the dominant factor. The average FPS at Low drops to 76.8, a 19.7% reduction from 1080p Low. At Medium, the drop is 19.7% as well. This consistency suggests the GPU is scaling with pixel count, while the CPU maintains sufficient throughput. The i3-12100F has 4 cores and 8 threads, and the benchmark data shows a passmark multithread score of 14015, which is modest for modern titles. However, Microsoft Flight Simulator is known for heavy single-threaded workloads, and the CPU’s single-thread score of 3444 in passmark indicates it can handle the core simulation logic without becoming a hard bottleneck at these settings.

At 4K, the GPU is overwhelmingly the limiting factor. The average FPS at Low is 56.8, which is only 25.9% lower than 1440p Low. The GPU’s memory bandwidth of 456.0 GB/s and 12 GB of GDDR6 are likely strained by the higher pixel workload. The Arc B580’s 13.67 TFLOPS FP32 performance is insufficient to maintain 60 FPS at 4K even at Low settings, given the game’s demanding rendering requirements. The CPU’s role diminishes at this resolution, as the frame rate is constrained by the GPU’s pixel throughput rather than CPU instruction throughput.

How This Combo Ranks

This combo ranks 2787 out of 3714 tested combinations, placing it in the 75th percentile of all tested systems. This is a mid-to-low ranking, reflecting the CPU’s modest multi-threaded performance and the GPU’s mid-range positioning. The CPU’s percentile against all CPUs is 68, and the GPU’s percentile against all GPUs is also 68, indicating both components sit at a similar relative performance level. The rank of 2787 suggests that while this combo can run the game, a substantial number of other tested configurations deliver higher frame rates, particularly at higher resolutions and settings.

The average benchmark score for the CPU is 13494, and for the GPU it is 23021. These scores place both components in the same relative tier, which explains the balanced behavior at 1080p and 1440p. The combo does not exhibit a severe bottleneck in either direction at lower resolutions, but the GPU’s limits become apparent as resolution increases.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU’s nearest rivals include the Intel Core 3 N355 with an average score of 13492 and a delta of 0%, the Intel Core i5-9500 with a score of 13452 and a delta of 0.3%, the Intel Core 5 120UL with a score of 13594 and a delta of -0.7%, and the Intel Core i7-1250U with a score of 13351 and a delta of 1.1%. These CPUs offer nearly identical average benchmark performance, meaning a system with any of these processors paired with the same GPU would deliver very similar frame rates in Microsoft Flight Simulator. The i5-9500, for instance, is 0.3% faster in average score, which would translate to a negligible FPS difference.

The GPU’s nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP with an average score of 23061 and a delta of -0.2%, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 with a score of 22895 and a delta of 0.6%, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 with a score of 23172 and a delta of -0.7%, and the NVIDIA P106-100 with a score of 23249 and a delta of -1%. The RTX 2080 is 0.6% faster in average score, which would place it within a fraction of a frame per second of the Arc B580 in this game. The RTX 3080, despite being a higher-tier card, scores only 0.7% higher in this benchmark, suggesting the Arc B580 is competitive in synthetic tests but may differ in real-world game performance.

The Verdict

This PC can run Microsoft Flight Simulator at playable frame rates, but only at 1080p and 1440p with medium settings or lower. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset averages 77.9 FPS, and the Low preset averages 95.6 FPS. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset averages 62.6 FPS, and the Low preset averages 76.8 FPS. The High and Ultra presets at both of these resolutions fall below 60 FPS, making them unplayable. At 3840x2160, no settings combination reaches 60 FPS; the best case is Low at 56.8 FPS, which is below the playability threshold.

For users who prioritize visual fidelity, this combo requires accepting medium settings as the ceiling for smooth gameplay. The 1440p Medium result of 62.6 FPS is the most demanding playable configuration, offering a balance between resolution and detail. At 1080p, Medium provides more headroom with 77.9 FPS, allowing for potential background tasks or frame rate fluctuations without dropping below 60 FPS.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average FPS is 95.6, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: Can this combo run the game at 4K resolution?

A: No. The best 4K result is 56.8 FPS at Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS playability threshold. No 4K settings combination is listed as playable in the verdict data.

Q: What is the best playable settings preset at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset averages 62.6 FPS at 2560x1440, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. This is the highest playable preset at this resolution.

Q: How does the Arc B580 compare to the RTX 2080 in average benchmark score?

A: The Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021, while the RTX 2080 has a score of 22895, making the RTX 2080 0.6% faster in that metric.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 2787 out of 3714 tested combinations in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance more at 1080p?

A: At 1080p, the GPU is the primary limiter at higher presets. The Low preset hits 95.6 FPS, but Medium drops to 77.9 FPS and High to 58.9 FPS, indicating that GPU load increases steeply with settings while the CPU maintains adequate throughput.