Microsoft Flight Simulator

The Intel Core i7-12700K and Intel Arc B570 combination presents a specific performance profile in Microsoft Flight Simulator, one defined by the balance between a strong 12th Gen processor and a mid-range Battlemage graphics card. Benchmark results place this pairing at rank 2988 out of 3714 tested combos, placing it in the lower-mid tier of all configurations evaluated for this title. The data reveals a system that is decisively capable at 1080p, usable with compromises at 1440p, and not viable for smooth play at 4K.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Examining the nearest rivals for each component provides context for where this hardware sits in the broader ecosystem. For the Intel Core i7-12700K, its average benchmark score of 35287 places it within a tight cluster of alternatives. The Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35305, just 0.1% higher, meaning in synthetic workloads these two CPUs would be nearly indistinguishable. Similarly, the Intel Core i7-12700KF scores 35365, a 0.2% advantage, which is effectively the same chip without integrated graphics. The Intel Core i7-13700T trails at 35403, 0.3% ahead, while the Intel Core 5 213PE scores 35428, 0.4% higher. The CPU sits at the 84th percentile compared to all processors, indicating it outperforms the vast majority of installed hardware, yet these four rivals show that several comparable options exist within a fraction of a percent in aggregate performance.

On the graphics side, the Intel Arc B570 has an average score of 20556 and sits at the 65th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile, which scores 20534, a 0.1% difference. The Intel Arc A750 is also nearby at 20582, just 0.1% higher, suggesting that Intel's own previous generation offers essentially equivalent compute power. The NVIDIA Quadro M4000M and AMD Radeon R9 M390X appear in the list with scores of 20480 and 20662 respectively, but these are professional and legacy mobile parts respectively, making them less relevant as direct consumer alternatives. For gaming purposes, the Arc A750 and RTX 3070 Mobile are the meaningful comparisons, both of which would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Microsoft Flight Simulator at the same settings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS data reveals how the workload shifts between the Intel Core i7-12700K and the Intel Arc B570 depending on resolution and preset. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combination produces 86 FPS on average. This high frame rate indicates that neither component is severely bottlenecked, but the CPU's strong single-thread performance, evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1850.5, allows the GPU to work efficiently. Moving to 2560x1440 Low, the average drops to 69 FPS, a 19.8% reduction. At 3840x2160 Low, the average falls further to 51 FPS, a 26.1% drop from 1440p. This scaling pattern shows that as resolution increases, the GPU becomes progressively more limiting, since the pixel workload grows faster than the CPU's ability to feed it.

The preset scaling tells a similar story. At 1920x1080, raising from Low to Medium reduces average FPS from 86 to 67, a 22.1% decrease. Moving from Medium to High drops to 50 FPS, a 25.4% reduction, and from High to Ultra falls to 48 FPS, only a 4% decline. The relatively small difference between High and Ultra at 1080p suggests that the Ultra preset introduces effects that tax the GPU heavily, but the CPU still maintains enough throughput to keep the frame rate from collapsing further. At 2560x1440, the progression from Low (69 FPS) to Medium (54 FPS) is a 21.7% drop, then to High (41 FPS) a 24.1% drop, and finally to Ultra (39 FPS) a 4.9% drop. The pattern repeats at 3840x2160, with Low at 51 FPS, Medium at 40 FPS, High at 30 FPS, and Ultra at 28 FPS. The consistent pattern across resolutions — where High to Ultra costs only 4-7% performance while Medium to High costs 24-25% — indicates that the Ultra preset is not dramatically more demanding than High, but both stress the GPU beyond what the B570 can comfortably deliver at higher resolutions.

The CPU's role is most apparent in the minimum frame rates recorded. At 1920x1080 Medium, the minimum FPS is 57, which is only 10 FPS below the average of 67. At 2560x1440 Medium, the minimum is 46 against an average of 54, a similar margin. These relatively stable minimums suggest that the 12-core, 20-thread processor prevents severe frame hitches, even when the GPU is working near its limits. The Intel Core i7-12700K's 3.60 GHz base and 5.00 GHz boost clocks, combined with its 25 MB shared L3 cache, provide sufficient headroom for the simulation's complex scenery streaming and physics calculations.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the results show a clear tiering. Low settings produce an average of 86 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded for this combination. Medium settings average 67 FPS, with a minimum of 57 and maximum of 77 FPS. High settings drop to 50 FPS on average, while Ultra falls to 48 FPS. None of the 1080p results have recorded minimum or maximum values except for Medium, but the averages alone indicate that Low and Medium both clear the 60 FPS playability threshold.

At 2560x1440, the performance curve shifts downward. Low settings average 69 FPS, still above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings average 54 FPS, with a minimum of 46 and maximum of 62 FPS. High settings average 41 FPS, and Ultra drops to 39 FPS. The Medium preset at 1440p shows a wide spread between minimum and maximum, suggesting that the frame rate fluctuates significantly depending on the scenery being rendered, but the average falls short of playable.

At 3840x2160, no preset reaches the 60 FPS threshold. Low settings average 51 FPS, Medium averages 40 FPS with a minimum of 34 and maximum of 46 FPS, High averages 30 FPS, and Ultra averages 28 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K shows a substantial 12 FPS gap between its minimum and maximum, indicating that the Arc B570's 10 GB GDDR6 memory and 160-bit bus are strained by the 8.3 million pixel workload. The 380.0 GB/s bandwidth becomes a limiting factor at this resolution.

The Verdict

The verdict data is unambiguous. At 3840x2160, there are no playable settings, meaning no preset achieves an average of 60 FPS or higher. The best result at 4K is Low at 51 FPS, which falls 9 FPS short of the playability threshold. At 2560x1440, only Low settings are playable, with an average of 69 FPS. Medium at 1440p averages 54 FPS, which is below the threshold. At 1920x1080, both Low and Medium settings are playable, with averages of 86 and 67 FPS respectively. High and Ultra at 1080p are not playable, averaging 50 and 48 FPS.

This system can run Microsoft Flight Simulator, but with significant caveats. For a smooth 60 FPS experience, users must restrict themselves to 1080p Medium or 1440p Low. The 1080p Medium preset, averaging 67 FPS with a 57 FPS minimum, represents the best visual quality that maintains playability. The 1440p Low preset offers higher resolution but with reduced visual fidelity, averaging 69 FPS. 4K is entirely off the table for playable frame rates.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, but only at Low or Medium settings. Low averages 86 FPS, while Medium averages 67 FPS. High and Ultra both fall below 60 FPS, averaging 50 and 48 FPS respectively.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 2560x1440?

A: Low settings is the only playable preset at 1440p, averaging 69 FPS. Medium averages 54 FPS, High averages 41 FPS, and Ultra averages 39 FPS, all below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Is 4K resolution possible with this hardware?

A: No. At 3840x2160, even Low settings only average 51 FPS. Medium averages 40 FPS, High averages 30 FPS, and Ultra averages 28 FPS. No preset reaches 60 FPS at this resolution.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B570 compare to the Intel Arc A750?

A: The Arc B570 has an average benchmark score of 20556, while the Arc A750 scores 20582, a difference of 0.1%. In practical terms, they deliver nearly identical performance in this game.

Q: What is the frame rate stability like at Medium settings?

A: At 1080p Medium, the minimum FPS is 57 and the maximum is 77, with an average of 67. At 1440p Medium, the minimum is 46 and the maximum is 62, with an average of 54. At 4K Medium, the minimum is 34 and the maximum is 46, with an average of 40. Stability decreases as resolution increases.

Q: How does this CPU compare to the Intel Core i7-12700KF?

A: The Core i7-12700K has an average benchmark score of 35287, while the 12700KF scores 35365, a 0.2% difference. They are functionally identical for gaming, with the KF lacking integrated graphics.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of Intel Core i7-12700K and Intel Arc B570 ranks 2988 out of 3714 tested combos for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the bottom 19.5% of all configurations tested, which is surprisingly low given that the CPU sits at the 84th percentile and the GPU at the 65th percentile among their respective categories. The rank suggests that while each component is respectable on its own, their pairing does not synergize particularly well for this specific game. The simulation's demanding CPU requirements are met by the i7-12700K, but the Arc B570's 65th percentile GPU performance becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The rank reflects that many other combinations, likely with more powerful GPUs, achieve substantially better frame rates. The 1080p results, where the combo clears 60 FPS on Low and Medium, are the saving grace, but the overall ranking is dragged down by the inability to play at 4K and the limited 1440p options.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is Medium, with an average of 67 FPS. This preset provides a good balance of visual quality and performance, with a minimum frame rate of 57 FPS that stays close to the threshold. Low settings at 1080p achieve 86 FPS, but Medium is the highest quality option that remains playable.

At 2560x1440, the only playable preset is Low, averaging 69 FPS. This delivers a significant resolution upgrade over 1080p while maintaining smooth performance, though visual details are reduced. Medium at 1440p averages 54 FPS, which is not playable by the 60 FPS standard.

At 3840x2160, there is no playable preset. The best result is Low at 51 FPS, which falls below the threshold. Users seeking 4K must accept frame rates in the 28-51 FPS range depending on preset, which is not suitable for smooth play. The data indicates that this combination is best utilized at 1080p Medium or 1440p Low, with the former offering better visual fidelity and the latter offering higher resolution.