Microsoft Flight Simulator

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the Intel Arc B390 presents a study in extremes for Microsoft Flight Simulator. The CPU is a high-end desktop part with strong multi-threaded performance, while the GPU is an entry-level integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture. Benchmark results show that this combination struggles to maintain playable frame rates at any resolution, with the GPU acting as the primary bottleneck. The recorded data indicates that no tested preset at 1080p, 1440p, or 4K reaches the 60 FPS threshold, making this combo unsuitable for the game at playable settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with Low settings?

A: The recorded average FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings is 56 FPS. This is the highest average frame rate achieved by this combination in the database, but it still falls 4 FPS short of the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Is this system capable of running the game at 1440p?

A: No. The verdict data shows no playable settings at 2560x1440. The best average FPS at this resolution is 45 FPS on Low settings, which is below the 60 FPS target. The Medium preset averages 35 FPS, while High and Ultra average 26 and 25 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the GPU's benchmark score compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B390 scores 1482 in the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test. This is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX (1463), 1.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M (1460), 2.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM (1446), and 2.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 (1443). The GPU sits in the 9th percentile of all GPUs in the database.

Q: What is the best preset to use at 4K resolution?

A: The database does not list any playable settings for 3840x2160. The best average FPS at 4K is 33 FPS on Low settings. Medium averages 26 FPS, while High and Ultra both average 19 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's average benchmark score compare to the AMD Ryzen 9 5900?

A: The Intel Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 46881. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900 scores 46971, which is 0.2% higher. The difference is negligible, meaning the two processors are effectively equivalent in overall synthetic performance.

Q: What is the frame rate range for Medium settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the recorded average FPS is 43, with a minimum of 37 FPS and a maximum of 50 FPS. This indicates notable frame time variance even at the lowest tested resolution.

Best Settings per Resolution

The database records measured FPS for four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) at three resolutions. The playable threshold is defined as 60 FPS or higher. Based on the recorded data, no preset at any resolution achieves this target.

At 1920x1080, the closest result is the Low preset with an average of 56 FPS. This is 4 FPS below the threshold. The Medium preset averages 43 FPS, High averages 33 FPS, and Ultra averages 31 FPS. Since 56 FPS does not meet the playable threshold, there is no qualifying preset at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 45 FPS, Medium averages 35 FPS, High averages 26 FPS, and Ultra averages 25 FPS. All values fall well short of the 60 FPS target. The verdict field confirms no playable settings exist at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, performance drops further. Low averages 33 FPS, Medium averages 26 FPS, High averages 19 FPS, and Ultra averages 19 FPS. The GPU is clearly overwhelmed at this resolution, and no preset comes close to the playable threshold.

The data indicates that this hardware combination cannot deliver a smooth experience in Microsoft Flight Simulator at any resolution. Even the least demanding preset at the lowest resolution leaves a 4 FPS gap to the 60 FPS target.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i7-13700K are all closely matched in average benchmark score. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900 scores 46971, which is 0.2% higher than the i7-13700K's 46881. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 scores 47022, 0.3% higher. On the other side, the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and the Intel Xeon w3-2535 both score 46654, which is 0.5% lower. These deltas are within a fraction of a percent, so swapping the CPU for any of these four parts would yield virtually identical frame rates in this game, assuming the same GPU.

For the Intel Arc B390, the nearest rivals are all significantly older NVIDIA parts. The GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, 1.3% lower than the B390. The GeForce 800M scores 1460, 1.5% lower. The GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, 2.5% lower. The GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, 2.7% lower. These deltas are small, but the performance class is the same: all of these GPUs are entry-level parts that will struggle with demanding titles. The B390's 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs confirms its position at the very bottom of the performance hierarchy.

In practical terms, a system using the i7-13700K with any of its four rival CPUs would produce nearly identical results in Microsoft Flight Simulator. Similarly, swapping the Arc B390 for any of its four rival GPUs would not meaningfully change the outcome, as all five parts sit within 2.7% of each other in synthetic benchmarks. The bottleneck would remain the GPU in all cases.

The Verdict

The recorded data is unambiguous: this PC cannot run Microsoft Flight Simulator at a playable frame rate. The verdict by resolution shows no playable settings at 3840x2160, 2560x1440, or 1920x1080. The playable threshold is 60 FPS, and the best recorded average is 56 FPS at 1080p Low settings.

At 4K, the highest average FPS is 33 on Low settings. This is barely half the target frame rate. At 1440p, the best result is 45 FPS on Low, still 15 FPS short. At 1080p, the Low preset reaches 56 FPS, which is the closest any configuration comes to the 60 FPS threshold, but it does not clear it.

The GPU's performance profile dictates these results. With a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482 and a 9th percentile ranking, the Arc B390 is not designed for this workload. The fact that the powerful i7-13700K cannot compensate for the GPU's limitations indicates a severe imbalance. Users would need to reduce resolution or settings below the tested range to approach playability, and even then, the margin would be thin.

CPU and GPU Roles

In this pairing, the GPU is the dominant factor limiting performance. The Intel Arc B390's 9th percentile ranking among all GPUs stands in stark contrast to the i7-13700K's 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs. The CPU has ample headroom, as evidenced by its Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 30745 and single-core score of 2116, but the GPU cannot translate that processing power into rendered frames.

The scaling between resolutions confirms the GPU bottleneck. At Low settings, moving from 1080p to 1440p drops the average FPS from 56 to 45, a 19.6% reduction. Moving from 1440p to 4K drops it from 45 to 33, a 26.7% reduction. This pattern is typical of a GPU-limited scenario, where increasing pixel count directly impacts frame rate.

The scaling between presets at a fixed resolution also points to the GPU. At 1080p, the difference between Low (56 FPS) and Ultra (31 FPS) is 25 FPS, a 44.6% drop. At 1440p, the same preset swing goes from 45 to 25 FPS. The CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at all settings, but the GPU's rendering throughput caps the output.

The CPU's role is therefore secondary in this game. At 1080p Low, the i7-13700K's strong single-thread performance (Geekbench single-core score of 2529) helps achieve the highest FPS, but it still falls short. At higher resolutions and presets, the GPU becomes even more of a limiting factor, to the point where CPU differences would be imperceptible.

How This Combo Ranks

The database ranks this combination at position 3302 out of 3714 tested combos for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the bottom 11% of all systems tested for this game. The ranking reflects the severe GPU limitation, as the i7-13700K is a high-end processor that would rank much higher with a capable discrete GPU.

The combo's rank is consistent with its measured performance. A system that cannot reach 60 FPS at 1080p Low settings is going to sit near the bottom of a ranking that includes many configurations with mid-range and high-end graphics cards. The 412 combos ranked below this one likely feature even weaker GPUs or CPUs, but the practical outcome is the same: unplayable frame rates in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

The percentile data reinforces this picture. The CPU's 89th percentile ranking shows it is a top-tier part, while the GPU's 9th percentile ranking shows it is a bottom-tier part. The combination's overall rank of 3302 is dragged down almost entirely by the GPU. In a game as graphically demanding as Microsoft Flight Simulator, the GPU's performance ceiling is the deciding factor, and this combo hits that ceiling at a very low level.