Microsoft Flight Simulator

The Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the Intel Arc B580 presents a mixed picture for Microsoft Flight Simulator, a title known for its demanding rendering of vast landscapes and complex aircraft. Benchmark data shows this combination is capable of smooth gameplay at 1440p and 1080p with the right settings, but it struggles to maintain playable frame rates at 4K. The measured average FPS figures, taken across three resolutions and four quality presets, reveal a system that is more than adequate for high-refresh-rate 1080p play but hits a performance ceiling when pushed to maximum visual fidelity at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination delivers a wide range of performance depending on the preset. The Low setting produces an average of 96.4 FPS, which is the highest frame rate recorded across all tested configurations. Moving to Medium drops the average to 74 FPS, still comfortable for most displays. The High preset results in an average of 56.5 FPS, and the most demanding Ultra preset yields an average of 52.4 FPS. None of these 1080p results include min or max FPS data, so the analysis relies solely on average frame delivery.

At 2560x1440, the performance scaling follows a similar pattern but with lower overall averages. The Low preset achieves an average of 80.1 FPS, while Medium drops to 60.8 FPS. The High preset produces an average of 48.1 FPS, and Ultra falls further to 44.7 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 35.4 FPS, indicating that the preset choice has a substantial impact on frame delivery.

At 3840x2160, the system clearly struggles to maintain high frame rates. The Low preset averages 56.4 FPS, which is the only 4K configuration that comes close to the 60 FPS playable threshold. The Medium preset drops to 46 FPS, High to 33.6 FPS, and Ultra to 31.3 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium at 4K is 10.4 FPS, while the jump from Medium to High is a more severe 12.4 FPS decline, suggesting that the higher presets place a significant load on the GPU.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 1920x1080, the best settings that maintain at least 60 FPS are Medium, which delivers an average of 74 FPS. This preset provides a significant margin above the playable threshold, making it the recommended choice for smooth gameplay at this resolution. The High preset at 56.5 FPS and Ultra at 52.4 FPS both fall short of the 60 FPS target.

At 2560x1440, the best playable preset is also Medium, achieving an average of 60.8 FPS. This is just barely above the 60 FPS threshold, leaving little headroom for demanding scenes. The Low preset at 80.1 FPS is also playable and offers more performance, but Medium provides a better visual experience while still meeting the minimum frame rate requirement.

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves an average of 60 FPS or higher. The closest is Low at 56.4 FPS, which is below the playable threshold. The verdict data confirms that no playable settings exist for this resolution with this hardware combination. Users seeking 4K gameplay would need to accept lower frame rates or reduce the resolution.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions and presets indicates that the Intel Arc B580 is the primary bottleneck in this configuration. At 1080p, the CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU, as evidenced by the 96.4 FPS result at Low settings. The drop to 74 FPS at Medium and 56.5 FPS at High shows that the GPU becomes more strained as the preset increases, but the CPU is not limiting performance at these levels.

Moving from 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS at each preset declines by roughly 16-18%, which is consistent with a GPU-bound workload. For example, the Low preset drops from 96.4 FPS at 1080p to 80.1 FPS at 1440p, a reduction of 16.3 FPS. The Medium preset drops from 74 FPS to 60.8 FPS, a 13.2 FPS reduction. These changes are directly tied to the increased pixel count, which places more demand on the GPU's rendering capabilities.

At 4K, the GPU is clearly overwhelmed, with even the Low preset dropping to 56.4 FPS. The scaling from 1440p Low (80.1 FPS) to 4K Low (56.4 FPS) represents a 29.6% performance loss, which is substantial. The Ultra preset at 4K (31.3 FPS) is less than half the frame rate of the 1080p Ultra result (52.4 FPS), further confirming that the Arc B580's 12 GB of memory and 456.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for the highest settings at this resolution. The Intel Core i7-13700K, with its 16 cores and 24 threads, is not the limiting factor here; the data shows that the GPU is the dominant constraint at all resolutions above 1080p.

How This Combo Ranks

In the global database of tested hardware combinations for Microsoft Flight Simulator, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i7-13700K and Intel Arc B580 ranks 2809 out of 3714 tested combos. This places it in the lower third of all results, indicating that it is not a top-tier configuration for this game. The percentile data for the individual components shows the CPU at the 89th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU sits at the 68th percentile among all GPUs. The disparity between these two percentiles suggests that the GPU is holding back the overall combo ranking, as a higher-performing GPU would likely push this pairing much higher in the list.

The combo rank of 2809 out of 3714 means that roughly 75% of tested configurations outperform this one in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This is not surprising given the demanding nature of the game and the Arc B580's mid-range positioning. However, it also means that a significant number of systems perform worse, so the pairing is not at the bottom of the pack.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the Intel Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 46881. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900 scores 46971, which is 0.2% higher, making it a nearly identical performer. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 scores 47022, 0.3% higher, while the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX scores 46654, 0.5% lower. The Intel Xeon w3-2535 also scores 46653, 0.5% lower. These differences are negligible, meaning that swapping the i7-13700K for any of these CPUs would result in virtually identical frame rates in Microsoft Flight Simulator, assuming the same GPU and settings.

For the GPU, the Intel Arc B580 has an average benchmark score of 23021. The AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP scores 23061, which is 0.2% higher, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 scores 22895, 0.6% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 scores 23172, 0.7% higher, while the NVIDIA P106-100 scores 23249, 1% higher. These deltas are all within 1%, so any of these GPUs would produce essentially the same performance in this game. Users with any of these alternative GPUs paired with the i7-13700K can expect similar FPS numbers to those measured here.

FAQ

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

A: The highest measured average FPS is 96.4, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset.

Q: Can this system run the game at 60 FPS on 4K?

A: No. At 3840x2160, even the Low preset only reaches an average of 56.4 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Which preset at 1440p is the best for smooth gameplay?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 60.8 FPS, making it the best playable option at that resolution.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p Low to 4K Low?

A: The average FPS drops from 96.4 at 1080p Low to 56.4 at 4K Low, a reduction of 40 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 1440p?

A: The data shows the GPU is the primary constraint. At 1440p, the average FPS drops by roughly 16% compared to 1080p at the same preset, indicating GPU-bound scaling.

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

A: The combination ranks 2809 out of 3714 tested combos for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

The Verdict

The Intel Core i7-13700K and Intel Arc B580 can run Microsoft Flight Simulator, but only at specific resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system provides a solid experience with the Medium preset averaging 74 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The Low preset at 96.4 FPS offers even more headroom for high-refresh-rate displays. At 2560x1440, the Medium preset barely clears the threshold at 60.8 FPS, making it the recommended choice, though users should expect occasional dips below 60 FPS in dense areas. At 3840x2160, the system cannot maintain 60 FPS at any preset, with the Low preset at 56.4 FPS being the closest option. For users with 4K displays, the game is playable but not smooth, and lowering the resolution to 1440p is necessary for a consistent 60 FPS experience. The verdict data confirms that 1080p and 1440p are the viable resolutions for this hardware pairing, with Medium settings being the optimal balance of visual quality and performance.