Microsoft Flight Simulator

Best Settings per Resolution

The recorded data for this combination of Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and Intel Arc B390 shows no configuration that reaches the 60 FPS playable threshold at any of the three tested resolutions. The database defines playability as an average frame rate at or above 60 FPS, and every measured preset falls short of that mark.

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that produces the highest average frame rate is Low, with 33 FPS average. The Medium preset delivers 26 FPS average, while both High and Ultra produce 19 FPS average. Since none of these reach 60 FPS, the "best settings" designation cannot be applied to any preset at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves 45 FPS average, which is the highest recorded value at this resolution. Medium produces 35 FPS average, High produces 26 FPS, and Ultra produces 25 FPS. Again, no preset clears the 60 FPS threshold.

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 56 FPS average, the closest any setting comes to the playable threshold. Medium produces 43 FPS, High produces 33 FPS, and Ultra produces 31 FPS. The gap between the best result (56 FPS) and the 60 FPS threshold is 4 FPS, which means even the least demanding preset cannot sustain a playable experience.

The data indicates that the 60 FPS target is unreachable across all resolution and preset combinations. Users seeking higher frame rates would need to consider different hardware, as this CPU and GPU pairing does not provide the required performance headroom.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions reveals how the workload shifts between the processor and graphics hardware. Comparing the Low preset across resolutions, the average FPS moves from 33 at 4K to 45 at 1440p to 56 at 1080p. This progression shows that the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases, since the frame rate drops by roughly 21% from 1080p to 1440p, and by another 27% from 1440p to 4K.

For the Medium preset, the averages are 26 FPS at 4K, 35 FPS at 1440p, and 43 FPS at 1080p. The relative drops between steps are similar, confirming that the graphics workload dominates at higher resolutions. The Intel Arc B390, with its system-shared memory and integrated graphics design, shows diminishing returns as pixel count rises.

At 1080p, the CPU has more influence because the GPU is less stressed. The difference between Low (56 FPS) and Ultra (31 FPS) at this resolution is 25 FPS, which is a larger spread than at 4K where Low (33 FPS) and Ultra (19 FPS) differ by only 14 FPS. This suggests that at lower resolutions, the graphics settings have a more pronounced effect on frame rate, meaning the GPU can respond to preset changes, while at higher resolutions the GPU is saturated regardless of settings.

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 provides 10 cores and 10 threads, and its benchmark scores place it in the 85th percentile among all CPUs. However, the GPU is the primary bottleneck for this game, as even the strongest CPU performance cannot compensate for the graphics hardware's limitations in a flight simulator that renders dense terrain and weather.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The database contains complete average frame rate measurements for all four presets at each resolution, with partial minimum and maximum data for the Medium preset only.

At 3840x2160:

• Low: 33 FPS average
• Medium: 26 FPS average, with a minimum of 22 FPS and a maximum of 30 FPS
• High: 19 FPS average
• Ultra: 19 FPS average

At 2560x1440:

• Low: 45 FPS average
• Medium: 35 FPS average, with a minimum of 30 FPS and a maximum of 40 FPS
• High: 26 FPS average
• Ultra: 25 FPS average

At 1920x1080:

• Low: 56 FPS average
• Medium: 43 FPS average, with a minimum of 37 FPS and a maximum of 50 FPS
• High: 33 FPS average
• Ultra: 31 FPS average

The Medium preset's min/max values show a narrow range at each resolution: a 8 FPS spread at 4K, a 10 FPS spread at 1440p, and a 13 FPS spread at 1080p. This indicates moderate frame time consistency, though the averages remain far below the playable threshold.

The largest absolute difference between any two presets occurs at 1080p, where Low beats Ultra by 25 FPS. At 1440p, the spread between Low and Ultra is 20 FPS, and at 4K it is 14 FPS. The shrinking gap at higher resolutions reinforces that the GPU saturates before settings changes can produce meaningful gains.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals in the database are all within a narrow performance band. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F has an average score of 36945, which is 0% different from the Intel Core Ultra 5 225. The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D scores 37018, a 0.2% difference. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 scores 37093, a 0.4% difference. The Intel Core i9-12900T scores 37112, a 0.5% difference. These four alternatives would produce essentially identical CPU-bound behavior in this game, meaning the frame rates recorded with the Core Ultra 5 225 would not change meaningfully if one of these chips were substituted.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are all older NVIDIA parts. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX has an average score of 1463, which is 1.3% below the Arc B390's score of 1482. The NVIDIA GeForce 800M scores 1460, a 1.5% difference. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM scores 1446, a 2.5% difference. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 710 scores 1443, a 2.7% difference. These rivals are all within a few percentage points of the Arc B390, so users with these GPUs would encounter similar frame rates in Microsoft Flight Simulator, all of which would fall short of 60 FPS.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 9 among all GPUs places it in the bottom decile, which aligns with the measured frame rates. The CPU's 85th percentile ranking shows a stark imbalance: the processor is capable, but the graphics unit cannot keep pace.

How This Combo Ranks

The database ranks this combination at 3302 out of 3714 tested combos for this game. That places it in the bottom 11% of all tested systems. The ranking reflects the GPU's severe performance limitation, as the CPU alone would rank far higher if tested without the graphics bottleneck.

This ranking is consistent with the measured FPS data. A combo in the 3302nd position out of 3714 would be expected to fail the 60 FPS threshold at most or all settings, which is exactly what the measurements show. The gap between the CPU's strong percentile (85) and the GPU's weak percentile (9) explains why the overall combo rank is so low: the system's capability is defined by its weakest component.

For context, the difference between the 3302nd and 3714th positions represents a small performance gap, meaning there are only about 400 tested combos that perform worse than this one. The majority of systems in the database would outperform this pairing in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

The Verdict

This PC cannot run Microsoft Flight Simulator at a playable frame rate. The verdict by resolution is clear: at 3840x2160, no settings produce playable performance; at 2560x1440, no settings produce playable performance; and at 1920x1080, no settings produce playable performance. The playable settings list is empty for all three resolutions.

The best possible result is 56 FPS average at 1080p with Low settings, which is 4 FPS below the 60 FPS threshold. Every other configuration produces lower averages. The Medium preset at 1080p achieves 43 FPS, and the Ultra preset at 1080p achieves 31 FPS. At higher resolutions, even the Low preset falls to 45 FPS at 1440p and 33 FPS at 4K.

Users who own this hardware and wish to play Microsoft Flight Simulator would need to accept frame rates well below the playable threshold, which will result in a stuttering and visually compromised experience. The data does not support any resolution or preset combination for smooth gameplay.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Microsoft Flight Simulator at 1080p with Low settings?

A: No. The Low preset at 1920x1080 produces an average of 56 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold defined by the database.

Q: What is the best average frame rate this system can achieve?

A: The highest recorded average is 56 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. No other combination reaches this value.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 has an average benchmark score of 36938, which is within 0.5% of its closest rivals: the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D, AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450, and Intel Core i9-12900T.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Intel Arc B390 has an average benchmark score of 1482, which is between 1.3% and 2.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, GeForce 800M, GeForce GT 625 OEM, and GeForce GT 710.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 33 FPS while the Ultra preset averages 19 FPS, a difference of 14 FPS.

Q: Does lowering the resolution from 4K to 1080p double the frame rate?

A: No. At Low settings, the frame rate rises from 33 FPS at 4K to 56 FPS at 1080p, an increase of 23 FPS or roughly 70%, not a doubling.