Microsoft Flight Simulator

# Microsoft Flight Simulator with AMD Ryzen 5 7500F + Intel Arc B370

This combination produces consistently low frame rates across all tested settings, with the Intel Arc B370 acting as the primary bottleneck. The data shows a maximum average of 50 FPS at 1080p Low and a minimum of 17 FPS at 4K Ultra, placing this combo in the 2770th position out of 2996 tested combinations — a result in the bottom 8% of all tested systems. The pairing of a capable 6-core Zen 4 processor with an integrated-class GPU creates a severe imbalance that no settings adjustment can fully overcome.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K is dramatic and reveals a GPU-bound scenario at every resolution. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 50 at 1920x1080 to 41 at 2560x1440, then to 30 at 3840x2160. That represents an 18% reduction moving from 1080p to 1440p, followed by a 27% reduction from 1440p to 4K. The total scaling from 1080p Low to 4K Low is a 40% performance loss, which is substantial but not as severe as the drop seen at higher quality presets.

At High settings, the scaling pattern shifts. The average FPS at 1080p High is 30, dropping to 24 at 1440p High (a 20% loss), then further to 18 at 4K High (a 25% loss from 1440p). The total reduction from 1080p High to 4K High is 40%, matching the Low preset's relative decline. However, the absolute numbers are much lower, indicating that the GPU is already saturated even at 1080p High.

The Medium preset shows a similar trajectory: 39 FPS at 1080p, 32 FPS at 1440p, and 23 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset delivers 28 FPS at 1080p, 23 FPS at 1440p, and 17 FPS at 4K. The measured minimum and maximum values at Medium settings illustrate the variability: at 1080p Medium, the range is 33 to 45 FPS; at 1440p Medium, it narrows to 27 to 36 FPS; at 4K Medium, it tightens further to 20 to 27 FPS. This compression of the frame time distribution at higher resolutions reinforces the conclusion that the GPU's rendering capacity is the limiting factor.

The scaling behavior indicates that resolution has a disproportionate impact compared to what a stronger GPU would show. A more capable graphics solution would typically demonstrate a smaller percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p, with the CPU beginning to matter more at lower resolutions. Here, the consistent 40% total reduction across all presets suggests the Intel Arc B370's limited shading units and texture processing capability are overwhelmed by pixel count increases. The GPU's 1280 shading units and 40 texture mapping units simply cannot sustain higher resolutions in a flight simulator that renders vast terrain and detailed aircraft models.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 2770 out of 2996 tested combinations places this system in the bottom 7.5% of all tested pairings for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This is a remarkably low position, driven almost entirely by the GPU's performance class. The Intel Arc B370 ranks in the 5th percentile among all GPUs in the benchmark database, with an average 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184. Its nearest rivals in synthetic testing are the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186, 0.2% faster), the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190, 0.5% faster), the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192, 0.7% faster), and the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168, 1.4% slower). These are all legacy or entry-level parts from over a decade ago, underscoring the B370's position at the very bottom of the modern GPU hierarchy.

The CPU, by contrast, sits in the 77th percentile among all processors. The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F achieves an average benchmark score of 24964, placing it just 0.1% above the Intel Core i7-11850H (24935) and 0.2% above the Intel Core i7-13620H (24911). It trails the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F by 0.2% (25005) and leads the Intel Core 5 210H by 0.4% (24872). This level of CPU performance is entirely wasted in this pairing, as the GPU cannot translate processor headroom into playable frame rates.

The disparity between the CPU's 77th percentile ranking and the GPU's 5th percentile ranking creates a system where the processor idles while the graphics solution struggles. In a flight simulator like Microsoft Flight Simulator, which is known for heavy single-threaded simulation logic and complex scenery streaming, the CPU's 12 threads and 32 MB of L3 cache could theoretically enable smooth performance. However, the measured results show that the GPU's output ceiling is reached well before the CPU's capabilities are taxed, resulting in a combo rank that reflects the weakest link rather than any balance between components.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, fabricated on TSMC's 5 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a TDP of 65 watts. The processor includes 64 KB of L1 cache per core, 1 MB of L2 cache per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is DDR5 with dual-channel configuration, providing a theoretical bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s.

Synthetic benchmarks show strong single-threaded performance: a 3DMark single-thread score of 974, a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3218, and a Geekbench single-core score of 2374. Multi-threaded results are equally respectable, with Cinebench R23 multi-core reaching 22799, Geekbench multi-core at 12362, and a 3DMark max-threads score of 6379. The PassMark multithread score of 26825 and single-thread score of 3841 further confirm the processor's capability.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, these CPU characteristics should theoretically provide a solid foundation. Flight simulators typically rely heavily on single-thread performance for flight model calculations, weather simulation, and AI traffic logic. The 7500F's boost clock of 5.00 GHz and strong IPC from Zen 4 would normally position it well for such workloads. The 12 threads allow for background scenery loading and terrain streaming without stalling the main simulation thread.

However, the measured FPS data shows that the CPU role is largely irrelevant in this specific pairing. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 50, which is the highest result across all tested configurations. Even at this lowest GPU load, the frame rate does not approach the CPU's potential ceiling. The processor's 3DMark 16-thread score of 6376 and Cinebench R20 multi-core score of 9575 indicate computational headroom that remains unused when the GPU delivers only 50 FPS maximum.

The CPU's 65-watt TDP and efficient 5 nm process mean thermal throttling is unlikely to be a factor, but this advantage cannot compensate for the GPU bottleneck. The data suggests that upgrading the graphics solution while keeping the 7500F would yield significant performance gains, as the processor's 77th percentile ranking indicates it is capable of supporting far higher frame rates than those measured here.

FAQ

Q: Why does this combination perform so poorly in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: The Intel Arc B370 GPU ranks in the 5th percentile among all GPUs with an average 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184, while the CPU ranks in the 77th percentile. The GPU's limited rendering capability creates a bottleneck that caps frame rates at 50 FPS maximum even at 1080p Low settings.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F a good match for this game?

A: The processor itself is capable, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 22799 and single-core score of 3218. However, its performance cannot be utilized because the GPU reaches its limit first. The data shows the CPU is not the limiting factor in any tested configuration.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: At 1080p Low, the system achieves 50 FPS average, which is the only configuration approaching playability. At 1440p Low, the average drops to 41 FPS, and at 4K Low, it falls to 30 FPS. Higher settings at any resolution produce averages below 40 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B370 compare to its closest GPU rivals?

A: The B370 scores 1184 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, which is 0.2% below the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5570 (1186), 0.5% below the ATI Radeon HD 5770 (1190), and 0.7% below the AMD Radeon HD 7650M (1192). It is 1.4% above the AMD FirePro M2000 (1168).

Q: Does increasing settings from Low to Ultra change the bottleneck?

A: No. The frame rate drops consistently with each settings increase at every resolution, from 50 FPS at 1080p Low to 28 FPS at 1080p Ultra. This pattern indicates the GPU remains the limiting factor across all quality presets.

Q: Can the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads handle this game's simulation workload?

A: The processor's 12 threads and 32 MB L3 cache are sufficient for the game's demands, as evidenced by the CPU's 77th percentile ranking. The issue is that the GPU cannot deliver enough frames to stress the CPU, leaving its multi-threaded capabilities underutilized.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B370 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, fabricated on Intel's 3 nm process. It features 1280 shading units, 40 texture mapping units, and 20 raster operation units, along with 10 ray tracing cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2400 MHz, with a TDP of just 25 watts. Memory is system-shared with bandwidth dependent on the host system's configuration.

The GPU's pixel rate is 48.00 GPixel/s and texture rate is 96.00 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 6.144 TFLOPS and FP16 performance of 12.29 TFLOPS. These specifications place it in the entry-level category, confirmed by its 5th percentile ranking among all GPUs. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 1184 is its only recorded benchmark, and it sits within 1.5% of legacy GPUs from the early 2010s.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the GPU's limitations are immediately apparent. The game renders vast outdoor environments with dense terrain, detailed aircraft exteriors and cockpits, dynamic weather, and complex lighting. The B370's 1280 shading units struggle with these workloads, producing the low frame rates observed. The boost clock of 2400 MHz provides some performance, but the architecture's overall throughput is insufficient for modern flight simulation.

The system-shared memory configuration further constrains performance. Unlike dedicated GPUs with their own VRAM, the B370 must share system memory bandwidth with the CPU, which can cause additional latency and bandwidth contention in memory-intensive scenes. The 83.2 GB/s memory bandwidth of the Ryzen 5 7500F's DDR5 controller is shared between both components, though the GPU's bandwidth is listed as system dependent. This arrangement is not optimal for a game that streams terrain data continuously.

The GPU's 25-watt TDP and integrated nature mean it draws power from the host system without dedicated cooling, which can lead to thermal constraints in sustained gaming sessions. The measured minimum FPS values at Medium settings (33 at 1080p, 27 at 1440p, 20 at 4K) indicate that frame times can spike noticeably, likely due to these thermal and memory bandwidth limitations during complex scenes.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for this combination: only the lowest settings at the lowest resolution approach acceptable performance. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 50 FPS average, which is the only configuration that clears the 30 FPS threshold typically considered the minimum for playable flight simulation. The 1080p Medium preset drops to 39 FPS, which may be borderline acceptable for non-critical flight phases, but the minimum FPS of 33 suggests occasional stutters.

At 1080p High, the average falls to 30 FPS, and at 1080p Ultra, it drops to 28 FPS. Neither configuration provides consistent smoothness, and the lack of minimum FPS data for these presets means the worst-case performance could be lower. The 1440p and 4K results are uniformly below acceptable playability: 1440p Low delivers 41 FPS, but 1440p Medium drops to 32 FPS, and all other 1440p and 4K presets deliver 30 FPS or less.

For users who must play on this hardware, the recommendation is 1080p Low as the primary setting. The 50 FPS average provides the best balance of visual clarity and responsiveness. If visual fidelity is prioritized over smoothness, 1080p Medium at 39 FPS is the only other viable option, though users should expect occasional frame dips to 33 FPS. All other settings combinations produce average frame rates below 35 FPS, which will result in noticeable judder during flight maneuvers and scenery transitions.

The data does not support any 1440p or 4K configuration for this game. Even at 4K Low, the average of 30 FPS is marginal, and the visual quality reduction from Low settings negates most of the resolution benefit. The GPU's 5th percentile ranking and its proximity to decade-old discrete GPUs in synthetic benchmarks suggest that users seeking better visual quality or higher resolutions would need to consider a fundamentally different graphics solution.