Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator presents an unusually demanding workload, and the measured results for the AMD Ryzen 5 7600 paired with the Intel Arc B390 reflect a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics subsystem. The data shows a consistent pattern where frame rates are modest at best across all tested configurations, with the combination ranking near the bottom of the database. This analysis walks through the specific numbers to explain how resolution, settings, and component roles interact in this particular pairing.

Resolution Scaling

The progression from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 reveals a steep performance drop that points directly at the GPU as the primary limiter. At the High preset, the average frame rate falls from 33 FPS at 1080p to 26 FPS at 1440p, then further to 19 FPS at 4K. That represents a 21% reduction when moving from 1080p to 1440p, and a 42% reduction from 1080p to 4K. The pattern is similar across other settings, indicating that the rendering load is scaling with pixel count in a way that the Intel Arc B390 cannot sustain.

Looking at the Low preset, the numbers start higher but the relative drop is even steeper. At 1080p Low, the system manages 56 FPS, which drops to 45 FPS at 1440p and 33 FPS at 4K. The 4K result is 41% lower than the 1080p result, which is a slightly larger proportional decline than seen on High. This suggests that even when the graphics load is reduced, the GPU's fundamental throughput limits become more apparent as resolution increases. The Medium preset shows a similar trajectory: 43 FPS at 1080p, 35 FPS at 1440p, and 26 FPS at 4K.

The Ultra preset delivers the lowest absolute numbers, with 31 FPS at 1080p, 25 FPS at 1440p, and 19 FPS at 4K. Interestingly, the gap between High and Ultra narrows at higher resolutions. At 1080p, High is 2 FPS faster than Ultra, but at 4K both presets produce identical 19 FPS averages. This convergence indicates that at 4K, the system is hitting a hard ceiling imposed by the GPU, and additional settings changes have little effect on the final frame rate. The data strongly suggests that the limiting component is the Intel Arc B390, as the frame rate collapse with resolution is characteristic of a GPU that lacks sufficient pixel throughput and memory bandwidth for 4K workloads.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics solution based on the Xe3-LPG architecture, built on Intel's 3 nm process. Its clock speeds range from a 300 MHz base to a 2500 MHz boost, and it features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output pipelines. The memory configuration is entirely system-shared, with no dedicated VRAM, and the bandwidth is listed as system-dependent. This explains why the GPU's benchmark percentile is so low, sitting at just 9% of all GPUs, with an average 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482.

The nearest rivals in the GPU database illustrate just how limited this part is. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX scores 1463, which is 1.3% lower, while the GeForce 800M scores 1460 at 1.5% lower. The GeForce GT 625 OEM and GT 710 are 2.5% and 2.7% lower respectively. These are all entry-level or legacy parts, and the Arc B390 sits right alongside them in raw compute terms. This context is crucial for interpreting the Flight Simulator results, because the game is known for heavy texture streaming and complex geometry, both of which stress memory bandwidth and fill rate.

With system-shared memory, the GPU must compete with the CPU for bandwidth on the same DDR5 bus. The Ryzen 5 7600 supports dual-channel DDR5 with a theoretical bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s, but that bandwidth is shared between the processor and the integrated GPU. In practice, this means the Arc B390 has access to a fraction of that total, and the lack of dedicated VRAM becomes a severe bottleneck in a game like Flight Simulator that loads large textures for terrain and aircraft. The pixel rate of 60.00 GPixel/s and texture rate of 120.0 GTexel/s sound respectable on paper, but they are insufficient for 4K rendering at high quality settings, as the measured frame rates confirm.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600 with Intel Arc B390 combination ranks 2665 out of 2996 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. That places it in the bottom 11% of all configurations in the database, a position that reflects the GPU's severe limitations rather than any fault of the CPU. The rank is determined by the measured FPS across all tested settings, and the consistently low numbers across every resolution and preset pull the combo down significantly.

To put the rank in perspective, the CPU itself is a strong performer in general benchmarks. The Ryzen 5 7600 has an average benchmark score of 26324, which places it in the 78th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in the CPU database are the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX with a score of 26274 (0.2% higher), the AMD Ryzen 7 7435HS at 26402 (0.3% higher), the Intel Core i9-11900KF at 26212 (0.4% lower), and the AMD Ryzen 5 8540U at 26187 (0.5% lower). This shows that the processor is competitive with mid-range and even some high-end mobile and desktop parts from previous generations.

The disconnect between the CPU's strong standing and the combo's poor rank highlights the disparity between the two components. In a game like Flight Simulator, which can be CPU-intensive in certain scenarios, the Ryzen 5 7600 has the raw compute headroom to handle physics and AI calculations, but the GPU cannot keep up with the visual rendering. The result is a system that is fundamentally unbalanced, and the data confirms that the GPU is the bottleneck in nearly every measurement.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system produces its best results, but they remain modest. The Low preset achieves 56 FPS average, which is the only configuration that crosses the 60 FPS threshold commonly associated with smooth gameplay. Medium drops to 43 FPS, with a minimum of 37 FPS and a maximum of 50 FPS, showing some variance but a generally playable experience. High falls to 33 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 31 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 25 FPS, indicating that settings have a meaningful impact at this resolution, but even the best case leaves little headroom for demanding scenes.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. Low still delivers a respectable 45 FPS, but Medium falls to 35 FPS with a minimum of 30 FPS and a maximum of 40 FPS. High is 26 FPS, and Ultra is 25 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 20 FPS, and the system begins to show signs of strain. The minimum frame rate of 30 FPS on Medium suggests that even moderately complex scenes can cause stuttering, which detracts from the immersion that Flight Simulator aims to provide.

At 3840x2160, the results are marginal at best. Low produces 33 FPS, which is the highest average at this resolution. Medium is 26 FPS with a minimum of 22 FPS and a maximum of 30 FPS, indicating frequent dips below the threshold for comfortable play. High and Ultra both produce 19 FPS averages, which is essentially a slideshow for a flight simulator that requires smooth visuals for landing approaches and instrument reading. The data at 4K shows a system that is completely overwhelmed, and no settings adjustment can salvage a playable experience at this resolution.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Raphael, built on TSMC's 5 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration with a maximum bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s, and it connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 24 lanes.

In synthetic benchmarks, the Ryzen 5 7600 shows strong single-threaded and multi-threaded performance. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 12735, and singlecore is 1852. Geekbench scores are 13413 multicore and 2521 singlecore. The passmark multithread score is 27058, with a single-thread score of 3910. These numbers place it well above the 50th percentile in most tests, confirming that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU's role involves handling flight dynamics, weather simulation, and AI traffic, all of which benefit from the 6 cores and 12 threads. The boost clock of 5.10 GHz provides the single-thread performance needed for the main game loop, which often runs on a single core. However, the measured frame rates show that the CPU's capabilities are never fully utilized because the GPU cannot render frames fast enough to keep up. The Ryzen 5 7600 could likely push higher frame rates with a more capable discrete GPU, but with the Arc B390, the CPU spends most of its time waiting for the graphics pipeline.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the only configuration that approaches a playable experience is 1920x1080 with the Low preset, which averages 56 FPS. This is the sole setting that provides a smooth enough frame rate for a flight simulator, where rapid camera movements and detailed terrain require consistent performance. The Medium preset at 1080p offers 43 FPS, which is borderline but may be acceptable for less demanding scenarios like cruising at altitude. The minimum of 37 FPS on Medium suggests occasional dips, but these may be tolerable in less visually complex areas.

For users who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, 1080p High at 33 FPS is the highest quality setting that remains somewhat playable, though it requires a tolerance for occasional stutter. The Ultra preset at 1080p delivers 31 FPS, which is nearly identical to High and not worth the extra visual load given the negligible difference. At 1440p, the Low preset at 45 FPS is the only viable option, but it sacrifices significant visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 1440p drops to 35 FPS, which is likely too low for comfortable play in a game that benefits from smooth panning views.

At 4K, no setting is recommended. The highest average is 33 FPS on Low, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay, and the Ultra preset at 19 FPS is unusable. The data clearly indicates that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming with conservative settings. For users who want to play at higher resolutions or with better visuals, a more powerful discrete GPU would be necessary, as the Arc B390 simply does not have the throughput to handle Flight Simulator's demanding rendering workload at those settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this system?

A: The measured data shows that 1920x1080 with the Low preset produces the highest average frame rate at 56 FPS. This is the only configuration that approaches smooth gameplay, with the Medium preset at 43 FPS being a secondary option for users who accept lower frame rates.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Arc B390 has an average 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 1482. Its nearest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX at 1463, which is 1.3% lower, followed by the GeForce 800M at 1460 (1.5% lower), the GeForce GT 625 OEM at 1446 (2.5% lower), and the GeForce GT 710 at 1443 (2.7% lower). All of these are entry-level parts, and the Arc B390 sits at the 9th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Why does the frame rate drop so significantly when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: The data shows that at the High preset, the average frame rate falls from 33 FPS at 1080p to 26 FPS at 1440p and 19 FPS at 4K. This 42% reduction from 1080p to 4K is caused by the GPU's limited pixel throughput and lack of dedicated VRAM, as the system-shared memory configuration cannot provide sufficient bandwidth for high-resolution textures.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 7600 a capable processor for this game?

A: The CPU has an average benchmark score of 26324, placing it in the 78th percentile of all processors. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 12735 and singlecore is 1852, indicating strong performance. However, the measured frame rates in Flight Simulator are limited by the GPU, so the CPU's capabilities are not fully utilized in this configuration.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: This combination ranks 2665 out of 2996 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator, placing it in the bottom 11% of all configurations. The low rank is directly attributable to the GPU's performance, as the CPU itself is a strong performer relative to its peers.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming at any setting?

A: The maximum average frame rate at 3840x2160 is 33 FPS on the Low preset. The Medium preset produces 26 FPS, and both High and Ultra produce 19 FPS. None of these results meet the standard for smooth gameplay, so 4K is not recommended for this combination.