Microsoft Flight Simulator

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 paired with the Intel Arc B390 produces a combination that ranks near the bottom of the tested pool for Microsoft Flight Simulator. Specifically, this combo holds the rank of 2665 out of 2996 tested combinations, placing it in the 11th percentile of all tested systems. This indicates that while the CPU is a high-end desktop part, the integrated graphics solution severely bottlenecks the overall experience, relegating the combo to a position that is primarily suitable for low-resolution or low-detail play. Benchmark results consistently show that the Arc B390, which sits in the 9th percentile for all GPUs, is the primary factor limiting performance.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall ranking of this CPU and GPU combination in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: The combo ranks 2665 out of 2996 tested combinations. This places it in the bottom 11% of all tested systems, indicating a performance level that is well below the median for this game.

Q: How does the Intel Arc B390 compare to its nearest rivals in raw GPU benchmarks?

A: The Arc B390's average benchmark score is 1482. This is 1.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 520MX, 1.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce 800M, 2.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 625 OEM, and 2.7% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GT 710.

Q: What is the best average frame rate this combo can achieve in the measured data?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 56 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only setting in the measured data that reaches above 50 FPS.

Q: What is the lowest average frame rate recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average frame rate is 19 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 resolution with both High and Ultra settings. This indicates that 4K resolution is not a viable option for this hardware.

Q: Is there a performance difference between the High and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080, the High preset produces an average of 33 FPS, while the Ultra preset produces an average of 31 FPS. The difference is minimal, with only a 2 FPS gap between the two settings.

Q: Does the CPU's benchmark score suggest it is a limiting factor?

A: No. The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 has an average benchmark score of 64640 and sits in the 93rd percentile of all CPUs. This indicates it is a high-performing processor that is not likely to be the bottleneck, especially when paired with a GPU that ranks in the 9th percentile.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which directly points to the GPU as the limiting component. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 56 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings, the average drops to 45 FPS, a reduction of 11 FPS. At 4K with Low settings, the average falls further to 33 FPS. This scaling pattern—a roughly 20% drop from 1080p to 1440p and another 27% drop from 1440p to 4K—is characteristic of a system where the graphics processor is saturated.

The trend is consistent across all presets. For High settings, the averages are 33 FPS at 1080p, 26 FPS at 1440p, and 19 FPS at 4K. The Medium preset shows a similar descent: 43 FPS at 1080p, 35 FPS at 1440p, and 26 FPS at 4K. The Ultra preset yields 31 FPS at 1080p, 25 FPS at 1440p, and 19 FPS at 4K. In every case, the frame rate is nearly halved when moving from 1080p to 4K. This steep drop-off indicates that the rendering load is overwhelming the Arc B390's compute and memory resources, which are shared with the system.

The data suggests that the CPU is not the primary constraint in this scenario. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rates would show less variation across resolutions, as the CPU's workload remains relatively constant regardless of pixel count. Instead, the consistent and substantial FPS reduction with each resolution increase confirms that the integrated GPU's fill rate and shading power are the definitive limits. Users seeking higher frame rates must prioritize lowering resolution over adjusting other settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. The Low preset yields an average of 56 FPS, which is the highest recorded in the entire dataset. The Medium preset produces an average of 43 FPS, with a minimum of 37 FPS and a maximum of 50 FPS. The High preset drops to an average of 33 FPS, and the Ultra preset bottoms out at 31 FPS for this resolution.

At 2560x1440, performance takes a significant step down. The Low preset averages 45 FPS. The Medium preset averages 35 FPS, with a minimum of 30 FPS and a maximum of 40 FPS. The High preset averages 26 FPS, and the Ultra preset averages 25 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra narrows at this resolution, with only a 1 FPS difference, suggesting that the GPU is already heavily constrained.

At 3840x2160, the results are largely unplayable for most users. The Low preset averages 33 FPS. The Medium preset averages 26 FPS, with a minimum of 22 FPS and a maximum of 30 FPS. Both the High and Ultra presets average 19 FPS. This indicates that 4K gaming is not feasible with this hardware, as even the lowest settings struggle to maintain a playable frame rate. The data shows a clear ceiling: the system is only capable of smooth performance at 1080p with Low or Medium settings.

GPU Role

The Intel Arc B390 is an integrated graphics processor based on the Xe3-LPG architecture. It operates with a base clock of 300 MHz and a boost clock of 2500 MHz. The GPU features 1536 shading units, 48 texture mapping units, and 24 raster output units, along with 12 ray tracing cores. Its theoretical performance is rated at 7.680 TFLOPS for FP32 operations and 60.00 GPixel/s for pixel fill rate. However, the most critical factor in this configuration is that the GPU uses "System Shared" memory, meaning its VRAM size, type, and bus width are all dependent on the system's main memory.

This shared memory architecture is a major disadvantage in Microsoft Flight Simulator, a game known for loading vast amounts of terrain and scenery data. The GPU's benchmark performance confirms its limitations. In the 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 test, it scores 1482, placing it in the 9th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all older, low-end NVIDIA parts, such as the GeForce GT 710, which it outperforms by only 2.7%. This indicates that the Arc B390's raw graphics horsepower is comparable to entry-level discrete GPUs from over a decade ago.

The benchmark results in-game reflect this hardware reality. The FPS at 4K Ultra (19 FPS) and 4K High (19 FPS) are identical, suggesting that the GPU is completely saturated and cannot handle the increased shading and texture loads. The boost clock of 2500 MHz is relatively high for an integrated part, but it cannot compensate for the lack of dedicated VRAM bandwidth. The system-dependent memory bandwidth becomes a severe bottleneck, particularly at higher resolutions where the demand for texture data increases significantly.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265 is a high-end desktop processor from the Core Ultra Series 2, built on the Arrow Lake architecture. It features 20 cores and 20 threads, with a base clock of 2.40 GHz and a boost clock of 5.30 GHz. The processor includes 30 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus. Its compute capabilities are substantial, as evidenced by its benchmark scores: 42216 in Cinebench R23 multi-core, 5960 in Cinebench R23 single-core, and 49682 in Passmark multithread. It also holds a 93rd percentile ranking among all CPUs.

Given these specifications, the CPU should not be a limiting factor in this combo for Microsoft Flight Simulator. The game's simulation logic, which includes flight physics, weather systems, and AI traffic, can be demanding on processing power, but the Ultra 7 265's 20 cores and high boost clocks are more than sufficient to handle these tasks. The data supports this assessment: the frame rate drops significantly with resolution increases, a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck, not a CPU limitation. If the CPU were the constraint, we would see similar FPS across all resolutions.

Comparing the CPU to its nearest rivals provides further context. It performs nearly identically to the AMD EPYC 4464P, with a delta of -0.3%, and the Intel Core Ultra 7 265F, with a delta of 0.3%. It is also slightly ahead of the AMD EPYC 7343 and AMD EPYC 9124 by 0.7% and -0.7%, respectively. These are all server-class or high-end desktop processors, highlighting that the Ultra 7 265's processing power is not the bottleneck. In this configuration, the CPU's role is to feed data to the GPU, and it does so without becoming a constraint, leaving all performance limitations to the integrated graphics.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend heavily on the user's target resolution and frame rate preference. If the goal is to achieve a playable frame rate above 30 FPS, the only viable options are at 1080p resolution. The Low preset at 1080p yields the best average of 56 FPS, which is smooth for a flight simulator. The Medium preset at 1080p also works well, with an average of 43 FPS and a minimum of 37 FPS, ensuring that the frame rate rarely dips below a playable threshold.

For users who prefer higher visual fidelity at 1080p, the High preset is an option, but it comes with a significant cost. The average drops to 33 FPS, which may be acceptable for a slow-paced simulation, but the Ultra preset at 31 FPS offers little benefit over High for a 2 FPS gain. It is therefore recommended to avoid the Ultra preset at 1080p, as the marginal visual improvement does not justify the frame rate loss.

At 1440p, the data suggests that only the Low preset provides a consistently playable experience, with an average of 45 FPS. The Medium preset at 35 FPS is borderline, and the High and Ultra presets at 26 and 25 FPS, respectively, are too low for a smooth experience. At 4K, no setting is recommended. Even the Low preset only manages 33 FPS, and the Medium, High, and Ultra presets all fall to 26 FPS or below. Users are strongly advised to stick to 1080p for this title. The best balance of performance and visual quality is achieved at 1080p with Medium settings, which provides a solid frame rate while still offering a reasonable level of detail compared to the Low preset.