Microsoft Flight Simulator

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination delivers a solid, if not spectacular, experience in Microsoft Flight Simulator, with the data showing that 1080p Ultra is comfortably achievable while 4K demands significant settings compromises. The CPU, a 6-core/12-thread Zen 4 part on the AM5 socket, sits in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU, an Ada Lovelace-based card with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, ranks in the 61st percentile among all GPUs. This pairing produces a system that is clearly capable of running the simulator well at mainstream resolutions, but the measured frame rates reveal a steep performance cliff as resolution increases, particularly when moving beyond Medium settings at 1440p and 4K.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F's average benchmark score of 32750 places it in very close company with several other processors. The Intel Core i5-14600T is the nearest rival, with an average score of 32707, a negligible 0.1% difference. The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H scores 32697, also within 0.2% of the 7400F. On the AMD side, the Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H scores 32812, which is 0.2% higher, and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 scores 32662, a 0.3% gap. For practical purposes, all four of these processors would deliver nearly identical performance in Microsoft Flight Simulator, as their compute capabilities are effectively indistinguishable in synthetic benchmarks. The data suggests that any of these CPUs would produce the same frame rates in the simulator, meaning the 7400F is not a bottleneck differentiator in this context.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4060's average benchmark score of 17639 is matched by a surprising set of rivals. The AMD Radeon HD 7790 scores 17666, a 0.2% difference, while the AMD Radeon 780M integrated graphics score 17588, just 0.3% lower. The AMD Radeon Pro 560 and Radeon Pro 460 score 17551 and 17509, respectively, which are 0.5% and 0.7% lower than the RTX 4060. These delta values are all within a fraction of a percent, indicating that, based on aggregate benchmark scores, these GPUs would behave similarly in terms of raw compute throughput. However, it is notably the RTX 4060 brings modern features and driver support that these older or integrated alternatives lack, though the benchmark data itself does not quantify that advantage. For the purposes of this analysis, the numbers show that the RTX 4060's performance tier is closely matched by these four rivals.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Microsoft Flight Simulator at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but only at Low settings. The measured average frame rate at 3840x2160 with Low settings is 71 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. At Medium settings, the average drops to 55 FPS, and at High and Ultra it falls to 42 FPS and 40 FPS, respectively, all below the 60 FPS target.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p gaming?

A: The data indicates that Medium is the highest preset that maintains 60 FPS or above at 2560x1440. The Medium preset delivers an average of 75 FPS, with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 86 FPS. Low settings produce 96 FPS average, but High and Ultra average 56 FPS and 54 FPS, respectively, missing the 60 FPS mark.

Q: How does the system perform at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The combination achieves an average of 66 FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings. This is above the 60 FPS playable threshold, making Ultra the best playable preset at this resolution. The data also shows High averages 70 FPS, Medium 93 FPS, and Low 119 FPS.

Q: What is the minimum frame rate recorded for this system?

A: The only measured minimum frame rate values in the data are for Medium settings. At 3840x2160, the minimum is 47 FPS; at 2560x1440, it is 64 FPS; and at 1920x1080, it is 79 FPS. These are the only minimum values provided, so other presets do not have min/max data.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be a limiting factor in this game?

A: The benchmark data does not isolate CPU versus GPU load, but the CPU's 83rd percentile ranking among all CPUs is higher than the GPU's 61st percentile among all GPUs. This suggests the GPU is more likely to be the performance ceiling in this pairing, though the game's specific engine behavior is not detailed in the data.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems for this game?

A: The combo ranks 1978 out of 3714 tested combinations for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the field, indicating that while it is playable at certain settings, many other hardware combinations deliver higher performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rate data provides a clear picture of performance scaling across resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the system starts with a 119 FPS average on Low settings. Moving to Medium, the average is 93 FPS, with a minimum of 79 FPS and a maximum of 107 FPS. High settings yield a 70 FPS average, and Ultra produces 66 FPS. All 1080p presets remain above the 60 FPS playable threshold, with even the most demanding Ultra preset maintaining a comfortable margin.

At 2560x1440, performance drops noticeably. Low settings average 96 FPS, which is still strong. Medium settings average 75 FPS, with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 86 FPS. High settings fall to a 56 FPS average, below the 60 FPS target, and Ultra averages just 54 FPS. This resolution shows a clear boundary between Medium and High, where the system can no longer sustain smooth frame rates on the higher presets.

At 3840x2160, the performance cliff becomes steep. Low settings average 71 FPS, just above the playable threshold. Medium settings average 55 FPS, with a minimum of 47 FPS and a maximum of 64 FPS, meaning the system dips well below 60 FPS during demanding scenes. High settings average 42 FPS, and Ultra averages 40 FPS. At 4K, only Low settings provide a consistently playable experience, and even then, the margin above 60 FPS is slim.

The Verdict

This PC can run Microsoft Flight Simulator, but the playable experience is heavily dependent on resolution. At 1920x1080, the system clears the 60 FPS threshold on all four presets, including Ultra with a 66 FPS average, making this the resolution where the hardware is most comfortable. At 2560x1440, the system maintains 60 FPS on Low and Medium presets, with Medium averaging 75 FPS, but High and Ultra fall short at 56 FPS and 54 FPS, respectively. At 3840x2160, only Low settings achieve a playable average of 71 FPS; Medium, High, and Ultra all average below 60 FPS. The verdict is clear: for a smooth experience at higher visual fidelity, stick to 1080p, while 1440p is viable with settings compromises, and 4K is limited to Low presets.

How This Combo Ranks

Among the 3714 hardware combinations tested for Microsoft Flight Simulator, this AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 pairing ranks 1978. This places it just past the midpoint of all tested systems, indicating that while it is far from the top performers, it is also not among the weakest. The rank reflects a system that delivers acceptable performance at lower resolutions but struggles to compete at higher settings where more powerful GPUs and CPUs excel. For a builder looking at this data, the rank suggests that this combo is a mid-pack choice, capable of running the game well under the right conditions but not a standout performer in this specific title.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low, which achieves an average of 71 FPS. This is the only playable option at 4K, as Medium drops to 55 FPS average.

At 2560x1440, the best settings preset that maintains 60 FPS or higher is Medium, with an average of 75 FPS. Low also works at 96 FPS, but Medium offers better visual quality while still providing a comfortable margin above the threshold.

At 1920x1080, the most demanding playable preset is Ultra, which averages 66 FPS. This is the recommended choice for the best visuals at this resolution, as it remains safely above 60 FPS. High, Medium, and Low also all clear the threshold, with averages of 70 FPS, 93 FPS, and 119 FPS, respectively, but Ultra delivers the highest fidelity without sacrificing playability.