Microsoft Flight Simulator

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a high-end combination that delivers very strong performance in Microsoft Flight Simulator, with measured data showing every preset at every tested resolution clearing the 60 FPS playable threshold. The 7400F, a 6-core/12-thread Zen 4 part, ranks in the 83rd percentile among all CPUs, while the RTX 4080, an Ada Lovelace GPU, sits in the 86th percentile among all GPUs. In this simulator, the data indicates that this system is capable of running the game at maximum settings across all standard resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the benchmark results show a smooth experience across all settings. The Low preset delivers an average of 194 FPS, while Medium averages 164 FPS with a minimum of 139 FPS and a maximum of 188 FPS. High settings produce an average of 123 FPS, and the Ultra preset—the most demanding—still holds an average of 117 FPS. These numbers suggest that at 1080p, the frame rate is largely unconstrained, with even the heaviest load leaving significant headroom above the 60 FPS threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains robust but shows the expected scaling from the resolution increase. Low settings average 170 FPS, Medium averages 132 FPS with a minimum of 112 FPS and a maximum of 152 FPS, and High settings average 99 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 95 FPS, which is still comfortably above the playable mark. The delta between 1080p and 1440p is noticeable—about 23% fewer frames at Ultra—but the system never struggles to maintain a fluid experience.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the RTX 4080's capabilities are tested more thoroughly. The Low preset averages 125 FPS, Medium averages 97 FPS with a minimum of 83 FPS and a maximum of 112 FPS, and High settings average 73 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 70 FPS, which is the lowest recorded average in the dataset but still 10 FPS above the 60 FPS playable threshold. Notably, the minimum FPS for Medium at 4K is 83, indicating that even in demanding scenes, the frame rate does not dip near the threshold. The spread between Low and Ultra at 4K is 55 FPS, demonstrating that the GPU is the primary scaling factor here.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: the RTX 4080 provides enough headroom that the CPU (Ryzen 5 7400F) rarely becomes the limiting factor, even at 1080p where CPU-bound scenarios typically appear in simulation titles. The average FPS at 1080p Ultra (117) is still far above what a CPU-limited system would typically produce, suggesting the 7400F's strong single-thread performance—evidenced by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3072—keeps up with the GPU's output.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the dominant factor in Microsoft Flight Simulator's performance scaling across resolutions. As resolution increases from 1080p to 1440p to 4K, the average FPS at Ultra settings drops from 117 to 95 to 70, respectively. This 40% reduction from 1080p to 4K is classic GPU-bound behavior; if the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate would remain relatively flat across resolutions.

However, the CPU's role becomes more visible when comparing presets at a fixed resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low (194 FPS) and Ultra (117 FPS) is 77 FPS, a 40% drop. At 4K, the same preset comparison shows a smaller relative drop—from 125 FPS to 70 FPS, a 44% reduction. This suggests that while the GPU handles the pixel throughput, the CPU still influences the simulation's logic and draw-call overhead, which scales with settings complexity. The Ryzen 5 7400F's 6 cores and 12 threads from the Zen 4 architecture, with a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, provide sufficient headroom for the simulator's single-thread-heavy workload, as indicated by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3072.

The scaling between Medium and High at each resolution is also informative. At 1440p, Medium averages 132 FPS while High averages 99 FPS—a 25% reduction. At 4K, Medium averages 97 FPS while High averages 73 FPS—a 25% reduction as well. This consistent proportional drop points to the GPU being the primary driver of settings-based performance changes, with the CPU maintaining a steady baseline. In short, for this game, the RTX 4080 is the workhorse; the 7400F is a capable partner that does not hold it back.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers an average of 117 FPS, far exceeding the 60 FPS threshold. There is no reason to drop below Ultra at this resolution, as the system has ample performance headroom. The data shows all presets are playable, but Ultra is the clear choice for maximum visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 95 FPS, again well above the 60 FPS mark. The system handles the highest settings at this resolution with ease, making Ultra the recommended setting. The 95 FPS average leaves room for occasional dips in dense urban areas or heavy weather, but the minimum FPS recorded for Medium (112) suggests the game rarely stutters.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 70 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold by 10 FPS. This is the most demanding scenario in the dataset, and while 70 FPS is respectable, it is the closest the system comes to the playable limit. The High preset averages 73 FPS, which is only marginally better, so the choice between High and Ultra at 4K comes down to whether the extra visual detail is worth the small frame rate trade-off. Given the data, Ultra at 4K is playable and is the best setting that stays above 60 FPS.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals to the Ryzen 5 7400F are all within a 0.3% delta in average benchmark score. The Intel Core i5-14600T scores 32,707 (0.1% higher), the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H scores 32,697 (0.2% higher), and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H scores 32,812 (0.2% lower). The AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 scores 32,662 (0.3% higher). In practice, these processors would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Microsoft Flight Simulator, as their benchmark scores are statistically indistinguishable. The 7400F's average benchmark score of 32,750 places it squarely in this cluster, meaning users with any of these CPUs should expect similar CPU-bound performance.

For the GPU, the RTX 4080's nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER with an average score of 54,209 (0.1% higher), the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X at 54,828 (1.1% higher), the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB at 55,698 (2.6% higher), and the AMD Radeon 8060S at 55,757 (2.7% higher). The RTX 4080's average score of 54,247 shows it is essentially on par with the 4080 SUPER, while the AMD options score slightly higher on average. However, these deltas are small enough that in a game like Microsoft Flight Simulator, the practical difference in FPS would be minimal—likely within the margin of error for any given scene. The RTX 4080 SUPER would be the most direct upgrade path, while the AMD cards offer comparable raw compute but may differ in driver-level optimization for this specific title.

The Verdict

This system can run Microsoft Flight Simulator at all three tested resolutions with every preset clearing the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 117 FPS, providing a high-refresh-rate experience with maximum settings. At 2560x1440, Ultra averages 95 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors and leaves substantial headroom. At 3840x2160, Ultra averages 70 FPS, making 4K gaming viable at maximum settings, though it is the closest to the threshold. The data confirms that the RTX 4080 is the primary driver of performance, with the Ryzen 5 7400F providing sufficient CPU power to avoid bottlenecking. For users seeking the absolute best visual quality, this combination delivers playable frame rates at every setting and resolution tested. The only caveat is that at 4K Ultra, the 70 FPS average means that any future content updates or heavy mods could push the system closer to the limit, but as measured, it is fully playable.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Microsoft Flight Simulator at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: Yes. The measured data shows an average of 70 FPS at 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best resolution for high-refresh-rate monitors?

A: At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 117 FPS, and at 2560x1440, it averages 95 FPS. Both are suitable for 120 Hz or 144 Hz displays, though 1080p offers a higher frame rate.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this game?

A: The GPU is the primary scaling factor. As resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, average FPS at Ultra drops from 117 to 70, indicating GPU-bound behavior. The CPU provides sufficient single-thread performance to avoid bottlenecking.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 7400F compare to the Intel Core i5-14600T?

A: The 7400F has an average benchmark score of 32,750, while the i5-14600T scores 32,707—a 0.1% difference, meaning they perform nearly identically in this game.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded in the dataset?

A: The lowest average FPS is 70, recorded at 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset. This is still 10 FPS above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Is the RTX 4080 significantly faster than the RTX 4080 SUPER?

A: No. The RTX 4080 scores 54,247 on average, while the RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54,209, a 0.1% difference. They are effectively equal in performance for this game.