Microsoft Flight Simulator

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination delivers exceptional frame rates in Microsoft Flight Simulator, clearing the 60 FPS threshold at every resolution and preset tested. The data shows this is a top-tier pairing for the flight simulator, with the GPU providing massive headroom even at 4K Ultra settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU side, the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F sits in a tight cluster of processors with nearly identical average benchmark scores. The Intel Core i5-14600T is the closest match, scoring just 0.1% higher on average. The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H trails by a negligible 0.2%, while the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H leads the pack by a mere 0.2%. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 rounds out the group, coming in 0.3% behind the 7400F. These deltas are so small that in real-world gaming, especially in a GPU-bound title like Microsoft Flight Simulator at higher resolutions, you would be hard-pressed to notice any difference between these processors. The 7400F's 83rd percentile ranking among all CPUs reinforces that this is a solidly mid-to-upper-tier performer, not a bottleneck for the RTX 5090.

On the GPU side, the RTX 5090's nearest rivals are a mixed bag of professional and mobile parts, which highlights its unique positioning. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores 0.3% higher on average, and the 12 GB variant is 0.6% ahead. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, a mobile part, comes in 1.1% behind. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X is the only one that meaningfully trails, sitting 1.4% lower. These are not direct consumer gaming alternatives, but the data shows that the RTX 5090's raw compute performance is in a class of its own, surrounded by workstation and laptop parts that happen to have similar aggregate scores. For Microsoft Flight Simulator specifically, the RTX 5090's 92nd percentile ranking among all GPUs points to its dominance, and none of these rivals would likely match its gaming-specific capabilities.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. The measured average frame rate at 3840x2160 Ultra is 79 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold. All four tested settings at 4K (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are listed as playable.

Q: What is the best settings preset to use at 1440p?

A: The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 delivers an average of 107 FPS, making it the best visual option while still maintaining a high frame rate. Low settings reach 181 FPS, Medium hits 149 FPS, and High achieves 112 FPS.

Q: How much performance is gained by dropping from 4K to 1080p?

A: At Ultra settings, the average frame rate jumps from 79 FPS at 3840x2160 to 133 FPS at 1920x1080, a substantial increase of 54 FPS. At Low settings, the difference is smaller but still significant: 142 FPS at 4K versus 194 FPS at 1080p.

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

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary driver of performance differences across resolutions. Frame rates scale significantly when moving from 4K to 1440p to 1080p, while the CPU remains constant. The RTX 5090's massive compute resources are being utilized more as resolution increases, showing typical GPU-bound scaling.

Q: What frame rates can I expect at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: The measured average is 177 FPS, with a minimum of 151 FPS and a maximum of 204 FPS. This provides a very smooth experience, even for fast camera movements or dense scenery.

Q: Does this combo rank well compared to other tested systems?

A: Yes. The combination ranks 114th out of 3,714 tested combos for this game, placing it in the top 3.1% of all configurations tested. This is a strong showing given the game's demanding nature.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results show a classic GPU-bound scaling pattern for Microsoft Flight Simulator. At 1920x1080, the CPU has more headroom to feed frames, resulting in an average of 194 FPS at Low settings. As resolution increases to 2560x1440, the average drops to 181 FPS at Low, and at 3840x2160 it falls further to 142 FPS. This steady decline indicates the GPU is doing progressively more work per frame, while the CPU's role stays relatively constant. The Ryzen 5 7400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is clearly sufficient to keep up with the RTX 5090 even at 1080p, where the frame rates are highest.

The scaling across presets reinforces this interpretation. At 4K, the gap between Low and Ultra settings is 63 FPS (142 vs 79), showing that the GPU is the bottleneck when visual effects are cranked up. At 1080p, the same preset swing only costs 61 FPS (194 vs 133), which is a similar absolute difference but represents a smaller relative drop. The CPU's impact is most visible at Low presets, where the frame rates are highest and the CPU must prepare frames faster. The fact that the system still achieves 142 FPS at 4K Low suggests the CPU is not holding things back, as the GPU is still able to push a high number of frames even at this resolution.

For players, this means the RTX 5090 is doing the heavy lifting. The CPU choice is less critical for this specific game at these settings, as long as it can sustain the high frame rates the GPU is capable of producing. The Ryzen 5 7400F proves it can handle the task, with no resolution showing signs of CPU-induced frame rate plateaus.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Microsoft Flight Simulator. The verdict data lists all four settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) as playable at every resolution tested. At 3840x2160, the best settings preset is Ultra, which still delivers an average of 79 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, Ultra settings achieve 107 FPS, and at 1920x1080, Ultra hits 133 FPS. Every single configuration clears the 60 FPS playable threshold with substantial margin. The only caveat is that the minimum frame rates are only provided for Medium settings, where the 4K minimum is 94 FPS, 1440p minimum is 127 FPS, and 1080p minimum is 151 FPS. For High and Ultra presets, minimums are not listed, but the averages are high enough that dips below 60 FPS seem unlikely given the consistent performance across the board.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the frame rates are strong across all presets. Low settings average 142 FPS. Medium settings average 110 FPS, with a minimum of 94 FPS and a maximum of 127 FPS. High settings average 83 FPS. Ultra settings average 79 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 63 FPS, indicating that even the most demanding preset leaves significant headroom above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, performance improves noticeably. Low settings average 181 FPS. Medium settings average 149 FPS, with a minimum of 127 FPS and a maximum of 172 FPS. High settings average 112 FPS. Ultra settings average 107 FPS. The jump from 4K to 1440p at Ultra is 28 FPS, showing the resolution scaling.

At 1920x1080, the system reaches its peak frame rates. Low settings average 194 FPS. Medium settings average 177 FPS, with a minimum of 151 FPS and a maximum of 204 FPS. High settings average 139 FPS. Ultra settings average 133 FPS. The 1080p Medium preset shows the tightest minimum-to-maximum range in the entire dataset, indicating very consistent frame pacing.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks 114th out of 3,714 tested combos for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places the system in the top 3.1% of all configurations tested for this game. Given the sheer number of possible CPU and GPU pairings, this is a remarkable result. The ranking reflects the RTX 5090's dominance, as the CPU is a mid-range part that performs adequately but is not the primary driver of this game's performance. The high percentile ranking of the GPU (92nd) and the CPU (83rd) combine to produce a system that handles this flight simulator with ease, leaving the user free to prioritize visual quality over frame rate concerns. The data clearly shows that this is a high-performance pairing that will not disappoint at any resolution or preset.