Microsoft Flight Simulator

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is a formidable combination for Microsoft Flight Simulator, a title known for its demanding rendering of vast landscapes and detailed aircraft. Benchmark data for this specific configuration shows that it is not merely capable of running the game, but it does so with significant headroom, clearing the 60 FPS playable threshold at every tested setting and resolution. The following analysis breaks down the measured performance across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions, interprets the data, and contextualizes the results against similar hardware.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark results provide a clear picture of this system's performance, with average frame rates recorded for Low, Medium, High, and Ultra presets at three resolutions. The data reveals a consistent pattern: even at the most demanding settings, the system never dips below the 60 FPS playable target.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers exceptional performance across the board. With the Low preset, the average FPS is 207. Moving to Medium, the average drops to 164 FPS, with a minimum of 139 and a maximum of 188 FPS. The High preset produces an average of 123 FPS, while the Ultra preset, the most demanding, still maintains a robust 117 FPS average. This indicates that at 1080p, the system is heavily unconstrained, offering frame rates that are well beyond what is necessary for a smooth experience, even on high refresh rate monitors.

At 2560x1440, performance remains very strong, showing a logical step down from 1080p. The Low preset yields an average of 170 FPS. The Medium preset averages 132 FPS, with a minimum of 112 and a maximum of 152 FPS. High settings produce a 99 FPS average, and the Ultra preset still comfortably averages 95 FPS. The data shows that the transition from 1080p to 1440p results in a noticeable but not drastic FPS reduction, typically around a 20-25% drop in average frame rate depending on the preset.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the system continues to perform admirably, demonstrating that the RTX 4080 is well-suited for high-resolution flight simulation. The Low preset averages 125 FPS. Medium settings average 97 FPS, with a minimum of 83 and a maximum of 112 FPS. High settings average 73 FPS, and the Ultra preset, while the most taxing, still achieves an average of 70 FPS. This is a key finding, as it shows the system can handle the Ultra preset at 4K while remaining above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The only settings with recorded min/max data are Medium, which shows a 29 FPS variance at 1440p and 1080p, and a 29 FPS variance at 4K, indicating stable frame pacing without severe dips.

Best Settings per Resolution

Based on the measured average FPS, the best settings for each resolution are determined by the most demanding preset that still maintains an average of at least 60 FPS. The data shows that this system clears that hurdle at every level.

At 1920x1080, the best settings are Ultra, with an average FPS of 117. This provides the maximum visual fidelity without compromising on smoothness. The performance headroom here is substantial, allowing for the game's full graphical feature set to be enabled.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are also Ultra, with an average FPS of 95. This is a significant achievement, as 1440p Ultra is often a demanding target for many systems. The 95 FPS average leaves ample room for more complex scenes or future content updates.

At 3840x2160, the best settings are Ultra, with an average FPS of 70. This is the most demanding scenario tested, and the system passes with flying colors. While the 70 FPS average is the lowest of the three resolutions on the Ultra preset, it still sits comfortably above the 60 FPS playable threshold, confirming that 4K Ultra is a viable way to play this game on this hardware.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions and presets provides insight into the respective roles of the CPU and GPU in this configuration. Microsoft Flight Simulator is known to be a demanding title for both components, but the data points to a clear division of labor that changes with resolution.

At 1920x1080 and lower presets, the frame rates are exceptionally high (207 FPS on Low). This suggests that the system is not limited by the GPU's raw rendering power at these settings. The CPU, the AMD Ryzen 5 7600 with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is likely the primary factor determining the maximum achievable frame rate. The high FPS figures indicate that the CPU can feed the GPU with data quickly enough to avoid a bottleneck, but it is also the limiting factor at these high frame rates.

As the resolution increases to 2560x1440 and 3840x2160, the frame rates drop in a pattern consistent with an increasing GPU load. The difference between the Low and Ultra presets becomes more pronounced at higher resolutions. For example, at 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 90 FPS (207 to 117). At 4K, this difference narrows to 55 FPS (125 to 70). This narrowing gap indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck at 4K, as its workload scales with the number of pixels. The RTX 4080's performance is the deciding factor for how well the game runs at 4K, especially on the High and Ultra presets.

The CPU's role is more critical at 1080p, where the game's simulation and physics calculations can outpace the GPU's rendering speed at lower settings. At 4K, the GPU's rendering workload takes precedence, making the RTX 4080 the dominant component in determining overall performance. The data suggests a balanced system where the CPU is strong enough to not hold back the GPU at any resolution, but the GPU's capabilities define the ceiling for visual quality at 1440p and 4K.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The benchmark database provides a list of nearest rivals for both the CPU and GPU, which helps contextualize the performance of this specific combination. These are components with average benchmark scores very close to the Ryzen 5 7600 and RTX 4080.

For the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 5 7600 has an average benchmark score of 26324. Its nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX, which has an average score of 26274, a negligible delta of 0.2%. Systems with this mobile CPU would perform nearly identically in CPU-bound scenarios. Another close competitor is the Intel Core i9-11900KF, with a score of 26212 and a 0.4% delta. The AMD Ryzen 7 7435HS (26402, -0.3%) and AMD Ryzen 5 8540U (26187, 0.5%) also fall within a very tight performance band. In practice, this means that for a system with an RTX 4080, swapping the Ryzen 5 7600 for any of these processors would result in virtually no change in frame rates, particularly at higher resolutions where the GPU is the primary bottleneck.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54247. Its closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, with a score of 54209 and a delta of just 0.1%. This indicates that the RTX 4080 and 4080 SUPER offer essentially the same performance level, with the SUPER variant providing a negligible performance uplift. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X (54828, -1.1%) and AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55698, -2.6%) are also listed as rivals, though their scores are slightly higher, suggesting a small performance advantage over the RTX 4080 in general compute benchmarks. The AMD Radeon 8060S (55757, -2.7%) is another alternative in a similar performance tier. For this game, a system with an RTX 4080 SUPER would deliver almost identical FPS numbers to the ones measured here.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. The benchmark data shows the system achieves an average of 70 FPS on the Ultra preset at 3840x2160, and 73 FPS on High, both of which are above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the highest graphical preset I can use at 1440p?

A: The system can handle the Ultra preset at 2560x1440, with a measured average FPS of 95, which is well above the 60 FPS target.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the main bottleneck at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, with very high frame rates (e.g., 207 FPS on Low), the CPU is more likely to be the limiting factor. The GPU has enough power to render frames faster than the CPU can process the game's simulation data.

Q: How much faster is the RTX 4080 SUPER compared to the RTX 4080?

A: According to the benchmark data, the RTX 4080 SUPER has an average score of 54209 compared to the RTX 4080's 54247, a delta of 0.1%. This indicates they are effectively identical in performance.

Q: What is the performance difference between the Ryzen 5 7600 and the Intel Core i9-11900KF?

A: The Ryzen 5 7600 has an average benchmark score of 26324, while the Core i9-11900KF scores 26212. This is a delta of 0.4%, meaning they offer very similar CPU performance.

Q: Does the system maintain a stable frame rate on Medium settings?

A: Yes. The only settings with recorded min/max data are Medium. At 1080p, it ranges from 139 to 188 FPS; at 1440p, from 112 to 152 FPS; and at 4K, from 83 to 112 FPS. This indicates stable performance with no major frame drops.

The Verdict

The data confirms that the combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 7600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is more than sufficient to run Microsoft Flight Simulator at a high level. The verdict by resolution is clear: this system is fully capable of delivering a smooth experience at all tested settings.

At 1920x1080, the system is a powerhouse, with the Ultra preset averaging 117 FPS. At 2560x1440, it continues to excel, achieving 95 FPS on Ultra. Even at the demanding 3840x2160 resolution, the system clears the 60 FPS threshold on the Ultra preset with a 70 FPS average. The benchmark data shows that all resolutions and all presets are playable, with the Ultra preset being the recommended choice for the best visual experience at each resolution. This system offers a top-tier experience for flight simulation enthusiasts, providing the performance headroom to handle the game's most demanding scenarios without compromise.