Microsoft Flight Simulator

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 delivers a strong performance profile in Microsoft Flight Simulator, with measured data indicating that this combination is capable of handling the game across a wide range of resolutions and presets. The benchmark results, drawn from direct measurement, show that the system comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS playability threshold at most settings, with the primary exception being the most demanding presets at 4K resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of how this hardware combination scales across the three primary resolutions. At 3840x2160 (4K), the average frame rates range from 51.4 FPS at Ultra settings to 94.9 FPS at Low settings. The specific averages are 52.7 FPS at High, 71.2 FPS at Medium, and 51.4 FPS at Ultra. This shows a steep drop-off between Medium and High presets, with the gap between Medium and Ultra being nearly 20 FPS. The data indicates that 4K Ultra is the only preset that falls below the 60 FPS threshold, while High also struggles to maintain a consistent 60 FPS average, sitting at 52.7 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440 (1440p), the performance improves significantly across all presets. The average frame rates are 76.8 FPS at High, 123.8 FPS at Low, 98.1 FPS at Medium, and 72.9 FPS at Ultra. Every preset at this resolution clears the 60 FPS mark, with even the most demanding Ultra setting maintaining a 72.9 FPS average. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1440p is approximately 51 FPS, indicating that the GPU has substantial headroom at this resolution.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the system shows its strongest performance. The average frame rates are 91.6 FPS at High, 159 FPS at Low, 125.6 FPS at Medium, and 90.6 FPS at Ultra. The Low preset nearly doubles the 60 FPS threshold, while Ultra remains well above it at 90.6 FPS. The scaling from 1440p to 1080p shows a consistent improvement of roughly 15-20 FPS across all presets, with the Low preset gaining over 35 FPS. This pattern suggests that the RTX 3080 is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU provides sufficient headroom to push frame rates higher at 1080p.

Best Settings per Resolution

The data clearly identifies the optimal settings for each resolution based on the 60 FPS playability threshold.

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is Medium, which delivers 71.2 FPS. While Low achieves a higher average of 94.9 FPS, Medium offers a better balance of visual quality and performance. High and Ultra both fall below the threshold, with averages of 52.7 FPS and 51.4 FPS respectively, making them unsuitable for smooth gameplay at this resolution.

For 2560x1440, all four presets are playable, and the best setting is Ultra with an average of 72.9 FPS. This represents the highest visual quality available while still maintaining a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold. The data shows that even the most demanding preset at this resolution leaves approximately 13 FPS of headroom, suggesting that the system can handle the game's most intense scenes without dropping below playable levels.

At 1920x1080, the best settings is also Ultra, with an average of 90.6 FPS. This provides a substantial buffer above the 60 FPS threshold, making it the clear choice for users prioritizing visual fidelity. The 90.6 FPS average indicates that the system has significant spare capacity at this resolution, which could be useful for heavy scenery add-ons or other mods that increase GPU load.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals distinct roles for the CPU and GPU depending on the resolution and preset. The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, provides solid single-threaded performance as indicated by its 3DMark single-thread score of 951. This is relevant for Microsoft Flight Simulator, which relies heavily on single-threaded performance for simulation logic. The CPU's performance relative to other processors shows it sits near the 77th percentile, with its nearest rival being the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F at a 0.2% delta.

The GPU scaling across resolutions tells a clear story. At 1080p, the gap between Low and Ultra presets is 68.4 FPS (from 159 FPS to 90.6 FPS), while at 4K, the same gap is 43.5 FPS (from 94.9 FPS to 51.4 FPS). This narrower gap at higher resolutions indicates that the RTX 3080 becomes the bottleneck as pixel count increases. The GPU's 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the game's data streaming demands, but the raw compute power limits performance at 4K.

The resolution scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows an average FPS drop of approximately 28% across presets, while the drop from 1440p to 4K is approximately 40%. This disproportionate decrease at 4K reinforces that the RTX 3080 is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. Conversely, the CPU's role becomes more apparent at 1080p, where the GPU has more headroom and the simulation's CPU-bound nature can influence minimum frame rates.

The data suggests that at 4K, the RTX 3080's performance is the primary constraint, as even the CPU's strong single-threaded performance cannot compensate for the GPU's inability to render at that pixel density with high settings. At 1440p and 1080p, the combination is more balanced, with the CPU providing enough throughput to keep frame rates high while the GPU handles the rendering load.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, but only at Low or Medium settings. The measured average FPS at 4K is 94.9 FPS at Low and 71.2 FPS at Medium. High and Ultra presets fall below the 60 FPS threshold, with averages of 52.7 FPS and 51.4 FPS respectively.

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

A: Ultra is the best choice at 2560x1440, delivering an average of 72.9 FPS. All presets at this resolution exceed the 60 FPS threshold, so users can prioritize visual quality without sacrificing smoothness.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F scores 25005 on average benchmarks, which is 0.2% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F (24964) and 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i7-11850H (24935). The closest competitor above it is the AMD EPYC 9474F at 25103, a 0.4% difference.

Q: Is the RTX 3080's 10 GB VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: Based on the measured FPS data, the 10 GB of GDDR6X memory does not appear to be a limiting factor, as the system maintains playable frame rates at all resolutions except 4K High and Ultra. The bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s supports smooth data streaming at the tested settings.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 90.6 FPS. This is significantly above the 60 FPS threshold, providing a smooth experience even with demanding visual settings.

Q: How does this combo rank among other tested configurations?

A: The combination ranks 1034 out of 3714 tested combos for this game, placing it in the top 28% of all configurations tested. This suggests it performs well relative to other hardware combinations, though not at the top tier.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 8400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination ranks 1034 out of 3714 tested combos for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places the system in the top 27.8% of all configurations tested, indicating that it delivers above-average performance for this game. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU's processing capabilities and the GPU's rendering power.

The CPU component alone sits at the 77th percentile among all CPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 25005. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F (24964, 0.2% difference) and the Intel Core i7-13620H (24911, 0.4% difference). This positioning suggests the CPU is a solid mid-range performer that competes closely with other popular gaming processors.

The GPU, meanwhile, ranks at the 68th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 23172. Its nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the NVIDIA P106-100 (23249, -0.3% difference) and the AMD Radeon RX 6600M (23273, -0.4% difference). The RTX 3080's percentile ranking is lower than the CPU's, indicating that the GPU is the weaker link in this pairing for this particular game.

The combined rank of 1034 out of 3714 suggests that this combination performs better than the individual component percentiles might imply. This is likely due to the game's specific hardware requirements, where the CPU's strong single-threaded performance (3DMark single-thread score of 951) complements the GPU's capabilities effectively.

The Verdict

The data confirms that this PC can run Microsoft Flight Simulator effectively. The verdict by resolution is clear: at 1920x1080, all presets are playable with the best being Ultra at 90.6 FPS average. At 2560x1440, all presets are also playable, with Ultra being the best at 72.9 FPS average. At 3840x2160, only Low and Medium presets are playable, with Medium being the best at 71.2 FPS average.

The system clearly clears the 60 FPS threshold at 1080p and 1440p across all settings, making it a strong choice for gamers who prioritize high frame rates with maximum visual quality at these resolutions. At 4K, users will need to compromise on settings, choosing between Medium for a smooth experience or High/Ultra for better visuals at the cost of frame rates dropping below the playable threshold.

For most users, the sweet spot is 1440p with Ultra settings, which delivers 72.9 FPS average and provides the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. The RTX 3080's 10 GB VRAM is adequate for this game at these settings, and the Ryzen 5 8400F's processing power ensures that CPU-bound simulation tasks do not become a bottleneck. This combination offers a practical and capable setup for Microsoft Flight Simulator, with the only significant limitation being the inability to run 4K at maximum settings while maintaining 60 FPS.