Microsoft Flight Simulator

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data for Microsoft Flight Simulator with the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 covers three resolutions and four quality presets. All figures below are average FPS readings; the database records no separate minimum or maximum frame data for this configuration, so the analysis relies on the average values captured during the runs.

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 116.9 FPS on Low, 93 FPS on Medium, 69.8 FPS on High, and 66.6 FPS on Ultra. The step from Low to Medium costs 23.9 FPS, a 20.4% drop. Moving from Medium to High costs another 23.2 FPS, a 24.9% drop. The final step from High to Ultra is comparatively mild at 3.2 FPS, only a 4.6% reduction. This suggests the Ultra preset is not dramatically more taxing than High at this resolution, at least in terms of average frame rate.

At 2560x1440, the numbers shift downward as expected. Low produces 98.1 FPS, Medium 72.5 FPS, High 55.3 FPS, and Ultra 53.1 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium here is 25.6 FPS, slightly larger in raw terms than at 1080p. The Medium to High transition is 17.2 FPS, and High to Ultra is only 2.2 FPS. The flattening between High and Ultra mirrors the 1080p behavior, indicating that the Ultra preset adds little extra load over High once the resolution is raised.

At 3840x2160, the results compress considerably. Low averages 70.2 FPS, Medium 53.2 FPS, High 40.3 FPS, and Ultra 38.3 FPS. Low to Medium is a 17 FPS drop, Medium to High is 12.9 FPS, and High to Ultra is 2 FPS. The resolution scaling is steep: every preset loses substantial performance when moving from 1440p to 4K. The Ultra preset at 4K is the weakest recorded result for this combo at 38.3 FPS, while Low at 1080p is the strongest at 116.9 FPS.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear pattern of GPU dominance at higher resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080 Low, the system reaches 116.9 FPS, which is far above the 60 FPS playability threshold. This indicates that at the lowest settings, the CPU is able to feed the GPU adequately, and the GPU is not yet the primary limiter. However, as the preset climbs to Medium and High at 1080p, the frame rate drops to 93 FPS and 69.8 FPS respectively, suggesting that the GPU is taking on more of the workload.

The scaling between resolutions confirms the GPU-centric nature of this title. At Low settings, moving from 1080p to 1440p costs 18.8 FPS (116.9 to 98.1), and moving from 1440p to 4K costs another 27.9 FPS (98.1 to 70.2). The 4K Low result of 70.2 FPS is still above 60 FPS, which shows that even at 4K, the RTX 4060 can handle the lowest preset without CPU bottleneck interference. The Ryzen 7 3700X, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, appears sufficient to keep up with the GPU at Low settings across all tested resolutions.

The picture changes at higher presets. At 4K Ultra, the frame rate falls to 38.3 FPS, a 67.6% reduction from the 1080p Ultra result of 66.6 FPS. This disproportionate drop is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario: the rendering load at 4K with Ultra settings overwhelms the RTX 4060's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus. The CPU's role becomes secondary at this point, as the GPU cannot process frames fast enough to expose any CPU limitation.

At 1440p Medium, the system posts 72.5 FPS, while at 1440p High it drops to 55.3 FPS. The delta between Medium and High at 1440p is larger than the same delta at 1080p (17.2 FPS versus 23.2 FPS in raw terms, but the percentage drop is similar). The pattern indicates that the GPU is the dominant factor across all settings above Low, with the CPU providing a stable foundation that does not introduce major frame pacing issues.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the only preset that clears the 60 FPS threshold is Low, with an average of 70.2 FPS. Medium falls to 53.2 FPS, High to 40.3 FPS, and Ultra to 38.3 FPS. The database's verdict confirms Low as the best playable setting at this resolution, and it is the sole option that remains at or above 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, two presets clear 60 FPS: Low at 98.1 FPS and Medium at 72.5 FPS. High sits just below the threshold at 55.3 FPS, and Ultra is at 53.1 FPS. The best setting here is Medium, which delivers 72.5 FPS while providing substantially higher visual quality than Low. The margin above the 60 FPS line is 12.5 FPS, which offers a reasonable buffer for scenery-heavy areas.

At 1920x1080, all four presets exceed 60 FPS. Low posts 116.9 FPS, Medium 93 FPS, High 69.8 FPS, and Ultra 66.6 FPS. The best setting is Ultra, with an average of 66.6 FPS. This is the only resolution where the Ultra preset is playable, and the margin above 60 FPS is 6.6 FPS, which is modest but sufficient according to the recorded data. Users who prefer a larger safety margin could drop to High for 69.8 FPS, but the database lists Ultra as the best playable option.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database's overall ranking for Microsoft Flight Simulator, this CPU and GPU combination sits at position 2044 out of 3714 tested combos. That places it in the 55th percentile, meaning roughly 45% of all tested configurations deliver higher average performance in this game, while about 55% deliver lower performance. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU's 84th percentile standing among all CPUs and the GPU's 61st percentile among all GPUs.

The GPU is the weaker link in this pairing. The RTX 4060's percentile rank of 61 means it outperforms only 61% of all GPUs in the database's general benchmark suite. The CPU, by contrast, ranks at the 84th percentile among all CPUs, driven by strong multi-threaded scores such as 22,458 in PassMark multithread and 2,092 in Cinebench R15 multicore. In a flight simulator that leans heavily on GPU rendering at higher presets, the GPU's mid-range position drags the overall combo ranking below what the CPU alone might suggest.

The combo ranking of 2044 out of 3714 is consistent with the measured FPS results: the system is comfortably playable at 1080p across all presets, marginally playable at 1440p on Medium, and only playable at 4K on Low. This positions it as a mid-pack performer, capable of handling the game at mainstream resolutions but not a top-tier configuration.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database's average benchmark scores are closely matched. The AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 scores 34,222 with a delta of 0.1%, meaning it is essentially identical in average benchmark performance. The AMD EPYC 4244P also scores 34,220 with a 0.1% delta. The Intel Core i5-13450HX scores 34,333 with a delta of -0.2%, placing it slightly above the Ryzen 7 3700X. The Intel Core Ultra 7 165H scores 34,083 with a 0.5% delta, slightly below. All four rivals sit within a 0.7% band of the 3700X's average score of 34,260, so swapping to any of them would produce nearly identical CPU-bound behavior in this game.

The GPU's nearest rivals are more diverse. The AMD Radeon HD 7790 scores 17,666 with a delta of -0.2%, which is marginally higher than the RTX 4060's average score of 17,639. The AMD Radeon 780M scores 17,588 with a 0.3% delta, slightly lower. The AMD Radeon Pro 560 scores 17,551 with a 0.5% delta, and the AMD Radeon Pro 460 scores 17,509 with a 0.7% delta. The RTX 4060's average benchmark score of 17,639 places it between the HD 7790 and the 780M, though all four alternatives are within 0.7% of each other. In practical terms, a system with any of these GPUs paired with the Ryzen 7 3700X would likely produce FPS numbers within a few frames of the measured results, though the architectural differences could affect specific game workloads.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, but only at Low settings. The average FPS at 3840x2160 Low is 70.2, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. Medium drops to 53.2 FPS, High to 40.3 FPS, and Ultra to 38.3 FPS, all below the playability line.

Q: What is the best preset at 1440p?

A: Medium is the best playable setting at 2560x1440, delivering 72.5 FPS. Low also clears the threshold at 98.1 FPS, but High and Ultra fall below 60 FPS at 55.3 and 53.1 respectively.

Q: Does the Ultra preset run at 1080p?

A: Yes. At 1920x1080 Ultra, the combo averages 66.6 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. It is the highest playable setting at this resolution.

Q: Which component is the bottleneck?

A: The GPU is the primary limiter at most settings. The RTX 4060 ranks at the 61st percentile among all GPUs, while the Ryzen 7 3700X ranks at the 84th percentile among CPUs. The GPU's lower relative standing aligns with the steep FPS drops at higher resolutions and presets.

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

A: It ranks 2044 out of 3714 combos in the database for this game, placing it in the middle of the field. The ranking reflects the GPU's mid-range position rather than the CPU's stronger benchmark standing.

Q: What are the nearest CPU alternatives?

A: The AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, AMD EPYC 4244P, Intel Core i5-13450HX, and Intel Core Ultra 7 165H all have average benchmark scores within 0.7% of the Ryzen 7 3700X. Any of these would produce nearly identical CPU performance in this game.

The Verdict

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X combined with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 can run Microsoft Flight Simulator, but the experience depends heavily on the chosen resolution and preset. At 1920x1080, the system clears 60 FPS on every preset, with Ultra at 66.6 FPS as the best playable option. At 2560x1440, the system clears 60 FPS on Low and Medium, with Medium at 72.5 FPS as the best choice. At 3840x2160, only Low is playable, averaging 70.2 FPS.

The data indicates that this is a capable 1080p configuration for this game, a solid 1440p Medium configuration, and a limited 4K configuration restricted to the lowest preset. The GPU's mid-range standing in the database (61st percentile) is the deciding factor at higher settings, while the CPU (84th percentile) provides ample headroom for the game's simulation and scenery loading tasks. Users who prioritize visual fidelity should target 1080p Ultra or 1440p Medium; users who prioritize resolution should accept 4K Low. The recorded verdict by resolution confirms these boundaries, with no preset above Low clearing 60 FPS at 4K and no preset above Medium clearing 60 FPS at 1440p.