Microsoft Flight Simulator

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 combination delivers a commanding performance in Microsoft Flight Simulator, clearing the 60 FPS threshold at every resolution and preset tested. The data shows this is a high-end pairing that prioritizes visual fidelity, with the RTX 5080's raw power ensuring that even the most demanding settings remain fluidly playable at 4K. The measured FPS figures indicate headroom for high-refresh-rate monitors at lower resolutions, while the CPU provides a stable foundation across all scenarios.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that holds at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, with an average of 72 FPS. This is the highest preset available, and it still keeps the frame rate above the playable threshold. The data shows a clear progression: Low averages 130 FPS, Medium averages 101 FPS (with min/max of 86/116), and High averages 76 FPS. Ultra sits at 72 FPS, meaning the system has enough headroom to run the game at maximum visual quality without sacrificing smoothness.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are also Ultra, delivering an average of 98 FPS. This is a substantial jump from the 4K result, showing that the resolution scaling favors this pairing. The preset ladder here is: Low at 176 FPS, Medium at 137 FPS (min/max 116/157), High at 103 FPS, and Ultra at 98 FPS. All presets clear 60 FPS by a wide margin, so users can max out the game and still enjoy a buttery-smooth experience on 1440p displays.

At 1920x1080, Ultra is again the best choice, with an average of 122 FPS. This resolution provides the most headroom, with Low hitting 218 FPS, Medium at 170 FPS (min/max 144/195), and High at 128 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p is more than 2x the 60 FPS threshold, making this an excellent setup for high-refresh-rate gaming. In essence, the system never forces a compromise: Ultra is always the optimal setting, and the average FPS at each resolution comfortably exceeds the playable mark.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results indicate that the GPU is the dominant component for Microsoft Flight Simulator, but the CPU’s role becomes more pronounced at lower resolutions. The scaling between resolutions shows a clear pattern: dropping from 3840x2160 to 2560x1440 increases the Ultra average from 72 to 98 FPS (a 36% improvement), and further dropping to 1920x1080 pushes it to 122 FPS (a 69% improvement over 4K). This steep scaling suggests the RTX 5080 is heavily utilized at 4K, and as resolution decreases, the frame rate rises dramatically, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck.

At 3840x2160, the gap between Low (130 FPS) and Ultra (72 FPS) is 58 FPS, showing that the GPU’s workload scales significantly with settings. At 1920x1080, the same gap is 96 FPS (Low at 218, Ultra at 122), which is a wider spread. This indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is better able to feed the GPU, allowing the RTX 5080 to stretch its legs across different presets. The Ryzen 7 9700F, with its high single-thread score of 4691 and multithread score of 36470, is clearly not a limiting factor at any resolution.

For 1440p and 1080p, the CPU’s role is more balanced, but the GPU still dictates overall performance. The data shows that the frame rate differences between resolutions are larger than the differences between presets at a fixed resolution, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario. In practical terms, users upgrading their CPU would see minimal gains, while upgrading the GPU would provide a more substantial boost, especially at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

3840x2160: The data shows a full range of presets, all above 60 FPS. Low averages 130 FPS. Medium averages 101 FPS, with a minimum of 86 FPS and a maximum of 116 FPS, indicating consistent performance. High averages 76 FPS. Ultra averages 72 FPS. The min/max figures for Medium suggest the system maintains a stable frame rate even during complex scenes, and the drop from Medium to High (25 FPS) is more substantial than the drop from High to Ultra (4 FPS), meaning the latter preset is a cost-effective upgrade in visual terms.

2560x1440: At this resolution, Low delivers 176 FPS. Medium averages 137 FPS, with a minimum of 116 FPS and a maximum of 157 FPS. High averages 103 FPS, and Ultra averages 98 FPS. The Medium preset’s min/max range (116-157) shows a 41 FPS variance, which is the widest among all resolutions, but still well above the 60 FPS floor. The scaling from Low to Ultra here (78 FPS difference) is more pronounced than at 4K, reinforcing the GPU-heavy workload.

1920x1080: Low yields an impressive 218 FPS. Medium averages 170 FPS, with a minimum of 144 FPS and a maximum of 195 FPS. High averages 128 FPS, and Ultra averages 122 FPS. The Medium preset’s min/max (144-195) shows a 51 FPS spread, but even the minimum is more than double the playable threshold. This resolution offers the most headroom, with all presets exceeding 120 FPS, making it ideal for high-refresh-rate displays.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Microsoft Flight Simulator, and it does so with exceptional authority. According to the verdictByResolution data, all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable at every resolution tested. The best settings for each resolution are Ultra, with average FPS of 72 at 3840x2160, 98 at 2560x1440, and 122 at 1920x1080. The system’s combo rank of 171 out of 3714 tested combinations places it in the top 4.6% of all configurations, highlighting its elite status for this title.

The data is measured, not estimated, which adds confidence to the results. At 4K, users can max out the game and still enjoy a 72 FPS average, which is a remarkable achievement for a flight simulator known for its demanding rendering. At 1440p and 1080p, the system offers significant headroom, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors. The only caveat is that the min FPS figures are not provided for most presets, but the available data for Medium presets shows minimums well above 60 FPS (86 at 4K, 116 at 1440p, 144 at 1080p), suggesting stable performance across the board.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals based on average benchmark scores are all within a narrow band of performance. The AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX scores 69875, a mere 0.2% difference. The Intel Core i7-14700KF scores 70163, which is 0.2% higher than the 9700F. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X scores 69515, a 0.7% difference, and the Intel Core i7-14700K scores 69355, a 0.9% difference. In gaming terms, these differences are negligible, so users with any of these CPUs would see virtually identical frame rates in Microsoft Flight Simulator. The 9700F’s percentile rank of 94 among all CPUs confirms it sits at the high end of desktop processors.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals show a similar story. The AMD Radeon 8060S scores 55757, a 0.6% difference. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698, a 0.7% difference. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828, a 2.3% difference. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE scores 57367, which is 2.2% higher than the RTX 5080. These deltas are small, meaning that swapping to any of these GPUs would result in comparable performance in this game. The RTX 5080’s percentile rank of 87 among all GPUs puts it in the upper echelon, so users should expect similar behavior from these alternatives.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. The data shows Ultra settings at 3840x2160 average 72 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best preset to use at 2560x1440?

A: Ultra is the best preset, delivering an average of 98 FPS. All presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable at this resolution.

Q: How does the frame rate scale from 1080p to 4K?

A: At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 122 at 1920x1080 to 98 at 2560x1440, and then to 72 at 3840x2160. This represents a 41% reduction from 1080p to 4K.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game?

A: The GPU is the dominant factor. The frame rate scaling between resolutions is steep, indicating the RTX 5080 is the primary bottleneck, while the Ryzen 7 9700F provides ample support.

Q: What are the minimum FPS figures for Medium settings?

A: The data shows minimum FPS of 86 at 3840x2160, 116 at 2560x1440, and 144 at 1920x1080 for Medium presets. All are well above 60 FPS.

Q: How does this system rank compared to other tested combinations?

A: The combo rank is 171 out of 3714, placing it in the top 4.6% of all configurations tested for Microsoft Flight Simulator.