Microsoft Flight Simulator

The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination delivers a highly resolution-dependent experience in Microsoft Flight Simulator, with the data showing a clear trade-off between visual fidelity and frame rate. The measured results indicate that this pairing is fully capable of smooth gameplay at 1080p across all presets, becomes more selective at 1440p, and only manages playable performance at 4K when settings are reduced to Low. This analysis walks through the measured FPS data, relative ranking, and the specific roles the CPU and GPU play at each resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The benchmark data provides average FPS measurements for three resolutions and four preset levels, with no minimum or maximum frame rate data available. At 1920x1080, the combination performs strongly across the board. The Low preset achieves an average of 117.8 FPS, which is the highest figure recorded for this combo. Medium follows at 95.4 FPS, High at 72.2 FPS, and the most demanding Ultra preset still maintains an average of 64.6 FPS. All four presets at 1080p clear the 60 FPS playability threshold, indicating that the hardware has ample headroom at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates show a noticeable step down. The Low preset delivers 93.1 FPS, which remains comfortably above the threshold. Medium drops to 76 FPS, still playable. High falls to 57.7 FPS, just below the 60 FPS mark, and Ultra sits at 54.3 FPS. The data suggests that 1440p is the boundary where the combination begins to require setting compromises to maintain smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the performance picture changes significantly. The Low preset produces 71.4 FPS, which is the only playable result at this resolution. Medium averages 54.2 FPS, High 39.6 FPS, and Ultra 40.7 FPS. Notably, the Ultra preset scores slightly higher than High at 4K, a minor inversion that may reflect scene-specific variation. The gap between Low and Medium at 4K is substantial, with a 17.2 FPS difference, highlighting how quickly the GPU becomes taxed as settings increase.

The scaling between resolutions follows a predictable pattern. At Low settings, the average frame rate drops from 117.8 FPS at 1080p to 93.1 FPS at 1440p, then to 71.4 FPS at 4K. At Medium, the progression is 95.4, 76, and 54.2 FPS. The High preset shows 72.2, 57.7, and 39.6 FPS. The Ultra preset records 64.6, 54.3, and 40.7 FPS. These numbers indicate that the performance cost of increasing resolution is consistent across presets, though the absolute impact is larger at lower settings where the starting frame rate is higher.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination ranks 1978 out of 3714 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator, placing it in the 53rd percentile of all hardware pairings tested for this game. This is a mid-pack position, meaning the setup performs better than roughly half of all tested configurations but lags behind the upper tier. The rank reflects the balance of the CPU and GPU together, not just individual component performance.

The CPU alone sits in the 91st percentile among all tested processors, which is a strong showing. The GPU, however, ranks in the 61st percentile among all tested graphics cards. This disparity suggests that the graphics card is the limiting factor in this pairing for this specific game. The CPU's high percentile does not translate into a top-tier overall ranking because the GPU holds the combination back, particularly at higher resolutions where rasterization demand increases.

The measured FPS data aligns with this interpretation. At 1080p, the combination can push Ultra to 64.6 FPS, indicating that the GPU has enough headroom when the resolution is modest. At 4K, the same Ultra preset falls to 40.7 FPS, a 37% reduction, which is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU's strong multithreaded performance, evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 29300, does not compensate for the GPU's limitations at higher pixel counts.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset for this combination at 1920x1080?

A: The Ultra preset is playable at 1080p, with an average of 64.6 FPS. This is the most demanding setting that stays above the 60 FPS threshold, making it the recommended choice for this resolution.

Q: Can this PC run Microsoft Flight Simulator at 2560x1440?

A: Yes, but only with settings at Low or Medium. Low averages 93.1 FPS and Medium averages 76 FPS. High and Ultra fall below 60 FPS, at 57.7 and 54.3 FPS respectively.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this hardware?

A: Only at Low settings, which averages 71.4 FPS. Medium drops to 54.2 FPS, and High and Ultra are not playable, averaging 39.6 and 40.7 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 9 7900X has an average benchmark score of 53288. The AMD EPYC 7313P scores 53206, a 0.2% difference. The Intel Xeon Phi 7290 scores 53469, a -0.3% difference. The Intel Xeon 634 scores 52974, a 0.6% difference. The Intel Core i7-14700F scores 53620, a -0.6% difference. These are all within 1% of each other.

Q: What GPU alternatives perform similarly to the RTX 4060?

A: The AMD Radeon HD 7790 has an average score of 17666, which is -0.2% relative to the RTX 4060's 17639. The AMD Radeon 780M scores 17588, a 0.3% difference. The AMD Radeon Pro 560 scores 17551, a 0.5% difference. The AMD Radeon Pro 460 scores 17509, a 0.7% difference.

Q: Does the game use the CPU or GPU more heavily at different resolutions?

A: The data indicates the GPU becomes increasingly dominant as resolution rises. At 1080p, the CPU can feed enough frames for Ultra to reach 64.6 FPS. At 4K, the same preset drops to 40.7 FPS, showing that the GPU's rendering capacity is the constraint.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals provide context for how other processors would behave in this system. The AMD EPYC 7313P is essentially identical in average benchmark score, with a delta of 0.2%. The Intel Xeon Phi 7290 is marginally slower at -0.3%, while the Intel Xeon 634 is slightly faster at 0.6%. The Intel Core i7-14700F is the closest competitor, with a delta of -0.6% and an average score of 53620. Any of these processors would produce nearly identical frame rates in Microsoft Flight Simulator when paired with the same GPU, as the performance differences are within statistical noise.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4060's nearest rivals are older or integrated parts. The AMD Radeon HD 7790 is a legacy discrete card with a -0.2% delta, meaning it performs within a rounding error of the RTX 4060 in aggregate benchmarks. The AMD Radeon 780M is an integrated GPU that comes within 0.3%, and the AMD Radeon Pro 560 and Pro 460 are workstation parts with deltas of 0.5% and 0.7%. In practice, these alternatives would produce similar average FPS in this game, though the RTX 4060's feature set, such as its 8 GB GDDR6 memory and Ada Lovelace architecture, may offer different behavior in specific scenes.

For this pairing, swapping the CPU to any of its nearest rivals would have a negligible effect on the measured FPS, as the game is clearly GPU-bound at higher resolutions. Swapping the GPU to a similarly scoring card would also yield comparable results, though the older Radeon HD 7790 would lack modern driver optimizations and may exhibit different frame pacing.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the only preset that maintains an average of at least 60 FPS is Low, which delivers 71.4 FPS. This is the recommended setting for 4K, as Medium drops to 54.2 FPS, below the playability threshold. The data shows that 4K gaming is possible with this combination, but only with significant visual compromises.

At 2560x1440, the best preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, with an average of 76 FPS. Low is also playable at 93.1 FPS, but Medium offers a better balance of visual quality and performance. High falls short at 57.7 FPS, so it is not recommended for smooth gameplay.

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that remains playable is Ultra, averaging 64.6 FPS. This is the optimal choice for 1080p, as it provides the highest visual fidelity while staying above the 60 FPS threshold. All four presets are playable at this resolution, so users can select based on preference, but Ultra is the best option for maximum quality.

The Verdict

The verdict data is clear: this PC can run Microsoft Flight Simulator, but the playable settings vary by resolution. At 1920x1080, all four presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — clear the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra averaging 64.6 FPS. This is the fully playable scenario with no compromises.

At 2560x1440, the combination supports Low and Medium presets, with Medium being the best playable option at 76 FPS. High and Ultra are not playable, falling to 57.7 and 54.3 FPS respectively. Users at this resolution must choose between lower settings or accepting sub-60 FPS performance.

At 3840x2160, only the Low preset is playable, averaging 71.4 FPS. This means 4K gaming is technically possible with this hardware, but only at the lowest visual settings. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall below 60 FPS, with values of 54.2, 39.6, and 40.7 FPS. The overall verdict is that this system is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p viable at medium settings and 4K only at low settings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear shift in component importance based on resolution. At 1920x1080, the CPU's strong performance is more relevant, as the GPU has enough headroom to render frames at high rates. The Ryzen 9 7900X's 12 cores and 24 threads, with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, can feed the RTX 4060 effectively, allowing Ultra to reach 64.6 FPS. The CPU's passmark multithread score of 51406 and single-thread score of 4238 indicate it is not a bottleneck at this resolution.

As resolution increases to 2560x1440, the GPU becomes more significant. The frame rate drop from 1080p to 1440p at Ultra is from 64.6 to 54.3 FPS, a 16% reduction. This suggests the GPU is starting to saturate, as the RTX 4060's 8 GB memory and 128-bit bus limit its ability to handle higher pixel counts. The CPU's role diminishes, as it can still provide frames faster than the GPU can render them.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is the dominant factor. The Low preset still manages 71.4 FPS, but Medium drops to 54.2 FPS, indicating that the GPU's rendering capacity is the limiting factor. The RTX 4060's 15.11 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 272.0 GB/s memory bandwidth are insufficient for higher settings at 4K. The CPU's influence is minimal at this resolution, as the GPU cannot keep up regardless of CPU capability.

The scaling between presets further confirms this. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 53.2 FPS (117.8 to 64.6). At 1440p, the same difference is 38.8 FPS (93.1 to 54.3). At 4K, the difference is 30.7 FPS (71.4 to 40.7). This narrowing gap shows that the GPU becomes the primary constraint as resolution rises, with the CPU's performance becoming less impactful. For users prioritizing high resolution, the GPU is the component to upgrade; for those staying at 1080p, the CPU's strength is fully utilized.