Microsoft Flight Simulator

Best Settings per Resolution

At 4K (3840x2160), the most demanding preset that maintains 60 FPS or higher is Ultra, which averages 61 FPS. This is a narrow margin, sitting just 1 FPS above the playable threshold, so Ultra at 4K is technically viable but leaves little headroom for demanding scenery or weather effects. The recorded data shows High at 4K averages 64 FPS, Medium averages 85 FPS, and Low averages 108 FPS, but Ultra is the maximum preset that still clears the 60 FPS line.

At 1440p (2560x1440), Ultra is again the best playable preset, averaging 82 FPS. This provides a much more comfortable margin over the 60 FPS threshold, with roughly 22 FPS of headroom. High averages 86 FPS, Medium averages 109 FPS, and Low averages 119 FPS at this resolution, so all presets are playable, but Ultra delivers the full visual experience while staying well above the minimum.

At 1080p (1920x1080), Ultra averages 102 FPS, which is the highest preset and still leaves more than 40 FPS of headroom above the playable threshold. High averages 105 FPS, Medium averages 117 FPS, and Low averages 128 FPS. Every preset at 1080p exceeds 100 FPS on average, indicating that resolution is not a limiting factor for this combination.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions and presets reveals a clear pattern. Moving from 1080p Ultra at 102 FPS to 1440p Ultra at 82 FPS represents a 20 FPS drop, while moving from 1440p Ultra to 4K Ultra at 61 FPS represents another 21 FPS drop. This consistent degradation across resolution steps indicates the GPU is the primary driver of performance at Ultra settings, as the render load scales directly with pixel count.

However, the CPU still plays a meaningful role at lower settings. At 1080p Low, the average is 128 FPS, while at 4K Low it drops to 108 FPS, a difference of 20 FPS. This smaller gap at Low settings compared to the 41 FPS gap at Ultra settings suggests that at lower graphical loads, the Intel Core i5-9400 with its 6 cores and 6 threads becomes more relevant, limiting frame rates as the GPU has less work to do.

The preset scaling tells a similar story. At 4K, moving from Low to Ultra drops from 108 FPS to 61 FPS, a 47 FPS reduction. At 1080p, the same preset change drops from 128 FPS to 102 FPS, only a 26 FPS reduction. The larger impact at 4K confirms GPU-bound behavior at higher resolutions, while the smaller impact at 1080p indicates the CPU starts to constrain performance when the GPU load is lighter.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the recorded data shows Low averaging 108 FPS with no min or max recorded, Medium averaging 85 FPS with a min of 72 and max of 98, High averaging 64 FPS with no min or max, and Ultra averaging 61 FPS with no min or max. The Medium preset is the only one at 4K with recorded frame time variance, showing a 26 FPS spread between minimum and maximum.

At 2560x1440, Low averages 119 FPS, Medium averages 109 FPS with a min of 92 and max of 125, High averages 86 FPS, and Ultra averages 82 FPS. The Medium preset again shows the only recorded variance, with a 33 FPS spread, which is wider than at 4K and suggests more fluctuation in frame delivery at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, Low averages 128 FPS, Medium averages 117 FPS with a min of 99 and max of 134, High averages 105 FPS, and Ultra averages 102 FPS. The Medium preset shows a 35 FPS spread, the widest of any resolution, indicating that at 1080p the frame rate varies more significantly, likely due to CPU involvement in scene complexity.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER ranks 813 out of 3714 tested combinations in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the top 22 percent of all tested systems, meaning it outperforms roughly 78 percent of combinations in the database. The CPU itself sits at the 47th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU sits at the 83rd percentile among all GPUs, indicating the graphics card is the stronger component in this pairing.

The rank of 813 reflects a system that is well above average for this simulator, which is notable given the CPU's mid-range standing. The RTX 4070 SUPER's high GPU percentile compensates for the i5-9400's more modest position, and the measured frame rates confirm that the GPU is doing most of the heavy lifting in this title.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, Ultra at 3840x2160 averages 61 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold, though the margin is minimal.

Q: Which preset provides the smoothest experience at 1440p?

A: Ultra at 2560x1440 averages 82 FPS, but if frame consistency matters more than visual fidelity, Medium averages 109 FPS with a recorded minimum of 92 FPS.

Q: How much performance is lost when going from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings?

A: The average frame rate drops from 102 FPS at 1920x1080 to 61 FPS at 3840x2160, a reduction of 41 FPS or roughly 40 percent.

Q: Is the CPU a bottleneck in this game?

A: At lower settings and resolutions, the CPU becomes more relevant, as shown by the smaller FPS gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p compared to 4K, indicating the i5-9400 limits frame rates when the GPU load is lighter.

Q: What is the best playable setting at each resolution?

A: Ultra is the best playable setting at all three resolutions: 61 FPS at 4K, 82 FPS at 1440p, and 102 FPS at 1080p.

Q: How does this system compare to other tested combinations?

A: It ranks 813 out of 3714 combinations, placing it in the top 22 percent of all tested systems for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

The Verdict

This PC can run Microsoft Flight Simulator at all three tested resolutions with every preset at or above 60 FPS. At 3840x2160, Ultra averages 61 FPS, which is playable but tight; High averages 64 FPS, Medium averages 85 FPS, and Low averages 108 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra averages 82 FPS, providing comfortable headroom, with High at 86 FPS, Medium at 109 FPS, and Low at 119 FPS. At 1920x1080, the system excels, with Ultra averaging 102 FPS, High at 105 FPS, Medium at 117 FPS, and Low at 128 FPS.

The verdict by resolution is uniformly positive: all four settings at all three resolutions clear the 60 FPS threshold. For players who prioritize visual quality, Ultra at 1440p offers the best balance of fidelity and performance, while 4K Ultra is only for those willing to accept minimal headroom. The data indicates this is a capable flight simulator system, with the RTX 4070 SUPER providing strong graphics performance that compensates for the i5-9400's more modest CPU capabilities.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the Intel Core i5-9400, the nearest rivals in the database include the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 with an average score of 2259 and a delta of -0.2 percent, the Intel Core i7-10710U with an average score of 2248 and a delta of 0.3 percent, the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 with an average score of 2246 and a delta of 0.4 percent, and the Intel Core i3-10305 with an average score of 2264 and a delta of -0.4 percent. These processors deliver nearly identical CPU benchmark scores, so swapping the i5-9400 for any of these would result in virtually the same CPU-bound behavior in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER, the nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB with an average score of 43262 and a delta of -0.1 percent, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile with an average score of 43268 and a delta of -0.1 percent, the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 with an average score of 43301 and a delta of -0.2 percent, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Mobile with an average score of 43667 and a delta of -1 percent. These GPUs offer essentially equivalent graphics performance, meaning systems built with these cards would produce nearly identical frame rates in this title. The RTX 4090 Mobile is the closest in raw score, sitting just 1 percent above the 4070 SUPER, while the Quadro M6000 variants are within 0.2 percent below.