Microsoft Flight Simulator

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data for Microsoft Flight Simulator with the Intel Core i5-9400 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 shows a clear scaling pattern across resolutions and presets. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 128 FPS, Medium averages 117 FPS with a minimum of 99 FPS and a maximum of 134 FPS, High averages 103 FPS, and Ultra averages 98 FPS. Every preset at this resolution clears the 60 FPS playable threshold by a wide margin, with the gap between Low and Ultra being 30 FPS, which indicates that the GPU is not fully saturated even at the highest settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages step down predictably: Low runs at 119 FPS, Medium at 109 FPS with a minimum of 92 FPS and a maximum of 125 FPS, High at 83 FPS, and Ultra at 79 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra here is 40 FPS, larger than at 1080p, which suggests the increased pixel count begins to load the GPU more heavily. Still, all four presets remain comfortably above 60 FPS, and even the minimum recorded on Medium (92 FPS) is far above the playable threshold.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes. Low averages 105 FPS, Medium averages 81 FPS with a minimum of 69 FPS and a maximum of 94 FPS, High averages 61 FPS, and Ultra drops to 58 FPS. The Low to Ultra spread is 47 FPS, the largest of any resolution, and Ultra is the only preset across all tested resolutions that falls below 60 FPS. High at 4K sits right at the threshold with 61 FPS, meaning it is playable but with almost no headroom for demanding scenes or stutters. The Medium preset at 4K, with a minimum of 69 FPS, provides a safer margin, though its average of 81 FPS is still lower than the High preset at 1440p.

FAQ

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

A: Yes, but only up to High settings. The recorded data shows High at 3840x2160 averaging 61 FPS, which clears the 60 FPS threshold. Medium averages 81 FPS and Low averages 105 FPS, but Ultra averages 58 FPS and falls short of playable.

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

A: Ultra is fully playable at this resolution, averaging 79 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS, and it offers the highest visual quality without sacrificing smoothness.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in general benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 5070 has an average benchmark score of 40377, which places it just 0.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 580 (40318) and 0.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 (40063). It trails the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 by 1.2% (40870) and leads the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile by 2% (39568).

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-9400 a bottleneck in this game?

A: The data does not indicate a CPU bottleneck at any tested resolution. FPS scales consistently with resolution and preset changes, which is typical of a GPU-bound scenario. The i5-9400's average benchmark score is 2254, and its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-1068NG7, scores 2259, a 0.2% difference, so the CPU is competitive with similar parts in the database.

Q: What minimum FPS can be expected at 1920x1080 on Medium settings?

A: The recorded minimum is 99 FPS, with an average of 117 FPS and a maximum of 134 FPS. This means even the worst-case frames stay well above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Does the RTX 5070's launch MSRP affect its performance classification?

A: The launch MSRP is 549 USD, but the performance data stands on its own. The GPU ranks in the 82nd percentile among all GPUs in the database, and its measured FPS in this game reflects that standing regardless of price considerations.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark results show that the GPU is the dominant factor in Microsoft Flight Simulator for this combination. The evidence is in the scaling pattern: at 1920x1080, reducing from Ultra (98 FPS) to Low (128 FPS) yields a 30 FPS improvement. At 2560x1440, the same preset change yields a 40 FPS improvement, and at 3840x2160, it yields a 47 FPS improvement. This increasing spread with resolution is the classic signature of a GPU-bound workload, where the graphics card's rendering capacity becomes the limiting factor as pixel count rises.

The CPU's role is comparatively stable across resolutions. The Intel Core i5-9400 has 6 cores and 6 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. Its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 6629 and single-core score is 935, while its Geekbench scores are 5141 multicore and 1389 single-core. These figures place it in the 47th percentile among all CPUs, which is mid-pack, but the FPS data shows no resolution-dependent collapse that would indicate the CPU failing to keep up. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the 1080p and 1440p results would cluster closer together, since the same CPU work would be required regardless of resolution.

The RTX 5070, by contrast, shows clear resolution sensitivity. Its specs include 6144 shading units, 192 tensor cores, and 48 RT cores, with a boost clock of 2512 MHz and a memory bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s over a 192-bit bus. The 4K Ultra result of 58 FPS versus the 1080p Ultra result of 98 FPS demonstrates that the GPU's workload scales heavily with pixel count. The GPU's percentile rank of 82 among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 40377, confirms it is a high-end part, but even strong GPUs hit limits at 4K in a demanding simulator like this one.

In practical terms, at 1920x1080 and 2560x1440, the RTX 5070 has enough headroom that the i5-9400's mid-pack CPU performance does not hold back frame rates. At 3840x2160, the CPU matters even less, because the GPU is working harder to fill those pixels. Builders pairing this CPU with this GPU should expect smooth performance at 1080p and 1440p across all presets, and at 4K they should stick to High or below to stay above 60 FPS.

The Verdict

This PC can run Microsoft Flight Simulator, and it does so strongly at most settings. The verdict by resolution is clear: at 1920x1080, all four presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) are playable, with Ultra averaging 98 FPS. At 2560x1440, all four presets are also playable, with Ultra averaging 79 FPS. At 3840x2160, three presets are playable (Low at 105 FPS, Medium at 81 FPS, High at 61 FPS), but Ultra falls to 58 FPS, just below the 60 FPS threshold.

The practical takeaway is that this system is a strong 1080p and 1440p machine for this game, and a capable 4K machine with settings adjusted. The 61 FPS average at 4K High is technically playable, but it leaves only 1 FPS of headroom, which could lead to dips in dense scenery or during complex flight scenarios. The Medium preset at 4K, with a minimum of 69 FPS, is the safer choice for consistent performance.

The combo ranks 957 out of 3714 tested combinations in this game, placing it in the upper quartile of systems in the database. That ranking, combined with the measured FPS data, supports the conclusion that this is a well-balanced pairing for Microsoft Flight Simulator, with the GPU doing the heavy lifting and the CPU providing adequate support.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i5-9400's nearest rivals in the database are all within a narrow performance band. The Intel Core i7-1068NG7 scores 2259 on average, just 0.2% higher, meaning it would behave nearly identically in this game. The Intel Core i7-10710U scores 2248, 0.3% lower, and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500 scores 2246, 0.4% lower. The Intel Core i3-10305 scores 2264, 0.4% higher. None of these differences exceed a fraction of a percent, so any of these CPUs paired with the RTX 5070 would produce essentially the same FPS results in Microsoft Flight Simulator. Builders with any of these chips should expect the same gameplay experience.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070's nearest rivals are similarly close. The AMD Radeon Pro 580 scores 40318, just 0.1% lower, and the AMD Radeon Pro WX 7100 scores 40063, 0.8% lower. The AMD Radeon Pro 5300 scores 40870, 1.2% higher, and the NVIDIA RTX A500 Mobile scores 39568, 2% lower. These deltas are small enough that the FPS differences in this game would be minimal, likely within a few frames per second at any given resolution and preset. The RTX A500 Mobile, with the largest gap at 2%, might show a slightly more noticeable difference, but even that would not change the playability verdict at any resolution.

In practical terms, a system with any of these rival GPUs and the i5-9400 would land in the same ballpark: playable at 1080p and 1440p on all presets, playable at 4K up to High, and marginally below 60 FPS at 4K Ultra. The performance clustering is tight enough that the choice among these parts should be based on other factors, such as driver support, feature set, or availability, rather than expected FPS in this title.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the best setting is Ultra, with an average of 98 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS, and it does so with 38 FPS of headroom. There is no reason to drop below Ultra at this resolution, as even the most graphically intensive preset leaves plenty of margin.

At 2560x1440, the best setting is also Ultra, with an average of 79 FPS. The headroom is smaller than at 1080p but still substantial at 19 FPS above the threshold. Ultra at 1440p delivers a strong visual experience without compromising smoothness.

At 3840x2160, the best setting is High, with an average of 61 FPS. This is the highest preset that clears 60 FPS, but the margin is thin. Players who prefer a buffer against frame drops should consider Medium, which averages 81 FPS with a minimum of 69 FPS. Ultra at 4K is not recommended, as its 58 FPS average falls below the playable threshold.

The data shows a consistent pattern: the RTX 5070 has enough power for Ultra settings at 1080p and 1440p, but 4K Ultra is out of reach. At 4K, High is the ceiling for 60 FPS, and Medium is the safer choice for consistent performance. This aligns with the GPU's 82nd percentile ranking and its measured performance profile in this demanding flight simulator.