Microsoft Flight Simulator

The data for Microsoft Flight Simulator with an Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 reveals a system that handles the flight sim with commanding authority across every tested resolution. The measured FPS figures show no struggling at any preset, with even the most demanding settings at 4K holding comfortably above the 60 FPS playability threshold. The combination consistently delivers headroom, suggesting that the bottleneck in this pairing leans more toward the CPU’s single-thread performance in a sim known for its physics and scenery processing, while the GPU’s raw bandwidth ensures high-resolution textures stream without issue.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the RTX 5090 paired with the i7-13700K produces average frame rates that scale predictably with preset complexity. Low settings yield an average of 137.9 FPS, which drops to 107.5 FPS at Medium and 81 FPS at High. The Ultra preset, the most demanding option, still maintains an average of 78.1 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 59.8 FPS, showing that the GPU has ample headroom to absorb the additional load from higher detail levels without falling below the playable threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the average FPS increases substantially across all presets. Low settings deliver 194.1 FPS, Medium reaches 152.4 FPS, and High hits 112.6 FPS. Ultra at this resolution averages 107 FPS, which is nearly 30 FPS higher than the 4K Ultra result. The scaling between 4K and 1440p is not uniform—Low settings see a 56.2 FPS jump, while Ultra only gains 28.9 FPS—indicating that the GPU’s pixel throughput becomes more relevant as resolution drops, but the CPU’s role in simulation logic becomes relatively more prominent.

At 1920x1080, the frame rates become exceptionally high, with Low averaging 226.5 FPS and Medium at 188.8 FPS. High settings produce 140.2 FPS, while Ultra averages 135.8 FPS. The difference between 1080p and 1440p is moderate at Ultra (28.8 FPS), but at Low it is only 32.4 FPS, suggesting that at lower resolutions the CPU’s single-thread performance may start to cap the frame rate, as the GPU is no longer the limiting factor. The data shows no min or max FPS values recorded, so the analysis relies solely on averages, but the consistency of the averages across presets indicates stable performance.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the Intel Core i7-13700K, based on average benchmark scores, include the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 with a deltaPct of -0.2, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 at -0.3, the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX at +0.5, and the Intel Xeon w3-2535 also at +0.5. These deltas are all within a single percentage point, meaning any of these CPUs would likely produce nearly identical FPS in Microsoft Flight Simulator when paired with the same RTX 5090. The i7-13700K’s 16 cores and 24 threads are more than adequate for the sim’s multithreaded tasks, but the tiny score differences suggest that users with any of these alternatives would not perceive a meaningful performance gap.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090, the nearest rivals are the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB with a deltaPct of 0.3, the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB at 0.6, the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT at 1.1, and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X at -1.4. These are unusual comparisons—the Tesla cards are data-center oriented, while the RX 6850M XT is a mobile GPU—but the average score deltas are small. In practice, the RTX 5090’s 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth give it a clear advantage at 4K Ultra, where memory capacity and bandwidth become critical. The rival GPUs might match in synthetic benchmarks, but they would likely trail in real-world Flight Simulator scenarios due to the heavy texture streaming demands.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which averages 78.1 FPS. This leaves a comfortable 18.1 FPS margin above the playable threshold, so users can max out the settings without concern. The data shows that High, Medium, and Low also all clear 60 FPS, but Ultra provides the best visual quality while still maintaining a fluid experience.

At 2560x1440, Ultra is again the best choice, averaging 107 FPS. This is a substantial 47 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold, offering significant headroom for any future patches or mods that might increase CPU load. The step down to High yields 112.6 FPS, but the extra visual fidelity from Ultra is worth the small performance cost.

At 1920x1080, Ultra averages 135.8 FPS, which is more than double the playable threshold. This resolution is ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors, as even the most demanding preset leaves ample room for frame rate dips during complex scenery loading. All presets are far above 60 FPS, so the choice comes down to visual preference rather than performance necessity.

The Verdict

The verdict from the data is unambiguous: this PC can run Microsoft Flight Simulator with ease at all three tested resolutions. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset averages 78.1 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The verdictByResolution field lists all four presets—High, Low, Medium, and Ultra—as playable at 4K, meaning even the most demanding settings are viable.

At 2560x1440, Ultra averages 107 FPS, and all presets are playable. The 47 FPS headroom above the threshold suggests that this resolution is the sweet spot for balancing visual fidelity and performance, especially for users who prefer high refresh rates. At 1920x1080, Ultra averages 135.8 FPS, and the headroom is even larger, making this resolution suitable for competitive or sim-enthusiast setups with 144 Hz or higher monitors.

The data indicates no scenario where this combo drops below 60 FPS, so the answer is a definitive yes for playability. The only potential concern is the lack of min and max FPS data, but the averages are high enough that even significant dips would likely remain playable. The RTX 5090’s 32 GB of VRAM is particularly beneficial for Microsoft Flight Simulator’s vast texture libraries, ensuring no stuttering from memory exhaustion at 4K Ultra.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions reveals the division of labor between the i7-13700K and the RTX 5090. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the dominant factor, as the average FPS drops from 137.9 at Low to 78.1 at Ultra—a 59.8 FPS difference that reflects the increasing pixel and shader workload. The CPU’s role is secondary, as its simulation logic must keep up with the GPU’s frame output, but the i7-13700K’s single-thread performance appears sufficient.

At 1440p, the GPU’s load decreases, but the FPS gains are not proportional. Low goes from 137.9 to 194.1 FPS (a 56.2 FPS increase), while Ultra goes from 78.1 to 107 FPS (a 28.9 FPS increase). This suggests that at lower resolutions, the CPU begins to limit the frame rate, particularly at Low settings where the GPU is underutilized. The i7-13700K’s 5.40 GHz boost clock and 3dmark_single_thread score of 1136 indicate strong single-thread performance, but the sim’s physics and weather calculations still impose a ceiling.

At 1080p, the CPU’s influence becomes even more apparent. Low settings average 226.5 FPS, but the jump from 1440p Low (194.1 FPS) is only 32.4 FPS, despite the GPU having far fewer pixels to render. Ultra at 1080p (135.8 FPS) is only 28.8 FPS higher than 1440p Ultra (107 FPS), reinforcing that the CPU is now the bottleneck. The data implies that for this game, the GPU matters most at 4K, while the CPU’s single-thread performance becomes the limiting factor at 1080p and, to a lesser extent, 1440p.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 78.1 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: Is the RTX 5090 the limiting factor at 1080p?

A: No, the data suggests the CPU becomes the limiting factor at 1080p. Low settings at 1080p average 226.5 FPS, only 32.4 FPS higher than 1440p Low, indicating the GPU has headroom but the CPU cannot push frames faster.

Q: How does the i7-13700K compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i7-13700K has a deltaPct of -0.2 compared to the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, -0.3 to the Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375, +0.5 to the Ryzen 9 7845HX, and +0.5 to the Intel Xeon w3-2535. All deltas are within 0.5 percent, so performance would be nearly identical.

Q: Can this system run the game at 60 FPS on 4K Ultra?

A: Yes, the average FPS at 4K Ultra is 78.1, which is 18.1 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold. The verdictByResolution lists all presets, including Ultra, as playable at 3840x2160.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 1440p?

A: Ultra is the best settings preset at 2560x1440, averaging 107 FPS. This provides the highest visual quality while staying well above the playable threshold.

Q: Are there any min or max FPS values recorded in the data?

A: No, the measured FPS data only includes average FPS values for each resolution and preset. Min and max FPS fields are null in the dataset.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination ranks 59th out of 3714 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the top 1.6 percent of all configurations tested, which is an exceptional result given the large number of possible hardware pairings. The rank reflects the combined strengths of the CPU’s high single-thread performance and the GPU’s massive memory bandwidth and compute power.

The rank of 59 out of 3714 is particularly notable because it suggests that only 58 other combos perform better, likely featuring more extreme CPUs like overclocked flagship models or possibly the RTX 5090 paired with a faster processor. The proximity of the CPU’s nearest rivals—all within 0.5 percent in average benchmark score—indicates that swapping to a Ryzen 9 5900 or Xeon w3-2535 would not meaningfully change this ranking. The GPU’s nearest rivals show larger deltas (up to 1.4 percent), but the RTX 5090’s 32 GB VRAM gives it a practical edge in this specific game that synthetic scores do not fully capture.

The data shows that this combo is near the top of the performance hierarchy for Microsoft Flight Simulator, with only a handful of other systems achieving higher FPS. For users seeking the highest possible fidelity at 4K, this pairing is effectively at the ceiling of what is currently measurable in the benchmark database.