Microsoft Flight Simulator

The Intel Core i7-14700F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination ranks 25th out of 3,714 tested system configurations in Microsoft Flight Simulator, placing it in the top 1% of all recorded hardware pairings. This is a system built for maximum fidelity, and the benchmark data confirms it delivers exceptionally high frame rates across all tested resolutions and presets. The following analysis breaks down the measured performance, compares the hardware to its nearest rivals, and provides clear guidance on the best settings for a smooth experience.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU and GPU in this system each have direct competitors that would produce nearly identical benchmark scores. For the processor, the Intel Core i7-14700F achieves an average benchmark score of 53,620, placing it in the 91st percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival is the Intel Xeon 6505P, which scores 53,701 — a mere 0.2% difference, meaning the two would be functionally indistinguishable in gaming workloads. The AMD Ryzen 9 7900X comes in at 53,288, just 0.6% slower, while the AMD EPYC 7313P trails by 0.8% with a score of 53,206. The Intel Xeon Phi 7290 rounds out the group at 53,469, sitting 0.3% ahead of the i7-14700F. In practice, swapping the i7-14700F for any of these chips would yield virtually identical frame rates in Microsoft Flight Simulator, as the game's performance at the tested settings is heavily influenced by the GPU.

On the graphics side, the RTX 5090 D posts an average benchmark score of 77,712, ranking in the 92nd percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rival is the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT with a score of 76,904 — just 1.1% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78,940, which is 1.6% higher, while the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB and 16 GB variants score 79,396 and 79,605 respectively, representing 2.1% and 2.4% advantages. This tight cluster means that a system built with any of these GPUs would produce nearly identical FPS numbers in this flight simulator. The RTX 5090 D's position within this group is notable: it sits between two mobile Radeon parts and two datacenter Tesla cards, which suggests that for this specific game, the raw compute capabilities that distinguish these cards in synthetic benchmarks do not translate into meaningful differences in frame rates.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data reveals a clear pattern about which component drives performance in Microsoft Flight Simulator at different resolutions. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 225 FPS on Low settings, 198 FPS on Medium, 149 FPS on High, and 142 FPS on Ultra. Moving to 2560x1440, those numbers drop to 205, 159, 120, and 114 respectively. At 3840x2160, the frame rates fall further to 151, 118, 88, and 84. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows an average reduction of about 20-30 FPS across settings, and the jump to 4K costs another 30-40 FPS. This consistent degradation as resolution increases points to the GPU being the primary bottleneck at higher pixel counts.

However, the gap between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution tells a different story. At 1080p, the difference between Low (225 FPS) and Ultra (142 FPS) is 83 FPS, a 37% reduction. At 1440p, the spread is 91 FPS (205 to 114), and at 4K, it narrows to 67 FPS (151 to 84). The fact that even at 1080p with Low settings the frame rate cannot exceed 225 FPS suggests the CPU is imposing a ceiling on performance. A GPU with more headroom would likely push higher at Low settings if the processor could keep up. The i7-14700F, with its 20 cores and 28 threads, is clearly sufficient, but the data indicates that at lower resolutions and settings, the CPU becomes the limiting factor. At 4K Ultra, the GPU is fully saturated, and the RTX 5090 D's 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth are what enable the 84 FPS result.

FAQ

Q: Can this system achieve 60 FPS at 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes. The measured average frame rate at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 84 FPS, which is 40% above the 60 FPS playability threshold. The system clears this bar at every resolution and preset combination tested.

Q: What is the best resolution for maximum frame rate?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system produces 225 FPS average, which is the highest measured result. Even at 1080p Ultra, the average stays at 142 FPS, providing a smooth experience for high-refresh-rate monitors.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 D compare to its nearest GPU rival?

A: The RTX 5090 D scores 77,712 in average benchmarks, which is 1.1% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76,904) but 1.6% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78,940). The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB is 2.4% faster with a score of 79,605.

Q: Does the CPU bottleneck the GPU at any resolution?

A: The evidence suggests some CPU limitation at 1080p Low, where the frame rate caps at 225 FPS. At higher resolutions and settings, the GPU takes over as the primary performance driver, as evidenced by the consistent frame rate drops when moving from 1080p to 1440p to 4K.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this system?

A: The only minimum FPS values provided are for Medium settings: 168 FPS at 1920x1080, 136 FPS at 2560x1440, and 100 FPS at 3840x2160. All other presets report average FPS only, with no min or max figures.

Q: Is the i7-14700F a strong performer relative to other CPUs?

A: The i7-14700F ranks in the 91st percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 53,620. Its nearest rival, the Intel Xeon 6505P, is only 0.2% faster, meaning the i7-14700F sits at the top tier of consumer processors.

The Verdict

This PC is unequivocally capable of running Microsoft Flight Simulator at excellent frame rates. The verdict by resolution confirms that every single preset — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — clears the 60 FPS threshold at all three tested resolutions. At 1920x1080, the best settings are Ultra with an average of 142 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra also delivers the best experience at 114 FPS. At 3840x2160, the system still achieves 84 FPS on Ultra, which is the highest quality preset available. The lowest measured average frame rate across the entire test matrix is 84 FPS (4K Ultra), which is still 40% above the playability threshold. This means users can max out every graphical setting at any resolution without worrying about dropping below 60 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured results is as follows. At 3840x2160, the system delivers 151 FPS on Low, 118 FPS on Medium (with a minimum of 100 and maximum of 135), 88 FPS on High, and 84 FPS on Ultra. At 2560x1440, frame rates rise to 205 FPS on Low, 159 FPS on Medium (min 136, max 183), 120 FPS on High, and 114 FPS on Ultra. At 1920x1080, the numbers reach 225 FPS on Low, 198 FPS on Medium (min 168, max 227), 149 FPS on High, and 142 FPS on Ultra. The data shows a consistent pattern: each step up in resolution costs roughly 30-40 FPS on average, while each step up in preset costs a similar amount. The Medium preset is the only one with reported minimum and maximum values, providing a window into frame time consistency — the 4K Medium minimum of 100 FPS is still well above the 60 FPS threshold, and the 1080p Medium maximum of 227 FPS approaches the CPU-imposed ceiling seen at Low settings.

Best Settings per Resolution

For users prioritizing maximum visual quality while maintaining at least 60 FPS, the optimal configuration at each resolution is Ultra settings. At 1920x1080, Ultra delivers 142 FPS average, providing a substantial buffer above the threshold and enabling smooth gameplay on high-refresh-rate displays. At 2560x1440, Ultra maintains 114 FPS, which is still comfortably above 60 FPS and leaves headroom for demanding scenes like dense city flyovers or stormy weather. At 3840x2160, Ultra produces 84 FPS, which is exactly 40% above the 60 FPS minimum — this is the most demanding scenario tested, and the system still performs admirably. The consistency of the Ultra preset across all resolutions makes it the clear recommendation: there is no scenario where a lower preset is necessary to achieve playable frame rates. The RTX 5090 D's 32 GB of VRAM and the i7-14700F's 20 cores ensure that even the most complex flight scenarios, with detailed terrain and complex aircraft models, will not cause the frame rate to dip below the playability threshold.