Microsoft Flight Simulator

The Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 combination delivers exceptional performance in Microsoft Flight Simulator, ranking 40th out of 3,714 tested combos. This places it in the top 1.1% of all systems tested for this title. The data shows this pairing handles even the most demanding 4K Ultra settings with ease, maintaining an average of 77.4 FPS. For a simulation game known for its heavy CPU and GPU demands, this combo provides a substantial performance buffer at every resolution tested.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. The measured data shows an average of 77.4 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, which is well above the 60 FPS playable threshold. All four tested settings presets (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) at 4K maintain averages above 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 compare to its nearest GPU rivals in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 5090 has an average benchmark score of 79,842. It is 0.3% ahead of the NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB (79,605), 0.6% ahead of the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB (79,396), and 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT (78,940). The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 1.4% higher at 80,959.

Q: What is the CPU performance tier of the Core i7-14700K?

A: The i7-14700K sits at the 94th percentile among all CPUs tested. Its average benchmark score of 69,355 places it within 0.2% of the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X (69,515) and 0.7% of the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX (69,875). The AMD EPYC 9115 scores 0.1% lower at 69,288.

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

A: The data shows Ultra settings at 2560x1440 deliver an average of 110 FPS, which is the highest preset tested while staying well above 60 FPS. Even the most demanding preset at this resolution provides a comfortable margin over the playable threshold.

Q: How much performance headroom does this combo have at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, even the most demanding Ultra preset averages 133.8 FPS. Lower presets push much higher: Medium averages 189.6 FPS, High averages 143.4 FPS, and Low reaches 236.4 FPS. This system is clearly not GPU-bound at 1080p.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile ranking?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 ranks in the 92nd percentile among all GPUs tested. Its average benchmark score of 79,842 is derived from tests including 3DMark Steel Nomad (18,355), Geekbench OpenCL (334,370), and PassMark G3D (39,650).

How This Combo Ranks

The Core i7-14700K and RTX 5090 combination achieves a rank of 40 out of 3,714 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This top-1.1% placement is remarkable for a flight simulator, a genre that typically stresses both CPU and GPU heavily. The measured FPS data confirms this ranking is not just about raw hardware potential but reflects real-world performance in this specific title.

Looking at the resolution scaling, the combo shows impressive consistency. At 1920x1080, the average FPS across all four presets ranges from 133.8 to 236.4. Moving to 2560x1440, the range shifts to 110 to 191.4. At 3840x2160, the range narrows to 77.4 to 141.4. The performance drop from 1080p Ultra to 4K Ultra is 42.2% (from 133.8 to 77.4 FPS), which is a manageable penalty for the resolution increase.

The rank of 40 indicates that only 39 other CPU-GPU combinations tested faster in this game. Given the RTX 5090's 92nd percentile GPU ranking and the i7-14700K's 94th percentile CPU ranking, this result aligns with expectations for top-tier components. The data shows this combo comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold at every resolution and settings preset tested, making it one of the most capable configurations available for this simulation.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest CPU rivals to the Core i7-14700K provide insight into what other processors would deliver similar frame rates. The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X scores 0.2% higher on average, the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HX scores 0.7% higher, and the AMD Ryzen 7 9700F scores 0.9% higher. The AMD EPYC 9115 scores 0.1% lower. These differences are minor enough that users with any of these CPUs paired with an RTX 5090 would see nearly identical performance in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

On the GPU side, the RTX 5090's nearest rivals show that the performance tier is quite exclusive. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 PCIe 16 GB scores 0.3% lower, while the Tesla P100 PCIe 12 GB scores 0.6% lower. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 1.1% lower, and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 64X scores 1.4% higher. It is worth remembering the Tesla P100 and Radeon Pro cards are professional/workstation parts, not typical gaming GPUs. For gaming purposes, the RX 6850M XT is the closest consumer-oriented alternative, though it is a laptop part.

For builders considering alternatives, the practical takeaway is that the CPU choice among the top rivals matters little for this game. The i7-14700K, Ryzen 9 7950X, and Ryzen 7 9700F all sit within 0.9% of each other in average benchmark scores. The GPU side has fewer direct equivalents, meaning the RTX 5090's performance tier is largely uncontested among consumer parts tested in this database.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Microsoft Flight Simulator at high frame rates. The verdict data shows all resolutions and settings presets tested clear the 60 FPS threshold. At 1920x1080, the most demanding Ultra preset averages 133.8 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra averages 110 FPS. At 3840x2160, Ultra averages 77.4 FPS. Even the heaviest load tested—4K Ultra—maintains a solid 17.4 FPS margin above the playable threshold.

The best settings per resolution are as follows: at 1080p, Ultra is fully playable at 133.8 FPS; at 1440p, Ultra delivers 110 FPS; at 4K, Ultra still manages 77.4 FPS. This means users can max out the graphics settings at any resolution without worrying about dropping below 60 FPS. The data does not include any settings preset that fails to meet the playable threshold, which is unusual for a demanding flight simulator.

For users with high-refresh-rate monitors, the 1080p results are particularly strong. The Low preset at 236.4 FPS and Medium at 189.6 FPS would satisfy even 240Hz displays. At 1440p, the Low preset's 191.4 FPS and Medium's 151.3 FPS also provide excellent headroom. The 4K results are more modest but still comfortably above 60 FPS across all presets, with Low at 141.4 FPS and High at 83.5 FPS.

CPU and GPU Roles

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the balance between CPU and GPU shifts with resolution and settings. At 1920x1080, the data reveals minimal scaling between presets, suggesting the CPU plays a significant role. The difference between Low (236.4 FPS) and Ultra (133.8 FPS) at 1080p is 102.6 FPS, but even at Low settings, the frame rate caps well below what the RTX 5090 could theoretically produce in lighter titles. This indicates CPU limitation at lower resolutions.

As resolution increases to 2560x1440, the GPU begins to assert more influence. The Low preset drops to 191.4 FPS (down 45 FPS from 1080p), while Ultra drops to 110 FPS (down 23.8 FPS). The proportional gap between Low and Ultra narrows slightly, showing that the GPU is becoming a larger factor. At 3840x2160, the trend continues: Low falls to 141.4 FPS (down 50 FPS from 1440p), and Ultra falls to 77.4 FPS (down 32.6 FPS).

The scaling between resolutions tells a clear story. At 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS across all presets drops by roughly 20-25%. From 1440p to 4K, the drop is steeper at 30-35%. This pattern confirms that the RTX 5090 is the primary driver of performance at 4K, while the i7-14700K's strong single-thread and multi-thread capabilities keep frame rates high at lower resolutions. The i7-14700K's 20 cores and 28 threads, along with its 94th percentile CPU ranking, provide ample headroom for flight simulation's complex physics and scenery processing.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that maintains 60 FPS is Ultra, which averages 133.8 FPS. This provides 73.8 FPS of headroom above the playable threshold. Given the substantial margin, users could even consider this resolution for very high refresh rate displays, as the Low preset hits 236.4 FPS.

At 2560x1440, Ultra is also the best playable setting, averaging 110 FPS. The 50 FPS margin over the 60 FPS threshold means there is significant room for demanding scenery or weather conditions that might cause frame rate dips. The High preset at 112.5 FPS and Medium at 151.3 FPS offer alternative choices for users who prefer higher frame rates over maximum visual fidelity.

At 3840x2160, Ultra remains the best setting, averaging 77.4 FPS. This is 17.4 FPS above the playable threshold, which is adequate but less comfortable than lower resolutions. Users who want more buffer at 4K could choose High settings at 83.5 FPS or Medium at 108.5 FPS. The Low preset at 141.4 FPS shows that even with minimal settings, this combo delivers excellent 4K performance that would suit high-refresh-rate 4K monitors.

The data consistently shows that this CPU-GPU combination is powerful enough to run Microsoft Flight Simulator at maximum settings across all standard resolutions. The weakest performance point—4K Ultra at 77.4 FPS—still clears the 60 FPS threshold with room to spare. For a flight simulator where frame rate consistency matters for smooth camera panning and instrument reading, this combo provides excellent performance without requiring compromise on visual quality.