Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is notoriously demanding, and the measured data for the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 570 places this configuration in a specific performance envelope. The benchmark results show a system that is primarily constrained by its graphics processor, particularly at higher resolutions. The combination ranks at 2870 out of 2996 tested combos in this game, placing it in the lower percentile of systems, yet the data reveals distinct scaling behaviors that inform which settings are viable for playable frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The measured frame rates demonstrate a steep performance drop as resolution increases, a classic sign of GPU limitation. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 48 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same Low settings reduces the average to 39 FPS, a roughly 19% decrease. Pushing further to 4K at Low settings yields an average of 29 FPS, another 26% drop from the 1440p figure. This consistent decline indicates that the rendering workload is scaling heavily with pixel count, which taxes the RX 570's fixed resources.

The trend becomes even more pronounced at higher quality presets. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 28 FPS at 1080p to 23 FPS at 1440p, and then to 17 FPS at 4K. This shows that not only does resolution increase the load, but combining it with more complex visual effects amplifies the demand on the GPU. The gap between Low and High settings at 4K is 12 FPS (29 vs. 17), while at 1080p it is 20 FPS (48 vs. 28). This suggests that at 4K, the GPU is so saturated that the additional settings overhead has diminishing absolute returns, though the relative penalty remains severe.

The data indicates that the limiting component is unambiguously the graphics card. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Zen 4 architecture, is capable of feeding the GPU at lower resolutions, but the RX 570's 4 GB of VRAM and its GCN 4.0 architecture become the bottleneck as the pixel throughput demands increase. The scaling pattern from 1080p to 4K is not linear but shows a compounding effect, meaning that users targeting 4K will find this combo unsuitable for anything beyond the Low preset, and even then, the 29 FPS average is below the threshold for smooth simulation gameplay.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 570 is the central performance limiter in this configuration. Its specifications include a base clock of 1168 MHz and a boost clock of 1244 MHz, with 2048 shading units and 32 ROPs. The memory subsystem consists of 4 GB of GDDR5 on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. In the context of Microsoft Flight Simulator, which streams vast amounts of terrain and scenery data, the 4 GB VRAM capacity is a critical constraint. At 4K resolution with Medium settings, the average FPS is 22, with a minimum of 19 and a maximum of 26, indicating that the GPU is likely hitting memory capacity limits and experiencing stutter.

The GPU's benchmark percentile is 74, placing it above average compared to all GPUs, but its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 470 and the AMD Radeon R9 M295X. The RX 570's average benchmark score is 28766, which is 0.8% lower than the RX 470 but 0.7% higher than the R9 M295X. This proximity in performance explains why the measured FPS numbers are relatively low for a modern flight simulator. The GPU's FP32 performance is 5.095 TFLOPS, which is modest for rendering complex scenes with dynamic lighting and high-resolution textures.

The clock speeds, while not extremely high, are less relevant than the memory bandwidth and capacity in this scenario. The data shows that at 1080p, the GPU can push frame rates up to 48 FPS at Low settings, but this is an exception rather than the rule. The 4K Ultra preset yields just 16 FPS, which is effectively unplayable. The GPU's role here is that of a bottleneck; it caps the system's performance ceiling, and the CPU's potential is not fully utilized at higher resolutions. The measured FPS at 1440p High (23 FPS) and 4K High (17 FPS) confirms that the RX 570 cannot sustain fluid frame rates when the render scale increases beyond 1080p with moderate quality settings.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F provides a strong foundation for this system, but its performance is largely masked by the GPU in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This processor features 6 cores and 12 threads, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. It is built on the TSMC 5 nm process and uses the Zen 4 architecture, which delivers strong single-thread performance critical for simulation logic. Its Cinebench R23 multi-core score is 21765, and its single-core score is 3072, indicating robust processing capabilities.

The CPU's percentile vs all CPUs is 83, meaning it outperforms 83% of all processors in the database. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-14600T (0.1% faster), the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H (0.2% slower), and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 (0.3% faster). This places the 7400F in a highly competitive tier for mid-range desktop processors. The L3 cache is 32 MB shared, which helps with game logic and asset streaming, but the bottleneck remains the GPU.

In the measured data, the CPU's influence is most apparent at 1080p Low, where the 48 FPS average suggests the system is less constrained by the GPU. However, even at this resolution, the frame rate is not exceptionally high, indicating that the RX 570 is still the primary limiter. The CPU has a TDP of 65 watts and supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus, providing a theoretical bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s. This memory bandwidth is ample for feeding the CPU's cores, but the GPU's 224.0 GB/s bandwidth is not enough to handle the game's demands at higher resolutions.

The data suggests that if the GPU were upgraded, the CPU would be able to support significantly higher frame rates, given its strong benchmark scores. However, with the current RX 570, the CPU's high single-thread performance does not translate into playable frame rates at 4K. The system is balanced in the sense that neither component is severely underpowered for the other, but the GPU's age and VRAM limitation hold the entire system back in this specific title.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and AMD Radeon RX 570 ranks 2870 out of 2996 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the bottom 5% of all systems tested, which is a stark indicator of its performance limitations in this game. The rank is a composite measure that reflects the system's ability to run the game at various settings and resolutions, and the data shows that it struggles to maintain playable frame rates in most scenarios.

The low ranking is primarily due to the GPU's age and specifications. While the CPU is a modern, high-performance part, the RX 570's 4 GB VRAM and GCN 4.0 architecture are not well-suited to a game that is known for its massive texture streaming and complex rendering pipeline. The combo's performance is consistent with the GPU's nearest rivals, such as the RX 470 and R9 M295X, but the CPU's high percentile (83) does not boost the overall ranking because the GPU is the limiting factor.

When compared to other tested combos, this system is likely to be near the bottom for any modern flight simulator, but the data shows that it can still achieve acceptable performance at 1080p with lower settings. The rank of 2870 suggests that users with this hardware should not expect to run the game at high or ultra settings, especially at resolutions above 1080p. The combo's ranking is a clear warning that this configuration is entry-level for this game, and the measured FPS data supports that conclusion.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed picture of the system's capabilities across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system achieves its best results. With Low settings, the average FPS is 48, which is the highest recorded for this combo. Medium settings yield an average of 38 FPS, with a minimum of 32 and a maximum of 43. High settings drop to an average of 28 FPS, and Ultra settings average 27 FPS. This indicates that at 1080p, the system can handle Medium settings for a playable experience, but High and Ultra are borderline.

At 2560x1440, the performance degrades noticeably. Low settings average 39 FPS, which is playable but not smooth. Medium settings average 30 FPS, with a minimum of 26 and a maximum of 35. High settings average 23 FPS, and Ultra settings average 22 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is substantial, with the Medium preset losing 8 FPS on average. This resolution is only viable for Low or Medium settings, and even then, the frame rates are not ideal for a simulation that benefits from smooth camera movements.

At 3840x2160, the system is severely challenged. Low settings average 29 FPS, which is below the playable threshold for most users. Medium settings average 22 FPS, with a minimum of 19 and a maximum of 26. High settings average 17 FPS, and Ultra settings average 16 FPS. The 4K data shows that the system is not capable of providing a smooth experience at any quality level, and the minimum FPS values suggest that stuttering will be frequent. The 4K Ultra preset's 16 FPS average is essentially a slideshow, and even the Low preset at 29 FPS is likely to be frustrating.

The data also reveals that the difference between High and Ultra settings is minimal at all resolutions. At 1080p, the difference is 1 FPS (28 vs. 27), at 1440p it is also 1 FPS (23 vs. 22), and at 4K it is 1 FPS (17 vs. 16). This suggests that the Ultra preset adds visual complexity without a significant additional performance cost, but the base performance is already too low for these presets to be useful.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Microsoft Flight Simulator with this combo?

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 is the only resolution that offers playable frame rates. At 1080p with Low settings, the average FPS is 48, and with Medium settings it is 38 FPS. Resolutions above 1080p result in average frame rates below 40 FPS, which is not ideal for a flight simulator.

Q: Can this system handle 4K resolution in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: The data indicates that 4K is not viable. The best result at 3840x2160 is 29 FPS on Low settings, which is below the generally accepted threshold for smooth gameplay. At higher settings, the average FPS drops to 22 or lower, making the game unplayable.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F has an average benchmark score of 32750. It is 0.1% slower than the Intel Core i5-14600T and 0.2% faster than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H. It is 0.3% slower than the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360. These differences are negligible in real-world performance.

Q: What is the GPU's performance percentile?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 570 has a percentile of 74, meaning it outperforms 74% of all GPUs in the database. However, its average benchmark score is 28766, which is slightly lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6800M (by 0.4%) and the AMD Radeon RX 470 (by 0.8%).

Q: Is there a significant difference between High and Ultra settings?

A: The measured FPS data shows that the difference between High and Ultra settings is minimal. At 1080p, the average FPS is 28 for High and 27 for Ultra. At 1440p, it is 23 for High and 22 for Ultra. At 4K, it is 17 for High and 16 for Ultra. The performance cost is about 1 FPS, but neither preset offers playable performance at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the system's overall rank among tested combos?

A: This combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and AMD Radeon RX 570 ranks 2870 out of 2996 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the bottom 5% of systems, reflecting its limitations in this demanding title.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance for the optimal settings experience. For users who prioritize playability, the 1080p resolution with Medium settings is the best balance of performance and visual quality. At this configuration, the system averages 38 FPS, with a minimum of 32 FPS and a maximum of 43 FPS. This is the only preset combination that consistently stays above 30 FPS while maintaining a respectable visual presentation. The Low preset at 1080p offers a higher average of 48 FPS, but the visual fidelity is significantly reduced, which can detract from the immersive experience of a flight simulator.

For users who are willing to accept lower frame rates for better visuals, the 1080p High preset at 28 FPS is the highest quality setting that remains marginally playable. However, the data shows that the Ultra preset at 1080p only averages 27 FPS, which offers no tangible benefit over High for a 1 FPS loss. Therefore, the High preset is recommended over Ultra for those who want the best visuals without the extra performance cost.

At 1440p, the Medium preset at 30 FPS is the only option that approaches playability, but the minimum FPS of 26 may cause noticeable stutters. The Low preset at 39 FPS is more stable but sacrifices too much detail for a simulator that relies on visual cues for navigation. For this reason, 1440p is not recommended unless users are willing to accept a compromised experience. The 4K resolution is not recommended under any settings, as even the Low preset at 29 FPS is below the threshold for a smooth simulation experience. The data supports a clear conclusion: 1080p Medium is the sweet spot for this hardware combination.