Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a uniquely demanding title, and the data for the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9060 shows a configuration that is heavily constrained by its graphics card. The benchmark results indicate that this combo is positioned for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it delivers playable performance, but it struggles to maintain fluid frame rates at 4K. The measured FPS reveals a system where the GPU is the clear bottleneck, with the CPU having ample headroom to spare.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is the most telling aspect of this combo's behavior in Microsoft Flight Simulator. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 111 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same settings, the average drops to 89 FPS, a decrease of roughly 20%. At 4K Low, the average falls further to 66 FPS, which is a 41% reduction from the 1080p result. This scaling pattern is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where the rendering resolution directly impacts the workload on the graphics card.

The trend is consistent across all settings. For High settings, the averages are 65 FPS at 1080p, 52 FPS at 1440p, and 39 FPS at 4K. This represents a 40% drop from 1080p to 4K, showing that the GPU is the limiting factor. The data strongly indicates that the RX 9060 is the bottleneck in this configuration. The CPU, a 6-core Zen 4 part, is not the primary constraint at higher resolutions, as the frame rate scales inversely with the number of pixels rendered.

The most extreme example is with Ultra settings, where the game demands the most from the graphics hardware. Here, the combo achieves 62 FPS at 1080p, 50 FPS at 1440p, and only 37 FPS at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is below the threshold for smooth gameplay, demonstrating that this resolution and settings combination is not viable for this pairing. The scaling from 1440p to 4K at Ultra is a 26% drop, while the drop from 1080p to 1440p is 19%. This shows that the performance penalty increases as the resolution climbs, further confirming the GPU's role as the primary limiter. The data suggests that for a consistently smooth experience, users should target 1080p or 1440p, as the 4K performance ceiling is too low for this game's demanding flight simulation engine.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested hardware combinations, this pairing sits in the lower half of the rankings. The combo rank for this CPU and GPU in Microsoft Flight Simulator is 1712 out of 2996 tested combos. This places it in the 57th percentile, meaning it outperforms slightly more than half of all tested configurations but trails a significant portion of the field.

This ranking reflects the RX 9060's modest standing in the GPU hierarchy. The graphics card has an average benchmark score of 16014 and ranks in the 59th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which scores 16129 and is 0.7% faster, and the AMD Radeon RX 7700, which scores 15852 and is 1% slower. The RX 9060 is essentially performance-equivalent to the RTX 3060 Ti, a card from a previous generation, which explains why the combo does not rank higher.

The CPU, on the other hand, is a stronger component. The Ryzen 5 7400F has an average benchmark score of 32750 and ranks in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-14600T and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H, both of which are within 0.2% of its score. This indicates that the processor is not holding the system back; rather, the GPU is the component that drags the combo's overall ranking down. The data clearly shows a mismatch in tier, where a high-performing CPU is paired with a mid-range GPU, resulting in a system that is balanced for 1080p gaming but not for higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 is the defining component in this system's gaming performance. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is a key factor in the game's performance, as Microsoft Flight Simulator's detailed textures can be demanding on VRAM. The 8 GB capacity is adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but it likely contributes to the performance drop at 4K, where higher resolution textures require more memory.

The GPU's clock speeds show a significant range, with a base clock of 1700 MHz and a boost clock of 2990 MHz. The game clock is listed at 2400 MHz, which is the expected sustained frequency under load. This boost behavior is typical of modern graphics cards, where the clock dynamically adjusts based on thermal and power headroom. The benchmark results show that the card can push high frame rates at lower resolutions, but the performance falls off quickly as the resolution increases, indicating that the GPU's raw compute power is the limiting factor rather than its memory bandwidth.

The GPU's overall performance is solid for its class, as shown by its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3322 and its Passmark G3D score of 17631. However, it does not have the raw power to handle 4K gaming in a simulation title like this. The data shows that the GPU's performance is consistently the bottleneck, with the CPU not being the limiting factor at any resolution. This is a clear case where upgrading the graphics card would yield significant performance gains, while upgrading the CPU would provide little to no benefit in this specific game.

FAQ

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

A: Based on the measured data, 1080p offers the most consistent performance. At High settings, the average FPS is 65, which is smooth, and at Medium settings it rises to 86 FPS. 1440p is also viable, with High settings averaging 52 FPS, but 4K is not recommended for a consistent experience.

Q: How does the RX 9060 compare to its closest rival?

A: The RX 9060's average benchmark score is 16014, which is 0.7% lower than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti's score of 16129. This makes the two cards effectively performance equivalents, with the RX 9060 being slightly slower in synthetic benchmarks.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 7400F a bottleneck for the RX 9060?

A: No, the benchmark data shows the opposite. The CPU ranks in the 83rd percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 59th percentile. The performance scaling from 1080p to 4K indicates the GPU is the limiting factor, not the CPU.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 69 FPS at 1440p with Medium settings, with a minimum of 59 FPS and a maximum of 80 FPS. This is a playable range for most users.

Q: Does the game perform better with Low or High settings at 4K?

A: Yes, there is a significant difference. At 4K Low, the average FPS is 66, which is playable. At 4K High, the average drops to 39 FPS. The jump from Low to High settings has a substantial impact on performance.

Q: Is this combo ranked high compared to other tested systems?

A: No, it ranks 1712 out of 2996 tested combos, placing it in the lower half of the database. This is primarily due to the GPU's mid-range performance tier.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at the system's performance across a matrix of resolutions and settings. The data was recorded with the game's built-in benchmark and shows average, minimum, and maximum frame rates where available.

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best performance. With Low settings, the average FPS is 111, indicating a very smooth experience. Medium settings yield an average of 86 FPS, with a minimum of 73 and a maximum of 99. High settings produce an average of 65 FPS, which is still playable. Ultra settings are the most demanding, with an average of 62 FPS. This resolution is clearly the sweet spot for this combo.

At 2560x1440, performance drops noticeably. Low settings average 89 FPS, which is excellent. Medium settings average 69 FPS, with a minimum of 59 and a maximum of 80. High settings average 52 FPS, which is on the lower edge of playable. Ultra settings average 50 FPS. The system can handle 1440p, but users will need to be selective with their settings to maintain smooth frame rates.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles. Low settings average 66 FPS, which is playable but not ideal. Medium settings average 51 FPS, with a minimum of 44 and a maximum of 59. High settings average 39 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. Ultra settings average 37 FPS. The data clearly shows that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combination in Microsoft Flight Simulator, as even Low settings push the system to its limits.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F plays a supporting role in this system's performance. It is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. It has 32 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory. This is a capable modern CPU that ranks in the 83rd percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 32750.

In the context of Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU's role is to handle the game's simulation logic, which includes flight physics, weather systems, and AI traffic. The benchmark data suggests that the CPU is more than adequate for this task. The fact that the frame rates drop significantly as the resolution increases, while the CPU's workload remains relatively constant, proves that the CPU is not the bottleneck. The CPU's nearest rivals, the Intel Core i5-14600T and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H, have nearly identical average scores, indicating that this processor is competitive with other mid-range parts.

The CPU's strong single-thread performance, as shown by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3072, is also beneficial for this game, as flight simulators often rely on a few primary threads for core simulation tasks. The data indicates that the Ryzen 5 7400F provides a solid foundation for the RX 9060, ensuring that the GPU is not starved of data. However, the overall system performance is ultimately dictated by the GPU's capabilities. In this pairing, the CPU is the stronger component, and the GPU holds the system back from achieving higher frame rates at 4K. Upgrading the CPU would yield no tangible benefit; upgrading the GPU would unlock the true potential of this processor.