Microsoft Flight Simulator

# Microsoft Flight Simulator: AMD Ryzen 5 7400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 produces a striking result in Microsoft Flight Simulator: this combo ranks 104th out of 2,996 tested configurations, placing it in the top 3.5% of all systems. The data reveals a system capable of delivering 130 FPS at 1080p Ultra settings, yet the frame rate scaling across resolutions tells a story about where the bottleneck truly lies in this flight simulator.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS breakdown shows a clear and consistent pattern as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 194 FPS, which drops to 181 FPS at 1440p Low, and further to 138 FPS at 4K Low. This represents a 28.9% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a 23.8% drop from 1440p to 4K. For a flight simulator, these are relatively modest penalties, suggesting the CPU is doing substantial work even at lower resolutions.

Moving to High settings, the scaling becomes more dramatic. The system delivers 136 FPS at 1080p, 110 FPS at 1440p (a 19.1% drop), and 81 FPS at 4K (a 26.4% drop from 1440p). The 4K High result of 81 FPS versus the 1080p High result of 136 FPS represents a 40.4% overall reduction. This indicates that as settings increase, the GPU begins to take on more of the workload, but the CPU still maintains a significant presence.

The Medium preset tells a similar story with slightly different numbers. At 1080p Medium, the system hits 177 FPS with a minimum of 151 and maximum of 204. At 1440p Medium, it drops to 146 FPS (min 124, max 168), and at 4K Medium, it reaches 108 FPS (min 92, max 124). The 4K Medium result is particularly interesting because it shows the frame time consistency degrading — the gap between min and max FPS widens from 53 FPS at 1080p to 32 FPS at 4K, suggesting less stable frame pacing at higher resolutions.

Ultra settings produce the most predictable scaling pattern. The system delivers 130 FPS at 1080p, 105 FPS at 1440p (a 19.2% drop), and 77 FPS at 4K (a 26.7% drop from 1440p). These percentages are nearly identical to those seen in High settings, which suggests that once the graphical load reaches a certain threshold, the resolution scaling behavior becomes consistent regardless of preset.

The data implies that at 4K, regardless of preset, the system loses roughly 25-27% performance compared to 1440p. This is a relatively shallow decline for such a significant pixel increase, indicating that the RTX 4090's massive memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s and 24 GB of VRAM are absorbing the resolution increase without causing a catastrophic bottleneck.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7400F brings 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Zen 4 Raphael architecture, manufactured on a 5 nm process by TSMC. Its base clock of 3.70 GHz boosts up to 4.70 GHz, and it carries 32 MB of shared L3 cache. In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU scores 21,765 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 3,072 in single-core, with a PassMark single-thread score of 3,689.

The CPU's percentile rank of 83 among all CPUs places it above average, though its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-14600T at 32,707 average score (0.1% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H at 32,812 (-0.2% delta). These are all closely matched processors, with the Ryzen 5 7400F's average benchmark score of 32,750 sitting right in the middle of this pack.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU's influence is most visible at 1080p Low settings, where the system reaches 194 FPS. This high frame rate at low graphical demand suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU with sufficient draw calls and physics calculations. The 6-core, 12-thread configuration appears well-suited to the game's threading model, as the 1080p Low result is only 13.4% higher than the 1080p Medium result of 177 FPS, indicating that the CPU isn't the limiting factor even when settings are increased.

The boost clock of 4.70 GHz is likely contributing to the strong single-threaded performance, which matters in flight simulators that often have a primary simulation thread. The PassMark physics score of 1,660 and floating-point math score of 45,799 suggest the CPU can handle the aerodynamic calculations and environmental physics without becoming a bottleneck.

However, the CPU's 65 W TDP and 83.2 GB/s memory bandwidth might be worth noting. The dual-channel DDR5 memory bus provides adequate bandwidth for the CPU's needs, but the 32 MB L3 cache is shared across all cores, which could create contention in heavily multithreaded scenarios. The data shows that even at 4K Ultra, the system maintains 77 FPS, which indicates the CPU is still keeping up with the GPU's demands even when the GPU is heavily loaded.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is an absolute monster of a graphics card. Built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD102 chip, it contains 16,384 shading units, 512 texture mapping units, and 176 ROPs. Its boost clock reaches 2,520 MHz, and it features 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, providing 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. The GPU's FP32 performance is rated at 82.58 TFLOPS.

In benchmark terms, the RTX 4090 scores 38,194 in PassMark G3D and 92,232 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Its percentile rank of 88 among all GPUs places it in the upper echelon, though its nearest rivals are surprisingly modest: the Intel Arc Pro A60 at 60,326 average score (0% delta) and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 at 60,140 (0.3% delta). This suggests that the RTX 4090's average benchmark score of 60,347 is in a cluster with professional workstation GPUs, though the 4090's gaming-specific capabilities are far more extensive.

The GPU's role in Microsoft Flight Simulator becomes increasingly important as resolution and settings rise. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 194 FPS, but the GPU is likely not working at full capacity — the CPU is the primary driver at these settings. As resolution increases to 4K, the GPU's workload multiplies, and the RTX 4090's 24 GB VRAM buffer ensures that texture data for complex scenery never needs to be swapped out.

The 4K Ultra result of 77 FPS is particularly telling. This is a demanding scenario with maximum graphical fidelity, and the RTX 4090 manages to keep the frame rate above 60 FPS. The GPU's 1,290.2 GTexel/s texture rate and 443.5 GPixel/s pixel rate are clearly sufficient for the game's needs, even at 4K resolution with all settings maxed.

Interestingly, the RTX 4090's nearest rivals in the benchmark database are not other high-end gaming GPUs but rather workstation cards like the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (61,896 average score, -2.5% delta) and AMD Radeon PRO V710 (58,657, 2.9% delta). This reflects the GPU's versatility, though in gaming scenarios like Microsoft Flight Simulator, the 4090's raw gaming performance is what drives those 77-194 FPS results.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 5 7400F and RTX 4090 achieves a combo rank of 104 out of 2,996 tested configurations in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places the system in the top 3.5% of all combinations, which is an impressive result given that the CPU is a mid-range 6-core processor paired with a top-tier GPU.

The rank suggests that the RTX 4090 is the dominant contributor to this system's performance, as the CPU's rank of 83rd percentile among all CPUs is lower than the GPU's 88th percentile. The combo rank of 104 out of 2,996 indicates that there are 103 configurations that perform better, likely featuring higher-end CPUs like Ryzen 9 or Core i9 processors paired with the same or similar GPUs.

The delta between the CPU and GPU percentiles (83 vs. 88) suggests a slight imbalance, but the measured FPS data shows this imbalance doesn't cause significant issues. At 1080p Low, the system hits 194 FPS, which is close to what a stronger CPU might achieve. At 4K Ultra, the 77 FPS result is more dependent on the GPU, and the CPU's influence diminishes.

The combo's ranking is also interesting when compared to the CPU's nearest rivals. The Intel Core i5-14600T, which has nearly identical average benchmark scores (32,707 vs. 32,750), would likely produce similar results in this game when paired with the RTX 4090. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H, with a slightly higher average score of 32,812, might perform marginally better, but the 0.2% delta is within noise.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this system depend on the target frame rate and resolution. For 1080p gaming, all presets deliver excellent results, with even Ultra settings hitting 130 FPS. The Medium preset at 1080p shows the most consistent frame times, with a minimum of 151 FPS and maximum of 204 FPS, making it a strong choice for competitive or fast-paced flying.

At 1440p, the High preset delivers 110 FPS, which is smooth for a flight simulator. The Ultra preset at 105 FPS is nearly as good, and the difference between High and Ultra (110 vs. 105 FPS) is only 4.5%, suggesting that Ultra is worth enabling for the visual quality gain. The Medium preset at 146 FPS is the best choice if frame rate is the priority, though the min FPS of 124 shows some variability.

For 4K, the situation becomes more nuanced. The Ultra preset achieves 77 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay but leaves little headroom. The High preset at 81 FPS is slightly better, and the Medium preset at 108 FPS provides the best balance of visual quality and performance. The Low preset at 138 FPS is the only option that guarantees a consistently high frame rate at 4K, but it sacrifices significant visual fidelity.

The data suggests that for the best overall experience, the Medium preset at 4K is the sweet spot. It delivers 108 FPS average with a minimum of 92 FPS, ensuring smooth performance even during complex scenes with dense scenery or weather effects. At 1440p, the Ultra preset at 105 FPS is recommended for those who prioritize visual quality, while the Medium preset at 146 FPS is better for maximum smoothness.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1440p Ultra achieves 105 FPS, while 4K Medium achieves 108 FPS. Both are excellent, but 1440p Ultra provides higher visual fidelity with similar frame rates. 4K Ultra drops to 77 FPS, which is still playable but compromises smoothness.

Q: Does this system bottleneck at any resolution?

A: At 1080p Low, the system reaches 194 FPS, indicating the CPU is likely the limiting factor at low graphical settings. At 4K Ultra, the 77 FPS result suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck. The system is well-balanced at 1440p and 4K Medium settings.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 7400F compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 7400F has an average benchmark score of 32,750, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i5-14600T (32,707) and 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H (32,697). It is 0.2% lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 6850H (32,812).

Q: What is the frame rate difference between High and Ultra settings at 4K?

A: At 4K, the High preset achieves 81 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves 77 FPS. This is a difference of 4 FPS or approximately 4.9%, making Ultra a worthwhile upgrade for the visual improvements.

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

A: Yes, the measured 4K Ultra result is 77 FPS average, which is 17 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold. This provides sufficient headroom for most scenarios, though the minimum FPS was not measured for this preset.

Q: How does the RTX 4090's performance compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 4090 has an average benchmark score of 60,347, which is essentially tied with the Intel Arc Pro A60 (60,326, 0% delta) and the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (60,140, 0.3% delta). It outperforms the AMD Radeon PRO V710 (58,657) by 2.9%.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS data for Microsoft Flight Simulator with the AMD Ryzen 5 7400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is as follows:

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers 194 FPS average. The Medium preset achieves 177 FPS average with a minimum of 151 FPS and maximum of 204 FPS. The High preset reaches 136 FPS, and the Ultra preset hits 130 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset delivers 181 FPS average. The Medium preset achieves 146 FPS average with a minimum of 124 FPS and maximum of 168 FPS. The High preset reaches 110 FPS, and the Ultra preset hits 105 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the Low preset delivers 138 FPS average. The Medium preset achieves 108 FPS average with a minimum of 92 FPS and maximum of 124 FPS. The High preset reaches 81 FPS, and the Ultra preset hits 77 FPS.

The data shows a consistent pattern where the Medium preset is the only one with measured minimum and maximum FPS values, providing insight into frame time consistency. The gap between minimum and maximum FPS narrows as resolution increases, from 53 FPS at 1080p to 32 FPS at 4K, indicating more stable frame delivery at higher resolutions.