Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a uniquely demanding title that stresses both the CPU and GPU in ways few other games do. The measured performance of the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT shows a system that is capable of high frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but which begins to show its limits at 4K. The data indicates a well-balanced pairing for high-refresh-rate monitors at lower resolutions, shifting to a more GPU-bound scenario as resolution increases.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data reveals a clear and predictable pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the Low preset, the average frame rate drops from 153 FPS at 1080p to 123 FPS at 1440p, representing a 30 FPS or roughly 19.6% decline, and then further to 91 FPS at 4K, another 32 FPS or 26% drop from the 1440p figure. This scaling suggests that at Low settings, the system has enough headroom that neither the CPU nor GPU is completely saturated at 1080p, but the increasing pixel count begins to tax the GPU more heavily.

Moving to the High preset, the scaling is steeper in absolute terms. The average FPS is 90 at 1080p, 72 at 1440p, and 53 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 18 FPS (20%), while the drop from 1440p to 4K is 19 FPS (26.4%). This pattern indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the workload per pixel increases dramatically. The gap between Low and High settings at 4K is 38 FPS, which is smaller than the 63 FPS gap at 1080p, further confirming that resolution scaling has a more significant impact than settings scaling at the highest pixel counts.

The Ultra preset shows the most constrained performance, with 85 FPS at 1080p, 69 FPS at 1440p, and 51 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 18.8% and 26.1% respectively, which closely mirrors the High preset's scaling. This suggests that the relationship between resolution and FPS is consistent regardless of the quality preset, with the 4K resolution consistently imposing a roughly 40-45% penalty compared to 1080p performance. The data points to the RX 6800 XT being the limiting component at 4K, while at 1080p, the Ryzen 5 7500F's six cores and 12 threads are sufficient to feed the GPU adequately.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 2560x1440 with Medium settings?

A: The measured average FPS is 96, with a minimum of 82 FPS and a maximum of 110 FPS, indicating a smooth experience with minimal frame pacing issues.

Q: How does the performance at 3840x2160 Ultra compare to 1920x1080 Ultra?

A: The 4K Ultra average is 51 FPS, which is 34 FPS lower than the 1080p Ultra average of 85 FPS. This represents a 40% reduction in frame rate, highlighting the significant GPU workload increase at 4K.

Q: Is the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F a bottleneck at 1080p?

A: The data shows 153 FPS at 1080p Low and 90 FPS at 1080p High, suggesting that the CPU is not a limiting factor at this resolution. The CPU's 3DMark single-thread score of 974 and multi-thread score of 6379 indicate strong per-core performance.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: The average FPS at 1440p Low is 123, while at 1440p Ultra it is 69. The difference is 54 FPS, showing that settings have a substantial impact on performance at this resolution.

Q: Does the RX 6800 XT's 16 GB of VRAM affect performance in this game?

A: While the VRAM capacity is 16 GB of GDDR6, the measured FPS data does not show any VRAM-related stutters or capacity issues. The memory bandwidth of 512.0 GB/s is sufficient for the game's demands at all tested settings.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: The combo rank is 1156 out of 3714 tested combos, placing it in the top 31.1% of all systems tested for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT plays a critical role in this system's performance, particularly as resolution increases. The GPU features a base clock of 1825 MHz and a boost clock of 2250 MHz, with a game clock of 2015 MHz. These clocks, combined with 4608 shading units and 128 ROPs, deliver a pixel rate of 288.0 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 648.0 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance of 20.74 TFLOPS is substantial, allowing the card to handle the complex rendering of terrain, aircraft, and weather effects.

The 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 512.0 GB/s. This is ample for Microsoft Flight Simulator, which is known for its large texture sets and streaming world data. The data shows that even at 4K Ultra, the system maintains an average of 51 FPS, indicating that the 16 GB VRAM buffer is not being exhausted. The GPU's 72 ray tracing cores are present, though the measured FPS data does not include specific ray tracing benchmarks.

The GPU's performance relative to its peers is noteworthy. Its average benchmark score of 48477 places it in the 85th percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rivals show a tight grouping: the NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile is 1.5% slower, the Intel Arc A550M is 2.5% faster, and both the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti and AMD Radeon RX Vega 64 are 3% faster. This indicates that the RX 6800 XT is positioned in a competitive performance tier, though the measured FPS in this specific game shows it is capable of high frame rates at 1440p and playable rates at 4K.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K demonstrates the GPU's increasing dominance as the bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the 153 FPS average suggests the CPU is keeping pace, but at 4K Ultra, the 51 FPS average is likely GPU-limited, as the pixel throughput required exceeds the card's fill rate capabilities. The data shows that the RX 6800 XT is a strong performer for this game at 1440p, where it delivers over 70 FPS on High settings, making it a suitable choice for high-refresh-rate displays at that resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset averages 153 FPS, providing an exceptionally smooth experience ideal for competitive or fast-paced flight. Medium settings average 119 FPS with a minimum of 101 FPS and maximum of 137 FPS, offering a good balance. High settings average 90 FPS, while Ultra averages 85 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra is only 5 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset does not provide a proportional visual benefit at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, performance remains strong. Low averages 123 FPS, Medium averages 96 FPS with a range of 82 to 110 FPS, High averages 72 FPS, and Ultra averages 69 FPS. The transition from 1080p to 1440p costs about 20% performance at each preset, which is expected given the 77% increase in pixel count. The Medium preset at 1440p provides a compelling 96 FPS average, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the limiting factor. Low averages 91 FPS, which is still very playable. Medium averages 71 FPS with a minimum of 60 FPS, ensuring a consistent experience. High averages 53 FPS, and Ultra averages 51 FPS. The drop from Medium to High is 18 FPS, while the drop from High to Ultra is only 2 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset is heavily GPU-bound at this resolution. The 4K Medium result of 71 FPS is notable, as it provides a smooth experience without requiring the absolute highest settings.

The data shows that the system is capable of 60+ FPS at 4K only on Low and Medium presets. At 1440p, all presets except Ultra exceed 70 FPS, and at 1080p, all presets exceed 85 FPS. This suggests that users with 1440p displays can enjoy High settings with excellent frame rates, while 4K users should consider Medium settings for optimal smoothness.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F and AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT combination ranks 1156 out of 3714 tested combos for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places the system in the 68.9th percentile, meaning it outperforms roughly 69% of all tested configurations. This is a strong ranking, particularly considering the CPU's own percentile of 77 and the GPU's percentile of 85.

The ranking indicates that this combo is well-suited for the game's demands, which are known to be heavy on both single-threaded and multi-threaded CPU performance. The CPU's 3DMark single-thread score of 974 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3218 demonstrate strong per-core capabilities. The multi-threaded performance, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 22799, ensures that the game's background simulation and AI tasks are handled effectively.

Relative to other combos, this pairing sits comfortably in the upper third. The GPU's nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile and Intel Arc A550M, show that the RX 6800 XT is competitive, but the overall combo ranking reflects that the CPU-GPU pairing is well-balanced for this specific title. A higher ranking would likely require a more powerful GPU, as the data shows the system becomes GPU-bound at 4K. The 1156 rank suggests that while the system is not at the top tier, it delivers a very good experience for the majority of users, especially those gaming at 1440p.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For users with a 1920x1080 display, the High preset at 90 FPS provides an excellent balance of visual quality and smoothness. The Ultra preset at 85 FPS offers only a 5 FPS improvement in the opposite direction, meaning High is the sensible choice. For those seeking maximum frame rates, the Low preset at 153 FPS is available, but the visual compromise is significant.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset stands out as the best option. It delivers 96 FPS average with a minimum of 82 FPS, ensuring no drops below 60 FPS. The High preset at 72 FPS is also viable for users who prioritize visual fidelity, but the 24 FPS difference between Medium and High makes Medium the more attractive option for maintaining high refresh rates. The Ultra preset at 69 FPS is only 3 FPS slower than High, so if the visual quality is desired, Ultra is not a significant penalty.

At 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the recommended choice. It averages 71 FPS with a minimum of 60 FPS, providing a consistent and smooth experience. The High preset at 53 FPS and Ultra at 51 FPS fall below the 60 FPS threshold, which may result in noticeable stutter in a game that requires precise control. The Low preset at 91 FPS is an option for maximum smoothness, but Medium offers a much better visual experience for only a 20 FPS cost.

In summary, the data suggests that users should select Medium settings for 4K, Medium or High for 1440p, and High for 1080p. This approach maximizes the balance between visual quality and performance, ensuring a playable frame rate without unnecessary compromises.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F is a six-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Raphael. It features a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU's performance in Microsoft Flight Simulator is critical, as the game is known for its heavy CPU usage during flight, particularly when rendering terrain and simulating weather.

The CPU's benchmark scores indicate strong single-threaded performance, which is essential for this game's main thread. The 3DMark single-thread score of 974 and PassMark single-thread score of 3841 are competitive, while the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3218 shows excellent per-core capability. These scores suggest that the CPU can handle the game's primary simulation loop without becoming a bottleneck at lower resolutions.

The multi-threaded performance is also robust, with a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 22799 and a 3DMark max-threads score of 6379. This allows the CPU to manage secondary tasks such as AI aircraft, ground traffic, and dynamic weather systems. The PassMark multithread score of 26825 further confirms the CPU's ability to handle parallel workloads.

In the context of this game, the data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor at any resolution. At 1080p Low, the 153 FPS average indicates that the CPU can feed the GPU effectively. At 4K Ultra, the 51 FPS average is clearly GPU-limited, as the CPU's performance headroom would allow for higher frame rates if the GPU could render them. The CPU's percentile rank of 77 and its average benchmark score of 24964 place it slightly above the Intel Core i7-11850H (0.1% faster) and the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F (0.2% slower), showing it is a solid mid-range performer.

The 32 MB of shared L3 cache and DDR5 memory support with a bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s contribute to the CPU's responsiveness. The 5 nm process node from TSMC ensures efficient power usage, which is reflected in the 65 W TDP. For Microsoft Flight Simulator, the Ryzen 5 7500F provides sufficient processing power to avoid causing frame rate drops, allowing the RX 6800 XT to perform to its full potential across all tested settings.