Microsoft Flight Simulator

# Microsoft Flight Simulator with AMD Ryzen 5 7500F + AMD Radeon RX 9060

This combo ranks 1712th out of 2996 tested combinations in Microsoft Flight Simulator, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database. The ranking reflects a pairing that can handle the simulator at playable levels across most settings, but it sits behind a significant portion of the field, meaning users should temper expectations for maxed-out visuals at high resolutions. The data shows a system that is clearly capable of running the game, yet it demands careful settings management to achieve smooth performance.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1712 out of 2996 tested combinations places it in the 57th percentile of all tested systems, indicating that roughly 43% of tested combos perform better in this specific title. This is a mid-pack result for a flight simulator that is notoriously demanding on both CPU and GPU resources. The ranking suggests that while this pairing is far from the bottom, it is not optimized for the absolute highest fidelity experiences.

The CPU itself, the AMD Ryzen 5 7500F, holds a 77th percentile ranking against all CPUs in the database, which is notably stronger than the combo's overall game-specific rank. This discrepancy hints that the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing, at least in terms of the combo's standing among all tested systems. The GPU, an AMD Radeon RX 9060, sits at the 59th percentile among all GPUs, which aligns more closely with the combo's overall rank in this game.

Looking at the CPU's nearest rivals provides context for its position. The Ryzen 5 7500F scores within 0.2% of the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F, and it leads the Intel Core i7-11850H by 0.1% and the Intel Core i7-13620H by 0.2%. These are marginal differences, meaning the CPU's performance class is well-established, but it does not dominate its immediate competition. For this game, the CPU's relatively strong standing does not translate into a top-tier combo rank, reinforcing that the GPU's mid-range position drags the overall result down.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 comes with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 288.0 GB/s of bandwidth. In Microsoft Flight Simulator, which streams vast terrain and scenery data, this memory configuration is adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but it may become a constraint at 4K with higher detail settings. The GPU's base clock is 1700 MHz, with a game clock of 2400 MHz and a boost clock of 2990 MHz, providing a solid frequency range for sustained loads.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in a competitive position. It scores 17631 in Passmark G3D, which puts it at the 59th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, scores 16129, meaning the RX 9060 is 0.7% ahead. The other rivals — the AMD Radeon R9 370X, AMD Radeon RX 7700, and AMD Radeon Pro W5500 — are all within 2.1% of the RX 9060's score, indicating a tight cluster of performance around this tier.

In the measured FPS data, the GPU's influence is clear. At 1080p Low settings, the combo reaches 111 FPS, but this drops to 62 FPS at Ultra settings. At 1440p, the range is from 89 FPS at Low down to 50 FPS at Ultra. At 4K, the GPU struggles more, with only 66 FPS at Low and 37 FPS at Ultra. The 8 GB VRAM capacity likely contributes to the sharp drop at 4K Ultra, where texture data can exceed what the GPU can efficiently manage.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, built on a 5 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz, with 32 MB of shared L3 cache. This configuration is well-suited for Microsoft Flight Simulator, which relies on strong single-thread performance for its core simulation loop, while also benefiting from additional threads for background tasks like AI traffic and weather systems.

The CPU's benchmark results demonstrate its capabilities. It scores 22799 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 3218 in single-core, with a Geekbench multi-core score of 12362 and single-core of 2374. These scores place it at the 77th percentile among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 24964. Its nearest rivals are all within 0.4% of its score, confirming that the 7500F is a consistent performer in its class.

In the context of this game, the CPU's role is to feed the GPU with draw calls and physics calculations. At lower resolutions and settings, the CPU's performance is more likely to be the bottleneck, as the GPU can render frames quickly. The data supports this: at 1080p Low, the combo hits 111 FPS, suggesting the CPU can keep up with the GPU's output. However, at 4K Ultra, the GPU becomes the primary constraint, with the CPU having more headroom than the GPU in this scenario.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of how this combo performs across resolutions and settings. At 1080p, the combo achieves 111 FPS at Low settings, 86 FPS at Medium (with a minimum of 73 and maximum of 99), 65 FPS at High, and 62 FPS at Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra is 49 FPS, indicating that the GPU is heavily taxed by the higher settings, while the CPU maintains sufficient headroom.

At 1440p, the performance scales down proportionally. Low settings yield 89 FPS, Medium produces 69 FPS (with a minimum of 59 and maximum of 80), High delivers 52 FPS, and Ultra drops to 50 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 39 FPS, showing a similar pattern to 1080p but with overall lower frame rates. The Medium setting's minimum of 59 FPS suggests that even at this resolution, there are occasional dips that could affect smoothness.

At 4K, the combo's limitations become apparent. Low settings achieve 66 FPS, Medium runs at 51 FPS (with a minimum of 44 and maximum of 59), High drops to 39 FPS, and Ultra falls to 37 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 29 FPS, which is smaller than at lower resolutions, indicating that the GPU is reaching its performance ceiling regardless of settings. The Medium setting's minimum of 44 FPS is notably low, suggesting that 4K gaming with this combo requires careful settings adjustment to maintain playable frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play this game with this combo?

A: The data shows that 1080p offers the highest frame rates, with 111 FPS at Low and 65 FPS at High settings. At 1440p, the combo still achieves playable rates, with 89 FPS at Low and 52 FPS at High. 4K is the most demanding, with only 66 FPS at Low and 39 FPS at High.

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

A: The Ryzen 5 7500F scores within 0.2% of the AMD Ryzen 5 8400F, and it is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-11850H and 0.2% ahead of the Intel Core i7-13620H. All four CPUs are within 0.4% of each other, indicating near-identical performance.

Q: Is the GPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: The data suggests yes. The GPU's percentile rank (59th) is lower than the CPU's (77th), and the combo's overall rank in this game (1712th) is closer to the GPU's position. Additionally, the sharp FPS drops from Low to Ultra settings at each resolution indicate GPU-bound performance.

Q: What settings should I use for 1440p gaming?

A: At 1440p, the Medium setting provides 69 FPS with a minimum of 59, which is a good balance. High settings drop to 52 FPS, which may still be acceptable, but Ultra at 50 FPS offers marginal visual gains for a significant performance cost.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K at all?

A: Yes, but only at Low or Medium settings. Low achieves 66 FPS, while Medium runs at 51 FPS with a minimum of 44. High and Ultra settings fall below 40 FPS, which is generally not smooth enough for a flight simulator.

Q: How does the GPU's performance compare to the RTX 3060 Ti?

A: The RX 9060 scores 17631 in Passmark G3D, which is 0.7% higher than the RTX 3060 Ti's 16129. This indicates the two GPUs are essentially equivalent in raw performance, though the data does not show game-specific comparisons.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution. At 1080p, the Medium preset offers the best balance, with 86 FPS and a minimum of 73 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay without significant dips. High settings at 65 FPS are also viable, but the jump from Medium to High costs 21 FPS, which may not justify the visual improvement for all users. Ultra at 62 FPS is nearly identical to High, suggesting that the Ultra preset in this game adds little performance value at this resolution.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is again the strongest recommendation. It delivers 69 FPS with a minimum of 59, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for most users. High drops to 52 FPS, which is still playable but may require accepting occasional stutters. Ultra at 50 FPS is not recommended, as the visual gains over High are minimal while the frame rate suffers.

At 4K, the choices are more limited. Low settings at 66 FPS are the only option that consistently stays above 60 FPS, though the visual quality will be noticeably reduced. Medium at 51 FPS is acceptable for users who prioritize visuals over absolute smoothness, but the minimum of 44 FPS indicates potential dips. High and Ultra settings are not recommended at this resolution, as both fall below 40 FPS, which is generally too low for this type of simulation.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound performance. At Low settings, the combo drops from 111 FPS at 1080p to 89 FPS at 1440p (a 22 FPS decrease) and then to 66 FPS at 4K (a further 23 FPS decrease). This represents a 40% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K, which is consistent with the GPU being the primary limiting factor.

At Medium settings, the scaling is similar: 86 FPS at 1080p drops to 69 FPS at 1440p and 51 FPS at 4K. The total reduction from 1080p to 4K is 35 FPS, or roughly 41%. At High settings, the pattern continues: 65 FPS at 1080p, 52 FPS at 1440p, and 39 FPS at 4K, a total drop of 26 FPS (40%). Ultra settings show the same trend: 62 FPS at 1080p, 50 FPS at 1440p, and 37 FPS at 4K, a 25 FPS reduction (40%).

The consistent ~40% FPS drop from 1080p to 4K across all settings indicates that the GPU's rendering capabilities are the bottleneck. The CPU's performance remains relatively constant regardless of resolution, as its workload is primarily tied to simulation logic rather than pixel count. This means users who want higher resolutions must accept lower settings, as the GPU cannot scale its output to match the increased pixel load. The 8 GB VRAM may also contribute to the 4K performance drop, as the GPU must manage larger texture sets that can exceed its memory capacity at higher detail levels.