Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a demanding title that stresses both the processor and graphics card heavily. The measured data for the AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT provides a clear picture of how this combination handles the simulation across different resolutions and quality presets. This analysis breaks down the performance metrics, focusing on where the bottleneck lies, how the combo ranks against others, and what settings offer the most playable experience.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is significant and reveals the primary limiting factor in this configuration. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 121 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, the average drops to 97 FPS, a reduction of roughly 20%. At 4K Low, the average falls further to 72 FPS, which is another 26% drop from the 1440p figure. This scaling pattern indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary constraint as pixel count increases, which is typical for a flight simulator with dense scenery rendering.

The gap between resolutions narrows as settings are increased. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 71 at 1080p to 57 at 1440p and then 42 at 4K. The percentage decrease from 1440p to 4K is about 26%, which is similar to the Low preset. However, at Ultra settings, the numbers are 67 FPS at 1080p, 54 at 1440p, and 40 at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is about 19%, and from 1440p to 4K is about 26%. This consistency suggests that while the GPU load scales with resolution, the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU frames adequately at lower resolutions, but the GPU's rendering limits become evident at higher pixel counts.

The frame time data for Medium settings shows the impact of resolution on consistency. At 1080p Medium, the average is 94 FPS with a minimum of 80 and a maximum of 108. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 76 FPS with a minimum of 64 and a maximum of 87. At 4K Medium, the average is 56 FPS with a minimum of 47 and a maximum of 64. The variance between minimum and maximum FPS remains relatively tight at each resolution, indicating that the frame pacing is stable even when the GPU is under heavier load.

The data shows that the 1080p resolution is where this combo is most comfortable, allowing for high frame rates even at Ultra settings. The 4K resolution pushes the GPU to its limits, with averages dipping below 60 FPS for all presets except Low. For users targeting 4K, the Low preset is the only one that maintains a playable average above 60 FPS. The 1440p resolution offers a middle ground, with High and Medium presets providing playable frame rates above 57 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the Ryzen 5 7500X3D and RX 6700 XT ranks 1524 out of 2996 combos for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the 49th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning it performs better than about half of the other pairings but is outclassed by the other half. This mid-pack ranking is consistent with the hardware's position in the market, as the CPU is a strong modern part while the GPU is a previous-generation mid-range offering.

The ranking reflects the balance of the system. The Ryzen 5 7500X3D is a high-performing CPU, scoring in the 89th percentile among all CPUs in the PassMark database. Its average benchmark score of 44573 puts it just ahead of the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H, which scores 44466, and the Intel Core i9-13950HX, which scores 44342. The CPU is also slightly ahead of the AMD Ryzen AI Max 385, which scores 44309, and behind the Intel Core i5-14600, which scores 44889. These are very tight margins, with deltaPct values ranging from -0.7 to 0.6 percent.

The GPU, on the other hand, is a mid-range part that scores in the 72nd percentile among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score of 27425 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Mobile, which scores 27435, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, which scores 27565. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 20 scores higher at 27839, while the NVIDIA RTX PRO 4000 Blackwell scores slightly lower at 27135. The deltaPct values for these rivals are all within a narrow band of -1.5 to 1.1 percent, indicating that the RX 6700 XT is performance-wise in a very dense cluster of graphics cards.

The combination of a top-tier CPU and a mid-tier GPU results in a system that performs well but is ultimately held back by the graphics card in this specific game. The ranking of 1524 out of 2996 combos suggests that while the CPU is not a bottleneck, the GPU limits the overall potential for high frame rates at higher resolutions. The data indicates that the combo is well-suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can hit high frame rates, but it falls short of being a top-tier 4K solution.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT is the primary component responsible for rendering the complex scenery in Microsoft Flight Simulator. It features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for the game's high-resolution textures, but the bandwidth can become a limiting factor at 4K resolution with higher presets. The GPU's clock speeds are a base of 2321 MHz and a boost of 2581 MHz, with a game clock of 2424 MHz, which are typical for this generation of RDNA 2.0 architecture.

The GPU's performance in the benchmarks shows a mixed picture. In the PassMark G3D test, it scores 19786, which is a solid result for a mid-range card. However, in the PassMark DirectX 12 test, it scores only 77, and in the DirectX 11 test, it scores 173. These lower scores in specific API tests do not directly translate to the game's performance, as Microsoft Flight Simulator uses a custom rendering engine that may not align perfectly with these synthetic benchmarks. The Geekbench Vulkan score of 93500 and the OpenCL score of 44152 suggest that the GPU has good compute capabilities, which can be relevant for the simulation's physics and AI calculations.

The GPU's role in this combo is clear from the resolution scaling data. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 121 FPS, which is a high frame rate that suggests the CPU is doing most of the work to keep up. As the resolution increases, the GPU becomes the bottleneck. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 40, which is a 67% reduction from the 1080p Low result. This indicates that the GPU's rendering throughput is the main constraint at higher resolutions. The 12 GB of VRAM is likely sufficient for the game's assets, but the GPU's raw compute power is not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K with max settings.

The FP32 performance of 13.21 TFLOPS and the texture rate of 413.0 GTexel/s are moderate figures that align with the card's mid-range positioning. The 40 ray tracing cores are present, but the game's performance at 4K suggests that the card is not designed for heavy ray tracing workloads. In summary, the RX 6700 XT provides a capable foundation for 1080p and 1440p gaming in this title, but it is the limiting factor when pushing for 4K Ultra settings.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 57 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Ryzen 5 7500X3D has an average benchmark score of 44573, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H's score of 44466.

Q: Is this combo better than half of all tested combinations?

A: Yes, the combo ranks 1524 out of 2996 tested combinations, placing it in the 49th percentile, which is just below the median.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 4K with Medium settings?

A: The minimum FPS recorded at 3840x2160 with Medium settings is 47 FPS, with an average of 56 FPS.

Q: What is the GPU's memory bandwidth?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT has a memory bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s, from 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus.

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo?

A: The highest average FPS is 121, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution. For 1080p, the Ultra preset is the best choice for visual fidelity, as the average FPS of 67 is still comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The High preset at 1080p offers 71 FPS, which is only slightly better, so the visual upgrade to Ultra is worth the small performance cost. At 1080p, the system has enough headroom to run the game at maximum settings.

For 1440p, the Medium preset provides the best balance of visual quality and performance. The average FPS of 76 with a minimum of 64 ensures that the game remains playable even in demanding scenes. The High preset at 1440p drops to 57 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target and may result in noticeable stuttering. The Ultra preset at 1440p is even less desirable, with an average of 54 FPS. Therefore, Medium is the recommended preset for 1440p to maintain a consistent frame rate.

For 4K, the options are more limited. The Low preset is the only one that achieves an average FPS above 60, at 72 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K averages 56 FPS, which is borderline playable but may have dips to 47 FPS. The High and Ultra presets at 4K are not recommended, as they average 42 and 40 FPS respectively, which will likely result in a less fluid experience. For 4K, the Low preset is the only choice for a smooth experience, or the user should consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for better visuals.

The data suggests that this combo is best suited for 1080p Ultra or 1440p Medium. The system's CPU is strong enough to handle the game's physics and AI at these settings, while the GPU can keep up with the rendering demands. Pushing to 4K requires significant compromises in visual quality, making it a less ideal target for this specific hardware configuration.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7500X3D is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 4 Raphael architecture, built on a 5 nm process. It has a base clock of 4.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU features a large 96 MB shared L3 cache, which is crucial for gaming performance, especially in simulation titles that require frequent data access. The memory support is DDR5 with a dual-channel bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU's role is to handle the simulation's core logic, including flight physics, weather systems, and AI traffic. The high L3 cache and decent clock speeds allow the CPU to process these tasks efficiently. The PassMark single-thread score of 3494 and the multithread score of 25047 indicate that the CPU has strong single-core performance, which is critical for a game that is often single-threaded in its main loop. The CPU's performance percentile of 89% places it well above the average processor, ensuring it is not a bottleneck in most scenarios.

The measured FPS data confirms that the CPU is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 121 FPS, which is a high frame rate that demonstrates the CPU's ability to feed the GPU quickly. Even at 1080p Ultra, the average of 67 FPS suggests that the CPU is still capable of keeping up, as the GPU is likely the constraint at this point. The CPU's performance is also evident in the consistency of frame times, as the minimum FPS values at Medium settings are not drastically lower than the averages.

The CPU's nearest rivals in the benchmark database include the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H and the Intel Core i9-13950HX, which have similar average scores. The Ryzen 5 7500X3D's advantage lies in its large L3 cache, which can benefit games that rely on large datasets. In this title, the CPU's strong single-thread performance and cache size allow it to maintain high frame rates at 1080p, but the GPU becomes the bottleneck as resolution increases. Overall, the CPU is a well-matched partner for the RX 6700 XT, providing ample processing power for the simulation without holding back the graphics card.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following data represents the exact measured average FPS for each resolution and settings preset combination.

At 1920x1080:

• Low: 121 FPS
• Medium: 94 FPS (minimum 80 FPS, maximum 108 FPS)
• High: 71 FPS
• Ultra: 67 FPS

At 2560x1440:

• Low: 97 FPS
• Medium: 76 FPS (minimum 64 FPS, maximum 87 FPS)
• High: 57 FPS
• Ultra: 54 FPS

At 3840x2160:

• Low: 72 FPS
• Medium: 56 FPS (minimum 47 FPS, maximum 64 FPS)
• High: 42 FPS
• Ultra: 40 FPS

The data shows a clear trend: as resolution increases, the average FPS decreases for every settings preset. The Low preset shows the smallest absolute drop from 1080p to 4K, going from 121 to 72 FPS, a difference of 49 FPS. The Ultra preset shows a similar absolute drop from 67 to 40 FPS, a difference of 27 FPS, but the relative drop is larger due to the lower starting point. The Medium preset has the most detailed data, with minimum and maximum FPS values recorded at each resolution, allowing for a closer look at frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the range is 80 to 108 FPS, a difference of 28 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range is 64 to 87 FPS, a difference of 23 FPS. At 4K Medium, the range is 47 to 64 FPS, a difference of 17 FPS. This narrowing of the frame time range as resolution increases suggests that the GPU's workload becomes more consistent, even as the average FPS drops.