Microsoft Flight Simulator

# Microsoft Flight Simulator with AMD Ryzen 5 7600 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 7600 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 produces a distinctive performance profile in Microsoft Flight Simulator, one that shifts character dramatically depending on resolution and quality preset. Across the twelve measured data points, the system demonstrates that while the RTX 4090 is capable of extreme frame rates at lower resolutions, the simulator's demands at 4K Ultra bring even this flagship GPU to heel. The data shows a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-limited at 4K, but progressively more CPU-influenced as resolution drops, with the Ryzen 5 7600's six Zen 4 cores providing a solid foundation for the simulator's single-threaded tendencies.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K reveals the classic signature of a GPU-bound workload, but with some notable nuances. At Low settings, the system delivers 207 FPS at 1920x1080, dropping to 188 FPS at 2560x1440, and then down to 138 FPS at 3840x2160. That represents a 33% reduction from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, which is substantial but not as severe as the drop seen at higher quality presets.

Moving to High settings, the scaling pattern intensifies. The system produces 136 FPS at 1080p, 110 FPS at 1440p, and 81 FPS at 4K. The 4K figure is 40% lower than the 1080p result, indicating that the additional pixel count places significantly more strain on the RTX 4090. The Ultra preset shows a similar pattern: 130 FPS at 1080p, 105 FPS at 1440p, and 77 FPS at 4K, a 41% drop from 1080p to 4K.

The Medium preset, which includes min and max FPS data, provides additional insight into frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the system averages 181 FPS with a range of 154 to 208 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average falls to 146 FPS with a range of 124 to 168 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average drops to 108 FPS with a range of 92 to 124 FPS. The spread between min and max FPS narrows proportionally as resolution increases, suggesting that frame pacing becomes more consistent when the GPU is more heavily loaded.

The resolution scaling data indicates that at 1080p, the system is partially limited by the CPU's ability to feed the RTX 4090. The difference between Low (207 FPS) and Ultra (130 FPS) at 1080p is 77 FPS, while at 4K the same comparison yields a 61 FPS gap (138 FPS vs 77 FPS). This compression of the performance envelope at higher resolutions is a clear indicator that the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as pixel count rises.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to use with this combo for maximum frame rates?

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 with Low settings produces the highest average frame rate at 207 FPS. For a balance of visual quality and performance, 2560x1440 with Medium settings delivers 146 FPS, while 3840x2160 with Medium settings still achieves 108 FPS.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K?

A: At High settings, the average frame rate drops from 136 FPS at 1920x1080 to 81 FPS at 3840x2160, a 40% reduction. At Ultra settings, the drop is from 130 FPS to 77 FPS, also a 41% reduction. At Low settings, the drop is from 207 FPS to 138 FPS, a 33% reduction.

Q: Does the RTX 4090 maintain playable frame rates at 4K Ultra?

A: Yes, the measured average of 77 FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is above the typical 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The system also achieves 81 FPS at 4K High and 108 FPS at 4K Medium.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 7600 compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 5 7600 has an average benchmark score of 26324, placing it 0.2% above the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX, 0.4% above the Intel Core i9-11900KF, and 0.5% above the AMD Ryzen 5 8540U. It sits 0.3% below the AMD Ryzen 7 7435HS.

Q: What is the frame rate range at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 146 FPS, with a minimum of 124 FPS and a maximum of 168 FPS. This represents the only resolution at Medium settings where both min and max values were recorded.

Q: How does the RTX 4090's benchmark score compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 4090 has an average benchmark score of 60347, which is essentially tied with the Intel Arc Pro A60 (0% delta), 0.3% above the AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48, 2.9% above the AMD Radeon PRO V710, and 2.5% below the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600 with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination ranks 112th out of 3714 tested combinations in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places the combo in the top 3% of all tested configurations, a position that reflects the strength of both components working together in this specific title.

The ranking is particularly notable given the game's demanding nature. Microsoft Flight Simulator is known for its heavy reliance on both CPU and GPU resources, and this combo demonstrates that a mid-range processor paired with a flagship GPU can achieve excellent results. The Ryzen 5 7600 occupies the 78th percentile among all CPUs in the database, while the RTX 4090 sits in the 88th percentile among all GPUs.

The combination's rank of 112 out of 3714 suggests that while there are 111 configurations that perform better in this game, the vast majority of systems tested (3602 combinations) deliver lower frame rates. This positions the combo firmly in enthusiast territory, with the RTX 4090's raw throughput compensating for any potential CPU limitations at higher resolutions. The data indicates that this pairing is particularly well-suited for users who prioritize high-resolution flight simulation, as the GPU's substantial resources are effectively utilized at 4K.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160 resolution, the system produces its most consistent results across settings. Low settings yield an average of 138 FPS, Medium settings produce 108 FPS with a min of 92 and max of 124 FPS, High settings deliver 81 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 77 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 61 FPS, indicating that quality presets have a significant impact on performance even at this high resolution.

The 2560x1440 results show a broader performance spread. Low settings generate 188 FPS, Medium settings produce 146 FPS with a min of 124 and max of 168 FPS, High settings deliver 110 FPS, and Ultra settings achieve 105 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1440p is 83 FPS, demonstrating that the RTX 4090 has more headroom to express quality differences at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the system reaches its peak performance. Low settings hit 207 FPS, Medium settings produce 181 FPS with a min of 154 and max of 208 FPS, High settings deliver 136 FPS, and Ultra settings achieve 130 FPS. The 77 FPS gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is notable but smaller than the 83 FPS gap at 1440p, suggesting that CPU limitations begin to constrain the system at this resolution.

The Medium settings data across all three resolutions provides the most complete picture of frame time behavior. At 1080p, the min-max spread is 54 FPS; at 1440p, it narrows to 44 FPS; at 4K, it tightens further to 32 FPS. This progressive narrowing indicates that the GPU becomes more consistently loaded as resolution increases, reducing frame time variance.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600 brings six cores and twelve threads based on the Zen 4 architecture, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. This processor, built on TSMC's 5 nm process, features 32 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus. The 65 W TDP and unlocked multiplier make it a versatile desktop part.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU's role is most evident at lower resolutions where the GPU is not fully taxed. The 1080p results show the system reaching 207 FPS at Low settings, a figure that approaches the limits of what the Ryzen 5 7600 can feed to the RTX 4090. The fact that the gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p (77 FPS) is smaller than at 1440p (83 FPS) suggests that the CPU begins to bottleneck the GPU at the lowest resolution.

The processor's single-thread performance, measured at 999 in 3dMark single-thread and 1852 in Cinebench R23 single-core, is relevant for a simulator that typically relies heavily on a single primary thread for flight model calculations. The boost clock of 5.10 GHz provides the raw speed needed for these workloads. The multicore scores, including 12735 in Cinebench R23 and 13413 in Geekbench multicore, indicate that the six cores are also capable of handling auxiliary tasks like scenery loading and AI traffic simulation.

The Ryzen 5 7600's average benchmark score of 26324 places it in the 78th percentile of all CPUs, with nearest rivals including the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX (0.2% higher), AMD Ryzen 7 7435HS (0.3% higher), Intel Core i9-11900KF (0.4% lower), and AMD Ryzen 5 8540U (0.5% lower). These close margins suggest that the processor's performance in this game is representative of its class, with no dramatic outliers in either direction.

Settings Recommendations

For users prioritizing maximum frame rates, the Low preset at 1920x1080 delivers the highest measured average at 207 FPS. This configuration is suitable for competitive or analytical use cases where visual fidelity is secondary to raw performance. The Medium preset at 1080p provides a more balanced experience at 181 FPS, with a min of 154 FPS ensuring that even the most demanding scenes remain smooth.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset stands out as the optimal choice for most users. The 146 FPS average, with a min of 124 FPS, offers a significant visual upgrade over 1080p while maintaining frame rates well above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 1440p delivers 110 FPS, which is still excellent, but the 36 FPS difference between Medium and High may not justify the visual gains for all users.

For 4K gaming, the Medium preset at 108 FPS provides the best combination of resolution and performance. The High preset at 81 FPS is also playable, while Ultra at 77 FPS represents the maximum visual quality the system can maintain at 4K. The measured min FPS of 92 at 4K Medium ensures that even the most complex scenes remain fluid.

The data indicates that the Medium preset offers the most consistent experience across all three resolutions, with the narrowest min-max spreads and the best balance between visual quality and performance. Users with high refresh rate displays at 1080p or 1440p will find the Low or Medium presets most suitable, while those with 4K displays should consider Medium as the primary recommendation.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 represents the pinnacle of the GeForce 40-series, built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD102 chip. This GPU features 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, delivering 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. The 16384 shading units, 512 TMUs, and 176 ROPs provide substantial raw compute capability, with a boost clock of 2520 MHz enabling 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the RTX 4090's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution rises. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, with the system unable to exceed 138 FPS even at Low settings. The 77 FPS result at 4K Ultra demonstrates that this simulator's visual demands can stress even the most powerful consumer GPU available.

The GPU's 88th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 60347, confirms its position near the top of the performance hierarchy. The nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks — the Intel Arc Pro A60 (0% delta), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (0.3% higher), AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (2.5% higher), and AMD Radeon PRO V710 (2.9% lower) — are all professional or workstation-oriented parts, underscoring the RTX 4090's unique position in the consumer market.

The 24 GB of VRAM is more than sufficient for Microsoft Flight Simulator at any resolution and settings combination tested, ensuring that texture streaming and scenery loading never encounter memory limitations. The memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s provides ample throughput for the high-resolution textures and detailed geometry that the simulator renders, particularly at 4K where the pixel fill rate requirements are most demanding. The GPU's 176 ROPs deliver a pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s, which supports the frame rates observed across all tested configurations.