Microsoft Flight Simulator

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT combination lands in the middle of the pack for Microsoft Flight Simulator, holding the 958th position out of 1795 tested combos. That places it just past the halfway point, meaning a significant portion of tested systems deliver higher frame rates, but it also leaves a large number of slower configurations behind. The 3700X itself sits at the 85th percentile among all CPUs, which shows the processor is not the bottleneck in most scenarios, while the RX 6700 XT sits at the 77th percentile among GPUs. This pairing of a stronger CPU with a slightly weaker GPU is a common configuration, and the benchmark results reflect that balance in this flight sim.

How This Combo Ranks

The 958th rank out of 1795 combos puts this system squarely in the upper-middle tier for Microsoft Flight Simulator. It is not a top performer, but it is far from the bottom, and the data suggests it can handle the game at playable settings. The CPU is the stronger component relative to its peers, with an average benchmark score of 28631, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core i5-12600 at 28654 (a mere 0.1% difference). The GPU is also competitive; its average benchmark score of 33721 puts it just 0.7% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6800 at 33493 and 1.3% ahead of the NVIDIA RTX A5000 at 33294. In practice, this means the combo’s rank is likely held back by the GPU’s performance ceiling rather than the CPU’s capability.

Looking at the measured frame rates, the system achieves a 124 FPS average at 1080p Low settings, which is a strong result for a flight simulator. However, the more demanding presets show where the limits lie. At 1080p Ultra, the average drops to 68.1 FPS, and at 4K Ultra it falls to 37.5 FPS. The data indicates this is a system that can deliver smooth gameplay at 1080p and 1440p with adjusted settings, but it will struggle to maintain high frame rates at 4K with maximum detail. The rank reflects this reality: it is a capable mid-range setup, not a high-end enthusiast rig.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing 384.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. Its boost clock reaches 2581 MHz, with a game clock of 2424 MHz, which are solid figures for a card in this class. The GPU’s performance in Microsoft Flight Simulator is directly tied to these specs, as the game’s heavy reliance on texture streaming and draw calls benefits from the 12 GB VRAM capacity. At 1440p High settings, the combo produces 58.6 FPS, while at 1440p Ultra it holds 57.1 FPS, showing that the GPU can maintain playable frame rates at this resolution with high detail.

The GPU’s benchmark percentile of 77% against all GPUs confirms it is a solid mid-range card, but not a top-tier one. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6800, scores only 0.7% higher on average, which indicates the 6700 XT is punching above its weight in synthetic tests. In the game itself, the measured FPS shows the GPU starts to buckle at 4K, where even Medium settings only yield 56.8 FPS. The 12 GB VRAM is sufficient for this title, but the 192-bit bus and 384.0 GB/s bandwidth become limiting factors at higher resolutions, where the card cannot feed the GPU cores fast enough to maintain high frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear pattern: the system becomes progressively more GPU-bound as resolution increases. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 124 FPS, but at 1440p Low that drops to 96.8 FPS, and at 4K Low it falls to 68.8 FPS. This is a 44% drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, which is a typical scaling curve for a mid-range GPU. Moving to High settings, the drop is even more pronounced: 69.9 FPS at 1080p, 58.6 FPS at 1440p, and 42.9 FPS at 4K, a 39% reduction from 1080p to 4K.

The data suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the 124 FPS result shows the Ryzen 7 3700X can feed the GPU adequately, but as resolution climbs, the GPU’s rendering load increases and frame rates fall accordingly. At 4K Ultra, the 37.5 FPS result indicates a hard GPU ceiling, as the CPU has plenty of headroom. The 3700X’s 85th percentile ranking and its near-identical score to the Intel Core i5-12600 (within 0.1%) reinforce that this processor is not holding back the system at any resolution. The scaling pattern is classic GPU-bound behavior, with the RX 6700 XT being the primary constraint at 4K.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo can achieve in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 124 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is the only result above 100 FPS, with the next best being 96.8 at 1440p Low and 96.7 at 1080p Medium.

Q: Can this system handle 4K Ultra settings?

A: It can run 4K Ultra, but the average FPS is 37.5, which is playable but not smooth. For a more consistent experience, 4K Medium settings yield 56.8 FPS, which is a better balance of visuals and performance.

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

A: The Ryzen 7 3700X has an average benchmark score of 28631, which is within 0.1% of the Intel Core i5-12600 at 28654. This means the two processors perform nearly identically in synthetic tests.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: At lower resolutions like 1080p, the system achieves high frame rates, indicating the CPU is sufficient. As resolution increases to 4K, frame rates drop significantly, showing the GPU is the limiting factor, especially at Ultra settings.

Q: What is the best settings preset for smooth gameplay at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, Medium settings provide 74.8 FPS, which is the best balance of visual quality and performance. High settings drop to 58.6 FPS, while Ultra holds 57.1 FPS, making Medium the best choice for a smooth experience.

Q: How does the GPU’s performance compare to the RX 6800?

A: The RX 6700 XT scores an average of 33721, which is 0.7% higher than the RX 6800 at 33493. This indicates the two cards perform at a very similar level in synthetic benchmarks.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. It is built on the Zen 2 architecture with a 7 nm process, and it supports DDR4 memory with a dual-channel bus. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 28631 places it at the 85th percentile among all CPUs, which is a strong showing. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12600, scores 28654, a negligible 0.1% difference, indicating the two processors are effectively tied in performance.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU’s role is to handle the complex flight model, AI traffic, and weather simulation, which are all single-threaded or lightly threaded tasks. The 3700X’s single-core performance, as shown by its Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2694, is adequate for this game. The measured FPS results support this: at 1080p Low, the system hits 124 FPS, proving the CPU can push high frame rates when the GPU is not the bottleneck. The CPU’s 65W TDP and 32 MB of L3 cache also contribute to its efficiency, though the game’s performance is more dependent on clock speed and IPC than raw core count. The data confirms that the CPU is not a limiting factor in this combo, as frame rates scale predictably with GPU load.

Settings Recommendations

The measured FPS data offers a clear guide for optimizing the experience. At 1080p, Low settings deliver 124 FPS, which is excellent for high refresh rate monitors, but Medium settings at 96.7 FPS provide a better visual experience with minimal performance loss. High settings at 69.9 FPS are still playable, but Ultra at 68.1 FPS is not worth the extra load given the minimal visual gains in a flight sim. For most users, 1080p Medium is the sweet spot, offering smooth gameplay with good detail.

At 1440p, the best choice is Medium settings, which yield 74.8 FPS. High settings drop to 58.6 FPS, which is still playable, but the frame rate is noticeably lower. Ultra settings at 57.1 FPS are nearly identical to High, so there is little reason to use Ultra over High unless visual fidelity is a priority. Low settings at 96.8 FPS are an option for competitive play, but the visual downgrade is significant for a simulation game. For 4K, Medium settings at 56.8 FPS are the only viable option for smooth gameplay, as High drops to 42.9 FPS and Ultra falls to 37.5 FPS. Low settings at 68.8 FPS are playable but compromise the visual experience too much for a game that relies on scenery detail. The data suggests that Medium settings at 1440p provide the best overall balance of visual quality and performance for this combo.