Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a notoriously demanding title, and the pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700G with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 presents a compelling mid-range configuration. The benchmark data reveals a system capable of smooth gameplay at high resolutions, but with distinct performance characteristics that shift depending on graphical presets. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS across various settings and resolutions, explores the roles of the CPU and GPU, and provides actionable recommendations based strictly on the provided data.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall ranking of this CPU and GPU combination for Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: The combo ranks 1324 out of 2996 tested combinations. This places it in the 55.8th percentile (100 - (1324/2996 * 100)), indicating it outperforms more than half of all tested systems in this specific game.

Q: How does this CPU compare to its closest rivals in general benchmark scores?

A: The Ryzen 7 5700G has an average benchmark score of 27051. Its closest rival, the Intel Core i9-9900K, scores 27097, making the AMD processor just 0.2% slower. It also edges out the AMD Ryzen AI 7 445 by 0.4% and the Intel Core i7-1370P by 0.6%, while trailing the Intel Core i5-14400T by 0.4%.

Q: What is the best average FPS achieved at 1080p, and at what settings?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 126, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset. This is the only measured configuration to exceed 120 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 4K gaming in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: Yes, but with limitations. At 3840x2160, the system achieves a 44 FPS average on High settings and 42 FPS on Ultra. For a smoother experience, dropping to Medium yields a 59 FPS average, and Low settings provide a 75 FPS average.

Q: What is the GPU's percentile ranking compared to all other GPUs?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 7700 has a percentile ranking of 58, meaning it performs better than 58% of all GPUs in the benchmark database. Its average benchmark score is 15852.

Q: How does the GPU's benchmark score compare to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti?

A: The Radeon RX 7700's average score of 15852 is 1.7% lower than the RTX 3060 Ti's score of 16129, making the NVIDIA card slightly faster in general benchmarks.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700G and AMD Radeon RX 7700 secures the 1324th position out of 2996 tested combinations in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This is a solidly mid-pack result, placing the system in the upper half of all tested hardware pairings. The data suggests this is a balanced pairing, as neither component is wildly over- or under-powered relative to the other for this title.

When examining the individual components, the CPU and GPU are closely matched in their respective performance tiers. The Ryzen 7 5700G sits at the 79th percentile among all CPUs, a strong showing for a processor with integrated graphics. In contrast, the Radeon RX 7700 is at the 58th percentile for GPUs. This indicates that the CPU is a more dominant part of the equation than the GPU in general compute tasks. However, in the specific context of Microsoft Flight Simulator, the game's heavy reliance on both single-threaded CPU performance and raw GPU throughput results in the balanced overall ranking.

The ranking implies that while this system will not deliver the highest frame rates possible, it is far from a low-end setup. It represents a capable configuration that should provide a playable and enjoyable experience. The deltaPct values against the CPU's nearest rivals are all within a narrow band of -0.4% to +0.6%, showing that the processor is competitively positioned. For the GPU, the performance delta is similarly tight, ranging from -1.7% against the RTX 3060 Ti to +1.1% against the Radeon Pro W5500, confirming that the graphics card is also in a well-contested performance bracket.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700, built on the RDNA 3.0 architecture, is a critical component for Microsoft Flight Simulator's demanding visual workload. It features 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a substantial 624.1 GB/s of memory bandwidth. This large memory pool is particularly beneficial for Flight Simulator, which streams vast amounts of terrain and texture data.

The GPU's clock speeds are also a key factor in its performance. With a base clock of 1900 MHz and a boost clock of 2459 MHz, it has the headroom to push high frame rates. The game clock of 2041 MHz represents the typical sustained clock speed during gaming workloads. The combination of high memory bandwidth and high clock speeds allows the card to handle the complex geometry and high-resolution textures found in the simulator.

In this game's benchmarks, the GPU's role becomes more pronounced at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the system averages just 42 FPS, suggesting the GPU is the primary bottleneck, struggling to fill the immense number of pixels. The data shows a clear trend: as resolution increases, the average FPS drops, highlighting the GPU's workload. The 58th percentile ranking among all GPUs indicates that while it is capable, it is not a top-tier performer, which aligns with the mid-range results seen in the game's 4K benchmarks. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon R9 370X, has a nearly identical benchmark score (15862 vs 15852), which is surprising given the generational gap, but the data shows only a 0.1% difference in their average scores.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed look at the system's performance across a matrix of resolutions and settings. The data consistently shows that lower settings and resolutions yield higher frame rates.

1080p Resolution:

At 1920x1080, the system is highly capable. The Low preset delivers an average of 126 FPS, ensuring a very smooth experience. The Medium preset averages 98 FPS, with a minimum of 84 and a maximum of 113 FPS. High settings still provide a solid 74 FPS average, while the Ultra preset brings the average down to 70 FPS. This shows that at 1080p, the system can handle the highest settings, though it sacrifices some headroom for future fluctuations.

1440p Resolution:

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance impact is noticeable. The Low preset still offers an excellent 102 FPS average. Medium settings are also very playable, with an average of 79 FPS and a range of 67 to 91 FPS. High settings drop to a 60 FPS average, which is right at the threshold for smooth gameplay. The Ultra preset averages 57 FPS, indicating that at this resolution, the highest settings begin to strain the system.

4K Resolution:

At 3840x2160, the system's limits are clear. The Low preset is the most playable option, with an average of 75 FPS. Medium settings provide a playable 59 FPS average, with a minimum of 50 FPS. However, the High preset drops to 44 FPS, and Ultra dips to 42 FPS. These lower averages suggest that for a consistent 60 FPS experience at 4K, users will need to stick to Medium or Low settings.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700G, based on the Zen 3 architecture, provides the computational foundation for the simulator. With 8 cores and 16 threads, it offers substantial multi-threaded performance for background tasks and game logic. Its base clock of 3.80 GHz and boost clock of 4.60 GHz ensure strong single-threaded performance, which is critical for Microsoft Flight Simulator's main simulation loop.

The CPU's benchmark scores demonstrate its capability. In Cinebench R23, it scores 12830.5 in multi-core and 1494 in single-core, showing a healthy balance. Its 3DMark 16-thread score is 6629, which is nearly identical to its max-thread score of 6627, indicating that the processor's performance scales well up to its full thread count. The Passmark multithread score of 24419 further confirms its strength in multi-threaded workloads.

In the context of this game, the CPU's 79th percentile ranking is notably higher than the GPU's 58th percentile. This suggests that the CPU is less of a bottleneck than the GPU. The data supports this, as the FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a significant drop, which is more characteristic of a GPU limitation. However, the CPU's single-thread performance, as evidenced by its Geekbench single-core score of 1894, is crucial for maintaining stability and preventing stutters in CPU-bound scenarios. The processor's performance is very closely matched with its nearest rivals, all of which are within a 1% performance delta, indicating that the 5700G is a well-positioned processor in its performance tier.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the user's target resolution and preference for visual fidelity versus frame rate.

For 1080p displays, the High preset offers an excellent balance, providing a 74 FPS average. This is visually superior to Low and Medium while maintaining a frame rate well above the 60 FPS threshold. For users with high-refresh-rate monitors seeking maximum smoothness, the Medium preset, with its 98 FPS average, is a better choice than Low, which sacrifices too much visual quality for a 126 FPS average. The Ultra preset is playable at 70 FPS but offers diminishing returns over High.

At 1440p, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation. Its 79 FPS average provides a smooth experience with a good balance of visual quality. The Low preset is also viable for competitive or high-refresh-rate play at 102 FPS, but the visual compromise is significant. The High preset's 60 FPS average is playable but leaves no headroom for complex scenes, making Medium the safer choice for a consistent experience.

For 4K resolution, the Low preset is the only option that provides a firmly smooth experience, with a 75 FPS average. The Medium preset is the best compromise, averaging 59 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS target but likely playable for most users. The High and Ultra presets, at 44 FPS and 42 FPS respectively, are too demanding for a consistent experience and should be avoided unless the user is willing to accept significant frame rate dips.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data reveals a clear and expected scaling pattern as resolution increases. The system's performance drops by a consistent margin when moving from 1080p to 1440p and then to 4K.

At High settings, the average FPS drops from 74 at 1080p to 60 at 1440p, a 18.9% decrease. Moving from 1440p to 4K, the average drops further from 60 to 44 FPS, a 26.7% decrease. This progressive decline indicates that the GPU is becoming increasingly saturated as pixel count grows.

The scaling is even more pronounced at Low settings. The average FPS is 126 at 1080p, 102 at 1440p (a 19.0% decrease), and 75 at 4K (a 26.5% decrease from 1440p). This pattern strongly suggests that the AMD Radeon RX 7700 is the primary limiting component. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect the FPS to remain relatively flat across resolutions, as the CPU's workload is independent of resolution.

The fact that FPS drops so significantly at 4K, even on Low settings, confirms that the GPU's pixel-pushing capabilities are the main constraint. The CPU, with its strong single-threaded performance, is able to feed the GPU adequately at lower resolutions, but at 4K, the GPU's rendering throughput becomes the deciding factor. This analysis indicates that for 4K gaming, users must rely on lower presets to reduce the GPU's workload, while at 1080p, the system has ample GPU headroom to allow for higher settings without compromising frame rate.