Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is one of the most demanding titles in the PC landscape, and the pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 produces a distinct set of performance characteristics. The measured data shows a system that scales predictably with resolution, offering playable frame rates across the board, though the relationship between CPU and GPU load becomes increasingly clear as you move down in resolution. This analysis breaks down the exact measured FPS figures, the role of the processor, and how this specific combo ranks against the broader field of tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS progression from 1080p to 4K reveals a classic pattern where the rendering load shifts decisively onto the GPU. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces an average of 165 FPS, which is a high ceiling that suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at lower resolutions. Moving to 2560x1440 on Low, the average drops to 133 FPS, and at 3840x2160 on Low, it falls to 98 FPS. This scaling indicates that even at Low settings, the jump to 4K introduces a significant pixel-pushing workload that the RTX 4070 must handle, resulting in a 67 FPS difference between 1080p and 4K on the lowest preset.

The trend continues across all settings, but the percentage drop from 1080p to 4K becomes more pronounced as visual fidelity increases. For High settings, the average goes from 96 FPS at 1080p to 78 FPS at 1440p, and finally to 57 FPS at 4K. This represents a 39 FPS reduction from the lowest to highest resolution tested on High. The Ultra preset shows similar behavior, with 92 FPS at 1080p, 74 FPS at 1440p, and 55 FPS at 4K. The fact that the 4K Ultra score (55 FPS) is so close to the 4K High score (57 FPS) suggests that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor, as the additional detail from Ultra settings cannot be fully compensated for by the processor.

The data indicates that the limiting component shifts based on the resolution and settings combination. At 1080p Low, the 165 FPS average suggests the CPU might be nearing its limit, as the GPU has ample headroom. However, at 4K Ultra, the 55 FPS result shows a GPU-bound scenario where the RTX 4070's compute capabilities are the primary bottleneck. The medium preset provides the most complete data, with min and max FPS values recorded. At 1080p Medium, the range is 109 to 147 FPS, at 1440p Medium it's 88 to 119 FPS, and at 4K Medium it's 65 to 88 FPS. This narrowing range at higher resolutions confirms a more consistent, GPU-limited experience.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate achievable with this CPU and GPU combo?

A: The highest measured average is 165 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only configuration in the data that exceeds the 160 FPS mark.

Q: Is this combo capable of 4K gaming in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: Yes, but with caveats. At 3840x2160, the average frame rates are 98 FPS on Low, 76 FPS on Medium, 57 FPS on High, and 55 FPS on Ultra. The High and Ultra presets hover near the 60 FPS threshold, making them playable but not high-refresh-rate experiences.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High in terms of performance cost?

A: The difference is relatively small. At 1080p, Ultra averages 92 FPS versus 96 FPS on High, a delta of 4 FPS. At 1440p, the gap is also 4 FPS (74 vs 78). At 4K, the difference narrows to just 2 FPS (55 vs 57), indicating that the Ultra preset's additional demands are mostly absorbed by the GPU without a proportional frame rate penalty.

Q: What is the performance spread between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution?

A: At 1080p, the spread is 73 FPS (165 Low vs 92 Ultra). At 1440p, the spread is 59 FPS (133 Low vs 74 Ultra). At 4K, the spread is 43 FPS (98 Low vs 55 Ultra). This shrinking spread highlights the growing GPU bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Q: Does the CPU hold back the GPU at any tested configuration?

A: The data suggests potential CPU limitation at 1080p Low, where the 165 FPS average is the highest recorded. At higher resolutions, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, as evidenced by the smaller performance gaps between settings.

Q: Are there any frame rate minimums or maximums provided in the data?

A: Yes, only for the Medium preset. At 1080p, the range is 109 to 147 FPS. At 1440p, it's 88 to 119 FPS. At 4K, it's 65 to 88 FPS. Other presets only have average FPS values listed.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the Medium preset offers the most balanced experience, particularly for users targeting stable frame rates. At 1080p Medium, the average of 128 FPS with a minimum of 109 FPS provides a smooth experience that exceeds the typical 60 FPS target by a wide margin, and the 147 FPS maximum shows headroom for less demanding scenes. This makes Medium the recommended starting point for high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p.

For 1440p users, Medium again proves to be the sweet spot. The average of 103 FPS with a minimum of 88 FPS ensures that the game remains fluid even during complex flight scenarios, such as dense urban areas or heavy weather. The jump to High reduces the average to 78 FPS, which is still playable but leaves less margin for unexpected drops. Ultra at 1440p averages 74 FPS, which is only 4 FPS lower than High, suggesting that the visual gains from Ultra might be worth the small performance cost for those with adaptive sync displays.

At 4K, the recommendation shifts. Medium provides an average of 76 FPS with a minimum of 65 FPS, which is the only 4K preset that maintains a minimum above 60 FPS. High and Ultra average 57 and 55 FPS respectively, which dips below the 60 FPS threshold and may result in noticeable stutter on standard 60 Hz displays. Therefore, for 4K, Medium is the clear choice. Low at 4K averages 98 FPS, but the visual compromise is likely too severe for a game like Microsoft Flight Simulator, where scenery detail is a core part of the experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 ranks 833rd out of 3714 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the top 22.4% of all configurations tested, which is a strong showing given the game's demanding nature. The rank reflects the balance between the 8-core, 16-thread CPU and the RTX 4070's Ada Lovelace architecture, which together deliver the frame rates detailed in the measured data.

To contextualize this rank, it's useful to look at how the individual components compare to their nearest rivals. The CPU has an average benchmark score of 27578, which places it in the 79th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12600K, has an identical average score of 27578, representing a 0% delta. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800 is 0.2% ahead, and the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X is 0.2% behind. This indicates that the 5700X is performance-competitive with modern mid-range processors, even if it doesn't lead the pack.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4070 has an average benchmark score of 37648, placing it in the 81st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Tesla P4, is 0.1% behind, while the AMD Radeon RX Vega 56 is 0.4% behind. The RTX 4080 Mobile is 1.3% ahead, and the AMD Radeon PRO W6400 is 1.3% behind. This shows that the desktop RTX 4070 sits in a competitive position, slightly outpacing some workstation cards and mobile variants, but not reaching the top tier. The combo's 833rd rank out of 3714 suggests that while the individual parts are solid, there are many more powerful combinations that achieve higher frame rates in this specific simulator.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X is a Zen 3 architecture processor built on TSMC's 7 nm process. It features 8 cores and 16 threads, with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. This configuration is well-suited for a game like Microsoft Flight Simulator, which can utilize multiple threads for tasks such as terrain loading, physics calculations, and AI traffic. The CPU's 32 MB of shared L3 cache helps reduce latency when accessing frequently used data, which is beneficial for maintaining consistent frame times.

In synthetic benchmarks, the 5700X demonstrates strong multi-threaded performance. It scores 13184 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 6858 in 3DMark's 16-thread test. Single-thread performance is also respectable, with a Geekbench single-core score of 2016 and a 3DMark single-thread score of 921. These scores indicate that the CPU can handle both lightly-threaded and heavily-threaded workloads effectively, which is crucial for a simulator that may present both scenarios depending on the scene complexity.

The measured FPS data suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in most configurations. The fact that 1080p Low achieves 165 FPS and 4K Low achieves 98 FPS indicates that the GPU handles the resolution scaling effectively. However, the CPU's role becomes more apparent when comparing settings at the same resolution. For instance, at 1080p, the drop from Low (165 FPS) to Ultra (92 FPS) is 73 FPS, which is a significant reduction that can be attributed to the increased draw calls and physics simulation load on the CPU. The CPU's boost clock of 4.60 GHz helps mitigate this, but the data shows that the processor does have limits when paired with a high-end GPU at lower resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete measured FPS dataset for this combo in Microsoft Flight Simulator is as follows:

1920x1080 (1080p):

• Low: 165 FPS average
• Medium: 128 FPS average, 109 FPS minimum, 147 FPS maximum
• High: 96 FPS average
• Ultra: 92 FPS average

2560x1440 (1440p):

• Low: 133 FPS average
• Medium: 103 FPS average, 88 FPS minimum, 119 FPS maximum
• High: 78 FPS average
• Ultra: 74 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K):

• Low: 98 FPS average
• Medium: 76 FPS average, 65 FPS minimum, 88 FPS maximum
• High: 57 FPS average
• Ultra: 55 FPS average

These numbers provide a complete picture of the combo's capabilities. At 1080p, all presets exceed 90 FPS, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate displays. At 1440p, the Low and Medium presets remain above 100 FPS, while High and Ultra stay above 70 FPS. At 4K, only Low and Medium manage to stay above 60 FPS on average, with High and Ultra falling just short. The Medium preset is the only one with recorded minimum and maximum values, and these show that the frame rate remains relatively stable, with the 4K minimum of 65 FPS being the only sub-70 FPS minimum across all resolutions. This stability is a positive indicator for the combo's ability to deliver a consistent experience, particularly for a flight simulator where smooth panning and scenery loading are critical.