Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator pairs the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, creating a testbed where the data reveals distinct performance ceilings. The measured frames per second across resolutions and settings show a system that is powerful but exhibits specific bottlenecks depending on the workload. This analysis breaks down the benchmark results, focusing on how resolution shifts the balance between the CPU and GPU, and what that implies for the overall ranking of this combination.

Resolution Scaling

The data shows a clear and expected trend: average FPS decreases as resolution increases, but the rate of decline is not uniform across all settings. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 157.4 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops this to 144.6 FPS, and at 4K Low, the average falls further to 131.4 FPS. This represents a 16.5% drop from 1080p to 4K on Low settings, which is a relatively modest decline. This suggests that at lower graphical loads, the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU enough data to maintain high frame rates, and the performance scaling is more gradual.

However, the story changes drastically when looking at higher settings. At Ultra settings, the average FPS at 1080p is 128.9. This drops to 103.6 at 1440p and then to 76.8 at 4K. The decline from 1080p to 4K on Ultra is 40.4%, which is significantly steeper than the decline on Low. This indicates that as the graphical settings increase, the GPU becomes the primary limiting factor. The RTX 4090 is being pushed harder, and the performance gap between resolutions widens because the GPU's workload scales more aggressively with pixel count and visual complexity.

The data implies a shift in the bottleneck. At 1080p and 1440p with lower settings, the performance is likely constrained by the CPU's ability to process the simulation's physics and world data. At 4K with Ultra settings, the GPU's rendering pipeline becomes the bottleneck, as the frame rate drops to 76.8 FPS, a level that is still playable but far from the high refresh rates seen at lower resolutions. The pattern suggests that this combination is well-balanced for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p, but at 4K, the user is trading frame rate for visual fidelity.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D is a Zen 3 part with 8 cores and 16 threads, running on the AM4 socket. Its key feature is a large 96 MB shared L3 cache, which is often beneficial for simulation-heavy games. The benchmark data shows that this CPU has strong multi-threaded and single-threaded capabilities. For instance, its Cinebench R23 multicore score is 22366, and its single-core score is 3157. This combination of high multi-threaded throughput and solid single-core speed is crucial for Microsoft Flight Simulator, which needs to handle complex world streaming and physics calculations.

In the context of this game, the CPU's role is evident in the frame rates at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the system reaches 157.4 FPS, which is the highest measured value across all configurations. This high frame rate suggests that the CPU is not the bottleneck at this resolution and setting, as it can process the game's logic fast enough to allow the GPU to render frames quickly. However, the fact that the frame rate at 1080p Ultra (128.9 FPS) is lower than at 1080p Low (157.4 FPS) indicates that the graphics load is still affecting overall performance, but the CPU is keeping pace.

The processor's percentile rank is 82, meaning it outperforms 82% of all CPUs in the database. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i7-1360P, which is only 0.2% behind in average score, and the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D, which is 0.3% ahead. This places the 5700X3D in a competitive position, though the data suggests that for this specific game, the CPU's performance is sufficient to support the GPU up to a point. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the frame rate is 76.8 FPS, which is less than half of the 1080p Low result, highlighting that the CPU is not the limiting factor at higher resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is a flagship Ada Lovelace GPU with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory and a 384-bit memory bus, providing a bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. It has 16384 shading units and a boost clock of 2520 MHz. This hardware is designed for extreme 4K gaming and compute workloads. The benchmark results confirm its strength, but they also show how its performance is modulated by the CPU and resolution.

The GPU's role becomes the dominant factor at higher settings. The data demonstrates a significant drop in performance when moving from Medium to Ultra at 4K. At 4K Medium, the average FPS is 106.7, while at 4K Ultra, it drops to 76.8. This 28% decrease is due to the increased graphical demands of the Ultra preset, which likely includes higher levels of terrain detail, shadow quality, and anti-aliasing. The RTX 4090 is capable of handling these loads, but the frame rate indicates that it is working near its limits at this resolution.

In contrast, the GPU's power is more evident at lower resolutions. At 1440p High, the system achieves 109.8 FPS, and at 1440p Low, it reaches 144.6 FPS. The gap between these settings is 24%, which is smaller than the gap seen at 4K. This suggests that at 1440p, the CPU is providing a more stable foundation, and the GPU has more headroom to render frames quickly. The RTX 4090's nearest rivals in the database, such as the Tesla T4 and Quadro P6000, have similar average scores but are not gaming-focused, highlighting the 4090's specialized performance for this workload.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 157.4, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rival in average benchmark score?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D has an average benchmark score of 24673. Its closest rival, the Intel Core i7-1360P, has a score of 24627, which is 0.2% lower. The AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D is 0.3% higher with a score of 24605.

Q: What is the performance difference between 4K High and 4K Ultra?

A: At 4K resolution, the High preset averages 79.7 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 76.8 FPS. This is a difference of 2.9 FPS, indicating that Ultra is a more demanding setting but the GPU handles it with a modest frame rate reduction.

Q: Does the GPU have a higher percentile rank than the CPU?

A: Yes, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 has a percentile rank of 91, meaning it outperforms 91% of all GPUs. The CPU has a percentile rank of 82.

Q: Is the RTX 4090's memory bandwidth a factor in the 4K results?

A: The RTX 4090 has a memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. The 4K results, particularly the drop from 106.7 FPS at Medium to 76.8 FPS at Ultra, suggest that the GPU's memory and processing resources are being heavily utilized, but the data does not isolate bandwidth as a specific bottleneck.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the CPU?

A: The launch MSRP of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D is $249.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations, this specific pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 holds a rank of 118 out of 1795 tested combos for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the top 6.6% of all tested systems. This high rank reflects the raw power of the RTX 4090, which is the primary driver of the system's overall performance in this title.

However, the rank also suggests that there is room for improvement. The CPU, while strong with a 82nd percentile rank, is not the absolute top-tier processor available. The data implies that a system with a more powerful CPU might achieve a higher rank, as the 5700X3D could potentially limit the RTX 4090's full potential in CPU-bound scenarios. The fact that the combo ranks 118th indicates that there are 117 other combinations that perform better, likely featuring newer or more high-end CPUs paired with the same or similar GPUs.

The ranking also reflects the balance of the system. A rank of 118 out of 1795 is respectable and indicates a high level of performance, but it is not a top-10 result. The data suggests that for Microsoft Flight Simulator, the GPU is the star, but the CPU's contribution is significant enough to prevent the system from ranking higher. This is a nuanced position, where the system is powerful but not the absolute best.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's priority for frame rate versus visual quality. For users with a 1080p or 1440p display seeking the highest possible frame rates, the Low preset offers the best performance, with 157.4 FPS and 144.6 FPS respectively. This preset is ideal for competitive or fast-paced play, though it sacrifices visual fidelity.

For a balanced experience at 1440p, the High preset is a strong choice, delivering 109.8 FPS. This is a significant improvement over the Ultra preset's 103.6 FPS, while still offering good visual quality. The data suggests that the difference between High and Ultra at 1440p is a 6.2 FPS drop, which may not be worth the extra graphical load for some users.

At 4K, the High preset is the recommended option, as it provides a playable 79.7 FPS. The Ultra preset is not recommended for smooth gameplay at this resolution, as it drops to 76.8 FPS. The Medium preset at 4K offers a higher 106.7 FPS, which is a good alternative for those who want a balance between visual quality and performance. The data indicates that the Ultra preset is best reserved for screenshots or scenarios where frame rate is less critical.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The complete set of measured average FPS values is as follows:

1920x1080:

• Low: 157.4 FPS
• Medium: 141.3 FPS
• High: 128.1 FPS
• Ultra: 128.9 FPS

2560x1440:

• Low: 144.6 FPS
• Medium: 135.7 FPS
• High: 109.8 FPS
• Ultra: 103.6 FPS

3840x2160:

• Low: 131.4 FPS
• Medium: 106.7 FPS
• High: 79.7 FPS
• Ultra: 76.8 FPS

The data reveals that the 1080p Ultra setting (128.9 FPS) performs slightly better than the 1080p High setting (128.1 FPS), which is an anomaly in the data. This could be due to specific optimization in the Ultra preset or measurement variance. Overall, the breakdown shows a clear hierarchy, with performance decreasing as resolution and settings increase. The step from 1440p Medium (135.7 FPS) to 1440p High (109.8 FPS) is a large 19.1% drop, indicating a significant increase in GPU workload between these presets.