Microsoft Flight Simulator

# How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D lands at rank 169 out of 2996 tested combinations in Microsoft Flight Simulator. That places this combo in the top 5.6% of all tested systems, a strong showing for a flight simulator known for being demanding on both CPU and GPU. The rank suggests that while this is not the absolute top-tier configuration, it sits comfortably among the higher-performing setups in the database.

What makes this ranking particularly interesting is the CPU's position in the broader benchmark landscape. The Ryzen 7 5700X3D has a percentile score of 77 against all CPUs, meaning it outperforms 77% of processors in general computing benchmarks. Yet in this specific game, the combo's rank relative to other tested configurations suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor at most settings. The GPU, with a percentile of 92 against all GPUs, is clearly the stronger component in this pairing. The data implies that the RTX 5090 D is doing most of the heavy lifting in Microsoft Flight Simulator, while the 5700X3D provides adequate support without becoming a bottleneck at lower resolutions.

The deltaPct values from the CPU's nearest rivals show an interesting clustering. The Ryzen 7 5700X3D scores within 0.6% of the Intel Core i5-11600 and within 0.5% of the Intel Core i5-12450HX, while being 0.1% behind the AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D and 0.5% behind the AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX. This tight grouping around the 24,500-24,800 average benchmark score range suggests that in general compute tasks, these processors are nearly interchangeable. However, the 5700X3D's 96 MB of shared L3 cache — a defining feature of the X3D line — likely contributes to its strong showing in a simulation-heavy game like Microsoft Flight Simulator, where cache-sensitive workloads can benefit significantly.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D brings substantial hardware to this pairing, and the measured FPS data reflects that. With 32 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 512-bit bus, the GPU delivers 1.79 TB/s of memory bandwidth. This is a critical specification for Microsoft Flight Simulator, which streams vast amounts of terrain and scenery data. The 32 GB frame buffer means that even at 4K Ultra settings, the game's texture and geometry data can reside entirely in VRAM without spilling over to system memory, avoiding potential stutters.

The GPU's clock behavior is notable: a base clock of 2017 MHz and a boost clock of 2407 MHz. The relatively high boost clock, combined with 21760 shading units, translates to a raw compute capability of 104.8 TFLOPS for FP32 operations. In Microsoft Flight Simulator, this raw compute power is what enables high frame rates at demanding settings, particularly when rendering dense urban environments or complex weather systems. The RTX 5090 D also features 170 RT cores and 680 tensor cores, though the game's current implementation may not fully utilize these specialized units.

The GPU's benchmark profile shows a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 14326, and a PassMark G3D score of 44065. Its average benchmark score of 77712 places it 1.1% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT and 1.6% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT. This is a curious result — the RTX 5090 D sits between two mobile GPUs in average score, yet in Microsoft Flight Simulator, the measured FPS suggests that the desktop-class RTX 5090 D is performing at a level that these rivals likely cannot match. This discrepancy highlights how synthetic benchmarks may not fully capture a GPU's real-world gaming performance, especially in a title as unique as Microsoft Flight Simulator.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved by this combo?

A: The highest recorded average FPS is 157, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This indicates that the combination is capable of very high frame rates when graphical demands are reduced.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 84 at Ultra settings to 132 at Low settings. Medium settings yield 118 FPS with a minimum of 100 and maximum of 135, while High settings produce 88 FPS. This shows playable performance even at the most demanding resolution.

Q: What is the difference in FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, Low settings deliver 146 FPS average, while Ultra settings produce 114 FPS average. This represents a 32 FPS difference, or approximately 22% lower performance at Ultra compared to Low.

Q: Does the RTX 5090 D's 32 GB VRAM matter for this game?

A: The 32 GB frame buffer ensures that Microsoft Flight Simulator's large texture and terrain datasets can be fully held in VRAM. This is particularly relevant at 4K Ultra settings, where memory pressure is highest, and likely contributes to the consistent performance observed.

Q: How does the CPU's cache affect gaming performance?

A: The Ryzen 7 5700X3D features 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is unusually large. In simulation games like Microsoft Flight Simulator, larger caches can improve performance by holding more frequently accessed data closer to the cores, reducing memory latency.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded in any tested configuration?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 100, observed at 3840x2160 with Medium settings. This indicates that even in the most demanding conditions measured, the combo maintains a playable frame rate without dropping below triple digits.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo demonstrates its highest performance ceiling. Low settings produce an average of 157 FPS, while Medium settings yield 143 FPS with a minimum of 122 and maximum of 165. High settings achieve 129 FPS average, and Ultra settings produce 127 FPS average. The close gap between High and Ultra at 1080p — just 2 FPS — suggests that the GPU has enough headroom at this resolution to handle the additional graphical features of Ultra without significant cost.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows a more pronounced scaling. Low settings deliver 146 FPS average, Medium settings produce 133 FPS with a minimum of 113 and maximum of 153, High settings achieve 120 FPS, and Ultra settings yield 114 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is noticeable but not severe — roughly 7-8% lower FPS across settings. This suggests that the RTX 5090 D is still the dominant factor, and the CPU is keeping pace adequately.

At 3840x2160, the demands on the GPU become evident. Low settings produce 132 FPS average, which is remarkably high for 4K. Medium settings yield 118 FPS with a minimum of 100 and maximum of 135, representing the only configuration where the minimum FPS drops below the 120 FPS threshold. High settings achieve 88 FPS average, and Ultra settings produce 84 FPS average. The gap between Medium and High at 4K is 30 FPS — a significant jump that indicates the High preset introduces substantially more graphical work. The difference between High and Ultra at 4K is only 4 FPS, implying that Ultra's additional features have diminishing returns at this resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The data reveals a clear pattern in how frame rates scale with resolution. From 1080p to 1440p, the average FPS drops by approximately 7-8% across all settings. From 1440p to 4K, the drop is more substantial, ranging from 10% at Low settings to 27% at High settings. The most dramatic scaling occurs at High settings: 129 FPS at 1080p, 120 FPS at 1440p, and 88 FPS at 4K — a total reduction of 32% from 1080p to 4K.

This scaling pattern indicates that the CPU becomes relatively more important at lower resolutions, while the GPU increasingly dominates at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU's role is more pronounced, as evidenced by the smaller FPS differences between Low and Ultra settings — only 30 FPS separates the two extremes. At 4K, the GPU's workload dominates, and the difference between Low and Ultra grows to 48 FPS. The fact that 4K Low still achieves 132 FPS suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU enough data even at high frame rates, while the GPU's performance ceiling at 4K Ultra is constrained by its raw processing power.

The minimum FPS data, available only for Medium settings, shows an interesting trend. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 122 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the minimum drops to 113 FPS. At 4K Medium, the minimum falls to 100 FPS. This consistent 10-12 FPS reduction in minimum FPS per resolution step suggests that the combo handles frame-time consistency well, without sudden drops that would indicate stuttering or CPU bottlenecks.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer. It operates on the AMD Socket AM4 platform with a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz. The 96 MB of shared L3 cache is the standout feature, providing substantially more cache than typical processors. This large cache is particularly beneficial in Microsoft Flight Simulator, where the simulation of flight physics, weather systems, and terrain loading can create complex, cache-sensitive workloads.

The CPU's benchmark results show a balanced profile. In Cinebench R23, it scores 22366 in multicore and 3157 in single-core. The Geekbench multicore score is 11086, with a single-core score of 1849. These numbers place the 5700X3D at a percentile of 77 against all CPUs, indicating solid but not exceptional performance. The average benchmark score of 24709 is within 0.6% of its nearest rivals, showing that in general compute tasks, it performs similarly to processors like the Intel Core i5-11600 and Intel Core i5-12450HX.

In the context of Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU's role is to handle the game's simulation logic, which runs largely on a single thread, while also managing background tasks like terrain streaming and object placement. The single-thread performance, as indicated by the 3DMark single-thread score of 804 and PassMark single-thread score of 2970, is adequate but not top-tier. However, the large cache compensates somewhat by reducing memory latency for frequently accessed data. The measured FPS data suggests that this CPU does not bottleneck the RTX 5090 D at 4K, where the GPU is clearly the limiting factor, but it may impose some constraint at 1080p where the CPU's single-thread performance becomes more relevant.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions. At 1080p, Medium delivers 143 FPS average with a minimum of 122 FPS, providing smooth gameplay with headroom above the 120 FPS threshold. The jump from Medium to High costs 14 FPS, while the jump from High to Ultra costs only 2 FPS — suggesting that Ultra's additional features are relatively inexpensive at this resolution.

At 1440p, Medium produces 133 FPS average with a minimum of 113 FPS. This remains comfortably playable, and the 19 FPS drop to High settings (120 FPS) may be worth it for users with high-refresh-rate monitors who prioritize visual fidelity. However, the drop to Ultra at 114 FPS is marginal, so High appears to be the sweet spot at this resolution.

At 4K, Medium yields 118 FPS average with a minimum of 100 FPS. This is the only resolution where Medium drops below the 120 FPS average threshold. High settings at 4K produce 88 FPS — still playable but a significant 30 FPS reduction from Medium. Ultra at 4K delivers 84 FPS, which is only 4 FPS lower than High. The data suggests that at 4K, Medium is the optimal choice for maintaining high frame rates, while High offers a reasonable trade-off for those who prioritize visual quality over frame rate. Ultra provides negligible gains over High at 4K and is not recommended given the FPS cost.