Microsoft Flight Simulator

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, built on TSMC's 7 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz, drawing a 105 W TDP. In synthetic benchmarks, it posts a multi-threaded Cinebench R23 score of 23571 and a single-core score of 3327, placing it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs tested. Its closest rivals in aggregate benchmarking are the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 (0.3% higher average score), the AMD Ryzen 5 8500GE (0.4% lower), and the Intel Core i7-13700H (0.4% lower). For Microsoft Flight Simulator, this processor’s 8-core/16-thread configuration is more than adequate to feed the GPU, as the game’s workload is not heavily dependent on extreme multi-threading. The single-thread performance, reflected in a Geekbench single-core score of 2194, is the more critical factor for this flight simulator, which relies on strong per-core performance to handle the complex physics and AI calculations. The data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the CPU is not the primary bottleneck, as the system achieves an average of 183.9 FPS, a figure that drops only when graphical settings or resolution increase the GPU load.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Ryzen 7 5800X provides a solid foundation for Microsoft Flight Simulator, with its 8 cores and 16 threads ensuring that background tasks and the game’s simulation threads have ample resources. The boost clock of 4.70 GHz is instrumental in achieving high frame rates, particularly in less demanding scenarios. In the measured data, the transition from Low to Ultra settings at 1080p shows a performance drop from 183.9 FPS to 108 FPS. This 75.9 FPS gap indicates that while the CPU is capable of high throughput, the game’s rendering pipeline becomes increasingly dependent on the GPU as settings rise. The processor’s 32 MB of L3 cache helps reduce latency for frequently accessed data, which is beneficial for the game’s streaming of terrain and aircraft data. Compared to its nearest rivals, the CPU’s average benchmark score of 27606 is nearly identical to the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 (27535), showing that the two are effectively interchangeable in performance. The 0.4% deficit to the Intel Core i7-13700H is negligible in real-world gaming, and the data suggests that the 5800X is not a limiting factor in this combo. At 4K with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 66, which is exactly the same as the 1080p Ultra result of 108 FPS is not—rather, the 4K Ultra result of 66 FPS shows the CPU has headroom left, as the GPU is working harder. The processor’s 84th percentile ranking against all CPUs confirms it is a strong performer, but not an outlier, meaning its role is to provide consistent, high-level performance without bottlenecking the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal experience balances visual fidelity with frame rate. At 4K resolution, the High preset yields an average of 67.1 FPS, which is just above the Ultra preset’s 66 FPS. The difference of only 1.1 FPS between High and Ultra at 4K suggests that the Ultra preset offers a marginal performance cost for potentially better visuals, but the High preset provides a nearly identical frame rate with fewer GPU resources consumed. For a smoother experience, the Medium preset at 4K delivers 88.8 FPS, a substantial 21.7 FPS improvement over High, making it the recommended choice for 4K displays if frame rate is prioritized over maximum graphical detail. At 1440p, the High preset achieves 92.7 FPS, which is a good balance, but the Medium preset at 123.3 FPS is more fluid. The data indicates that the Low preset at 1440p (157.6 FPS) is unnecessary for most users, as the Medium preset offers a significant visual upgrade while still maintaining a high refresh rate. For 1080p, the Ultra preset’s 108 FPS is playable, but the High preset at 114.3 FPS is virtually identical in performance. The Medium preset at 153.9 FPS is the best value for high-refresh-rate monitors, as it provides a large frame rate increase over High (39.6 FPS) with only a moderate reduction in settings. The benchmark results show that the game scales predictably with settings, and the Medium preset is the sweet spot across all resolutions, offering the best compromise between image quality and performance. The Ultra preset, while the most demanding, does not provide a proportional frame rate increase over High, suggesting diminishing returns.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling that identifies the GPU as the primary limiting component. At 1080p with Ultra settings, the system averages 108 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops this to 86.2 FPS, a 20.2% decrease. Pushing further to 4K reduces the average to 66 FPS, another 23.4% drop from 1440p. This steep decline with increasing resolution is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. In contrast, the CPU’s workload remains relatively constant across resolutions, as the simulation logic does not change. The fact that the 4K Ultra result (66 FPS) is significantly lower than the 1080p Ultra result (108 FPS) shows that the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER’s rendering capabilities are being taxed. The GPU’s 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 672.3 GB/s of bandwidth are sufficient for 4K textures, but the sheer pixel count at 3840x2160 overwhelms the GPU’s compute units. The data from the Low preset further confirms this: at 1080p Low, the system hits 183.9 FPS, but at 4K Low, it drops to 116.1 FPS. This 67.8 FPS difference at Low settings shows that even with minimal graphical features, the resolution alone is a major factor. The scaling from 1080p to 4K is not linear, as the pixel count quadruples, but the frame rate does not quarter, indicating that the GPU has some headroom, but it is clearly the bottleneck. The CPU, with its high single-thread performance, is able to maintain frame pacing, but the GPU’s fill rate and shader throughput are the limiting factors at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER ranks 166th out of 1795 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the top 9.2% of all configurations, a strong showing for a mid-range to high-end pairing. The rank is a reflection of the overall system balance, where the CPU’s 84th percentile and GPU’s 86th percentile scores contribute to a cohesive performance profile. The combo’s position is likely influenced by the GPU’s robust specifications, including its 8448 shading units and 44.10 TFLOPS of FP32 compute, which are well-suited for the game’s demanding rendering. The CPU’s 8 cores are not a hindrance, as the game does not scale perfectly with core count, but the high boost clock ensures that single-threaded tasks are handled efficiently. Compared to other combos in the database, this pairing is in the upper echelon, but not at the very top, suggesting that there are faster CPUs and GPUs available. The rank of 166 out of 1795 indicates that the majority of tested combos (over 1600) perform worse, which makes this a highly capable system. The data shows that the combo excels at 1080p and 1440p, where it can push high frame rates, but at 4K Ultra, it falls to 66 FPS, which is on the edge of playability. This rank reflects the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER’s performance, as the CPU is not a bottleneck in most scenarios.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER is the dominant component in this combo, and its specifications directly influence the measured results. With 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, it offers a memory bandwidth of 672.3 GB/s, which is crucial for streaming high-resolution textures in Microsoft Flight Simulator. The GPU’s boost clock of 2610 MHz and its 8448 shading units provide the raw compute power needed for the game’s complex lighting and shadow calculations. Its 66 RT cores and 264 tensor cores are available for ray tracing and DLSS features, though the measured data does not specify if these are enabled. The GPU’s 86th percentile ranking against all GPUs is slightly higher than the CPU’s 84th percentile, indicating that the GPU is the stronger component. In the nearest rival comparisons, the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER’s average benchmark score of 48704 is 0.7% lower than the NVIDIA CMP 50HX (49071), 1.6% higher than the NVIDIA RTX A2000 (47915), and 2.0% higher than the NVIDIA RTX A1000 Mobile (47743). These differences are minor and do not translate into significant gaming performance gaps. The GPU’s 285 W TDP and 600 W suggested PSU indicate it is a power-hungry part, but the data shows it delivers. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra (66 FPS) is only 1.1 FPS lower than the High preset (67.1 FPS), which suggests that the Ultra preset is not significantly more demanding, but the GPU is already near its limits at this resolution. The GPU’s role is to render the vast landscapes and detailed aircraft models, and its performance scales predictably with settings, as shown by the 4K Low result of 116.1 FPS. The 16 GB VRAM is a key asset, as it prevents texture swapping at higher resolutions, ensuring consistent frame rates. The GPU’s compute capability, measured at 18372 in Passmark GPU Compute, is sufficient for the game’s physics calculations, though the CPU handles the primary simulation.