Microsoft Flight Simulator

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER combination delivers a playable but not lavish experience in Microsoft Flight Simulator, with the data indicating that the CPU’s large cache is doing heavy lifting to keep frame rates from collapsing at higher settings. The 8-core, 16-thread processor with a 96 MB shared L3 cache pairs with a 12 nm Turing GPU that has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, producing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU’s base clock is 1605 MHz with a boost of 1770 MHz, while the CPU runs at a 3.40 GHz base and 4.50 GHz boost. The measured frames per second across resolutions and settings show a system that is consistently GPU-limited at 4K but becomes increasingly CPU-bound as resolution drops, though the 5800X3D’s 3D V-Cache architecture keeps 1080p performance respectable even at Ultra settings.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The RTX 2070 SUPER is a dual-slot, 215 W card with 2,560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units, plus 40 RT cores and 320 tensor cores. Its 8 GB GDDR6 frame buffer is the defining constraint in Microsoft Flight Simulator, a title that streams vast amounts of terrain and photogrammetry data. At 3840x2160, the GPU’s 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is saturated, and the results show it: Ultra settings yield an average of 37 FPS, while High settings only reach 39 FPS. The gap between Low (66 FPS) and Medium (51 FPS) at 4K is stark, indicating that the GPU’s shading throughput and memory subsystem are the primary bottlenecks once the render load increases.

The boost clock of 1770 MHz is modest by modern standards, and the FP32 performance of 9.062 TFLOPS places this card in the 65th percentile of all GPUs. The passmark G3D score of 18,169 reinforces this mid-range positioning. However, the CPU’s role should not be underestimated. The 5800X3D’s 96 MB L3 cache is uniquely suited to simulation workloads, which often feature repetitive access patterns across large datasets. The CPU’s 3dmark_max_threads score of 7,285 and Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14,317 show strong multi-threaded capability, but the single-thread score of 1,452 in R23 is more relevant here, as Flight Simulator relies heavily on a few main threads for world simulation.

The measured data shows that at 2560x1440, the gap between Low (89 FPS) and High (52 FPS) is 37 FPS, while at 1920x1080, the same settings gap is 46 FPS (111 vs 65). This widening delta at lower resolutions suggests that the CPU is able to feed the GPU more frames as pixel count drops, but the GPU still cannot maintain high frame rates at higher presets. The RTX 2070 SUPER’s memory clock of 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective) is adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but the 256-bit bus width becomes a limiting factor at 4K, where the 39 FPS High result is barely above the 37 FPS Ultra result — a sign that the GPU is fully saturated and settings changes yield diminishing returns.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best frame rate this combo can achieve at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 111 at 1920x1080 with Low settings. At Medium settings, the average drops to 86 FPS, with a minimum of 73 and maximum of 99 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU’s performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The 5800X3D has an average benchmark score of 27,896, which is effectively tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U (0% delta) and the Intel Core i9-10900K (0.1% ahead). The AMD Ryzen AI 5 PRO 340 is 0.1% ahead, while the Intel Core i5-12600KF trails by 0.3%.

Q: Is the GPU’s performance competitive with other cards in its class?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER’s average benchmark score is 20,282, putting it 1% behind the NVIDIA Quadro M4000M, 1.2% behind the RTX 3070 Mobile, 1.3% behind the Intel Arc B570, and 1.5% behind the Intel Arc A750. It sits in the 65th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: What happens to frame rates when moving from 1440p to 4K at Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 Medium, the average is 70 FPS with a minimum of 59. At 3840x2160 Medium, the average falls to 51 FPS with a minimum of 44, representing a 19 FPS drop (27%).

Q: Are there any settings where the frame rate stays above 60 FPS at 4K?

A: Yes, at 3840x2160 with Low settings, the average FPS is 66. Every other preset at 4K — Medium (51), High (39), and Ultra (37) — falls below 60 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 2,138 out of 3,714 tested combos, placing it in the upper-middle tier of all CPU-GPU pairings for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The scaling pattern from 1080p to 4K reveals a system that transitions from CPU-bound to GPU-bound as resolution increases. At Low settings, the frame rate drops from 111 FPS at 1920x1080 to 89 FPS at 2560x1440 (a 20% reduction), then further to 66 FPS at 3840x2160 (a 26% reduction from 1440p). This relatively gentle slope suggests that at Low settings, the CPU is the primary limiter — the 5800X3D can generate frames faster than the GPU can render them at 1080p, but the gap narrows as pixel count rises.

At Medium settings, the drop is more pronounced: 86 FPS at 1080p, 70 FPS at 1440p, and 51 FPS at 4K. The 1440p to 4K drop of 19 FPS (27%) is the largest single-step decline in the dataset, indicating that the GPU’s memory bandwidth and shading units are becoming the dominant constraint. The High settings row shows a similar pattern: 65 FPS at 1080p, 52 FPS at 1440p, and 39 FPS at 4K. This 26 FPS total drop from 1080p to 4K represents a 40% performance loss, which is typical for a GPU with 8 GB of VRAM and a 256-bit bus.

The Ultra settings data is telling: 62 FPS at 1080p, 50 FPS at 1440p, and 37 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 1440p drop is only 12 FPS, while the 1440p to 4K drop is 13 FPS — nearly identical absolute losses. This suggests that at Ultra, the GPU is so heavily loaded that even a 77% increase in pixel count (from 1080p to 4K) produces a linear rather than exponential frame rate decline, typical of a card that is already at its compute limits. The 4K Ultra average of 37 FPS is barely above the 4K High average of 39 FPS, confirming that the GPU has no headroom left at this resolution.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 2,138 out of 3,714 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator, placing it in the 42nd percentile of all tested pairings. This position is notable because the CPU itself is in the 80th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU is only in the 65th percentile. The rank suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor for this combo, dragging the overall score down from what the CPU alone could achieve.

The CPU’s nearest rivals provide context for this ranking. The 5800X3D’s average benchmark score of 27,896 is nearly identical to the Intel Core i9-10900K (27,872, 0.1% behind), yet the i9-10900K is often paired with higher-end GPUs in other combos. The 5800X3D’s 3dmark_16_threads score of 7,299 and Cinebench R15 multi-core score of 2,413 show it can keep up with modern CPUs, but the RTX 2070 SUPER’s passmark G3D score of 18,169 and DirectX 12 score of 67 are modest by comparison.

The rank of 2,138 out of 3,714 means that roughly 1,576 combos perform worse, while 2,137 perform better. For a CPU-GPU pairing where the CPU is a high-end gaming processor and the GPU is a mid-range card from 2019, this placement is expected. The data indicates that upgrading the GPU to a card with higher memory bandwidth and more shading units would yield significant improvements, whereas upgrading the CPU would provide diminishing returns, as the 5800X3D is already well ahead of the GPU’s capabilities in this workload.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS rows provide clear guidance on which settings preset offers the best balance of visual quality and playability. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset delivers 86 FPS average with a minimum of 73 FPS, which is smooth for a flight simulator. The High preset drops to 65 FPS, which is still playable but approaches the threshold where stutters may become noticeable. The Ultra preset at 62 FPS is technically above 60 FPS, but the margin is thin and the minimum FPS is not recorded, suggesting potential dips below 60.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the clear winner: 70 FPS average with a minimum of 59 FPS. This is the only 1440p preset that maintains a minimum above 55 FPS, making it the recommended choice for users with 1440p displays. The High preset at 52 FPS is borderline, and the Ultra preset at 50 FPS is too close to the 45 FPS comfort threshold. Low settings at 89 FPS are smooth but sacrifice too much visual fidelity for a simulator where terrain detail matters.

At 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. The Low preset at 66 FPS is the only 4K setting that clears 60 FPS, but it does so by removing most of the graphical features that make Flight Simulator immersive. The Medium preset at 51 FPS is the highest quality setting that remains playable, with a minimum of 44 FPS. The High preset at 39 FPS and Ultra at 37 FPS are both below the 40 FPS threshold where motion smoothness degrades noticeably.

For the best overall experience, the Medium preset at 2560x1440 is the sweet spot, offering 70 FPS average with a recorded minimum of 59 FPS. For users who prioritize visual quality over frame rate, the High preset at 1920x1080 provides 65 FPS, while the Medium preset at 4K offers a playable 51 FPS with a minimum of 44 FPS for those with 4K displays who are willing to compromise on settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

1920x1080:

• Low: 111 FPS average
• Medium: 86 FPS average, 73 FPS minimum, 99 FPS maximum
• High: 65 FPS average
• Ultra: 62 FPS average

At 1080p, the system shows a clear hierarchy with Low settings providing a 25 FPS advantage over Medium, and Medium providing a 21 FPS advantage over High. The gap between High and Ultra is only 3 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset adds minimal visual benefits relative to its performance cost at this resolution.

2560x1440:

• Low: 89 FPS average
• Medium: 70 FPS average, 59 FPS minimum, 80 FPS maximum
• High: 52 FPS average
• Ultra: 50 FPS average

The 1440p results show a compressed range compared to 1080p, with Low to Ultra spanning only 39 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 59 FPS is the key metric here, as it ensures frame times remain consistent. The High and Ultra presets are nearly identical (52 vs 50 FPS), suggesting that the GPU is the limiting factor and Ultra-specific effects have minimal impact.

3840x2160:

• Low: 66 FPS average
• Medium: 51 FPS average, 44 FPS minimum, 59 FPS maximum
• High: 39 FPS average
• Ultra: 37 FPS average

At 4K, the data reveals a heavily GPU-bound system. The Low preset’s 66 FPS is the only setting that exceeds 60 FPS, but the Medium preset’s 51 FPS average with a 44 FPS minimum is the highest quality setting that remains playable. The High and Ultra presets are effectively indistinguishable (39 vs 37 FPS), both falling below the 40 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The 4K Medium preset’s maximum of 59 FPS is notable — it never reaches 60 FPS, confirming that the GPU’s resources are fully committed at this resolution.