Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a demanding flight simulation title that stresses both the processor and the graphics card. This analysis examines the measured performance of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, based on the benchmark data provided. The data reveals a system that delivers playable frame rates across all tested resolutions, with performance scaling that highlights the balance between the CPU's 8-core/16-thread configuration and the GPU's substantial memory and bandwidth.

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer, built on a 7 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.50 GHz. The key differentiator for this CPU is its large 96 MB shared L3 cache, which is significantly larger than typical designs and helps in scenarios where data needs to be accessed quickly across cores. The processor supports DDR4 memory with a dual-channel bus and a memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, and it connects via PCIe Gen 4 with 20 lanes.

In the context of Microsoft Flight Simulator, the game's engine is known for heavy single-threaded workloads, but it also scales with additional cores for background simulation tasks like weather and AI traffic. The Ryzen 7 5800X3D's benchmark scores show a strong balance: a single-thread score of 884 in 3dmark_single_thread and a multicore score of 7285 in 3dmark_max_threads. This indicates that the CPU can handle both the primary rendering thread and the auxiliary simulation threads without becoming a bottleneck. The data from the measured FPS shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 171 FPS, which suggests the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU enough data to reach high frame rates. The large L3 cache likely contributes to this by reducing latency when the game accesses world data and scenery.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the Ryzen 7 5800X3D has an average benchmark score of 27896, placing it in the 80th percentile of all CPUs. The closest competitor is the AMD Ryzen 7 6800U with an average score of 27887, a negligible delta of 0%. The Intel Core i9-10900K scores 27872, also a 0.1% delta, and the Intel Core i5-12600KF scores 27799, a 0.3% delta. This indicates that the 5800X3D performs nearly identically to these alternatives in general benchmarks, but its specific cache configuration may provide an edge in simulation-heavy games like this one. The data shows that at 1080p Ultra settings, the combo still manages 117 FPS, indicating that the CPU is not a limiting factor even when the GPU is under heavy load.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

According to the measured data, this specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 326 out of 3714 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the top 8.8% of all systems tested, which is a strong showing for a high-end desktop configuration. The rank is based on the average FPS across all tested settings and resolutions, and this combo's performance is clearly above the median, but it is not the absolute top-tier system, likely because more recent CPUs and GPUs can push higher frame rates.

The combo's ranking is supported by its consistent performance across the board. At 1440p Ultra, it achieves 95 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it drops to 70 FPS, both of which are playable for a flight simulator where smoothness is more critical than competitive frame rates. The data indicates that this system is well-balanced, as the CPU's strong single-thread performance and the GPU's high memory bandwidth work together to maintain stable frame rates. The rank of 326 suggests that while there are faster systems, this combo offers a very solid experience for the game's demanding simulation engine. The percentileVsAllCpus of 80 and the percentileVsAllGpus of 86 both indicate that each component is above average individually, and their combination produces a synergistic result that is better than many other pairings.

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

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, which is typical for a GPU-bound workload. At 1080p High settings, the combo achieves 123 FPS, which drops to 99 FPS at 1440p and further to 73 FPS at 4K. This represents a 21% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 41% drop from 1080p to 4K. The pattern is similar for other settings, indicating that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions.

At 1080p Low settings, the combo reaches 171 FPS, which is the highest measured frame rate, and it drops to 159 FPS at 1440p and 125 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is 27%, which is less severe than the 41% drop at High settings. This suggests that at Low settings, the CPU becomes more of a factor, as the GPU is less stressed, but the overall trend still points to the GPU being the bottleneck at 4K. The data also shows that at 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 156, while at 4K Medium it is 97, a 38% drop. This scaling behavior indicates that the RTX 4080's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 716.8 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 4K, but the GPU's raw compute power is what limits performance at higher resolutions. The CPU, with its 8 cores and 16 threads, appears to provide enough headroom to avoid being a bottleneck until frame rates exceed 150 FPS, which only occurs at 1080p Low.

FAQ

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

A: The highest average FPS is 171, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average FPS of 70, which is the lowest measured frame rate but still playable for a flight simulator.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 1440p Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 with Medium settings, the combo achieves 132 FPS, with a minimum of 112 FPS and a maximum of 152 FPS. The data suggests the GPU is the primary limiter, as the frame rate is still high, but the CPU's performance is sufficient to keep up.

Q: What is the combo's rank among other tested systems in this game?

A: The combo ranks 326 out of 3714 tested combos, placing it in the top 8.8% of all systems.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 5800X3D compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-10900K?

A: The Ryzen 7 5800X3D has an average benchmark score of 27896, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i9-10900K's score of 27872, indicating near-identical general performance.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1080p Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 133, with a maximum of 179 and an average of 156.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 is based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, specifically the AD103 chip, built on a 5 nm process. It features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 2205 MHz and a boost clock of 2505 MHz, with memory clocked at 1400 MHz (22.4 Gbps effective). It contains 9728 shading units, 304 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, along with 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores. The GPU's raw compute power is rated at 48.74 TFLOPS for FP32 and FP16, which is substantial for rendering complex scenes.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the GPU's role is to render the detailed terrain, aircraft models, and lighting effects. The 16 GB of VRAM is particularly important for high-resolution textures, and the data shows that at 4K Ultra settings, the combo achieves 70 FPS, which is likely sufficient to load the highest quality textures without exceeding memory capacity. The high memory bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s helps with streaming world data, which is a common performance bottleneck in flight simulators. The GPU's benchmark scores are strong, with a passmark_g3d score of 34457 and a passmark_gpu_compute score of 20671, placing it in the 86th percentile of all GPUs.

Compared to its nearest rivals, the RTX 4080 has an average benchmark score of 54247. The closest competitor is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER with a score of 54209, a 0.1% delta, indicating they are nearly identical in performance. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828, which is 1.1% higher, and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698, which is 2.6% higher. This shows that the RTX 4080 is competitive with other high-end GPUs, and its performance in this game is consistent with its general benchmark results. The measured FPS at 1440p Ultra is 95, which is a smooth experience for a flight simulator, and the data indicates that the GPU is well-utilized across all settings.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's priority for visual fidelity versus frame rate. At 1080p, the Low preset achieves 171 FPS, which is the highest frame rate and suitable for users who prefer maximum smoothness or have a high refresh rate monitor. The Medium preset at 1080p achieves 156 FPS, which is still very high and offers a better visual experience than Low. The High preset at 1080p achieves 123 FPS, which is a good balance, and the Ultra preset achieves 117 FPS, which is only slightly lower and gives the best visuals. For most users at 1080p, the High or Ultra preset is recommended, as the frame rate remains above 117 FPS, which is more than adequate for a flight simulator.

At 1440p, the Low preset achieves 159 FPS, which is excellent, but the Medium preset at 132 FPS is a better choice for visual quality. The High preset at 1440p achieves 99 FPS, which is a noticeable drop but still smooth, and the Ultra preset at 95 FPS is nearly identical to High. The data suggests that at 1440p, the Medium preset offers the best balance between visuals and performance, as it provides a 132 FPS average with a minimum of 112 FPS, ensuring a consistent experience. The High and Ultra presets are also viable, but the frame rate drops below 100 FPS, which may be less desirable for some users.

At 4K, the Low preset achieves 125 FPS, which is surprisingly high and indicates that the GPU and CPU can handle the resolution well when settings are reduced. The Medium preset at 4K achieves 97 FPS, which is playable, and the High preset at 73 FPS is also acceptable. The Ultra preset at 4K achieves 70 FPS, which is the lowest measured but still above 60 FPS, making it playable for a flight simulator. Given that the game is not a fast-paced shooter, the Ultra preset at 4K is recommended for the best visual experience, as the 70 FPS average is sufficient for a smooth flight simulation. However, if a higher frame rate is preferred, the High preset at 4K with 73 FPS is a good compromise.

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

The measured FPS data provides a detailed view of how the combo performs across different resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average FPS of 171. The Medium preset at this resolution achieves an average FPS of 156, with a minimum of 133 and a maximum of 179. The High preset achieves an average FPS of 123, and the Ultra preset achieves an average FPS of 117. This shows that at 1080p, the performance is consistently high, with even the Ultra preset maintaining a frame rate above 115 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves an average FPS of 159. The Medium preset at this resolution achieves an average FPS of 132, with a minimum of 112 and a maximum of 152. The High preset achieves an average FPS of 99, and the Ultra preset achieves an average FPS of 95. This indicates a clear drop from 1080p, but the performance remains strong, with the Medium preset being the most balanced option. At 3840x2160, the Low preset achieves an average FPS of 125. The Medium preset at this resolution achieves an average FPS of 97, with a minimum of 83 and a maximum of 112. The High preset achieves an average FPS of 73, and the Ultra preset achieves an average FPS of 70. This data confirms that 4K is the most demanding resolution, but the combo still delivers playable frame rates across all settings, with the Low preset providing the highest FPS and the Ultra preset offering the best visuals.