Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator presents one of the most demanding rendering workloads in PC gaming, and the data for the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 reveals a configuration that is consistently playable but heavily influenced by both resolution and quality preset. The measured frames per second (FPS) across the three primary resolutions and four quality settings show a system where the GPU is the primary scaling factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s 8-core/16-thread design provides a robust foundation for the simulation’s complex world-streaming logic. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, contextualizes it against the component’s standalone benchmarks, and answers key questions about how this combo behaves in the simulator.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is significant and tells a clear story about where the bottleneck lies. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 126 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low drops that to 102 FPS, and at 4K Low it falls to 75 FPS. This represents a 40% reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, which indicates that the Radeon RX 7700 is being pushed harder as pixel count increases. The trend is even more pronounced at higher quality presets; for instance, at High settings, the average FPS goes from 74 at 1080p to 60 at 1440p and then to 44 at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 4K at High settings is 30 FPS, a 40.5% drop, suggesting that the GPU’s rendering capabilities are the limiting factor at 4K, unable to maintain the frame rates seen at lower resolutions.

The scaling pattern reveals that the CPU is not the primary constraint at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the 126 FPS figure is likely approaching the upper limit of what this CPU-GPU combination can achieve, but the consistent drop as resolution increases points to the GPU being the dominant workload driver. For example, at Medium settings, the 4K average of 59 FPS is only 39 FPS lower than the 1080p average of 98 FPS. This non-linear scaling, where the absolute FPS difference grows with resolution, is typical of a GPU-bound scenario. The Radeon RX 7700’s 16 GB of VRAM and 256-bit memory bus, providing 624.1 GB/s of bandwidth, are sufficient to avoid memory capacity issues, but the raw compute throughput, measured at 25.18 TFLOPS FP32, is what determines the frame rate at 4K. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the average dips to 42 FPS, which is just below the 44 FPS at 4K High, indicating that the most demanding preset is stressing the GPU to its limits.

Interestingly, the relative performance gap between settings shrinks at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the difference between Low (126 FPS) and Ultra (70 FPS) is 56 FPS. At 4K, the difference between Low (75 FPS) and Ultra (42 FPS) is 33 FPS. This compression suggests that at 4K, the GPU is so saturated that the additional workload from higher settings has a smaller absolute impact, as the renderer is already working at maximum capacity. The data implies that for this combo, 1080p and 1440p are the sweet spots for high refresh rate play, while 4K requires accepting lower settings to stay above 60 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p with Ultra settings?

A: The measured average is 57 FPS. This is just below the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting that while playable, the Ultra preset at 1440p may experience occasional dips in demanding scenes.

Q: How does the 4K Medium performance compare to the 4K High performance?

A: At 4K Medium, the average FPS is 59, with a minimum of 50 and a maximum of 67. At 4K High, the average drops to 44 FPS. This 15 FPS difference indicates that the Medium preset offers a significantly smoother experience at 4K.

Q: Is this combination capable of running the game at 1080p with a high refresh rate?

A: Yes. At 1080p Low, the average is 126 FPS, and at 1080p Medium, it is 98 FPS. Even at 1080p High, the average is 74 FPS, which is suitable for a 75Hz or 144Hz monitor with adaptive sync.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for this combo in the measured data?

A: The only settings with recorded minimum FPS values are Medium presets. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 84 FPS; at 1440p Medium, it is 67 FPS; and at 4K Medium, it is 50 FPS. No minimums were recorded for Low, High, or Ultra presets.

Q: How does this combo rank against all other tested combinations in the game?

A: The combo ranks 1324 out of 2996 total tested combos. This places it in the 44th percentile, meaning it outperforms 44% of all tested systems in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Q: Does this CPU have integrated graphics?

A: No, the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT has no integrated graphics (N/A). A dedicated GPU, such as the Radeon RX 7700 in this combo, is required for display output.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, using the Vermeer codename on a 7nm process. Its base clock is 3.80 GHz, with a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. In the context of Microsoft Flight Simulator, which is known for heavy single-threaded demands alongside multi-threaded background tasks, this CPU’s strengths are evident in the benchmark data. The single-thread performance, as measured by Cinebench R23, is 3359 points, which is a strong result for a desktop processor. The multi-core score of 23794 in Cinebench R23 indicates that the 8 cores and 16 threads can handle the simulation’s complex physics and AI calculations.

The CPU’s benchmark scores relative to its nearest rivals provide context for its performance. The Ryzen 7 5800XT has an average benchmark score of 29879, with a percentile ranking of 81 among all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H, scores 29868, a delta of 0%. The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X scores 29713, which is 0.6% lower. This indicates that the 5800XT is competitive with modern laptop and desktop chips, despite being from the 5000 series. In Flight Simulator, this CPU performance is likely sufficient to feed the Radeon RX 7700 at all but the lowest resolutions. The 1080p Low result of 126 FPS suggests that the CPU can drive high frame rates, but the game’s engine may not be perfectly optimized for multi-threading, as the 3DMark scores show a scaling from 1879 (2 threads) to 7683 (16 threads), indicating good but not perfect scaling.

The CPU’s 32 MB of shared L3 cache is a notable feature for a simulation game that streams large amounts of terrain and object data. The dual-channel DDR4 memory support, with a bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s, is adequate for this workload. The data shows that at 1080p, where the GPU is less stressed, the CPU’s role becomes more prominent. The difference between 1080p Low (126 FPS) and 1440p Low (102 FPS) is 24 FPS, while the difference between 1440p Low and 4K Low is 27 FPS. This suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor at 1440p and 4K, as the FPS drop is more attributable to pixel count. However, at 1080p, the CPU’s 4.80 GHz boost clock is likely being utilized to maintain the high frame rates, indicating that the Ryzen 7 5800XT is a capable partner for this GPU in a flight simulator context.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1080p gaming, the Medium preset offers an excellent balance, with an average of 98 FPS and a minimum of 84 FPS. This provides a smooth experience without sacrificing too much visual fidelity. The High preset at 1080p, averaging 74 FPS, is also playable, but the jump from Medium to High results in a 24 FPS drop, which may not be worth the visual gains for some users. The Ultra preset at 1080p, at 70 FPS, is only 4 FPS lower than High, indicating that the GPU is not the primary bottleneck at this resolution, and the CPU may be limiting the maximum frame rate.

At 1440p, the Medium preset again appears to be the sweet spot, with an average of 79 FPS and a minimum of 67 FPS. This is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold for a smooth experience. The High preset at 1440p drops to 60 FPS average, which is borderline, and the Ultra preset falls to 57 FPS, which may result in noticeable stutters in complex scenes. For 4K, the data suggests that Medium is the highest playable preset, with an average of 59 FPS and a minimum of 50 FPS. The Low preset at 4K, at 75 FPS, is the only 4K option that exceeds 60 FPS, but it requires significant visual compromises. The High and Ultra presets at 4K, at 44 and 42 FPS respectively, are not recommended for a consistent experience.

Given the data, the best experience per the measured rows is to use the Medium preset for all resolutions. The 1080p Medium (98 FPS), 1440p Medium (79 FPS), and 4K Medium (59 FPS) all provide the most stable frame rates relative to their resolution, with the minimum FPS values (84, 67, and 50 respectively) indicating that the frame times are relatively consistent. The Low preset offers higher FPS but sacrifices too much visual detail for a flight simulator where seeing distant terrain and aircraft is crucial. The High and Ultra presets offer diminishing returns for the FPS cost, particularly at 4K where the average drops below 45 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and AMD Radeon RX 7700 ranks 1324 out of 2996 tested combinations in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the lower-middle segment of the performance spectrum, outperforming roughly 44% of all tested systems. This ranking is a reflection of the GPU’s mid-range status, as the Radeon RX 7700 has a percentile ranking of 58 among all GPUs, meaning it is better than 58% of GPUs but far from the top tier. The CPU, on the other hand, ranks in the 81st percentile among all CPUs, indicating that the processor is a stronger performer relative to its peers than the GPU.

The ranking suggests that this combo is a balanced but not exceptional pairing for this specific game. The CPU’s high percentile (81) is somewhat offset by the GPU’s lower percentile (58), resulting in an overall combo rank that is below the midpoint. For comparison, the GPU’s nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, has an average score of 16129, which is 1.7% higher than the RX 7700’s 15852. This small delta suggests that the RX 7700 performs similarly to a last-generation NVIDIA mid-range card. The CPU’s nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H, has a delta of 0%, indicating that the 5800XT is essentially on par with a modern mobile CPU.

The combo’s rank of 1324 out of 2996 implies that there are better-performing combinations for this game, likely those with higher-end GPUs. However, the data shows that this combo is still capable of delivering playable frame rates at most settings, particularly at 1080p and 1440p. The ranking is a useful indicator for users comparing systems, but the measured FPS data provides a more actionable picture of what to expect in practice. The fact that the data is measured, rather than estimated, adds credibility to the ranking, confirming that this is a real-world result for this specific hardware pairing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across all resolutions and settings. At 3840x2160 (4K), the average FPS ranges from a low of 42 at Ultra to a high of 75 at Low. The Medium preset at 4K has an average of 59 FPS, with a minimum of 50 and a maximum of 67. The High preset at 4K averages 44 FPS. No minimum or maximum values are provided for Low, High, or Ultra at 4K, limiting the analysis of frame time consistency for those presets.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the average FPS ranges from 57 at Ultra to 102 at Low. The Medium preset averages 79 FPS, with a minimum of 67 and a maximum of 91. The High preset averages 60 FPS. The 1440p results show a more even spread, with the Low preset offering more than double the frame rate of the Ultra preset. At 1920x1080 (1080p), the average FPS ranges from 70 at Ultra to 126 at Low. The Medium preset averages 98 FPS, with a minimum of 84 and a maximum of 113. The High preset averages 74 FPS.

The data reveals a consistent pattern: the Medium preset provides the only measured minimum and maximum FPS values, which allows for an assessment of stability. At all three resolutions, the Medium preset’s minimum FPS is within 10-15% of the average, indicating good frame pacing. For example, at 1080p Medium, the average is 98 FPS with a minimum of 84 FPS, a 14.3% deviation. At 4K Medium, the average is 59 FPS with a minimum of 50 FPS, a 15.3% deviation. This suggests that the Medium preset offers a more stable experience than the other presets, which lack recorded minimums. The lack of min/max data for other settings means we cannot confirm their stability, but the averages suggest that Low and High are less consistent due to the absence of recorded minimums.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 is a RDNA 3.0 architecture GPU, built on a 5nm process with a chip codename of Wheat Nas. It features 2560 shading units, 160 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output units. The GPU’s boost clock is 2459 MHz, with a game clock of 2041 MHz. The 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 624.1 GB/s, which is substantial for a mid-range card. In Microsoft Flight Simulator, this memory capacity is likely sufficient for high-resolution textures, as the game can consume large amounts of VRAM when loading detailed scenery.

The GPU’s benchmark results show a Passmark G3D score of 20974, with a percentile ranking of 58 among all GPUs. Its average benchmark score is 15852, which is close to its nearest rivals. The AMD Radeon RX 9060 has a score of 16014, which is 1% higher, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti scores 16129, 1.7% higher. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500 scores 15679, 1.1% lower. These small deltas indicate that the RX 7700 is positioned in a competitive mid-range segment, with performance that is neither significantly better nor worse than its direct competitors.

In the context of this game, the GPU’s role is paramount, particularly at higher resolutions. The data shows that the FPS scales inversely with resolution, and the GPU’s compute capability is the primary driver of this scaling. The 25.18 TFLOPS FP32 performance is a key metric, as Flight Simulator’s rendering engine relies heavily on pixel and texture processing. The 4K results, particularly the 42 FPS at Ultra, highlight the GPU’s limitations at the highest settings. Conversely, the 1080p Low result of 126 FPS shows that the GPU is capable of high frame rates when the workload is reduced. The GPU’s 96 ROPs and 393.4 GTexel/s texture rate are responsible for the fill-rate performance, which is crucial for rendering the dense scenes in the simulator. The data implies that for users prioritizing high FPS, the GPU should be paired with a lower resolution or quality preset, while those willing to accept 4K will need to use the Medium or Low preset to maintain playability.