Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator remains one of the most demanding titles in the benchmark suite, and the pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER produces a distinct performance profile. The measured data reveals a system that is consistently playable but requires deliberate settings management to achieve smooth frame rates, particularly at higher resolutions. The combination's overall rank of 1100 out of 1795 tested combos places it in the lower-middle tier of the database, indicating that while it is far from the fastest configuration, it holds its own against a significant portion of the field.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and expected pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases, but the magnitude of the drop reveals the system's bottleneck. At 1080p with High settings, the combo produces an average of 63.9 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same preset, the average falls to 50.5 FPS, a reduction of 21%. Stepping up to 4K High brings the average down further to 39.4 FPS, which is a 38% drop from the 1440p result and a 62% drop from the 1080p baseline.

This scaling pattern is significant. The transition from 1080p to 1440p incurs a relatively modest 13.4 FPS penalty, while the jump from 1440p to 4K costs another 11.1 FPS. The fact that the frame rate continues to decline steadily with each resolution increase suggests that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is the primary limiting factor. If the CPU were the constraint, we would expect to see a smaller delta between 1440p and 4K, as the GPU would be forced to wait for the processor to feed it data. Instead, the consistent drop indicates that the GPU's rendering throughput is being saturated earlier.

The data from the Low preset reinforces this interpretation. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 108.6 FPS, but this falls to 88.3 FPS at 1440p and then to 65.8 FPS at 4K. The absolute frame rate at 1080p Low is high enough to suggest the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU adequately at lower loads. However, the fact that 4K Low (65.8 FPS) is still significantly lower than 1080p High (63.9 FPS) shows that resolution has a more profound impact than visual fidelity. This is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario, where pixel count and fill rate demands outpace the CPU's workload scaling.

In practical terms, users targeting a 60 FPS experience will find that 1080p is generally achievable with most presets, but 1440p requires a drop to Medium settings to stay above that threshold. At 4K, the system cannot maintain 60 FPS on any preset, with even Low settings only managing 65.8 FPS, which is barely above the mark. The scaling data suggests that for this title, the RTX 2070 SUPER's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and its compute capabilities are the deciding factors, not the Ryzen 7 5800XT's processing power.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER, built on the Turing architecture with a TU104 chip, plays the decisive role in this pairing. Its memory configuration of 8 GB GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus provides a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. In a simulation title like Microsoft Flight Simulator, which streams vast amounts of terrain and object data, memory bandwidth and capacity are critical. The 8 GB frame buffer appears sufficient for the tested presets, as the data does not show a catastrophic collapse in performance at higher resolutions, but the steady decline suggests the GPU is working at its limits.

The GPU's clock behavior, with a base of 1605 MHz and a boost of 1770 MHz, is typical for the 20-series. With 2560 shading units and 64 ROPs, the card delivers a pixel rate of 113.3 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 283.2 GTexel/s. These specifications align with the measured results: at 4K Ultra, the system drops to 38.6 FPS, which is the lowest recorded value. This is a clear indication that the card's raw compute and fill rate are insufficient for the highest fidelity settings at the highest resolution.

Comparing the RTX 2070 SUPER to its nearest rivals in the database, it sits between the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile in average benchmark score. The RTX 2070 SUPER's average score of 22206 is 0.9% higher than the GTX TITAN Z and 2.3% lower than the RTX 4060 Mobile. This places it in a competitive tier, but the measured in-game results show that it is not a high-end performer by modern standards. The GPU's percentile ranking of 65 among all GPUs confirms this, indicating that a significant portion of the database's tested cards outperform it.

The data shows that the GPU is the limiting component in this setup. For instance, at 1440p, the difference between Low (88.3 FPS) and Ultra (51 FPS) is 37.3 FPS, a 73% performance swing. This large delta is directly attributable to the GPU's ability to handle increased shading complexity, shadow calculations, and texture filtering. The CPU, which has a high multi-threaded benchmark score of 23794 in Cinebench R23, is unlikely to be the cause of such a large variance based on quality settings alone. The RTX 2070 SUPER's role is therefore to be the gatekeeper, and users must respect its limits.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal balance between visual quality and frame rate is found at Medium settings. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 85.6, which provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. This is a 34% improvement over High settings at the same resolution (63.9 FPS), making Medium the sensible choice for most users with 1080p displays.

For 1440p users, Medium settings are also the recommended starting point, yielding an average of 69.5 FPS. This is the only 1440p preset that maintains a frame rate above 60 FPS. Choosing High at 1440p drops the average to 50.5 FPS, which may introduce noticeable stutter in a flight simulator where smooth camera panning is essential. The Low preset at 1440p (88.3 FPS) offers high performance, but the visual compromise may be too severe for a game that relies heavily on scenery detail.

At 4K, the recommendation is to use Low settings for a playable experience, as it produces 65.8 FPS. Medium settings at 4K (49.7 FPS) are borderline, and High (39.4 FPS) and Ultra (38.6 FPS) are likely to feel sluggish. The data clearly indicates that 4K gaming with this combo is only viable at the lowest fidelity tier, and even then, it is not a locked 60 FPS experience. The best experience per the measured rows is therefore defined by a trade-off: for a target of 60+ FPS, Medium at 1080p or 1440p is the sweet spot, while 4K users must prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER ranks 1100 out of 1795 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the 39th percentile of all configurations, meaning roughly 61% of tested combos deliver higher average frame rates. This is a modest ranking, reflecting the GPU's age and position in the market.

Comparing the components individually, the CPU is a stronger performer than the GPU. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT has a percentile rank of 86 among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 29774. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE, scores 29740, which is a delta of 0.1%. This indicates the CPU is a solid mid-to-high tier processor. In contrast, the GPU's percentile rank of 65 and average score of 22206 show it is a mid-range part. The in-game rank is thus dragged down by the GPU.

The delta between the CPU and GPU performance tiers explains the overall combo ranking. The CPU is capable of feeding the GPU effectively, but the GPU cannot translate that into high frame rates at demanding settings. The combination's rank of 1100 suggests that in a database full of newer and more powerful cards, this pairing is not competitive for high-refresh-rate or high-resolution play. It is a legacy configuration that can handle the game adequately at lower settings, but it will not excel in the benchmark charts.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play at with this combo?

A: The data shows that 1080p is the most reliable resolution for maintaining high frame rates. At 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 85.6, and at 1080p High it is 63.9. 1440p is playable with Medium settings (69.5 FPS), but 4K only achieves a playable average of 65.8 FPS on Low settings.

Q: Can this system run Microsoft Flight Simulator at 4K Ultra settings?

A: No. The measured average FPS at 4K Ultra is 38.6, which is below the threshold for smooth, playable performance. Even at 4K High, the average is only 39.4 FPS. The GPU is not powerful enough for this configuration.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 5800XT compare to its closest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 5800XT has an average benchmark score of 29774. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE, scores 29740, a delta of 0.1%. The AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS scores 29856, which is 0.3% higher, and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 scores 29682, which is 0.3% lower.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this system?

A: The benchmark results indicate the GPU is the limiting factor. The resolution scaling shows a steady drop in FPS from 1080p to 4K, and the large performance gap between Low and High settings at the same resolution is characteristic of a GPU-bound scenario. The CPU has a high percentile rank of 86, while the GPU is at 65.

Q: What settings should be used for a 60 FPS target?

A: For a 60 FPS target, the data suggests using Medium settings at 1080p (85.6 FPS) or 1440p (69.5 FPS). At 4K, even Low settings (65.8 FPS) are close to the target, but Medium (49.7 FPS) falls below it.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER's benchmark score compare to the RTX 4060 Mobile?

A: The RTX 2070 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 22206, while the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 Mobile has an average score of 22729. This represents a delta of -2.3%, meaning the RTX 4060 Mobile is slightly faster in synthetic benchmarks.