Microsoft Flight Simulator

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT is an 8-core, 16-thread processor built on the Zen 3 architecture (Vermeer). It operates with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.80 GHz. This CPU has a 32 MB L3 cache and supports DDR4 memory through a dual-channel interface. These specifications place it in the 86th percentile of all CPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 29,774.

The processor's multi-threaded capabilities are substantial: in Cinebench R23, it scores 23,794 in multicore and 3,359 in single-core tests. The single-thread performance is particularly relevant for flight simulation, where the main simulation loop often relies on a few heavily loaded threads. In 3DMark tests, the 2-thread score is 1,879, while the 4-thread score jumps to 3,603, showing strong scaling in the first few cores. The 8-thread score of 6,141 and max-thread score of 7,680 indicate that the CPU continues to scale well across all 16 threads.

The nearest rivals provide context: the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE scores 29,740 (0.1% behind), the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS scores 29,856 (0.3% ahead), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 360 scores 29,682 (0.3% behind), and the AMD Ryzen 7 7840H scores 29,868 (0.3% ahead). These deltas are all within 0.3%, meaning the 5800XT sits in a tightly packed performance cluster. The data shows that for Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU's strong single-thread performance is essential for maintaining high frame rates, especially at lower resolutions where the graphics card is less of a bottleneck.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti uses the AD104 chip on the Ada Lovelace architecture, fabricated on a 5 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 2310 MHz and a boost clock of 2610 MHz. The memory subsystem consists of 12 GB of GDDR6X on a 192-bit bus, delivering 504.2 GB/s of bandwidth. This GPU sits in the 85th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 44,900.

The 12 GB VRAM capacity is a relevant factor for Microsoft Flight Simulator, which loads extensive terrain and scenery data. The memory clock runs at 1313 MHz (21 Gbps effective), and the bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s helps feed the large textures and geometry data. The GPU has 7,680 shading units, 240 texture mapping units, and 80 raster operation units. Ray tracing capabilities are present with 60 RT cores, and 240 tensor cores handle AI workloads.

In synthetic benchmarks, the RTX 4070 Ti scores 31,624 in Passmark G3D and 18,396 in Passmark GPU compute. In 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, it scores 5,024. The nearest rivals show a mixed picture: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile scores 45,152 (0.6% ahead), the Intel Arc A730M scores 45,592 (1.5% ahead), the AMD Radeon Pro 580 scores 44,195 (1.6% behind), and the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT scores 45,642 (1.6% ahead). The RTX 4070 Ti's average score of 44,900 places it within a narrow band around these competitors, though the desktop-class GPU's raw compute power is what drives the measured frame rates in this game.

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

The measured FPS data reveals how the balance between CPU and GPU load shifts across resolutions. At 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 188.6 FPS, which is the highest measured value. Moving to 1440p Low, the frame rate drops to 153.9 FPS (a decrease of 34.7 FPS), and at 4K Low it falls further to 114.6 FPS (a drop of 39.3 FPS from 1440p). This scaling pattern indicates that at lower resolutions and settings, the CPU is capable of pushing very high frame counts, but the GPU becomes progressively more limiting as resolution increases.

For High settings, the pattern is similar but compressed: 1080p High yields 114.7 FPS, 1440p High drops to 88.8 FPS (a decrease of 25.9 FPS), and 4K High reaches 64.8 FPS (a drop of 24.0 FPS from 1440p). The Ultra preset shows the tightest spread: 111.1 FPS at 1080p, 86.9 FPS at 1440p, and 64.0 FPS at 4K. The difference between 1080p and 4K Ultra is 47.1 FPS, which is smaller than the 74.0 FPS difference seen in Low settings. This suggests that at Ultra settings, the game becomes more GPU-bound even at 1080p, reducing the relative impact of resolution changes.

The data indicates that the CPU is not the limiting factor at any resolution for this title. Even at 1080p Low, where the CPU has the least graphical work to do, the system maintains 188.6 FPS—well above typical display refresh rates. The GPU handling of increasing resolution is the primary variable, with each step up in resolution costing roughly 25-35% of the frame rate depending on the preset.

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

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values are:

• Low: 188.6 FPS
• Medium: 149.1 FPS
• High: 114.7 FPS
• Ultra: 111.1 FPS

The jump from Low to Medium costs 39.5 FPS, while the step from Medium to High costs 34.4 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra is only 3.6 FPS, showing diminishing returns at the top end. This suggests that the High preset captures most of the visual quality improvement without the performance penalty of Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the measured values are:

• Low: 153.9 FPS
• Medium: 123.0 FPS
• High: 88.8 FPS
• Ultra: 86.9 FPS

Here, the gap between Low and Medium narrows to 30.9 FPS, while Medium to High costs 34.2 FPS. The High to Ultra difference is just 1.9 FPS, an almost negligible difference. The data shows that at 1440p, the GPU is starting to feel the load from higher settings, but the CPU still has headroom.

At 3840x2160, the measured values are:

• Low: 114.6 FPS
• Medium: 84.9 FPS
• High: 64.8 FPS
• Ultra: 64.0 FPS

The Low to Medium drop is 29.7 FPS, Medium to High costs 20.1 FPS, and High to Ultra is only 0.8 FPS. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the limiting component, as the difference between High and Ultra becomes almost imperceptible in performance terms. The system still manages 64.8 FPS at 4K High, which is playable for a flight simulator.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of AMD Ryzen 7 5800XT and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti ranks 193rd out of 1,795 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the top 10.8% of all configurations tested. The rank reflects the balanced nature of this pairing: the CPU's 86th percentile standing and the GPU's 85th percentile standing combine to produce results that are better than the vast majority of tested systems, though not at the absolute top.

The ranking is particularly strong given the CPU's modest standing relative to its nearest rivals. The 5800XT's average benchmark score of 29,774 is nearly identical to the Ryzen 7 PRO 5755GE (29,740), Ryzen 7 6800HS (29,856), and Ryzen 7 7840H (29,868), all within 0.3% of each other. The RTX 4070 Ti's average score of 44,900 similarly clusters with its nearest rivals, but the combination's in-game performance at rank 193 of 1,795 suggests the pairing works well together in this specific workload.

The data shows that this combo outperforms many systems with individually more powerful components, which indicates that the balance between the 5800XT's strong single-thread performance and the RTX 4070 Ti's substantial memory bandwidth and compute capacity is well-suited to Microsoft Flight Simulator's rendering requirements.

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

The measured data provides a clear picture of which settings preset offers the most efficient experience. At 1080p, the High preset at 114.7 FPS delivers a smooth experience that is only 3.6 FPS lower than Ultra (111.1 FPS). Since the difference between High and Ultra is negligible, High is the recommended choice at this resolution—it avoids the marginal performance cost while providing nearly all the visual benefits.

At 1440p, the High preset (88.8 FPS) offers a 1.9 FPS advantage over Ultra (86.9 FPS). This is again a negligible difference, but the 1440p High result is 34.2 FPS lower than Medium (123.0 FPS). The medium preset provides a significantly higher frame rate, but at the cost of reduced visual fidelity. Given that 88.8 FPS is well above playable thresholds for a flight simulator, High at 1440p is the balanced choice.

At 4K, the situation is different. Ultra (64.0 FPS) and High (64.8 FPS) are virtually identical, differing by only 0.8 FPS. Both are above the 60 FPS threshold, which is adequate for this genre. Medium (84.9 FPS) offers a substantial 20.1 FPS improvement over High, while Low (114.6 FPS) provides even more headroom. For 4K, the High preset at 64.8 FPS is the best match between visual quality and playable performance, as the Ultra preset's extra graphical load does not result in meaningful frame rate changes.

Across all resolutions, the Low preset consistently delivers the highest frame rates (188.6, 153.9, and 114.6 FPS at 1080p, 1440p, and 4K respectively), but these come at the cost of significantly reduced visual quality. The data suggests that High is the optimal preset for most users, with the 4K High result of 64.8 FPS representing the most demanding scenario that still maintains acceptable performance. For users prioritizing frame rate over visuals, Medium at 1440p (123.0 FPS) or 4K (84.9 FPS) provides a strong middle ground.