Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator pairs the AMD Ryzen 7 7700X with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT in a combination that ranks 1335th out of 1795 tested configurations for this title. The measured data shows a system that is heavily constrained by the graphics card at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s strong multi-threaded performance provides a solid foundation for the simulation’s complex world-streaming tasks. The Ryzen 7 7700X sits in the 89th percentile among all CPUs, while the RX 6600 XT lands in the 71st percentile among all GPUs, indicating a pairing where the processor has more headroom than the graphics solution.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the measured average frame rate is 55.6 FPS. This is the most demanding preset tested at this resolution and remains playable, though not at high refresh rates.

Q: How does the CPU’s multi-threaded score compare to its nearest rival?

A: The Ryzen 7 7700X achieves an average benchmark score of 34313, which is 0.4% higher than the Intel Core i5-13500’s score of 34175. The data shows a near-tie between these two processors.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory bandwidth and size?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is a key factor in its performance scaling across resolutions.

Q: At which resolution does the frame rate drop below 60 FPS on High settings?

A: On High settings, the average frame rate falls below 60 FPS at 2560x1440, where it measures 46.7 FPS. At 1920x1080, the High preset achieves 59.9 FPS, just under the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the boost clock of the CPU and the game clock of the GPU?

A: The Ryzen 7 7700X has a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, while the Radeon RX 6600 XT has a game clock of 2359 MHz. The GPU’s boost clock is listed at 2589 MHz.

Q: Does the data indicate the GPU or CPU is the bottleneck at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the frame rate drops to 34.2 FPS on High and 31.8 FPS on Ultra, while the CPU’s multi-threaded benchmark score of 30325 in Cinebench R23 suggests it is not the limiting factor at this resolution. The GPU’s performance is the primary constraint.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with a 7 nm process node from TSMC. Its memory subsystem consists of 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 128-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 256.0 GB/s. The GPU’s base clock is 1968 MHz, with a game clock of 2359 MHz and a boost clock of 2589 MHz. In the context of Microsoft Flight Simulator, this memory configuration is critical because the game streams vast amounts of terrain and scenery data, and the 8 GB capacity can become a limiting factor at higher resolutions and detail settings.

The GPU’s compute capabilities include 2048 shading units, 128 texture mapping units, and 64 render output units, delivering a pixel rate of 165.7 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 331.4 GTexel/s. Its FP32 performance is rated at 10.60 TFLOPS. These specifications place the RX 6600 XT in the 71st percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 27985. When compared to its nearest rivals, the data shows it is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti, which scores 27956 with a deltaPct of 0.1%. It also trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 by 0.9%, which scores 28238.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the GPU’s role is to render the photorealistic scenery and aircraft models. The measured FPS data reveals that at 1080p, the card can handle most presets well, but as resolution increases to 1440p and 4K, the 8 GB frame buffer and the card’s raw throughput become strained. The Ultra preset at 2560x1440 yields 46.4 FPS, while at 3840x2160 it drops to 31.8 FPS, indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At Low settings, the average frame rate starts at 101.3 FPS at 1080p, drops to 80 FPS at 1440p, and falls further to 56.2 FPS at 4K. This represents a 44.5% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at Low settings, showing that even the least demanding preset is heavily impacted by pixel count.

For the High preset, the scaling is more pronounced: 59.9 FPS at 1080p, 46.7 FPS at 1440p, and 34.2 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is approximately 42.9%, which is slightly less than the Low preset’s drop. The Ultra preset follows a similar trend with 55.6 FPS at 1080p, 46.4 FPS at 1440p, and 31.8 FPS at 4K, representing a 42.8% reduction.

This scaling behavior indicates that the limiting component shifts with resolution. At 1080p, the CPU’s strong single-threaded performance (a 3DMark single-thread score of 1090) helps maintain relatively high frame rates even at Ultra. However, as resolution increases, the GPU’s pixel throughput and memory bandwidth become the dominant factors. The RX 6600 XT’s 256.0 GB/s bandwidth is insufficient to maintain 60 FPS at 4K on any preset, with the highest 4K result being 56.2 FPS at Low settings. The data suggests that 1440p is the practical ceiling for this GPU in this game, with High settings producing 46.7 FPS and Medium producing 60.8 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers the highest average frame rate at 101.3 FPS, providing a smooth experience well above the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings reduce this to 77 FPS, still comfortable for most displays. High settings yield 59.9 FPS, which is borderline for 60 Hz monitors, while Ultra drops to 55.6 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 45.7 FPS, showing that the GPU can handle the lower presets with ease but struggles to maintain high frame rates at maximum detail.

Moving to 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves 80 FPS, which remains playable. Medium settings produce 60.8 FPS, just over the 60 FPS target. High settings fall to 46.7 FPS, and Ultra drops slightly further to 46.4 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at 1440p is minimal at 0.3 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset’s additional effects have a negligible impact on performance at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, all presets fall below 60 FPS. Low settings achieve 56.2 FPS, Medium reaches 45.7 FPS, High drops to 34.2 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 31.8 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra at 4K is a reduction of 24.4 FPS, indicating that the GPU is severely constrained. The data shows that 4K gaming with this combination is only viable at Low settings, and even then, it barely maintains a playable frame rate.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 4 architecture, codenamed Raphael, and built on a 5 nm process node from TSMC. It has a base clock of 4.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with a TDP of 105 W. The CPU supports DDR5 memory with a dual-channel bus and a memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s. Its cache hierarchy includes 64 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and a 32 MB shared L3 cache.

Benchmark data shows the Ryzen 7 7700X excels in multi-threaded workloads, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 30325 and a 3DMark max threads score of 8852. Its single-threaded performance is also strong, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4281 and a 3DMark single-thread score of 1090. The CPU’s average benchmark score is 34313, placing it in the 89th percentile among all CPUs. Compared to its nearest rivals, it is 0.4% faster than the Intel Core i5-13500 and 0.5% faster than the Intel Core i7-12800HX, while being 0.8% slower than the Intel Core Ultra 7 165H and the AMD EPYC 4244P.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU’s role is to manage the simulation’s physics, flight model, and world-streaming logic. The measured FPS data at 1080p, where the CPU has more influence, shows that the Ryzen 7 7700X can push the RX 6600 XT to 101.3 FPS at Low settings and 77 FPS at Medium. The 16 threads help handle the game’s background tasks, but the single-threaded performance is crucial for the main game loop. The CPU’s 5.40 GHz boost clock provides the necessary speed to avoid becoming a bottleneck at lower resolutions, as evidenced by the 59.9 FPS result at 1080p High, which is close to the GPU’s limit.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers a strong balance with 77 FPS, providing smooth gameplay without the performance hit of High or Ultra. If a higher frame rate is preferred, the Low preset at 101.3 FPS is the best choice, though it sacrifices visual fidelity. The High preset at 59.9 FPS is acceptable for 60 Hz displays, but Ultra at 55.6 FPS offers diminishing returns for the performance cost.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, achieving 60.8 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold. The Low preset at 80 FPS provides a smoother experience for users with high refresh rate monitors, but Medium offers a significant visual upgrade for only a 19.2 FPS reduction. High and Ultra both fall below 50 FPS, making them less desirable for consistent gameplay, though they may be acceptable for users prioritizing visual quality over frame rate.

For 3840x2160, the Low preset is the only viable option for playable frame rates, delivering 56.2 FPS. The Medium preset at 45.7 FPS is playable but noticeably less smooth, while High and Ultra at 34.2 FPS and 31.8 FPS respectively are too demanding for this GPU. The data indicates that 4K gaming with this combination requires significant compromises, and users should consider lowering resolution or accepting Low settings to maintain a playable experience. Overall, the best experience per the measured rows is achieved at 1440p with Medium settings, which balances visual quality and performance at 60.8 FPS.