Microsoft Flight Simulator

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X paired with the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT lands at rank 1307 out of 1795 tested combinations in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places the combo in the 27th percentile of tested systems, indicating that while it is not a top-tier configuration, it sits firmly within the capable middle range. The pairing of a modern, high-end CPU with an older, mid-range GPU creates an interesting dynamic where the processor's strength is largely held back by the graphics card's limitations, particularly at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1307 out of 1795 places it in the lower-middle portion of the database. This is a direct result of the GPU's age relative to the CPU. The CPU itself sits in the 89th percentile of all processors, while the GPU sits in the 68th percentile of all GPUs. The discrepancy between these two percentiles is the defining characteristic of this build. In a simulation title like Microsoft Flight Simulator, which is known for heavy single-threaded CPU usage, the 9700X provides a strong foundation, but the RX 5700 XT becomes the ceiling for performance. The data shows that the average FPS figures across all tested settings and resolutions are playable but not exceptional, reflecting a system that is well-balanced toward 1080p and 1440p gaming rather than 4K. Compared to other combos in the database, this system is not a leader but provides a consistent and predictable performance level that avoids significant bottlenecks.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is a Zen 5 architecture processor built on a 4 nm process. It features 8 cores and 16 threads with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz. The processor also includes 32 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. In multi-threaded synthetic benchmarks, the CPU achieves a Cinebench R23 score of 31588 and a Geekbench multicore score of 17002. Its single-thread performance is equally robust, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4459 and a Passmark single-thread score of 4654. This level of single-core performance is critical for Microsoft Flight Simulator, which relies heavily on a single main thread for game logic and scenery processing. The CPU's high boost clock and strong IPC should theoretically allow for high frame rates. However, the measured FPS data shows that the GPU cannot fully utilize this potential. For instance, at 1080p with Low settings, the combo reaches 100 FPS, which is near the limit for many displays, suggesting the CPU is capable of driving high frame rates when the GPU load is low. The gap between the CPU's 89th percentile ranking and the overall combo's 27th percentile rank highlights that the processor is not the limiting factor in most scenarios.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is a RDNA 1.0 architecture GPU with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. It operates at a base clock of 1605 MHz with a boost clock of 1905 MHz. In synthetic benchmarks, the GPU scores 16277 in Passmark G3D and 2134 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12. Its percentile ranking of 68 places it in the upper half of all GPUs, but its end-of-life production status indicates it is a previous-generation part. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming but may become a constraint at 4K with higher texture settings. The GPU's role in this system is to act as the performance bottleneck. This is evident when comparing the CPU's strong benchmark scores to the actual FPS results. The GPU's raw compute power, rated at 9.754 TFLOPS FP32, is adequate for the game but not for maximum settings at high resolutions. The data suggests that the RX 5700 XT is best utilized at 1080p, where it can deliver smooth frame rates across most presets, and at 1440p with moderate settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a consistent performance curve across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 100 FPS on Low settings, dropping to 76.6 FPS on Medium, 60.4 FPS on High, and 55.7 FPS on Ultra. This shows a smooth performance scaling where each preset tier costs roughly 15-20% performance, with the gap between Low and Ultra being 44.3 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop significantly: Low yields 77 FPS, Medium 62.1 FPS, High 48.7 FPS, and Ultra 45.1 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra here is 31.9 FPS. At 3840x2160, the performance becomes more challenging for the GPU. Low settings produce 58.4 FPS, Medium 44 FPS, High 36.3 FPS, and Ultra 34.3 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 24.1 FPS, showing that the GPU is struggling to maintain high frame rates at this resolution regardless of settings. The data indicates that the system is most comfortable at 1080p, where it can achieve over 60 FPS on all presets, and at 1440p with Low to Medium settings.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and reveals the limiting component. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 100 at 1080p to 77 at 1440p (a 23% drop) and then to 58.4 at 4K (a 42% drop from 1080p). At Ultra settings, the progression is from 55.7 at 1080p to 45.1 at 1440p (a 19% drop) and then to 34.3 at 4K (a 38% drop from 1080p). The percentage drop is less severe at higher settings, which is typical when the GPU is already saturated. This pattern indicates that the RX 5700 XT is the primary bottleneck. The CPU is able to maintain high frame rates at 1080p, but as resolution increases, the GPU's pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth become insufficient. The 448.0 GB/s memory bandwidth is simply not enough to feed the GPU at 4K resolutions with high detail. The data strongly suggests that this combo is optimized for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K performance being playable only on Low settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the best experience is found at 1080p with High settings, delivering 60.4 FPS. This provides a smooth frame rate with good visual quality without the performance hit of Ultra settings. At 1440p, the Medium preset at 62.1 FPS offers the best balance, providing a playable frame rate while maintaining decent visual fidelity. Choosing High at 1440p drops the frame rate to 48.7 FPS, which may be acceptable for a flight simulator but is less fluid. For 4K, the only viable option is Low settings, which yields 58.4 FPS. Medium settings at 4K drop to 44 FPS, which is borderline for a game that requires precise control. The data indicates that the Ultra preset is consistently the worst performer, offering only marginal visual improvements over High while costing significant frame rates at all resolutions. For users with a 144Hz monitor, the Low preset at 1080p is the only option that approaches the refresh rate, while users with a 60Hz display can comfortably use High settings at 1080p or Medium at 1440p. The sweet spot for this hardware is clearly 1080p High or 1440p Medium, where the system delivers a consistent and smooth experience without dropping below 60 FPS.