Microsoft Flight Simulator

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT combination in Microsoft Flight Simulator produces a dataset defined by the CPU's substantial headroom and the GPU's role as the primary bottleneck, particularly at higher resolutions. The measured frames per second (FPS) across three resolutions and four quality presets show a system that can deliver smooth performance at 1080p but requires careful settings management to maintain playability at 4K. The data positions this combo in the 906th spot out of 1795 tested combinations, placing it in the upper half of the database, a rank that reflects its balanced but not top-tier capabilities.

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

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, built on a 4 nm process. Its base clock is 3.80 GHz with a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, and it carries 32 MB of shared L3 cache. The processor's benchmark scores show strong single-thread performance, which is relevant for a flight simulator that often relies on a primary simulation thread. The 3dmark_single_thread score of 1280 and the cinebench_r23_singlecore score of 4459 indicate a high level of per-core capability, which helps maintain baseline frame rates when the GPU is not saturated.

The CPU's multi-threaded performance is equally robust, with a cinebench_r23_multicore score of 31588 and a passmark_multithread score of 37161. These figures suggest the processor can handle the auxiliary tasks, such as scenery loading and AI traffic, that Microsoft Flight Simulator runs in parallel. However, the benchmark data reveals that the CPU is rarely the limiting factor in this pairing. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 124.5 FPS, which is close to the highest measured value in the dataset. This performance ceiling is tied to the CPU's ability to feed the GPU quickly, but as resolution increases, the frame rate drops in a pattern that points to the GPU struggling to keep up.

The Ryzen 7 9700X's 89th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 36029, places it slightly behind the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H by 0.4% and slightly ahead of the Intel Core i5-14500HX by 0.2%. This proximity to rival scores indicates that the CPU's performance is well within the expected range for a modern desktop processor, and its 16 threads ensure that no core count limitation is evident in the simulated flight scenarios.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with a Navi 22 chip, featuring 2560 shading units and 40 ray tracing cores. It operates at a base clock of 2150 MHz with a boost clock of 2600 MHz and a game clock of 2495 MHz, while the memory runs at 18 Gbps effective. The 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus provides 432.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a notable asset for Microsoft Flight Simulator's heavy texture streaming demands, especially at higher resolutions.

The GPU's benchmark results show a 79th percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average score of 35327. This places it in a tight cluster with rivals; it is 0.2% ahead of the AMD Radeon RX 5600M and 1.3% behind the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080. The measured FPS data indicates that the RX 6750 XT's performance is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but it becomes the clear limiting component at 4K. The 3dmark_3dmark_steel_nomad_dx12 score of 2548 and the passmark_g3d score of 20700 reflect a mid-range GPU that can handle the simulator's demands but not at maximum settings on the highest resolution without significant frame rate drops.

The shift in performance from Low to Ultra settings at each resolution shows the GPU's scaling under load. At 1080p, the frame rate drops from 124.5 FPS on Low to 67.7 FPS on Ultra, a reduction of 56.8 FPS. The same pattern at 4K shows a drop from 72.9 FPS on Low to 39.1 FPS on Ultra, a reduction of 33.8 FPS. This indicates that the GPU's compute and memory resources are being taxed more heavily as both resolution and visual fidelity increase, with the VRAM and bandwidth playing a role in the 4K results.

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

The measured FPS data shows a consistent decline as resolution increases, but the magnitude of the drop varies by preset. At High settings, the average FPS goes from 72.2 at 1080p to 57.9 at 1440p and then to 46.1 at 4K. This represents a 36.1% decrease from 1080p to 4K, which is a substantial penalty that indicates the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck. The CPU's performance is sufficient to maintain frame rates at lower resolutions, but the GPU's rendering load at 4K causes the frame rate to fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

The Low preset shows a similar trend but with higher absolute numbers: 124.5 FPS at 1080p, 100.7 FPS at 1440p, and 72.9 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is 41.5%, which is proportionally similar to the High preset. This suggests that even at the lowest quality settings, the GPU is still the limiting factor at 4K, as the CPU is likely not being fully utilized. The Medium preset shows a drop from 98.6 FPS at 1080p to 57.4 FPS at 4K, a 41.8% decrease, reinforcing the idea that the GPU's fill rate and memory bandwidth are the constraints.

At Ultra settings, the frame rate drops from 67.7 FPS at 1080p to 54.2 FPS at 1440p and 39.1 FPS at 4K, a 42.2% decrease from the lowest resolution. This pattern across all presets reveals that the CPU's performance is not the limiting factor in this combo; instead, the RX 6750 XT's capabilities determine the playable resolutions. The data shows that 1080p and 1440p are the sweet spots for this pairing, while 4K requires a significant reduction in settings to achieve usable frame rates.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT ranks 906th out of 1795 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the 50.4th percentile, meaning roughly half of all tested combinations perform better and half perform worse. The rank is a composite measure that accounts for the average FPS across all tested resolutions and settings, but it does not tell the full story of the combo's behavior.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 89 and the GPU's percentile ranking of 79 suggest that the processor is relatively stronger than the graphics card. This disparity is reflected in the rank, as the GPU's mid-range standing drags the overall combo down from what the CPU alone would suggest. The combo rank of 906 indicates that while the CPU can drive high frame rates at lower resolutions, the GPU's performance ceiling limits the system's overall standing, particularly in a game as demanding as Microsoft Flight Simulator at higher resolutions.

The nearest rivals for the CPU, such as the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H, show a deltaPct of -0.4%, meaning the Ryzen 7 9700X is slightly slower in average score. For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile shows a deltaPct of -0.3%, indicating the RX 6750 XT is slightly ahead. These small differences in benchmark scores do not translate into significant FPS variations in the measured data, as the combo's rank is more influenced by the GPU's performance at 4K and Ultra settings.

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

The measured FPS data provides clear guidance on which settings to use for a target frame rate. At 1080p, the Medium preset delivers 98.6 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, while High delivers 72.2 FPS and Ultra delivers 67.7 FPS. For users with a 1080p display, the High preset offers a good balance, as it maintains a frame rate above 60 FPS while providing higher visual quality than Medium. The Ultra preset at 1080p is also viable, with 67.7 FPS, but the drop from High is noticeable.

At 1440p, the Medium preset delivers 81.5 FPS, which is the best option for maintaining a high frame rate. The High preset drops to 57.9 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS target, and Ultra drops to 54.2 FPS. For a 1440p display, the Medium preset is recommended, as it provides the best experience per the measured rows, with a frame rate that is 23.6 FPS higher than High. The Low preset at 1440p delivers 100.7 FPS, but this setting sacrifices too much visual quality for the gain.

At 4K, the Low preset is the only one that delivers a playable frame rate above 60 FPS, with 72.9 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 57.4 FPS, which is borderline playable, but High and Ultra are not recommended, with 46.1 FPS and 39.1 FPS respectively. For a 4K display, the Low preset is the best choice, as it is the only setting that maintains a smooth experience. The data suggests that the combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, with 4K requiring a significant sacrifice in visual quality.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS at 1080p is 124.5 FPS, which is achieved on the Low preset. The Medium preset delivers 98.6 FPS, High delivers 72.2 FPS, and Ultra delivers 67.7 FPS.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 4K Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average FPS of 39.1, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. The Low preset at 4K delivers 72.9 FPS, making it the only 4K setting with a frame rate above 60 FPS.

Q: Which component is the limiting factor at higher resolutions?

A: The data shows that the GPU is the limiting factor. The frame rate drops from 124.5 FPS at 1080p Low to 72.9 FPS at 4K Low, a 41.5% decrease, while the CPU's benchmark scores remain high, indicating it is not the bottleneck.

Q: What is the combo's rank in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: The combo ranks 906th out of 1795 tested combinations, placing it in the upper half of the database. The CPU ranks in the 89th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 79th percentile.

Q: What settings are recommended for a 1440p display?

A: The Medium preset is recommended for 1440p, as it delivers 81.5 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset drops to 57.9 FPS, and Ultra drops to 54.2 FPS.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 9700X compare to its nearest CPU rival in benchmark scores?

A: The Ryzen 7 9700X has an average benchmark score of 36029, which is 0.2% higher than the Intel Core i5-14500HX and 0.4% lower than the Intel Core Ultra 9 185H. These are small differences, indicating similar performance levels.