Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is notoriously demanding, and the data for the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT shows a system that scales predictably with resolution and settings. The measured FPS rows reveal a configuration that is capable of high refresh rates at 1080p but transitions into a visually rich, 60 FPS-class experience at 4K. This analysis breaks down the benchmark results, focusing on where the performance ceiling lies and how the hardware components contribute to the final frame rates.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 is significant and reveals a shift in the primary performance limiter. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 153 FPS, but this falls to 89.5 FPS at 4K Low, a reduction of approximately 41.5%. This steep decline indicates that the GPU is becoming the dominant constraint as pixel count increases, which is expected given the Radeon RX 6800 XT's specifications.

The scaling pattern is consistent across all settings presets. For instance, moving from 1080p High (91.3 FPS) to 1440p High (69.7 FPS) results in a 23.7% drop, and then to 4K High (53.7 FPS) another 23% drop. This near-linear scaling with pixel count suggests that the CPU, an 8-core/16-thread Zen 5 part, is providing a stable foundation that does not bottleneck the GPU at lower resolutions. The data implies that while the CPU handles the simulation's draw calls effectively at 1080p, the GPU’s rendering workload is the limiting factor as resolution rises.

The gap between Low and Ultra settings at each resolution also widens with higher pixel counts. At 1080p, the difference between Low (153 FPS) and Ultra (82.6 FPS) is 70.4 FPS. At 4K, this gap narrows to 42.8 FPS (89.5 vs 46.7). This compression indicates that at 4K, the GPU is so saturated that even lowering settings cannot fully recover frame rates, whereas at 1080p, the headroom allows for significant FPS gains when settings are reduced. The system is well-balanced for 1440p, where it can push past 60 FPS on High settings.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 7 9700X and Radeon RX 6800 XT holds a rank of 622 out of 1795 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places the configuration in the upper third of all tested systems, indicating a solidly above-average performance tier for this specific title. The percentile data for the individual components supports this, with the CPU ranking in the 89th percentile among all CPUs and the GPU in the 87th percentile among all GPUs.

However, the combo rank of 622 suggests that while both components are strong individually, there are many other pairings that achieve higher frame rates in this simulation. The nearest rivals for the CPU include the Intel Core i5-14500HX, which is a mere 0.2% faster in average benchmark score, and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845, which is 0.6% slower. This shows that the 9700X is competitively positioned against other mid-range to high-end processors.

For the GPU, the nearest rival is the Intel Arc A550M, which scores 0.5% higher on average, while the NVIDIA RTX A1000 is 1.7% slower. The closest high-end competitor is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER, which is 2.6% slower in average benchmark score. This data indicates that the RX 6800 XT is performing very close to its expected level, and the 622nd rank is likely due to the fact that many higher-tier combos include more powerful GPUs that are better suited for 4K Ultra presets in this specific game.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT is the primary driver of FPS in this configuration, and its memory subsystem and clock speeds are directly relevant to the measured results. With 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, the card provides a bandwidth of 512.0 GB/s. This is ample for the high-resolution textures used in Microsoft Flight Simulator, preventing texture streaming from becoming a bottleneck at 4K.

The GPU's clocks are listed with a base of 1825 MHz, a game clock of 2015 MHz, and a boost of 2250 MHz. The benchmark results show that the card is capable of scaling its performance across the settings spectrum. The data shows a clear progression: at 4K, it delivers 89.5 FPS on Low, 69.5 FPS on Medium, 53.7 FPS on High, and 46.7 FPS on Ultra. This 42.8 FPS spread between Low and Ultra demonstrates that the GPU has enough raw compute power to handle the game, but the Ultra preset’s additional effects and draw distances heavily tax the RDNA 2.0 architecture.

The GPU's FP32 performance is rated at 20.74 TFLOPS, which is a strong figure for this generation. The measured results confirm that this translates to playable frame rates even at 4K, though the Ultra preset dips below the 60 FPS threshold. The card operates within its expected performance envelope, as indicated by its 87th percentile ranking and its close benchmark scores to rivals like the NVIDIA RTX A1000, which is only 1.7% slower on average.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a complete picture of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo excels, with an average of 153 FPS on Low, 116.8 FPS on Medium, 91.3 FPS on High, and 82.6 FPS on Ultra. These numbers indicate that the system is well-suited for high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p, even with maximum settings.

At 2560x1440, the performance remains strong but shows the GPU's workload increasing. The average FPS is 124.7 on Low, 94.8 on Medium, 69.7 on High, and 66.8 on Ultra. The drop from High to Ultra is only 2.9 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset at this resolution is hitting a similar GPU limit as the High preset, but with diminishing returns on visual quality.

At 3840x2160, the system transitions to a console-like experience. The average FPS is 89.5 on Low, 69.5 on Medium, 53.7 on High, and 46.7 on Ultra. This shows that 4K Ultra is not a viable target for a smooth experience, but 4K Medium provides a solid 69.5 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. The step from Medium to High at 4K costs 15.8 FPS, which is a significant penalty for the visual upgrade.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is a Zen 5 architecture processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, and its clock speeds are a key factor in the simulation’s performance. With a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, the CPU provides high single-thread performance, which is crucial for Microsoft Flight Simulator's main thread that handles physics and flight model calculations. Its benchmark scores, such as 4459 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 31588 in multi-core, place it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs.

The CPU's role is most evident at 1080p Low, where the system achieves 153 FPS. This high frame rate suggests that the CPU is not a limiting factor at this resolution, as it can feed the GPU with enough data to maintain high throughput. The 3dmark scores support this, with a single-thread score of 1280 and a 16-thread score of 9824, indicating balanced performance for both light and heavy workloads.

The 9700X's memory support for DDR5 and a dual-channel bus with 89.6 GB/s bandwidth also contributes to the overall system responsiveness. The data shows that the CPU is well-matched to the GPU, as the frame rates at 1440p and 4K scale with the GPU's capabilities rather than being capped by the processor. The nearest CPU rival, the Intel Core i5-14500HX, is only 0.2% faster in average benchmark score, confirming that the 9700X is a competitive choice for this game.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the best choice, as it still delivers an average of 82.6 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides the highest visual fidelity. Players with high-refresh-rate monitors could opt for High at 91.3 FPS, but the Ultra preset offers a richer experience without sacrificing smoothness.

At 2560x1440, the High preset is the recommended balance, yielding 69.7 FPS. The Ultra preset is also playable at 66.8 FPS, but the 2.9 FPS difference is negligible, making High the more sensible choice for better performance headroom. The Medium preset at 94.8 FPS is an option for those who prefer higher frame rates over visual detail, but High offers a better overall compromise.

For 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation, as it achieves 69.5 FPS, which is comfortably above the 60 FPS target. The High preset drops to 53.7 FPS, which may be acceptable for a flight simulator where gameplay is slower-paced, but it falls below the smoothness standard. The Low preset at 89.5 FPS is not recommended for 4K, as the visual quality would be too compromised for the resolution. The data indicates that the system is best utilized at 1440p High or 4K Medium for the most balanced experience in Microsoft Flight Simulator.