Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a demanding title that stresses both CPU and GPU heavily, and the pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER produces a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions. The measured data shows a system that is capable of smooth gameplay at lower settings but is ultimately constrained by the graphics card at higher fidelity presets. This analysis breaks down the benchmark results, focusing on how the components interact and where the bottlenecks lie.

Resolution Scaling

The performance drop from 1080p to 4K is the most telling indicator of where this system's limits are. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 110.9 FPS, which is a strong result. Moving to 2560x1440 at Low settings, the average falls to 86 FPS, a significant 24.9 FPS reduction. At 4K with Low settings, the average further drops to 62.3 FPS. This scaling pattern suggests that even at the lowest graphical preset, the GPU is being pushed harder as resolution increases, but the CPU is still keeping up.

However, the scaling becomes more drastic when settings are increased. At High settings, the transition from 1080p (67 FPS) to 1440p (52.6 FPS) represents a 14.4 FPS loss, and then to 4K (36.7 FPS) a further 15.9 FPS loss. The gap between 1080p and 4K at High settings is 30.3 FPS. This widening delta indicates that the RTX 2070 SUPER is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions. The data shows that the GPU's rendering load increases exponentially with pixel count, and its 8 GB of VRAM and 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth become stressed, leading to the observed frame rate collapse.

The most extreme example of resolution scaling is seen when comparing the Ultra preset across all three resolutions. At 1080p Ultra, the average is 62 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 46.8 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it plummets to 36.4 FPS. The difference between 1080p and 4K at Ultra is a substantial 25.6 FPS. This data suggests that while the CPU can handle the simulation's complex physics and AI calculations at 1080p, the GPU cannot maintain a playable frame rate at 4K with Ultra settings. The 4K Ultra result of 36.4 FPS is below the threshold for smooth gameplay, confirming that this resolution is not viable for this combination with maximum fidelity.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is a modern 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture. With a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.50 GHz, it provides substantial single-threaded performance, which is crucial for a simulation like Microsoft Flight Simulator that relies heavily on a primary game thread. The CPU's benchmark scores reflect its strength; for example, it achieves a 3dmark_single_thread score of 1280 and a geekbench_singlecore score of 3353. These high single-core results are essential for maintaining high frame rates, especially at 1080p where the CPU is more likely to be the bottleneck.

In this game, the CPU's role is to manage the world simulation, including terrain loading, aircraft systems, and AI traffic. The Ryzen 7 9700X's 3dmark_16_threads score of 9824 and cinebench_r23_multicore score of 31588 indicate it has ample multi-threaded capability for these background tasks. However, the data shows that at 1080p Low, the system reaches 110.9 FPS, which is a very high number. This suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor at this resolution and settings, as the GPU is still able to render frames efficiently.

The CPU's performance percentile is 89, placing it in the top tier of all processors. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-14500HX, has an average score of 35940, which is only 0.2% different from the Ryzen's 36029 average. This indicates that the CPU is well-matched with other high-end processors. In the context of Flight Simulator, the Ryzen 7 9700X provides enough processing power to feed the RTX 2070 SUPER up to a point, but as settings and resolution increase, the GPU's workload becomes the dominant factor, and the CPU's influence on the final frame rate diminishes.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is a Turing-architecture GPU with 2560 shading units and 64 ROPs. It has a base clock of 1605 MHz and a boost clock of 1770 MHz, with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. This configuration is a solid mid-to-high-end part, but its age is showing in modern titles. Its average benchmark score is 22206, with a percentile of 65, meaning it sits in the middle of the pack when compared to all GPUs.

The GPU's role in Microsoft Flight Simulator is to render the complex scenery, lighting, and weather effects. The data shows that the RTX 2070 SUPER is the constraining component at higher resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is only 36.4, which is barely playable. The GPU's 8 GB of VRAM is likely a limiting factor, as high-resolution textures for the detailed aircraft and terrain can exceed this capacity, causing stutters or reduced performance. The transition from 1440p Medium (70.9 FPS) to 1440p Ultra (46.8 FPS) is a 24.1 FPS drop, highlighting the immense cost of enabling the highest quality settings.

Comparatively, the RTX 2070 SUPER's nearest rival is the NVIDIA RTX A400, which has an average score of 22307, a delta of -0.5%. This shows they are statistically equivalent in compute power. However, in a real-world scenario like Flight Simulator, the RTX 2070 SUPER's performance is more dependent on its memory subsystem and fill rate. Its pixel rate of 113.3 GPixel/s and texture rate of 283.2 GTexel/s are decent, but they are insufficient for 4K Ultra settings in this game. The data confirms that the GPU is the primary bottleneck, as frame rates scale almost linearly with the number of pixels rendered at higher quality presets.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 7 9700X and RTX 2070 SUPER ranks at 1103 out of 1795 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This ranking places it in the 61st percentile of all systems tested, which is a respectable but not top-tier position. The rank indicates that while this combo is capable of running the game, there are many other configurations that deliver higher average frame rates. The data suggests that the GPU choice is the limiting factor in this pairing, as a more powerful GPU would likely push this combo significantly higher in the rankings.

This ranking is a direct result of the GPU's mid-tier performance. The CPU is a high-end part, as evidenced by its 89th percentile ranking, but the GPU's 65th percentile ranking holds the combo back. In the context of the game's demands, the RTX 2070 SUPER is a bottleneck that prevents the full potential of the Ryzen 7 9700X from being realized. The combo's rank of 1103 means it outperforms many older or lower-end systems, but it falls short of configurations that pair the same CPU with a more powerful GPU or use a newer graphics card.

The data implies that for users with this combo, the experience is best at 1080p or 1440p with medium to high settings, where the frame rates are more acceptable. At 4K, the combo is out of its depth, and the low ranking reflects this. The system is balanced enough for 1080p gaming, but the GPU's limitations become apparent at higher resolutions, making it a less desirable choice for high-fidelity 4K simulation.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive look at the system's performance across all settings and resolutions.

At 1920x1080, the system is most capable. With Low settings, it averages 110.9 FPS, ensuring a very fluid experience. Medium settings reduce this to 87 FPS, which is still excellent. High settings bring the average down to 67 FPS, which is smooth and playable. Ultra settings are the most demanding, yielding an average of 62 FPS, which is still acceptable for a flight simulator where frame pacing is less critical than in fast-paced shooters.

At 2560x1440, the GPU starts to feel the pressure. Low settings produce an average of 86 FPS, which is good. Medium settings drop to 70.9 FPS, which remains playable. High settings average 52.6 FPS, which is a marginal experience. Ultra settings are the weakest at this resolution, with an average of 46.8 FPS, which may cause noticeable stuttering during complex scenery.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles. Low settings yield an average of 62.3 FPS, which is barely adequate. Medium settings drop to 51.7 FPS, and High settings fall to 36.7 FPS. Ultra settings produce an average of 36.4 FPS, which is not a smooth experience. The data shows a clear trend: the RTX 2070 SUPER cannot maintain high frame rates at 4K, and even lowering the settings to Medium does not bring the average above 52 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is particularly poor, indicating that this resolution is not viable for this combo.