Microsoft Flight Simulator

# Microsoft Flight Simulator — AMD Ryzen 9 5900X + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070

The measured performance data for this combination shows a system that is consistently capable across all tested resolutions, with the RTX 5070's 12 GB GDDR7 memory and the Ryzen 9 5900X's 12-core/24-thread configuration working together to deliver playable frame rates even at 4K Ultra. The pattern of results indicates a GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions and a more balanced load at 1080p, where the CPU's single-thread performance becomes more relevant. This analysis walks through the resolution scaling, GPU role, settings recommendations, and ranking within the benchmark database, using only the measured rows provided.

Resolution Scaling

The average FPS drops from 179 at 1080p Low to 105.7 at 4K Low, a reduction of roughly 41% when moving from the lowest resolution to the highest. At the High preset, the drop is from 104.5 FPS at 1080p to 84.8 at 1440p and then to 58.8 at 4K — a stepwise decline of about 19% from 1080p to 1440p, followed by a 31% drop from 1440p to 4K. This pattern suggests that the RTX 5070's rendering workload scales almost linearly with pixel count, but the magnitude of the decline at 4K indicates the GPU is nearing its limit, particularly with the High preset.

Looking at the Ultra preset, the average FPS at 1080p is 99.4, at 1440p it falls to 77.6, and at 4K it reaches 59.7. The relative drop from 1080p to 1440p is about 22%, and from 1440p to 4K is 23%. This consistency across the Ultra settings implies the GPU is the primary limiting component at every resolution, as the CPU's 12 cores and 24 threads appear sufficient to feed the graphics card without introducing a bottleneck. In contrast, the Low preset shows a steeper relative decline: from 179 FPS at 1080p to 139.3 at 1440p (a 22% drop) and then to 105.7 at 4K (a 24% drop), which still points to GPU scaling but with more headroom at the lower settings.

The data indicates that at 1080p, the frame rates across all presets are high enough that the CPU's role becomes more pronounced, but the measured results do not show any settings where the CPU causes a plateau. The Ryzen 9 5900X, with a boost clock of 4.80 GHz and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4680, provides ample single-threaded performance for flight simulation logic. The 4K Ultra result of 59.7 FPS is the closest the system comes to a sub-60 average, but even that remains playable, suggesting the resolution scaling is smooth and predictable rather than exhibiting any sudden cliff.

GPU Role

The RTX 5070 operates with a base clock of 2325 MHz and a boost clock of 2512 MHz, paired with 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 672.0 GB/s. In Microsoft Flight Simulator, which is known for heavy texture streaming and large draw distances, this memory configuration is directly relevant to the measured results. The 4K High preset produces 58.8 FPS, just above the 60 FPS threshold, while 4K Ultra yields 59.7 FPS — oddly slightly higher than High, which may reflect run-to-run variance but also indicates the GPU is not entirely saturated by the Ultra settings' additional effects.

The GPU's compute specifications include 6144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 80 ROPs, with a pixel rate of 201.0 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 482.3 GTexel/s. These figures translate into the observed frame rates: at 1440p Medium, the system achieves 109.5 FPS, while at 1440p Ultra it drops to 77.6 FPS, a reduction of about 29%. This scaling with settings suggests the RTX 5070's shader and texture throughput is the determining factor, rather than the CPU's memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s or its dual-channel DDR4 support.

The GPU's 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores are present but not explicitly exercised in the measured FPS rows, as the benchmark data does not include ray tracing or DLSS-specific tests. The average benchmark score for the GPU is 41687, with a percentile rank of 83 among all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090, has an average score of 41441, a delta of 0.6%, meaning the RTX 5070 edges out the older flagship by a hair. In this game, the 12 GB VRAM capacity is sufficient for the tested presets, as no settings row shows a catastrophic drop that would indicate memory overflow.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the Medium preset at 1440p offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, delivering 109.5 FPS. This is comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold and only 22% below the Low preset's 139.3 FPS at the same resolution, while providing substantially better graphical fidelity. For 4K users, the High preset at 58.8 FPS is the most playable option that still offers good detail, though it sits just below 60 FPS; the Medium preset at 78.5 FPS is a safer choice for maintaining a consistent frame rate, sacrificing some visual effects for a 34% performance gain over High.

At 1080p, the Ultra preset at 99.4 FPS is the recommended pick, as it delivers near-100 FPS with maximum settings, and the drop from Medium (137.4 FPS) to Ultra is only 28%, which is a reasonable trade for the visual upgrade. The Low preset at 179 FPS is unnecessary for most users, as even Ultra provides a smooth experience. The data shows that the system never falls below 58.8 FPS in any tested configuration, which means even the most demanding 4K Ultra settings remain playable, though barely. For competitive or fast-paced flying, the 1440p Medium preset is the sweet spot, offering high frame rates without compromising on the overall visual experience.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 9 5900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 ranks 364th out of 1795 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator, placing it in the top 20% of all systems. This rank reflects the measured FPS data, which shows the system performing strongly across all resolutions and settings. The CPU's percentile rank of 90 among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 39453, places it slightly above the AMD EPYC 4245P (39383, delta 0.2%) and just below the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8845HS (39747, delta -0.7%). The Intel Core i7-13700F is close behind at 39095 (delta 0.9%), indicating the Ryzen 9 5900X holds its own against modern rivals.

The GPU's rank of 83rd percentile puts it in a similar tier, with its nearest rival being the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 (41441, delta 0.6%). This means the RTX 5070 outperforms the RTX 3090 by a small margin in general benchmarks, and the measured game data confirms this is not a fluke — the frame rates are consistently high. The combo rank of 364 out of 1795 suggests that while there are faster systems, this pairing is well above the median, and the 4K Ultra result of 59.7 FPS is a strong indicator of its capability in a demanding flight simulator.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 59.7 FPS, which is just below the 60 FPS threshold but still playable.

Q: How does the RTX 5070 compare to its nearest rival in this game?

A: The RTX 5070 has an average benchmark score of 41687, which is 0.6% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090's score of 41441, indicating a slight performance edge.

Q: Which resolution and settings combo yields the highest frame rate?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 179, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the limiting component at 4K, as frame rates scale predictably with settings, and the CPU's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 4680 indicates sufficient processing power.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded across all tested configurations?

A: The lowest average FPS is 58.8, measured at 3840x2160 with High settings, meaning the system never drops below 58 FPS in any tested scenario.

Q: How does this combo rank relative to all tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 364th out of 1795 tested combinations, placing it in the top 20% of all systems tested in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 179 on Low to 99.4 on Ultra. The Medium preset delivers 137.4 FPS, and High achieves 104.5 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 41.6 FPS (about 23%), while the gap between High and Ultra is a smaller 5.1 FPS (about 5%), indicating diminishing returns at the highest settings.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 139.3 FPS on Low, 109.5 FPS on Medium, 84.8 FPS on High, and 77.6 FPS on Ultra. The largest drop is between Medium and High at 24.7 FPS (22%), while the drop from High to Ultra is only 7.2 FPS (8%). This suggests that at 1440p, the High preset is a more efficient choice than Ultra, as the performance cost is relatively small.

At 3840x2160, the averages are 105.7 FPS on Low, 78.5 FPS on Medium, 58.8 FPS on High, and 59.7 FPS on Ultra. Interestingly, Ultra slightly outperforms High at 4K, which could be due to test variance, but both are within 1 FPS of each other. The drop from Low to Medium at 4K is 27.2 FPS (26%), while the drop from Medium to High is 19.7 FPS (25%), showing a consistent scaling pattern. Across all resolutions, the system maintains an average above 58 FPS, with the 1080p Low result of 179 FPS being the standout maximum.