Microsoft Flight Simulator

The measured data for Microsoft Flight Simulator on the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile shows a system capable of 173 FPS at 1080p Low and 57 FPS at 4K Ultra. The pairing of a 16-core Zen 4 processor with a 24 GB GDDR7 GPU spans a wide performance envelope, with the CPU and GPU each taking the lead as the limiting component depending on resolution and quality preset. This analysis breaks down the processor’s and graphics card’s contributions, answers common questions, and provides a full FPS breakdown.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX is a 16-core, 32-thread mobile processor from the 8000 series, built on TSMC’s 5 nm process with the Zen 4 architecture. It operates at a base clock of 2.50 GHz and boosts up to 5.40 GHz, with 64 MB of L3 cache and a 55 W TDP. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 76212 places it in the 95th percentile of all CPUs, and its Cinebench R23 scores are 42713 for multi-core and 6030 for single-core. These numbers matter for Microsoft Flight Simulator because the simulation’s core logic, while multi-threaded, still relies heavily on single-thread performance for flight physics, weather, and world streaming. The 6030 single-core score is among the highest in the database, which explains why the system can push 173 FPS at 1080p Low—a setting where the rendering load is minimal and the CPU’s ability to feed the simulation thread becomes the decisive factor.

The CPU’s standing relative to its nearest rivals is tight. Its average score of 76212 is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX (76155) and 0.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D (75779). It trails the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P (76492) and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX (76513) by 0.4% each. This places the 8945HX at the top of the mobile CPU hierarchy, with margins of less than a percent against desktop parts. For a flight simulator, this headroom means the CPU is rarely the hard cap—even at 4K Ultra, the average FPS of 57 is more likely constrained by the GPU than by the processor’s ability to compute the simulation state. The 64 MB L3 cache is also a factor; Flight Simulator streams large terrain and scenery data, and a large cache helps keep frequently accessed data close to the cores, reducing memory traffic. The CPU’s memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s over a dual-channel DDR5 interface further supports the high data throughput required by the game’s world streaming.

In the measured rows, the CPU’s contribution is most visible at lower resolutions and low settings. At 1080p Low, the system produces 173 FPS, which is the highest average across all configurations. At 1080p Ultra, the frame rate drops to 96 FPS, a decrease of 77 FPS, indicating that the GPU begins to limit the rendering pipeline as quality increases. The CPU’s high single-thread and multi-thread scores ensure that even at 1080p Medium, where the average FPS is 135, the processor can keep up with the GPU’s output. The 95th percentile ranking also implies that in a broader CPU comparison, this chip is among the best available, which is consistent with its performance in this simulation.

GPU role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Mobile is a 50-series Blackwell GPU with 24 GB of GDDR7 VRAM on a 256-bit bus, delivering 896.0 GB/s of memory bandwidth. Its base clock is 990 MHz with a boost of 1515 MHz, and it contains 10,496 shading units, 328 TMUs, and 112 ROPs. The GPU’s average benchmark score is 45152, placing it in the 84th percentile of all GPUs. In its nearest rival group, it is 0.8% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti (44795), 0.5% lower than the AMD Radeon Pro 5500 XT (45384), and 1.0% lower than the Intel Arc A730M (45592). While not the absolute top-tier mobile GPU, it is a high-end part that can handle 4K gaming, as evidenced by the measured frame rates.

The 24 GB VRAM is especially relevant for Flight Simulator, which loads high-resolution textures for terrain, aircraft, and scenery. The 896 GB/s bandwidth ensures that these textures can be streamed quickly to the GPU. The 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 5871 and the PassMark G3D score of 30034 confirm its raw performance. The GPU’s scaling is clear in the measured data: at 1080p Low, the average FPS is 173, but at 4K Ultra, it falls to 57. This drop of 116 FPS indicates that the GPU becomes the dominant bottleneck as resolution and quality increase. The GPU’s ability to maintain 80 FPS at 4K Medium and 60 FPS at 4K High shows that it can deliver playable performance at 4K with reasonable settings, but Ultra pushes it below the 60 FPS threshold.

The GPU also supports DirectX 12 Ultimate (12_2) and Vulkan 1.4, which are important for modern game engines. The 24 GB VRAM allows the game to keep many high-resolution assets in memory, reducing stutter from texture loading. However, the 4K Ultra result of 57 FPS suggests that the GPU’s shading and ROP throughput are the limiting factor when all quality features are enabled. At 1440p Ultra, the average FPS is 78, which is 21 FPS higher than 4K Ultra, showing that the GPU’s performance scales with resolution. At 1080p Ultra, the GPU delivers 96 FPS, which is 39 FPS higher than 4K Ultra. This pattern is consistent with a GPU that is fully utilized at 4K Ultra, while the CPU remains the primary limiter at lower resolutions.

FAQ

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

A: The average FPS is 57 at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings.

Q: How does the Ryzen 9 8945HX compare to the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX?

A: The Ryzen 9 8945HX has an average benchmark score of 76212, which is 0.1% higher than the Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX’s 76155.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1440p Medium?

A: The minimum FPS at 2560x1440 Medium is 92 FPS.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 5090 Mobile have?

A: It has 24 GB of GDDR7 VRAM with a 256-bit bus and 896.0 GB/s bandwidth.

Q: What is the boost clock of the CPU?

A: The boost clock is 5.40 GHz, while the base clock is 2.50 GHz.

Q: How does the RTX 5090 Mobile compare to the RTX 4070 Ti in benchmark score?

A: The RTX 5090 Mobile scores 45152, which is 0.8% higher than the RTX 4070 Ti’s 44795.

Measured FPS breakdown

The following table lists every measured configuration for Microsoft Flight Simulator with the Ryzen 9 8945HX and RTX 5090 Mobile. The Medium preset includes both minimum and maximum FPS values, while the other presets only report the average.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|---------|---------|

| 3840x2160 | Low | 103 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 80 | 68 | 92 |

| 3840x2160 | High | 60 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 57 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 139 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 109 | 92 | 125 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 82 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 78 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 173 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 135 | 114 | 155 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 101 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 96 | — | — |

The table shows a clear ordering: for each resolution, Low yields the highest FPS, followed by Medium, then High, and Ultra the lowest. The Medium preset’s min and max values are informative. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 114 FPS and the maximum 155 FPS, a range of 41 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the range is 92 to 125 FPS (33 FPS). At 4K Medium, the range is 68 to 92 FPS (24 FPS). The narrowing range as resolution increases suggests that the GPU becomes more consistent at higher resolutions, though the average FPS also drops. The fact that the 4K Medium min is 68 FPS—still above 60—indicates that the system can maintain a playable frame rate even with the higher pixel count.

Resolution scaling

The FPS drops from 1080p to 1440p to 4K are consistent across all presets. At Low, the average FPS goes from 173 (1080p) to 139 (1440p) to 103 (4K), a reduction of 34 FPS and then 36 FPS. At Medium, the values are 135 → 109 → 80, drops of 26 and 29. At High, the sequence is 101 → 82 → 60, drops of 19 and 22. At Ultra, it is 96 → 78 → 57, drops of 18 and 21. The absolute drops are similar in magnitude, though the percentage drop is larger for the lower resolutions because the starting FPS is higher. For instance, from 1080p to 1440p, the Low preset drops by 34 FPS (about 20% of 173), while the Ultra preset drops by 18 FPS (about 19% of 96). This pattern is consistent with a GPU that scales nearly linearly with pixel count.

The fact that the 1080p Low result is 173 FPS indicates that the CPU is capable of feeding the rendering pipeline at very high frame rates, but the GPU is not the bottleneck at that setting. As resolution increases, the GPU becomes the limiting factor. The 4K Ultra result of 57 FPS is below the 60 FPS threshold, while the 4K High result is exactly 60 FPS. The 4K Medium result of 80 FPS with a minimum of 68 FPS shows that Medium is the sweet spot for 4K. The scaling pattern also suggests that the CPU is not a bottleneck at any resolution; if it were, we would see a plateau in FPS at higher resolutions, which we do not. Instead, the FPS continues to decline as resolution increases, which is the classic sign of GPU limitation.

Settings recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the Medium preset provides the best balance of frame rate and stability across all three resolutions. At 1080p, Medium delivers 135 FPS (min 114, max 155), which is far above the 60 FPS target and leaves ample headroom for drops in complex scenes. The High preset at 1080p yields 101 FPS, and Ultra yields 96 FPS—both playable, but Medium offers a higher average without a significant quality penalty. At 1440p, Medium gives 109 FPS (min 92, max 125), while High drops to 82 FPS and Ultra to 78 FPS. Medium keeps the minimum FPS above 90, ensuring smooth gameplay even in demanding areas. At 4K, Medium produces 80 FPS (min 68, max 92), which is above the 60 FPS threshold with a comfortable margin. High at 4K sits at exactly 60 FPS, but its minimum is not reported, and Ultra falls to 57 FPS. The Medium preset is the only one that maintains a 60+ FPS average with a reported minimum above 60 at 4K.

If the goal is to maximize visual quality, the High preset at 4K is playable at 60 FPS, but the Medium preset offers a 20 FPS higher average (80 vs 60) with only a step down in some quality settings. At 1440p, the Medium preset is the best choice because it delivers 109 FPS, which is 27 FPS higher than High’s 82 FPS. At 1080p, Medium’s 135 FPS is 34 FPS higher than High’s 101 FPS, and it is still 39 FPS higher than Ultra’s 96 FPS. The data suggests that the Medium preset is the optimal setting for a smooth experience, with the lowest reported minimum FPS of 68 (at 4K) still above the 60 FPS threshold. This makes Medium the recommended preset for all resolutions in this configuration.