Microsoft Flight Simulator

The AMD Ryzen 9 9900X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 combination places 26th out of 1,795 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator, placing it in the top 1.5% of all systems tested. This is a top-tier pairing that delivers exceptional performance across all resolution and settings combinations, with the RTX 4090 serving as the dominant performance driver in most scenarios. The data shows this is a system built for maximum fidelity, capable of pushing high refresh rates even at 4K Ultra settings.

How This Combo Ranks

At rank 26 out of 1,795 combos, this pairing sits firmly in the elite tier of systems tested for Microsoft Flight Simulator. The ranking reflects the combined strength of a 12-core Zen 5 processor with the flagship Ada Lovelace GPU, and the measured FPS numbers confirm this is not a configuration that struggles at any settings level. The combo outperforms the vast majority of alternatives, with only 25 other CPU-GPU pairings achieving higher average frame rates in this specific title.

The CPU's average benchmark score of 54,450 places it in the 94th percentile of all processors, while the GPU's average score of 66,473 puts it in the 91st percentile of all graphics cards. The nearest CPU rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D at -0.4%, the Intel Core i7-14700F at +0.7%, and Intel Core Ultra 5 245K and 245KF at -1.5% and -1.8% respectively. These tight margins indicate the 9900X is well-matched against its direct competition, with no single rival holding a decisive advantage in synthetic benchmarks.

CPU Role

The Ryzen 9 9900X brings 12 cores and 24 threads to the table, built on the Zen 5 architecture (Granite Ridge) using a 4 nm process from TSMC. Base clock is 4.40 GHz with a boost clock of 5.60 GHz, and the chip carries 64 MB of shared L3 cache alongside 1 MB of L2 per core. It supports DDR5 memory over a dual-channel interface with 89.6 GB/s of bandwidth, and runs on the AMD Socket AM5 platform with PCIe Gen 5 connectivity offering 24 lanes from the CPU.

For Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU's single-thread performance is particularly relevant given the game's simulation-heavy workload. The 3DMark single-thread score of 1,286 and Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6,555 indicate strong per-core capability, which translates to responsive frame pacing in CPU-bound scenarios like dense airport environments or complex weather systems. The multi-threaded scores are equally impressive, with Cinebench R23 multicore at 46,438 and Geekbench multicore at 19,827, providing ample headroom for background tasks and streaming while flying.

The 120W TDP is modest for the performance delivered, and the unlocked multiplier allows for further tuning if desired. The processor's 94th percentile ranking versus all CPUs confirms it handles the game's physics and AI calculations without becoming the limiting factor in most configurations.

GPU Role

The RTX 4090 is the heart of this system's gaming performance. Built on the AD102 chip using a 5 nm process from TSMC, it packs 16,384 shading units, 512 texture mapping units, and 176 ROPs. The boost clock reaches 2,520 MHz, and the 24 GB of GDDR6X memory runs at 21 Gbps effective across a 384-bit bus, delivering 1.01 TB/s of bandwidth. The card supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6, making it fully compatible with modern flight simulators.

The GPU's compute capabilities are substantial, with FP32 performance at 82.58 TFLOPS and a pixel rate of 443.5 GPixel/s. The 128 RT cores and 512 Tensor cores provide hardware acceleration for ray-traced effects and DLSS features, though Microsoft Flight Simulator's measured FPS data shows the card handles even the highest settings without needing upscaling to maintain playable frames. The 450W TDP and triple-slot cooler design reflect the performance envelope, with a suggested PSU of 850W to cover transient power spikes.

In the Passmark G3D benchmark, the card scores 38,194, which places it in the 91st percentile of all GPUs. The nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Tesla T4 at -0.4%, Tesla P40 at +0.5%, and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 at -0.9%, though these are professional cards not typically used for gaming. The 4090's real-world advantage in this specific title is clear from the measured FPS, as it maintains high frame rates even at 4K Ultra settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the RTX 4090 delivers an average of 80.2 FPS on High settings, 133.4 FPS on Low, 104.9 FPS on Medium, and 73.4 FPS on Ultra. These numbers show that even at 4K, the system comfortably exceeds 60 FPS at every settings level, with the gap between Ultra and Low representing a 60 FPS difference. The 4K Ultra figure of 73.4 FPS is particularly notable, as it demonstrates the GPU's ability to handle the game's most demanding visual configuration without dropping below playable thresholds.

Moving to 2560x1440, the scores increase substantially: 108.4 FPS on High, 185 FPS on Low, 142.7 FPS on Medium, and 106.5 FPS on Ultra. The 1440p Ultra result of 106.5 FPS is a 33.1 FPS improvement over 4K Ultra, showing the resolution scaling benefits are significant. At 1920x1080, the system reaches 136.5 FPS on High, 230.6 FPS on Low, 182.9 FPS on Medium, and 132 FPS on Ultra. The 1080p Low result of 230.6 FPS approaches the refresh rate limits of many monitors, making the CPU the primary bottleneck at this resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals where the performance bottleneck shifts. At 1080p Low, the system produces 230.6 FPS, but at 4K Low it drops to 133.4 FPS, a 42% reduction. This scaling pattern indicates the GPU becomes progressively more stressed as resolution increases, particularly at lower settings where the CPU has less work to do. At Ultra settings, the drop from 1080p (132 FPS) to 4K (73.4 FPS) represents a 44% reduction, showing consistent scaling behavior across settings presets.

The data suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is the limiting factor, as the frame rates exceed what the simulation engine can reliably feed. At 1440p, the system finds a balance, with High and Ultra both exceeding 100 FPS. At 4K, the GPU is clearly the primary constraint, but the RTX 4090's 24 GB of VRAM and 1.01 TB/s bandwidth ensure texture streaming and memory bandwidth are never a limitation. The overall scaling indicates this combo is best suited for 1440p and 4K gaming, where the GPU's power is fully utilized.

Settings Recommendations

For 4K displays, the High preset at 80.2 FPS offers the best balance of visual fidelity and smoothness, while Ultra at 73.4 FPS remains playable for those prioritizing maximum detail. The Medium preset at 104.9 FPS provides a significant performance boost with only modest visual compromise, making it the recommended choice for high refresh rate 4K monitors. At 1440p, Ultra at 106.5 FPS is the clear choice, delivering excellent visuals while maintaining a high frame rate. The 1080p Ultra result of 132 FPS is also strong, but the Low preset's 230.6 FPS suggests the CPU becomes the limiting factor at this resolution.

Given the data, the optimal experience depends on the display's refresh rate. For 60 Hz 4K displays, Ultra at 73.4 FPS is viable, but High at 80.2 FPS provides a safety margin. For 144 Hz or higher displays, 1440p Ultra at 106.5 FPS is the sweet spot, and the system has enough headroom to handle complex scenes that may cause drops. The measured rows indicate that Medium settings at 4K (104.9 FPS) offer nearly 30 FPS more than Ultra, which may be preferable for those who prioritize frame consistency over absolute visual quality. This is a system where the user can select their preferred preset without worrying about hitting minimum playable thresholds.