Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator presents one of the most demanding workloads in PC gaming, and the combination of the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile demonstrates a clear performance profile across resolutions. The measured data shows a system that is capable of solid frame rates at 1080p and 1440p, but which begins to strain when pushed to 4K, particularly with higher graphical presets. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS results, the role of each component, and how this specific pairing ranks against other tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic pattern of resolution scaling, where the performance cost of increasing pixel count is substantial. Moving from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 at High settings, the average frame rate drops from 69 FPS to 55 FPS, a reduction of approximately 20%. This indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting factor, as the workload scales directly with the number of pixels rendered. The scaling continues when moving from 1440p to 4K, with the High preset dropping from 55 FPS to 41 FPS, another 25% reduction. This consistent scaling pattern suggests that the RTX 5070 Mobile's 8 GB of VRAM and its memory bandwidth are being fully utilized at higher resolutions.

The Low preset offers a different perspective on the scaling behavior. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 117 FPS, which drops to 95 FPS at 1440p Low, and then further to 70 FPS at 4K Low. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at Low settings is roughly 40%, which is less severe than the drop seen at High settings. This indicates that at Low settings, the CPU has more headroom to feed the GPU, but the GPU still becomes the bottleneck as resolution increases. The data suggests that for this flight simulator, the rendering engine is heavily dependent on GPU throughput, and the scaling from 1080p to 4K is nearly linear across all presets.

The Medium preset provides the most complete dataset with minimum and maximum frame rates recorded. At 1080p Medium, the average is 91 FPS with a minimum of 78 FPS and a maximum of 105 FPS. At 1440p Medium, the average drops to 74 FPS with a minimum of 63 FPS and a maximum of 85 FPS. At 4K Medium, the average is 54 FPS with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 63 FPS. The minimum frame rate at 4K Medium (46 FPS) shows that even at this preset, there are moments of significant performance dips, likely during complex scenery or weather rendering. The gap between average and minimum FPS widens at higher resolutions, indicating less consistent frame pacing as the GPU becomes more saturated.

The Ultra preset shows the most demanding scenario. At 1080p Ultra, the system manages 65 FPS, which is only slightly below the 69 FPS achieved at High settings. This suggests that the CPU is providing enough data to the GPU, and the difference between High and Ultra at 1080p is minimal. However, at 1440p Ultra, the average drops to 53 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 39 FPS. The 4K Ultra result of 39 FPS is below the threshold for smooth gameplay, indicating that this combination is not suitable for maximum settings at 4K resolution. The scaling from 1080p to 4K at Ultra shows a 40% performance drop, consistent with the pattern seen at other presets.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, with a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. This is a high-end mobile processor with 64 MB of shared L3 cache, which is significant for a flight simulator that often needs to load large terrain and aircraft data. The CPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks is strong, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 35314 and a single-core score of 2044. In the context of this game, the high single-core performance is crucial, as flight simulators often have a primary simulation thread that limits frame rates.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 95 among all CPUs indicates that it is in the top 5% of processors by average benchmark score. When compared to its nearest rivals, the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 shows a 1.6% advantage over the AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX and the AMD EPYC Embedded 8224P, and a 2% advantage over the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HX. However, it is 1.7% behind the Intel Core i9-14900K in average benchmark score. These synthetic scores suggest that the CPU is more than capable of handling the simulation logic in Microsoft Flight Simulator, but the measured FPS data indicates that the GPU is often the limiting factor.

The CPU's role becomes more apparent at lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, the system achieves 117 FPS, which is close to the 120 FPS refresh rate of many gaming displays. The fact that 1080p Low does not hit higher frame rates suggests that the CPU is providing a performance ceiling of around 117 FPS in this scenario. This is likely due to the simulation thread and the game's engine not being able to utilize all 32 threads effectively. The 16 cores and 32 threads are still beneficial for background tasks and physics calculations, but the main thread remains a bottleneck at low settings. At 4K Ultra, the CPU is clearly not limiting the system, as the GPU is struggling to maintain 39 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1440p with High settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 55 FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings. This is a playable frame rate for a flight simulator, though users seeking higher smoothness may prefer the Medium preset, which averages 74 FPS.

Q: How does the system perform at 4K with Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average frame rate is 39 FPS. This is below the 50 FPS threshold often considered smooth for flight simulators, indicating that the RTX 5070 Mobile is not sufficient for maximum settings at 4K resolution.

Q: What is the maximum frame rate recorded in the dataset?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 117 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The highest maximum FPS recorded is 105 FPS at 1920x1080 with Medium settings.

Q: Is there a significant difference between High and Ultra presets at 1080p?

A: The data shows a minimal difference. At 1920x1080, the High preset averages 69 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 65 FPS. This indicates that the GPU has enough headroom at 1080p to handle the extra visual features of the Ultra preset without a major performance penalty.

Q: What is the performance drop from 1080p to 4K at Medium settings?

A: The average frame rate at 1080p Medium is 91 FPS, while at 4K Medium it is 54 FPS. This represents a 41% drop in performance, which is consistent with the GPU being the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 2057 out of 3714 tested combinations. This places it in the middle of the pack, indicating that while it is not a top-tier configuration for this game, it is also not a weak performer.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the system's performance across all resolution and settings combinations. At 1920x1080, the results are as follows: Low settings achieve an average of 117 FPS, Medium settings achieve 91 FPS with a minimum of 78 FPS and a maximum of 105 FPS, High settings achieve 69 FPS, and Ultra settings achieve 65 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decrease in frame rates, with a 44% drop from Low to Ultra. The minimum frame rate at Medium (78 FPS) is still above 60 FPS, suggesting that the system can maintain smooth gameplay at 1080p with Medium settings.

At 2560x1440, the results show a similar trend but with lower absolute numbers. Low settings average 95 FPS, Medium settings average 74 FPS with a minimum of 63 FPS and a maximum of 85 FPS, High settings average 55 FPS, and Ultra settings average 53 FPS. The jump from High to Ultra at 1440p is minimal (55 FPS to 53 FPS), which suggests that the Ultra preset's additional features are not heavily taxing the GPU at this resolution. The minimum frame rate at 1440p Medium (63 FPS) is still acceptable for most users, but the average of 74 FPS indicates that the system is working harder than at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the performance becomes more constrained. Low settings average 70 FPS, Medium settings average 54 FPS with a minimum of 46 FPS and a maximum of 63 FPS, High settings average 41 FPS, and Ultra settings average 39 FPS. The drop from Medium to High at 4K is significant (54 FPS to 41 FPS, a 24% reduction), indicating that the High preset introduces a substantial rendering load that the GPU cannot fully handle. The Ultra preset at 4K (39 FPS) is essentially unplayable for a smooth experience. The minimum frame rate at 4K Medium (46 FPS) shows that even at this setting, there are dips below 50 FPS during complex scenes.

The data shows that the system is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming. At 1440p, the Medium preset provides a good balance of visual quality and performance, with an average of 74 FPS and a minimum of 63 FPS. At 1080p, the High preset is a solid choice, averaging 69 FPS, while the Ultra preset is also viable at 65 FPS. For 4K, the Low preset is the only option that provides a consistently smooth experience, with an average of 70 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile ranks 2057 out of 3714 tested combinations for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the 55th percentile, meaning that 55% of all tested combos perform worse, and 45% perform better. This is a mid-tier ranking, which is consistent with the component specifications: the CPU is a high-end mobile part (95th percentile), but the GPU is only in the 75th percentile among all GPUs. The GPU's lower percentile is the limiting factor in this pairing.

The GPU's benchmark scores provide context for its performance. The RTX 5070 Mobile has an average benchmark score of 29928, which places it in the 75th percentile. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, which has an average score of 29945 and a delta of -0.1%, meaning the RTX 5070 Mobile is essentially tied with it. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti has an average score of 29783 and a delta of 0.5%, meaning the RTX 5070 Mobile is 0.5% faster. The AMD Radeon RX 6800 has an average score of 30095 and a delta of -0.6%, meaning the RTX 5070 Mobile is 0.6% slower. These small deltas indicate that the RTX 5070 Mobile performs at a level comparable to previous-generation high-end GPUs.

The CPU's benchmark scores are much stronger. The Ryzen AI Max+ 395 has an average benchmark score of 77740, which is in the 95th percentile. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i9-14900K, which has a score of 79097 and a delta of -1.7%, meaning the AMD chip is 1.7% slower. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9945WX has a score of 76513 and a delta of 1.6%, meaning the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is 1.6% faster. This shows that the CPU is a top-tier performer, but its capabilities are not fully utilized in this game due to the GPU bottleneck at higher resolutions.

The combo's rank of 2057 out of 3714 suggests that there are many other configurations that perform better in this specific game. Given that the GPU is the main constraint, users with a higher-tier GPU, such as those in the 90th percentile, would likely achieve significantly higher frame rates. The CPU's strength does not translate into a higher rank because Microsoft Flight Simulator is heavily GPU-bound at most settings. The data indicates that this combo is a balanced mid-range performer, suitable for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but not for high-refresh-rate 4K.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's target resolution and frame rate preference. For 1080p, the High preset is recommended for a good balance of visual quality and performance, with an average of 69 FPS. The Ultra preset is also viable, with an average of 65 FPS, but the small 4 FPS difference may not justify the extra visual features for some users. For users prioritizing high frame rates, the Low preset at 1080p offers 117 FPS, which is ideal for high-refresh-rate displays.

For 1440p, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation. It provides an average of 74 FPS with a minimum of 63 FPS, ensuring smooth gameplay with a reasonable visual quality. The High preset at 1440p averages 55 FPS, which is playable but may feel less smooth, especially during fast maneuvers or complex scenery. The Ultra preset at 1440p averages 53 FPS, but the data shows that the additional visual features do not significantly improve the experience over High, making it a less efficient choice.

For 4K, the options are more limited. The Low preset is the only one that provides a consistently smooth experience, with an average of 70 FPS. The Medium preset averages 54 FPS, which is acceptable for slower-paced flight, but the minimum frame rate of 46 FPS indicates that there may be noticeable stutters. The High and Ultra presets at 4K are not recommended, as they average 41 FPS and 39 FPS respectively, which is below the threshold for a comfortable experience. Users with 4K displays should strongly consider using the Low preset or reducing the resolution to 1440p for a better experience.

The data shows a clear pattern: as resolution increases, users must reduce settings to maintain a consistent frame rate. The Medium preset at 1440p is the sweet spot for this combo, offering a good balance of visual fidelity and performance. The system is not designed for 4K gaming at high settings, and users should adjust their expectations accordingly.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Mobile is based on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and features 8 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 128-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s. The GPU has 4608 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs. Its boost clock is 1425 MHz, and it has a TDP of 50 W. The GPU's performance in synthetic benchmarks shows an average score of 29928, placing it in the 75th percentile. The nearest rival, the RTX 3070 Ti, has a score of 29945, showing that the RTX 5070 Mobile is nearly identical in performance to a previous-generation high-end desktop GPU.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the GPU's role is dominant, as evidenced by the resolution scaling data. The 8 GB VRAM is a potential limitation at 4K with high textures, but the measured data shows that even at 4K Ultra, the system does not run out of memory, as the game still renders. The memory bandwidth of 384.0 GB/s is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the GPU's compute throughput becomes the limiting factor. The FP32 performance of 13.13 TFLOPS is moderate for a mobile GPU, and the data suggests that this is not enough to maintain high frame rates at 4K with demanding settings.

The GPU's 36 ray tracing cores and 144 tensor cores are present, but Microsoft Flight Simulator does not heavily utilize these features in the measured presets. The primary workload is traditional rasterization, which depends on shading units and texture fill rate. The GPU's pixel rate of 68.40 GPixel/s and texture rate of 205.2 GTexel/s are adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but they are insufficient for 4K at high settings. The measured FPS data confirms this, with 4K High achieving only 41 FPS.

The GPU's TDP of 50 W indicates that it is a power-efficient mobile part, but this also means it has less thermal headroom for sustained boost clocks compared to larger desktop GPUs. The boost clock of 1425 MHz is modest, and the GPU may throttle under extended load, which could explain the minimum frame rates seen at 4K Medium (46 FPS). The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for the current settings, but future updates to the game with higher-resolution textures could become problematic. Overall, the RTX 5070 Mobile is a capable mid-range GPU that performs best at 1080p and 1440p, and it is the primary bottleneck for this combo at 4K.