Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a demanding flight simulation title, and the measured performance of the Intel Core i5-11400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT shows a component relationship that shifts significantly depending on the resolution and preset selected. The data indicates that this combination is capable of delivering playable frame rates across most settings, but the balance of load between the CPU and GPU changes predictably as the resolution increases.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At the High preset, the average frame rate drops from 81 FPS at 1920x1080 to 65 FPS at 2560x1440, and further to 48 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 20% reduction from 1080p to 1440p, and a 41% reduction from 1080p to 4K. The scaling is not perfectly linear, but the trend indicates that the GPU is becoming an increasingly significant bottleneck at higher resolutions.

The Medium preset shows a similar pattern, with average FPS dropping from 108 at 1920x1080 to 87 at 2560x1440, and then to 64 at 3840x2160. The 4K result includes a minimum FPS of 55 and a maximum of 74, suggesting some frame time variance at this demanding resolution. The Low preset demonstrates the least severe scaling, going from 139 FPS at 1080p to 112 FPS at 1440p, and 82 FPS at 4K. The smaller relative drop at Low settings suggests that when the GPU workload is reduced, the CPU becomes more relevant, and the frame rate ceiling is somewhat higher.

The Ultra preset shows the most constrained performance, with average FPS of 77 at 1080p, 62 at 1440p, and 46 at 4K. The 4K Ultra result is notably low, and the scaling from 1440p to 4K represents a 26% reduction. This suggests that at Ultra settings, the combination of high resolution and maximum detail levels places a heavy load on the GPU, and the 12 GB of VRAM and the GPU's compute resources are the primary limiting factors. The data points to a system where the GPU is the dominant constraint at 4K across all settings, while at 1080p, particularly with Low settings, the CPU's six cores and twelve threads are more likely to be the limiting component.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its benchmark scores, such as a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 14340 and a single-core score of 2024, place it in the 71st percentile of all CPUs, indicating solid mainstream performance. The CPU's architecture is Rocket Lake, built on a 14 nm process, and it supports DDR4 memory with a dual-channel bus providing 51.2 GB/s of bandwidth.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU handles simulation logic, physics, and draw call preparation. The benchmark data suggests that the i5-11400F is generally sufficient to feed the RX 7700 XT at 1080p, as evidenced by the 139 FPS average at Low settings. However, the frame rate scaling with resolution at Low settings—from 139 at 1080p to 82 at 4K—shows that even with reduced graphical load, the GPU still becomes a factor at higher resolutions. The CPU's single-thread performance, measured at 868 in 3DMark single-thread and 2981 in Passmark single-thread, is likely adequate for the game's primary simulation thread, but the 6-core configuration may limit performance in scenarios with heavy multi-threaded load.

The CPU's nearest rivals include the AMD EPYC 7H12, which scores 17120 with a deltaPct of 0.3, and the Intel Core i5-12450H, scoring 17239 with a deltaPct of -0.4. The i5-11400F's average benchmark score of 17177 is nearly identical to these, indicating it performs in line with other mid-range processors. In the context of this game, the CPU's role is more pronounced at lower resolutions and lower settings, where the GPU is not fully saturated. The data shows that at 1080p Medium, the average FPS is 108, which is a 22% reduction from the Low preset, suggesting that the CPU can handle the increased draw calls without a major impact, but the GPU workload is increasing.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT is based on the RDNA 3.0 architecture with the Navi 32 chip, manufactured on a 5 nm process. It features 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 1435 MHz, a game clock of 2171 MHz, and a boost clock of 2544 MHz. Its compute capabilities include 3456 shading units and an FP32 performance of 35.17 TFLOPS. The GPU's benchmark scores include a Passmark G3D score of 22547 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad score of 3316, placing it in the 67th percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile with a score of 22435 and a deltaPct of 0.5, and the RTX 4060 Mobile with a score of 22729 and a deltaPct of -0.8. This places the RX 7700 XT in a similar performance class to these mobile parts. In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the GPU's role becomes dominant at high resolutions and settings. The 4K Ultra result of 46 FPS average indicates that the GPU is heavily stressed, and the 12 GB VRAM buffer may be a limiting factor at this resolution with maximum textures. The 4K Medium result of 64 FPS with a minimum of 55 FPS shows that reducing settings from Ultra to Medium provides a 39% improvement in average frame rate, demonstrating the GPU's sensitivity to detail levels.

The GPU's memory bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s is likely sufficient for the game's asset streaming at 1440p, but at 4K, the higher pixel count and larger texture sets may approach the limits of the 12 GB VRAM. The data shows that at 1440p High, the average FPS is 65, which is a 20% drop from the 1080p High result of 81. This scaling is more pronounced than the CPU's impact, confirming that the GPU is the primary bottleneck as resolution increases. The GPU's 96 ROPs and 216 TMUs are tasked with rasterization and texture filtering, and the 2544 MHz boost clock helps maintain throughput, but the measured results indicate that for a smooth 60 FPS experience at 4K, lower settings are required.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings for this combo?

A: The measured average FPS at 2560x1440 with High settings is 65 FPS.

Q: How does the 4K Ultra performance compare to the 1080p Ultra performance?

A: The average FPS at 4K Ultra is 46, while at 1080p Ultra it is 77. This represents a 40% reduction in average frame rate when moving from 1080p to 4K at the Ultra preset.

Q: Which preset provides the highest minimum FPS at 1920x1080?

A: The Medium preset at 1920x1080 has a measured minimum FPS of 92. The Low and High presets do not have recorded minimum FPS values in the data.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the limiting factor at 3840x2160?

A: The data indicates the GPU is the primary limiting factor at 4K. The frame rate drops significantly with resolution increases, and at 4K even the Low preset averages 82 FPS, which is well below the 1080p Low result of 139 FPS, showing the GPU's workload is the main constraint.

Q: What is the average FPS difference between the Low and Ultra presets at 2560x1440?

A: The average FPS at 2560x1440 Low is 112, and at Ultra it is 62. The difference is 50 FPS, with the Ultra preset being 55% slower than Low.

Q: How does this combo's performance rank among all tested combinations in this game?

A: This combination ranks 1378 out of 3714 tested combos, placing it in the top 37% of all systems tested for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the High preset delivers an average of 81 FPS, which is smooth for most flight simulation scenarios. The Ultra preset at 1080p yields 77 FPS, a marginal 5% reduction from High, making it a viable choice for users who prioritize visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 1080p offers 108 FPS, which is a substantial 33% improvement over Ultra, but the visual difference between Medium and High may be noticeable in cockpit detail and scenery complexity.

For 2560x1440, the High preset provides 65 FPS, which is playable but may exhibit some stutter in dense areas. The Medium preset at 87 FPS is a strong recommendation for a balance of visual quality and performance, as it maintains a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 62 FPS is borderline, and the data shows a minimum FPS of 74 for Medium, suggesting more consistent frame times compared to Ultra.

At 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the most balanced choice, with an average of 64 FPS and a minimum of 55 FPS, which is acceptable for slower-paced flight simulation. The High preset at 48 FPS and Ultra at 46 FPS are below the 60 FPS threshold and may result in a less fluid experience, especially during rapid maneuvers or over dense cities. The Low preset at 4K achieves 82 FPS, but the reduced detail level may detract from the visual experience. For the best overall experience, the data suggests using Medium at 4K, High at 1440p, and High or Ultra at 1080p, depending on whether frame rate or visual fidelity is prioritized.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values are 139 for Low, 108 for Medium, 81 for High, and 77 for Ultra. The Medium preset has a recorded minimum of 92 FPS and a maximum of 124 FPS, indicating a frame time range of 32 FPS. The other presets at this resolution do not have recorded min/max values.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS values are 112 for Low, 87 for Medium, 65 for High, and 62 for Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 74 FPS and a maximum of 100 FPS, a range of 26 FPS. This tighter range compared to 1080p Medium suggests more consistent performance at the higher resolution.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS values are 82 for Low, 64 for Medium, 48 for High, and 46 for Ultra. The Medium preset has a minimum of 55 FPS and a maximum of 74 FPS, a range of 19 FPS. This shows that at 4K, the frame rate is more stable than at lower resolutions, but the overall performance is significantly lower. The progression from Low to Ultra at each resolution shows a consistent decrease in average FPS, with the largest relative drop occurring between Medium and High at 4K, where the average falls from 64 to 48 FPS, a 25% reduction.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT ranks 1378 out of 3714 tested combos for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the 63rd percentile of all tested systems, meaning that 63% of other combinations perform better in this game. The rank reflects the overall balance of the CPU and GPU, and the measured FPS data suggests that while the system is capable of running the game smoothly at 1080p and 1440p with appropriate settings, it falls short of the top-tier performance seen with higher-end components.

The CPU's 71st percentile ranking and the GPU's 67th percentile ranking indicate that both components are mid-range performers, and their combination does not boost the system to the upper echelons of gaming performance. The rank of 1378 out of 3714 suggests that there are many other combinations that offer higher frame rates, particularly at 4K resolution where the GPU's limitations become more apparent. However, the data also shows that this combo handles 1080p and 1440p well, and with the right settings, it can provide a satisfactory experience for flight simulation enthusiasts without requiring top-tier hardware.