Microsoft Flight Simulator

# Microsoft Flight Simulator — Intel Core i5-13400F + AMD Radeon RX 9060

The combination of the Intel Core i5-13400F and AMD Radeon RX 9060 produces a mid-range flight simulator platform that shows clear resolution-dependent behavior. At 1080p, the system delivers playable frame rates across all settings, but the transition to 4K reveals a GPU-bound scenario where even the lowest settings struggle to maintain smooth performance. The measured data indicates this pairing sits in the 57th percentile of all tested combos in this game, ranking 1712 out of 2996 configurations, which places it firmly in the middle of the pack for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial and reveals the limiting component clearly. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 111 FPS at 1920x1080 to 66 FPS at 3840x2160 — a reduction of roughly 40%. The Medium preset shows a similar pattern: 86 FPS at 1080p drops to 51 FPS at 4K, a 41% decrease. High settings see the average fall from 65 FPS at 1080p to 39 FPS at 4K, a 40% loss, while Ultra settings drop from 62 FPS to 37 FPS, a 40% reduction.

This consistent ~40% scaling penalty across all four presets indicates that the performance ceiling at higher resolutions is being set by the GPU rather than the CPU. If the processor were the bottleneck, the percentage drop would typically vary more between settings, as lower settings would shift more load onto the CPU. Instead, the uniform scaling suggests the Radeon RX 9060's rendering throughput is the limiting factor at 1440p and beyond.

The 1440p results reinforce this interpretation. At Medium settings, the average FPS at 2560x1440 is 69, compared to 86 at 1080p — a 20% reduction. High settings at 1440p produce 52 FPS versus 65 at 1080p, also a 20% drop. This halving of the percentage penalty from 1440p to 4K (20% versus 40%) is typical of a GPU that can handle moderate resolution increases but becomes saturated at 4K pixel counts.

Notably, the gap between Low and Ultra settings narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, Low delivers 111 FPS while Ultra delivers 62 FPS — a 49 FPS spread. At 4K, Low produces 66 FPS and Ultra produces 37 FPS, a 29 FPS spread. This compression of the settings range at higher resolutions further confirms the GPU-bound nature of 4K gameplay, as the graphics card cannot fully exploit the reduced workload of lower presets when pixel count is already high.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9060 employs the Navi 44 chip built on RDNA 4.0 architecture, fabricated on a 4 nm process at TSMC. The GPU contains 29,700 million transistors across a 199 mm² die, with a transistor density of 149.2M per mm². Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory operates on a 128-bit bus, producing a bandwidth of 288.0 GB/s. The memory clock runs at 2250 MHz with 18 Gbps effective data rate.

Clock speeds are notably aggressive for this class of GPU. The base clock is 1700 MHz, but the game clock is rated at 2400 MHz and the boost clock reaches 2990 MHz. This high boost capability helps the card maintain reasonable performance at 1080p, where the measured Low preset hits 111 FPS. However, the 8 GB VRAM capacity and 128-bit memory bus become limiting factors at 4K, where the card's 191.4 GPixel/s pixel rate and 334.9 GTexel/s texture rate cannot keep pace with the pixel workload.

The GPU's compute capabilities include 1792 shading units, 112 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units, alongside 28 ray tracing cores. The FP32 throughput is 21.43 TFLOPS, with FP16 also rated at 21.43 TFLOPS (1:1 ratio). In synthetic benchmarks, the card scores 3322 in 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12, 88183 in Geekbench OpenCL, and 39476 in Geekbench Vulkan. The PassMark G3D score is 17631, with a GPU compute score of 9919.

In the broader GPU landscape, the RX 9060 ranks in the 59th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which scores 16129 versus this card's 16014 average — a delta of -0.7%, meaning the RTX 3060 Ti is slightly faster. The AMD Radeon R9 370X and RX 7700 score 15862 and 15852 respectively, both within 1% of the RX 9060. The Radeon Pro W5500 trails by 2.1% with a score of 15679. These close margins indicate the RX 9060 sits in a tightly contested performance tier.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-13400F is a 10-core, 16-thread processor from the Raptor Lake architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It features a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1.25 MB of L2 per core, and 20 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus, and connects via PCIe Gen 5 with 16 CPU lanes on the Intel Socket 1700 platform.

The processor's multi-threaded capabilities are substantial. In Cinebench R23, it scores 22604 multi-core and 3191 single-core. Geekbench results show 11068 multi-core and 1996 single-core. PassMark multithread testing yields 25032, with single-thread performance at 3634. The 3DMark tests show scaling from 960 single-thread to 7314 with 16 threads, indicating good multi-core efficiency. The CPU ranks in the 77th percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 25292.

Nearest CPU rivals include the AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS at 25284 (0% delta), the Intel Core 5 120 at 25362 (-0.3%), the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X3D at 25365 (-0.3%), and the AMD Ryzen 7 6800H at 25201 (0.4%). These sub-1% differences mean the i5-13400F is essentially performance-equivalent to these competing parts in aggregate benchmarks.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU's role is significant at lower resolutions where the GPU is not saturated. The measured data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 111 FPS, which suggests the processor can feed the GPU adequately at this resolution. The 16 threads help handle the simulation and physics calculations that Flight Simulator's engine requires, while the 4.60 GHz boost clock provides responsive single-thread performance for the main game loop. However, as resolution increases, the CPU becomes less relevant — the uniform ~40% FPS drop from 1080p to 4K indicates the GPU takes over as the primary limiter.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its strongest results. Low settings produce an average of 111 FPS, which is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay on standard 60 Hz displays. Medium settings average 86 FPS, with a minimum of 73 FPS and maximum of 99 FPS, indicating consistent frame delivery. High settings drop to 65 FPS average, while Ultra settings produce 62 FPS average. The 1080p results show a narrow performance gap between High and Ultra (65 versus 62 FPS), suggesting diminishing returns from the highest preset at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance remains playable but the margins tighten. Low settings average 89 FPS, Medium averages 69 FPS with a 59-80 FPS range, High averages 52 FPS, and Ultra averages 50 FPS. The 1440p results show a similar pattern to 1080p, with High and Ultra nearly identical (52 versus 50 FPS). The Medium preset at 1440p still provides a comfortable experience above 60 FPS, but users seeking High or Ultra quality will need to accept frame rates in the 50s.

At 3840x2160, the system falls below smooth gameplay thresholds for most settings. Low averages 66 FPS, which remains playable, but Medium drops to 51 FPS (44-59 FPS range), High falls to 39 FPS, and Ultra produces just 37 FPS. The 4K results indicate that only the Low preset can maintain a consistent 60+ FPS experience, and even that is borderline. Medium at 4K dips below 60 FPS on average and shows a minimum of 44 FPS, which may cause noticeable stutter in a flight simulator where smooth scenery transitions matter.

The minimum FPS data, available only for Medium settings, shows interesting scaling: 73 FPS at 1080p, 59 FPS at 1440p, and 44 FPS at 4K. This progressive decline in minimum frame rates suggests the GPU's memory bandwidth becomes increasingly strained at higher resolutions, leading to more pronounced frame time spikes.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of Intel Core i5-13400F and AMD Radeon RX 9060 ranks 1712 out of 2996 tested configurations in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places the combo in the 57th percentile, meaning roughly 57% of tested systems perform better and 43% perform worse in this game. The ranking reflects the mid-range positioning of both components — the CPU is solidly in the upper-mid tier (77th percentile overall), while the GPU sits near the median (59th percentile).

The combo's rank is largely constrained by the GPU. The CPU's strong multi-threaded performance (22604 in Cinebench R23) is not fully utilized at higher resolutions, where the RX 9060 becomes the bottleneck. This is evident from the 4K results, where even Low settings only reach 66 FPS despite the CPU's capabilities. In contrast, at 1080p Low, the system achieves 111 FPS, indicating the CPU can drive the GPU effectively when the pixel workload is manageable.

Compared to alternative pairings, this combo benefits from the i5-13400F's high boost clock and 16 threads, which help maintain frame rates in CPU-intensive flight simulation scenarios. However, the RX 9060's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus limit high-resolution performance, capping the combo's overall rank. The 2996 total combos tested include systems with more powerful GPUs and CPUs, so the 1712 rank is consistent with the hardware's mid-range positioning.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend strongly on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the Medium preset provides the best balance of visual quality and performance, with 86 FPS average and a 73 FPS minimum. This leaves headroom for occasional frame drops while maintaining smooth gameplay. High settings at 65 FPS are also viable for users prioritizing visuals, but the 62 FPS Ultra preset offers minimal improvement over High while sacrificing frame rate stability.

At 2560x1440, Medium is the recommended preset. The 69 FPS average with a 59 FPS minimum keeps gameplay above the 60 FPS threshold for most of the session, while High (52 FPS) and Ultra (50 FPS) both fall below that mark. Low at 89 FPS is the only preset that exceeds 60 FPS comfortably, but Medium provides a significant visual upgrade for only a 20 FPS cost.

At 3840x2160, the choice is more constrained. Low settings average 66 FPS, which is the only preset that maintains a 60+ FPS experience. Medium drops to 51 FPS average with a 44 FPS minimum, which may be acceptable for users who prioritize visual fidelity over smoothness, but the frame rate dips below 45 FPS could be noticeable in a flight simulator. High (39 FPS) and Ultra (37 FPS) are not recommended for 4K gameplay, as both fall well below the 60 FPS threshold and approach the 30 FPS territory that can feel sluggish in this genre.

For users with a 60 Hz display, the Medium preset at 1080p or 1440p offers the best balance. For users with higher refresh rate monitors, the Low preset at 1440p (89 FPS) or 1080p (111 FPS) provides the smoothest experience, though at reduced visual quality.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Microsoft Flight Simulator at 4K smoothly?

A: Only at Low settings, where it achieves 66 FPS average. Medium settings drop to 51 FPS average with a 44 FPS minimum, and High (39 FPS) and Ultra (37 FPS) fall well below smooth gameplay thresholds.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution. It delivers 86 FPS average on Medium settings with a 73 FPS minimum, while 1440p Medium drops to 69 FPS and 4K Medium falls to 51 FPS.

Q: How does the Radeon RX 9060 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RX 9060's average benchmark score is 16014, which is 0.7% below the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti (16129), 1% above the AMD Radeon R9 370X (15862) and RX 7700 (15852), and 2.1% above the Radeon Pro W5500 (15679).

Q: Is the Intel Core i5-13400F a bottleneck for this setup?

A: At lower resolutions, the CPU is sufficient — 1080p Low achieves 111 FPS. At 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, as evidenced by the uniform ~40% FPS drop across all settings from 1080p to 4K.

Q: What settings should I use for 1440p gaming with this hardware?

A: Medium settings are recommended, providing 69 FPS average with a 59 FPS minimum. Low settings offer 89 FPS if smoother performance is preferred, while High (52 FPS) and Ultra (50 FPS) fall below the 60 FPS threshold.

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

A: It ranks 1712 out of 2996 total combos tested, placing it in the 57th percentile. This reflects the mid-range positioning of both the CPU (77th percentile) and GPU (59th percentile) in their respective categories.