Microsoft Flight Simulator

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate for this combo at 1080p Ultra settings?

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT delivers an average of 92 FPS in Microsoft Flight Simulator at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings.

Q: How much faster is the Low preset compared to Ultra at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves an average of 133 FPS, which is 59 FPS higher than the Ultra preset's 74 FPS average. This represents a substantial performance uplift of roughly 80% when dropping from Ultra to Low.

Q: Does the combo maintain playable frame rates at 4K?

A: Yes, at 3840x2160 the system stays above 55 FPS across all tested presets. The Ultra preset averages 55 FPS, while High reaches 57 FPS, Medium hits 76 FPS, and Low peaks at 98 FPS.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded in the dataset?

A: The lowest minimum FPS recorded is 65 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 with Medium settings. At 2560x1440 Medium, the minimum is 88 FPS, and at 1920x1080 Medium, it is 109 FPS.

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

A: This specific CPU-GPU pairing ranks 861st out of 3,714 total tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator, placing it in the upper quartile of all configurations.

Q: What are the key specifications of the CPU and GPU in this combo?

A: The Intel Core i5-14400F features 10 cores and 16 threads with a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT has 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with a boost clock of 2970 MHz and 4096 shading units.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT is the primary driver of frame rates in this configuration, and its specifications align closely with the performance pattern observed across resolutions. The GPU operates with a base clock of 1660 MHz and a boost clock of 2970 MHz, with a game clock rated at 2400 MHz. This allows the card to sustain high throughput in a flight simulator that demands continuous geometry processing for terrain and aircraft models.

Memory capacity and bandwidth play a critical role in Microsoft Flight Simulator, given the vast streaming world and high-resolution textures. The RX 9070 XT comes equipped with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering a bandwidth of 644.6 GB/s. At 4K Ultra settings, the title's texture demands can push memory utilization, and the 16 GB frame buffer prevents capacity-related stutters that would otherwise degrade the 55 FPS average. The memory clock runs at 2518 MHz, translating to 20.1 Gbps effective, which supports the high data throughput required for seamless scenery loading.

The GPU's compute capabilities are substantial, with 48.66 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a pixel rate of 380.2 GPixel/s. These figures explain why the card can handle the simulator's draw calls at 4K while maintaining playable frame rates. The 64 RT cores and RDNA 4.0 architecture provide hardware acceleration for any ray-traced effects, though the measured data focuses on standard rasterization presets. The texture rate of 760.3 GTexel/s ensures that detailed ground textures and cockpit instrumentation render without bottlenecking the CPU.

At lower resolutions, the GPU's role shifts from being fully saturated to partially idle, as the CPU begins to take a larger share of the workload. The 10-core, 16-thread Intel Core i5-14400F with a 20 MB L3 cache provides sufficient single-thread performance — evidenced by a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3055 — to feed the GPU at 1080p. However, the data indicates that the GPU still dominates the performance curve even at 1920x1080, where the gap between Low and Ultra settings remains significant.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1080p to 4K reveals how the system scales under increasing pixel throughput. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 164 at 1920x1080 to 133 at 2560x1440, then to 98 at 3840x2160. This represents a 40% reduction in average FPS from 1080p to 4K, which is a moderate scaling curve that suggests the GPU is the primary limiting component even at the lowest preset.

For Medium settings, the averages are 128 FPS at 1080p, 103 FPS at 1440p, and 76 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K here is approximately 41%, nearly identical to the Low preset scaling. This consistency indicates that the GPU's rasterization throughput is the binding constraint across all settings, rather than any memory bandwidth or CPU limitation that would manifest differently at varying quality levels.

High settings show a similar pattern: 96 FPS at 1080p, 78 FPS at 1440p, and 57 FPS at 4K. The 4K figure represents a 41% decrease from the 1080p result, maintaining the same scaling ratio. Ultra settings follow suit with 92 FPS at 1080p, 74 FPS at 1440p, and 55 FPS at 4K, a 40% drop. The uniformity of these percentage drops across all four presets strongly suggests that the system is consistently GPU-bound at every resolution, with the RX 9070 XT's fill rate and shading capacity determining the ceiling.

The resolution scaling also highlights that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this configuration. If the Intel Core i5-14400F were limiting performance, the frame rates at 1080p would be closer to those at 4K, since the CPU workload per frame remains relatively constant regardless of resolution. Instead, the steady decline in FPS as resolution increases points to the GPU's pixel processing pipeline as the limiting factor. The 16 GB memory buffer and 644.6 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient even at 4K, as evidenced by the fact that the Ultra preset at 4K still achieves 55 FPS rather than collapsing due to memory pressure.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates across all presets. The Low preset averages 164 FPS, providing a very fluid experience for fast camera movements or dense urban areas. Medium settings reduce the average to 128 FPS, with a minimum of 109 FPS and a maximum of 147 FPS recorded. High settings bring the average down to 96 FPS, while Ultra maintains a respectable 92 FPS average. The difference between High and Ultra at 1080p is only 4 FPS, suggesting that the additional visual fidelity of Ultra comes at a minimal performance cost at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates scale down proportionally. Low settings produce an average of 133 FPS, which remains well above the threshold for smooth gameplay on high-refresh-rate monitors. Medium settings average 103 FPS, with a minimum of 88 FPS and a maximum of 119 FPS, offering a good balance between visual quality and responsiveness. High settings drop to 78 FPS average, and Ultra falls to 74 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra narrows to just 4 FPS at 1440p as well, mirroring the pattern seen at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the system remains playable but the frame rates tighten. The Low preset averages 98 FPS, which is still smooth for most displays. Medium settings deliver 76 FPS on average, with a minimum of 65 FPS and a maximum of 88 FPS, ensuring that even the heaviest scenes stay above 60 FPS. High settings average 57 FPS, dipping below the 60 FPS threshold but remaining playable. Ultra settings average 55 FPS, which is the lowest figure recorded across all tested configurations. The margin between High and Ultra at 4K is 2 FPS, indicating that the visual enhancements of Ultra are nearly free in terms of performance at this resolution.

The minimum FPS data points, where available, show that the Medium preset at each resolution maintains a consistent floor. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 109 FPS; at 1440p Medium, it is 88 FPS; and at 4K Medium, it is 65 FPS. These minimums are close to the averages, suggesting that frame pacing is stable without severe spikes or drops during complex scenes.

How This Combo Ranks

In the comprehensive database of tested CPU-GPU combinations for Microsoft Flight Simulator, this pairing achieves a rank of 861 out of 3,714 total combos. This places the system in the top 23% of all configurations tested, which is a strong showing for a mid-range CPU paired with a high-end GPU. The ranking reflects the overall balance of the system, where the Intel Core i5-14400F provides sufficient processing power to keep the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT fed across all resolutions.

The CPU itself sits in the 83rd percentile when compared to all processors in the database, with an average benchmark score of 32,279. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 8840U with a delta of 0.1% and the Intel Core i9-11900 with a 0.2% delta, indicating that the i5-14400F's compute performance is competitive with older flagship parts. The GPU, however, shows a more modest standing, ranking in the 55th percentile among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 13,543. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon HD 7770M and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570, though these comparisons are based on aggregate benchmark scores rather than game-specific performance.

The discrepancy between the CPU's high percentile and the GPU's mid-tier percentile explains the combo's overall rank. In Microsoft Flight Simulator, which is known for its CPU-intensive simulation logic, the i5-14400F's strong single-thread performance — a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3055 — helps maintain frame rates even when the GPU is under heavy load. However, the RX 9070 XT's mid-pack standing in the broader GPU landscape means that the system does not crack the top 500 combos, as higher-tier GPUs would push the frame rates further, especially at 4K resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured frame rates, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance across all three resolutions. At 1080p, Medium delivers 128 FPS average with a minimum of 109 FPS, which is well above the threshold for smooth gameplay on standard 60 Hz displays and still high enough for 144 Hz monitors. At 1440p, Medium maintains 103 FPS average with an 88 FPS minimum, providing a comfortable margin above 60 FPS for demanding flight scenarios. At 4K, Medium drops to 76 FPS average with a 65 FPS minimum, which keeps the experience playable without sacrificing too much visual fidelity.

For users with high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p or 1440p, the Low preset is a viable option. At 1080p Low, the system produces 164 FPS average, which is ideal for 165 Hz displays, while at 1440p Low, the 133 FPS average supports 144 Hz panels. However, the visual downgrade from Low to Medium is significant in a simulator where ground details and cockpit readability matter, so Medium is recommended for most users unless chasing maximum refresh rates.

The High preset is a middle-ground option that provides enhanced visuals over Medium with a modest frame rate cost. At 1080p High, the average is 96 FPS; at 1440p High, it is 78 FPS; and at 4K High, it is 57 FPS. For users with 60 Hz displays at 4K, High is the recommended setting, as the 57 FPS average is close to the display's refresh rate and the visual improvements over Medium are noticeable. At 1440p, High remains playable but the 78 FPS average leaves less headroom for complex scenes, so Medium is preferred for consistent frame pacing.

The Ultra preset should be reserved for users who prioritize maximum visual fidelity over frame rate. At 1080p Ultra, the 92 FPS average is still smooth, and at 1440p Ultra, the 74 FPS average is acceptable. However, at 4K Ultra, the 55 FPS average falls below the 60 FPS threshold, and the minimum FPS data is not available for Ultra, indicating potential for dips during heavy scenery loads. Given that the difference between High and Ultra is only 2-4 FPS at each resolution, the High preset offers nearly identical performance with slightly reduced visual settings, making it the better choice for maintaining a stable frame rate without a significant visual penalty.