Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a demanding title that stresses both the CPU and GPU heavily, and the data for the Intel Core i5-9400 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER reveals a system that is capable of high frame rates but with distinct scaling behavior tied to resolution and settings. The measured FPS across 1080p, 1440p, and 4K resolutions, combined with the hardware specifications, shows a configuration where the GPU’s raw power is often the primary driver of performance, particularly at higher resolutions, while the older six-core CPU still holds its own in less GPU-bound scenarios.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear and expected pattern: as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160, average frame rates drop consistently across all settings. At the High preset, the system delivers 105 FPS at 1080p, which falls to 86 FPS at 1440p, and then to 64 FPS at 4K. This represents a roughly 39% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K, indicating that the GPU is becoming more of a limiting factor as pixel count rises. The RTX 4070 SUPER, with its 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and 504.2 GB/s bandwidth, is clearly being tasked harder at higher resolutions, but the drop is not catastrophic, suggesting the card has enough headroom to maintain playable frame rates even at 4K.

The scaling from 1440p to 4K is particularly telling. At High settings, the drop is from 86 FPS to 64 FPS, a 25.6% decrease. This is a significant reduction, but it is less steep than the 1080p to 1440p drop of 18.1% (from 105 to 86 FPS). This non-linear behavior implies that while the GPU’s shading units and memory bandwidth are being saturated at 4K, the CPU is not completely overwhelmed, allowing the GPU to still push through a reasonable number of frames. For a flight simulator that often involves dense scenery and complex weather, this kind of scaling suggests the RTX 4070 SUPER is well-matched to the game’s visual demands at 4K, though users targeting very high refresh rates may prefer lower resolutions.

At the Ultra preset, the pattern is similar but with lower absolute numbers. The system achieves 102 FPS at 1080p, 82 FPS at 1440p, and 61 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K is roughly 40%, nearly identical to High settings, which indicates that the relative performance penalty of increasing resolution is consistent regardless of the graphics preset. This suggests that the RTX 4070 SUPER’s compute resources, including its 7168 shading units and 224 texture mapping units, are being utilized proportionally more at 4K, but the overall bottleneck is still the GPU’s ability to fill pixels. Interestingly, the Ultra preset at 4K yields 61 FPS, which is only 3 FPS lower than the High preset at the same resolution, hinting that the GPU is nearing its limits at this resolution, and further graphical enhancements have diminishing returns.

Low settings show the least dramatic scaling, with 128 FPS at 1080p, 119 FPS at 1440p, and 108 FPS at 4K. The 1080p to 4K drop is only 15.6%, which is much smaller than at higher presets. This indicates that at Low settings, the CPU becomes more of a limiting factor, as the reduced graphical load allows the RTX 4070 SUPER to render frames quickly, but the Intel Core i5-9400’s six cores and six threads cannot keep up with the demand for higher frame rates. The i5-9400’s boost clock of 4.10 GHz helps, but its lack of hyper-threading means it has limited parallel processing capacity, which becomes evident at lower resolutions where the GPU is not the bottleneck. This is a classic sign of a CPU-bound scenario, where the game’s simulation logic and draw calls are waiting on the processor to deliver instructions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-9400 and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER ranks 813 out of 3714 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the top 21.9% of all configurations, which is a strong showing for a system with a CPU that was released in 2018 and is now end-of-life. The percentile ranking for the GPU alone is 83, meaning it outperforms 83% of all GPUs tested, while the CPU’s percentile is 47, putting it just below the median. This disparity highlights that the RTX 4070 SUPER is the star of this pairing, while the i5-9400 is a more modest performer.

Compared to other combos, this rank of 813 suggests that many systems with newer CPUs or higher-end graphics cards outpace it, but it also means the combo is faster than a significant majority of tested setups. The data indicates that the RTX 4070 SUPER’s high benchmark scores, such as a Passmark G3D score of 29995 and a Geekbench Vulkan score of 205624, are pulling the combo up, while the CPU’s average benchmark score of 2254 is relatively modest. The nearest CPU rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500, have average scores within 0.4% of the i5-9400, showing that this processor is not an outlier but sits firmly in a mid-range performance tier.

The combo’s rank in this specific game is influenced by Microsoft Flight Simulator’s known CPU sensitivity, particularly in scenarios with heavy scenery and AI traffic. The i5-9400’s six cores without hyper-threading may struggle in certain complex scenes, which could limit the combo’s overall ranking. However, the GPU’s ability to handle high resolutions and presets compensates for this, allowing the system to achieve respectable frame rates. The data shows that in pure rasterization tasks, the RTX 4070 SUPER is a dominant force, but in a simulation-heavy game like this, the CPU’s limitations are more apparent, which is why the combo does not rank higher. It is a balanced system for most titles, but in this specific game, the GPU is doing more heavy lifting.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER is a high-end graphics card with 12 GB of GDDR6X memory and a 192-bit memory bus, providing a bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s. Its base clock is 1980 MHz with a boost clock of 2475 MHz, and it has 7168 shading units, 224 texture mapping units, and 80 render output units. These specifications are directly reflected in the measured FPS, particularly at higher resolutions where memory bandwidth and compute throughput are critical. The card’s 56 ray tracing cores and 224 tensor cores also support advanced features, though the measured data does not specify whether these are heavily utilized in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

The GPU’s role in this combo is clearly dominant, as evidenced by the FPS scaling. At 4K Ultra, the system achieves 61 FPS, which is close to the 64 FPS at 4K High, suggesting the GPU is maxed out and further settings increases have little impact. The card’s 12 GB of VRAM is likely sufficient for this game at 4K with Ultra settings, as the memory bandwidth of 504.2 GB/s ensures that textures and geometry can be streamed quickly. The RTX 4070 SUPER’s performance is also reflected in its benchmark scores, such as a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 4627 and a Passmark G3D score of 29995, which place it in the 83rd percentile of all GPUs.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark score include the NVIDIA Quadro M6000 24 GB and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 Mobile, with delta percentages of -0.1 and -0.1, respectively. This indicates that the RTX 4070 SUPER is performing at a level comparable to these cards in synthetic tests, but in actual game measurements, the 4070 SUPER’s newer architecture and higher clock speeds give it an edge in real-world scenarios. The data shows that the GPU is not the limiting factor in most cases, except at 4K Ultra where it is clearly saturated. For users aiming for 60 FPS at 4K, the RTX 4070 SUPER delivers, but for higher refresh rates, dropping to 1440p is necessary.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the target resolution and frame rate. At 1080p, the system can handle Ultra settings with an average of 102 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold and provides a smooth experience. The High preset at 1080p yields 105 FPS, which is only a 3 FPS improvement over Ultra, suggesting that the Ultra preset is worth the slight performance cost for better visual fidelity. The Medium preset at 1080p offers 117 FPS, but the visual difference between Medium and High is often noticeable in a game like Microsoft Flight Simulator, where scenery detail matters. Therefore, at 1080p, High or Ultra is recommended, with Ultra being the best choice for those who prioritize image quality.

At 1440p, the Ultra preset drops to 82 FPS, which is still playable but not as smooth as 1080p. The High preset at 1440p offers 86 FPS, which is a better balance between quality and performance. The Medium preset provides 109 FPS, which is excellent for high refresh rate monitors, but it sacrifices some graphical detail. For most users at 1440p, High settings are the sweet spot, as they deliver a solid 86 FPS while maintaining good visual quality. The Low preset at 1440p is unnecessary, as it only yields 119 FPS, which is not a massive improvement over Medium, and the visual downgrade is substantial.

At 4K, the situation is more constrained. The Ultra preset delivers 61 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS target, making it viable for users with a 60 Hz monitor. The High preset offers 64 FPS, which is marginally better, but the difference is minimal. The Medium preset at 4K provides 85 FPS, which is a significant jump and could be preferable for users who want smoother motion, though it comes with a reduction in visual fidelity. The Low preset at 4K achieves 108 FPS, but this is overkill for most displays and the visual quality is poor. Therefore, for 4K, High or Medium is recommended, depending on whether the user prioritizes frame rate or visual quality. The data suggests that High is the safest choice, as it offers a near-60 FPS experience with acceptable detail.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: The average FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings is 102 frames per second.

Q: How does the combo rank compared to other tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 813 out of 3714 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator, placing it in the top 22% of all configurations.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 SUPER’s 12 GB of VRAM sufficient for 4K gaming?

A: The data shows 4K Ultra yields 61 FPS and 4K High yields 64 FPS, indicating that 12 GB of GDDR6X memory is adequate for this game at 4K, though the GPU is heavily utilized.

Q: What are the CPU’s core and thread counts?

A: The Intel Core i5-9400 has 6 cores and 6 threads, with a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz.

Q: What is the GPU’s boost clock speed?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 SUPER has a boost clock of 2475 MHz.

Q: What is the performance difference between the High and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the High preset averages 86 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 82 FPS, a difference of 4 FPS in favor of High.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-9400 is a six-core, six-thread processor based on the Coffee Lake architecture, manufactured on a 14 nm process node. It has a base clock of 2.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.10 GHz, with 9 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU’s benchmark scores include a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 6629 and a single-core score of 935, as well as a Geekbench multicore score of 5141 and a single-core score of 1389. These scores place the CPU in the 47th percentile of all CPUs, indicating it is a mid-range performer. Its nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i7-1068NG7 and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 1500, have average scores that are within 0.4% of the i5-9400, confirming its position in the market.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU’s role is critical, as the game involves complex flight dynamics, weather simulation, and scenery generation. The i5-9400’s six cores without hyper-threading can be a limitation in scenarios where multiple threads are needed, such as when flying over dense cities or with high AI traffic. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low, the system achieves 128 FPS, which is the highest of any setting, but this is likely due to the reduced GPU load allowing the CPU to feed frames faster. However, the CPU’s single-core performance, as indicated by a Cinebench R15 single-core score of 94, is decent, which helps with the game’s main simulation thread.

The CPU’s lack of hyper-threading is a notable weakness. With only six threads, it cannot handle as many concurrent tasks as a processor with twelve threads, which could lead to stutters or frame drops in CPU-intensive moments. The data shows that at 4K Ultra, the system still achieves 61 FPS, which suggests the CPU is not completely bottlenecking the GPU, but it is likely contributing to the lower frame rates at high resolutions. The CPU’s memory bandwidth of 42.7 GB/s and dual-channel DDR4 support are adequate for this game, but they are not exceptional. Overall, the i5-9400 is a capable processor for this game, but it is not the ideal partner for the RTX 4070 SUPER, as a newer CPU with more threads could potentially push higher frame rates, especially at lower resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo’s performance across three resolutions and four settings. At 1920x1080, the system achieves 128 FPS on Low, 117 FPS on Medium (with a minimum of 99 and maximum of 134), 105 FPS on High, and 102 FPS on Ultra. The Medium preset’s minimum FPS of 99 indicates that the system can maintain a smooth experience even in demanding scenes, while the maximum of 134 shows there is headroom in less intensive moments. The difference between High and Ultra at 1080p is only 3 FPS, which is negligible, making Ultra a viable option for users with high refresh rate monitors.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops as expected. The Low preset averages 119 FPS, which is still high, while Medium averages 109 FPS with a minimum of 92 and maximum of 125. High settings produce 86 FPS, and Ultra produces 82 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 92 FPS is particularly noteworthy, as it ensures that even in heavy scenes, the frame rate stays above 90 FPS, which is ideal for smooth gameplay. The gap between High and Ultra at 1440p is 4 FPS, suggesting that Ultra is not worth the performance penalty for most users, as High offers nearly the same visual quality with a slightly higher frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the system’s performance is more constrained. Low settings average 108 FPS, which is impressive for 4K, while Medium averages 85 FPS with a minimum of 72 and maximum of 98. High settings produce 64 FPS, and Ultra produces 61 FPS. The Medium preset’s minimum of 72 FPS is still above the 60 FPS target, making it a viable option for 4K gaming, especially for users who want a smoother experience than what High or Ultra offer. The difference between High and Ultra at 4K is only 3 FPS, indicating that the GPU is reaching its limits, and users should opt for High if they want a slightly better frame rate without a noticeable visual downgrade. Overall, the data shows that this combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but it can handle 4K with adjusted settings.