Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is one of the most demanding titles in the benchmark database, and the pairing of the Intel Core i7-14700KF with the AMD Radeon RX 580 lands in a very specific position. The data indicates this combo ranks 1682 out of 1795 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom 7% of all systems measured. This is not a configuration built for high-refresh-rate displays; it is a pairing where the GPU is the clear bottleneck, and the results reflect a system that is primarily limited by the graphics card's age and architecture.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo's rank of 1682 out of 1795 is a stark indicator of its overall performance tier. This places it firmly in the lower percentile of all tested systems for this specific flight simulator. The GPU, an AMD Radeon RX 580, sits at the 53rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 13559. Its nearest rivals in the synthetic benchmarks are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 (with a deltaPct of 0), the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 (0.1), and the AMD Radeon Pro 455 (1.1). This tells us the RX 580 is competing with hardware from a much older generation.

On the CPU side, the Intel Core i7-14700KF is a powerhouse, sitting at the 96th percentile among all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 70104. Its nearest rivals are the Intel Core i7-14700K (0 deltaPct), the AMD EPYC 9115 (0.3), and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X (-0.4). The disparity between the CPU's high percentile and the GPU's mid-range percentile is the defining characteristic of this combo. The processor is capable of far more, but the graphics card cannot translate that capability into frame rate in a graphically intensive title like this one. The data suggests the system is profoundly GPU-limited, and the CPU's potential is left untapped.

FAQ

Q: Is this combo capable of hitting 60 FPS at any setting?

A: No. The highest average FPS recorded in the measured data is 51.3 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. All other configurations fall below 50 FPS, with the 4K Ultra preset dipping to just 14.4 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for this system?

A: The most playable experience is at 1920x1080. The data shows that even at this resolution, only the Low preset breaks the 50 FPS barrier. Moving to 2560x1440 or 3840x2160 results in average frame rates that drop significantly, making the game feel sluggish.

Q: How does the CPU's performance compare to its direct rival?

A: The Intel Core i7-14700KF has an average benchmark score of 70104, which is effectively identical to the Intel Core i7-14700K's score of 70074 (a deltaPct of 0). It is also slightly ahead of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, which scores 70420 (a deltaPct of -0.4).

Q: What is the limiting factor in this system?

A: The benchmark data points overwhelmingly to the GPU. The RX 580's average score of 13559 is in the 53rd percentile, and its nearest rivals are from the GTX 500 and 900 series. The CPU, in contrast, is a top-tier performer. The FPS drops across all resolutions are characteristic of a graphics card that cannot keep up with the CPU's output.

Q: Is the RX 580 a current product?

A: No. Its production status is listed as "End-of-life." The card was released on 2017-04-17 and has a successor named "Vega." Its architecture is GCN 4.0, which is significantly older than the CPU's Raptor Lake architecture.

Q: Does the CPU's 20-core count help in this game?

A: While the CPU has 20 cores and 28 threads, the measured FPS does not reflect high CPU utilization benefits. Since the GPU is the bottleneck, the game's frame rate is determined by the graphics card's rendering speed, not the CPU's core count. The CPU's power is simply waiting for a stronger GPU to feed.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the only preset that provides a consistently playable experience is Low at 1920x1080, yielding an average of 51.3 FPS. This is the only configuration in the entire dataset that approaches a standard 60 FPS target. The Medium preset at 1080p drops to 40.6 FPS, which is a significant step down. High at 1080p yields 30.9 FPS and Ultra drops to 28.9 FPS.

For a smoother experience, the Low preset at 1080p is the recommended starting point. If you prefer higher visual fidelity, you will have to accept frame rates in the 30s or lower. The Medium preset at 2560x1440 yields 31.4 FPS, which is comparable to High at 1080p, suggesting that resolution scaling is costly. The data clearly shows that sacrificing visual quality for frame rate is the only way to get a responsive feel from this hardware combination. Pushing to 4K is not advisable, as even the Low preset only manages 32.6 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to an unplayable 14.4 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system shows its best results. The Low preset delivers an average of 51.3 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 40.6 FPS, while High and Ultra produce 30.9 FPS and 28.9 FPS, respectively. This is a spread of 22.4 FPS between the lowest and highest settings, showing that the GPU's fill rate is heavily taxed by the higher presets.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance takes a clear hit. The Low preset yields 41.4 FPS, which is still playable but noticeably lower than the 1080p result. Medium drops to 31.4 FPS, High to 26.6 FPS, and Ultra to 24.3 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 17.1 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the system struggles. The Low preset manages 32.6 FPS, but the Medium, High, and Ultra presets fall to 23.5 FPS, 18.2 FPS, and 14.4 FPS, respectively. These frame rates are below the threshold for a smooth experience and highlight the GPU's inability to handle the pixel count of 4K. The data shows a clear pattern: the RX 580 is most comfortable at 1080p with lower settings, and its performance degrades rapidly as resolution and detail increase.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is severe and diagnostic. At the Low preset, the system goes from 51.3 FPS at 1080p to 32.6 FPS at 4K—a 36% reduction in frame rate. At the Ultra preset, it drops from 28.9 FPS at 1080p to 14.4 FPS at 4K—a 50% reduction. This scaling behavior is a classic sign of a GPU-limited scenario.

The frame rate is falling almost proportionally with the increase in pixel count, which means the CPU is not the constraint. If the CPU were the bottleneck, the frame rate would be more consistent across resolutions because the CPU's workload would remain similar. Instead, the data shows that the GPU's rendering capabilities are being overwhelmed. The RX 580's 8 GB of GDDR5 memory and 256-bit bus width are not sufficient for the demands of 4K in this simulator. The system is firmly bound by the graphics card's pixel and texture fill rates, which are limited by its 42.88 GPixel/s pixel rate and 193.0 GTexel/s texture rate.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-14700KF is a high-end processor with 20 cores, 28 threads, and a boost clock of 5.60 GHz. Its synthetic benchmark scores are exceptional, including a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 44557 and a single-core score of 6290. It ranks in the 96th percentile of all CPUs, making it one of the most powerful processors available.

However, in this specific game, its role is diminished. The measured FPS data shows that the CPU's raw power does not translate into high frame rates because the AMD Radeon RX 580 cannot render frames fast enough. The CPU's 33 MB of shared L3 cache and fast clocks are ready for more demanding tasks, but the GPU is the limiting factor. The data suggests that the i7-14700KF would pair much better with a modern, high-end graphics card to unlock its full potential in this title. As it stands, the processor is effectively idle, waiting for the GPU to catch up, which is why the system's overall rank is so low despite having a top-tier CPU.