Running MS Flight Simulator on an AMD FX 8350 might surprise you.
Running MS Flight Simulator on an AMD FX 8350 might surprise you.
We’ve all been waiting since the start—hoping this masterpiece would work on my setup. My rig runs a 1070 OC / FX8350 / 16GB RAM / 1080p with a 600MB connection. When I first launched the title, after its system test and recommendation, MS suggested a specific configuration. It took just one click under ultra. What a surprise! I thought it would crash at -20fps, but instead I saw smooth 42fps with no stutters or hiccups. Even after swapping all weather presets, everything ran silky. That night from NY was a big test, and it still felt great. I’m glad system needs and website advice often overstate what your hardware can handle. It seems a good internet connection really makes a difference, but I’m ready to invest in better parts—because MS FS isn’t a killer system at all. It’s just smooth and really enjoyable. Thanks for reading this far!
Your GPU is handling the workload in the game. 42fps isn't ideal, and as you reduce settings, it's not surprising the frame rate won't jump much. It's still a performance issue overall.
It seems a steady 60 frames will be challenging for most, especially on the ground with active data. I hope future hardware meets the demands of the engines and we avoid another Crysis-style planning issue.
When watching the Jays2cents video about FS2020 adjustments, it seems the performance gains are minimal. He’s right that the engine’s design limits its ability to scale and optimize, but improvements might come later. You likely don’t need 60 frames per second either; most flight sims have mostly static scenery at long ranges, so motion isn’t as noticeable as in close-quarters shooters. In combat flight sims like DCS, where speed and low-altitude movement matter, higher frame rates are more beneficial.
Varies by aircraft model and finish. Generally, my 1070 handles 30-40fps at 1440p ultra, with some settings giving a bit less. At 2080S in another unit I see only a modest gain of 10-15fps, and similar performance at 4K.
Nice. Keep the conversation private, he’s likely to push 60 frames as the perfect target and dismiss 40 as subpar. It’s interesting that some seasoned developers mentioned lower numbers back then—someone said 8350 is fine, but others were clearly aiming for smoother performance. Fun fact: many users with weaker setups still managed decent frames, which shows the difference between hardware and optimization. Also, curious about the graphics tweaks you made—would love to see what settings you adjusted.