MS Flight Simulator (2020): the 2021 PC graphics performance benchmark review - Game performance 1920x1080 (Full HD)

Game performance 1920x1080 (Full HD)

The game offers several quality settings and modes. At 1920x1080 even entry-level to mainstream graphics cards achieve very good frame-rates at the best possible settings. Visually there is a significant difference in-between the normal to the most complex mode settings. We expect you as a PC gamer to desire the best quality settings, so we test at that. Let's start with Full HD test the graphics cards based on the quality settings we've shown you. 

Please Note:

Our benchmark scene takes place at a local airport. Bigger airports will drag down performance a notch during taxi and take-off. We have selected an overcast type of weather fixated. We start measuring from the runway, take-off and switch camera positions from the cockpit to external two times. After take-off, gear up, flaps in, and after one minute we'll gradually steer to the right, here we switch back to the cockpit view for 15 seconds. Then after 15 seconds, we choose an external view (is a bit harder on the graphics renderer). We make use of AI autopilot to make sure the scene runtime precisely the same on each run. We cruise at 250 knots and slowly climbing towards 2300 feet. Complex cities and airport, weather, height, and types of airplanes they all will have an effect on your framerate of course. As such this is an indication. Also, take off takes a hit in framerates due to complexity and scenery. Once airborne your FPS will rise, we'll show you that in an FPS and frametime plot.

Next to that, flying a Boeing 747-8 results in slower framerates than say a Cessna Citation Longitude Jet. All these variables make this title so heard to measure objectively. We stated this often; for a flight-sim 30 FPS is sufficient due to the slow-paced nature of the simulation, this is not a game where you move around a lot. Also as you can see, the results in 1080p are very close to each other, the game engine is bottlenecking here. 

The actual benchmark

You can observe the new benchmark run in the video below (we record the first 3 minutes per resolution and per graphics cards, but in the video keep flying for a while). For each flight, we follow the exact same procedure to the end result will be as objective experience and measurement as possible. 

Please do look at the video as it demonstrates 30 FPS is very acceptable for a flight sim. Our recording time per measured result set is 3 minutes of flight time averaged out.