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Buyer's guide · Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024

Best Processor for MSFS

Short answer

For most simmers: the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, 8 cores with 3D V-Cache, for AM5 boards. The smoothest sim, for VR and busy airports: the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D. Tight budget: the Intel Core i5-14400F. AMD's X3D chips top independent gaming tests, and MSFS 2024 leans on the processor more than most games.

6 processors Amazon sells, rankedPicks checked Oct 12, 2026How we rank

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Our three picks

More picks

For a PC that also streams or edits, and for Intel builds.

  • Best for sim + creating

    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K

    $400–550 · Intel LGA 1851

    24 cores and 24 threads for streaming, editing and rendering, and still quick in the sim.

    Check price

  • Best Intel

    Intel Core i5-14600K

    Under $250 · Intel LGA 1700

    The fastest Intel chip here for gaming: 14 cores, for LGA 1700 boards. A drop-in upgrade for 12th–14th gen boards.

    Check price

All 6 processors side by side

Every processor side by side, with the MSFS 2024 score
Processor PlatformCoresGaming ratingMicrosoft's idealBest for Score Price
1 AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D Best overall · $400–550
AMD AM5 AMD 8 cores 16 threads · 3D V-Cache 100 gaming, of 100 Ideal Microsoft's CPU Smoothest sim 100.0 Check price
2 AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D Best value · $250–400
AMD AM5 AMD 8 cores 16 threads · 3D V-Cache 86 gaming, of 100 Ideal Microsoft's CPU Most simmers 86.0 Check price
3 AMD Ryzen 9 9950X $400–550
AMD AM5 AMD 16 cores 32 threads 77 gaming, of 100 Ideal Microsoft's CPU Sim + creating 77.0 Check price
4 Intel Core i5-14600K Under $250
Intel LGA 1700 Intel 14 cores 20 threads 73 gaming, of 100 Ideal Microsoft's CPU Intel upgrade 73.0 Check price
5 Intel Core Ultra 9 285K $400–550
Intel LGA 1851 Intel 24 cores 24 threads 72 gaming, of 100 Ideal Microsoft's CPU Sim + creating 72.0 Check price
6 Intel Core i5-14400F Best budget · Under $250
Intel LGA 1700 Intel 10 cores 16 threads 58 gaming, of 100 Below Ideal Microsoft's CPU Budget builds 58.0 Check price

Find your processor

Question 1 of 3

What are you building?

Not sure what's in your PC? In Windows, open Settings → System → About: the processor name tells you (Ryzen 7000/9000 = AM5, Intel 12th–14th gen = LGA 1700).

The 6 best processors for MSFS 2024, ranked

  1. #1 Best overall

    AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D

    • $400–550
    • AMD AM5
    • 3D V-Cache
    100.0 /100 MSFS 2024 score

    Best for: the smoothest MSFS 2024 at busy airports, with heavy traffic and in VR

    Microsoft's MSFS 2024 spec

    • CPUIdeal

    The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D suits simmers chasing the smoothest MSFS 2024 at busy airports, with heavy AI traffic and in VR, thanks to 8 cores with 3D V-Cache. No cooler comes in the box, so budget for one, and pair it with 32 GB of RAM.

    Watch out for

    • No cooler in the box (it's a 120 W chip), so budget for a good tower air cooler or a liquid cooler.
    Check price on Amazon Full breakdown →
    Strengths and trade-offs

    Strengths

    • The stacked 3D V-Cache holds the data MSFS 2024 keeps reaching for, so an airliner arrival into a packed hub with full AI traffic and live weather stays steady instead of hitching on short final.
    • It drops into any AM5 board with DDR5, so you can fit the 32 GB of memory MSFS 2024 really wants and keep your existing graphics card.
    • With 8 cores and 16 threads handling terrain streaming and weather in the background, it won't be the part holding you back when you later add a stronger graphics card, move to 4K, or fly photogrammetry cities in VR.

    Trade-offs

    • Fast as it is, it doesn't draw a single frame: at 4K or in VR over a dense photogrammetry city, your graphics card sets the pace, and a weak one leaves this chip waiting.
    • There's no cooler in the box for a 120 W chip, so a good tower air or liquid cooler is an extra buy, and you get 8 cores rather than the larger core counts you'd find at the next step up in price if you also stream or run heavy add-ons.
  2. #2 Best value

    AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D

    • $250–400
    • AMD AM5
    • 3D V-Cache
    86.0 /100 MSFS 2024 score

    Best for: most of a top X3D chip's smoothness in the sim, for less

    Microsoft's MSFS 2024 spec

    • CPUIdeal

    The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D gives you most of a top X3D chip's smoothness in MSFS 2024, its 8 cores with 3D V-Cache holding busy airports steady on an AM5 board with 32 GB of DDR5. No cooler is included, so budget for one; the next step up in price buys only a small gain in the sim.

    Watch out for

    • No cooler in the box (it's a 120 W chip), so budget for a good tower air cooler or a liquid cooler.
    Check price on Amazon Full breakdown →
    Strengths and trade-offs

    Strengths

    • The 3D V-Cache on its 8 cores keeps a heavy airliner arrival into a big hub steady when AI traffic, live weather and terrain streaming are all hitting the processor at once.
    • It drops into any AM5 board with DDR5, so you can fit the 32 GB of RAM MSFS 2024 likes for photogrammetry cities — and few processors around this money carry the same stacked cache that the sim leans on.
    • The AM5 socket covers Ryzen 7000 and 9000 chips, so when a future sim update adds denser scenery you can upgrade the processor later without buying a new board and memory.

    Trade-offs

    • This is a processor only, so 4K flying and VR over photogrammetry cities will be limited by whatever graphics card you pair with it, not by this chip.
    • There's no cooler in the box for a 120 W part, so add a good tower air cooler or a liquid cooler to your budget before you buy.
  3. #3

    AMD Ryzen 9 9950X

    • $400–550
    • AMD AM5
    77.0 /100 MSFS 2024 score

    Best for: flying plus streaming, video editing or rendering on one PC

    Microsoft's MSFS 2024 spec

    • CPUIdeal

    The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X suits simmers who fly and stream, edit video or render on one PC, with 16 cores and 32 threads to spread AI traffic, weather and terrain streaming. The cheaper X3D chips are faster in the sim itself, and there's no cooler in the box.

    Watch out for

    • A 170 W chip, and AMD recommends a liquid cooler for it. In the sim it rates below the cheaper X3D chips; its extra cores pay off outside the sim.
    • No cooler in the box (it's a 170 W chip), so budget for a good tower air cooler or a liquid cooler.
    Check price on Amazon Full breakdown →
    Strengths and trade-offs

    Strengths

    • 32 threads mean a heavy airliner arrival into a packed hub keeps scenery and AI traffic flowing while recording or streaming software works in the background.
    • It uses the AM5 socket with DDR5 memory, so you can fit the 32 GB of RAM MSFS 2024 likes, and its 16 cores pay off in the video export after the flight.
    • AM5 boards take newer chips, so if a later scenery update leans harder on the processor over photogrammetry cities you can swap the chip without replacing the board or the memory.

    Trade-offs

    • In the sim alone it sits behind the cheaper X3D cache chips, so a dense photogrammetry city with full AI traffic leans on the processor harder than it needs to.
    • No cooler is included and it draws 170 W base power, with AMD recommending liquid cooling, so a sim-only buyer pays for cores and a cooler that a cache-focused chip would not demand.
  4. #4

    Intel Core i5-14600K

    • Under $250
    • Intel LGA 1700
    73.0 /100 MSFS 2024 score

    Best for: an Intel 12th–14th gen PC (LGA 1700 board) you want to speed up

    Microsoft's MSFS 2024 spec

    • CPUIdeal

    The Intel Core i5-14600K is a drop-in upgrade for an existing Intel 12th–14th gen (LGA 1700) PC, where its 14 cores keep busy airports and AI traffic flowing in MSFS 2024. It brings no graphics card or cooler, so pair it with a capable GPU and 32 GB of RAM.

    Watch out for

    • Intel 13th and 14th gen chips need a BIOS with Intel's stability fix (microcode 0x12B or newer); update the board before you install it.
    • No cooler in the box (it's a 125 W chip), so budget for a good tower air cooler or a liquid cooler.
    Check price on Amazon Full breakdown →
    Strengths and trade-offs

    Strengths

    • 14 cores and 20 threads give the sim room to stream terrain, live weather and full AI traffic at once, so a heavy airliner arrival into a big hub stays steady instead of stuttering on short final.
    • It drops straight into an LGA 1700 board with your existing DDR4 or DDR5 memory, so a 32 GB kit and motherboard carry over.
    • As the last chip family for this socket, it takes an ageing 12th gen machine as far as it can go and meets Microsoft's Ideal processor spec for MSFS 2024, which is what you want before flying photogrammetry cities in a complex airliner.

    Trade-offs

    • It is a processor only, so it does nothing for 4K or VR on its own — in dense photogrammetry cities and in a headset you will still be waiting on whatever graphics card is in the machine.
    • There is no cooler in the box for a 125 W chip, so budget for a good tower air or liquid cooler, and note the next step up in price adds more cores for the heaviest AI traffic loads.
  5. #5

    Intel Core Ultra 9 285K

    • $400–550
    • Intel LGA 1851
    72.0 /100 MSFS 2024 score

    Best for: flying plus streaming, video editing or rendering on one PC

    Microsoft's MSFS 2024 spec

    • CPUIdeal

    The Intel Core Ultra 9 285K suits simmers who fly and stream, edit or render on one PC, with 24 cores feeding MSFS 2024's AI traffic and terrain streaming. Chips with big gaming cache still edge it when you only fly, and it needs an LGA 1851 board, DDR5 and a cooler bought separately.

    Watch out for

    • It rates below the cheaper X3D chips for gaming; its 24 cores pay off in editing and rendering. It needs a new LGA 1851 board and DDR5.
    • No cooler in the box (it's a 125 W chip), so budget for a good tower air cooler or a liquid cooler.
    Check price on Amazon Full breakdown →
    Strengths and trade-offs

    Strengths

    • 24 cores and strong single-core speed keep a heavy airliner arrival moving while live weather, AI traffic and terrain tiles all stream in at once.
    • It drops into a current LGA 1851 board with DDR5 memory, so you can fit the 32 GB MSFS 2024 wants for photogrammetry cities without an awkward memory setup.
    • 24 threads mean you can record a long-haul leg and render the video the same evening on one machine.

    Trade-offs

    • For pure flying — a full-traffic arrival into a dense hub — processors built around extra gaming cache hold smoother frame pacing, so this isn't the strongest choice if the sim is all you run.
    • No cooler is included for a 125 W chip and the LGA 1851 board plus DDR5 are new purchases, so the total outlay lands near what a step up in pure gaming performance would cost you.
  6. #6 Best budget

    Intel Core i5-14400F

    • Under $250
    • Intel LGA 1700
    58.0 /100 MSFS 2024 score

    Best for: a budget PC or a cheap upgrade for an LGA 1700 board

    Microsoft's MSFS 2024 spec

    • CPUBelow Ideal

    The Intel Core i5-14400F suits a value-minded build or a drop-in upgrade for an existing LGA 1700 board, with 10 cores and 16 threads to handle AI traffic and terrain streaming at 1080p or 1440p. Spending more buys faster cores for packed hub airports.

    Watch out for

    • Below the processor Microsoft lists as ideal for MSFS 2024, so expect to turn down traffic and the busiest airports' detail. It still clears the recommended level.
    • Intel 13th and 14th gen chips need a BIOS with Intel's stability fix (microcode 0x12B or newer); update the board before you install it.
    Check price on Amazon Full breakdown →
    Strengths and trade-offs

    Strengths

    • 10 cores and 16 threads keep AI traffic, live weather and terrain streaming moving during an airliner arrival into a big hub, provided you keep the traffic slider moderate.
    • A cooler comes in the box and the 65 W base power keeps the case quiet, so there is no extra cooling to buy before your first flight — most chips on this list ship without one.
    • It drops into any LGA 1700 board with DDR4 or DDR5 memory, so you can reuse a 12th-gen machine and put the saved money toward the 32 GB of RAM MSFS 2024 really wants for photogrammetry cities.

    Trade-offs

    • It sits below the processor Microsoft lists as ideal, so a heavy airliner approach into a photogrammetry city with full AI traffic will push you to dial back traffic density and building detail.
    • The next step up in price buys faster single-core speed and more cores that hold up better in VR and at the busiest airports, and because this is the last chip for LGA 1700, a future upgrade means a new board too.

Complete your setup

A processor needs a motherboard, memory and a graphics card that keep up with it. Our PC builds guide shows complete builds around these chips; these rankings cover the rest.

What makes a good CPU for MSFS 2024?

In Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 the processor runs the simulation itself: the flight model, AI traffic, air traffic control, weather and the world loading in around you. Four things decide how smooth that feels:

  • Gaming speed. We rank by each chip's gaming rating from independent tests (out of 100). Higher means fewer stutters at busy airports.
  • 3D V-Cache. AMD's X3D chips stack extra cache on the chip, and they top independent gaming tests (what it does).
  • The board it needs. An upgrade has to fit your motherboard's socket; a new build picks the board with the chip (upgrade or new build).
  • The rest of the box. Whether a cooler comes with it, and how much power it draws.

Cores beyond eight help little in the sim. They pay off if the same PC streams, edits video or renders.

Microsoft's MSFS 2024 requirements, explained

Microsoft lists three levels. The Ideal processor is an AMD Ryzen 9 7900X or Intel Core i7-14700K; our table marks every chip that rates at or above the slower of those two in independent gaming tests. Every chip we rank clears the Recommended level (Ryzen 7 2700X or Core i7-10700K) by a wide margin.

Microsoft also asks for 64 GB of memory at the Ideal level and 32 GB at Recommended. Memory matters for MSFS 2024: plan on 32 GB at least.

Part MinimumRecommendedIdeal
Processor AMD Ryzen 5 2600X or Intel Core i7-6800KAMD Ryzen 7 2700X or Intel Core i7-10700KAMD Ryzen 9 7900X or Intel Core i7-14700K
Graphics card AMD Radeon RX 5700 or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080
Graphics memory 4 GB8 GB12 GB
RAM 16 GB32 GB64 GB
Storage 50 GB50 GB50 GB
Internet 10 Mbps50 Mbps100 Mbps

Microsoft's minimum pairs the GTX 970 with the much faster RX 5700, so treat the GTX 970 as the real floor. MSFS 2024 streams most of its world, which is why it installs small; plan for far more space once you add planes, airports and a bigger cache.

Part MinimumRecommendedIdeal
Processor AMD Ryzen 3 1200 or Intel Core i5-4460AMD Ryzen 5 1500X or Intel Core i5-8400AMD Ryzen 7 2700X or Intel Core i7-9800X
Graphics card AMD Radeon RX 570 or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770AMD Radeon RX 590 or NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970AMD Radeon VII or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080
Graphics memory 2 GB4 GB8 GB
RAM 8 GB16 GB32 GB
Storage 150 GB150 GB150 GB
Internet 5 Mbps20 Mbps50 Mbps

MSFS 2020 asks for less: its ideal spec is close to MSFS 2024's recommended one, so a PC that suits your screen in MSFS 2024 handles MSFS 2020 too.

Source: Microsoft's published system requirements for each sim, checked October 8, 2026.

What 3D V-Cache (X3D) does, and why simmers want it

AMD's X3D chips (like the Ryzen 7 9850X3D and 7800X3D) carry a large extra slab of cache stacked on top of the processor. Games that juggle lots of data, like a flight sim streaming scenery and AI traffic, find more of what they need right there instead of waiting on memory.

That's why the X3D chips top independent gaming tests even though they have fewer cores than the big Ryzen 9 and Core Ultra 9 chips. For a PC that's mainly for flying, an 8-core X3D chip is the smart buy.

AMD or Intel for MSFS 2024?

For a new PC that's mostly for flying: AMD. The X3D chips rate highest for gaming, and AM5 boards take AMD's newer chips, so you can drop in an upgrade later.

Intel makes sense in two cases. You already have an Intel 12th–14th gen PC (LGA 1700 board): the Core i5-14600K is a strong drop-in upgrade. Or the PC also does heavy editing or rendering: the Core Ultra 9 285K has 24 cores, though it rates below the X3D chips in games.

Upgrade or new build? Boards, memory and coolers

Your PC now Chips that drop in What else
AMD Ryzen 7000 or 9000 (AM5 board) Any AMD chip here Update the BIOS first
Intel 12th–14th gen (LGA 1700 board) Core i5-14600K, i5-14400F Update the BIOS first
Anything older None A new board and DDR5 memory

Most chips here come without a cooler: budget for a good tower air cooler, or a liquid cooler for the Ryzen 9 9950X. The Core i5-14400F includes a basic one. Our PC builds guide lists a board, memory and cooler that fit each chip.

More questions simmers ask

CPU or GPU: which should you upgrade?

MSFS 2024 can tell you. Turn on Developer Mode in the options, open the FPS display, and fly somewhere busy. If it says you're limited by the main thread, the processor is holding you back; if it says GPU, upgrade the graphics card first (graphics card rankings).

As a rule of thumb, big airports, dense cities, heavy AI traffic and VR lean on the processor; higher resolution and higher graphics settings lean on the graphics card.

Intel 13th and 14th gen: the BIOS update you need

In 2024 Intel found that many 13th and 14th gen desktop chips could become unstable over time because they asked for too much voltage. Intel fixed it with a microcode update (0x12B and newer) delivered through motherboard BIOS updates, and extended the warranty on boxed chips.

If you buy the Core i5-14600K or i5-14400F, update your board's BIOS before you install it. The fix is built into current BIOS versions from every major board maker.

The best CPU for X-Plane 12

X-Plane 12 leans on the processor too, especially with heavy scenery and AI traffic, and the same chips lead. It runs on Windows and Mac only. See our X-Plane 12 processor rankings.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best CPU for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024?

For most simmers: the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, 8 cores with 3D V-Cache, for AM5 boards. The smoothest sim, for VR and busy airports: the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D. Tight budget: the Intel Core i5-14400F. AMD's X3D chips top independent gaming tests, and MSFS 2024 leans on the processor more than most games.

Which processors meet Microsoft's ideal spec for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024?

Microsoft lists the AMD Ryzen 9 7900X or Intel Core i7-14700K as ideal. Of the chips we rank, these rate at or above that level in independent gaming tests: the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D, AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D, AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, Intel Core i5-14600K and Intel Core Ultra 9 285K. The rest clear the recommended level.

Is MSFS 2024 CPU or GPU heavy?

Both, at different times. Busy airports, dense cities, AI traffic and VR lean on the processor; higher resolution and graphics settings lean on the graphics card. Developer Mode's FPS display tells you which one is limiting you.

Is the Ryzen 7 9850X3D worth it over the 7800X3D?

If you want the smoothest sim and the budget allows, yes: it rates at the top of independent gaming tests. The 7800X3D rates about 14% lower and costs noticeably less, so it's the better value for most simmers.

Is Intel or AMD better for flight simulator?

For a PC that's mainly for flying, AMD's X3D chips rate highest in independent gaming tests. Intel makes sense as a drop-in upgrade for an existing 12th–14th gen PC, or for a PC that also does heavy editing and rendering.

How many cores do I need for MSFS 2024?

Eight fast cores are plenty for flying; every X3D chip here has eight and rates at the top. More cores help when the same PC streams, edits video or renders.

Do I need a new motherboard to upgrade my CPU?

Only if the new chip uses a different socket. AMD Ryzen 7000 and 9000 chips share AM5 boards; Intel 12th–14th gen chips share LGA 1700 boards. Update the BIOS before you swap. Anything older needs a new board and DDR5 memory.

Do these processors come with a cooler?

Most don't. Of the chips we rank, only the Core i5-14400F has one in the box. Budget for a good tower air cooler, or a liquid cooler for the Ryzen 9 9950X.

How much RAM do I need for MSFS 2024?

Microsoft lists 32 GB as recommended and 64 GB as ideal. Plan on 32 GB of DDR5 for a new build; 64 GB helps with VR, big airports and lots of add-ons.

Is the Ryzen 7 9800X3D still good for MSFS 2024?

Yes, it rates just behind the 9850X3D in independent gaming tests. Amazon itself isn't selling it right now, so we rank the 9850X3D, which replaced it at about the same price.

Why isn't the Ryzen 5 9600X on this list?

It's a good budget chip, but Amazon itself isn't selling it right now, only other sellers. For a budget build we rank the Core i5-14400F, which Amazon sells and ships with a cooler.

Will these CPUs work for X-Plane 12?

Yes. X-Plane 12 also leans on the processor, and the same chips lead. See our X-Plane 12 processor rankings.

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More hardware rankings

Further reading

How we rank

Score formula

CPU performance rating × 100%. Processor ratings come from independent benchmark rankings (1080p gaming score, as a percentage of the fastest chip); cores, socket and cooler from each listing. We don't test hardware ourselves; scores compare products rather than predict a frame rate. Full methodology · How we research

Best for and the spec check

The spec check compares each chip's gaming rating with the lower-rated of the two processors Microsoft lists as ideal for MSFS 2024 (Ryzen 9 7900X, Core i7-14700K). "Best for" comes from what the chip is: an X3D gaming chip, a 16-core chip for creators, an Intel upgrade and so on.

What we list

Only processors Amazon itself sold when we last checked. Price bands use each one's regular price, so a short sale doesn't move it between bands; the Check price buttons show today's price.

What changed

  • Rebuilt as a full buyer's guide: 6 processors Amazon sells itself, from the Core i5-14400F to the Ryzen 7 9850X3D, with a check against Microsoft's MSFS 2024 spec and the board each one needs. New: a processor finder for new builds and upgrades, plain answers on X3D chips, AMD or Intel, CPU or GPU and the Intel BIOS fix. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D, Ryzen 5 9600X, Ryzen 9 9900X and Core Ultra 5 245K / 7 265K left the ranking because Amazon itself isn't selling them right now.