Microsoft Flight Simulator

The AMD Ryzen 5 3600 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 delivers a wide spread of frame rates in Microsoft Flight Simulator, depending heavily on the resolution and preset selected. The recorded data shows a clear hierarchy where lower resolutions and lower settings produce very high average FPS, while the most demanding 4K Ultra configuration dips below the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combination performs strongly across all presets. The Low preset produces an average of 136.5 FPS, which is the highest measurement in the entire dataset. Medium follows with 123.2 FPS, High with 94.6 FPS, and even the most demanding Ultra preset keeps the average at 88.8 FPS. Every 1080p setting clears the 60 FPS threshold with a substantial margin.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain very respectable. Low averages 124.5 FPS, Medium 100.2 FPS, and High 72.7 FPS. Ultra at 1440p records 72.6 FPS, which is nearly identical to the High preset result. The difference between High and Ultra at this resolution is just 0.1 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset’s extra visual workload does not meaningfully hurt performance here.

At 3840x2160, the picture changes considerably. Low still averages 94.1 FPS, and Medium holds at 69 FPS, both above the 60 FPS line. However, High drops to 51.7 FPS, and Ultra falls further to 53.7 FPS. The data shows an anomaly where Ultra records a slightly higher average than High at 4K, with a difference of 2.0 FPS. Regardless, both presets sit below the playable threshold, meaning 4K users must stick to Medium or Low for smooth performance.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions reveals how the GPU workload shifts in this game. At 1080p, the CPU has more headroom to feed the GPU, allowing the RTX 3080 to push frame rates well above 120 FPS on Low and Medium. The drop from 136.5 FPS at 1080p Low to 124.5 FPS at 1440p Low is only 12 FPS, suggesting that the GPU is still capable of handling the higher pixel count without a massive penalty.

The 4K results tell a different story. At 4K Low, the average is 94.1 FPS, which is 30.4 FPS lower than 1440p Low. This steep decline indicates that the GPU becomes the dominant limiting factor as resolution increases. The RTX 3080’s 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and 320-bit bus are being stressed by the 3840x2160 pixel count, particularly when higher presets demand more texture memory and shading work.

Preset scaling also highlights the GPU’s role. At 1440p, the gap between Low and Ultra is 51.9 FPS, while at 1080p the same gap is 47.7 FPS. At 4K, the gap between Low and Ultra is 40.4 FPS, but the absolute values are much lower. This compression at 4K suggests that the CPU, while not the primary bottleneck at lower resolutions, still contributes to frame pacing when the GPU is heavily loaded. The Ryzen 5 3600’s 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient for the game’s simulation logic, but the data implies that at 4K High and Ultra, both the CPU and GPU are working near their limits.

In summary, the CPU is rarely the sole bottleneck in this pairing. At 1080p and 1440p, the RTX 3080 has enough raw throughput to maintain high frame rates, and the Ryzen 5 3600 keeps up. At 4K, the GPU load dominates, and the CPU’s influence fades into the background.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals in the database, the Ryzen 5 3600 sits close to several other processors in average benchmark score. The Intel Core i7-1260P has an average score of 17007, which is 0.2% lower than the Ryzen 5 3600’s 17035. The Intel Core i5-11400 scores 17067, a 0.2% delta above the AMD chip. The AMD EPYC 7573X and EPYC 7742 are also nearby, scoring 17070 and 16998 respectively, with deltas of -0.2% and 0.2%. In practical terms, any of these CPUs would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Microsoft Flight Simulator when paired with the same RTX 3080, as the benchmark deltas are within noise.

On the GPU side, the RTX 3080’s nearest rivals are less obvious in brand but similar in score. The NVIDIA P106-100 has an average score of 23249, a -0.3% delta from the RTX 3080’s 23172. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16 scores 23250, also -0.3%. The AMD Radeon RX 6600M and AMD Radeon R9 M290X score 23273 and 23276, with deltas of -0.4% each. These rivals are not direct consumer gaming equivalents, but the data suggests that any of these GPUs would produce frame rates within a fraction of a percent of the RTX 3080 in this specific game, assuming the same CPU and settings.

For a user considering an upgrade or a similar build, swapping the Ryzen 5 3600 for an Intel Core i5-11400 would yield almost indistinguishable performance. Likewise, the RTX 3080’s position relative to these rivals means that the measured FPS values in this page are representative of a narrow performance band.

The Verdict

The recorded data answers the core question clearly: yes, this PC can run Microsoft Flight Simulator, but the experience varies by resolution. At 1920x1080, all four presets clear 60 FPS, with Ultra averaging 88.8 FPS. This is the most comfortable environment for this combo. At 2560x1440, all presets also clear 60 FPS, with Ultra at 72.6 FPS and High at 72.7 FPS, giving users full freedom to choose visual quality.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is more cautious. The database’s playable threshold is 60 FPS, and only Low and Medium meet it. Low averages 94.1 FPS, and Medium averages 69 FPS. High and Ultra fall short, with 51.7 FPS and 53.7 FPS respectively. For 4K users, the recommendation is to run Medium for the best balance of visual fidelity and smoothness, or drop to Low if maximum frame rate is the priority.

How This Combo Ranks

In the overall database of tested combinations for Microsoft Flight Simulator, this pairing ranks 1132 out of 3714 combos. That places it in the upper third of all tested systems. The percentile data for the individual components supports this: the Ryzen 5 3600 sits in the 71st percentile among all CPUs, and the RTX 3080 sits in the 68th percentile among all GPUs. The combo rank of 1132 indicates that while this is not a top-tier extreme setup, it outperforms the majority of configurations tested for this game.

The gap between the component percentiles and the combo rank is worth noting. The CPU is slightly stronger relative to its peers than the GPU, but the game’s heavy reliance on GPU throughput at higher resolutions means the RTX 3080’s 68th percentile is the more relevant metric for 4K play. At 1080p and 1440p, the CPU’s higher percentile helps push frame rates above what the GPU percentile alone would suggest.

Best Settings per Resolution

For users targeting 60 FPS or higher, the database identifies the most demanding preset that stays above the threshold at each resolution.

At 3840x2160, the best setting is Medium, which delivers an average of 69 FPS. This is the only preset above Low that clears 60 FPS, and it does so with a 9 FPS margin. High and Ultra are not viable for smooth play, as they average 51.7 and 53.7 FPS respectively.

At 2560x1440, the best setting is Ultra, with an average of 72.6 FPS. All four presets clear 60 FPS, so the user can max out the game without sacrificing smoothness. The fact that Ultra and High are nearly identical in performance at this resolution makes Ultra the obvious choice.

At 1920x1080, the best setting is also Ultra, averaging 88.8 FPS. This leaves a comfortable 28.8 FPS headroom above the 60 FPS threshold, so the user can enable all visual features without concern.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Microsoft Flight Simulator at 4K Ultra settings above 60 FPS?

A: No. The measured average at 3840x2160 Ultra is 53.7 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. High is also below at 51.7 FPS.

Q: What is the highest preset that stays above 60 FPS at 1440p?

A: Ultra is playable at 2560x1440, with an average of 72.6 FPS. This is the best setting at that resolution.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 3600 compare to the Intel Core i5-11400 in average benchmark score?

A: The Ryzen 5 3600 has an average score of 17035, while the Intel Core i5-11400 scores 17067, a delta of -0.2%. They are effectively tied in performance.

Q: Is the RTX 3080’s performance close to any AMD Radeon GPUs in the database?

A: Yes. The AMD Radeon RX 6600M has an average score of 23273, which is -0.4% from the RTX 3080’s 23172. The AMD Radeon R9 M290X is also close at 23276, a -0.4% delta.

Q: At 1080p, what is the average FPS on the Low preset?

A: The Low preset at 1920x1080 averages 136.5 FPS, the highest measurement recorded for this combo.

Q: How many total combinations were tested for this game in the database?

A: This combo ranks 1132 out of 3714 tested combinations, meaning it outperforms the majority while not being near the top.