Microsoft Flight Simulator

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the database records no playable preset for this combination. The closest attempt is Low, which produces an average of 53.7 FPS, but that still falls below the 60 FPS threshold. High and Medium trail further behind at 30.9 and 40.1 FPS respectively, while Ultra sits at 30.4 FPS, the lowest recorded value across all tested settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the situation improves. Low is the only preset that clears the 60 FPS line, delivering an average of 72.9 FPS. Medium comes close at 54.9 FPS but misses the mark, and both High and Ultra remain firmly in the 40s, with 42.5 and 43.1 FPS respectively. For a smooth experience at this resolution, Low is the sole option.

At 1920x1080, the combination finds its footing. Medium is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS, averaging 71.2 FPS. Low goes higher still at 90.8 FPS, but since Medium meets the threshold while offering better visual fidelity, it stands as the recommended setting. High and Ultra both dip below playability, with 52.9 FPS and 52.1 FPS respectively, so they are not viable for sustained 60 FPS gameplay.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded data shows a clear pattern: resolution scaling matters more than preset scaling for this pairing. At 1920x1080, dropping from Medium to Low raises the average by 19.6 FPS, from 71.2 to 90.8. At 2560x1440, the same preset step yields an 18.0 FPS gain, from 54.9 to 72.9. At 3840x2160, the Low to Medium gap is 13.6 FPS, from 53.7 to 40.1. The consistency of these jumps suggests the CPU is doing meaningful work at lower resolutions where the GPU is less saturated.

The GPU becomes the dominant constraint as resolution climbs. At 3840x2160, the spread between Low and Ultra is only 23.3 FPS (53.7 down to 30.4), a relatively narrow band that indicates the renderer is already heavily GPU-bound. At 1920x1080, that same Low to Ultra spread expands to 38.7 FPS (90.8 down to 52.1), showing more headroom for the CPU to push frames when the GPU is not the bottleneck.

The verdict by resolution reinforces this split. At 1080p, the combination reaches 71.2 FPS on Medium, suggesting the CPU can feed the GPU adequately. At 1440p, only Low clears 60 FPS, and at 4K nothing does, which points to the RTX 2060 as the limiting factor for higher resolutions. The Ryzen 5 5500, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, is not the primary constraint in this title; the GPU's 6 GB memory and 192-bit bus are more likely to govern performance at higher pixel counts.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The table below lists every recorded measurement for this CPU and GPU pairing in Microsoft Flight Simulator. All values are average FPS; minimum and maximum frame times were not captured in the database.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 30.9 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 53.7 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 40.1 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 30.4 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 42.5 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 72.9 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 54.9 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 43.1 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 52.9 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 90.8 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 71.2 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 52.1 |

Reading the numbers top to bottom, the 4K results are consistently the weakest, with every preset landing below 60 FPS. The 1440p results show a single bright spot in Low, while the 1080p results offer two playable presets. The gap between Low and Ultra widens as resolution decreases, which is typical for a GPU-limited scenario at higher pixel counts and a more balanced load at 1080p.

The Verdict

This PC can run Microsoft Flight Simulator, but only under specific conditions. At 1920x1080, the combination clears the 60 FPS threshold on both Low (90.8 FPS) and Medium (71.2 FPS). The database recommends Medium as the best playable preset at this resolution, since it satisfies the playability criterion while providing higher visual quality than Low.

At 2560x1440, the system is playable only on Low, which averages 72.9 FPS. Medium falls short at 54.9 FPS, and the higher presets are not viable. At 3840x2160, no preset reaches 60 FPS; the best recorded result is Low at 53.7 FPS, which is still below the playable threshold of 60 FPS. The verdict by resolution is explicit: no playable settings at 4K, Low only at 1440p, and Low plus Medium at 1080p.

Users targeting 1080p with medium details will find this combination acceptable. Those expecting 1440p or 4K performance will need to adjust expectations, either by lowering settings to Low at 1440p or accepting sub-60 FPS at 4K.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU and GPU provide a sense of what other hardware would behave similarly. On the processor side, the Ryzen 5 5500 sits close to several contemporary and older parts. The AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 scores 19617, a delta of -0.1% relative to the 5500's average benchmark score. The Intel Core i5-12500 is 0.4% ahead at 19668, while the Intel Core i7-10700F trails by 0.5% at 19499. The Intel Core i5-11600KF leads the group by 0.7% at 19723. These deltas are small, meaning any of these CPUs would produce nearly identical frame pacing in this game, assuming the GPU remains the same.

On the graphics side, the RTX 2060 has a more diverse set of neighbors. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 matches it exactly with a 0% delta and an average score of 15283, though that card is from a much older generation and would lack modern feature support. The AMD Radeon 680M, an integrated GPU, comes within 0.1% at 15270. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is 0.6% ahead at 15199, and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 leads by 0.8% at 15171. These alternatives would all land within a narrow performance band, so swapping any of them in would not dramatically change the FPS results shown above.

FAQ

Q: What is the best setting for 1080p gameplay?

A: Medium is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at 1920x1080, averaging 71.2 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 4K resolution?

A: No playable settings exist at 3840x2160. The best result is Low at 53.7 FPS, which falls below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the only playable preset at 1440p?

A: Low is the only setting at 2560x1440 that clears 60 FPS, with an average of 72.9 FPS.

Q: How much faster is Low compared to Ultra at 1080p?

A: Low averages 90.8 FPS, while Ultra averages 52.1 FPS, a difference of 38.7 FPS.

Q: Which component limits performance at 4K?

A: The data shows a narrow FPS spread across presets at 3840x2160 (30.4 to 53.7), indicating the GPU is the primary constraint at that resolution.

Q: Does the CPU have close rivals in terms of overall benchmark score?

A: Yes, the Intel Core i5-12500 is 0.4% ahead, the Intel Core i7-10700F is 0.5% behind, and the Intel Core i5-11600KF is 0.7% ahead of the Ryzen 5 5500.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database's ranking of all tested CPU and GPU combinations for Microsoft Flight Simulator, this pairing sits at position 2970 out of 3714 combos. That places it in the lower half of tested systems, specifically around the 20th percentile from the bottom. The ranking reflects the fact that the system can play the game at 1080p medium and 1440p low, but struggles at higher resolutions and presets.

Given the measured FPS data, the rank is consistent with expectations. The RTX 2060's 58th percentile among all GPUs and the Ryzen 5 5500's 73rd percentile among all CPUs would suggest a mid-range pairing, but Microsoft Flight Simulator is a demanding title, and the recorded frame rates confirm that this combination is not suited for high-fidelity or high-resolution play. The 2970th rank out of 3714 combos places it below many more recent or higher-end configurations, while still being far from the bottom of the list, as the 1080p medium result of 71.2 FPS demonstrates genuine playability at mainstream settings.