Microsoft Flight Simulator

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 pairing delivers robust performance in Microsoft Flight Simulator, with benchmark data indicating that every tested resolution and preset combination exceeds the 60 FPS playability threshold. This analysis breaks down the measured frames per second, contextualizes the combo’s standing among tested configurations, and identifies which component drives performance at each setting tier.

FAQ

Q: What is the best preset for 4K gaming with this combo?

A: At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset achieves an average of 70 FPS, which is the highest quality setting that clears the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset runs at 73 FPS, Medium at 97 FPS, and Low at 125 FPS.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5500 compare to its closest CPU rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500 has an average benchmark score of 19593, placing it within 0.7% of the Intel Core i5-11600KF (19723) and 0.5% faster than the Intel Core i7-10700F (19499). It is effectively tied with the AMD Ryzen AI 5 430, which scores 19617.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Medium and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Medium preset delivers 132 FPS average with a minimum of 112 FPS and maximum of 152 FPS. Dropping to the Ultra preset reduces the average to 95 FPS, a 37 FPS gap that represents a 28% performance decrease.

Q: Does the RTX 4080’s nearest rival show any meaningful performance delta?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER scores 54209 versus the RTX 4080’s 54247, a delta of just 0.1%. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698, which is 2.6% faster in synthetic benchmarks, while the Radeon Pro W5700X is 1.1% slower.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: This CPU and GPU combination ranks 349th out of 3714 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator, placing it in the top 9.4% of all recorded configurations.

Q: Can this system run the game at 4K with maximum settings?

A: Yes. The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 produces an average of 70 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playability threshold. The data confirms that all four presets at this resolution are playable, with Ultra being the best visual setting that still maintains playability.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 349 out of 3714 tested combinations places it firmly in the upper echelon of systems benchmarked for this title. This percentile position is driven by the RTX 4080’s strong 86th percentile ranking among all GPUs, while the Ryzen 5 5500 sits at the 73rd percentile for CPUs. The rank indicates that the pairing outperforms the vast majority of configurations, though it is not at the absolute top tier where flagship CPUs would be paired with the highest-end GPUs.

The data shows that the RTX 4080’s average benchmark score of 54247 is the dominant factor in this ranking. In synthetic tests, the GPU’s nearest rival, the RTX 4080 SUPER, scores 54209—a delta of only 0.1%—meaning the two are effectively interchangeable in performance. This ranking context suggests that users seeking higher placement would need to consider a stronger CPU, as the 5500’s 19330 multi-thread score and 3058 single-thread score, while competent, are not in the top strata of processors.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the configuration delivers its highest frame rates. The Low preset runs at an average of 162 FPS. Medium raises the average to 148 FPS, with a measured minimum of 126 FPS and maximum of 170 FPS. High settings produce 123 FPS, while the Ultra preset still holds at 117 FPS. None of these presets dip below the 60 FPS threshold, and even the minimum FPS for Medium is more than double the playable threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance remains robust but shows the expected scaling. Low averages 151 FPS, Medium averages 132 FPS with a minimum of 112 FPS and maximum of 152 FPS, High drops to 99 FPS, and Ultra settles at 95 FPS. The delta between Medium and High is 33 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is just 4 FPS—indicating diminishing returns at the highest preset.

At 3840x2160, the resolution stress becomes apparent. Low still delivers a smooth 125 FPS, Medium averages 97 FPS with a minimum of 83 FPS and maximum of 112 FPS, High averages 73 FPS, and Ultra averages 70 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 55 FPS, showing that the RTX 4080 has enough headroom to maintain playability even at 4K Ultra.

The data reveals that the Medium preset consistently provides the most informative FPS range, as it is the only setting with fully reported minimum and maximum values across all resolutions. At 1080p, the 44 FPS spread between minimum and maximum indicates variable scene complexity, which is typical of a flight simulator with dynamic terrain rendering.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the CPU side, the Ryzen 5 5500 is bracketed by several Intel and AMD processors. The Intel Core i5-12500 scores 19668, a 0.4% delta, meaning users with this CPU would see nearly identical frame rates. The Intel Core i5-11600KF at 19723 is 0.7% faster, while the Intel Core i7-10700F at 19499 is 0.5% slower. The AMD Ryzen AI 5 430 at 19617 is the closest match at plus or minus 0.1%—a negligible difference that would not be visible in gameplay.

For the GPU, the RTX 4080’s nearest rival is the RTX 4080 SUPER, which scores 54209 versus 54247. This 0.1% delta means the SUPER is essentially a rebrand with identical performance. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X is 1.1% slower, and the Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB is 2.6% faster, which could translate to a few extra FPS in GPU-bound scenarios. The AMD Radeon 8060S is 2.7% faster in synthetic tests but may not have the same driver optimization for this title.

These alternatives suggest that swapping the Ryzen 5 5500 for any of its nearest rivals would change the FPS by less than 1% on the CPU side. Similarly, the GPU alternatives are within a few percentage points, meaning the overall system performance would remain in the same tier.

CPU and GPU Roles

The data indicates that the RTX 4080 is the primary performance driver in this pairing. The GPU’s 86th percentile ranking versus the CPU’s 73rd percentile shows that the GPU is the stronger component. At 1080p, the Low preset runs at 162 FPS, while the Ultra preset still manages 117 FPS—a 28% drop that is almost entirely GPU-bound, as the CPU has sufficient headroom to feed the GPU at lower settings.

At higher resolutions, the CPU becomes less relevant. The scaling from 1080p Ultra to 4K Ultra shows a drop from 117 FPS to 70 FPS, a 40% reduction. Similarly, the Low preset drops from 162 FPS to 125 FPS. These drops are proportional to the pixel count increase, confirming that the GPU is the limiting factor as resolution rises. The CPU’s influence is most visible at 1080p Medium, where the 148 FPS average is high enough to approach the CPU’s frame rate ceiling of 162 FPS at Low.

The data indicates that at 4K, the CPU matters little because the GPU is fully saturated. The gap between High and Ultra at 4K is only 3 FPS (73 vs 70), suggesting that the Ultra preset is GPU-intensive but the CPU can still feed it. The larger gap between Medium and High at 4K (24 FPS) shows that the CPU does not bottleneck until the GPU is heavily loaded.

The Verdict

This configuration can absolutely run Microsoft Flight Simulator at playable frame rates across the board. The playableThresholdFps is 60, and every measured setting at every resolution exceeds this value. At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset achieves 70 FPS, the High preset achieves 73 FPS, and the Medium preset achieves 97 FPS—all well above the threshold.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset runs at 95 FPS, giving the user 58% more frame than the 4K Ultra preset. The 1920x1080 Ultra preset delivers 117 FPS, which is 95% faster than the 60 FPS baseline. The data confirms that the combination can handle the highest preset at the lowest resolution with significant headroom.

The only caveat is that the 4K Ultra preset, while playable, has a narrower margin: 70 FPS is just 10 FPS above the threshold. Users who prioritize absolute smoothness might consider the High preset at 4K, which offers the same visual fidelity with a 73 FPS average. For all other resolutions, the Ultra preset provides a comfortable buffer of at least 35 FPS above the playability threshold.

Best Settings per Resolution

For 3840x2160, the most demanding setting that maintains 60+ FPS is Ultra, which averages 70 FPS. The High preset runs at 73 FPS, but Ultra offers the highest visual fidelity while still staying ten frames above the playable threshold.

At 2560x1440, Ultra is again the best setting, yielding 95 FPS. This provides a 35 FPS margin over the 60 FPS threshold, making it the recommended choice for users who prioritize visual quality with smooth performance.

For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers 117 FPS, which is the highest average among all Ultra settings across the three resolutions. This is the clear choice for users with Full HD displays, as it provides nearly double the threshold. For users who want maximum frame even beyond the preset, the Medium preset at 1080p runs at 148 FPS, but Ultra is the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS, and thus the data recommends it.

The data shows that this configuration never forces a compromise below Ultra at any resolution. In every case, the Ultra preset clears the 60 FPS playability threshold, making this a high-end combination for Microsoft Flight Simulator.