Microsoft Flight Simulator

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers a commanding performance profile in Microsoft Flight Simulator, with measured frame rates that consistently exceed the 60 FPS playability threshold across all tested resolutions and settings. The data indicates a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the CPU proves more than adequate even at 1080p, making this combination a top-tier choice for flight simulation enthusiasts.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combination reveals a clear hierarchy of performance across the three tested resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system achieves its highest raw frame rates, with the Low preset producing an average of 172.9 FPS. Moving up the quality ladder, Medium delivers 156.3 FPS, High reaches 135.1 FPS, and Ultra still maintains a robust 132.1 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 40.8 FPS, demonstrating that the GPU has ample headroom to absorb the increased rendering load of higher presets without dropping below triple-digit frame rates.

At 2560x1440, the performance scaling follows a similar pattern but with slightly compressed margins. Low settings produce 162.1 FPS, Medium drops to 146.3 FPS, High yields 109.7 FPS, and Ultra settles at 101.4 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra here is 60.7 FPS, which is larger than at 1080p, indicating that the increased pixel count begins to exert more pressure on the GPU as settings rise. Notably, the drop from Medium to High at this resolution represents a 36.6 FPS reduction, the steepest single-step decline in the entire dataset.

The 4K results at 3840x2160 show the most pronounced impact of resolution scaling. Low settings average 136.4 FPS, Medium drops to 106.2 FPS, High falls to 76.4 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 74.6 FPS. The transition from Medium to High at 4K costs 29.8 FPS, while the move from High to Ultra costs only 1.8 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset adds relatively little additional GPU load over High at this resolution. The overall spread from Low to Ultra at 4K is 61.8 FPS, the largest of any resolution tested, confirming that 4K is where the RTX 4090's rendering capabilities are most thoroughly exercised.

Best Settings per Resolution

For each resolution, the optimal configuration is defined as the most demanding preset that maintains an average frame rate at or above the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is the clear choice, delivering an average of 132.1 FPS. This leaves substantial headroom above the 60 FPS minimum, allowing for smooth gameplay even in complex scenes with dense scenery or weather effects.

At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset again qualifies as the best setting, with an average of 101.4 FPS. This represents a 30.7 FPS reduction compared to the same preset at 1080p, but the margin above the 60 FPS threshold remains comfortable. The data shows that this combination can handle the highest quality settings at this resolution without any risk of dropping below playable frame rates.

At 3840x2160, the Ultra preset also achieves playable performance, averaging 74.6 FPS. This is the most demanding configuration in the entire dataset, yet it still clears the 60 FPS threshold by 14.6 FPS. The High preset at this resolution averages 76.4 FPS, which is marginally higher than Ultra, but the difference of 1.8 FPS is negligible in practical gameplay terms. The verdict data confirms that all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable at every resolution tested, making this one of the most versatile combinations in the benchmark database.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling between resolutions and presets reveals a system where the GPU is the dominant performance factor at higher resolutions, while the CPU maintains a consistent baseline across all settings. At 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Ultra is 40.8 FPS, which indicates that the RTX 4090 is being pushed harder as settings increase, but the Ryzen 5 5600 is still capable of feeding the GPU with sufficient frame data.

At 2560x1440, the Low-to-Ultra spread expands to 60.7 FPS, showing that the GPU's workload grows more rapidly with resolution than the CPU's. The Ryzen 5 5600, with its 6 cores and 12 threads based on Zen 3 architecture, demonstrates sufficient single-thread performance—evidenced by a 3DMark single-thread score of 882 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2584—to avoid becoming a bottleneck at these frame rates.

The 4K results confirm this trend most decisively. The Low-to-Ultra spread of 61.8 FPS at 3840x2160 indicates that the GPU is the primary determinant of performance, as the pixel throughput demands at 4K overwhelm any potential CPU limitations. The RTX 4090's 82.58 TFLOPS of FP32 compute and 1.01 TB/s memory bandwidth provide the raw capabilities needed to sustain these high frame rates, while the CPU's role diminishes as resolution increases. The data shows that moving from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings costs 57.5 FPS, which is a direct consequence of the GPU's rendering workload quadrupling in pixel count.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this CPU-GPU combination ranks 197th out of 3,714 tested combos for Microsoft Flight Simulator, placing it in the top 5.3% of all systems evaluated. This percentile placement reflects the RTX 4090's exceptional performance—the GPU holds an 88th percentile ranking among all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 60,347—combined with the Ryzen 5 5600's solid 74th percentile standing among CPUs.

The combination's rank is particularly impressive given that the CPU is a mid-range part while the GPU is the flagship of the GeForce 40-series. The data suggests that in this game, the GPU's dominance is so pronounced that the CPU's lower-tier status does not meaningfully detract from overall performance. The fact that all four presets at 4K maintain playable frame rates, with Ultra at 74.6 FPS, indicates that this combination outperforms the vast majority of systems in the database, many of which likely pair weaker GPUs with more powerful CPUs.

Similar Performance Alternatives

When examining the nearest rivals for each component, the data reveals interesting substitution options that would yield similar performance. For the AMD Ryzen 5 5600, the closest matching CPU in the benchmark database is the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V, which has an average score of 20,454 compared to the Ryzen's 20,468, a delta of just 0.1%. The AMD Ryzen 5 8500G follows closely with a score of 20,425 (0.2% delta), and the AMD EPYC 9454P matches at 20,422 (0.2% delta). These CPUs would behave nearly identically in this game, as the performance differences are within measurement noise.

For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090, the nearest GPU rivals present an interesting contrast. The Intel Arc Pro A60 matches almost exactly with a score of 60,326 versus the RTX 4090's 60,347, a delta of 0%. The AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 is 0.3% slower at 60,140, while the AMD Radeon Pro W6600M is actually 2.5% faster at 61,896. The AMD Radeon PRO V710 trails by 2.9% with a score of 58,657. These alternatives would provide broadly similar frame rates in Microsoft Flight Simulator, though the professional-grade nature of these GPUs suggests they may target different use cases than the consumer-focused RTX 4090.

FAQ

Q: Can this system run Microsoft Flight Simulator at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, the data confirms playable performance at all four settings presets at 3840x2160. The Ultra preset averages 74.6 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold, while the Low preset achieves 136.4 FPS.

Q: What is the best quality setting at 2560x1440?

A: The Ultra preset is the best setting at this resolution, delivering an average of 101.4 FPS. This is the most demanding preset that remains comfortably above the 60 FPS threshold, with all four presets being playable.

Q: How does this combination rank among all tested systems?

A: This CPU-GPU combo ranks 197th out of 3,714 tested combinations for Microsoft Flight Simulator, placing it in the top 5.3% of all systems in the database.

Q: Which component is more important for performance at 3840x2160?

A: The GPU is the dominant factor at 4K. The RTX 4090's performance scaling between Low (136.4 FPS) and Ultra (74.6 FPS) shows a 61.8 FPS spread, while the CPU's role is secondary given its sufficient single-thread performance.

Q: What is the difference between High and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the High preset averages 135.1 FPS while Ultra averages 132.1 FPS, a difference of only 3.0 FPS. Both presets provide excellent performance with substantial headroom above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Are there CPUs that perform similarly to the Ryzen 5 5600 in this system?

A: Yes, the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V is the closest match with a 0.1% average benchmark score delta, followed by the AMD Ryzen 5 8500G and AMD EPYC 9454P, both at 0.2% delta. These CPUs would yield nearly identical frame rates in this game.

The Verdict

This system can definitively run Microsoft Flight Simulator at playable frame rates across all tested resolutions and settings. The verdict by resolution confirms that every preset at every resolution clears the 60 FPS playable threshold, with the most demanding configuration being Ultra at 3840x2160, which averages 74.6 FPS.

At 1920x1080, the system excels with Ultra settings achieving 132.1 FPS, providing an exceptionally smooth experience with maximum visual quality. The 2560x1440 resolution offers a balanced sweet spot, with Ultra averaging 101.4 FPS, delivering both high frame rates and enhanced visual fidelity. At 4K, the system remains fully playable, with Ultra at 74.6 FPS and even the most demanding settings staying well above the playability threshold.

The benchmark data demonstrates that this combination is not merely playable but exceptionally capable, ranking in the top 5.3% of all tested systems. The RTX 4090's overwhelming GPU performance ensures that the Ryzen 5 5600 never becomes a limiting factor, even at lower resolutions where CPU load is typically higher. For users seeking maximum visual quality in Microsoft Flight Simulator, this system delivers outstanding performance at any resolution, with the only practical limitation being the user's display refresh rate rather than the hardware's capabilities.