Microsoft Flight Simulator

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 delivers a distinctly resolution-dependent experience in Microsoft Flight Simulator, with the measured data showing a clear path to smooth gameplay at 1080p, a more selective situation at 1440p, and a hard ceiling at 4K. The benchmark results indicate that this combo is best suited for 1920x1080, where it clears the 60 FPS playable threshold across all four tested presets, while 2560x1440 offers a solid but narrower window, and 3840x2160 only manages playability on the lowest settings.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo performs strongly across the board. The Low preset delivers an average of 119 FPS, which is nearly double the playable threshold. Medium settings produce an average of 93 FPS, with minimums of 79 FPS and maximums of 107 FPS—indicating that even in demanding flight scenarios, frame rates stay well above 60 FPS. The High preset yields an average of 70 FPS, while the most demanding Ultra preset still maintains an average of 66 FPS. All four settings at this resolution clear the 60 FPS mark, making 1080p the only resolution where every preset is fully playable.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance drops noticeably. The Low preset delivers a robust 96 FPS average, which is comfortably playable. Medium settings average 75 FPS, with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 86 FPS—the minimum just barely clears the playable threshold, suggesting occasional dips but no sustained sub-60 stutter. The High preset falls to an average of 56 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target, and Ultra drops further to 54 FPS. At this resolution, only Low and Medium settings meet the playability criterion, while High and Ultra fall short.

At 3840x2160, the picture is much more constrained. The Low preset is the only playable option, averaging 71 FPS. Medium settings produce an average of 55 FPS, with minimums of 47 FPS and maximums of 64 FPS—the average and minimum both sit below the 60 FPS threshold, making for a borderline experience. High averages 42 FPS, and Ultra averages 40 FPS. Neither of the higher presets comes close to playable frame rates at 4K, and even Medium is marginal at best.

The data also reveals a consistent scaling pattern: the gap between Low and Ultra averages roughly 45-55% at each resolution, but the absolute headroom at 1080p means even the largest drop stays above 60 FPS. At 1440p and 4K, the same percentage drop pushes the higher presets into unplayable territory.

How This Combo Ranks

In the overall database of tested hardware combinations for Microsoft Flight Simulator, this pairing sits at rank 1978 out of 3714 tested combos. That places it in the upper-middle tier—not a top performer, but well above the median. The rank reflects a system that is capable of smooth play at mainstream resolutions but lacks the headroom for enthusiast-grade 4K or high-refresh 1440p.

The CPU and GPU each contribute to this positioning. The AMD Ryzen 5 5600F holds a 85th percentile ranking among all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 36945. Its nearest rivals in synthetic testing include the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (score 36938, delta 0%), the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D (score 37018, delta -0.2%), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (score 37093, delta -0.4%), and the Intel Core i9-12900T (score 37112, delta -0.5%). These deltas are all within a fraction of a percent, meaning the 5600F performs effectively identically to these four alternatives in CPU-bound tasks.

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 holds a 61st percentile ranking among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 17639. Its nearest rivals—all AMD products—include the Radeon HD 7790 (score 17666, delta -0.2%), the Radeon 780M (score 17588, delta 0.3%), the Radeon Pro 560 (score 17551, delta 0.5%), and the Radeon Pro 460 (score 17509, delta 0.7%). The GPU's percentile ranking is notably lower than the CPU's, which explains why the combo's overall rank is pulled down from what the processor alone might suggest.

The combination of an 85th-percentile CPU with a 61st-percentile GPU creates a system where the processor is rarely the bottleneck in this flight simulator. The measured FPS data aligns with this: the frame rates scale primarily with resolution and settings, which are GPU-driven factors, rather than showing signs of CPU limitation even at Low settings with high frame rates.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Microsoft Flight Simulator at 1080p with Ultra settings?

A: Yes. The measured data shows an average of 66 FPS at 1920x1080 with the Ultra preset, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold.

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

A: The Medium preset is the highest playable option, averaging 75 FPS with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 86 FPS. High and Ultra both fall below 60 FPS at this resolution.

Q: Is 4K gaming viable with this hardware?

A: Only on the Low preset, which averages 71 FPS at 3840x2160. Medium averages 55 FPS, and High and Ultra average 42 FPS and 40 FPS respectively—all below the playable threshold.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5600F compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The 5600F scores 36945 in average benchmarks, placing it within -0.5% to 0% of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225, AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D, AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450, and Intel Core i9-12900T. Performance differences are negligible.

Q: Which GPU is the RTX 4060 most similar to in performance?

A: The RTX 4060's average score of 17639 is within -0.2% to 0.7% of the AMD Radeon HD 7790, AMD Radeon 780M, AMD Radeon Pro 560, and AMD Radeon Pro 460. These four GPUs are its closest measured rivals.

Q: Does the combo's overall rank in the database indicate good performance?

A: The combo ranks 1978th out of 3714 tested configurations, placing it in the upper half of all tested systems. This is a mid-to-upper tier result, consistent with a 1080p-focused gaming rig.

The Verdict

This PC can run Microsoft Flight Simulator, but the experience is heavily dependent on the chosen resolution and preset. At 1920x1080, the answer is a definitive yes: all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—clear the 60 FPS playable threshold, with averages ranging from 66 FPS on Ultra to 119 FPS on Low. This makes 1080p the fully playable resolution for this combo.

At 2560x1440, the verdict is conditional. The Low preset at 96 FPS and the Medium preset at 75 FPS both deliver smooth gameplay. However, the High preset at 56 FPS and the Ultra preset at 54 FPS both miss the 60 FPS target, so users must accept reduced visual fidelity to maintain playability.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is mostly negative. Only the Low preset at 71 FPS achieves playability. The Medium preset at 55 FPS falls short, and the High and Ultra presets at 42 FPS and 40 FPS respectively offer a subpar experience. For 4K gaming, this hardware requires significant compromises.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For users considering this specific CPU and GPU pairing, the nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks suggest that swapping either component for a close alternative would yield nearly identical results in Microsoft Flight Simulator. On the CPU side, the Intel Core Ultra 5 225, AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D, AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450, and Intel Core i9-12900T all score within 0.5% of the Ryzen 5 5600F's average benchmark score of 36945. Any of these processors would behave effectively the same in this game, given that the deltas are so small they are within measurement noise.

On the GPU side, the RTX 4060's nearest rivals are the AMD Radeon HD 7790, AMD Radeon 780M, AMD Radeon Pro 560, and AMD Radeon Pro 460. These GPUs score within 0.7% of the RTX 4060's average of 17639. However, it is important to note that the RTX 4060's measured FPS data in this game is specific to its architecture and driver support; the rival GPUs may not produce identical frame rates despite similar synthetic scores, particularly in a title like Microsoft Flight Simulator that stresses both CPU and GPU differently.

The practical takeaway is that a system built around any of these near-identical CPUs paired with the RTX 4060 would land in the same performance tier—capable of 1080p Ultra, selective 1440p Medium, and 4K Low. Conversely, pairing the Ryzen 5 5600F with one of the rival GPUs would likely produce comparable results, though users should expect minor variations in actual gameplay due to driver and architecture differences.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the best playable setting is Ultra, which delivers 66 FPS average. This is the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS, and it does so with a comfortable margin.

At 2560x1440, the best playable setting is Medium, averaging 75 FPS. This provides a solid balance between visual quality and performance, with a minimum of 64 FPS indicating that frame rates rarely dip below the threshold.

At 3840x2160, the best playable setting is Low, which averages 71 FPS. This is the only preset at 4K that clears the 60 FPS bar, and it requires sacrificing most of the visual enhancements that make Microsoft Flight Simulator visually stunning.

For users prioritizing smooth frame rates over visual fidelity, the Low preset at 1920x1080 offers the highest average at 119 FPS, while the Medium preset at 2560x1440 (average 75 FPS) and the Low preset at 3840x2160 (average 71 FPS) represent the best playable options at their respective resolutions. The data consistently shows that this combo is strongest at 1080p, where even the heaviest settings remain playable, and progressively weaker as resolution increases.