Microsoft Flight Simulator

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 presents a balanced mid-range platform for Microsoft Flight Simulator, but the data reveals that resolution choice is the deciding factor between a smooth experience and a slideshow. At 1080p, this combo is fully capable of maxing out the game; at 1440p, it holds its ground, but at 4K, you are strictly limited to low settings to stay playable.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured performance data covers three resolutions and four quality presets. All numbers represent average FPS, with no minimum or maximum frame data recorded for any of the tested scenarios.

At 3840x2160 (4K), the system struggles to maintain high frame rates. The "Ultra" preset produces an average of 36.5 FPS, which is the lowest score recorded across the entire test suite. Dropping to "High" improves the situation but still results in a sub-60 FPS average of 39.4 FPS. The "Medium" preset gets closer to the playability threshold with an average of 51.8 FPS. Only the "Low" preset achieves a playable result here, with an average of 71.8 FPS.

At 2560x1440 (1440p), the performance picture improves significantly. The "Ultra" preset yields an average of 56.1 FPS, narrowly missing the 60 FPS threshold. "High" settings average 57.4 FPS, which is also technically below the playable threshold. The "Medium" preset delivers a comfortable 73 FPS, while the "Low" preset reaches 94.8 FPS. This shows that 1440p is the practical ceiling for this combo, but you must dial back from the highest presets to play.

At 1920x1080 (1080p), the combo performs without limitations. The "Low" preset produces an average of 120.6 FPS. Moving up to "Medium" yields 95.1 FPS. The "High" preset maintains a strong 70.9 FPS. Even the "Ultra" preset stays above the playability threshold with an average of 68.4 FPS. This is the only resolution where the "Ultra" preset remains playable.

Best Settings per Resolution

The data indicates that the playable threshold for this game is 60 FPS. The "best settings" are defined as the most demanding preset that maintains an average FPS at or above that threshold.

At 4K, the only playable setting is "Low". The average FPS at this setting is 71.8. The "Medium" preset average of 51.8 FPS is below the threshold, making "Low" the definitive choice for any playable experience at this resolution.

At 1440p, you can use the "Medium" preset. This yields an average of 73 FPS, which is above the threshold. The "High" preset at 57.4 FPS is just barely too slow. For a comfortable margin above 60 FPS, "Medium" is the highest setting available that works.

At 1080p, the "Ultra" preset is playable, with an average of 68.4 FPS. This is the most demanding preset tested on this combo, and it stays above the 60 FPS line. If you want to prioritize maximum visual fidelity, this is the setup to use, though the headroom is slimmer than at other settings.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling between resolutions and presets reveals how the workload shifts between the Ryzen 5 7600 and the RTX 4060.

The data shows a clear pattern of GPU-bound behavior at higher resolutions. When moving from 1080p "Ultra" (68.4 FPS) to 1440p "Ultra" (56.1 FPS), there is an 18% drop in performance. This is a direct result of the increased pixel count, which puts more pressure on the RTX 4060's rendering capabilities. The jump from 1440p "Ultra" to 4K "Ultra" (36.5 FPS) is a massive 35% reduction, further confirming that the 4060 is the limiting factor at these high resolutions.

At lower resolutions, the CPU's role becomes more apparent. At 1080p, the "Ultra" preset average of 68.4 FPS is only slightly lower than the 1440p "Ultra" score of 56.1, but the scaling from "Low" to "Ultra" at 1080p is telling. "Low" (120.6) to "Ultra" (68.4) is a 43% reduction, showing that the game is heavily dependent on the graphics card even at 1080p. However, the Ryzen 5 7600, with 6 cores and 12 threads, has enough headroom to feed the GPU at 1080p, as the CPU is not the bottleneck.

The scaling between presets within a single resolution is also informative. For instance, at 4K, the gap between "Low" (71.8 FPS) and "Medium" (51.8 FPS) is 28%, while the gap between "Medium" and "High" (39.4 FPS) is 24%. This suggests that the GPU is the primary constraint, as the performance penalty is relatively consistent when increasing graphical load. The data shows that the GPU is responsible for the majority of the performance dictate at 4K, while the CPU is more than sufficient to keep up with the 4060's output.

How This Combo Ranks

The benchmark database ranks this combination as 2019th out of 3714 tested combos. This places it in the 54th percentile, meaning it outperforms a slight majority of all other tested combinations. However, the data suggests that this ranking is heavily influenced by the CPU's strong multi-threaded performance.

The CPU's own benchmark percentile is 78th among all tested CPUs. This indicates that the Ryzen 5 7600 is a strong performer relative to the entire pool of processors. However, the GPU's percentile is lower, at 61st. The combination of a high-performing CPU with a mid-range GPU results in a system that is capable but not exceptional for this specific game.

The data implies that the RTX 4060 is the limiting factor in this pairing. While the CPU is strong enough to avoid bottlenecking in most scenarios, the GPU's performance at 4K is the main reason why the combo does not rank higher. In terms of the game's overall combo ranking, the CPU is doing more heavy lifting to keep the score respectable.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest rivals for the CPU are based on average benchmark scores, providing a reference for similar processing power. These are not direct comparisons for gaming, but they indicate hardware with comparable overall performance.

The AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX is a near-identical match, scoring 0.2% higher than the Ryzen 5 7600 in average benchmarks. The Intel Core i9-11900KF is also close, with a 0.4% margin over the 7600. The AMD Ryzen 7 7435HS sits slightly lower, at 0.3% below the 7600. The AMD Ryzen 5 8540U is another near match, 0.5% higher. These CPUs will yield nearly identical frame rates in this game, so if you see these in a prebuilt, the performance should be about the same.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are all significantly weaker than the RTX 4060 in terms of raw performance. The AMD Radeon HD 7790 is a close match, with a 0.2% lower score. The AMD Radeon 780M is also a near match, 0.3% higher. The AMD Radeon Pro 560 (0.5% higher) and AMD Radeon Pro 460 (0.7% higher) are also in the same performance tier. This indicates that while the RTX 4060 is a modern card, its benchmark score places it in a performance class that includes older or integrated graphics, which is notable.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Microsoft Flight Simulator at 60 FPS on Ultra settings?

A: No, not at 4K or 1440p. At 1920x1080, the "Ultra" preset is playable, averaging 68.4 FPS. At 2560x1440 is "Ultra" averages 56.1 FPS, below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best setting for 4K resolution?

A: The "Low" preset is the only setting at 4K that stays above 60 FPS, with an average of 71.8 FPS. The "Medium" preset averages 51.8 FPS.

Q: Is the CPU or the GPU more important for this combo?

A: The benchmark data shows the GPU is the bottleneck at higher resolutions. The RTX 4060's performance drops significantly at 4K, while the Ryzen 5 7600's strong single-thread and multi-thread scores show it has headroom.

Q: How does this combo rank among other tested systems?

A: It ranks 2019 out of 3714 tested combos. The CPU is in the 78th percentile and the GPU is in the 61st percentile.

Q: What is the best settings preset at 1080p with this hardware?

A: The "Ultra" preset is playable, with an average of 68.4 FPS. It is the most demanding preset that remains above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What hardware performs similarly to the Ryzen 5 7600?

A: The AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX (0.2% faster), Intel Core i9-11900KF (0.4% faster), AMD Ryzen 5 8540U (0.5% faster), and AMD Ryzen 7 7435HS (0.3% slower) are all near matches in average benchmark score.