Microsoft Flight Simulator

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 and AMD Radeon RX 570 combination represents a legacy pairing that struggles significantly under the demands of Microsoft Flight Simulator. The data indicates that this combo ranks 1728 out of 1795 tested combinations, placing it in the bottom percentile of systems. Benchmark results show a hardware configuration that can run the simulator, but only at the lowest settings and resolutions provides a smooth experience. The pairing of a 2018 mid-range CPU with a 2017 mid-range GPU creates a system that is consistently bound by the GPU’s limited memory bandwidth and the CPU’s aging architecture, resulting in frame rates that are often below playable thresholds.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen+ architecture, manufactured on a 12 nm process. It features a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.90 GHz. This CPU’s performance, relative to its direct competitors, is tightly clustered. Its average benchmark score of 19616 places it just 0.4% behind the Intel Core i5-1345U and 0.6% ahead of the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U. In the context of Microsoft Flight Simulator, which is known for heavy single-threaded demands, the processor’s single-core performance becomes critical. The Ryzen 5 2600 posts a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1579, which is a modest figure, and this likely contributes to the low frame rates observed even at lower resolutions where the CPU is more likely to be a limiting factor.

The data shows that the CPU’s multi-threaded capabilities, while adequate for general productivity with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11186, do not translate into high frame rates in this title. The game’s simulation logic and draw-call processing are heavily dependent on single-thread performance, and the Ryzen 5 2600’s architecture is significantly outpaced by newer designs. This is reflected in the measured FPS, where the difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p is only 19.9 FPS, suggesting that the CPU is not the sole bottleneck. However, the CPU’s relative weakness is evident when considering that the system cannot achieve 60 FPS at any tested setting, even at 1080p Low, which yields 46.3 FPS. The processor’s 65W TDP and support for DDR4 memory are standard, but its performance ceiling is a clear limiting factor for this simulator.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 570 is built on the Polaris 20 chip with a GCN 4.0 architecture and a 14 nm process. It comes with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s. The GPU’s base clock is 1168 MHz with a boost clock of 1244 MHz. Its average benchmark score of 30158 is nearly identical to its nearest rivals, such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 which is only 0.2% faster, and the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT which is also 0.2% faster. This indicates that while the RX 570 is an older card, its raw compute metrics remain competitive in synthetic tests, but the 4 GB VRAM capacity is a severe handicap for a modern, high-fidelity simulator like Microsoft Flight Simulator.

The GPU’s role in the measured performance is dominant. The most significant frame rate drops occur when increasing resolution, which directly taxes the memory bandwidth and VRAM capacity. At 4K High settings, the system manages only 15.2 FPS, while dropping to Low settings at the same resolution yields 28.8 FPS. This 13.6 FPS difference highlights how texture memory and fill rate are overwhelmed. The FP32 performance of 5.095 TFLOPS is insufficient for the complex shaders and scenery rendering of the game, but the primary bottleneck is the VRAM. The 4 GB frame buffer is simply not enough for high-resolution textures, causing the system to swap data, which leads to severe stuttering and low average frame rates. The data confirms that the RX 570 is the primary constraint at higher resolutions, as the CPU is less likely to be the bottleneck at 4K.

FAQ

Q: What is the best performance this combo can achieve?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 46.3 FPS, which occurs at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its closest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 5 2600 has an average benchmark score of 19616, which is 0.6% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U’s score of 19508.

Q: Is the GPU’s synthetic benchmark score competitive with modern cards?

A: The RX 570’s average benchmark score of 30158 is nearly identical to the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, which is only 0.2% faster.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the average frame rate drops from 46.3 FPS on Low settings to 26.4 FPS on Ultra settings, a difference of 19.9 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 4K resolution?

A: The data indicates it cannot. At 3840x2160, even on Low settings, the average frame rate is only 28.8 FPS, and it falls to 15.1 FPS on Ultra settings.

Q: What is the GPU’s memory configuration?

A: The AMD Radeon RX 570 features 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, which provides a bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s.

How This Combo Ranks

The performance ranking for this specific configuration is stark. The combo of the AMD Ryzen 5 2600 and AMD Radeon RX 570 ranks 1728 out of 1795 tested combinations in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places the system in the bottom 3.7% of all tested hardware pairings, indicating that it is among the least capable configurations for this specific title. The data suggests that this ranking is primarily driven by the GPU’s limited VRAM and the CPU’s single-thread performance, both of which are insufficient for the simulator’s demands. When compared to other tested combos, this system is firmly in the lower tier, meaning users can expect sub-30 FPS performance in most scenarios if they wish to use medium or higher settings. The ranking confirms that this hardware, while competent for older titles, is not suited for the high-fidelity simulation of Microsoft Flight Simulator.

The synthetic benchmark scores for the individual components do not reflect this poor ranking. The CPU sits at the 77th percentile of all CPUs, and the GPU at the 74th percentile of all GPUs, which would suggest a mid-range system. However, the game’s specific requirements for high memory bandwidth and strong single-thread performance expose the weaknesses of this generation of hardware. The ranking highlights that a high percentile in general benchmarks does not guarantee playable performance in a specific, demanding title. The combination’s position at 1728 out of 1795 is a clear indicator that this is a legacy system that will require significant compromises to run the game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution and settings increase. The system’s performance is heavily influenced by the GPU’s memory constraints, which become more pronounced at higher resolutions.

At 1920x1080, the lowest resolution tested, the system shows its best results. On Low settings, it achieves an average of 46.3 FPS, which is the only configuration that approaches playability. Moving to Medium settings drops the average to 37.6 FPS, a 18.8% reduction. High settings yield 31.0 FPS, and Ultra settings bring the average down to 26.4 FPS. This resolution is the only one where the system can maintain frame rates above 30 FPS, and only on Low settings.

Stepping up to 2560x1440 shows a significant performance hit. The average frame rate on Low settings is 38.1 FPS, which is a 17.7% decrease compared to the same settings at 1080p. Medium settings produce 29.9 FPS, High settings drop to 26.2 FPS, and Ultra settings fall to 20.5 FPS. At this resolution, the system struggles to maintain smooth gameplay, with only the Low preset offering a playable frame rate.

At 3840x2160, the system’s limitations are fully exposed. The average frame rate on Low settings is 28.8 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. Medium settings yield 22.3 FPS, High settings produce 15.2 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to a slideshow-like 15.1 FPS. The data shows that this resolution is not viable for this hardware combination, as even the lowest settings fail to provide a consistent 30 FPS experience. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 13.7 FPS, illustrating the GPU’s inability to handle the increased texture and shading loads.