Microsoft Flight Simulator

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS for this combo at 1080p Ultra settings?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti delivers an average of 81.9 FPS at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 5 2600 scores 11,186 points in Cinebench R23 multi-core. This places it within 0.6% of the AMD Ryzen 5 7530U (19,508 average benchmark score) and 0.7% behind the Intel Core i7-10700F (19,485 average), showing it is competitive with those chips in general compute.

Q: What is the GPU's memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti features 8 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 608.3 GB/s of bandwidth. This is paired with a base clock of 1575 MHz and a boost clock of 1770 MHz.

Q: What is the best FPS recorded across all measured settings and resolutions?

A: The highest average FPS is 119, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The next highest is 111.2 at 2560x1440 with Low settings.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations?

A: This specific CPU-GPU pairing ranks 737th out of 1,795 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator, placing it in the upper-middle portion of the database.

Q: What is the FPS difference between 1080p and 4K at High settings?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 84.4 at 1920x1080 to 49 at 3840x2160. This represents a 42% reduction in frame rate when moving from 1080p to 4K.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is built on the Ampere architecture with a GA104 chip manufactured on Samsung's 8 nm process. It carries 6,144 shading units, 192 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output units, along with 48 RT cores and 192 tensor cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1575 MHz and boosts to 1770 MHz, with memory running at 1188 MHz (19 Gbps effective). These specifications translate to 21.75 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and a texture rate of 339.8 GTexel/s.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the GPU's role becomes increasingly apparent as resolution scales. The 8 GB GDDR6X memory buffer with 608.3 GB/s bandwidth is sufficient for the game's demanding scenery rendering. At 4K Ultra, the combo manages 46.9 FPS, while dropping to 4K Low yields 81.2 FPS — a 73% improvement purely from lowering graphical fidelity. The data suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions and settings, as the frame rate scales significantly when graphical load is reduced.

The RTX 3070 Ti's 74th percentile ranking among all GPUs indicates it sits above the median performer. Its nearest rival by average benchmark score is the AMD Radeon RX 6700, which scores 31,112 versus the RTX 3070 Ti's 30,849 — a 0.8% difference. Interestingly, the NVIDIA Quadro M5000 and GRID M60-1Q also appear nearby in the rankings, though those are workstation-oriented parts. The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 3,478 and Passmark G3D score of 23,356 provide context for its raw compute capabilities.

Resolution Scaling

The measured data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. At Low settings, the average FPS moves from 119 at 1080p to 111.2 at 1440p and finally 81.2 at 4K. This represents a 31.7% drop from 1080p to 4K at the lowest settings. At Ultra settings, the progression is from 81.9 at 1080p to 63.5 at 1440p and 46.9 at 4K — a 42.7% decline.

The scaling behavior differs across settings presets. At Medium settings, the FPS drops from 108.4 at 1080p to 89 at 1440p (17.9% reduction) and then to 62.5 at 4K (42.3% reduction from 1080p). High settings show the steepest relative decline: 84.4 at 1080p, 69.8 at 1440p, and 49 at 4K — a 41.9% total drop. The fact that 1440p to 4K transitions consistently produce larger FPS losses than 1080p to 1440p transitions indicates that pixel throughput becomes increasingly limiting at higher resolutions.

This pattern suggests a mixed bottleneck scenario. At 1080p, the CPU's single-thread performance may be constraining maximum frame rates, as evidenced by the relatively small gains from Low to Ultra settings (119 to 81.9 FPS). At 4K, the GPU's pixel processing capabilities dominate, with the RTX 3070 Ti's 169.9 GPixel/s pixel rate becoming the determining factor. The Ryzen 5 2600's boost clock of 3.90 GHz and Zen architecture likely limit how far frame rates can rise even when graphical load is minimal.

Settings Recommendations

For players prioritizing smoothness over visual fidelity, the Low preset at 1080p delivers the highest measured average of 119 FPS. However, the Medium preset at 1080p offers a more balanced experience at 108.4 FPS — a mere 8.9% reduction from Low while presumably providing noticeably better visuals. At 1440p, the Medium preset achieves 89 FPS, which remains above the 60 FPS threshold commonly associated with smooth gameplay.

The High preset presents a more demanding option. At 1440p, it delivers 69.8 FPS, while at 1080p it reaches 84.4 FPS. For users with 4K displays, High settings yield 49 FPS, which may be acceptable for a flight simulator where precise frame timing is less critical than in competitive shooters. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, with 46.9 FPS at 4K and 63.5 FPS at 1440p.

The data indicates that Medium at 1440p is the sweet spot for this combo, offering 89 FPS while maintaining reasonable graphical quality. Players seeking higher visual fidelity can opt for High at 1440p (69.8 FPS), which remains playable. The Ultra preset at 1080p (81.9 FPS) outperforms High at 1440p (69.8 FPS), suggesting that resolution scaling has a more significant impact on frame rate than the jump from High to Ultra settings at a fixed resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

This AMD Ryzen 5 2600 + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti combination ranks 737th out of 1,795 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the 59th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning roughly 41% of combos perform better. The ranking reflects the balance between a mid-range 2018 CPU and a high-end 2021 GPU.

The CPU's percentile ranking of 77 among all processors suggests it remains capable for general workloads, while the GPU's 74th percentile indicates similar standing among graphics cards. However, the combo's in-game rank of 737 out of 1,795 suggests that Microsoft Flight Simulator's specific demands — particularly its reliance on single-thread performance and large world streaming — may not fully leverage this pairing's strengths.

The Ryzen 5 2600's nearest CPU rivals by average benchmark score include the Intel Core i5-1345U (19,691, 0.4% ahead) and the Intel Core i5-11600KF (19,740, 0.6% ahead). The AMD Ryzen 5 7530U (19,508) and Intel Core i7-10700F (19,485) trail by 0.6% and 0.7% respectively. These close margins indicate that the CPU sits in a crowded performance tier where small architectural differences yield minimal benchmark separation.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured average FPS values are: Low 119, Medium 108.4, High 84.4, and Ultra 81.9. The spread from Low to Ultra is 37.1 FPS, with the largest single-step drop occurring from Medium to High (24 FPS reduction). The step from High to Ultra is comparatively small at 2.5 FPS, suggesting diminishing returns at the highest preset.

At 2560x1440, the values are: Low 111.2, Medium 89, High 69.8, and Ultra 63.5. The total spread is 47.7 FPS. The Medium to High transition again shows the largest drop at 19.2 FPS. Compared to 1080p, the Low preset loses 7.8 FPS (6.6%), while Ultra loses 18.4 FPS (22.5%), indicating that higher settings amplify the resolution penalty.

At 3840x2160, the values are: Low 81.2, Medium 62.5, High 49, and Ultra 46.9. The spread narrows to 34.3 FPS, with Medium to High showing a 13.5 FPS drop. The High to Ultra difference shrinks to just 2.1 FPS. The 4K Low result of 81.2 FPS is notably lower than the 1080p Ultra result of 81.9 FPS, demonstrating that resolution has a more substantial impact on frame rate than the full range of settings presets.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 provides 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Zen+ architecture, manufactured on GlobalFoundries' 12 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 3.90 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU includes 96 KB of L1 cache per core, 512 KB of L2 per core, and 16 MB of shared L3 cache. Memory support is dual-channel DDR4 with 46.9 GB/s bandwidth.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU's role is most evident at lower resolutions where frame rates approach 119 FPS. The game's simulation logic, including flight dynamics, weather, and AI traffic, places significant demands on single-thread performance. The Ryzen 5 2600's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1,579 is modest by modern standards, and its Passmark single-thread score of 2,239 reflects this limitation.

The CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are more robust, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 11,186 and a Passmark multi-thread score of 13,160. However, the game's reliance on single-thread performance means these multi-core strengths may not translate directly to higher frame rates. The 6-core, 12-thread configuration does provide headroom for background tasks and streaming, but the architectural limitations of Zen (first-generation) become apparent in CPU-bound scenarios.

The 77th percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates the Ryzen 5 2600 remains relevant, but its 2018 release date and 12 nm process node place it behind newer parts. The 4,800 million transistors on a 213 mm² die reflect the older manufacturing process. For Microsoft Flight Simulator specifically, the CPU's performance ceiling appears to limit frame rates to around 119 FPS at 1080p Low, with the GPU capable of higher output if the processor could keep pace.