Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a notoriously demanding title, and the pairing of the AMD Ryzen 5 4600G with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER produces a specific set of performance characteristics that are highly dependent on resolution and graphics presets. The measured data shows a system that can deliver smooth frame rates at 1080p, but which requires careful settings management to remain playable at higher resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS data, interprets the bottlenecks, and provides practical advice for owners of this combination.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play this game at with this combo?

A: The data indicates that 1920x1080 is the most versatile resolution. At 1080p, the average frame rates range from 101 FPS on Low settings to 56 FPS on Ultra, providing a playable experience across all presets. At 2560x1440, performance drops significantly, with Ultra settings averaging only 45 FPS, and at 3840x2160, the average frame rates fall below 60 FPS on all settings except Low, which hits exactly 60 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance in this game?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 4600G, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, has an average benchmark score of 17507, placing it in the 71st percentile of all CPUs. Its performance is very close to rivals like the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE, which has an average score of 17482, and the Intel Core 7 150U, with a score of 17395. This indicates the CPU is a solid mid-range performer, but in a simulation-heavy game like this, its capabilities will be tested at lower resolutions where the GPU is less of a limiting factor.

Q: Is the RTX 2060 SUPER a good match for this CPU?

A: The data suggests the pairing is balanced, but the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 18093, placing it in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs. Its performance is comparable to the AMD Radeon Pro 5700, which has an average score of 18189. The measured FPS shows that as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K, the frame rate drops, indicating the GPU is struggling to keep up with the increased pixel load.

Q: Which graphics preset provides the best balance of visual quality and performance?

A: The "High" preset appears to be the sweet spot. At 1920x1080, it delivers an average of 59 FPS, which is very close to the 60 FPS target. At 2560x1440, it maintains a playable 47 FPS average, and even at 3840x2160, it achieves 35 FPS. While not as fast as "Medium," which delivers 78 FPS at 1080p, "High" offers a significant visual upgrade for a relatively small performance cost compared to "Ultra."

Q: What kind of frame rates can I expect at 4K resolution?

A: At 3840x2160, the experience is demanding. The "Low" preset averages 60 FPS, but "Medium" drops to 47 FPS, "High" to 35 FPS, and "Ultra" to 33 FPS. The data shows that to achieve a smooth 60 FPS at 4K, you must use the "Low" preset, which will severely compromise visual fidelity.

Q: How does this specific combination of CPU and GPU rank against all other tested combos?

A: This combo ranks 2571 out of 3714 tested combinations, placing it in the lower half of all systems tested for this game. This ranking reflects that while the components are capable, they are not high-end, and the demanding nature of Microsoft Flight Simulator means many other, more powerful combinations will achieve higher frame rates.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the primary driver of visual output in this configuration. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its base clock is 1470 MHz, with a boost clock of 1650 MHz, and it is built on the 12 nm Turing architecture. The data shows a clear performance scaling that is tied to resolution, which is the primary indicator of the GPU's role.

At 1920x1080, the GPU is not the main limiting factor, as the CPU and GPU work together to produce frame rates from 56 FPS on Ultra to 101 FPS on Low. However, as the resolution increases to 2560x1440, the frame rates drop by roughly 20-25% across all presets. This trend continues at 3840x2160, where the average FPS falls to 35 on High and 33 on Ultra. This significant drop indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER's raw rendering power and memory bandwidth become the bottleneck at higher pixel counts. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for handling the texture loads at these resolutions, but the GPU's compute capability is overwhelmed, leading to the observed performance degradation. The GPU's performance percentile of 62 versus the CPU's 71 suggests that in this pairing, the GPU is the component that will limit maximum settings at higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear hierarchy of performance across the four presets. For a target of 60 FPS, the "High" preset at 1920x1080 is the optimal choice, as it achieves an average of 59 FPS, nearly hitting the target while offering a substantial visual upgrade over "Medium." The "Medium" preset at 1080p, with an average of 78 FPS, is also an excellent choice for those who prefer higher frame rates for smoother panning and camera movement, sacrificing some visual detail for a 32% performance increase over "High."

At 2560x1440, the "Medium" preset is the most balanced option, delivering a 63 FPS average with a minimum of 54 FPS. This provides a smooth and playable experience. The "High" preset at 47 FPS is also viable for those who prioritize visuals over frame rate, but it is more susceptible to drops during complex scenes. At 3840x2160, the situation is more constrained. The "Low" preset is the only one that achieves a 60 FPS average, but the visual quality will be significantly reduced. The "Medium" preset at 47 FPS is the highest quality option that remains playable, but users should be prepared for occasional dips below 40 FPS. For the best overall experience, the data suggests using "High" at 1080p or "Medium" at 1440p, depending on your preference for resolution versus visual detail.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of an AMD Ryzen 5 4600G and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is ranked 2571 out of 3714 tested combinations for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the 31st percentile of all tested systems, indicating that it is a lower-mid-range performer. The CPU itself is in the 71st percentile of all CPUs, and the GPU is in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs, which suggests that the system's overall ranking is pulled down by the demanding nature of the game rather than a severe mismatch between the components.

The ranking indicates that while this system is capable of running the game, it will not provide the high-end experience that top-tier combos can achieve. The data shows that the CPU's performance is closely matched with rivals like the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE, which has a deltaPct of 0.1, and the Intel Core 7 150U, with a deltaPct of 0.6. Similarly, the GPU's performance is close to the AMD Radeon Pro 5700, with a deltaPct of -0.5. This suggests that the system's performance is consistent with its component class, and the rank of 2571 reflects the average performance of this hardware tier in a very demanding game.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear and consistent pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the average frame rate across all settings is the highest, with "Low" achieving 101 FPS and "Ultra" achieving 56 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the average frame rates drop by approximately 20-25% across all presets. For example, "High" goes from 59 FPS to 47 FPS, and "Ultra" goes from 56 FPS to 45 FPS. This is a significant reduction, but the frame rates remain playable.

The most dramatic drop occurs when moving from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160. At 4K, the "High" preset falls to 35 FPS, a 25% decrease from 1440p, and "Ultra" falls to 33 FPS. The "Medium" preset drops from 63 FPS to 47 FPS, and even "Low" falls from 81 FPS to 60 FPS. This steep decline indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting component at 4K. The RTX 2060 SUPER simply doesn't have enough rendering power to maintain high frame rates at this resolution. The scaling pattern—a moderate drop from 1080p to 1440p, followed by a severe drop to 4K—is classic evidence of a GPU bottleneck that becomes more pronounced as the pixel count increases.

Measured FPS Breakdown

1920x1080:

• Ultra: The average FPS is 56. This is the most demanding preset and yields the lowest frame rate at this resolution.
• High: The average FPS is 59, just slightly below the 60 FPS target. This is a very playable setting.
• Medium: The average FPS is 78, with a minimum of 67 and a maximum of 90. This offers a comfortable margin above 60 FPS.
• Low: The average FPS is 101. This is the highest performance setting, ideal for maximizing frame rate.

2560x1440:

• Ultra: The average FPS is 45. This is a playable frame rate, but it is below the 60 FPS threshold.
• High: The average FPS is 47. Similar to Ultra, this is a smooth experience but not ideal for high-refresh-rate monitors.
• Medium: The average FPS is 63, with a minimum of 54 and a maximum of 73. This is the best setting for a consistent 60+ FPS experience.
• Low: The average FPS is 81. This provides a high level of performance with reduced visual quality.

3840x2160:

• Ultra: The average FPS is 33. This is the lowest performance point and will feel choppy in many scenarios.
• High: The average FPS is 35. This is a marginal improvement over Ultra but still not smooth.
• Medium: The average FPS is 47, with a minimum of 40 and a maximum of 54. This is the highest quality that can be considered playable.
• Low: The average FPS is 60. This is the only setting at 4K that achieves a 60 FPS average, but it requires significant visual compromises.