Microsoft Flight Simulator

# CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600G is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 2 architecture, built on TSMC's 7 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz, drawing a 65 W TDP. This CPU features a shared 8 MB L3 cache, with 512 KB L2 per core and 64 KB L1 per core. The processor supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration, with a theoretical memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s.

In synthetic benchmarks, this CPU scores 13,593 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1,919 in single-core. Its 3DMark scores range from 726 in single-thread to 4,889 in max-threads. The processor's PassMark multithread score is 15,992, placing it in the 71st percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE (0.1% higher), Intel Core 7 150U (0.6% higher), AMD Ryzen 3 8300GE (0.6% lower), and Intel Core i3-14100T (0.8% lower).

For Microsoft Flight Simulator, a flight simulation title, the CPU must handle complex flight dynamics, weather systems, and AI traffic. The 6-core/12-thread configuration provides adequate parallel processing for these tasks. The single-thread performance, reflected in the 1,919 Cinebench R23 single-core score, is critical for the main simulation loop that cannot be fully parallelized. The data shows that this CPU, while not top-tier, offers balanced performance that allows the GPU to become the primary bottleneck in most scenarios.

# GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture with the AD102 chip, fabricated on TSMC's 5 nm process. It features 16,384 shading units, 512 texture mapping units, and 176 raster operation pipelines. The GPU includes 128 ray tracing cores and 512 tensor cores. Its base clock is 2,235 MHz with a boost clock of 2,520 MHz, and memory runs at 1,313 MHz (21 Gbps effective).

The RTX 4090 comes with 24 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 384-bit bus, achieving a memory bandwidth of 1.01 TB/s. This large memory capacity is particularly relevant for Microsoft Flight Simulator, which streams vast amounts of terrain and scenery data. The GPU's pixel rate is 443.5 GPixel/s and texture rate is 1,290.2 GTexel/s, with FP32 performance of 82.58 TFLOPS.

In benchmark tests, the RTX 4090 scores 38,194 in PassMark G3D and 26,613 in GPU compute, placing it in the 88th percentile among all GPUs. Its nearest rivals in average score include the Intel Arc Pro A60 (0% delta), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (0.3% higher), AMD Radeon PRO V710 (2.9% higher), and AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (2.5% lower). The PassMark DirectX 12 score of 150 seems anomalously low compared to other metrics, but the overall performance profile shows a high-end GPU.

The 24 GB VRAM ensures that even the most detailed scenery packs and high-resolution textures do not exceed memory capacity, preventing stuttering from texture swapping. The RTX 4090's raw compute power is more than sufficient for the game's rendering demands, allowing the CPU to become the limiting factor in many configurations.

# Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

Analyzing the measured FPS data across resolutions reveals distinct scaling patterns. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 140 at 1080p to 130 at 1440p, then to 118 at 4K. This represents a 7.1% decrease from 1080p to 1440p and a 15.7% decrease from 1080p to 4K. The relatively modest drop suggests that at Low settings, the CPU is a significant bottleneck, as the GPU has ample headroom.

At Medium settings, the average FPS goes from 128 at 1080p to 119 at 1440p, then to 107 at 4K. The drops are 7.0% and 16.4% respectively. The minimum FPS at Medium settings shows a similar pattern: 109 at 1080p, 101 at 1440p, and 91 at 4K. These consistent percentage drops indicate balanced scaling.

For High settings, the average FPS decreases from 115 at 1080p to 107 at 1440p, then to 81 at 4K. The drop from 1440p to 4K is 24.3%, significantly larger than the 7.0% drop from 1080p to 1440p. This suggests that at 4K High, the GPU is becoming the primary limiting factor, as the increased resolution demands more pixel throughput.

At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 113 at 1080p to 105 at 1440p, then to 77 at 4K. The 4K Ultra result shows a 26.7% decrease from 1440p, indicating heavy GPU load. The difference between High and Ultra at 4K is only 4 FPS (81 vs 77), while at 1080p it's 2 FPS (115 vs 113). This narrowing gap at higher resolutions suggests that both settings are GPU-limited at 4K.

The data indicates that at 1080p and 1440p, the Ryzen 5 4600G's single-thread performance limits frame rates, as the RTX 4090 has significant headroom. At 4K, particularly with High and Ultra settings, the GPU becomes more involved, but the still-strong performance shows the RTX 4090's capability. The overall pattern reveals that this combo is CPU-limited at lower resolutions and becomes more balanced at 4K.

# How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination of AMD Ryzen 5 4600G and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 ranks 497th out of 3,714 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the top 13.4% of all tested configurations. The rank of 497 with 3,714 total combos means that 3,217 other combinations performed worse, while 496 performed better.

Given the CPU's 71st percentile ranking among all CPUs and the GPU's 88th percentile ranking among all GPUs, one might expect a higher combo rank. However, the combination's rank suggests that the CPU is holding back the GPU's potential. The RTX 4090 is capable of much higher frame rates when paired with stronger processors, but the Ryzen 5 4600G's single-thread performance creates a bottleneck.

The gap between the CPU's percentile (71) and GPU's percentile (88) explains why this combo doesn't rank higher. In a flight simulator that relies heavily on single-thread performance for the core simulation loop, the CPU's 1,919 Cinebench R23 single-core score becomes the limiting factor. The data shows that combos ranking above 497 likely feature CPUs with stronger single-thread performance, allowing the RTX 4090 to reach its full potential.

# Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

1080p Resolution:

• Low settings: 140 avg FPS
• Medium settings: 128 avg FPS, with min 109 and max 147
• High settings: 115 avg FPS
• Ultra settings: 113 avg FPS

1440p Resolution:

• Low settings: 130 avg FPS
• Medium settings: 119 avg FPS, with min 101 and max 137
• High settings: 107 avg FPS
• Ultra settings: 105 avg FPS

4K (3840x2160) Resolution:

• Low settings: 118 avg FPS
• Medium settings: 107 avg FPS, with min 91 and max 124
• High settings: 81 avg FPS
• Ultra settings: 77 avg FPS

The Medium settings rows include minimum and maximum FPS values, providing insight into frame time consistency. At 1080p Medium, the range from 109 to 147 represents a 34.8% spread, indicating some frame pacing variability. At 1440p Medium, the range is 101 to 137, a 35.6% spread. At 4K Medium, the range narrows to 91 to 124, a 36.3% spread, showing similar relative variability across resolutions.

The FPS progression from Low to Ultra at each resolution shows diminishing returns. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 27 FPS (140 vs 113). At 1440p, this gap narrows to 25 FPS (130 vs 105). At 4K, the gap is 41 FPS (118 vs 77), but this is driven largely by the sharp drop at High and Ultra settings. The step from Medium to High at 4K costs 26 FPS (107 to 81), while at 1080p it costs only 13 FPS (128 to 115). This indicates that 4K High and Ultra settings significantly increase GPU load beyond what Medium requires.

# Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For users targeting 60 FPS as a playable threshold, all settings at all resolutions exceed this requirement. Even the most demanding configuration—4K Ultra at 77 FPS—provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. However, for users with high refresh rate monitors, the choice of settings matters significantly.

At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 140 FPS, which is ideal for 144 Hz displays. Medium at 128 FPS still comfortably exceeds 120 Hz refresh rates. High and Ultra at 115 and 113 FPS respectively also provide smooth experiences on 120 Hz panels. The difference between High and Ultra at 1080p is only 2 FPS, making Ultra the better choice for maximum visual quality without meaningful performance loss.

At 1440p, the Low preset at 130 FPS suits 120 Hz displays. Medium at 119 FPS approaches this threshold. High at 107 FPS and Ultra at 105 FPS both work well for 100 Hz monitors. The step from High to Ultra costs only 2 FPS, so Ultra provides better visuals at negligible performance cost.

At 4K, the situation changes. Low at 118 FPS and Medium at 107 FPS both support high refresh rates. However, High drops to 81 FPS and Ultra to 77 FPS. The drop from Medium to High is 26 FPS, which is substantial. For 4K users, Medium provides the best balance with 107 FPS, offering significant visual improvements over Low while maintaining high frame rates. High and Ultra at 4K are playable but sacrifice the high refresh rate experience.

The data suggests that Medium settings offer the most consistent experience across all resolutions, with the only rows providing min/max FPS data. The Medium preset delivers 128 FPS at 1080p, 119 FPS at 1440p, and 107 FPS at 4K, all with measurable minimums above 90 FPS. For users prioritizing smoothness, Medium is the recommended preset; for those prioritizing visuals at 4K, High at 81 FPS remains viable.

# FAQ

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achievable with this combo?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 140 at 1080p with Low settings. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS drops to 77.

Q: How does the CPU's single-thread performance affect the game?

A: The Ryzen 5 4600G scores 1,919 in Cinebench R23 single-core, which limits frame rates at 1080p and 1440p where the GPU has headroom. At 4K, the GPU becomes more of a limiting factor.

Q: Is the RTX 4090's 24 GB VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: The 24 GB GDDR6X memory with 1.01 TB/s bandwidth ensures that even high-resolution textures and detailed scenery do not exceed memory capacity at any tested settings.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between 1080p and 4K at Ultra settings?

A: At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 113 at 1080p to 105 at 1440p, then to 77 at 4K. This represents a 31.9% decrease from 1080p to 4K.

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

A: This combo ranks 497th out of 3,714 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator, placing it in the top 13.4% of all configurations.

Q: At which settings and resolution does the minimum FPS stay above 100?

A: The Medium settings at 1080p have a minimum FPS of 109, and at 1440p the minimum is 101. No other settings/resolution combination has a recorded minimum above 100 FPS.