Microsoft Flight Simulator

The AMD Ryzen 5 4600G is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 2 architecture, running on the AM4 socket. Its base clock of 3.70 GHz can boost up to 4.20 GHz, which places it in the 75th percentile of all CPUs tested. In the context of Microsoft Flight Simulator, this processor’s multi-threaded headroom is significant, as the simulation engine must manage complex flight dynamics and world streaming. The data shows that in multi-core workloads, the chip scores 13,593 points in Cinebench R23, which is within 0.1% of the Intel Core i5-12450H and 0.8% ahead of the Intel Core i3-14100T. This level of performance suggests that the CPU can feed the GPU adequately at lower resolutions, but the single-thread score of 1,919 in Cinebench R23 indicates that frame pacing in heavily scripted scenarios may rely more on the graphics card.

The Ryzen 5 4600G’s 8 MB of shared L3 cache is modest by modern standards, yet the benchmark results show it handles the game’s physics and AI calculations without becoming a bottleneck at higher settings. When paired with a high-end GPU, the CPU’s 7 nm process and 65 W TDP allow it to sustain boost clocks, which is crucial for consistent frame delivery. However, the data reveals that as resolution increases, the CPU’s influence wanes, and the GPU takes over as the primary frame rate driver.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU with 6,144 shading units and 48 RT cores, built on a 5 nm process. It comes with 12 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 192-bit bus, delivering 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The boost clock of 2512 MHz enables a pixel rate of 201.0 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 482.3 GTexel/s, which are the raw throughput figures that matter for rendering the dense scenery and weather effects in Microsoft Flight Simulator. The GPU’s 83rd percentile ranking among all GPUs is reflected in its Passmark G3D score of 29,137, which puts it 0.6% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090.

In this game, the RTX 5070’s VRAM capacity and bandwidth are the deciding factors for texture streaming. The data shows that at 1080p with Ultra settings, the combo achieves 100.3 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, that drops to 57.2 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is the limiting component at higher resolutions, as the 12 GB frame buffer becomes saturated with high-resolution textures. The GPU’s FP32 throughput of 30.87 TFLOPS is substantial, yet the frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K shows a 43% reduction in performance, which is typical for a simulation title that demands both raw compute and memory bandwidth.

The RTX 5070’s nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 and the NVIDIA Tesla M40, but its average benchmark score of 41,687 is significantly higher, indicating that this GPU is positioned for high-refresh-rate gaming at 1440p and entry-level 4K. The data confirms that the GPU’s role in this combo is to handle the heavy lifting at higher resolutions, while the CPU manages the game’s logic.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 141.5 FPS, which drops to 105.4 FPS at 4K Low, a 25% reduction. This relatively modest drop suggests that at Low settings, the CPU is still contributing to the frame rate, as the GPU has plenty of headroom. However, at Ultra settings, the scaling is more pronounced: 100.3 FPS at 1080p falls to 57.2 FPS at 4K, a 43% decline. This indicates that at Ultra settings, the GPU’s resources are fully utilized, and the frame rate is primarily limited by the RTX 5070’s fill rate and memory bandwidth.

The Medium and High settings show intermediate behavior. At 1440p Medium, the combo delivers 111.2 FPS, while at 4K Medium, it drops to 79 FPS. This 29% reduction is consistent with a GPU that is becoming the bottleneck. Interestingly, the High setting at 1440p yields 80.6 FPS, which is nearly identical to the 4K Medium result of 79 FPS, suggesting that the GPU’s performance ceiling is around 80 FPS for this simulation at those settings. The data shows that the CPU is not the limiting factor at 1440p or 4K, as the frame rates scale smoothly with resolution, which is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario.

FAQ

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 4600G perform relative to its closest rivals in multi-core workloads?

A: The Ryzen 5 4600G scores 13,593 in Cinebench R23 multicore, which is 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i5-12450H and 0.8% behind the Intel Core i3-14100T. Its average benchmark score of 17,489 places it within 0.1% of the AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 5355GE.

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

A: At 1080p Ultra, the combo delivers 100.3 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 57.2 FPS. This represents a 43% reduction in performance, highlighting the GPU as the limiting component at higher resolutions.

Q: Does the RTX 5070 outperform the RTX 3090 in this game?

A: The RTX 5070’s average benchmark score is 41,687, which is 0.6% higher than the RTX 3090’s score of 41,441. However, the measured FPS data in this game shows the RTX 5070 achieving 59.8 FPS at 4K High, which is a strong result for a current-generation GPU.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The data shows 111.2 FPS at 1440p Medium, which is a 29% drop from the 1080p Medium result of 128.7 FPS. This suggests that the GPU is the primary limiter, as the frame rate scales with resolution rather than being held back by the CPU.

Q: What is the combo’s ranking among all tested combinations?

A: This combo ranks 405th out of 1,795 tested combinations, placing it in the top 23% of all configurations. This ranking reflects the balanced performance of the CPU and GPU in this simulation.

Q: How does the RTX 5070’s memory bandwidth affect 4K performance?

A: The GPU’s 672.0 GB/s of bandwidth is sufficient for 4K High settings, as shown by the 59.8 FPS result. However, at 4K Ultra, the frame rate drops to 57.2 FPS, indicating that the 12 GB VRAM and bandwidth are near their limits for this demanding title.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 4600G and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 achieves a rank of 405 out of 1,795 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the top 23% of all configurations, which is a strong showing given the CPU’s mid-range positioning. The data shows that the RTX 5070 is the dominant component, as its 83rd percentile GPU ranking far exceeds the CPU’s 75th percentile. This imbalance is evident in the frame rate data: at 1080p Low, the combo hits 141.5 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it falls to 57.2 FPS, a 60% reduction in performance.

The ranking suggests that while the CPU is not a bottleneck at lower resolutions, it does limit the combo’s potential at 1080p, where the GPU could deliver even higher frame rates. For instance, at 1080p High, the combo achieves 101.9 FPS, while at 1440p High, it drops to 80.6 FPS, a 21% reduction. This scaling is less severe than the 4K drop, indicating that the CPU is still capable of keeping up at 1440p. The combo’s position in the 405th slot reflects a system that is well-suited for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming and playable 4K at High settings, but it is not optimized for maximum frame rates at 1080p due to the CPU’s single-thread performance. Overall, the data indicates that this is a balanced pairing for demanding simulation titles, with the GPU carrying the load at higher resolutions while the CPU provides sufficient multi-threaded performance for the game’s background tasks.