Microsoft Flight Simulator

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor built on the Zen 3 architecture (Cezanne codename) using TSMC's 7 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The chip features a 16 MB L3 cache, with 512 KB L2 and 64 KB L1 per core. This is a desktop part on the AM4 socket, supporting DDR4 memory in dual-channel configuration with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth, and it connects via PCIe Gen 3.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the data shows the CPU is not the limiting factor at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo produces 122.6 FPS, while at 4K Low it drops to 68.1 FPS — a 44% reduction. This scaling pattern indicates the GPU becomes progressively more stressed as resolution increases. The Ryzen 5 5500's single-thread score of 836 in 3dmark and 2319 in Cinebench R23 single-core suggests adequate per-core performance for a flight sim that relies heavily on main-thread performance. Multi-threaded results are strong for the class: Cinebench R23 multi-core scores 16429, and PassMark multithread hits 19330.

The processor's 3dmark 16-thread score of 5386 and max-thread score of 5411 show that scaling beyond 8 threads provides minimal gains — the chip saturates its 6 physical cores effectively. This matters for Flight Simulator, which typically uses fewer threads. The 3dmark 2-thread score of 1645 and 4-thread score of 3151 indicate that even with only two or four active threads, the CPU delivers respectable performance. The CPU's percentile ranking of 79 among all tested CPUs places it in the upper tier, though its nearest rivals — the Intel Core i5-12500 (avg score 20897, delta -0.1%) and AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE (avg 20900, delta -0.1%) — are virtually identical in average benchmark score. The AMD EPYC 7J13 (avg 20845, delta 0.1%) and Intel Core i5-12600T (avg 20917, delta -0.2%) round out the immediate competition.

How This Combo Ranks

The pairing of the Ryzen 5 5500 with the Radeon RX 6700 XT ranks 1015 out of 1795 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places the combination in the middle of the distribution — roughly the 43rd percentile of all CPU-GPU pairings tested for this title. The GPU side of the equation is notably strong: the RX 6700 XT sits at the 77th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 33721. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6800 (avg 33493, delta 0.7%), the AMD Radeon HD 7950 (avg 34050, delta -1%), the AMD Radeon RX 480 (avg 34059, delta -1%), and the NVIDIA RTX A5000 (avg 33294, delta 1.3%).

The gap between the GPU's high percentile (77) and the combo's middling rank (1015/1795) suggests the CPU is holding back the overall pairing in this particular game. The CPU's percentile of 79 among all CPUs is similar to the GPU's, yet the combo rank is lower than either component's individual ranking would imply. This is a characteristic pattern for Microsoft Flight Simulator, which is known to be heavily dependent on CPU performance for its simulation and scenery loading logic. The data shows that while the RX 6700 XT is capable of higher frame rates at lower resolutions, the ceiling imposed by the Ryzen 5 5500 prevents the combo from reaching the top tiers of the database.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear scaling pattern across resolutions. At Low settings, the combo delivers 122.6 FPS at 1080p, dropping to 94.6 FPS at 1440p (a 23% reduction), and further to 68.1 FPS at 4K (a 44% reduction from 1080p). This progressive decline indicates that the GPU is becoming the primary bottleneck as pixel count increases.

At Medium settings, the same trend appears: 92.6 FPS at 1080p, 76.4 FPS at 1440p (18% lower), and 53.2 FPS at 4K (43% lower than 1080p). The High preset shows 68.5 FPS at 1080p, 55.6 FPS at 1440p (19% lower), and 39.6 FPS at 4K (42% lower). Ultra settings follow the pattern with 64.6 FPS at 1080p, 54.5 FPS at 1440p (16% lower), and 41.3 FPS at 4K (36% lower).

The diminishing percentage drops from 1080p to 1440p versus 1440p to 4K suggest that at lower resolutions, the CPU is more involved in limiting performance. At 1080p Low, the 122.6 FPS figure is high enough that the Ryzen 5 5500's single-thread performance becomes a factor. As resolution climbs to 4K, the GPU's workload dominates, and the RX 6700 XT's 13.21 TFLOPS FP32 throughput becomes the primary constraint. The fact that Ultra at 4K still achieves 41.3 FPS indicates the GPU is handling the load reasonably well, but the combo cannot push past the 60 FPS threshold at that resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo shows a wide spread across settings. Low settings produce 122.6 FPS average, making the experience very smooth for a flight simulator. Medium drops to 92.6 FPS, still comfortably above 60. High yields 68.5 FPS, which is playable but not locked to high refresh rates. Ultra delivers 64.6 FPS, surprisingly close to High given the typical performance gap between those presets in other titles.

Moving to 2560x1440, the numbers compress. Low settings give 94.6 FPS, which remains high. Medium produces 76.4 FPS, and High drops to 55.6 FPS — just below the 60 FPS target. Ultra achieves 54.5 FPS, nearly identical to High at this resolution. The small difference between High (55.6) and Ultra (54.5) at 1440p suggests the GPU is already near its limits, and the extra settings overhead in Ultra has minimal additional impact.

At 3840x2160, the combo struggles to maintain high frame rates. Low settings deliver 68.1 FPS, which is still playable. Medium falls to 53.2 FPS, High to 39.6 FPS, and Ultra to 41.3 FPS. Interestingly, Ultra outperforms High at 4K by 1.7 FPS (41.3 vs 39.6), which is within measurement variance but noteworthy. The 4K Ultra figure of 41.3 FPS is only slightly above the 4K High figure, indicating that the GPU is saturated regardless of the preset at this resolution.

FAQ

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5500 compare to its closest CPU rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500 has an average benchmark score of 20875. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12500, scores 20897 (delta -0.1%), while the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE scores 20900 (delta -0.1%). The AMD EPYC 7J13 scores 20845 (delta 0.1%), and the Intel Core i5-12600T scores 20917 (delta -0.2%). All four CPUs are within 0.2% of each other.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 60 FPS at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, Medium settings produce 92.6 FPS, High gives 68.5 FPS, and Ultra delivers 64.6 FPS. All three presets exceed 60 FPS. Low settings are far above at 122.6 FPS. The data shows that even Ultra at 1080p maintains a playable frame rate above 60.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K gaming in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: At 3840x2160, Low settings yield 68.1 FPS, which is playable. Medium drops to 53.2 FPS, and both High (39.6 FPS) and Ultra (41.3 FPS) fall below 45 FPS. For smooth 4K play, users would need to select Low or Medium settings, as the higher presets do not maintain 60 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 6700 XT rank against its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RX 6700 XT has an average benchmark score of 33721. The AMD Radeon RX 6800 scores 33493 (delta 0.7%), the AMD Radeon HD 7950 scores 34050 (delta -1%), the AMD Radeon RX 480 scores 34059 (delta -1%), and the NVIDIA RTX A5000 scores 33294 (delta 1.3%). The GPU sits at the 77th percentile of all GPUs.

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

A: At 2560x1440 Ultra, the combo produces 54.5 FPS. Comparing this to 1080p Ultra (64.6 FPS), the drop is 16%, which is relatively modest. The smaller percentage drop from 1080p to 1440p compared to the drop from 1440p to 4K suggests the GPU is becoming the limiting factor at 1440p, while the CPU still contributes at 1080p.

Q: What is the combo's overall rank in the benchmark database?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500 + RX 6700 XT combination ranks 1015 out of 1795 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the middle of the distribution, despite both components individually ranking at the 79th (CPU) and 77th (GPU) percentiles respectively.