Microsoft Flight Simulator

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti combination delivers a measured performance profile in Microsoft Flight Simulator that is heavily influenced by resolution and preset. The data set includes 12 measured FPS points across three resolutions and four quality presets, along with component benchmark scores and a combo rank. This analysis breaks down how the combo scales, where it stands relative to other tested configurations, and which settings offer the best experience.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS values show a clear, consistent drop as resolution increases from 1920x1080 to 2560x1440 and then to 3840x2160. At the Low preset, the average frame rate falls from 101 FPS at 1080p to 81 FPS at 1440p, and further to 58.4 FPS at 4K. The Medium preset follows a similar pattern: 77.6 FPS at 1080p, 65 FPS at 1440p, and 47.8 FPS at 4K. High preset averages 59.6 FPS at 1080p, 46.1 FPS at 1440p, and 34.5 FPS at 4K. Ultra preset delivers 58 FPS at 1080p, 44.6 FPS at 1440p, and 31.6 FPS at 4K.

The scaling is not linear. The absolute drop from 1080p to 1440p is roughly 20 FPS for Low and Medium, but only about 13 FPS for High and Ultra. From 1440p to 4K, the drop is larger: about 23 FPS for Low, 17 FPS for Medium, 12 FPS for High, and 13 FPS for Ultra. This pattern suggests that at lower presets, the CPU and GPU are both engaged, but as resolution climbs, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck. The spread between Low and Ultra narrows with resolution: at 1080p the gap is 43 FPS (101 vs 58), at 1440p it is 36.4 FPS (81 vs 44.6), and at 4K it is 26.8 FPS (58.4 vs 31.6). This compression indicates that at 4K, even the Low preset is heavily GPU-limited, leaving little headroom for quality improvements.

For a flight simulator, where smoothness matters for immersion, the 4K results are marginal. The Low preset at 4K averages 58.4 FPS, which is close to a 60 FPS target, but Medium drops to 47.8 FPS and High to 34.5 FPS. At 1440p, the Medium preset at 65 FPS is the only one that comfortably exceeds 60 FPS; High and Ultra fall to 46.1 and 44.6 FPS respectively. At 1080p, all presets stay above 58 FPS, with Low reaching 101 FPS and Medium at 77.6 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the average FPS at 1080p Ultra?

A: The measured average is 58 FPS.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5500 compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12500?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500 has an average benchmark score of 20875, while the i5-12500 scores 20897, a delta of -0.1%. This places the two CPUs within a rounding error of each other.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested combinations in this game?

A: The combo ranks 1242 out of 1795 tested combos, placing it in the lower portion of the field.

Q: What is the GPU's memory bandwidth?

A: The RTX 3060 Ti has a 256-bit memory bus and 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth.

Q: At 1440p Medium, what average FPS does the combo achieve?

A: The measured average is 65 FPS.

Q: What is the CPU's boost clock?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500 has a boost clock of 4.20 GHz.

GPU Role

The RTX 3060 Ti is built on the Ampere architecture with a GA104 chip, featuring 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus. Its memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s is a key specification for a game like Microsoft Flight Simulator, which streams large textures and terrain data. The GPU's base clock is 1410 MHz and boost clock is 1665 MHz, with a TDP of 200 W. In the measured data, the GPU's influence becomes dominant at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU can keep up with the GPU across all presets, as evidenced by the 101 FPS Low result. But at 4K, even the Low preset drops to 58.4 FPS, and Ultra falls to 31.6 FPS. This indicates that the GPU is the limiting component at 4K, regardless of preset.

The GPU's average benchmark score is 25120, placing it in the 69th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6700M, scores 25180, a delta of -0.2%. The RTX 3060 Ti also sits close to the AMD Radeon RX 6600 (25235, -0.5%) and the AMD Radeon 890M (25246, -0.5%). These small deltas suggest that the GPU's raw compute performance is competitive with other mid-range cards, but the measured FPS in this game shows that the combination with the Ryzen 5 5500 does not translate into top-tier results. The 8 GB VRAM is likely sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K Ultra the frame rate of 31.6 FPS suggests the GPU is heavily loaded, possibly due to memory bandwidth or shading throughput limits.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1242 out of 1795 tested combinations in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the lower third of the field, meaning that 553 combos perform worse and 1241 perform better. The rank reflects the combined performance of the CPU and GPU in this specific title. The CPU's average benchmark score of 20875 is within 0.1% of the Intel Core i5-12500 (20897) and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE (20900), and 0.1% ahead of the AMD EPYC 7J13 (20845). The GPU's average score of 25120 is 0.2% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6700M (25180) and 0.5% behind the AMD Radeon RX 6600 (25235). These component-level scores are close to their rivals, yet the combo's in-game rank is below average. This suggests that Microsoft Flight Simulator's performance is not solely determined by raw benchmark scores; the game's engine may favor different architectural traits, or the combination of this specific CPU and GPU does not scale as well as other pairings.

The rank also indicates that many other tested combos achieve higher FPS in this game, likely due to more powerful GPUs or CPUs with higher single-thread performance. The Ryzen 5 5500's single-thread score in 3DMark is 836, and its Cinebench R23 single-core score is 2319. While these are respectable, they are not top-tier. The GPU's passmark G3D score is 20349, which is solid but not exceptional. The combination of a mid-range CPU and mid-range GPU results in a mid-to-low ranking in a demanding flight simulator.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal preset depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. For a 60 FPS target, the highest preset that achieves or nearly achieves that mark is High at 1080p, where the average is 59.6 FPS. Ultra at 1080p is only 58 FPS, so High offers essentially the same performance with a slightly higher frame rate. At 1440p, Medium is the only preset that exceeds 60 FPS, with an average of 65 FPS. High and Ultra drop to 46.1 and 44.6 FPS respectively, which may be acceptable for a flight simulator but are below the 60 FPS threshold. At 4K, Low is the only preset that comes close to 60 FPS, averaging 58.4 FPS. Medium at 4K is 47.8 FPS, and High and Ultra are 34.5 and 31.6 FPS, which are likely too low for smooth gameplay.

For users who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate, the Ultra preset at 1080p (58 FPS) or Medium at 1440p (65 FPS) provide a good balance. At 4K, the Low preset is the only viable option for near-60 FPS, but the visual quality will be noticeably reduced. The data shows that the combo is best suited for 1080p and 1440p gaming, where it can maintain playable frame rates across most presets. At 4K, users should expect to lower settings significantly to achieve smooth performance.

Measured FPS Breakdown

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 34.5 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 58.4 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 47.8 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 31.6 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 46.1 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 81 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 65 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 44.6 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 59.6 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 101 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 77.6 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 58 |

The table above lists all 12 measured data points. The highest average FPS is 101 at 1080p Low, and the lowest is 31.6 at 4K Ultra. The pattern is consistent: for each resolution, Low yields the highest FPS, followed by Medium, then High, and Ultra the lowest. The differences between presets are more pronounced at lower resolutions, where the CPU has more headroom. At 4K, the GPU becomes the bottleneck, and the gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 26.8 FPS. This breakdown provides a clear picture of what to expect from this combo in Microsoft Flight Simulator across common gaming resolutions and quality settings.