Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator places unusual demands on a PC, combining a heavy single-threaded simulation loop with a massive, scenery-streaming GPU workload. The data for this configuration, pairing an AMD Ryzen 5 5500 with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti, shows a system that is consistently capable but whose performance ceiling shifts depending on resolution and preset. Benchmark results show a clear hierarchy of frame rates, with the Ultra preset dropping below 50 FPS at 4K while the Low preset at 1080p approaches 144 FPS. The relationship between these numbers reveals a system where the GPU becomes the dominant constraint at higher settings, while the CPU's architecture dictates the upper limits at lower resolutions.

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 based on the Zen 3 architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.20 GHz. It features 16 MB of L3 cache and supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration. In synthetic benchmarks, the processor scores 836 in 3dmark_single_thread and 2319 in Cinebench R23 single-core, indicating solid per-thread performance. Its multi-threaded capability is reflected in a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 16429 and a Passmark multithread score of 19330. The processor's overall average benchmark score is 20875, placing it in the 79th percentile of all CPUs.

Looking at the measured FPS data, the CPU's influence is most apparent when the GPU is not the limiting factor. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 143.6 FPS, which is the highest average across all tested configurations. This suggests that the CPU's six cores and boosted clock speed are sufficient to feed the GPU at this lower graphical load. The step from Low to Medium at 1080p results in a 34.3 FPS drop to 109.3 FPS, a larger absolute decrease than the drop from Medium to High, which goes to 83.7 FPS. This pattern implies that while the CPU can handle the game's simulation logic, the GPU's rendering workload begins to scale quickly as settings increase.

The nearest rivals to the Ryzen 5 5500 include the Intel Core i5-12500 and the AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 4655GE, both with average scores nearly identical to the 5500 (20897 and 20900, respectively). The deltaPct values are -0.1 for both, meaning the 5500 is statistically tied with these competitors. This near-parity indicates that in a game like Microsoft Flight Simulator, which is known for its single-threaded demands, the 5500's performance is well within the expected range for its class. The data does not show any specific CPU-related bottleneck that would prevent the system from reaching higher frame rates at 1080p, as the Low preset result of 143.6 FPS demonstrates.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti is built on the Ampere architecture with 8 GB of GDDR6X memory running on a 256-bit bus, providing 608.3 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock is 1770 MHz, and it has 6144 shading units. The GPU's Passmark G3D score is 23356, and its average benchmark score is 30849, placing it in the 74th percentile of all GPUs. Notably, the nearest rival to the RTX 3070 Ti is the AMD Radeon RX 590 GME, with a score of 30755 and a deltaPct of 0.3, followed by the AMD Radeon RX 6700 with a score of 31112 and a deltaPct of -0.8.

The GPU's role becomes increasingly dominant as resolution and settings increase. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 46.7, the lowest figure in the entire dataset. This is a 36.9 FPS drop from the 4K High preset's 49.3 FPS, showing that the Ultra settings place a significant load on the graphics card. The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a crucial factor here, as Microsoft Flight Simulator's high-resolution textures can demand substantial memory, and the data suggests that the GPU is the limiting component at these higher resolutions. In contrast, at 1080p Low, the GPU has ample headroom, with 143.6 FPS indicating that the processor is the primary driver of performance at that setting.

The memory bandwidth of 608.3 GB/s is a strong asset for this game, which streams terrain and weather data continuously. The measured FPS at 1440p High is 64.6, while at 1440p Medium it is 92.0, showing that the GPU can maintain playable frame rates at mid-range settings. The gap between High and Ultra at 1440p is 2.5 FPS (from 64.6 to 62.1), which is smaller than the gap at 4K (from 49.3 to 46.7), suggesting that the GPU's performance scaling is more predictable at lower resolutions before hitting a steeper drop-off at 4K.

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

The measured FPS data provides a clear guide for optimizing the experience. At 1080p, the Ultra preset delivers 80.6 FPS, which is still smooth, but the High preset at 83.7 FPS offers nearly identical performance with presumably less visual strain on the GPU. The Medium preset at 109.3 FPS provides a significant boost in frame rate while likely retaining most of the visual fidelity. The Low preset at 143.6 FPS is the fastest, but it sacrifices too much detail for a simulation game where situational awareness is key. For 1080p users, the High preset appears to be the sweet spot, balancing smoothness with visual quality.

Moving to 1440p, the High preset yields 64.6 FPS, which is playable but not ideal for a flight simulator where smooth panning is important. The Medium preset at 92.0 FPS is a stronger choice, offering a 27.4 FPS improvement over High. The Ultra preset at 62.1 FPS is close to High, but the extra visual load may not justify the marginal difference. At this resolution, Medium is the recommended preset for a balanced experience.

At 4K, the situation changes dramatically. The Ultra preset produces 46.7 FPS, which is below the threshold for a consistently smooth experience. The High preset at 49.3 FPS is still under 50 FPS, making it borderline. The Medium preset at 67.3 FPS is the first playable option, and the Low preset at 83.2 FPS is the only one that provides a comfortable margin. For 4K users, the Medium preset is the best compromise, as it offers 67.3 FPS while the jump to High only adds a minor visual improvement at the cost of 18 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this system can achieve in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: The highest average FPS is 143.6, achieved at 1080p resolution with the Low preset.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 Ti compare to its nearest rival in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The RTX 3070 Ti has an average benchmark score of 30849, which is 0.3% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 590 GME's score of 30755.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more likely to be the bottleneck at 4K Ultra settings?

A: The GPU is the limiting component at 4K Ultra, as the average FPS drops to 46.7, which is the lowest figure in the dataset, indicating the graphics card is overwhelmed by the workload.

Q: What is the FPS difference between the High and Ultra presets at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, the High preset delivers 64.6 FPS, while the Ultra preset delivers 62.1 FPS, a difference of 2.5 FPS in favor of High.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5500's single-thread performance compare to its multi-thread performance in synthetic tests?

A: The processor scores 836 in the 3dmark single-thread test and 2319 in Cinebench R23 single-core, while its multi-thread scores are 5411 in 3dmark max threads and 16429 in Cinebench R23 multi-core.

Q: Which resolution and preset combination provides the best balance of visual quality and frame rate?

A: The 1440p Medium preset provides a strong balance, with 92.0 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold while still offering a higher resolution than 1080p.

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

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the shifting bottleneck between CPU and GPU. At the Low preset, the average FPS drops from 143.6 at 1080p to 114.8 at 1440p (a 28.8 FPS decrease) and then to 83.2 at 4K (a further 31.6 FPS decrease). This pattern shows a consistent decline as resolution increases, indicating that even at Low settings, the GPU is being taxed more heavily at higher resolutions. However, the fact that the 1080p Low result is so high suggests the CPU is capable of delivering more frames if the GPU were faster.

At the Ultra preset, the FPS drops from 80.6 at 1080p to 62.1 at 1440p (an 18.5 FPS decrease) and then to 46.7 at 4K (a 15.4 FPS decrease). The smaller absolute drops at higher resolutions indicate that the GPU is already near its limit at 1440p Ultra, and the transition to 4K only results in a modest additional loss. This is a classic sign of a GPU-bound scenario, where the graphics card's rendering capabilities are the primary constraint.

The data also shows a notable difference in how the presets scale. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 63 FPS (from 143.6 to 80.6), while at 4K, the difference is only 36.5 FPS (from 83.2 to 46.7). This compression of the FPS range at higher resolutions further confirms that the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution increases, while the CPU's performance headroom is only visible at lower resolutions where the GPU is less strained.

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

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its best performance. The Low preset achieves 143.6 FPS, followed by Medium at 109.3 FPS, High at 83.7 FPS, and Ultra at 80.6 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 34.3 FPS, which is the largest single-step drop in this resolution, while the gap between High and Ultra is only 3.1 FPS, showing that the Ultra preset adds minimal visual overhead at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates decrease across the board. The Low preset delivers 114.8 FPS, which is still a very playable figure. The Medium preset drops to 92.0 FPS, while High and Ultra deliver 64.6 FPS and 62.1 FPS, respectively. The difference between High and Ultra at 1440p is just 2.5 FPS, indicating that the Ultra preset offers marginal visual gains for a nearly identical performance cost. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is most severe at the Low preset, with a 28.8 FPS loss, while the Ultra preset only loses 18.5 FPS, reinforcing the GPU-bound nature of the higher preset.

At 3840x2160, the system's performance becomes more challenging. The Low preset still manages 83.2 FPS, which is a solid result for 4K. The Medium preset delivers 67.3 FPS, providing a playable experience. However, the High preset drops to 49.3 FPS, and the Ultra preset falls to 46.7 FPS, both of which are below the 60 FPS target for smooth simulation. The transition from 1440p to 4K shows a further loss of 31.6 FPS at Low, 24.7 FPS at Medium, 15.3 FPS at High, and 15.4 FPS at Ultra. These numbers indicate that the GPU's performance headroom is exhausted by the time the system reaches 4K Ultra, with the frame rate reaching its lowest point of 46.7 FPS.