Microsoft Flight Simulator

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D is a 6-core, 12-thread desktop processor based on the Zen 3 (Vermeer) architecture. It runs on the AMD Socket AM4 platform with a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz. The CPU's cache configuration is notable: 64 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and a large 96 MB shared L3 cache. This L3 capacity is the defining characteristic of the X3D series and is highly relevant to Microsoft Flight Simulator, a game that benefits from large cache pools when handling the streaming of terrain, airport, and aircraft data.

In terms of raw compute benchmarks, the 5500X3D posts a multi-thread score of 20,363 in PassMark, with a single-thread score of 2,941. Its floating-point math score is 34,511, and integer math hits 60,033. The data compression test yields 230,392, and encryption scores 13,967. These numbers place the CPU at the 85th percentile among all tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 37,018. Its nearest rivals in the database are tightly clustered: the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F scores 36,945 (0.2% higher), the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 scores 37,093 (0.2% lower), the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 scores 36,938 (0.2% higher), and the Intel Core i9-12900T scores 37,112 (0.3% lower). This indicates the 5500X3D sits in a performance band where a 0.3% swing either way separates it from four distinct competitors.

For Microsoft Flight Simulator specifically, the CPU's role is to feed the simulation engine with world data and handle the complex flight model physics. The measured FPS data shows that at 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 54 FPS average, which is the highest of any tested configuration. This suggests the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at lower graphical loads; instead, the GPU becomes the limiting factor as resolution and settings increase. The 5500X3D's 96 MB L3 cache likely helps maintain consistent frame pacing in this scenario, as the game frequently re-accesses similar data sets for terrain and object placement. The 12 threads are sufficient for the game's multi-threaded workload, but the benchmark results indicate that the CPU's headroom is ample — the bottleneck shifts decisively to the GPU when moving from Low to Ultra presets.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 580 is a Polaris 20-based graphics card built on the GCN 4.0 architecture, fabricated on a 14 nm process at GlobalFoundries. It features 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 256.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1257 MHz with a boost clock of 1340 MHz, and memory runs at 2000 MHz (8 Gbps effective). With 2304 shading units, 144 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs, the RX 580 delivers 6.175 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. Its pixel rate is 42.88 GPixel/s and texture rate is 193.0 GTexel/s.

The RX 580's benchmark profile shows a PassMark G3D score of 8,813, with DirectX 12 scoring 43, DirectX 11 scoring 60, and DirectX 9 scoring 124. Vulkan performance is stronger at 45,173 in Geekbench, and OpenCL scores 37,453. The GPU sits at the 53rd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 12,928. Its nearest rivals are extremely close: the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Mobile scores 12,940 (0.1% higher), the GTX 1660 SUPER scores 12,986 (0.4% higher), the AMD Radeon 740M scores 12,870 (0.5% lower), and the AMD FirePro W5100 scores 12,847 (0.6% lower).

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM is the critical constraint. The measured data shows a clear pattern: at 4K Ultra, the combo averages only 18 FPS, while at 1080p Low it reaches 54 FPS. This is a 3x performance swing purely from resolution and settings changes, which points to the GPU being the dominant bottleneck at higher loads. The 256-bit memory bus and 256 GB/s bandwidth are adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but at 4K the card's raw compute and memory throughput are insufficient to maintain playable frame rates. The RX 580's 6.175 TFLOPS is modest by modern standards, and the flight simulator's heavy draw call overhead and photorealistic terrain rendering push the card to its limits.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combo for playable performance?

A: The data shows that 1080p Low is the only configuration exceeding 50 FPS, averaging 54 FPS. At 1080p Medium, the average drops to 42 FPS, which is still playable. For 1440p, the Low preset averages 43 FPS, while Medium drops to 34 FPS. At 4K, no preset achieves even 35 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 580 compare to its closest rival, the GTX 1660 SUPER?

A: The RX 580's average benchmark score of 12,928 is 0.4% lower than the GTX 1660 SUPER's 12,986. This is a negligible performance gap, meaning the two cards are effectively equivalent in raw compute. However, the RX 580 has 8 GB VRAM, which is the same as the GTX 1660 SUPER, so memory capacity is not a differentiator.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 5500X3D a bottleneck for the RX 580 in this game?

A: No. The CPU's single-thread score of 2,941 and multi-thread score of 20,363 are strong, and the measured FPS scaling from Low to Ultra suggests the GPU saturates before the CPU does. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 54 FPS, and as settings increase to Ultra (30 FPS), the drop is consistent with GPU limits, not CPU limits.

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combo at 1440p?

A: The highest 1440p average is 43 FPS at Low settings. Medium yields 34 FPS, High yields 25 FPS, and Ultra yields 24 FPS. The only 1440p setting with a reported minimum FPS is Medium, at 29 FPS, with a maximum of 39 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU's cache size affect flight simulator performance?

A: The 96 MB shared L3 cache is unusually large for a 6-core processor. In flight simulation, where terrain data is repeatedly accessed, this cache can reduce memory latency. The data shows the CPU is not the limiting factor in any tested configuration, which is consistent with a beneficial cache layout.

Q: Is the RX 580 capable of 4K gaming in this title?

A: No. At 4K Ultra, the average FPS is 18, and at 4K High, it is 19. Even at 4K Low, the average is only 32 FPS. All 4K results fall below the 35 FPS threshold for smooth playability, making 4K impractical for this combo.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and AMD Radeon RX 580 ranks 2,733 out of 2,996 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the bottom 10% of all tested configurations. The ranking is heavily influenced by the GPU, which is a 2017-era Polaris card with an average benchmark score of 12,928, sitting at the 53rd percentile. The CPU, by contrast, is at the 85th percentile, creating a significant imbalance where the processor has far more headroom than the graphics card can utilize.

The rank of 2,733 means that roughly 263 combos perform worse, but the vast majority of tested systems deliver better frame rates. This is not surprising given the RX 580's age and the game's demanding visuals. The CPU's nearest rivals — all scoring within 0.3% of the 5500X3D — would not meaningfully change this ranking if swapped in, as the GPU is the binding constraint. Conversely, pairing the 5500X3D with a stronger GPU would likely move this combo up several hundred places, since the CPU's 96 MB L3 cache and 6-core/12-thread design are well-suited to the simulation's workload.

The ranking also reflects the resolution and settings tested. At 1080p Low, the combo's 54 FPS is respectable, but the ranking aggregates all tested configurations, many of which use higher-end GPUs. The data shows a clear ceiling: the RX 580 cannot push beyond 54 FPS in any tested scenario, which caps the combo's overall standing.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data reveals a consistent pattern across all four resolutions and four settings levels. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves its best results: Low averages 54 FPS, Medium averages 42 FPS (with a minimum of 36 and maximum of 48), High averages 31 FPS, and Ultra averages 30 FPS. The step from Low to Medium is a 12 FPS drop, while the step from Medium to High is an 11 FPS drop, and High to Ultra is only a 1 FPS drop. This suggests diminishing returns at the higher presets, where the GPU is already saturated.

At 2560x1440, the performance drops significantly. Low averages 43 FPS, Medium averages 34 FPS (minimum 29, maximum 39), High averages 25 FPS, and Ultra averages 24 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 9 FPS, Medium to High is 9 FPS, and High to Ultra is just 1 FPS. The 1440p results are roughly 20-25% lower than 1080p across all settings, which is consistent with the increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the RX 580 struggles to maintain playable frame rates. Low averages 32 FPS, Medium averages 25 FPS (minimum 21, maximum 29), High averages 19 FPS, and Ultra averages 18 FPS. The 4K results are approximately 40% lower than 1440p and 55% lower than 1080p. The minimum FPS of 21 at 4K Medium indicates that even moderate settings produce frame drops that would be noticeable in flight, where smooth camera panning is critical.

The data shows a clear pattern: the combo is playable (above 40 FPS) only at 1080p Low and Medium, and 1440p Low. All other configurations fall below 40 FPS, with 4K Ultra being the worst at 18 FPS. The minimum FPS values are only reported for Medium settings, suggesting that the game's frame time variance is most pronounced at this preset level. At 1080p Medium, the minimum of 36 FPS is still tolerable, but at 1440p Medium, the minimum of 29 FPS approaches the edge of playability, and at 4K Medium, the minimum of 21 FPS is a poor experience.

Settings Recommendations

Based solely on the measured FPS data, the optimal configuration for this combo is 1920x1080 with the Low preset, which delivers an average of 54 FPS. This is the only tested setting that exceeds 50 FPS, providing a comfortable margin above the typically desired 60 FPS target. The Medium preset at 1080p averages 42 FPS, which is playable but with noticeable drops to 36 FPS minimum. For users who prioritize visual fidelity over raw frame rate, 1080p Medium is a reasonable compromise, offering a 22% FPS reduction from Low but with improved graphics quality.

At 2560x1440, the Low preset is the only viable option, averaging 43 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 34 FPS with a 29 FPS minimum, which may cause stuttering during complex scenes. High and Ultra at 1440p are not recommended, as both average below 26 FPS. At 3840x2160, no preset is playable — even Low averages only 32 FPS, and Ultra drops to 18 FPS. The data strongly indicates that 4K is outside this combo's capability.

The measured results also show that the jump from Medium to High at any resolution yields a significant FPS loss (11 FPS at 1080p, 9 FPS at 1440p, 6 FPS at 4K), while the jump from High to Ultra yields only a marginal loss (1 FPS at 1080p, 1 FPS at 1440p, 1 FPS at 4K). This suggests that the High and Ultra presets are nearly identical in performance cost, meaning users who can run High can likely run Ultra with minimal penalty. However, neither preset is recommended for this combo except at 1080p, where they average 31 and 30 FPS respectively.

For the best experience, the data points to 1080p Low as the primary recommendation, with 1080p Medium as a secondary option for those who accept lower frame rates. The 1440p Low preset is a viable alternative for users with 1440p monitors, but the 54 FPS at 1080p Low is the only configuration that approaches smooth, consistent performance. All other settings result in average frame rates below 45 FPS, which in a flight simulator can lead to stuttery camera movement and degraded immersion.