Microsoft Flight Simulator

FAQ

Q: What is the combo rank of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: This combination ranks 2058 out of 2996 tested combos in the database for this specific title, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the field.

Q: At which resolution and settings does this combo achieve its highest average frame rate?

A: The highest measured average is 101 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The same resolution at Ultra drops to 56 FPS average.

Q: What is the difference between the average FPS at 2560x1440 High versus 3840x2160 High?

A: At 2560x1440 High the average is 47 FPS, while at 3840x2160 High it falls to 35 FPS — a 12 FPS reduction when moving to 4K.

Q: Does the CPU have a high multi-threaded score relative to its peers?

A: The Ryzen 5 5500X3D scores 20363 in PassMark multi-thread, sitting at the 85th percentile among all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450, scores 37093 in average benchmark, which is 0.2% higher.

Q: How does the GPU's DirectX 12 performance compare to its DirectX 11 result?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER scores 61 in PassMark DirectX 12 versus 130 in DirectX 11, indicating a substantial performance gap between the two API paths in synthetic testing.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for the Medium preset at 1920x1080?

A: The minimum FPS is 67, with an average of 78 and a maximum of 90 at that resolution and preset.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D is a 6-core, 12-thread processor from the 5000 series, built on Zen 3 architecture (Vermeer) at 7 nm. It runs at a base clock of 3.00 GHz and boosts to 4.00 GHz. The CPU has a 105 W TDP and supports DDR4 memory on a dual-channel bus with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth. Its L3 cache is 96 MB shared across all cores, which is a notable amount for a 6-core part.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU's role is significant because the simulator is known for heavy single-thread and moderate multi-thread usage. The PassMark single-thread score of 2941 is respectable, but the multithread score of 20363 is what drives the overall average benchmark score of 37018. This places the CPU at the 85th percentile against all CPUs, meaning it outperforms most processors in general compute tasks.

Relative to its nearest rivals, the Ryzen 5 5500X3D is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (deltaPct 0.2%) and Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (deltaPct 0.2%). It is 0.2% slower than the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 and 0.3% slower than the Intel Core i9-12900T. These margins are negligible, indicating that the CPU's overall compute capability is well-matched with its direct competitors.

For flight simulation, the 6-core/12-thread configuration is adequate but not exceptional. The data shows that CPU-bound scenarios, such as complex scenery rendering and AI traffic calculations, will benefit from the high single-thread score. However, the lack of a higher core count means that extremely heavy multi-thread workloads (like large-scale add-on scenery loading) may not scale as well as they would with more cores. The 96 MB L3 cache is a strong asset for flight sim, as it can help reduce memory latency when accessing frequently used terrain and aircraft data.

The CPU's boost clock of 4.00 GHz is not particularly high for modern standards, but the architecture's efficiency compensates. The measured FPS data in this game suggests that the CPU is not the bottleneck at lower resolutions and settings, where the GPU becomes the limiting factor. At 1920x1080 Low, the combo hits 101 FPS average, which is well above playable thresholds. However, at 3840x2160 Ultra, the frame rate drops to 33 FPS, indicating that the GPU is heavily stressed while the CPU still has headroom.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is based on the TU106 chip on Turing architecture, fabricated at 12 nm by TSMC. It has 2176 shading units, 136 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. The GPU includes 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores, which are relevant for DirectX 12 Ultimate features. Its base clock is 1470 MHz with a boost of 1650 MHz. Memory is 8 GB of GDDR6 on a 256-bit bus, providing 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has a TDP of 175 W and requires a single 8-pin power connector.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the GPU is the primary driver of frame rate at higher resolutions and settings. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for the game's textures at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K with Ultra settings, the memory capacity and bandwidth may become limiting factors. The measured FPS data reflects this: at 3840x2160 Ultra, the average is 33 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target for smooth play. The GPU's PassMark G3D score of 16462 places it at the 62nd percentile among all GPUs.

Relative to its nearest rivals, the RTX 2060 SUPER is 0.4% slower than the RTX 3060 Mobile, 0.5% slower than the AMD Radeon Pro 5700, 1.5% slower than the AMD Radeon RX 460, and 1.6% slower than the Intel Arc A770M. The deltaPct values are small, but the RX 460 and Arc A770M are not direct competitors in the same performance class, so the comparison is somewhat misleading. In practice, the RTX 2060 SUPER performs at a level consistent with its position in the GPU hierarchy.

The GPU's DirectX 12 performance score of 61 is notably lower than its DirectX 11 score of 130, which suggests that the Turing architecture does not fully utilize the DirectX 12 API in this synthetic test. For Microsoft Flight Simulator, which supports DirectX 12, this could mean that the GPU is not delivering its full potential in that mode. However, the measured FPS data is from actual gameplay, so the synthetic scores are only indicative of general compute capability.

At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the GPU delivers 101 FPS average, which is well above the refresh rate of most monitors. At Medium settings, the average drops to 78 FPS, and at High it is 59 FPS. Ultra at 1080p yields 56 FPS, which is still playable but close to the threshold where frame drops become noticeable. At 2560x1440, the GPU manages 81 FPS on Low, 63 FPS on Medium, 47 FPS on High, and 45 FPS on Ultra. At 4K, only Low settings achieve 60 FPS average, with Medium at 47 FPS, High at 35 FPS, and Ultra at 33 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Ryzen 5 5500X3D and RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 2058 out of 2996 combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This rank places it in the 31st percentile of all tested combinations, meaning about 69% of combos perform better. The rank is determined by the measured FPS across all resolutions and settings, weighted by the game's typical usage patterns.

Given the CPU's 85th percentile standing and the GPU's 62nd percentile, the combo rank is lower than the CPU's individual standing but higher than the GPU's. This indicates that the GPU is the limiting factor in this pairing for flight sim, which is consistent with the game's graphics-intensive nature. The CPU has enough compute headroom to feed the GPU at most settings, but the GPU cannot keep up at higher resolutions and detail levels.

The combo's rank is not particularly strong, but it is not in the bottom tier either. It sits in the lower-middle range, which suggests that users can expect acceptable performance at 1080p and 1440p with moderate settings, but will need to compromise at 4K. The data shows that the combo is competitive with other mid-range pairings, but it will not deliver high-end experiences.

For context, the combo's rank of 2058 out of 2996 means that there are 938 combos that perform worse. This is not a top-tier setup, but it is far from the worst. The measured FPS data confirms that the combo is viable for flight simulation, provided the user adjusts settings appropriately.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data covers three resolutions (1920x1080, 2560x1440, 3840x2160) and four settings (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). Not all combinations have minimum or maximum FPS recorded; only Medium presets include min and max values.

At 1920x1080:

• Low: 101 FPS average (no min/max)
• Medium: 78 FPS average, with a minimum of 67 FPS and maximum of 90 FPS
• High: 59 FPS average (no min/max)
• Ultra: 56 FPS average (no min/max)

At 2560x1440:

• Low: 81 FPS average (no min/max)
• Medium: 63 FPS average, with a minimum of 54 FPS and maximum of 73 FPS
• High: 47 FPS average (no min/max)
• Ultra: 45 FPS average (no min/max)

At 3840x2160:

• Low: 60 FPS average (no min/max)
• Medium: 47 FPS average, with a minimum of 40 FPS and maximum of 54 FPS
• High: 35 FPS average (no min/max)
• Ultra: 33 FPS average (no min/max)

The pattern is consistent: as resolution increases, the frame rate drops significantly. The gap between Low and Ultra at each resolution is notable. At 1080p, Low is 101 FPS while Ultra is 56 FPS — a 45 FPS difference. At 1440p, the gap is 36 FPS (81 to 45). At 4K, the gap narrows to 27 FPS (60 to 33), which suggests that the GPU is already hitting a hard limit at 4K even on Low settings.

The Medium preset's min/max values provide insight into frame pacing. At 1080p Medium, the range is 67-90 FPS, which is relatively tight and indicates smooth performance. At 1440p Medium, the range is 54-73 FPS, showing more variance. At 4K Medium, the range is 40-54 FPS, which could result in noticeable stutter during complex scenes.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's resolution and performance target.

For 1920x1080, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, with an average of 78 FPS and a minimum of 67 FPS. This ensures that the frame rate stays above 60 FPS even in demanding scenes, which is crucial for a smooth flight sim experience. High is also viable at 59 FPS average, but the minimum is not recorded, so there is a risk of drops below 60 FPS. Ultra at 56 FPS is borderline, and Low at 101 FPS is overkill for most monitors.

For 2560x1440, Medium is again the recommended choice, with an average of 63 FPS and a minimum of 54 FPS. The minimum is below 60 FPS, so users with high-refresh-rate monitors may notice occasional dips, but the average is acceptable. High at 47 FPS is playable but not ideal, and Ultra at 45 FPS is similar. Low at 81 FPS is smooth but sacrifices too much visual detail.

For 3840x2160, Low is the only preset that achieves a 60 FPS average. Medium at 47 FPS is playable but with a minimum of 40 FPS, which could cause noticeable stutter. High and Ultra are not recommended, as they average 35 and 33 FPS respectively, which is too low for a smooth experience.

Overall, the Medium preset is the sweet spot for this combo across all resolutions, provided the user is willing to accept some frame rate variance at higher resolutions. At 4K, users should stick to Low for a consistent 60 FPS experience. The data does not support higher settings at 4K for this pair, as the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck.