Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator pairs a 6-core AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080, a combination that places 241st out of 2,996 tested configurations. The data reveals a system where the GPU's raw 4K throughput is frequently the star, yet the CPU's Zen 3 architecture with 96 MB of shared L3 cache provides a sturdy foundation for the simulator's complex world-streaming logic. At 1080p, the frame rates suggest a ceiling imposed by the processor, while at 4K, the RTX 5080's 16 GB of GDDR7 memory and 960.0 GB/s bandwidth take command, delivering playable results even at Ultra settings.

FAQ

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5500X3D compare to its closest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The CPU's average benchmark score of 37,018 places it in a tight cluster with its nearest rivals. It is 0.2% ahead of both the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F (36,945) and the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (36,938), while trailing the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 (37,093) by 0.2% and the Intel Core i9-12900T (37,112) by 0.3%. The data indicates that these processors are effectively performance peers in general compute tasks.

Q: What is the RTX 5080's position relative to the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 has an average benchmark score of 56,083, which is 2.2% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE's score of 57,367. Conversely, it holds a 0.6% lead over the AMD Radeon 8060S (55,757) and a 0.7% lead over the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB (55,698), showing a competitive mid-range GPU landscape.

Q: Does the measured FPS data include minimum frame rates for all settings?

A: No, minimum and maximum FPS values are only provided for the Medium settings across all three resolutions. For example, at 1080p Medium the frame rate ranges from 120 to 162 FPS, at 1440p Medium it ranges from 112 to 151 FPS, and at 4K Medium it ranges from 86 to 116 FPS. The High, Low, and Ultra presets only have average FPS figures listed.

Q: What is the performance gap between the Low and Ultra presets at 4K?

A: At 3840x2160, the Low preset delivers an average of 130 FPS, while the Ultra preset drops to an average of 72 FPS. This represents an 80.6% performance increase for the Low preset over Ultra, or conversely, a 44.6% reduction in frame rate when moving from Low to Ultra.

Q: In terms of its overall rank, how many configurations does this combo beat?

A: The combo rank of 241 out of 2,996 means it performs better than 2,755 other tested CPU and GPU combinations in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This puts it in the top 8% of all configurations in the database for this specific game.

Q: What is the memory bandwidth of the RTX 5080, and how does it relate to the CPU's?

A: The RTX 5080 features a 256-bit memory bus with GDDR7 memory providing a bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s. This is vastly higher than the Ryzen 5 5500X3D's dual-channel DDR4 memory bandwidth, which is rated at 51.2 GB/s. The disparity highlights how the GPU can feed its 10,752 shading units far more quickly than the CPU can feed its six cores.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is the dominant force in this pairing, particularly as resolution scales upward. With a boost clock of 2617 MHz, 10,752 shading units, and 112 ROPs, the GPU is built for high-throughput rasterization. Its 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus yields 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth, a figure that becomes critical when loading high-resolution textures for aircraft, airports, and terrain in Microsoft Flight Simulator. The data supports this: at 4K Ultra, the card still manages an average of 72 FPS, a demanding workload that stresses both the memory subsystem and the compute units.

The GPU's architecture is Blackwell 2.0, built on TSMC's 5 nm process with 45,600 million transistors on a 378 mm² die. This density allows for the 336 tensor cores and 84 RT cores, though the measured FPS data does not isolate ray tracing or DLSS performance. The Passmark G3D score of 36,565 and an average benchmark score of 56,083 (87th percentile vs all GPUs) place it in the upper echelon of graphics cards. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE, scores 2.2% higher on average, but in this game's measured results, the 5080's 4K performance suggests the memory bandwidth is more than sufficient for the simulator's demands.

At 4K, the GPU's role is unmistakable. The average FPS at 4K High is 76, which is only 25.7% lower than the 4K Low preset at 130 FPS. This relatively modest penalty for higher fidelity indicates that the RTX 5080 has headroom; the bottleneck shifts away from the GPU's raw pixel-pushing power and toward the CPU's ability to feed draw calls and physics data. The 960.0 GB/s bandwidth means texture streaming is unlikely to cause hitches, but the frame rate ceiling at lower resolutions points to the CPU as a limiting factor.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D brings 6 cores and 12 threads based on the Zen 3 architecture, codenamed Vermeer. Its base clock of 3.00 GHz boosts up to 4.00 GHz, and the defining feature is the 96 MB of shared L3 cache, which is likely a significant asset for Microsoft Flight Simulator's data-heavy workloads. The CPU's Passmark single-thread score is 2,941, and its multithread score is 20,363, with an average benchmark score of 37,018 (85th percentile vs all CPUs). The nearest rivals are all within 0.3% of this score, indicating a balanced mid-range processor.

The CPU's role becomes clearer when examining the 1080p results. At 1920x1080, the Low preset averages 155 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 122 FPS. The gap between these two is only 21.3%, compared to the 44.6% gap at 4K. This compression of frame rates at lower resolutions suggests that the CPU is holding the system back from reaching higher maximums. Even at 1080p Low, the average of 155 FPS appears to be a ceiling imposed by the processor's 6-core, 12-thread configuration, rather than the GPU's capability. The data implies that the 5500X3D can keep up with the RTX 5080 at 4K, but at 1080p, it may not fully unlock the GPU's potential.

The 96 MB L3 cache is a key differentiator. While the CPU's memory bandwidth is only 51.2 GB/s (DDR4 dual-channel), the large cache can store frequently accessed game assets, reducing the need to pull from system memory. This architectural trait is likely why the CPU's performance in this simulator is competitive with the Intel Core i9-12900T, which has a much higher average score of 37,112, but the 5500X3D is only 0.3% behind. The data suggests that the cache compensates for the lower clock speeds and older process node (7 nm compared to Intel's newer offerings), making it a viable pairing for a high-end GPU.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 241 out of 2,996 configurations places this system in the top 8% of all tested setups for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This is a strong showing, but the rank also implies that there are 240 other combinations that achieve higher average frame rates. Given that the RTX 5080 is a high-end GPU (87th percentile), the rank is likely dragged down by the CPU's mid-range standing (85th percentile). The data does not specify which combos rank higher, but the implication is that pairing the 5080 with a more powerful CPU could yield better results, particularly at lower resolutions.

The rank also suggests that the system is well-balanced for 4K gaming, where the GPU is the primary driver. However, the fact that it doesn't crack the top 200 indicates that the CPU is not the absolute best match for this GPU. The 5500X3D's nearest rivals all have similar average scores, so the rank is not a reflection of a weak CPU, but rather a sign that the simulator's engine may favor higher core counts or clock speeds. The data shows that the combo is competitive, but there is a clear stratification where more expensive CPUs paired with this GPU likely achieve better frame rates.

In the context of the 2,996 combos, this rank of 241 is respectable, but it also highlights a potential upgrade path. If a user were to swap the CPU for a model with a higher Passmark score, the combo rank could improve. However, the measured FPS data shows that even with this CPU, the system achieves playable frame rates at 4K Ultra (72 FPS), so the rank is more about peak performance than playability.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are as follows: Low preset delivers 155 FPS, High delivers 127 FPS, Medium delivers 141 FPS (with a range of 120 to 162 FPS), and Ultra delivers 122 FPS. The spread between Low and Ultra is 33 FPS, or 21.3%. This is the smallest relative drop among all resolutions, indicating that the CPU is the limiting factor. The 1080p High preset at 127 FPS is only 8 FPS lower than Medium, but Ultra is 19 FPS lower than High, showing a steep penalty for the highest settings.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages are: Low at 144 FPS, High at 103 FPS, Medium at 131 FPS (range 112 to 151 FPS), and Ultra at 98 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is now 46 FPS, or 31.9%. This is a larger drop than at 1080p, suggesting the GPU is starting to take on more of the workload. The Medium preset at 131 FPS is notably higher than High at 103 FPS, which is a 27.2% difference, indicating that the High preset may include settings that disproportionately tax the GPU.

At 3840x2160, the averages are: Low at 130 FPS, High at 76 FPS, Medium at 101 FPS (range 86 to 116 FPS), and Ultra at 72 FPS. The drop from Low to Ultra is 58 FPS, or 44.6%, which is the most significant across all resolutions. This confirms that at 4K, the RTX 5080 is the primary bottleneck. The Medium preset at 101 FPS is a strong middle ground, offering a 28.9% improvement over High's 76 FPS, while still being 29.7% lower than Low's 130 FPS.

The data reveals an anomaly at Medium settings: at 1080p, Medium (141 FPS) is higher than High (127 FPS), and the same is true at 1440p (131 FPS vs 103 FPS) and 4K (101 FPS vs 76 FPS). This suggests that the Medium preset may disable certain GPU-intensive effects that are active in High, leading to a non-linear performance scaling. The minimum FPS values for Medium also show stability: 120 at 1080p, 112 at 1440p, and 86 at 4K, indicating that the system maintains a consistent frame pacing even at lower resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the Medium preset offers the best balance between visual fidelity and performance. At 4K, Medium delivers 101 FPS on average, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, while High drops to 76 FPS and Ultra to 72 FPS. The Medium preset also provides the only min/max data, with a range of 86 to 116 FPS at 4K, showing that the frame rate does not dip below 86 FPS, which is still very playable. The jump from Medium to High at 4K costs 25 FPS (a 24.8% reduction), which is a significant hit for what may be marginal visual gains.

At 1440p, Medium averages 131 FPS, which is 28 FPS higher than High (103 FPS). This makes Medium the clear choice for high-refresh-rate monitors, as it stays well above 120 FPS. The Ultra preset at 98 FPS is also viable, but the 33 FPS deficit from Medium suggests that the extra settings are not worth the performance loss unless the user prioritizes image quality over frame rate. At 1080p, Medium at 141 FPS is only 14 FPS lower than Low (155 FPS), making it a no-brainer for users seeking a smooth experience without sacrificing too much detail. High at 127 FPS is acceptable, but Ultra at 122 FPS offers no tangible benefit over High, given the 5 FPS difference.

The data implies that the High preset is the least efficient option. Across all resolutions, Medium outperforms High by a significant margin: 11% at 1080p, 27.2% at 1440p, and 32.9% at 4K. This suggests that High may enable certain post-processing or shadow effects that are disproportionately expensive on the RTX 5080. For the best experience, the Medium preset is recommended as the default, with Ultra reserved for users who prioritize visual fidelity and are willing to accept frame rates in the 72-98 FPS range depending on resolution.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear shift in the bottleneck. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 155 at 1080p to 144 at 1440p (a 7.1% decrease) and then to 130 at 4K (a 16.1% decrease from 1080p). This relatively shallow scaling curve indicates that the CPU is the limiting factor at Low settings; the GPU has enough headroom that even 4K does not stress it significantly. The 25 FPS difference between 1080p and 4K Low shows that the RTX 5080 can handle the resolution increase with only a modest performance hit.

At Ultra settings, the scaling is steeper. The average FPS drops from 122 at 1080p to 98 at 1440p (a 19.7% decrease) and then to 72 at 4K (a 41% decrease from 1080p). This is a much more pronounced drop, indicating that the GPU becomes the limiting factor as the resolution and settings increase. The 50 FPS difference between 1080p Ultra and 4K Ultra demonstrates the RTX 5080's workload scaling, where the 16 GB memory and 960.0 GB/s bandwidth are pushed to their limits.

The data suggests that the system is CPU-bound at 1080p and GPU-bound at 4K. At 1080p, the 155 FPS Low ceiling is likely set by the Ryzen 5 5500X3D's 6-core architecture, as the GPU could theoretically push higher. At 4K, the 72 FPS Ultra result shows the GPU's raw compute power is the primary constraint. The Medium settings provide a balanced view: the drop from 1080p (141 FPS) to 1440p (131 FPS) is only 7.1%, but the drop to 4K (101 FPS) is 28.4% from 1080p. This suggests that the Medium preset scales more gracefully, with the CPU handling the initial resolution increase, and the GPU taking over as the pixel count grows. For users targeting 4K, the 101 FPS at Medium is a strong result, but for maximizing frame rates at 1080p, the CPU will need to be upgraded to fully utilize the RTX 5080.