Microsoft Flight Simulator

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, built on a 7 nm process. Its base clock is 3.50 GHz, with a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. The chip carries a 32 MB shared L3 cache, with 512 KB of L2 and 64 KB of L1 per core. The processor supports DDR4 memory in a dual-channel configuration, providing 51.2 GB/s of memory bandwidth. The CPU's benchmark data shows a single-thread score of 882 in 3DMark, and a max-thread score of 5659, indicating strong per-core performance relative to its multi-thread capability.

In the context of Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU's role is significant because the simulation engine handles complex flight dynamics, world generation, and AI traffic. The Ryzen 5 5600's single-thread performance is particularly relevant, as this game has historically shown sensitivity to single-core speed. The 3DMark single-thread score of 882 places it in the 79th percentile among all CPUs, according to the percentileVsAllCpus field. This suggests that the processor is well above average for the workloads that matter most to this game's simulation logic.

The CPU's boost clock of 4.40 GHz and the Zen 3 architecture's improved IPC over earlier generations help maintain frame pacing in CPU-bound scenarios. The 6-core/12-thread configuration is sufficient for the game's multi-threaded tasks, such as scenery loading and physics calculations, without becoming a bottleneck at higher resolutions. Data from the measured FPS shows that at 1080p Low settings, the combo achieves 82.8 FPS, which is likely CPU-limited given the GPU's modest standing.

The nearest rivals for this CPU, based on average benchmark scores, include the Intel Xeon D-1746TER with a deltaPct of 0.6%, and the AMD EPYC 9554P with a deltaPct of -0.6%. These comparisons show that the Ryzen 5 5600 sits in a narrow performance band relative to these server-class parts, but its desktop-oriented design with higher clocks is better suited for gaming workloads like this one.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 is a Pascal-architecture GPU built on a 16 nm process, featuring 8 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding 256.3 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1506 MHz, with a boost clock of 1683 MHz, and memory running at 2002 MHz (8 Gbps effective). The GPU has 1920 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs. Its compute capabilities include 6.463 TFLOPS of FP32 performance, and a texture rate of 202.0 GTexel/s. The card supports DirectX 12 (12_1), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.4.

For Microsoft Flight Simulator, the GPU's 8 GB VRAM is a critical factor. The game streams high-resolution textures for terrain and aircraft, and at 4K Ultra settings, the data shows 29.7 FPS average, which indicates the GPU is under heavy load. The GTX 1070's memory bandwidth of 256.3 GB/s is adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the framebuffer demands exceed what this GPU can comfortably handle, as evidenced by the sharp FPS drop from 1440p to 4K at the same settings.

The GPU's percentileVsAllGpus of 51 places it in the middle of the distribution, meaning it is an average performer by overall benchmark standards. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA Quadro K4200 with a deltaPct of 0.7% and the GeForce GTX 1650 SUPER with a deltaPct of -1.4%. The GTX 1070's 8 GB VRAM is a distinct advantage over the 4 GB cards in its vicinity, but the raw compute power limits its ability to maintain high frame rates at demanding settings. In this game, the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at 4K, while at 1080p, the CPU can still push higher frame rates, as shown by the 82.8 FPS result at Low settings.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of resolution scaling. At 1080p Low, the combo averages 82.8 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, the average drops to 63.4 FPS, a reduction of 23.4%. At 4K Low, the average falls to 49.6 FPS, which is another 21.8% drop from 1440p. This consistent decline across resolutions suggests that the GPU is the limiting component even at Low settings, as the CPU's performance headroom is not fully utilized at lower resolutions.

For Medium settings, the progression is similar: 61.8 FPS at 1080p, 50.1 FPS at 1440p, and 39.9 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 18.9% from 1080p to 1440p, and 20.4% from 1440p to 4K. This steady scaling indicates that the GTX 1070's compute and memory bandwidth are the primary constraints, with the CPU providing consistent support across resolutions.

At High settings, the drops are more pronounced: 50.1 FPS at 1080p, 37 FPS at 1440p (a 26.1% drop), and 28.6 FPS at 4K (a 22.7% drop from 1440p). The 4K High result of 28.6 FPS is below the 30 FPS threshold, suggesting that the GPU is saturated. Ultra settings show the steepest degradation: 48.4 FPS at 1080p, 38.2 FPS at 1440p, and 29.7 FPS at 4K. The 1080p Ultra score of 48.4 FPS is only slightly higher than the 4K High score of 28.6 FPS, indicating that the game's Ultra preset imposes a heavy load that the GPU cannot overcome as resolution increases.

The data indicates that the GTX 1070 is the limiting factor at all resolutions, but the CPU's role becomes more evident at lower resolution and settings. At 1080p Low, the CPU can push the frame rate to 82.8 FPS, but the GPU cannot scale beyond that point. Conversely, at 4K Ultra, the GPU is so constrained that the CPU's performance is largely irrelevant, as the frame rate drops to 29.7 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600 and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 ranks 1514th out of 1795 tested combinations in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the 84th percentile of all combos, meaning it outperforms 84% of the tested configurations but sits in the lower quartile of the overall distribution. The rank of 1514 out of 1795 suggests that this combo is below the median performance level for this game, which is consistent with the GPU's mid-range standing.

The CPU's percentileVsAllCpus of 79 indicates that the processor is well above average, but the GPU's percentileVsAllGpus of 51 pulls the overall combo ranking down. This imbalance highlights the GPU as the limiting factor in this pairing. The combo's ranking is likely driven by the GTX 1070's inability to maintain high frame rates at 4K, where the average FPS across all settings is 36.95, compared to 47.175 at 1440p and 60.775 at 1080p.

In the context of other combos, the CPU's nearest rivals (Intel Xeon D-1746TER, AMD EPYC 9554P, AMD EPYC 9534, Intel Core i7-11700F) have similar average benchmark scores, with deltas ranging from 0.6% to -0.9%. This indicates that the Ryzen 5 5600 is competitive with these parts in synthetic benchmarks, but the game's performance is more dependent on the GPU. The combo rank of 1514 suggests that to improve this system's position, a GPU upgrade would be more impactful than a CPU upgrade, based on the data available.

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

At 1920x1080, the average frame rates vary significantly by settings. Low settings produce 82.8 FPS, which is the highest score across all resolutions and settings. Medium settings yield 61.8 FPS, a drop of 25.4% from Low. High settings produce 50.1 FPS, which is a further 18.9% reduction. Ultra settings yield 48.4 FPS, which is only 3.4% lower than High, indicating diminishing returns from High to Ultra. The 1080p results show that the CPU can provide sufficient frame rates, with Low settings approaching the 60 FPS threshold and exceeding it.

At 2560x1440, the same settings pattern emerges but at lower absolute values. Low settings average 63.4 FPS, which is still above 60 FPS. Medium settings drop to 50.1 FPS, a 21% reduction from Low. High settings yield 37 FPS, a 26.1% drop from Medium. Ultra settings produce 38.2 FPS, which is slightly higher than High, indicating a non-linear relationship in this data. The 1440p results show that the GPU is beginning to struggle, with only Low settings maintaining a playable frame rate above 60 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the frame rates drop further. Low settings average 49.6 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium settings yield 39.9 FPS, a 19.6% drop from Low. High settings produce 28.6 FPS, a 28.3% drop from Medium. Ultra settings yield 29.7 FPS, which is slightly higher than High. The 4K results indicate that the GPU is the definitive bottleneck, as all settings fall below 50 FPS, and High/Ultra settings dip below 30 FPS.

The data shows that the difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p is 34.4 FPS (from 82.8 to 48.4). At 1440p, the difference is 25.2 FPS (from 63.4 to 38.2). At 4K, the difference is 19.9 FPS (from 49.6 to 29.7). This narrowing gap at higher resolutions suggests that the GPU's performance ceiling is being reached, and the settings have less impact on frame rate as resolution increases.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this system based on the data?

A: At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 82.8 FPS, which is the highest measured score. For a 60 FPS target, 1440p Low (63.4 FPS) is the only 1440p setting that maintains this threshold. At 4K, all settings fall below 50 FPS, making 1080p the most reliable resolution for smooth gameplay.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in terms of benchmark scores?

A: The Ryzen 5 5600 has an average benchmark score of 21765. Its nearest rival, the Intel Xeon D-1746TER, scores 21635, a delta of 0.6%. The AMD EPYC 9554P scores 21899, a delta of -0.6%. These differences are minimal, indicating that the CPU is competitive with these parts in synthetic workloads.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the primary bottleneck in this game?

A: The data suggests the GPU is the primary bottleneck. At 1080p Low, the combo reaches 82.8 FPS, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 29.7 FPS. The GPU's percentileVsAllGpus of 51 is significantly lower than the CPU's percentileVsAllCpus of 79, indicating the GPU limits overall performance.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between High and Ultra settings at each resolution?

A: At 1080p, High yields 50.1 FPS and Ultra yields 48.4 FPS, a difference of 1.7 FPS. At 1440p, High yields 37 FPS and Ultra yields 38.2 FPS, a difference of 1.2 FPS. At 4K, High yields 28.6 FPS and Ultra yields 29.7 FPS, a difference of 1.1 FPS. The minimal differences suggest that Ultra settings do not heavily penalize this system.

Q: How does the GTX 1070 compare to its nearest rivals in terms of average benchmark scores?

A: The GTX 1070 has an average benchmark score of 12331. Its nearest rival, the NVIDIA Quadro K4200, scores 12241, a delta of 0.7%. The GeForce GTX 880M scores 12490, a delta of -1.3%. The differences are small, but the GTX 1070's 8 GB VRAM provides an advantage in memory-bound scenarios.

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested combinations?

A: The combo ranks 1514th out of 1795 tested combinations in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the lower 16% of all combos, which is consistent with the GPU's mid-range performance and the game's demanding nature at higher resolutions.