Microsoft Flight Simulator

FAQ

Q: How does the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F compare to its closest rivals in synthetic CPU benchmarks?

A: The Ryzen 5 5600F scores 36,945 in average benchmark score, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. It is essentially tied with the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 (36,938, 0% delta), while trailing the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D by 0.2% (37,018) and the AMD Ryzen AI 7 PRO 450 by 0.4% (37,093). The Intel Core i9-12900T leads this group by 0.5% (37,112).

Q: What is the RTX 2060 SUPER's standing relative to other GPUs based on its benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 18,093, landing in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rival, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile, scores 18,159 (-0.4% delta), while the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 scores 18,189 (-0.5%). The AMD Radeon RX 460 (18,373) and Intel Arc A770M (18,383) both outperform it by roughly 1.5-1.6%.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested CPU-GPU pairings in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: This specific combination of AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 2,058 out of 2,996 tested combos in the game. This places it in the lower third of all pairings, indicating that while it can run the game, many other configurations deliver higher frame rates.

Q: What is the difference in average FPS between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers an average of 101 FPS, while the Ultra preset delivers 56 FPS. This represents a 45 FPS drop (approximately 44.6% reduction) when moving from the lowest to the highest quality settings, highlighting the significant performance cost of Ultra-level detail.

Q: Does the RTX 2060 SUPER have enough VRAM for Microsoft Flight Simulator at 4K?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth. At 3840x2160 resolution, the measured data shows the card achieving 35 FPS on High settings and 60 FPS on Low settings, indicating that 8 GB is sufficient for playable frame rates at this resolution, though not for high-detail 4K gaming.

Q: What are the key specifications of the Ryzen 5 5600F?

A: The Ryzen 5 5600F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on Zen 3 architecture (Vermeer) on a 7 nm process. It has a base clock of 3.00 GHz and a boost clock of 4.00 GHz, with 32 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports DDR4 memory in dual-channel configuration with 51.2 GB/s bandwidth and has a 65W TDP.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with the TU106 chip, fabricated on a 12 nm process. It packs 2,176 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 64 ROPs, along with 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1470 MHz and a boost clock of 1650 MHz, with memory running at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). This configuration yields 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 224.4 GTexel/s of texture fill rate.

For Microsoft Flight Simulator, the GPU's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory capacity and bandwidth directly influence how the game handles textures and geometry at various resolutions. The measured FPS data shows a clear relationship between resolution and performance: at 1080p Low settings, the card achieves 101 FPS, but this drops to 60 FPS at 4K Low. The 41 FPS difference between these two resolution points at the same settings level suggests that the GPU's memory bandwidth and shading power become increasingly strained as pixel count rises.

The GPU's DirectX 12 Ultimate support (12_2) is relevant for a 2020-era flight simulator that can leverage modern rendering features. The card's 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores provide hardware acceleration for ray-traced effects and DLSS-type operations, though the measured data in this benchmark does not explicitly test these features. The 2060 SUPER's position in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs, alongside its nearest rivals like the RTX 3060 Mobile (18,159) and Radeon Pro 5700 (18,189), indicates it sits in the mid-range tier of graphics hardware.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 2,058 out of 2,996 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places the pairing in the bottom 31% of all tested configurations, suggesting that while it is fully capable of running the game, a majority of other CPU-GPU combinations deliver higher average frame rates.

This rank is somewhat surprising given that the individual components perform respectably in their respective benchmark pools. The CPU sits in the 85th percentile of all processors, and the GPU in the 62nd percentile of all graphics cards. However, Microsoft Flight Simulator is known for being demanding on both CPU and GPU simultaneously, and the combination of a mid-range GPU with a 6-core CPU without integrated graphics appears to create a bottleneck that pushes this pairing down the rankings.

The data indicates that this combo is better suited for lower resolutions and settings. At 1080p Low, it achieves 101 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold typically considered smooth for simulation games. However, at 4K Ultra, it drops to 33 FPS. The rank of 2,058 suggests that many other pairings can handle higher settings at similar resolutions more effectively. For users considering this configuration, the measured FPS data suggests it is a workable but not exceptional setup for this specific title.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this combo covers three resolutions and four settings presets, providing a comprehensive view of performance across the quality spectrum.

1920x1080 (Full HD):

• Low: 101 FPS average
• Medium: 78 FPS average (67 min, 90 max)
• High: 59 FPS average
• Ultra: 56 FPS average

2560x1440 (Quad HD):

• Low: 81 FPS average
• Medium: 63 FPS average (54 min, 73 max)
• High: 47 FPS average
• Ultra: 45 FPS average

3840x2160 (4K UHD):

• Low: 60 FPS average
• Medium: 47 FPS average (40 min, 54 max)
• High: 35 FPS average
• Ultra: 33 FPS average

At 1080p, the jump from Low to Medium costs 23 FPS, while the jump from Medium to High costs another 19 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra is minimal at just 3 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset adds visual quality without a proportional performance penalty at this resolution.

At 1440p, the pattern shifts. Low to Medium costs 18 FPS, Medium to High costs 16 FPS, and High to Ultra costs only 2 FPS. The 1440p High and Ultra results (47 and 45 FPS) are closely clustered, indicating that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor at this resolution.

At 4K, the performance drops are more pronounced. Low to Medium costs 13 FPS, Medium to High costs 12 FPS, and High to Ultra costs only 2 FPS. The 4K Ultra result of 33 FPS is marginally playable, while 4K Low at 60 FPS offers a smooth experience for users willing to sacrifice visual fidelity.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling behavior reveals important insights about which component limits performance in this configuration. Moving from 1080p to 1440p to 4K, the average FPS at each settings level shows consistent degradation.

At Low settings, the FPS drops from 101 at 1080p to 81 at 1440p (a 19.8% reduction) and then to 60 at 4K (a 25.9% reduction from 1440p). At Medium settings, the progression is 78 to 63 to 47 FPS (reductions of 19.2% and 25.4% respectively). At High settings, the numbers go from 59 to 47 to 35 FPS (reductions of 20.3% and 25.5%). At Ultra settings, the pattern holds: 56 to 45 to 33 FPS (reductions of 19.6% and 26.7%).

The consistency of these percentage drops across all four settings presets is notable. The 1080p-to-1440p reduction of roughly 20% and the 1440p-to-4K reduction of roughly 26% are nearly identical regardless of quality settings. This uniformity suggests that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at all resolutions and settings. If the CPU were limiting, the percentage drops would be smaller at higher resolutions where the GPU has more work to do per frame.

The RTX 2060 SUPER's 8 GB VRAM and 448 GB/s bandwidth appear to be sufficient for this game even at 4K, as the frame rates remain consistent with what the GPU's compute capability would predict. The 4K-to-1080p FPS ratio at each settings level (roughly 0.59x at Low, 0.60x at Medium, 0.59x at High, and 0.59x at Ultra) further confirms that resolution scaling is purely GPU-bound in this configuration.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the user's target resolution and desired frame rate.

For 1080p gaming: The Medium preset at 78 FPS average (67 min, 90 max) offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. The High preset at 59 FPS is still playable and provides better visuals, while the Ultra preset at 56 FPS offers only 3 FPS more than High, making it a reasonable choice for users who want maximum quality without a significant performance hit. The Low preset at 101 FPS is ideal for competitive or high-refresh-rate scenarios.

For 1440p gaming: The Medium preset at 63 FPS (54 min, 73 max) is the recommended choice, as it maintains playable frame rates with decent visual quality. The Low preset at 81 FPS provides a smoother experience for users who prioritize frame rate over visuals. The High preset at 47 FPS is borderline playable, and the Ultra preset at 45 FPS is nearly identical, making High or Ultra viable only for users who tolerate lower frame rates in a simulation game where precise timing is less critical than in fast-paced action titles.

For 4K gaming: The Low preset at 60 FPS is the only setting that delivers a consistently smooth experience. The Medium preset at 47 FPS (40 min, 54 max) is playable but may experience noticeable dips during busy scenes. The High preset at 35 FPS and the Ultra preset at 33 FPS are not recommended for a satisfying experience, as frame rates below 40 FPS in a flight simulator can feel sluggish during camera movements and complex scenery rendering.

For users with a 60 Hz display at any resolution, the Medium preset provides the most consistent frame rates with acceptable minimums (67 FPS at 1080p, 54 FPS at 1440p, and 40 FPS at 4K). The data shows that the Medium preset is the sweet spot for this hardware combination, offering a balance between the low visual quality of the Low preset and the diminishing returns of the High and Ultra presets.