Microsoft Flight Simulator

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

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600G is a 6-core, 12-thread processor built on the Zen 3 architecture (Cezanne codename) using a 7 nm process. It runs with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. Its cache layout includes 64 KB L1 per core, 512 KB L2 per core, and a 16 MB L3 pool. The processor supports DDR4 memory via a dual-channel bus, with a theoretical memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s. It also integrates Radeon Vega 7 graphics, but in this benchmark configuration, the discrete NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 handles all rendering.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU's role is substantial because the simulation engine constantly processes physics, weather, and terrain data. The 5600G's 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient to keep up with the game's single-thread-heavy workloads, but the boost clock of 4.40 GHz is the more critical factor. Benchmark data shows that the CPU's single-thread performance is strong—Cinebench R23 single-core scores 2365, and Geekbench single-core scores 1933—which translates into responsive frame pacing in flight sims. However, the 16 MB L3 cache is modest by modern standards, and this becomes apparent when comparing to CPUs with larger caches that excel in simulation titles.

The measured FPS results across all resolutions and settings suggest that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 133.2 FPS, which is a healthy number and indicates the CPU can feed the GPU effectively. At 4K Ultra, the average drops to 41.7 FPS, a decline that points to GPU limitations rather than CPU constraints. The data shows a clear pattern: as resolution increases, the GPU becomes the limiting component, while the CPU maintains its role as a stable foundation. The 5600G's 65 W TDP also means it runs within a modest power envelope, which is consistent with its desktop market segment positioning.

FAQ

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5600G compare to its nearest CPU rivals in average benchmark scores?

A: The 5600G has an average benchmark score of 19983. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-11600H, scores 19949, which is 0.2% lower. The Intel Core i7-11800H and AMD EPYC 7713P both score 20024, putting them 0.2% higher. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5995WX scores 19928, which is 0.3% lower. These deltas are all within a narrow band, indicating the 5600G sits in a competitive performance tier.

Q: What is the RTX 3070's position relative to other GPUs in the benchmark database?

A: The RTX 3070 holds the 72nd percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 28238. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, scores 27985, which is 0.9% lower. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti scores 27956, also 0.9% lower. On the higher side, the AMD FirePro S7150 scores 28409 (0.6% higher), and the AMD Radeon R9 M295X scores 28541 (1.1% higher).

Q: Does the integrated Radeon Vega 7 graphics in the CPU affect the measured FPS?

A: No. The measured FPS data comes from a configuration using the discrete NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070. The Radeon Vega 7 integrated graphics are present in the CPU but are not used for rendering in these benchmarks. The RTX 3070 handles all graphical output, so the integrated GPU has no bearing on the results.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested CPU-GPU combinations in this game?

A: This specific combo—AMD Ryzen 5 5600G with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070—ranks 806th out of 1795 tested combinations in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the upper-middle portion of the overall distribution, meaning there are 989 combos that rank lower and 805 that rank higher.

Q: How does the CPU's multi-threaded performance compare to its single-threaded performance?

A: In Cinebench R23, the multicore score is 16758, while the single-core score is 2365. The ratio between these scores is roughly 7:1, which is typical for a 6-core/12-thread processor. In Geekbench, the multicore score is 7693 against a single-core score of 1933, a ratio of about 4:1. The PassMark multi-thread score is 19717, compared to a single-thread score of 3177, which is a ratio of about 6:1. These numbers confirm the CPU scales well across threads.

Q: Is the launch MSRP of the CPU and GPU relevant to the performance data?

A: The launch MSRP for the Ryzen 5 5600G is $259, and for the RTX 3070 it is 499 USD. These are launch prices only and do not reflect current market conditions. The performance data stands independently of pricing, and the measured FPS figures should be evaluated on their technical merits alone.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a clear resolution scaling pattern. At 1080p Low, the combo delivers 133.2 FPS. Moving to 1440p Low, the average drops to 108.7 FPS, a reduction of 24.5 FPS or about 18%. At 4K Low, the average falls further to 77.6 FPS, which is a 55.6 FPS drop from 1080p Low—a 42% reduction. This scaling behavior indicates that at Low settings, the GPU is increasingly stressed as pixel count rises, but the CPU remains capable of keeping up.

For Medium settings, the pattern is similar: 1080p Medium averages 108.9 FPS, 1440p Medium drops to 85.5 FPS (a 21% reduction), and 4K Medium falls to 63.7 FPS (a 41% reduction from 1080p). The High preset shows 79.6 FPS at 1080p, 65.7 FPS at 1440p (a 17% drop), and 43.4 FPS at 4K (a 45% drop). At Ultra settings, the numbers are 77.5 FPS at 1080p, 60.6 FPS at 1440p (a 22% drop), and 41.7 FPS at 4K (a 46% drop).

The percentage drops from 1080p to 4K are consistent across all settings, ranging from 41% to 46%. This consistency suggests that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, regardless of quality preset. The RTX 3070 has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus with 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, and this memory configuration is strained by the demands of 4K rendering in a flight simulator. The CPU, meanwhile, shows no signs of being the bottleneck at 4K because the FPS reductions scale proportionally with pixel count rather than with scene complexity.

At 1080p, the differences between settings are more pronounced: Low delivers 133.2 FPS, but Ultra drops to 77.5 FPS. This 55.7 FPS gap indicates that at lower resolutions, the GPU's compute resources are the limiting factor, not the CPU. The RTX 3070's 5888 shading units and 20.31 TFLOPS FP32 performance are adequate for 1080p but struggle to maintain high frame rates at 4K with demanding presets.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured data provides four settings presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—across three resolutions. The optimal choice depends on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 133.2 FPS, which is smooth but may sacrifice visual fidelity. Medium at 1080p yields 108.9 FPS, a still-strong frame rate with better visuals. High at 1080p drops to 79.6 FPS, and Ultra falls to 77.5 FPS. Given that the gap between High and Ultra is only 2.1 FPS, Ultra at 1080p is a reasonable choice for maximum quality without a significant performance penalty.

At 1440p, Medium delivers 85.5 FPS, which is the best balance between visual quality and frame rate. High at 1440p averages 65.7 FPS, which is playable but not as fluid. Ultra at 1440p drops to 60.6 FPS, which is still within a playable range for a flight simulator, but the 24.9 FPS difference between Medium and Ultra is substantial. Low at 1440p hits 108.7 FPS, but the visual compromise is likely too great for a game that relies heavily on scenery detail.

At 4K, the situation changes. Low delivers 77.6 FPS, which is acceptable, but Medium drops to 63.7 FPS, and High falls to 43.4 FPS. Ultra at 4K averages 41.7 FPS, which is at the edge of playability for a flight sim. For 4K, the Medium preset at 63.7 FPS offers the best compromise, as it maintains a consistent frame rate while providing improved visuals over Low. High and Ultra at 4K both dip below 45 FPS, which may cause noticeable stutter in a simulation where smooth camera movement is important.

The data suggests that for most users, the Medium preset is the sweet spot. At 1080p, it provides a 108.9 FPS average; at 1440p, it delivers 85.5 FPS; and at 4K, it maintains 63.7 FPS. This consistency across resolutions makes Medium the most versatile choice. High is viable at 1080p and 1440p but becomes marginal at 4K. Ultra is only recommended for 1080p, where the 77.5 FPS average still provides a smooth experience.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific combination—AMD Ryzen 5 5600G paired with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070—ranks 806th out of 1795 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This rank places it in the 45th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning it outperforms 989 other combos but falls short of 805. The ranking positions this combo in the middle of the performance distribution, which is a reasonable outcome given the hardware.

The CPU's percentile rank among all CPUs is 78, meaning it outperforms 78% of processors in the database. The GPU's percentile rank is 72, indicating it outperforms 72% of GPUs. When combined, the two components produce a result that is slightly lower than either individual percentile would suggest. This discrepancy is likely due to the specific demands of Microsoft Flight Simulator, which is known to be sensitive to CPU cache size and memory bandwidth. The 5600G's 16 MB L3 cache and the RTX 3070's 8 GB VRAM may both be limiting factors in this game.

The combo's rank of 806 suggests that there is room for improvement. Higher-ranked combos likely feature CPUs with larger L3 caches or GPUs with more VRAM. However, the measured FPS data shows that this combo is far from inadequate. At 1080p, it delivers 133.2 FPS on Low and 77.5 FPS on Ultra, both of which are playable. At 4K, it manages 77.6 FPS on Low, which is a respectable result for a flight simulator at that resolution.

The ranking also reflects the balanced nature of this pairing. Neither the CPU nor the GPU is a clear weak point, but neither is exceptional. The combo sits in a middle ground where it can handle most scenarios but does not excel in any particular one. For users who want a steady, predictable experience across a range of resolutions and settings, this rank indicates a dependable configuration.

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

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of this combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. Below is the full breakdown, with exact average frame rates.

1920x1080 (Full HD):

• Low: 133.2 FPS
• Medium: 108.9 FPS
• High: 79.6 FPS
• Ultra: 77.5 FPS

At 1080p, the spread between Low and Ultra is 55.7 FPS. The Low preset achieves a very high frame rate, suitable for competitive or fast-paced play, while Ultra maintains a solid 77.5 FPS. The drop from High to Ultra is only 2.1 FPS, suggesting that Ultra is a near-free upgrade over High at this resolution.

2560x1440 (Quad HD):

• Low: 108.7 FPS
• Medium: 85.5 FPS
• High: 65.7 FPS
• Ultra: 60.6 FPS

At 1440p, the Low preset still delivers over 100 FPS, but Medium drops to 85.5 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra is 5.1 FPS, which is slightly larger than at 1080p. The Ultra preset at 60.6 FPS is still playable but begins to show the GPU's limitations.

3840x2160 (4K Ultra HD):

• Low: 77.6 FPS
• Medium: 63.7 FPS
• High: 43.4 FPS
• Ultra: 41.7 FPS

At 4K, the Low preset is the only option that stays above 60 FPS. Medium at 63.7 FPS is playable, but High and Ultra both fall below 45 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra is only 1.7 FPS, making Ultra a negligible performance cost over High at 4K.

The data shows that this combo is most comfortable at 1080p and 1440p, where it can maintain high frame rates even on demanding presets. At 4K, the user must choose between visual fidelity and smoothness, with Low offering 77.6 FPS and Ultra dropping to 41.7 FPS. The overall pattern reinforces the conclusion that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, while the CPU holds up well across all tested scenarios.