Microsoft Flight Simulator

# How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600G paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 places at rank 333 out of 3714 tested combinations in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This positions the combo in the top 9% of all configurations tested, a strong showing that reflects the GPU's high-end capabilities rather than the CPU's mid-range standing. The RTX 4080 sits at the 86th percentile among all GPUs, while the Ryzen 5 5600G rests at the 74th percentile among all CPUs, so the pairing leans heavily on graphics horsepower to achieve its rank.

Compared to other tested combos, this configuration's rank indicates that it outperforms roughly 91% of setups, yet it trails the absolute top-tier pairings that would combine similarly strong GPUs with faster processors. The data suggests the combo is well-balanced for this flight simulator, where the GPU workload dominates, but the CPU can still become a limiting factor at lower resolutions. The rank of 333 out of 3714 is respectable, though not elite, and the gap between this combo and higher-ranked ones likely stems from the CPU's single-thread performance in a game known for CPU-sensitive rendering tasks.

# GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 brings 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s. This memory configuration is substantial for Microsoft Flight Simulator, which streams vast terrain and scenery data. The 16 GB capacity ensures that texture-heavy scenes at high resolutions do not run into VRAM limits, as the measured frame rates at 4K Ultra (70 FPS average) remain playable without signs of memory-related stuttering.

The GPU's clock speeds are notably high, with a base clock of 2205 MHz and a boost clock of 2505 MHz. The memory operates at 1400 MHz with 22.4 Gbps effective speed. These clocks contribute to the card's raw compute throughput of 48.74 TFLOPS for FP32 operations, which is more than sufficient for the graphical demands of flight simulation. The 9728 shading units, 304 texture mapping units, and 112 ROPs further support high-fidelity rendering, while the 76 RT cores and 304 tensor cores provide headroom for ray-traced effects and DLSS if enabled, though the measured data does not include such settings.

The GPU's percentile ranking of 86 versus all GPUs places it in the upper echelon, and its average benchmark score of 54247 is nearly identical to the RTX 4080 SUPER (54209, delta 0.1%). This means the 4080 performs essentially on par with its SUPER variant in synthetic tests, though real-world game results may vary. For Microsoft Flight Simulator specifically, the GPU's role is to handle the heavy lifting of rendering complex 3D environments, which it does effectively, as evidenced by the high average FPS across all resolutions and settings.

# Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a clear scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 117 at 1920x1080 to 95 at 2560x1440 (a 19% reduction), then to 70 at 3840x2160 (a 26% reduction from 1440p). This progressive decline is typical of GPU-bound scenarios, where more pixels require more shading and memory bandwidth. The RTX 4080's bandwidth of 716.8 GB/s appears to keep pace at 1440p, but the 4K Ultra result of 70 FPS suggests the GPU is nearing its limits with this CPU.

At Low settings, the pattern is steeper: 168 FPS at 1080p, 156 FPS at 1440p, and 125 FPS at 4K. The 1080p-to-4K drop at Low is 26%, which is less than the 40% drop at Ultra (117 to 70). This indicates that at Low settings, the CPU becomes more of a bottleneck at lower resolutions, capping the FPS around 168, while at 4K the GPU load increases enough to make the scaling more apparent. The fact that 1080p Low (168 FPS) is only slightly higher than 1080p Medium (153 FPS) suggests that the CPU's single-thread performance is limiting the frame rate ceiling.

The data reveals that the limiting component shifts depending on resolution. At 1080p, the CPU's performance caps the FPS, as evidenced by the relatively small gap between Low and Medium settings (168 vs 153 FPS). At 4K, the GPU becomes the primary limiter, as seen in the 4K Ultra result of 70 FPS compared to 4K Low at 125 FPS, where the GPU is still powerful enough to maintain high rates but the gap widens with settings. This dual-bottleneck behavior is characteristic of flight simulators, which are known for heavy CPU usage in physics and scenery loading.

# Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS rows, the Medium preset offers the best balance of visual quality and performance across all resolutions. At 4K, Medium delivers an average of 97 FPS with a minimum of 83 FPS and a maximum of 112 FPS, which is a smooth experience for a flight simulator. At 1440p, Medium achieves 132 FPS average (112 min, 152 max), and at 1080p it hits 153 FPS (130 min, 176 max). These numbers show that Medium provides a 39% improvement over Ultra at 4K (97 vs 70 FPS) while sacrificing only moderate visual fidelity.

High settings are also viable, but the data shows a significant drop from Medium. At 4K, High averages 73 FPS, which is 25% lower than Medium's 97 FPS. At 1440p, High drops to 99 FPS from Medium's 132 FPS, and at 1080p it falls to 123 FPS from 153 FPS. For players with high-refresh-rate displays at 1080p or 1440p, Medium is the recommended preset, as it maintains frame rates above 130 FPS at both resolutions. At 4K, Medium's 97 FPS average is ideal for a smooth, detailed experience without the performance penalty of Ultra.

Ultra settings are playable but come with substantial trade-offs. At 4K Ultra, the average is 70 FPS, which is just at the threshold of smoothness for many users, but the lack of minimum FPS data for Ultra suggests potential dips below 60 in dense areas. At 1440p Ultra (95 FPS) and 1080p Ultra (117 FPS), the experience is more comfortable, but the difference from Medium is noticeable. For most users, Medium is the sweet spot, offering over 90 FPS at all resolutions with the RTX 4080, while High and Ultra are better suited for those who prioritize visuals over frame rate consistency.

# FAQ

Q: What is the combo's overall rank in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: The AMD Ryzen 5 5600G with the RTX 4080 ranks 333 out of 3714 tested combos, placing it in the top 9% of all configurations.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 compare to its nearest rival in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RTX 4080's average benchmark score is 54247, which is just 0.1% lower than the RTX 4080 SUPER (54209), making the two virtually identical in performance.

Q: What is the frame rate at 4K Ultra settings?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 70, with no minimum or maximum FPS data provided for that specific configuration.

Q: Which resolution shows the best performance scaling?

A: At 1080p, the Low setting achieves 168 FPS average, which is the highest frame rate recorded across all tests, but the CPU appears to limit performance at this resolution.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the primary bottleneck at lower resolutions?

A: At 1080p, the CPU is likely the limiter, as the gap between Low (168 FPS) and Medium (153 FPS) is small, suggesting the processor cannot push much higher frame rates.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded for Medium settings?

A: For Medium settings, the minimum FPS is 83 at 4K, 112 at 1440p, and 130 at 1080p, providing a consistent experience without major dips.

# CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600G is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 3 (Cezanne) architecture, with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. It features 16 MB of L3 cache and 512 KB of L2 cache per core, with 64 KB of L1 cache per core. The CPU's 10,700 million transistors on a 7 nm process at TSMC give it a solid foundation for gaming, but its integrated Radeon Vega 7 graphics and lower memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s (dual-channel DDR4) mean it is not optimized for pure gaming performance compared to dedicated CPUs.

In synthetic benchmarks, the 5600G scores 10551 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 1409 in single-core, which are modest numbers for a modern desktop processor. Its average benchmark score of 21088 places it at the 74th percentile among all CPUs, with its nearest rivals being the Intel Core i3-1220P (21066, 0.1% slower) and the Intel Core Ultra 7 256V (21112, 0.1% faster). This indicates the 5600G is a mid-tier CPU that can handle gaming but may not provide the headroom needed for CPU-intensive titles like Microsoft Flight Simulator at high frame rates.

The measured FPS data supports this analysis. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 168 FPS, but at Ultra settings it only reaches 117 FPS, suggesting the CPU is not the limiting factor at higher settings. However, the fact that at 1080p the jump from Low to Medium only reduces FPS by 15 (168 to 153) indicates that the CPU's single-thread performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1409) is constraining the maximum frame rate. In a game like Microsoft Flight Simulator, which relies heavily on single-threaded rendering and physics, the 5600G's 6 cores and 12 threads are adequate but not exceptional, and the CPU's 16 MB L3 cache may be insufficient for large scenery loads.

# Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers the following average FPS: Low 168, Medium 153 (min 130, max 176), High 123, and Ultra 117. The progression shows a 30% drop from Low to Ultra, with the most significant decline occurring from Medium to High (153 to 123 FPS, a 20% reduction). This pattern suggests that the CPU can maintain high frame rates at lower settings, but as the graphical load increases, the GPU begins to take over, though the 5600G still manages to keep FPS above 115 even at Ultra.

At 2560x1440, the measured values are: Low 156, Medium 132 (min 112, max 152), High 99, and Ultra 95. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is notable: Low falls from 168 to 156 FPS (7% decrease), while Ultra falls from 117 to 95 FPS (19% decrease). This indicates that at 1440p, the GPU is becoming more of a bottleneck, as the higher resolution requires more pixel processing, but the CPU still holds its own. The Medium preset at 1440p (132 FPS) is still very playable, with a minimum of 112 FPS ensuring smooth performance during complex scenes.

At 3840x2160, the data shows: Low 125, Medium 97 (min 83, max 112), High 73, and Ultra 70. The 4K results reveal a significant performance drop, especially at High and Ultra, where the average FPS falls below 75. The transition from 1440p to 4K at Ultra results in a 26% reduction (95 to 70 FPS), highlighting the RTX 4080's limits at this resolution with a mid-range CPU. The Medium preset at 4K (97 FPS) is the most playable option, as it stays above 90 FPS, while High and Ultra dip to levels that may cause noticeable stuttering in dense areas, particularly given the lack of minimum FPS data for those settings. Overall, the measured FPS breakdown shows that the combo performs best at 1080p and 1440p with Medium settings, and at 4K with Medium as the highest viable preset for consistent frame rates.