Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a demanding title that stresses both processor and graphics hardware, and the combination of the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER produces a clear scaling pattern across resolutions. The data shows that the system transitions from a CPU-bound state at 1080p to a GPU-bound state at 4K, with the frame rate drops between settings becoming more pronounced as pixel count increases. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, the role of the CPU, and how this specific pairing ranks among all tested configurations.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a predictable yet informative scaling curve for this combo. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the system achieves an average of 100.6 FPS, which drops to 78.8 FPS at Medium, 58.1 FPS at High, and 57.6 FPS at Ultra. The relatively small gap between High and Ultra (0.5 FPS) at 1080p suggests the CPU is beginning to limit performance at higher settings, as the graphics card is not the sole bottleneck in this resolution range.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages fall to 80.9 FPS on Low, 61.9 FPS on Medium, 45 FPS on High, and 46.7 FPS on Ultra. Notice that High and Ultra are nearly identical again, with Ultra actually being 1.7 FPS higher than High — a statistical anomaly that indicates the scene complexity or driver behavior is more influential than the raw setting change at this resolution. The drop from 1080p Low to 1440p Low is 19.7 FPS (about 19.6% reduction), while the drop from 1080p Ultra to 1440p Ultra is 10.9 FPS (about 18.9% reduction), showing that the GPU is taking on more load.

At 3840x2160, the performance falls further: 56.6 FPS on Low, 43.8 FPS on Medium, 35.8 FPS on High, and 31.8 FPS on Ultra. The scaling from 1440p to 4K is steep — for example, Low goes from 80.9 FPS to 56.6 FPS, a 24.3 FPS drop (about 30% reduction). This is a clear sign that the RTX 2060 SUPER’s 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 256-bit bus are being saturated at 4K. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 24.8 FPS, whereas at 1080p the same gap is 43 FPS, meaning the CPU is less of a factor at higher resolutions.

The data indicates that at 1080p, the Ryzen 5 5600GT with its 6 cores and 12 threads can feed the GPU adequately, but the GPU’s raw compute (7.181 TFLOPS FP32) becomes the limiting component at 4K. For users targeting 60 FPS, this combo is only capable at 1080p with Medium settings (78.8 FPS) or 1440p with Low settings (80.9 FPS). At 4K, even Low settings fail to reach 60 FPS, confirming that this GPU is not designed for ultra-high-resolution flight simulation.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT is a Zen 3 (Cezanne) part with 6 cores, 12 threads, a base clock of 3.60 GHz, and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. Its 16 MB L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support (51.2 GB/s bandwidth) are typical for this class. In Microsoft Flight Simulator, which is known for heavy single-threaded simulation logic, the CPU’s single-core performance is critical. The Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2438 and the 3DMark single-thread score of 913 indicate strong per-core capabilities, which helps maintain playable frame rates when the GPU is not saturated.

The CPU’s multi-threaded performance is also relevant: Cinebench R23 multi-core scores 17272, and PassMark multithread scores 20325. These numbers place the 5600GT in the 78th percentile of all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20740. Compared to its nearest rivals, the Intel Core i7-10700 (score 20746, delta 0%) and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X (score 20680, delta 0.3%), the 5600GT is essentially equivalent in overall processing power, trailing by only 0.3% at most. This means the CPU is not a weak link in this combo; it provides ample headroom for the RTX 2060 SUPER at lower resolutions.

However, the data shows that at 1080p Low, the system hits 100.6 FPS, which suggests the CPU can push beyond that if the GPU allowed. The fact that 1080p Ultra (57.6 FPS) is nearly identical to 1080p High (58.1 FPS) indicates the GPU is starting to cap performance, but the CPU’s role becomes more visible when comparing 1080p Low (100.6 FPS) to 1440p Low (80.9 FPS) — the 19.7 FPS drop is entirely due to increased GPU load, not CPU limitations. In contrast, the CPU’s 12 threads help maintain frame pacing in complex flight scenarios, but the measured averages do not show a scenario where the CPU is the primary bottleneck at 4K.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo to achieve 60+ FPS?

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 with Low settings (100.6 FPS) or Medium settings (78.8 FPS) are the only configurations that comfortably exceed 60 FPS. At 2560x1440, only Low settings (80.9 FPS) achieve this target, while High and Ultra fall below 50 FPS.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5600GT compare to its closest CPU rivals in this game?

A: The 5600GT has an average benchmark score of 20740, which is 0% different from the Intel Core i7-10700 (20746) and 0.3% higher than the AMD Ryzen 5 5600X (20680). This suggests that in CPU-bound scenarios, the 5600GT will perform nearly identically to these alternatives.

Q: Is the RTX 2060 SUPER capable of running this game at 4K?

A: The data shows minimal playability at 4K: even Low settings only reach 56.6 FPS, and Ultra drops to 31.8 FPS. For a smooth experience, 4K is not recommended, as the GPU’s 7.181 TFLOPS and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for consistent high frame rates.

Q: What does the frame rate drop from 1080p to 4K indicate about the system bottleneck?

A: At 1080p Low (100.6 FPS) versus 4K Low (56.6 FPS), the 44 FPS drop shows the GPU is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The CPU’s strong single-thread score (2438 in Cinebench R23) ensures it is not the bottleneck at 4K, but at 1080p Ultra, the small gap between High and Ultra (0.5 FPS) suggests the CPU is starting to limit performance.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 1315 out of 1795 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator, placing it in the lower-mid range. This ranking reflects the GPU’s age and the fact that the CPU, while competent, does not boost the overall performance significantly.

Q: Should users prioritize CPU or GPU upgrades for better performance?

A: Given that the GPU is the bottleneck at 1440p and 4K, upgrading the graphics card would yield larger gains. However, the CPU’s performance is comparable to the Intel Core i7-10700, so keeping the 5600GT is reasonable if only the GPU is upgraded.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 1315 out of 1795 tested configurations places this pairing in the 73rd percentile of all combos — meaning about 27% of tested systems perform worse. This ranking is influenced by the RTX 2060 SUPER, which sits in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 19774. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN (score 19706, delta 0.3%) and the RTX 2070 (score 19680, delta 0.5%), showing that the 2060 SUPER is slightly ahead of the older TITAN but behind the 2070.

The CPU’s 78th percentile ranking is higher than the GPU’s 63rd percentile, indicating that the processor is relatively stronger in this pairing. This imbalance is reflected in the game’s performance: at 1080p, the system can achieve 100.6 FPS on Low, but at 4K Ultra, it drops to 31.8 FPS. The rank suggests that this combo is adequate for 1080p gaming but struggles at higher resolutions, which aligns with the measured FPS data. Compared to other combos, the 5600GT’s performance is on par with the Intel Core i7-10700 (delta 0%), meaning that pairing the RTX 2060 SUPER with a different CPU of similar class would yield almost identical results in this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the measured averages are as follows: Low settings produce 100.6 FPS, Medium produces 78.8 FPS, High produces 58.1 FPS, and Ultra produces 57.6 FPS. The step from Low to Medium is a 21.8 FPS reduction (about 21.7% lower), while the step from High to Ultra is only 0.5 FPS (less than 1% lower), indicating diminishing returns at the top end.

For 2560x1440, the averages are 80.9 FPS on Low, 61.9 FPS on Medium, 45 FPS on High, and 46.7 FPS on Ultra. The anomaly where Ultra (46.7 FPS) is higher than High (45 FPS) by 1.7 FPS is notable, though it could be due to scene-to-scene variation. The reduction from 1080p Low to 1440p Low is 19.7 FPS (about 19.4% lower), while the reduction from 1080p Ultra to 1440p Ultra is 10.9 FPS (about 18.9% lower).

At 3840x2160, the averages are 56.6 FPS on Low, 43.8 FPS on Medium, 35.8 FPS on High, and 31.8 FPS on Ultra. The drop from 1440p Low (80.9 FPS) to 4K Low (56.6 FPS) is 24.3 FPS (about 30% lower), while the drop from 1440p Ultra (46.7 FPS) to 4K Ultra (31.8 FPS) is 14.9 FPS (about 31.9% lower). This consistent percentage drop across settings confirms that the GPU is the dominant constraint at 4K. The maximum achievable average FPS across all resolutions is 100.6 (1080p Low), and the minimum is 31.8 (4K Ultra), giving a total range of 68.8 FPS. This wide spread highlights the hardware’s sensitivity to both resolution and graphics settings, making it essential for users to adjust expectations based on their display.