Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is notoriously demanding, and this pairing of an AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti produces a playable, but not universally smooth, experience. The measured data shows a system that is clearly capable of high frame rates at lower resolutions but begins to struggle as pixel count rises. The 6-core, 12-thread CPU with a 16 MB L3 cache provides a solid foundation, while the 8 GB GDDR6 GPU on a 256-bit bus is the primary factor in how the game scales across presets. This analysis breaks down the measured FPS rows to show exactly where this combo excels and where it hits its limits.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep, revealing a system where the GPU becomes the dominant bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo averages 124 FPS, but this falls to 100 FPS at 1440p and 74 FPS at 4K. That is a 40% reduction in average frame rate from 1080p to 4K on the Low preset. The pattern holds across all settings, but the absolute numbers show how quickly the RTX 3060 Ti runs out of headroom. For instance, at High settings, the average FPS goes from 73 at 1080p to 58 at 1440p, and then down to 43 at 4K.

The scaling behavior indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is still capable of feeding the GPU, but the GPU's workload increases dramatically with resolution. The transition from 1440p to 4K is particularly punishing; at Medium settings, the average FPS drops from 78 to 57, a 27% reduction. The minimum FPS data, where available, reinforces this trend. At 1080p Medium, the minimum is 82 FPS, at 1440p Medium it is 66 FPS, and at 4K Medium it falls to 49 FPS. This suggests that even the less demanding scenes at 4K will dip below 50 FPS, which is not ideal for a smooth flight simulation experience.

The data suggests that 1080p is the sweet spot for this combo, with all presets delivering averages above 69 FPS. At 1440p, the system remains viable, but the Ultra preset at 56 FPS average is borderline. At 4K, the system is only comfortable on the Low preset, which achieves 74 FPS, but the Medium preset at 57 FPS and High at 43 FPS show that the GPU is overwhelmed. The Ultra preset at 4K is the worst case, with an average of just 41 FPS. The limiting component at 4K is clearly the GPU, as the CPU's performance is less resolution-dependent, and the data shows a consistent and significant FPS penalty as resolution increases.

How This Combo Ranks

In the database of tested combinations for Microsoft Flight Simulator, this specific pairing ranks 1836 out of 3714 combos. This places it in the 49.4th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it performs better than roughly half of the configurations tested in this game. This is a middling result, reflecting the fact that while the CPU is a capable mid-range part, the GPU is not a high-end solution for this particular simulator.

The CPU itself, the Ryzen 5 5600GT, holds a 74th percentile ranking among all CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 20733. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-12490F, which scores 20802 (a 0.3% difference), and the Intel Xeon 6325P at 20821 (a 0.4% difference). This indicates that the CPU is performing at a level consistent with other strong mid-range processors, and it is not the primary factor holding this combo back in the rankings. The GPU, however, is less distinguished. The RTX 3060 Ti sits in the 59th percentile for all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 16129. Its closest competitor is the AMD Radeon RX 9060, which scores 16014 (a 0.7% difference), showing that the GPU is a solid but not exceptional performer.

The combo's overall rank of 1836 is a product of both parts. The CPU's strong relative standing is offset by the GPU's more modest position. In a game like Microsoft Flight Simulator, which is known to be demanding on both the CPU for physics and the GPU for rendering, this combined ranking makes sense. The data shows a balanced system that will not top any charts but is far from the bottom. The rank suggests that users should expect a playable experience at moderate settings, but should not expect to push maximum details at high resolutions.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is the workhorse of this combo, and its specifications dictate the performance ceiling. It features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The GPU has a base clock of 1410 MHz and a boost clock of 1665 MHz. It is built on the Ampere architecture with 4864 shading units and 80 ROPs. These specifications are adequate for 1080p and 1440p gaming, but the 8 GB VRAM capacity and the overall compute power are tested at 4K.

The measured FPS data shows a direct correlation between the GPU's workload and the settings preset. At 4K, the jump from Low (74 FPS) to Medium (57 FPS) is a 23% drop, and from Medium to High (43 FPS) is another 25% drop. This is a classic sign of a GPU that is becoming saturated. The Ultra preset further reduces performance to 41 FPS, which is effectively unplayable for a smooth experience. The GPU's 16.20 TFLOPS of FP32 performance and 253.1 GTexel/s texture rate are simply not enough to handle the high-resolution textures and complex scenery of Microsoft Flight Simulator at high detail levels.

The GPU's benchmark scores provide context. Its Passmark G3D score is 20349, and its 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score is 2626. These scores place it in the 59th percentile of all GPUs, meaning it is a slightly above-average performer. The data shows that while it can handle the game at lower resolutions, the demands of 4K resolution are too great. The 8 GB VRAM is likely a limiting factor at 4K with high-resolution textures, as the simulator can easily exceed this capacity, leading to texture streaming issues and frame rate drops. The boost clock of 1665 MHz is decent, but it cannot compensate for the sheer amount of pixel processing required at 3840x2160.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 124, which is achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: Is this system capable of playing at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. At 4K with the Low preset, it averages 74 FPS. At Medium, the average drops to 57 FPS, and at High and Ultra, it falls to 43 FPS and 41 FPS respectively.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 5600GT compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12490F?

A: The Intel Core i5-12490F has an average benchmark score of 20802, while the Ryzen 5 5600GT scores 20733. This makes the Intel part 0.3% faster in synthetic benchmarks.

Q: What is the combo's ranking among all tested systems for this game?

A: This combination of CPU and GPU ranks 1836 out of 3714 total tested combos for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Q: What is the minimum FPS recorded at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: At 2560x1440 resolution with the Medium preset, the minimum FPS recorded is 66, with an average of 78 FPS and a maximum of 89 FPS.

Q: Does the GPU perform better than the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT?

A: Yes. The RTX 3060 Ti has an average benchmark score of 16129, while the RX 5700 XT scores 16361. The data shows the RTX 3060 Ti is 1.4% slower than the RX 5700 XT in this benchmark, meaning the RX 5700 XT is slightly faster.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides a clear picture of which settings presets offer the best balance of visual quality and frame rate. For a 1080p display, the High preset at 73 FPS is an excellent choice, offering a significant visual upgrade over Medium (96 FPS) while remaining comfortably above 60 FPS. The Ultra preset at 69 FPS is also viable, but the performance gain from High to Ultra is not worth the 4 FPS drop for most users. The data shows that at 1080p, the system has enough headroom to use High or Ultra without issue.

At 1440p, the situation is more nuanced. The Medium preset at 78 FPS is the best choice for a smooth experience, as it provides a solid frame rate with good visual fidelity. The High preset at 58 FPS is playable but may not be smooth enough for some users, especially during complex scenes with heavy cloud cover or dense urban areas. The Ultra preset at 56 FPS is not recommended, as the marginal visual improvements are outweighed by the risk of frame rate dips below 60 FPS. The Low preset at 100 FPS is only for competitive or high-refresh-rate play, as the visual quality is significantly reduced.

At 4K, the options are limited. The Low preset at 74 FPS is the only setting that provides a consistently smooth experience. The Medium preset at 57 FPS is borderline; it is playable, but the minimum FPS of 49 suggests that there will be noticeable stutters. The High and Ultra presets, at 43 FPS and 41 FPS respectively, are not recommended for a satisfying experience. For 4K users, the Low preset is the only viable option, and even then, the experience may not be ideal. The data suggests that this combo is best suited for 1080p, with 1440p Medium being a secondary option.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, plays a crucial supporting role in this combo. It is based on the Zen 3 architecture (Cezanne) and has a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. It features a 16 MB L3 cache and supports dual-channel DDR4 memory. In synthetic benchmarks, it achieves a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 17272 and a single-core score of 2438, placing it in the 74th percentile of all CPUs.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU is responsible for simulating flight physics, weather systems, and AI traffic, which can be demanding on multiple threads. The 12 threads help ensure that these background tasks do not bottleneck the rendering pipeline. The CPU's Passmark multithread score of 20325 and 3DMark max threads score of 5554 indicate that it has sufficient compute power for the simulation aspects of the game. However, the data shows that at higher resolutions, the CPU's role diminishes, and the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck.

The comparison to its nearest rivals shows that the CPU is performing at a level consistent with its peers. It is only 0.3% slower than the Intel Core i5-12490F and 0.4% slower than the Intel Xeon 6325P in average benchmark scores. This means that the CPU is not a weak link in this system. The measured FPS data supports this; at 1080p, the CPU is able to push frame rates above 120 FPS on the Low preset, indicating that it is not holding the GPU back. The CPU's performance is more than adequate for this game, and any performance limitations at higher resolutions are directly attributable to the GPU's workload. The boost clock of 4.60 GHz is well-utilized in single-threaded scenarios, which are common in flight simulators, ensuring that the game's main logic thread runs efficiently.