Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator pairs the AMD Ryzen 5 7600 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 in a combination that ranks 529th out of 1795 tested configurations for this title. The measured frame rates across resolutions and presets reveal a system that is consistently capable, though the scaling behavior from 1080p to 4K indicates where the primary workload sits. The data set includes twelve distinct measurement points, spanning four presets at three resolutions, with all values representing average FPS.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 shows a predictable decline that becomes more pronounced as settings increase. At Low settings, the system delivers 159.7 FPS at 1080p, dropping to 126.3 FPS at 1440p and then to 89.8 FPS at 4K. This represents a 43.8% reduction from 1080p to 4K, which is substantial but leaves the experience comfortably playable at every resolution. The Medium preset follows a similar curve: 124.5 FPS at 1080p, 96 FPS at 1440p, and 71.5 FPS at 4K, with the drop from 1080p to 4K equaling 42.6%.

The High preset shows the scaling pattern tightening slightly, with 94.6 FPS at 1080p, 75.1 FPS at 1440p, and 55.8 FPS at 4K, a 41.0% overall decline. Ultra is the most demanding configuration, starting at 88.4 FPS at 1080p, falling to 72 FPS at 1440p, and reaching 49.5 FPS at 4K, a reduction of 44.0% from the lowest to highest resolution. The consistency of these percentage drops across presets — all falling within a narrow band between 41% and 44% — suggests that the scaling bottleneck is relatively uniform regardless of the visual load.

The shape of this scaling curve indicates that the GPU is the limiting component at higher resolutions, particularly at 4K where even the Low preset produces 89.8 FPS, a figure that drops by 39.6% from the 1080p Low result. The fact that the gap between 1080p and 1440p is larger than the gap between 1440p and 4K at every preset reinforces this interpretation; at 1080p, the CPU has more headroom to feed frames, but as resolution climbs, the rendering workload expands and the RTX 3080 becomes the binding constraint. For users targeting 4K, the data shows that only the Low preset clears the 60 FPS threshold with room to spare, while Medium sits at 71.5 FPS, suggesting that a high-refresh 1080p display is where this combination is most at ease.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 carries 10 GB of GDDR6X memory across a 320-bit bus, yielding 760.3 GB/s of bandwidth. In Microsoft Flight Simulator, a title that streams terrain and scenery data continuously, this memory configuration is directly relevant to the measured results. The GPU’s boost clock of 1710 MHz and base clock of 1440 MHz provide the compute foundation, while the 8704 shading units and 272 texture mapping units handle the geometry and texture work. The RTX 3080 sits at the 80th percentile among all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 35787, placing it within 0.9% of the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE and 1.0% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile.

The performance data shows the 3080 scaling predictably with settings changes. At 1080p, moving from Low to Ultra costs 71.3 FPS, a 44.6% reduction, while at 4K the same settings change costs 40.3 FPS, an 44.9% reduction. This symmetry suggests that the GPU’s compute resources are being utilized consistently across resolutions, with the 10 GB frame buffer proving sufficient even at Ultra 4K, where the average FPS of 49.5 indicates the card is working hard but not running out of memory. The pixel rate of 164.2 GPixel/s and texture rate of 465.1 GTexel/s are the throughput figures that underpin these results, and they align with the observed frame rates at the higher settings where fill-rate demands increase.

FAQ

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

A: The maximum measured average is 159.7 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low preset.

Q: Can the RTX 3080 handle 4K Ultra settings with this CPU?

A: At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the system delivers an average of 49.5 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold but still playable for a flight simulator.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at High settings?

A: The average FPS drops from 94.6 at 1080p to 55.8 at 4K, a reduction of 38.8 FPS or approximately 41.0% of the 1080p score.

Q: What preset at 1440p provides the closest experience to 60 FPS?

A: The High preset at 2560x1440 delivers 75.1 FPS, while Ultra at the same resolution yields 72 FPS, with Medium at 96 FPS and Low at 126.3 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 3080 compare to its nearest rival in overall GPU benchmarks?

A: The RTX 3080 scores 35787 on average, which is 0.9% behind the AMD Radeon RX 7900 GRE and 1.0% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile.

Q: Is the Ryzen 5 7600 holding back the GPU in this game?

A: The CPU’s benchmark scores, including a Cinebench R23 multicore result of 22992, are strong, and the resolution scaling pattern suggests the GPU is the primary limiting factor at 4K, not the processor.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full spread of presets is available for high-refresh displays. Low settings produce 159.7 FPS, Medium yields 124.5 FPS, High achieves 94.6 FPS, and Ultra settles at 88.4 FPS. The gap between Medium and High is 29.9 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is only 6.2 FPS, indicating diminishing returns at the top end. Every preset at 1080p clears 60 FPS, and even Ultra offers headroom for a 75 Hz or 90 Hz monitor.

At 2560x1440, the same four presets produce 126.3 FPS (Low), 96 FPS (Medium), 75.1 FPS (High), and 72 FPS (Ultra). The delta between High and Ultra shrinks to 3.1 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset’s additional visual features are not heavily taxing the GPU at this resolution. All presets remain above 60 FPS, making 1440p a viable choice for smooth gameplay, though the margin for Ultra is thinner than at 1080p.

At 3840x2160, the results shift decisively. Low produces 89.8 FPS, Medium delivers 71.5 FPS, High drops to 55.8 FPS, and Ultra falls to 49.5 FPS. The step from Medium to High costs 15.7 FPS, the largest single-preset drop at any resolution, indicating that High settings introduce a significant load increase. Only Low and Medium clear 60 FPS here, and High is just under the threshold, meaning 4K users must choose between visual fidelity and frame rate smoothness.

Settings Recommendations

For users with a 1080p display, the Ultra preset at 88.4 FPS is the preferred choice, as it provides the highest visual quality without sacrificing playability; the 6.2 FPS cost over High is minimal, and the experience remains well above 60 FPS. At 1440p, the High preset at 75.1 FPS represents the best balance, as upgrading to Ultra yields only 3.1 FPS more performance loss while delivering marginal visual gains — the data shows that High is the sweet spot for this resolution.

At 4K, the recommendation is more nuanced. Medium at 71.5 FPS is the highest preset that maintains a 60 FPS floor, making it the sensible default for most users. High at 55.8 FPS is viable for those who prioritize visual detail over frame rate, but the 15.7 FPS penalty from Medium is steep. Low at 89.8 FPS is available for users who want maximum smoothness, but it sacrifices too much fidelity for a simulator where visual immersion is central. The Ultra preset at 49.5 FPS is best reserved for screenshots or scenarios where frame rate is secondary.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 7600 contributes six cores and twelve threads, with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. This Zen 4 architecture processor, built on a 5 nm process, posts a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 22992 and a single-core score of 3246, figures that place it at the 83rd percentile among all CPUs. The CPU’s average benchmark score of 26617 puts it within 0.2% of the AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D and 0.3% ahead of the Intel Core i9-11900K, indicating that it offers competitive processing power for a game that relies on simulation logic and world generation.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU’s role is evident in the 1080p results, where the frame rates at Low (159.7 FPS) and Medium (124.5 FPS) are high enough that the GPU is not the sole determinant. The 32 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel DDR5 memory bandwidth of 83.2 GB/s support the streaming of terrain data, and the 6-core, 12-thread configuration handles the game’s single-threaded simulation loop alongside auxiliary tasks. The data does not show a CPU bottleneck: at 1080p, scaling with settings remains smooth, and at 4K, the GPU clearly takes over as the limiting factor. The CPU’s 3.80 GHz base clock ensures consistent performance, while the 5.10 GHz boost provides headroom for the game’s most demanding moments, such as flying over dense urban areas or complex weather systems.