Microsoft Flight Simulator

# How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 1219 out of 1795 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places the pairing in the lower-middle tier of the database, meaning roughly the 32nd percentile of all tested configurations. The modest ranking is not surprising given the GPU's age and tier—the RTX 2060 SUPER sits at the 63rd percentile among all GPUs—while the CPU is considerably stronger, ranking at the 85th percentile among all processors. The combination's overall standing is dragged down by the graphics card, which is the limiting factor in this flight simulator's demanding rendering workload.

In practical terms, this combo will deliver playable but not exceptional performance. The data shows that the pairing's rank reflects a system that can handle the game at 1080p with comfortable frame rates across most settings, but struggles to maintain high frame rates at 4K with elevated quality presets. Compared to other combos in the database, this is a configuration that prioritizes CPU headroom over GPU muscle, which matters less in a game like Microsoft Flight Simulator where the graphics load is substantial.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER brings 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, yielding a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. The GPU's base clock runs at 1470 MHz with a boost clock of 1650 MHz, and it packs 2176 shading units, 136 texture mapping units, and 64 raster output units. The card also includes 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores, though Microsoft Flight Simulator's DirectX 12 Ultimate support means these features are available but not necessarily heavily utilized at the settings tested.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a critical consideration for this game. At 4K resolution with Ultra settings, the measured average frame rate drops to 36 FPS, which strongly suggests the GPU is hitting memory capacity limits or bandwidth constraints. The 448.0 GB/s bandwidth is adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K the data throughput required by the flight simulator's terrain streaming and detailed cockpit rendering exceeds what this card can comfortably deliver. The GPU's passmark G3D score of 16462 places it just 0.3% above the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN and 0.5% below the RTX 2070, indicating it performs essentially on par with those older or slightly higher-tier cards.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals a clear GPU-bound scenario at higher resolutions. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 103 at 1080p to 82.9 at 1440p and then to 56.3 at 4K—a decline of 19.6% from 1080p to 1440p and another 32.1% from 1440p to 4K. This steepening decline indicates that the GPU is increasingly overwhelmed as pixel count rises.

At Ultra settings, the pattern is more dramatic: 56.4 FPS at 1080p falls to 44 FPS at 1440p (a 22% drop) and then to 36 FPS at 4K (an 18.2% drop from 1440p). The relatively smaller percentage drop from 1440p to 4K at Ultra suggests that the GPU is already so saturated at 1440p that the additional pixel load at 4K has diminishing incremental impact. The data points to the RTX 2060 SUPER being the primary bottleneck at all resolutions above 1080p, with the CPU's strong single-thread performance unable to compensate for the GPU's limited throughput.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best results. Low settings produce an average of 103 FPS, providing a very smooth experience for users who prioritize frame rate over visual fidelity. Medium settings still achieve a solid 76.3 FPS, while High settings drop to 62 FPS—still comfortably playable. Ultra settings at 1080p yield 56.4 FPS, which is acceptable for a flight simulator where precise frame timing is less critical than in fast-paced action games.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance gap widens. Low settings average 82.9 FPS, which remains smooth, but Medium falls to 61.7 FPS and High to 48.7 FPS. Ultra at 1440p drops to 44 FPS, which begins to feel less fluid, especially during complex scenery loading or dense urban flyovers. The step from 1080p to 1440p costs roughly 20-25% of performance across settings, a consistent penalty that reflects the GPU's bandwidth and shading limitations.

At 3840x2160, the picture deteriorates further. Low settings manage 56.3 FPS, which is borderline playable, but Medium falls to 48.4 FPS and High to 32.6 FPS. Ultra at 4K bottoms out at 36 FPS, which is below the threshold for a consistently smooth experience. The data shows that 4K is only viable with Low settings on this combo, and even then, the frame rate hovers near the lower bounds of acceptability.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture, built on a 4 nm process at TSMC. It operates with a base clock of 3.90 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The CPU's cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 1 MB of L2 per core, and 32 MB of shared L3 cache. It supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, providing a memory bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s.

In synthetic benchmarks, the 9600X posts a single-thread score of 3603 in Cinebench R23 and a multi-thread score of 25525. Its Geekbench scores are 3363 single-core and 15182 multi-core. The processor's average benchmark score of 28246 places it 0.3% above the Intel Core i5-13490F and 0.3% above the AMD Ryzen 5 230, while sitting 0.4% below the Ryzen 7 8845HS and 0.5% below the Intel Core i5-14500T. These near-identical scores indicate that the 9600X performs essentially on par with those rivals in general compute tasks.

For Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU's strong single-thread performance is beneficial because the game's simulation logic—flight physics, weather systems, and aircraft systems—tends to rely heavily on a few threads. The 32 MB L3 cache and 89.6 GB/s memory bandwidth help with the game's streaming of terrain and scenery data. However, the benchmark results show that even with this capable CPU, the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions and settings, meaning the CPU's headroom is underutilized in this configuration.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: The data shows 1920x1080 is the sweet spot, with all settings achieving average FPS above 56. At 1440p, only Low and Medium settings stay above 60 FPS, while at 4K, even Low settings only reach 56.3 FPS.

Q: How does the Ryzen 5 9600X compare to its nearest rivals in CPU benchmarks?

A: The 9600X scores 28246 on average, which is 0.3% higher than the Intel Core i5-13490F and the AMD Ryzen 5 230, 0.4% lower than the AMD Ryzen 7 8845HS, and 0.5% lower than the Intel Core i5-14500T.

Q: Is the RTX 2060 SUPER adequate for Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 56.4, which is playable. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 44 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 36 FPS. For Ultra settings above 1080p, the GPU is insufficient.

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

A: The average FPS drops from 103 at 1080p to 56.3 at 4K—a 45.3% reduction. This indicates the GPU is heavily taxed by the pixel count increase.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU limit performance more in this game?

A: Benchmark results indicate the GPU is the limiting factor. The CPU ranks at the 85th percentile among all processors, while the GPU ranks at the 63rd percentile, and frame rates decline sharply with resolution increases—a classic GPU-bound pattern.

Q: What memory configuration does this CPU support?

A: The Ryzen 5 9600X supports DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration with a bandwidth of 89.6 GB/s. It also has ECC memory support and uses the AMD Socket AM5.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal experience depends on the user's display resolution. At 1920x1080, the High preset at 62 FPS offers the best balance of visual quality and smoothness, though players who prioritize frame rate can choose Medium at 76.3 FPS or Low at 103 FPS. Ultra at 1080p is viable at 56.4 FPS but does not provide a substantial visual improvement over High for the frame rate cost.

At 2560x1440, the recommended setting is Medium, which delivers 61.7 FPS—just above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. Low at 82.9 FPS is the better choice for users with high refresh rate monitors, while High at 48.7 FPS and Ultra at 44 FPS are best avoided unless the user accepts reduced smoothness for higher fidelity.

At 3840x2160, the only sensible option is Low settings, which produce 56.3 FPS. Medium drops to 48.4 FPS, High to 32.6 FPS, and Ultra to 36 FPS—all below the threshold for a consistently smooth experience. Users with 4K displays should either use Low settings or consider lowering the resolution to 1440p for a better balance. The data clearly shows that this combo is best suited for 1080p gaming, with 1440p viable at medium settings and 4K reserved for low-fidelity play.