Microsoft Flight Simulator

The data for Microsoft Flight Simulator with the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER shows a clear pattern of scaling across resolutions. At 1080p, the frame rates are highly playable, with the Low preset delivering an average of 100.6 FPS. This is a substantial 65.5% higher than the High preset's 60.8 FPS at the same resolution, indicating that the game is highly sensitive to preset changes. The gap narrows as resolution increases; at 1440p, the Low preset averages 81.2 FPS while High drops to 44.5 FPS, a difference of 82.5%. At 4K, the Low preset still manages an average of 59.8 FPS, but the High preset falls to 32.8 FPS. The progression from 1080p to 4K shows a significant drop in performance, with the High preset losing 46.1% of its average frame rate. This suggests that the RTX 2060 SUPER becomes the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the CPU's workload does not scale with pixel count. The Ultra preset at 4K averages 35.8 FPS, which is only 9.1% higher than the High preset's 32.8 FPS, showing that the GPU is saturated at this point. The data indicates that the combination is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming, where the CPU can keep up with the GPU's output.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals how the frame rate drops as resolution increases, indicating where the bottleneck lies. At 1080p, the Low preset achieves 100.6 FPS, but at 1440p it falls to 81.2 FPS, a 23.9% decrease. Moving to 4K, the Low preset drops further to 59.8 FPS, which is 26.4% lower than at 1440p. This scaling pattern suggests that the GPU is the primary limiting factor at higher resolutions, as the CPU's workload remains constant. The High preset shows a similar trend: 60.8 FPS at 1080p, 44.5 FPS at 1440p (a 36.6% drop), and 32.8 FPS at 4K (a 26.3% drop from 1440p). The Medium preset follows suit, with 81.2 FPS at 1080p, 62.9 FPS at 1440p (a 29.1% drop), and 47.8 FPS at 4K (a 31.6% drop). The Ultra preset demonstrates the most dramatic scaling, with 57.2 FPS at 1080p, 43.8 FPS at 1440p (a 30.6% drop), and 35.8 FPS at 4K (a 22.4% drop from 1440p). The consistent frame rate drops across all presets when moving from 1080p to 1440p indicate that the GPU is working harder to render more pixels, while the CPU's role remains stable. At 4K, the performance degradation continues, but the relative drops are smaller, suggesting that the GPU is approaching its limits. The data shows that the Ryzen 7 3700X is not the limiting component at any resolution; instead, the RTX 2060 SUPER's rendering capacity dictates the frame rates. For a smooth experience, the 1080p resolution is recommended, as even the Ultra preset achieves 57.2 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for most displays. At 1440p, the High preset's 44.5 FPS is playable but not ideal for fast-paced flight maneuvers, while at 4K, only the Low preset at 59.8 FPS comes close to a playable standard.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER plays a central role in this game's performance, as evidenced by the frame rate scaling with resolution. The GPU features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is sufficient for the game's textures at 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the higher resolution demands more memory bandwidth and capacity. The GPU's base clock is 1470 MHz with a boost clock of 1650 MHz, and its 2176 shading units handle the rendering workload. The RTX 2060 SUPER's average benchmark score is 19774, placing it in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN, which scores 19706 (a 0.3% difference), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070, which scores 19680 (a 0.5% difference). This close competition indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER is positioned in the mid-range tier of GPUs from its era. The GPU's performance in this game reflects its capabilities: at 4K Ultra, it averages 35.8 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS target, but at 1080p Low, it reaches 100.6 FPS. The data suggests that the GPU's VRAM capacity is not a limiting factor at lower resolutions, but at 4K, the higher memory pressure could contribute to the reduced frame rates. The GPU's texture rate of 224.4 GTexel/s and pixel rate of 105.6 GPixel/s are adequate for the game's visual complexity, but the 4K resolution requires more raw compute power than the GPU can provide. The RTX 2060 SUPER's performance in Microsoft Flight Simulator is consistent with its overall benchmark results, showing that it is a capable GPU for 1080p and 1440p gaming but struggles at 4K with high settings.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings for this combination depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1080p, the Medium preset offers a balanced experience with an average of 81.2 FPS, which is 33.5% higher than the High preset's 60.8 FPS. The Ultra preset at 1080p averages 57.2 FPS, which is still playable but not as smooth as Medium. For a target of 60 FPS or higher, the Medium preset is the best choice at 1080p, as it provides a significant frame rate boost over High while maintaining visual quality. At 1440p, the Low preset achieves 81.2 FPS, which is the highest frame rate available at this resolution, but the Medium preset at 62.9 FPS is a better trade-off for visual fidelity while staying above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 1440p drops to 44.5 FPS, which may be acceptable for slower flight simulators but is not ideal for responsive gameplay. For 4K gaming, the Low preset at 59.8 FPS is the only option that approaches playable frame rates, as the Medium preset at 47.8 FPS and High at 32.8 FPS are below the 60 FPS target. The data shows that the Ultra preset is not recommended at any resolution, as it only provides marginal visual improvements over High while reducing frame rates by an average of 6.3% across all resolutions. The best experience per the measured rows is achieved by using the Medium preset at 1080p or 1440p, where the frame rates are smooth and the visual quality is acceptable.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a detailed view of performance across all resolutions and settings. At 1920x1080, the Low preset delivers the highest average at 100.6 FPS, followed by Medium at 81.2 FPS, High at 60.8 FPS, and Ultra at 57.2 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 75.9%, showing a wide performance range. At 2560x1440, the Low preset averages 81.2 FPS, which is identical to the Medium preset at 1080p, indicating that the resolution increase is offset by the lower settings. The Medium preset at 1440p averages 62.9 FPS, High at 44.5 FPS, and Ultra at 43.8 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra at 1440p is only 1.6%, suggesting that the Ultra preset offers negligible performance benefits at this resolution. At 3840x2160, the Low preset averages 59.8 FPS, Medium at 47.8 FPS, High at 32.8 FPS, and Ultra at 35.8 FPS. Interestingly, the Ultra preset at 4K performs slightly better than High, with a 9.1% higher average frame rate, which could be due to the game's dynamic scaling or the specific scene tested. The data shows a clear hierarchy: Low settings always provide the highest frame rates, followed by Medium, then High, with Ultra performing inconsistently relative to High. Across all resolutions, the Low preset maintains an average frame rate above 59.8 FPS, making it the only setting that is consistently playable at 4K. The Medium preset at 1440p and 1080p provides a good balance, while the High and Ultra presets are best reserved for 1080p gaming where frame rates remain above 57.2 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The AMD Ryzen 7 3700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER combination ranks 1218 out of 1795 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places the combo in the 32.1st percentile of all tested systems, indicating that it performs below the median. The CPU's percentile of 85 among all CPUs shows that the Ryzen 7 3700X is a strong processor, with an average benchmark score of 28631. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core i5-12600, which scores 28654 (a 0.1% difference), and the AMD Ryzen 5 5600XT, which scores 28591 (a 0.1% difference). This close competition suggests that the CPU is not the limiting factor in this combo's ranking. The GPU's percentile of 63 among all GPUs is lower, with an average benchmark score of 19774. The RTX 2060 SUPER's nearest rivals are the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN (19706, a 0.3% difference) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 (19680, a 0.5% difference). The GPU's mid-range positioning is reflected in the combo's overall rank, as the game is graphically demanding. The combo rank of 1218 out of 1795 suggests that there are 577 tested combos that perform worse, but also 1217 that perform better. This places the system in the lower half of the tested population, which is consistent with the RTX 2060 SUPER being an older mid-range GPU. The data indicates that the combo's performance is limited by the GPU, as the CPU's benchmark scores are competitive with more modern processors. For users with this combo, the ranking suggests that upgrading the GPU would yield a more significant performance improvement than upgrading the CPU.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS achievable with this combo at 1080p?

A: The highest average FPS at 1080p is 100.6 FPS, achieved with the Low preset. The Medium preset follows at 81.2 FPS, and the High preset at 60.8 FPS.

Q: How does the combo perform at 4K with the Ultra preset?

A: At 4K with the Ultra preset, the combo achieves an average of 35.8 FPS. This is below the 60 FPS target, making it less suitable for smooth gameplay at this resolution.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested systems in this game?

A: The combo ranks 1218 out of 1795 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator, placing it in the lower half of the tested population.

Q: Which preset provides the best balance of performance and quality at 1440p?

A: At 1440p, the Medium preset offers the best balance with an average of 62.9 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. The Low preset achieves 81.2 FPS, but at lower visual quality.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its nearest rival in benchmark scores?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER's average benchmark score is 19774, which is 0.3% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN's score of 19706 and 0.5% higher than the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070's score of 19680.

Q: Is the Ryzen 7 3700X a limiting factor in this game's performance?

A: The data suggests the CPU is not the primary limiting factor. The Ryzen 7 3700X has an average benchmark score of 28631 and ranks in the 85th percentile of all CPUs, with its nearest rival, the Intel Core i5-12600, scoring only 0.1% higher. The GPU's lower performance relative to its rivals is more indicative of the combo's overall ranking.