Microsoft Flight Simulator

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700 and AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT combination delivers a playable, if not consistently smooth, experience in Microsoft Flight Simulator, with performance heavily dictated by the graphics preset. The data shows a clear pattern: the pairing is capable of high frame rates at 1080p, but struggles to maintain 60 FPS at higher resolutions, particularly on the Ultra preset. This is a classic case where the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution and graphical fidelity increase.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a significant performance drop as resolution scales from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160. At 1080p with High settings, the combo achieves 60.5 FPS, but this falls to 46.9 FPS at 2560x1440 and further to 33.9 FPS at 4K. This represents a 44% reduction in frame rate from 1080p to 4K at High settings. The scaling pattern is consistent across all presets, indicating that the rendering load increases proportionally with pixel count.

The drop from 1080p to 1440p is more severe than from 1440p to 4K. At Ultra settings, 1080p yields 60.9 FPS, 1440p drops to 47.1 FPS (a 23% decrease), and 4K falls to 31.6 FPS (a 33% decrease from 1440p). This suggests that the RX 6650 XT's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit memory bus are sufficient for 1080p but become increasingly strained at higher resolutions. The data indicates that the GPU is the limiting component at 1440p and 4K, as the frame rate drops align with the increased pixel workload.

At Low settings, the combo shows remarkable resilience, with 107.7 FPS at 1080p, 85.2 FPS at 1440p, and 60.2 FPS at 4K. This wide gap between Low and Ultra at the same resolution confirms that the graphics settings have a more substantial impact on performance than resolution alone. The 4K Low result of 60.2 FPS is only 1.5 FPS lower than the 1080p High result, demonstrating that adjusting settings can compensate for higher resolution demands.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 5700 is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.60 GHz. Its 16 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel DDR4 memory support provide a solid foundation for gaming workloads. In synthetic benchmarks, the CPU scores 20,655 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 2,916 in single-core, placing it in the 84th percentile of all CPUs.

The CPU's performance is sufficient to avoid becoming a bottleneck in Microsoft Flight Simulator at lower resolutions. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 107.7 FPS, which is a strong result that suggests the CPU can feed the GPU adequately. However, the benchmark results show that the CPU's performance ceiling is not the primary constraint in this game. The 3DMark scores — 6,628 for 16 threads and 901 for single-thread — indicate a balanced multi-threaded and single-threaded capability that aligns with the game's engine requirements.

The nearest rivals to this CPU, based on average benchmark scores, are the Intel Core i9-9900K (deltaPct 0.7), Intel Core i7-12700H (deltaPct 0.8), and Intel Core i7-1370P (deltaPct 0.8). These close margins, all within 1.2%, show that the Ryzen 7 5700 performs on par with these competitors, meaning any performance differences in-game are more likely attributable to the GPU than the CPU. The CPU's 65W TDP and 7nm process node also suggest efficient operation, though these factors do not directly translate to higher frame rates.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6650 XT is built on the RDNA 2.0 architecture with a Navi 23 chip, featuring 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus. Its memory bandwidth of 280.3 GB/s is adequate for 1080p gaming but becomes a limiting factor at higher resolutions. The GPU's boost clock of 2635 MHz and game clock of 2410 MHz provide the raw compute power, with 10.79 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

The GPU's role as the primary bottleneck is evident from the measured FPS data. At 4K Ultra, the combo drops to 31.6 FPS, which is below playable thresholds. The GPU's 72nd percentile ranking among all GPUs places it in the mid-range segment, and its nearest rivals — the AMD Radeon RX 6800M (deltaPct 0), AMD Radeon RX 470 (deltaPct 0.1), and Intel Arc A370M (deltaPct -0.5) — show performance within 0.6% of the RX 6650 XT. This indicates that the GPU's performance is competitive with its peers but does not have headroom for demanding settings.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a notable constraint. Microsoft Flight Simulator at 4K with High or Ultra settings likely approaches or exceeds this limit, leading to texture streaming issues that manifest as frame rate drops. The 128-bit memory bus, combined with 280.3 GB/s bandwidth, is sufficient for 1080p but struggles to maintain data throughput at higher resolutions. The GPU's pixel rate of 168.6 GPixel/s and texture rate of 337.3 GTexel/s are adequate for the game's rendering demands at lower settings but become saturated at higher presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive picture of the combo's performance across three resolutions and four settings. At 1920x1080, the combo achieves 60.5 FPS on High, 107.7 FPS on Low, 79.6 FPS on Medium, and 60.9 FPS on Ultra. These results show that 1080p is the sweet spot for this pairing, with all presets delivering at least 60 FPS.

Moving to 2560x1440, performance drops noticeably. High settings yield 46.9 FPS, Low delivers 85.2 FPS, Medium produces 67.7 FPS, and Ultra falls to 47.1 FPS. Only the Low and Medium presets maintain playable frame rates above 60 FPS at 1440p. The High and Ultra results, while close to each other, indicate that the GPU is struggling to maintain smooth performance.

At 3840x2160, the limitations become severe. High settings average 33.9 FPS, Low achieves 60.2 FPS, Medium produces 49.8 FPS, and Ultra drops to 31.6 FPS. Only the Low preset reaches the 60 FPS threshold at 4K. The gap between Low and Ultra at 4K is 28.6 FPS, highlighting the massive impact of graphics settings on this resolution. The 4K results confirm that this combo is not suited for high-fidelity 4K gaming, as even the Medium preset fails to reach 50 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination ranks 1143 out of 1795 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator, placing it in the lower-middle tier of all tested systems. This ranking reflects the GPU's mid-range position and the CPU's solid but not exceptional performance. The rank of 1143 suggests that approximately 64% of tested combos outperform this pairing, indicating that while it can run the game, it does not excel in comparison to other hardware configurations.

The ranking is likely influenced by the GPU's 8 GB VRAM limitation and its 128-bit memory bus, which are below the specifications of higher-ranked combos. The CPU's 84th percentile ranking among all CPUs is respectable, but the GPU's 72nd percentile ranking drags the overall combo down. The deltaPct values for the GPU's nearest rivals — all within 0.6% — suggest that the RX 6650 XT is performing as expected for its class, so the ranking is more a reflection of the hardware tier than a specific deficiency.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the only resolution where all settings achieve at least 60 FPS, with Low at 107.7 FPS, Medium at 79.6 FPS, High at 60.5 FPS, and Ultra at 60.9 FPS.

Q: Can this combo run the game at 60 FPS on Ultra settings?

A: At 1080p Ultra, the combo achieves 60.9 FPS. At 1440p Ultra, it drops to 47.1 FPS, and at 4K Ultra, it falls to 31.6 FPS, so 60 FPS on Ultra is only possible at 1080p.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Ryzen 7 5700 scores 20,655 in Cinebench R23 multicore, which is within 0.8% of the Intel Core i9-9900K and Intel Core i7-12700H, showing comparable performance.

Q: What is the GPU's VRAM capacity and how does it affect performance?

A: The RX 6650 XT has 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus. This capacity is sufficient for 1080p but appears to limit performance at 1440p and 4K, where frame rates drop significantly.

Q: Is the 4K Low preset playable?

A: Yes, the 4K Low preset achieves 60.2 FPS, which is above the playable threshold. However, the 4K Medium preset drops to 49.8 FPS, indicating limited headroom at this resolution.

Q: What does the combo's rank of 1143 out of 1795 indicate?

A: This rank places the combo in the lower-middle tier, suggesting that the majority of tested configurations outperform it, primarily due to the GPU's mid-range positioning.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend on the user's resolution and frame rate targets. For 1080p gaming, the Ultra preset at 60.9 FPS provides the best visual quality while maintaining playable performance. If a higher frame rate is desired, the Medium preset at 79.6 FPS offers a significant boost with minimal visual compromise, while the Low preset at 107.7 FPS delivers the smoothest experience.

For 1440p users, the Medium preset at 67.7 FPS is the recommended choice, as it is the only setting that exceeds 60 FPS while offering reasonable visual fidelity. The High preset at 46.9 FPS and Ultra at 47.1 FPS are too close in performance to justify the higher settings, and both fall below the 60 FPS threshold. The Low preset at 85.2 FPS is viable for competitive play or users prioritizing frame rate over visuals.

At 4K, the Low preset at 60.2 FPS is the only playable option. The Medium preset at 49.8 FPS is borderline, while High at 33.9 FPS and Ultra at 31.6 FPS are not recommended due to their sub-40 FPS performance. Users with 4K displays should either stick to the Low preset or consider reducing the resolution to 1440p for a better balance of visuals and performance.