Microsoft Flight Simulator

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER pairing delivers a playable, if not spectacular, Microsoft Flight Simulator experience. The data shows a system that is heavily constrained by its graphics card, especially at higher resolutions, yet capable of smooth frame rates when settings are tuned appropriately. This analysis breaks down the measured performance across resolutions and presets to show exactly where this combo stands.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture. It operates with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and a boost clock of 4.70 GHz. This CPU sits in the 84th percentile of all tested processors, indicating strong overall performance. In synthetic benchmarks, its Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23571 and single-core score of 3327 highlight a balanced capability for both heavily threaded and lightly threaded workloads.

For Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU handles the complex simulation logic, physics, and AI traffic. The 5800X's high single-thread performance is invaluable here, as the game's core simulation loop is not perfectly parallelized. The 16 threads ensure that background tasks and ancillary processes do not starve the main simulation threads. While the CPU is not the primary bottleneck in this specific configuration, its headroom is what allows the system to maintain decent frame rates at lower settings where the GPU is less stressed. The 32 MB of L3 cache also helps with the large data sets the simulation constantly accesses.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the database of tested configurations for Microsoft Flight Simulator, this specific pairing of the Ryzen 7 5800X and RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 1298 out of 1795 total combinations. This places it in the lower third of tested systems, a direct reflection of the GPU's mid-range positioning. The CPU is not the limiting factor; its average benchmark score of 27606 places it within a close margin of its nearest rivals, including the AMD Ryzen 7 5800 (0.3% faster) and the Intel Core i5-12600KF (0.8% faster). The data suggests the CPU is performing as expected for its class.

The overall ranking is dragged down by the GPU. The RTX 2060 SUPER's average benchmark score of 19774 is only slightly above the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN (0.3% faster) and the RTX 2070 (0.5% faster). This indicates the graphics card is the deciding factor in the combo's rank. The performance ceiling for this system is firmly set by the RTX 2060 SUPER, meaning that any comparison against higher-ranked combos will show a significant deficit in frame rates, particularly in GPU-bound scenarios at higher resolutions.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data clearly illustrates the GPU bottleneck. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves an average of 103 FPS. Moving to 1440p drops this to 78.5 FPS, and at 4K, it falls further to 57.6 FPS. This scaling pattern shows that even at Low settings, the GPU is struggling to maintain higher frame rates as pixel count increases.

The effect is even more pronounced at higher quality presets. At High settings, the average FPS drops from 56.6 at 1080p to 45 at 1440p, and then to 36.6 at 4K. This significant reduction—a 35% drop from 1080p to 4K—is characteristic of a GPU-bound system. The RTX 2060 SUPER's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are being saturated by the game's demand for detailed textures and rendering at 4K. The CPU, with its 16 threads, is not the primary cause of this scaling; the data points directly to the graphics card as the limiting component.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Microsoft Flight Simulator at 4K?

A: Yes, but with compromises. At 4K with Low settings, it averages 57.6 FPS, which is smooth. However, at High settings, the average drops to 36.6 FPS, and at Ultra, it falls to 34.5 FPS, which is below the ideal threshold for a fluid experience.

Q: What is the best resolution for this system?

A: 1440p offers a strong balance. At Medium settings, it averages 63.1 FPS, and at Low, it reaches 78.5 FPS. This provides a much smoother experience than 4K and a better visual quality than 1080p.

Q: How does the Ryzen 7 5800X compare to its direct rivals?

A: The data shows it is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 7 5800, which is 0.3% faster, and the Intel Core i5-12600KF, which is 0.8% faster. The performance difference is negligible in real-world terms.

Q: Is the RTX 2060 SUPER a bottleneck for the 5800X?

A: Yes, benchmark results indicate the GPU is the limiting component. This is evident from the frame rate scaling; as resolution and settings increase, FPS drops disproportionately, which is a classic sign of a GPU bottleneck.

Q: What kind of FPS can be expected at 1080p with High settings?

A: The measured average is 56.6 FPS. This is playable, but for a more consistent experience, dropping to Medium settings increases the average to 79.7 FPS.

Q: Is this a good pairing for high-refresh-rate 1080p monitors?

A: Only at lower settings. At Low, it can hit 103 FPS, but at High and Ultra, it falls to 56.6 and 54.6 FPS respectively, which is below the 100+ FPS target for high-refresh-rate displays.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is a Turing-architecture card with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its boost clock is 1650 MHz with a base clock of 1470 MHz. The card sits in the 63rd percentile of all GPUs, which is decidedly mid-range. Its average benchmark score of 19774 is marginally higher than the GTX TITAN (0.3%) and RTX 2070 (0.5%), but this does not translate into high-end gaming performance.

The GPU's role is the primary determinant of this system's frame rates in Microsoft Flight Simulator. The 8 GB of VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, it becomes a limiting factor, causing the significant FPS drops seen in the data. The 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 performance is modest by today's standards, and the card will struggle with the game's heavy draw calls and complex shaders at higher settings. The data suggests that the RTX 2060 SUPER is a capable 1080p and entry-level 1440p card, but it is out of its depth at 4K with high-quality presets.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

For a smooth experience, the data points to specific settings and resolutions. At 4K, the only acceptable option is Low, which yields an average of 57.6 FPS. Choosing Medium drops this to 46.2 FPS, and High reduces it to a less desirable 36.6 FPS. The Ultra preset is the worst option here, with an average of 34.5 FPS.

At 1440p, the system has more flexibility. The Low preset provides a very smooth 78.5 FPS, while Medium offers a still-excellent 63.1 FPS. For a balance of visual quality and performance, Medium at 1440p is a strong recommendation. The High preset at 45 FPS is playable but not ideal, and Ultra at 44.1 FPS is similar. The sweet spot is 1080p, where the Medium preset hits 79.7 FPS and High reaches 56.6 FPS. For the best combination of visual fidelity and playability, the data suggests using the Medium preset at 1080p or the Low preset at 1440p. The Ultra preset offers no benefit that justifies the performance cost at any resolution.