Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a demanding flight simulation title that stresses both the CPU and GPU heavily. The pairing of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER produces a specific set of performance characteristics across different resolutions and settings. This analysis examines the measured FPS data to understand where this combination excels and where it falls short, providing a clear picture of its capabilities in this simulation.

FAQ

Q: What is the average frame rate at 1920x1080 with Ultra settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Ultra settings, the combination achieves an average of 58.8 FPS. This is nearly identical to the High preset at the same resolution, which yields 59.4 FPS, suggesting a performance plateau at the highest graphical demands.

Q: How does the performance scale when moving from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160 at High settings?

A: The data shows a significant drop. At 2560x1440 High, the average FPS is 44.8. When moving up to 3840x2160 High, the average falls to 32.9 FPS, a decrease of roughly 12 frames per second. This highlights the substantial load increase at 4K resolution.

Q: Is the Low preset at 3840x2160 playable?

A: Yes, the measured data indicates it is playable. At 3840x2160 with Low settings, the average FPS is 60.5. This makes it the only 4K preset in the data that crosses the 60 FPS threshold, showing that lower graphical fidelity can unlock smoother performance at high resolutions.

Q: What is the best performing configuration in the entire dataset?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 100.4 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. This is significantly ahead of the next closest configuration, which is the 2560x1440 Low preset at 82.3 FPS, demonstrating how resolution scaling impacts the final frame rate.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its nearest rival, the RTX 2070?

A: Based on the provided benchmark data, the RTX 2060 SUPER has an average score of 19774, while the RTX 2070 has an average score of 19680. This puts the RTX 2060 SUPER 0.5% ahead of the RTX 2070 in these specific synthetic tests.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested configurations for this game?

A: The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER combination ranks 1217 out of 1795 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the lower-middle portion of the performance hierarchy for this specific title.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X is an 8-core, 16-thread processor based on the Zen 5 architecture. It operates with a base clock of 3.80 GHz and can boost up to 5.50 GHz. In Microsoft Flight Simulator, this CPU provides the foundational processing power needed for game logic, physics calculations, and managing the vast amount of world data the simulation streams.

The data shows the CPU has a strong multi-threaded capability, scoring 31588 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 9771 in 3dmark_max_threads. This processing headroom is crucial for a simulation that often has complex background tasks. The single-thread performance is also notable, with a score of 4459 in Cinebench R23 singlecore, which is often more important for the main game thread in many titles.

In the context of this benchmark combination, the CPU's role becomes more pronounced at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080, the frame rates are higher, indicating that the CPU is capable of feeding frames faster. The fact that the Ultra preset at 1080p (58.8 FPS) is nearly identical to the High preset (59.4 FPS) suggests that the system is likely becoming limited by another factor, possibly the GPU, even at this resolution. This points to a balance where the CPU has enough power to support the GPU's output at lower settings, but the GPU becomes the primary constraint as settings are increased.

How This Combo Ranks

The specific combination of the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is ranked 1217 out of 1795 tested combinations in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places the combo in the 67th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it performs better than about two-thirds of the configurations tested but is outclassed by a significant number of others.

This ranking is influenced by both components. The CPU itself has a high percentile of 89 when compared to all CPUs, indicating it is a powerful processor. Conversely, the GPU has a lower percentile of 63 when compared to all GPUs, showing it is a more mid-range performer. The combination of a strong CPU with a relatively weaker GPU results in a system that is likely constrained by graphics processing in many scenarios, particularly at higher resolutions and settings where the GPU's workload increases dramatically. This dynamic is reflected in the combo's overall rank, which is lower than the CPU's individual ranking suggests it could be.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The dataset provides measured average FPS for three resolutions and four quality settings. The performance distribution is detailed and reveals the system's scaling behavior.

At 1920x1080, the system shows its best performance. The Low preset delivers an average of 100.4 FPS, which is the highest score in the entire dataset. Moving to Medium drops the average to 77.2 FPS. The High and Ultra presets are nearly identical, with averages of 59.4 FPS and 58.8 FPS respectively. This clustering at the top end suggests that the GPU is hitting a limit around 60 FPS at this resolution when high-quality rendering is enabled.

At 2560x1440, the performance scales down accordingly. The Low preset still provides a very smooth experience at 82.3 FPS. Medium follows at 64.5 FPS. High settles at 44.8 FPS, and Ultra is slightly higher at 46.8 FPS. The small difference between High and Ultra is interesting, as the Ultra preset appears to provide a marginal FPS increase over High in this specific case, which is unusual but possible due to specific rendering paths in the simulation.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limitations become most apparent. Only the Low preset manages to stay fluid, with an average of 60.5 FPS. Medium drops to 46.8 FPS, which is identical to the 1440p Ultra score. The High preset falls to 32.9 FPS, and Ultra is only slightly better at 34.1 FPS. This shows that at 4K, the system is heavily dependent on using lower settings to maintain playable frame rates.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is a Turing-architecture GPU with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s. Its core clocks are 1470 MHz base and 1650 MHz boost. In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the GPU is responsible for rendering the complex scenery, weather effects, and lighting, which is a massive graphical workload.

The GPU's role is clearly the limiting factor in this system at higher settings. The benchmark data shows that the RTX 2060 SUPER has an average score of 19774, which places it 0.5% ahead of the RTX 2070 in the provided rival data. This indicates it is a competent performer for its class. However, the demands of this simulation at 4K with High or Ultra settings are too great for it, as evidenced by the average FPS dropping into the low 30s.

The 8 GB VRAM capacity is a key specification for this title. Flight simulators are known for using large amounts of memory for textures and terrain data. While the data does not directly measure VRAM usage, the significant performance drop at 4K suggests that memory bandwidth and capacity are being stressed. The system's behavior, where Low settings at 4K achieve 60.5 FPS but High settings fall to 32.9 FPS, demonstrates the GPU's workload scaling with visual complexity.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the user's target resolution and preference for smoothness versus visual quality.

For 1920x1080 displays, the High preset at 59.4 FPS offers a good balance, but the Ultra preset at 58.8 FPS is nearly identical, making Ultra the better choice for maximum visual fidelity with only a negligible performance cost. For a higher refresh rate experience, the Medium preset at 77.2 FPS provides a significant boost while still maintaining decent visual quality.

For 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 64.5 FPS is the clear sweet spot, offering a smooth experience above 60 FPS with acceptable visual quality. The Low preset at 82.3 FPS is available for users who prioritize smoothness above all else. The High and Ultra presets, at 44.8 and 46.8 FPS, are playable but may feel less fluid for some users.

For 3840x2160, the choices are more constrained. The Low preset at 60.5 FPS is the only option that consistently delivers a 60 FPS experience. The Medium preset at 46.8 FPS is the next best option for those who want higher quality and can tolerate a lower frame rate. High and Ultra settings are not recommended for a smooth experience, as they fall into the low 30s, which is generally below the threshold for comfortable gameplay in a simulator. For a 4K experience, the data strongly suggests sticking to Low or Medium settings to maintain playable performance.