Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is an exceptionally demanding title, and the data for the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER illustrates this clearly. This combination ranks in the 2571st position out of 3714 tested combos, placing it in the lower-middle tier for this specific flight sim. The benchmark results reveal a system that is fundamentally balanced between its processor and graphics card, but one that requires careful settings management to achieve smooth frame rates. The data suggests this is a practical setup for 1080p and 1440p play, but 4K will demand compromises on visual fidelity to remain playable.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep and consistent drop in performance as resolution increases, indicating that the graphics card is the primary bottleneck in this configuration. At 1080p with High settings, the system averages 59 FPS. Moving to 1440p at the same High preset drops the average to 47 FPS, a reduction of 12 FPS. Pushing to 4K at High settings further reduces the average to 35 FPS. This pattern strongly suggests the RTX 2060 SUPER is working at its limits, as the workload on the GPU increases with each pixel count jump.

The scaling from 1080p to 4K is more severe at lower settings. At Low settings, the system achieves 101 FPS at 1080p, which falls to 81 FPS at 1440p and then to 60 FPS at 4K. The 4K Low setting is the only configuration at that resolution that manages to hit the 60 FPS mark, which is a key indicator of the GPU's performance ceiling. The delta between 1080p and 4K at Low settings is 41 FPS, while at High settings it is 24 FPS, showing that lower graphical loads do not proportionally translate to higher resolutions due to the fixed pixel fill-rate demands.

The fact that the 4K Ultra preset yields only 33 FPS and 4K High yields 35 FPS suggests that the game is heavily GPU-bound at this resolution. The RTX 2060 SUPER, with its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, appears to be maxed out in terms of both compute and memory throughput. The data points to the GPU being the limiting component, as the CPU's performance headroom is not able to compensate for the graphics card's inability to render the higher pixel counts. For users targeting 4K, the data indicates that this component pairing will not provide a consistently smooth experience.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured rows, the optimal balance between visual quality and frame rate for this system is the Medium preset. At 1080p, Medium delivers an average of 78 FPS, which is a significant improvement over the 59 FPS at High and only a 23 FPS drop from the 101 FPS at Low. The Medium preset at 1080p also provides a min FPS of 67 and a max of 90, showing a relatively stable frame time distribution. This is the sweet spot for a fluid experience without sacrificing too much visual detail.

For 1440p, the Medium preset is the clear recommendation, as it is the only settings level that maintains an average above 60 FPS. At 63 FPS average with a min of 54 and max of 73, it offers a playable experience, though the min FPS does dip below the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 1440p drops to 47 FPS, which is noticeably less smooth. Therefore, 1440p Medium is the highest quality setting that keeps the frame rate in an acceptable range for this hardware.

At 4K, the choices are stark. The Low preset is the only one that achieves a 60 FPS average, while Medium drops to 47 FPS. However, the 4K Medium preset does provide a min FPS of 40 and a max of 54, which might be acceptable for a flight sim where precise frame pacing is less critical than in a fast-paced shooter. The data suggests that for 4K, users should either accept the visual simplicity of Low settings for maximum smoothness or tolerate the lower frame rates of Medium for a better-looking image. The High and Ultra presets at 4K are not viable for consistent playability, as they average 35 FPS and 33 FPS respectively.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is the decisive factor in this system's gaming performance. Its specifications include a base clock of 1470 MHz and a boost clock of 1650 MHz, with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus. The memory bandwidth is listed at 448.0 GB/s, which is a critical number for a game like Microsoft Flight Simulator that streams vast amounts of terrain and scenery data. The GPU's 2176 shading units and 64 ROPs are responsible for the pixel processing that becomes the bottleneck at higher resolutions.

The GPU's benchmark scores place it in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 18093. Its nearest rivals include the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile with a score of 18159 (a -0.4% delta) and the AMD Radeon Pro 5700 with a score of 18189 (a -0.5% delta). These close scores indicate that the RTX 2060 SUPER is performing at a level consistent with its expected position in the market. The VRAM capacity of 8 GB is sufficient for the measured settings, but the data implies it is not enough headroom for the Ultra preset at 4K, where the average FPS falls to 33.

The relationship between the GPU's clock speeds and the game's results is clear: as the resolution increases, the GPU's ability to maintain high frame rates diminishes. The data shows that the RTX 2060 SUPER is capable of high frame rates at 1080p Low, but it is not a card designed for 4K gaming. The 12 nm Turing architecture, while competent, is outclassed by newer designs in terms of raw throughput. This is a card that requires the user to be mindful of the settings they choose, as the measured FPS demonstrates a hard ceiling at 4K.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play Microsoft Flight Simulator with this hardware?

A: The data shows that 1080p is the most practical resolution. The system achieves a 78 FPS average at Medium settings and a 101 FPS average at Low settings. While 1440p is playable at Medium with a 63 FPS average, 4K requires Low settings to reach 60 FPS.

Q: Can this system handle 4K Ultra settings?

A: No. The measured FPS for 4K Ultra is 33 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay. The 4K High settings are only marginally better at 35 FPS. The GPU is the limiting factor at this resolution.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its direct rivals?

A: Its average benchmark score is 18093. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile scores 18159, which is 0.4% higher. The AMD Radeon Pro 5700 scores 18189, 0.5% higher. The AMD Radeon RX 460 scores 18373, 1.5% higher, and the Intel Arc A770M scores 18383, 1.6% higher.

Q: Is the CPU powerful enough for this game?

A: Yes, the AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is a high-end processor that is not the bottleneck in this configuration. Its multi-core performance is strong, and the frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K indicate the GPU is the limiting component.

Q: What is the recommended settings preset for a balance of quality and performance?

A: The Medium preset provides the best experience. At 1080p, it averages 78 FPS, and at 1440p, it averages 63 FPS. It offers a significant visual upgrade over Low while maintaining a more playable frame rate than High or Ultra.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM cause issues?

A: The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory is sufficient for the Medium and High presets in this data. However, the low average FPS at 4K Ultra (33 FPS) suggests that the memory capacity and bandwidth are being stressed at that settings level.

CPU Role

The AMD Ryzen 9 5950X is a 16-core, 32-thread processor based on the Zen 3 architecture, running on the AMD Socket AM4 platform. It has a base clock of 3.40 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. While this is a powerful CPU, its role in Microsoft Flight Simulator is to feed the GPU with data and handle the complex simulation logic. The benchmark results show that the CPU is not the primary constraint in this system, as the FPS scaling is directly tied to resolution changes.

The CPU's synthetic benchmarks show strong multi-threaded capabilities, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 26017 and a Geekbench multi-core score of 15233. Its single-thread performance is also respectable, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1614. The percentile ranking of 91st vs all CPUs confirms its high-end status. Its nearest rivals include the Intel Core Ultra 5 235HX with an average score of 52073 (a -0.2% delta) and the Intel Core i9-13900F with a score of 51730 (a 0.4% delta), showing the 5950X is in the top tier of processors.

The data indicates that the CPU has enough headroom to handle the game's simulation at all tested settings. The fact that 1080p Low yields 101 FPS while 4K Low yields 60 FPS points to the GPU's pixel processing limit, not the CPU's ability to issue draw calls. The CPU's 64 MB of L3 cache and dual-channel memory bandwidth of 51.2 GB/s are sufficient to feed the GPU without causing a stall. In this pairing, the Ryzen 9 5950X is a capable partner, but its power is somewhat wasted in this GPU-bound scenario.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following is the complete set of measured FPS data for this configuration.

1920x1080:

• Low: Average 101 FPS.
• Medium: Average 78 FPS, with a minimum of 67 FPS and a maximum of 90 FPS.
• High: Average 59 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 56 FPS.

2560x1440:

• Low: Average 81 FPS.
• Medium: Average 63 FPS, with a minimum of 54 FPS and a maximum of 73 FPS.
• High: Average 47 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 45 FPS.

3840x2160:

• Low: Average 60 FPS.
• Medium: Average 47 FPS, with a minimum of 40 FPS and a maximum of 54 FPS.
• High: Average 35 FPS.
• Ultra: Average 33 FPS.

The data shows a clear and predictable pattern. At 1080p, the system is capable of high frame rates, with only the Ultra preset dipping below 60 FPS. At 1440p, the Medium preset is the only one to maintain an average above 60 FPS. At 4K, the Low preset is the only one to hit the 60 FPS target, and all other presets fall below 50 FPS. The min FPS data points for the Medium presets show that frame pacing is relatively stable, but the overall averages are low enough to impact the playability at higher resolutions. This breakdown confirms that the RTX 2060 SUPER is the limiting factor, as the FPS scales almost entirely with the resolution and graphical load.