Microsoft Flight Simulator

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K paired with the AMD Radeon RX 6600 is a study in imbalance for Microsoft Flight Simulator. The data shows a 20-core processor with a 3.90 GHz base and 5.50 GHz boost clock, backed by 30 MB of shared L3 cache. This CPU sits in the 97th percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 79102. It trails the Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF by only 0.2%, and the Intel Core i9-14900KF by the same margin, while being 0.9% behind the Intel Core i9-14900K. The CPU’s multi-threaded strength is evident in Cinebench R23, where it scores 50009, and its single-core performance is solid at 7060 in the same test. The GPU, however, tells a different story. The Radeon RX 6600, with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivers 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its boost clock is 2491 MHz, and it lands in the 69th percentile of all GPUs. The result is a combo that ranks 1497th out of 1795 tested combinations in this game, placing it in the lower 17% of all pairings. This is a pairing where the processor is clearly not the limiting factor.

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

The Intel Core Ultra 7 265K provides immense computational headroom that is largely untapped by the Radeon RX 6600 in this title. With 20 cores and 20 threads, the processor handles the simulation’s heavy physics and AI calculations without breaking a sweat. Its 3.90 GHz base clock can boost to 5.50 GHz, which is crucial for the single-threaded tasks that flight simulators rely on for frame pacing. In Cinebench R23, the single-core score of 7060 places it among the top-tier desktop chips, ensuring that the game’s primary thread has ample processing power. The multi-core score of 50009 further confirms that even when the simulation spawns complex scenery or dense airport environments, the CPU has reserve capacity. This is reflected in the Passmark multithread score of 58838, which shows a processor that can handle far more than this game demands. The CPU’s 97th percentile ranking against all CPUs reinforces that it is not the bottleneck here. When compared to its nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 7 265K is virtually identical in average score to the Core Ultra 7 265KF, and only 0.9% behind the Core i9-14900K. In practice, this means the processor’s influence on the FPS figures below is minimal; it provides a stable platform that never dips into performance-limiting territory.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 6600 is the component that dictates the performance envelope in this combination. Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but the 128-bit memory bus limits bandwidth to 224.0 GB/s. This becomes a constraint at higher resolutions where texture streaming demands more memory throughput. The GPU’s boost clock of 2491 MHz is respectable for its class, but the underlying architecture—with 1792 shading units and 64 ROPs—is simply outmatched by the CPU’s capabilities. The data shows the GPU sits in the 69th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 25235. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon 890M, has a deltaPct of 0, meaning they are statistically tied. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Ti is only 0.5% ahead, while the AMD Radeon RX 6700M is 0.2% behind. This places the RX 6600 in a crowded mid-range tier, but Microsoft Flight Simulator’s high-resolution rendering demands more than this GPU can deliver. At 4K Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 28.4, which is below the playable threshold. The GPU’s 8 GB VRAM is not the primary issue; rather, it is the raw compute power and memory bandwidth that limit performance. The Passmark G3D score of 15096 confirms this is a capable 1080p card, but the data clearly shows that the processor is waiting on the GPU at every turn.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combination of the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K and AMD Radeon RX 6600 ranks 1497th out of 1795 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the bottom 17% of all configurations, which is a surprising result given the CPU’s high percentile ranking. The data suggests that the GPU is dragging down the overall score, as the CPU alone ranks in the 97th percentile. The disparity is stark: a top-tier processor paired with a mid-range GPU produces a combo that underperforms most systems. This ranking indicates that the FPS figures are almost entirely GPU-bound. For context, if the CPU were the limiting factor, the combo would rank much higher relative to other pairings with similar GPUs. Instead, the 1497th rank out of 1795 shows that the RX 6600 is holding back the 265K’s potential. The deltaPct between the CPU and its closest rivals is negligible—within 0.2% of the 265KF and 0.9% of the i9-14900K—so swapping the processor would not meaningfully change this combo’s rank. The bottleneck is unambiguous, and the data points to the GPU as the component that needs upgrading for better results in this simulator.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers playable frame rates across all settings. With Low settings, the average FPS is 92.3, which is smooth and responsive. Medium settings yield 69.6 FPS, while High settings drop to 54.8 FPS. Ultra settings bring the average down to 50.0 FPS, which remains playable but shows the GPU working harder. Moving to 2560x1440, the impact of the resolution increase is clear. Low settings produce 74.2 FPS, a significant drop from 1080p but still acceptable. Medium settings fall to 56.7 FPS, and High settings reach 41.2 FPS. Ultra settings at 1440p average 41.3 FPS, which is borderline for a smooth experience. At 3840x2160, the GPU struggles. Low settings yield 54.4 FPS, which is the only 4K setting above 50 FPS. Medium settings drop to 39.8 FPS, High settings to 28.7 FPS, and Ultra settings bottom out at 28.4 FPS. These numbers show that the RX 6600 can handle 1080p and 1440p well, but 4K is only viable at Low settings. The step from Low to Medium at 4K costs 14.6 FPS, while the step from High to Ultra is only 0.3 FPS, indicating the GPU is hitting a compute ceiling rather than a memory limit.

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

The FPS scaling from 1080p to 4K reveals the GPU-bound nature of this combo. At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 92.3 at 1080p to 74.2 at 1440p, and then to 54.4 at 4K. This represents a 41% reduction from 1080p to 4K, which is a typical pattern for a GPU-limited scenario. At Medium settings, the drop is from 69.6 to 56.7 to 39.8, a 43% reduction from 1080p to 4K. High settings show a similar trend: from 54.8 to 41.2 to 28.7, a 48% reduction. Ultra settings go from 50.0 to 41.3 to 28.4, a 43% reduction. The consistency of these percentage drops across settings strongly indicates that the GPU is the bottleneck. If the CPU were limiting, the FPS would be more consistent across resolutions, as the processor’s workload does not scale with pixel count. Instead, the FPS scales inversely with resolution, which is the classic signature of a GPU constraint. The fact that the CPU’s 97th percentile ranking does not translate into higher FPS at 4K confirms that the RX 6600 is the component that determines the playable settings and resolutions. For a smooth 60 FPS experience, the data shows that Low settings at 1080p are required, while 4K gaming is only possible at Low settings with frame rates just above 50 FPS.

FAQ

Q: Is the Intel Core Ultra 7 265K the bottleneck in this system?

A: No. The CPU ranks in the 97th percentile of all processors and scores 50009 in Cinebench R23 multi-core. The FPS drops from 1080p to 4K are consistent across all settings, which indicates the GPU is the limiting factor.

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

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average FPS is 92.3. With Medium settings, it drops to 69.6 FPS, and with High settings, it is 54.8 FPS. Ultra settings yield 50.0 FPS.

Q: Can this combo handle 4K resolution in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: At 3840x2160, the only setting that averages above 50 FPS is Low, which produces 54.4 FPS. Medium settings drop to 39.8 FPS, and High and Ultra settings fall to 28.7 and 28.4 FPS, respectively.

Q: How does the RX 6600 compare to its nearest rival, the RTX 3060 Ti?

A: The RX 6600 has an average benchmark score of 25235, while the RTX 3060 Ti scores 25120, giving the RTX 3060 Ti a 0.5% advantage. This is a negligible difference in real-world performance.

Q: What does the combo rank tell us about this pairing?

A: The combo ranks 1497th out of 1795 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 17%. This low rank is due to the GPU’s mid-range performance, not the CPU, which alone ranks in the 97th percentile.

Q: At what settings and resolution does the FPS drop below 30?

A: At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS is 28.7, and with Ultra settings, it is 28.4. These are the only configurations that fall below the 30 FPS threshold.