Microsoft Flight Simulator

The Intel Core i3-12100F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 delivers a decisive performance profile in Microsoft Flight Simulator: every tested resolution and preset clears the 60 FPS playable threshold, with Ultra settings averaging 130 FPS at 1080p, 101.6 FPS at 1440p, and 77.3 FPS at 4K. The CPU carries a launch MSRP of $97, while the GPU has a launch MSRP of 1,599 USD. This combination ranks 163rd out of 3,714 tested combos, placing it in the top tier of systems for this title. The data shows a system that is overwhelmingly GPU-bound at higher resolutions, yet still delivers exceptional headroom even when the CPU is the weaker link.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which averages 130 FPS. Lower presets push higher—Medium reaches 168.4 FPS, Low 182.6 FPS, and High 137.6 FPS—but Ultra already provides a 70 FPS margin above the playable threshold. For 2560x1440, Ultra again is the answer, averaging 101.6 FPS. The gap to the next preset, High at 108.6 FPS, is small, but Ultra remains the clear choice for maximum visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness. At 3840x2160, Ultra still holds above 60 FPS with an average of 77.3 FPS. While High (80.3 FPS) and Medium (106.4 FPS) offer slightly higher frame rates, Ultra's 77.3 FPS is comfortably playable and represents the best visual quality available.

The pattern is consistent: regardless of resolution, the RTX 4090's raw compute and 24 GB of GDDR6X memory allow the game to run at its highest preset while maintaining frame rates well above the 60 FPS floor. Even at 4K, the most demanding configuration tested, the system never dips below that threshold in the measured averages. The only scenario where a lower preset might be preferred is if a user targets refresh rates above 100 FPS at 4K, but for standard 60 Hz or 120 Hz displays, Ultra is the optimal setting at every resolution.

CPU and GPU Roles

The division of labor between the Core i3-12100F and the RTX 4090 is clear from the scaling behavior. At 1080p, the CPU has relatively more influence because the GPU is not fully taxed at lower resolutions. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is 52.6 FPS (182.6 vs. 130), while at 4K the same preset gap is 56.3 FPS (133.6 vs. 77.3). This similarity suggests that the GPU's workload increases with settings and resolution, but the CPU's capability becomes a limiting factor at lower resolutions where the GPU could otherwise produce even higher frame rates. For instance, 4K Low (133.6 FPS) is actually higher than 1080p Ultra (130 FPS), indicating that at 1080p Ultra, the CPU is holding back the GPU from reaching its full potential.

The CPU's aggregate benchmark score is 13,494, placing it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs. Its 4-core, 8-thread design with a boost clock of 4.30 GHz provides adequate single-thread performance, but it lacks the multi-core headroom of higher-end processors. The GPU, on the other hand, scores 60,347 on average and sits in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. This disparity—20 percentile points—means the RTX 4090 is the dominant component in this pairing. In Microsoft Flight Simulator, which is known to scale with both CPU and GPU, the data shows that resolution scaling has a larger impact on frame rates than preset changes at the same resolution, confirming that the GPU is the primary driver. At 1080p, the CPU's role is more pronounced, but even then, the system maintains over 130 FPS at Ultra, so the bottleneck is not severe enough to compromise playability.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Core i3-12100F and RTX 4090 achieves a rank of 163 out of 3,714 tested combos in this game. This places it in the top 4.4% of all systems evaluated, though the exact percentage is not provided in the data. What is clear is that this pairing outperforms the overwhelming majority of configurations, largely due to the GPU's exceptional compute power. The rank reflects the measured FPS across all settings and resolutions, and the fact that it sits above 95% of other combos indicates that the RTX 4090 can compensate for the CPU's mid-range standing. In practical terms, this combo delivers a smooth experience at maximum settings on any mainstream display, and it would take a significantly more powerful CPU (or a more demanding game) to push it lower in the rankings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rivals based on aggregate benchmark scores are the Intel Core 3 N355 (delta 0%), Intel Core i5-9500 (delta 0.3%), Intel Core 5 120UL (delta -0.7%), and Intel Core i7-1250U (delta 1.1%). These processors have average scores within roughly 1% of the i3-12100F, meaning that swapping in any of them would produce nearly identical frame rates in Microsoft Flight Simulator when paired with the same RTX 4090. The i5-9500, for example, is a 6-core part but its aggregate score is only 0.3% higher, so the in-game performance would be indistinguishable. Similarly, the Core 5 120UL is 0.7% slower, which would translate to a negligible FPS difference—likely less than 1 frame per second at the tested settings.

For the GPU, the nearest rivals are the Intel Arc Pro A60 (delta 0%), AMD Radeon Pro Vega 48 (delta 0.3%), AMD Radeon Pro W6600M (delta -2.5%), and AMD Radeon PRO V710 (delta 2.9%). These cards have aggregate scores within a few percent of the RTX 4090. The Arc Pro A60 matches the RTX 4090's score exactly, while the Radeon Pro W6600M trails by 2.5%, which could translate to a few FPS lower in practice. The Radeon PRO V710 is 2.9% faster on paper, but the delta is small enough that the overall experience would be similar. Users with any of these GPUs paired with the i3-12100F can expect comparable performance to the tested combo, assuming the rest of the system is consistent.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Microsoft Flight Simulator at 4K with maximum settings?

A: Yes. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with Ultra settings is 77.3 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best preset at 1440p to maintain at least 60 FPS?

A: Ultra is the most demanding preset that stays above 60 FPS, averaging 101.6 FPS at 2560x1440.

Q: How does the CPU's overall performance compare to the GPU's?

A: The CPU scores 13,494 on average and ranks in the 68th percentile of all CPUs, while the GPU scores 60,347 and ranks in the 88th percentile. The GPU is significantly more powerful relative to its peers.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested systems in this game?

A: The combo ranks 163rd out of 3,714 tested combinations.

Q: Are there any presets at 1080p that fall below 60 FPS?

A: No. All presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—average above 60 FPS at 1920x1080, with Ultra at 130 FPS being the lowest of the four.

Q: What is the launch MSRP of the CPU and GPU?

A: The CPU has a launch MSRP of $97, and the GPU has a launch MSRP of 1,599 USD.

The Verdict

The data unequivocally shows that this PC can run Microsoft Flight Simulator at every resolution and preset tested. According to the verdict by resolution, all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable at 1920x1080, 2560x1440, and 3840x2160, with average FPS ranging from 77.3 at 4K Ultra to 182.6 at 1080p Low. The best settings per resolution are Ultra in all cases, delivering 130 FPS at 1080p, 101.6 FPS at 1440p, and 77.3 FPS at 4K. This means the system not only clears the 60 FPS threshold but does so with substantial headroom, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p and 1440p, and for smooth 4K gaming on standard 60 Hz displays. The Core i3-12100F is a modest CPU, but the RTX 4090's overwhelming compute power ensures that the game remains fluid even in the most demanding configurations. For anyone considering this pairing, the verdict is simple: it runs the game exceptionally well, with no need to compromise on visual quality.