Microsoft Flight Simulator

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Intel Core i5-10400F sits in a densely populated performance tier. Its average benchmark score of 14,185 places it just ahead of the Intel Xeon 6756E, which trails by only 0.2%. The AMD EPYC 7552 is a near match as well, coming in 0.5% slower. On the other side, the Intel Core 7 160UL posts a score 0.3% higher, while the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C leads the group by 0.6%. For gaming workloads, the 10400F’s six cores and twelve threads deliver single-thread performance that remains competitive with these server and mobile parts, though the database shows the chip’s 68th percentile ranking among all CPUs, meaning roughly a third of tested processors outperform it.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER holds an average score of 18,093, placing it in the 62nd percentile of all GPUs. Its closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Mobile, which edges ahead by just 0.4%. The AMD Radeon Pro 5700 is 0.5% faster, while the AMD Radeon RX 460 and Intel Arc A770M post scores 1.5% and 1.6% higher, respectively. These deltas are small, so in practice any of these cards would deliver nearly identical frame rates in Microsoft Flight Simulator. The RTX 2060 SUPER’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus provides 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is a meaningful factor for texture-heavy flight simulators. The data suggests that if a system paired with one of these rival GPUs, the user would see performance within a couple of percent of the 2060 SUPER, making them suitable drop-in alternatives for this specific title.

CPU and GPU Roles

Microsoft Flight Simulator is known for being demanding on both the processor and the graphics card, but the measured FPS data reveals how the balance shifts across resolutions. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo achieves 101.6 FPS. Moving to Medium drops that to 75.7 FPS, and High further reduces it to 57.7 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 25.9 FPS, while the gap between Medium and High is 18.0 FPS. This scaling suggests that at 1080p, the GPU is the primary limiter as settings increase, since the CPU has enough headroom to feed the graphics card at lower presets.

At 2560x1440, the pattern continues. Low settings produce 80.1 FPS, Medium yields 65.3 FPS, and High falls to 44.5 FPS. The delta between Low and Medium is 14.8 FPS, and between Medium and High it is 20.8 FPS. The larger drop from Medium to High at 1440p indicates that the GPU is becoming more stressed as pixel count rises, but the CPU still has capacity to spare. At 3840x2160, the story changes. Low settings deliver 58.5 FPS, Medium drops to 47.4 FPS, and High manages only 34.9 FPS. Here, the GPU is clearly the bottleneck. The CPU’s role diminishes as resolution increases because the graphics card must process four times the pixels of 1080p, and the measured FPS drops accordingly.

The data indicates that at 1080p and 1440p, the RTX 2060 SUPER is the limiting factor when settings are raised, while the i5-10400F provides sufficient processing power. At 4K, the GPU is overwhelmingly the constraint, as even Low settings cannot reach 60 FPS. For players targeting higher resolutions, upgrading the GPU would yield the largest FPS gain, whereas the CPU would not meaningfully improve performance at 4K based on these measurements.

Best Settings per Resolution

The database defines playable as an average FPS at or above 60. At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays above that threshold is Medium, which averages 75.7 FPS. Low settings run much faster at 101.6 FPS, but Medium offers a better visual balance while remaining comfortably playable. High settings fall short at 57.7 FPS, just under the 60 FPS target.

At 2560x1440, the best playable setting is also Medium, averaging 65.3 FPS. Low runs at 80.1 FPS, but Medium provides higher visual fidelity without dropping below the playable line. High is not viable, as it averages 44.5 FPS.

At 3840x2160, no settings achieve the 60 FPS threshold. The closest is Low at 58.5 FPS, which is still below the playable mark. Medium averages 47.4 FPS, and both High and Ultra dip below 35 FPS. The verdict data confirms that 4K is not playable with this combo, regardless of preset. For 1080p and 1440p users, Medium is the recommended ceiling, while 4K users would need to lower resolution or upgrade hardware.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Microsoft Flight Simulator at 60 FPS on 1080p?

A: Yes, at Medium settings the average FPS is 75.7, and at Low it reaches 101.6. High settings fall short at 57.7 FPS.

Q: What is the best setting for 1440p?

A: Medium is the highest playable preset, averaging 65.3 FPS. Low runs at 80.1 FPS, but High drops to 44.5 FPS.

Q: Is 4K playable with the RTX 2060 SUPER and i5-10400F?

A: No. Even at Low settings, the average FPS is 58.5, which is below the 60 FPS threshold. Medium, High, and Ultra all fall further behind.

Q: How does the GPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The RTX 2060 SUPER scores 18,093 on average. The RTX 3060 Mobile is 0.4% faster, the Radeon Pro 5700 is 0.5% faster, the Radeon RX 460 is 1.5% faster, and the Arc A770M is 1.6% faster.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The i5-10400F scores 14,185 on average. The Xeon 6756E is 0.2% slower, the EPYC 7552 is 0.5% slower, the Core 7 160UL is 0.3% faster, and the Ryzen 3 7320C is 0.6% faster.

Q: What is the FPS difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p?

A: Low averages 101.6 FPS, while Ultra averages 54.3 FPS, a difference of 47.3 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The recorded data includes average FPS for four settings at three resolutions. At 1920x1080, Low delivers 101.6 FPS, Medium delivers 75.7 FPS, High delivers 57.7 FPS, and Ultra delivers 54.3 FPS. The progression from Low to Ultra shows a steady decline, with the largest single drop occurring between Medium and High at 18.0 FPS.

At 2560x1440, Low averages 80.1 FPS, Medium averages 65.3 FPS, High averages 44.5 FPS, and Ultra averages 45.9 FPS. Interestingly, Ultra slightly outperforms High at this resolution, a deviation that may stem from the specific workload distribution of the simulator. The gap between Medium and High is 20.8 FPS, the largest at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, Low averages 58.5 FPS, Medium averages 47.4 FPS, High averages 34.9 FPS, and Ultra averages 34.2 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra is minimal at just 0.7 FPS, suggesting diminishing returns beyond Medium. No min or max FPS values were recorded, so the analysis relies solely on averages. Across all resolutions, the trend is clear: the RTX 2060 SUPER loses performance as pixel count increases, and the i5-10400F has less influence at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-10400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks 2,664 out of 3,714 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the lower third of all pairings, which is consistent with the GPU’s 62nd percentile and the CPU’s 68th percentile. While the individual components are mid-range by modern standards, the game’s demanding nature pushes this combo below the playable threshold at 4K and limits it to Medium settings at lower resolutions.

The rank reflects the overall capability of the pairing, not just the sum of its parts. Many combos with newer GPUs or higher-end CPUs will outperform it, but the data also shows that the 2060 SUPER remains competitive with several mobile and workstation GPUs. For a flight simulator that prioritizes visual fidelity, this combo is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming at medium presets. The 4K results, with no playable settings, confirm that this pairing is not intended for ultra-high-resolution flight simulation. Players seeking higher frame rates at 4K would need to consider a more powerful GPU, as the CPU is not the limiting factor at that resolution.