Microsoft Flight Simulator

Intel Core i5-11400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, the combination tested for Microsoft Flight Simulator, delivers frame rates that vary significantly across resolutions and presets. The recorded data covers three resolutions (3840x2160, 2560x1440, 1920x1080) and four settings tiers (Low, Medium, High, Ultra). All measurements are average FPS unless min and max values are explicitly noted. The playable threshold for this analysis is 60 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the highest resolution tested, the system holds above 60 FPS in every preset. The Low preset averages 125 FPS. Medium averages 97 FPS, with a recorded minimum of 83 FPS and a maximum of 112 FPS. High averages 73 FPS. Ultra averages 70 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 55 FPS, which indicates that at 4K, the graphics settings have a substantial impact on performance. Even at the most demanding preset, the average remains 10 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold.

Moving to 2560x1440, frame rates climb noticeably. Low averages 146 FPS. Medium averages 132 FPS, with a minimum of 112 FPS and a maximum of 152 FPS. High averages 99 FPS. Ultra averages 95 FPS. The delta between Low and Ultra at this resolution is 51 FPS. All presets clear the 60 FPS line by a wide margin; the lowest average, Ultra at 95 FPS, is 35 FPS above the threshold. The min FPS recorded for Medium, 112 FPS, is higher than the average FPS for High and Ultra, which shows that the Medium preset provides a smoother experience in terms of sustained minimums.

At 1920x1080, the system reaches its highest frame rates. Low averages 157 FPS. Medium averages 144 FPS, with a minimum of 122 FPS and a maximum of 165 FPS. High averages 123 FPS. Ultra averages 117 FPS. The spread from Low to Ultra is 40 FPS, the smallest of the three resolutions. This suggests that at 1080p, the CPU and GPU combination is less sensitive to preset changes in terms of absolute FPS loss. Every setting, including Ultra, stays far above 60 FPS, with Ultra averaging nearly double the threshold.

The data shows a consistent pattern: as resolution increases, average FPS decreases across all presets. For example, Ultra drops from 117 FPS at 1080p to 95 FPS at 1440p to 70 FPS at 4K. Similarly, High drops from 123 FPS to 99 FPS to 73 FPS. The Medium preset, which is the only one with min and max values recorded, shows a proportional decline: 144 FPS at 1080p, 132 FPS at 1440p, and 97 FPS at 4K. The minimum FPS for Medium also scales down, from 122 at 1080p to 112 at 1440p to 83 at 4K.

No preset at any resolution falls below the 60 FPS threshold in the recorded average values. The lowest average in the entire dataset is Ultra at 3840x2160, which still achieves 70 FPS. The highest average is Low at 1920x1080, reaching 157 FPS.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i5-11400F sits near several other processors in the database. The AMD EPYC 7H12 has an average benchmark score very close to this chip, differing by only a small margin. The Intel Core i5-12450H is another nearby option, with a score slightly higher. The AMD Ryzen 3 PRO 8300G also falls in the same performance band. The Intel Core Ultra 7 164U rounds out the closest rivals. These processors all produce average scores within a few percentage points of the i5-11400F, meaning that in CPU-bound scenarios, swapping to any of these would yield similar frame rates. The i5-11400F ranks in the 71st percentile of all tested CPUs, so it outperforms a majority of processors but is not at the top tier.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 has very close rivals. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER has an average score that is nearly identical, with a negligible difference. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores slightly higher. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB and AMD Radeon 8060S also sit within a few points. The RTX 4080 ranks in the 86th percentile of all GPUs, indicating strong overall performance. In practice, any of these GPUs paired with the same CPU would deliver frame rates within a small margin of what is recorded for the RTX 4080 in Microsoft Flight Simulator. The GPU is the dominant component in this game at higher resolutions, so the close proximity of these alternatives means the measured FPS would remain largely unchanged.

The combination of the i5-11400F and RTX 4080 is ranked 381 out of 3714 tested combos in this game. That places this pairing in the top 11% of all systems measured. The CPU is not the fastest available, but the GPU compensates heavily in a title that scales well with graphics hardware.

CPU and GPU Roles

The recorded data reveals how the balance shifts between CPU and GPU across resolutions. At 1920x1080, the CPU has more influence because the GPU is not fully stressed by pixel count. The average FPS at Ultra is 117, while at 3840x2160 Ultra it drops to 70. That is a 47 FPS reduction, or roughly a 40% decrease, purely from raising resolution. If the CPU were the primary bottleneck, the frame rates would remain flat regardless of resolution. The fact that they drop significantly shows the GPU is doing most of the work.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates sit between the two extremes. Ultra averages 95 FPS, which is 22 FPS higher than at 4K and 22 FPS lower than at 1080p. This linear scaling suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor at both 1440p and 4K. The CPU, with its 6 cores and 12 threads, has enough headroom to feed the RTX 4080 at these resolutions.

The preset scaling also points to GPU dominance. At 4K, moving from Low to Ultra reduces average FPS from 125 to 70, a 44% drop. At 1080p, the same preset change reduces FPS from 157 to 117, a 25% drop. The larger percentage drop at 4K indicates that the GPU is more heavily loaded and therefore more sensitive to settings changes. At 1080p, the smaller drop suggests that the CPU begins to limit the frame rate, preventing the GPU from fully expressing its potential even at Low settings.

For a flight simulator like Microsoft Flight Simulator, which renders vast landscapes and complex scenery, the GPU is typically the primary bottleneck. The data confirms this: resolution scaling has a strong effect on FPS, while the CPU maintains adequate performance across all presets. The i5-11400F is a mid-range processor, but it does not drag down the RTX 4080 in this game at the tested settings.

The Verdict

Can this PC run Microsoft Flight Simulator? Yes, clearly. The verdict by resolution is straightforward: at 3840x2160, all four presets are playable. The Ultra preset averages 70 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, all presets are also playable, with Ultra averaging 95 FPS. At 1920x1080, all presets are playable, with Ultra averaging 117 FPS.

No resolution or preset combination in the measured data falls below 60 FPS. The lowest recorded average, 70 FPS at 4K Ultra, still provides a comfortable margin. The Medium preset at 4K has a minimum FPS of 83, so even transient dips stay well above the threshold. At 1440p, the Medium preset minimum is 112 FPS. At 1080p, the Medium minimum is 122 FPS.

This system is not merely playable; it is overbuilt for 1080p and 1440p, and it remains capable at 4K with all settings maxed out. For users targeting a smooth 60 FPS experience, this combination exceeds that goal at every resolution tested.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which averages 70 FPS. This is the highest settings tier available, so the system can run the game at maximum quality at 4K without dropping below the threshold. The High preset averages 73 FPS, Medium averages 97 FPS, and Low averages 125 FPS, but Ultra is the best choice because it delivers the highest visual fidelity while still clearing 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the best settings are also Ultra, with an average of 95 FPS. This leaves considerable headroom over the 60 FPS line. The High preset averages 99 FPS, Medium averages 132 FPS, and Low averages 146 FPS, but Ultra provides the best visuals without sacrificing smoothness.

At 1920x1080, Ultra is again the best choice, averaging 117 FPS. The system is so capable at this resolution that even the most demanding preset runs at nearly double the playable threshold. High averages 123 FPS, Medium averages 144 FPS, and Low averages 157 FPS.

In all three resolutions, the recommendation is the same: use Ultra. The margin above 60 FPS is substantial at every resolution, so there is no reason to lower settings for performance reasons. The only reason to drop below Ultra would be personal preference for higher frame rates, such as targeting 120 FPS or 144 FPS on a high-refresh monitor. At 1080p, Medium and High both exceed 120 FPS, and at 1440p, Medium averages 132 FPS. At 4K, no preset reaches 120 FPS; the highest is Low at 125 FPS.

How This Combo Ranks

This specific combination of the Intel Core i5-11400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 ranks 381 out of 3714 tested combos for Microsoft Flight Simulator. That puts it in the top 10.3% of all systems in the database for this game. The rank reflects the strong GPU performance, as the RTX 4080 is a high-end card, while the CPU is more modest. The combination outperforms a large majority of tested systems, but it is not at the very top, where faster CPUs paired with the same or better GPUs would push frame rates higher.

The CPU percentile of 71 indicates that the i5-11400F is above average among all processors. The GPU percentile of 86 shows that the RTX 4080 is well above average among all GPUs. The combination rank of 381 out of 3714 is consistent with a strong GPU dominating the overall result in a graphically intensive game. If the CPU were paired with a weaker GPU, the rank would drop; if the GPU were paired with a stronger CPU, the rank would improve, but the gains would be modest because the GPU is already the limiting factor at 1440p and 4K.

Compared to the nearest rival GPUs, the RTX 4080 is essentially tied with the RTX 4080 SUPER and slightly behind the Radeon Pro W5700X and Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB in raw benchmark scores. These differences are small enough that in real gameplay, the frame rates would be nearly identical. The CPU rivals, such as the EPYC 7H12 and i5-12450H, also have scores within a fraction of a percent, so swapping CPUs would not change the measured FPS in a meaningful way.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset, the system averages 70 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. All other presets at 4K also exceed 60 FPS.

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combination?

A: The highest average is 157 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with the Low preset. The Medium preset at 1080p averages 144 FPS, and Ultra at 1080p averages 117 FPS.

Q: Does the CPU or GPU matter more for this game at high resolutions?

A: The GPU matters more. Evidence comes from the frame rate drop when moving from 1080p to 4K. At Ultra, the average FPS falls from 117 at 1080p to 70 at 4K, a 40% reduction. This scaling indicates the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The CPU has enough performance to feed the GPU at all tested settings.

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded in any preset?

A: The lowest average is 70 FPS, which occurs at 3840x2160 with the Ultra preset. This is still 10 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: How does this system compare to other tested combinations?

A: This combo ranks 381 out of 3714 tested systems for Microsoft Flight Simulator, placing it in the top 10.3%. The GPU ranks in the 86th percentile among all GPUs, and the CPU ranks in the 71st percentile among all CPUs.

Q: Are there any settings that drop below 60 FPS?

A: No. The recorded data shows no preset at any resolution with an average FPS below 60. The minimum FPS values recorded for the Medium preset are 83 at 4K, 112 at 1440p, and 122 at 1080p, all above the threshold.