Microsoft Flight Simulator

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER delivers an exceptional Microsoft Flight Simulator experience, clearing the 60 FPS threshold at every tested resolution and preset combination. Benchmark data confirms this combination achieves a perfect playability record across 3840x2160, 2560x1440, and 1920x1080, with even the most demanding Ultra preset maintaining a comfortable margin above 60 FPS at all three resolutions. The CPU ranks in the 73rd percentile among all processors, while the GPU sits in the 86th percentile, and the measured frame rates show the pairing scales efficiently from 1080p to 4K.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combination averages 69.2 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The High preset at 4K yields 73.2 FPS, Medium produces 92.7 FPS, and Low reaches 119.8 FPS.

Q: What is the best preset to use at 1440p?

A: Ultra is the best choice at 2560x1440, delivering 95.6 FPS average. This is 35.6 FPS above the playable threshold and represents the highest visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. For reference, High at this resolution averages 98.1 FPS, Medium hits 131.3 FPS, and Low reaches 166.4 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 4080 SUPER compare to the standard RTX 4080?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER's average benchmark score is 54209, while the RTX 4080 scores 54247. The delta between them is -0.1%, meaning the two GPUs perform virtually identically in synthetic benchmarks. The SUPER's nearest rivals also include the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X at -1.1% and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB at -2.7%.

Q: Is the i5-12400F a bottleneck for the RTX 4080 SUPER in this game?

A: The data does not indicate a bottleneck. The i5-12400F scores 12380 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 1680 in single-core, ranking in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs. The measured frame rates show steady scaling from 1080p (120 FPS at Ultra) to 1440p (95.6 FPS at Ultra) to 4K (69.2 FPS at Ultra), which is consistent with GPU-bound performance at higher resolutions.

Q: What frame rate can I expect at 1080p with Medium settings?

A: At 1920x1080 with Medium settings, the average FPS is 166. This is 106 FPS above the playable threshold. The Low preset at 1080p produces 182.9 FPS, High gives 124.1 FPS, and Ultra delivers 120 FPS.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested combinations for this game?

A: This CPU-GPU pairing ranks 310th out of 3714 tested combinations, placing it in the top 8.4% of all systems tested for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This ranking reflects its ability to maintain high frame rates across all resolutions and presets.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals a clear pattern: the GPU becomes increasingly dominant as resolution rises, while the CPU's role is most visible at lower resolutions. At 1920x1080, the difference between Low and Ultra presets is 62.9 FPS (182.9 down to 120), indicating the GPU has substantial headroom and the CPU is capable of feeding it adequately. The fact that Ultra at 1080p still produces 120 FPS — exactly double the playable threshold — demonstrates that neither component is severely limiting at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates compress slightly: Low delivers 166.4 FPS, Medium 131.3 FPS, High 98.1 FPS, and Ultra 95.6 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra narrows to 70.8 FPS, and the step from High to Ultra is only 2.5 FPS, suggesting the GPU is beginning to feel the load of higher pixel counts. The CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads, with a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 12380, provide enough throughput to keep the RTX 4080 SUPER fed at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's workload becomes the primary constraint. Low produces 119.8 FPS, Medium 92.7 FPS, High 73.2 FPS, and Ultra 69.2 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at 4K is just 4 FPS, while the gap between Low and Medium is 27.1 FPS. This compression at the top end indicates the RTX 4080 SUPER's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 736.3 GB/s bandwidth are being utilized heavily. The CPU's role diminishes here, as the GPU's 52.22 TFLOPS FP32 throughput and 80 RT cores are the decisive factors.

Preset scaling tells the same story. At 1080p, Ultra is 34.4% slower than Low. At 1440p, Ultra is 42.6% slower than Low. At 4K, Ultra is 42.2% slower than Low. The consistency of this penalty across resolutions suggests the GPU handles the additional visual complexity of higher presets without hitting a hard architectural limit, but the absolute frame rates show that 4K Ultra (69.2 FPS) is the closest the system comes to the 60 FPS threshold.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the best settings that stay at or above 60 FPS are Ultra, which averages 69.2 FPS. This is 9.2 FPS above the playable threshold. The data shows that all four presets — Low at 119.8 FPS, Medium at 92.7 FPS, High at 73.2 FPS, and Ultra at 69.2 FPS — clear 60 FPS, allowing the user to select the highest quality without compromise. The margin at Ultra is comfortable enough to absorb transient frame dips in dense scenery or weather effects.

For 2560x1440, Ultra is again the recommended preset, delivering 95.6 FPS average. This is 35.6 FPS above the threshold, providing substantial headroom. The progression from Low (166.4 FPS) through Medium (131.3 FPS) and High (98.1 FPS) shows that even the most demanding preset at this resolution leaves significant performance on the table. Users prioritizing maximum visual fidelity can confidently select Ultra, while those seeking higher refresh rates could drop to High with only a 2.5 FPS penalty.

At 1920x1080, Ultra produces 120 FPS exactly, which is double the playable threshold. This is the strongest result of any resolution-preset combination. Low reaches 182.9 FPS, Medium hits 166 FPS, and High averages 124.1 FPS. The recommendation is unambiguous: Ultra at 1080p is not only playable but delivers a frame rate that supports high-refresh-rate displays. The 120 FPS figure at Ultra suggests the system has enough headroom for heavy add-on scenery or multiplayer sessions without dropping below 60 FPS.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The Intel Core i5-12400F's nearest rivals in average benchmark score include the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS with a score of 19047 and a 0% delta, meaning they perform identically on average. The Intel Core 3 201E scores 19056 with a -0.1% delta, placing it marginally behind the i5-12400F. The Intel Core i5-1335U scores 18982 with a 0.3% delta, slightly ahead, while the AMD EPYC 7773X scores 18979 with a 0.3% delta. For practical purposes, any of these processors would deliver similar CPU-bound performance in Microsoft Flight Simulator, though the i5-12400F's desktop design with a 65 W TDP and Intel Socket 1700 compatibility differs from the mobile and server parts in this list.

On the GPU side, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER's nearest rival is the standard RTX 4080, which scores 54247 with a -0.1% delta. This means the two cards are effectively interchangeable in terms of raw performance. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828 with a -1.1% delta, placing it slightly ahead. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698 with a -2.7% delta, and the AMD Radeon 8060S scores 55757 with a -2.8% delta. Users considering the RTX 4080 SUPER should expect the RTX 4080 to behave nearly identically in this game, while the AMD alternatives would offer slightly higher average scores but with diminishing returns.

When combining these near-equivalent parts, a system with an AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS and a standard RTX 4080 would produce frame rates within a fraction of a percent of the i5-12400F and RTX 4080 SUPER combination. Similarly, pairing the i5-12400F with the AMD Radeon Pro W5700X might yield slightly higher average scores, but the measured FPS data for this specific combo shows that the RTX 4080 SUPER already achieves 69.2 FPS at 4K Ultra — well above the threshold — so marginal synthetic gains would not translate into a visibly different gameplay experience.

The Verdict

This PC can run Microsoft Flight Simulator at every resolution and preset combination tested. The verdict data confirms playable status for all settings at all three resolutions, with no exceptions. The weakest result is 4K Ultra at 69.2 FPS, which still exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold by 15.3%. The strongest result is 1080p Low at 182.9 FPS, which is 204.8% above the threshold.

At 3840x2160, the system is fully playable across the board. The best settings are Ultra with 69.2 FPS average, but users who prefer higher frame rates can choose High for 73.2 FPS, Medium for 92.7 FPS, or Low for 119.8 FPS. The 4K Ultra result is the only configuration that comes within 10 FPS of the threshold, so it warrants monitoring in heavy scenarios, but the average indicates a solid experience.

At 2560x1440, the system excels. Ultra delivers 95.6 FPS, which is 59.3% above the threshold. All preset options are viable, with the lowest (Low) producing 166.4 FPS. This resolution offers the best balance of visual fidelity and performance headroom.

At 1920x1080, the system is overwhelmingly powerful. Ultra produces 120 FPS exactly, and every other preset exceeds 120 FPS. This configuration is suitable for high-refresh-rate displays and leaves substantial performance in reserve. The verdict is clear: this PC runs Microsoft Flight Simulator at playable frame rates in all scenarios tested.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER combination ranks 310th out of 3714 tested combos for Microsoft Flight Simulator, placing it in the top 8.4% of all systems evaluated. This rank is driven by the GPU's 86th percentile standing among all GPUs and the CPU's 73rd percentile among all CPUs. The combination's performance is not limited by either component — the CPU's Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 12380 and the GPU's PassMark G3D score of 34245 both indicate strong individual performance that translates to cohesive gaming results.

The rank of 310 out of 3714 means the vast majority of tested systems — 3404 of them — score lower in this game. The top 309 combos likely feature higher-end CPUs (such as those with more cores or higher clock speeds) paired with similarly powerful GPUs, but the i5-12400F's 6-core, 12-thread configuration with a 4.40 GHz boost clock proves sufficient for this flight simulator. The RTX 4080 SUPER's 16 GB of memory and 52.22 TFLOPS FP32 performance provide the graphical muscle needed for the game's demanding scenery rendering.

In practical terms, a rank of 310 out of 3714 means this system outperforms roughly 91.6% of all tested combinations. For a game like Microsoft Flight Simulator, which is known for taxing both CPU and GPU in complex scenarios, this ranking confirms the pairing is well-balanced. The system sits comfortably in the upper echelon of tested hardware, and the measured FPS data validates this position — achieving 60+ FPS at 4K Ultra is a benchmark that most systems cannot reach.