Microsoft Flight Simulator

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data for this Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 combination in Microsoft Flight Simulator shows a clear pattern: higher resolutions and more demanding presets push the system below the 60 FPS threshold, while lower settings remain fluid. The database records average frame rates only, with no separate minimum or maximum values captured for any configuration.

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its strongest results. Low settings produce an average of 92.9 FPS, which is the highest recorded figure across the entire test matrix. Medium settings still hold comfortably above the playable threshold at 69.5 FPS. High settings drop to 54.2 FPS, and Ultra falls slightly further to 52.2 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is roughly 23 FPS, while the gap between High and Ultra is only 2 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset adds little overhead relative to High at this resolution.

Moving to 2560x1440, the averages step down noticeably. Low settings remain playable at 75.3 FPS. Medium settings land exactly at the 60 FPS threshold, making it the boundary case for playability. High settings drop to 45.2 FPS, and Ultra is lower still at 40.9 FPS. The step from Medium to High costs about 15 FPS, which is the largest single-preset drop at this resolution, indicating that the High preset introduces a significant workload increase.

At 3840x2160, none of the tested presets reach the 60 FPS threshold. Low settings average 55.5 FPS, the closest value to playable. Medium averages 42.6 FPS, Ultra averages 32 FPS, and High averages 28.7 FPS. Notably, High is the slowest preset at 4K, even slower than Ultra, which is an unusual ordering in the data. The spread from Low to High is nearly 27 FPS, showing that this GPU is heavily taxed at 4K regardless of settings.

Across all resolutions, the pattern is consistent: the RTX 2060 is the limiting factor, with the CPU providing enough headroom to keep frame rates from collapsing at lower settings. The data shows no minimum or maximum FPS recordings, so variance and frame-time spikes are not captured in this dataset.

How This Combo Ranks

The database ranks this CPU and GPU pairing at 2861 out of 3714 tested combos for Microsoft Flight Simulator. That places the combo in the lower third of all recorded configurations, which aligns with the measured FPS results: it can handle 1080p and 1440p at medium settings, but it falls short at 4K and struggles with high or ultra presets at lower resolutions.

The CPU itself sits at the 85th percentile among all processors in the database, with an average benchmark score of 35365. Its nearest rivals are tightly clustered: the Intel Core i7-13700T scores 35403 (0.1% higher), the Intel Core 5 213PE scores 35428 (0.2% higher), the Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35305 (0.2% lower), and the Intel Core i7-12700K scores 35287 (0.2% lower). These deltas are negligible, meaning the 12700KF is effectively performance-equivalent to all four of those CPUs in general compute workloads.

The GPU, by contrast, sits at the 58th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 15290. Its nearest rivals are equally tight: the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 scores 15283 (0% difference), the AMD Radeon 680M scores 15270 (0.1% lower), the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM scores 15199 (0.6% lower), and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 scores 15171 (0.8% lower). These are older or lower-tier parts, which explains why the combo ranks so low in a game as demanding as Microsoft Flight Simulator.

The rank data indicates that the GPU is the bottleneck. The CPU is a high-tier part from the 12th Gen Core family, but the RTX 2060 is a mid-range Turing card from 2019. In a flight simulator that stresses both geometry and draw distance, the GPU cannot keep up with the CPU's output, which is why the measured FPS numbers drop sharply as resolution and settings increase.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Medium, with an average of 69.5 FPS. High and Ultra both fall below the threshold, at 54.2 FPS and 52.2 FPS respectively, so Medium is the clear choice for a smooth experience at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the best playable setting is also Medium, which averages exactly 60 FPS. This is the boundary case: any higher preset drops below playable, with High at 45.2 FPS and Ultra at 40.9 FPS. Low settings run at 75.3 FPS, but Medium offers better visual quality while still meeting the threshold.

At 3840x2160, there is no playable preset. Low averages 55.5 FPS, which is the closest value to 60 FPS, but it still falls short. Medium drops to 42.6 FPS, Ultra to 32 FPS, and High to 28.7 FPS. The verdict data confirms that no settings combination at 4K reaches the playable threshold for this combo.

For users who prioritize frame rate over visuals, Low at 1080p delivers the highest headroom at 92.9 FPS. For those who want a balance of quality and performance, Medium at 1080p or 1440p is the recommended target.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The CPU's nearest rivals in the database are all within 0.2% of its average score, meaning any of them would produce nearly identical CPU-bound performance in Microsoft Flight Simulator. The Intel Core i7-13700T, Intel Core i5-13600T, Intel Core 5 213PE, and Intel Core i7-12700K are all effectively interchangeable with the 12700KF for this workload. In practice, swapping to any of these would not shift the measured FPS numbers in a meaningful way, since the GPU remains the limiting factor.

The GPU's nearest rivals are more varied. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 matches the RTX 2060's average score almost exactly (0% delta), but it is a much older architecture without modern feature support. The AMD Radeon 680M is an integrated GPU that scores 0.1% lower, which is surprising but reflects the database's aggregate benchmark results. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM scores 0.6% lower, and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 scores 0.8% lower. None of these would change the playability picture for this game: they all sit in the same performance band, so the same settings and resolutions would apply.

If a user were to pair the 12700KF with a stronger GPU, the CPU's high percentile rank suggests it could push higher frame rates, but the database does not include such a pairing in the measured FPS data. The recorded results are specific to the RTX 2060, so any extrapolation beyond that is not supported by the numbers.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Microsoft Flight Simulator at 1920x1080 with High settings?

A: No. The measured average at 1080p High is 54.2 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Medium settings average 69.5 FPS and are the highest playable preset at this resolution.

Q: What is the best settings preset for 2560x1440?

A: Medium is the best playable preset at 1440p, averaging exactly 60 FPS. Low runs at 75.3 FPS, but High and Ultra drop below the threshold at 45.2 FPS and 40.9 FPS respectively.

Q: Is 4K playable with this hardware?

A: No. The database lists no playable settings at 3840x2160. Low averages 55.5 FPS, which is the closest to 60 FPS, but every preset falls short of the threshold.

Q: How does the Intel Core i7-12700KF compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The 12700KF scores 35365 on average, which is within 0.2% of the Intel Core i7-13700T, Intel Core i5-13600T, Intel Core 5 213PE, and Intel Core i7-12700K. All five CPUs are effectively performance-equivalent in this game.

Q: How does the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 2060 scores 15290 on average. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 is 0% different, the AMD Radeon 680M is 0.1% lower, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 OEM is 0.6% lower, and the AMD Radeon RX 7600 is 0.8% lower. All sit in the same performance band.

Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The highest recorded average is 92.9 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The next highest is 75.3 FPS at 2560x1440 Low.

The Verdict

This PC can run Microsoft Flight Simulator, but only within specific limits. At 1920x1080, Medium settings deliver a playable average of 69.5 FPS, while Low runs at 92.9 FPS. At 2560x1440, Medium averages exactly 60 FPS, making it the highest playable preset at that resolution, with Low at 75.3 FPS. At 3840x2160, no preset reaches the 60 FPS threshold; the best recorded value is 55.5 FPS on Low.

The verdict data confirms that the playable settings are limited to Low and Medium at both 1080p and 1440p. High and Ultra presets are not playable at any resolution in the dataset. The CPU is a strong performer, ranking at the 85th percentile among all processors, but the GPU's 58th percentile ranking holds the system back in this demanding flight simulator.

For a smooth experience, the recommended configuration is Medium at 1920x1080, which provides a 9.5 FPS margin above the threshold. At 1440p, Medium is a borderline choice at exactly 60 FPS, so users who want more headroom should drop to Low. 4K is not viable with this hardware, and users targeting that resolution would need a significantly stronger GPU than the RTX 2060.