Microsoft Flight Simulator

Intel Core i7-12700KF pairs with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 to deliver a split personality for Microsoft Flight Simulator: at 1080p the combo handles every preset comfortably above the 60 FPS playability threshold, while at 4K it drops to Low settings for playable frame rates. The measured data shows a clear scaling pattern where the CPU’s strong multi-threaded performance (Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28838) keeps the sim responsive, but the GPU’s 8 GB GDDR6 memory and 128-bit bus become the limiting factor at higher resolutions. Benchmark results indicate this is a mid-pack configuration overall, ranking 2041st out of 3714 tested combos, which places it in the 55th percentile of all tested systems. The following sections break down the exact frame rates, answer common questions, and identify what hardware would behave similarly.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the Core i7-12700KF and RTX 4060 combination delivers playable frame rates across all four tested settings. Low settings produce an average of 117.3 FPS, which is nearly double the 60 FPS threshold and indicates headroom for more demanding scenes. Medium settings drop to 90.4 FPS average, still well above playable, while High settings yield 70 FPS average. Ultra settings, the most demanding preset, still maintain 68.9 FPS average, meaning the combo clears 60 FPS even at maximum quality. The spread between Low and Ultra is 48.4 FPS, showing that the GPU has enough capacity at 1080p to handle the full range of visual fidelity without dipping below playable.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance picture becomes more constrained. Low settings produce 92.8 FPS average, which is still strong, and Medium settings deliver 74 FPS average, comfortably above 60. However, High settings fall to 54.7 FPS average, which misses the playability threshold by 5.3 FPS, and Ultra settings drop further to 55.8 FPS average. The data reveals an anomaly where Ultra outperforms High by 1.1 FPS, which may reflect scene-to-scene variance in the sim rather than a consistent scaling pattern. At this resolution, the RTX 4060’s 272.0 GB/s memory bandwidth and 15.11 TFLOPS FP32 throughput start to struggle with the increased pixel count, pushing playable settings down to Medium.

At 3840x2160, the RTX 4060 becomes the clear bottleneck. Low settings yield 70.5 FPS average, which is the only playable option at this resolution. Medium settings drop to 54 FPS average, missing the threshold by 6 FPS, while High settings fall to 41.8 FPS and Ultra to 39.2 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 31.3 FPS, indicating that the GPU cannot sustain high-quality rendering at 4K. The data suggests that 4K gaming with this combo requires significant compromises, and even Low settings only provide a 10.5 FPS margin above the playable threshold, leaving little room for complex scenery or weather effects.

FAQ

Q: Can this PC run Microsoft Flight Simulator at 60 FPS on Ultra settings?

A: Only at 1920x1080, where Ultra settings produce an average of 68.9 FPS. At 2560x1440, Ultra drops to 55.8 FPS, and at 3840x2160, Ultra falls to 39.2 FPS, both below the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: 1920x1080 is the only resolution where all four settings (Low, Medium, High, Ultra) stay at or above 60 FPS. The highest average FPS at any resolution is 117.3 FPS at 1080p Low settings.

Q: How does the RTX 4060 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 4060 has an average benchmark score of 17639, which is 0.2% lower than the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (17666), 0.3% higher than the AMD Radeon 780M (17588), and 0.5% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17551). These deltas are minimal, suggesting nearly identical rasterization performance.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K?

A: The data points to the GPU. At 3840x2160, even Medium settings drop to 54 FPS, while the CPU’s strong multi-threaded score (28838 in Cinebench R23) suggests it is not the primary constraint. The RTX 4060’s 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus are likely the bottleneck.

Q: What FPS can I expect at 1440p Medium settings?

A: The measured average is 74 FPS, which provides a 14 FPS margin above the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the best playable preset at 2560x1440 according to the verdict data.

Q: How does this combo rank among all tested systems?

A: It ranks 2041st out of 3714 combinations, placing it in the lower-middle portion of the database. The CPU ranks in the 85th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU ranks in the 61st percentile among all GPUs, indicating the GPU drags down the overall combo ranking.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Low, with an average of 70.5 FPS. This is the only playable setting at 4K; Medium (54 FPS), High (41.8 FPS), and Ultra (39.2 FPS) all fall short. The 10.5 FPS margin above threshold means users should expect occasional dips below 60 FPS in dense urban areas or during heavy weather.

At 2560x1440, Medium settings provide the best playable experience with an average of 74 FPS. This gives a 14 FPS buffer over the 60 FPS threshold, which is more comfortable than the 4K Low setting. Low settings (92.8 FPS) are also playable but offer reduced visual fidelity. High (54.7 FPS) and Ultra (55.8 FPS) both miss the threshold, so Medium is the recommended ceiling.

At 1920x1080, Ultra settings deliver 68.9 FPS average, which is the highest quality preset that clears 60 FPS. This provides an 8.9 FPS margin, which is workable but not generous. For users who prioritize frame rate stability over visuals, High settings (70 FPS) offer a nearly identical average with a slightly larger buffer. All four presets at 1080p are playable, making this the most versatile resolution for this combo.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i7-12700KF has an average benchmark score of 35365, placing it in the 85th percentile of all CPUs. Its nearest rival is the Intel Core i7-13700T, which scores 35403 (0.1% higher), meaning the two perform nearly identically in synthetic tests. The Intel Core i5-13600T scores 35305 (0.2% lower), and the Intel Core 5 213PE scores 35428 (0.2% higher). The Intel Core i7-12700K scores 35287 (0.2% lower), which is essentially the same chip without the unlocked multiplier. Any of these CPUs would produce near-identical frame rates in Microsoft Flight Simulator, as the game’s frame pacing is unlikely to be affected by sub-1% performance differences.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 has an average benchmark score of 17639, ranking in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals are all AMD products: the Radeon HD 7790 (17666, 0.2% higher), Radeon 780M (17588, 0.3% lower), Radeon Pro 560 (17551, 0.5% lower), and Radeon Pro 460 (17509, 0.7% lower). The deltaPct values are all under 1%, so swapping to any of these would produce nearly identical FPS in this sim. However, the Radeon 780M is an integrated GPU, which would require a different system configuration, while the Radeon HD 7790 is a much older discrete card. The practical takeaway is that the RTX 4060 sits in a narrow performance band where small benchmark differences translate to negligible in-game changes.

The Verdict

This PC can run Microsoft Flight Simulator, but the playable settings depend heavily on resolution. At 1920x1080, the verdict is unambiguous: all four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—clear the 60 FPS threshold, with Ultra averaging 68.9 FPS. This is the resolution where the combo shines, offering full visual fidelity without frame rate sacrifices.

At 2560x1440, the verdict is more nuanced. Low (92.8 FPS) and Medium (74 FPS) are playable, but High (54.7 FPS) and Ultra (55.8 FPS) fall below 60. The best playable setting is Medium, which balances visuals and performance. Users who insist on High or Ultra at 1440p will need to accept frame rates in the mid-50s, which may cause noticeable stutter in a flight sim where smooth panning is critical.

At 3840x2160, the verdict is restrictive. Only Low settings (70.5 FPS) are playable, and the margin above threshold is slim. Medium (54 FPS), High (41.8 FPS), and Ultra (39.2 FPS) are all unplayable by the 60 FPS standard. The data suggests that 4K is not a realistic target for this combo beyond minimal settings, and even then, users should expect frame rate dips in demanding scenarios.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i7-12700KF + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 combination ranks 2041st out of 3714 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator, placing it in the lower-middle tier of the database. This ranking reflects the GPU’s relatively modest 61st percentile position among all GPUs, which drags down the overall score despite the CPU’s strong 85th percentile ranking.

The disparity between CPU and GPU performance is stark: the i7-12700KF’s Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 28838 places it well above average, while the RTX 4060’s Passmark G3D score of 19545 is merely mid-pack. In a flight sim that is heavily single-threaded for CPU physics but GPU-bound for rendering, this combo effectively leaves CPU performance on the table at higher resolutions. At 1080p, the CPU headroom allows the GPU to stretch its legs, but at 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, capping frame rates below what the CPU could support.

Compared to the 3714 total combos, this system sits at roughly the 55th percentile, meaning about 45% of tested configurations perform worse. The practical implication is that this combo is adequate for 1080p gaming at maximum settings and 1440p at medium settings, but it is not a high-end configuration for Microsoft Flight Simulator. Users seeking 4K playability or higher frame rates at 1440p Ultra would need to look at GPUs with more VRAM and memory bandwidth than the RTX 4060 provides.