Microsoft Flight Simulator

This analysis covers the Intel Core i7-13700K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 in Microsoft Flight Simulator, a flight simulation released on 2020-08-17. The dataset is marked as measured, not estimated, and places this combination at rank 1613 out of 3714 tested combos. The CPU sits at the 89th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU sits at the 61st percentile among all GPUs.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The fact pack provides average FPS for each resolution and preset, but min and max FPS fields are null for every entry. The table below lists the exact average values.

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS | Min FPS | Max FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|---------|---------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 43.8 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 78.3 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 63.5 | — | — |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 44.8 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | High | 65.8 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 109.3 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 87 | — | — |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 59.7 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | High | 77 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 133.5 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 105.9 | — | — |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 76.5 | — | — |

At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 78.3 on Low down to 44.8 on Ultra. Medium sits at 63.5, just above the 60 FPS playable threshold, while High is 43.8. At 2560x1440, Low reaches 109.3, Medium 87, High 65.8, and Ultra 59.7. At 1920x1080, Low is 133.5, Medium 105.9, High 77, and Ultra 76.5. The pattern shows a consistent drop as resolution increases, with 1440p Ultra being the only sub-60 result outside 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo ranks 1613 out of 3714 tested combinations. That is a measured result, not an estimate. The CPU’s percentileVsAllCpus is 89, meaning it outperforms the large majority of CPUs in the database. The GPU’s percentileVsAllGpus is 61, which is notably lower. The CPU’s average benchmark score is 46881, while the GPU’s average benchmark score is 17208.

This gap between component percentiles helps explain the combo’s mid-pack rank. A strong CPU paired with a comparatively weaker GPU will not automatically produce a top-tier gaming result, especially in a flight simulator that can stress both simulation logic and rendering. The rank of 1613 out of 3714 suggests that many other tested combinations achieve higher average FPS in this specific game, even though the CPU alone is highly ranked.

Best Settings per Resolution

The playable threshold in the fact pack is 60 FPS. Using that threshold, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS at each resolution is as follows.

At 3840x2160, the best playable setting is Medium, with an average of 63.5 FPS. Low also clears 60 at 78.3, but Medium is the highest preset that remains playable. High and Ultra both fall below 60, at 43.8 and 44.8 respectively.

At 2560x1440, the best playable setting is High, with an average of 65.8 FPS. Low and Medium also clear 60, at 109.3 and 87, but High is the most demanding playable option. Ultra averages 59.7, just under the threshold.

At 1920x1080, the best playable setting is Ultra, with an average of 76.5 FPS. All four presets clear 60, so the user can choose the highest visual quality without dropping below the playable threshold.

Similar Performance Alternatives

The nearest CPU rivals, based on average benchmark score, are all very close to the i7-13700K. The i7-13700K has an average score of 46881. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900 scores 46971 with a deltaPct of -0.2. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 scores 47022 with a deltaPct of -0.3. The AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX scores 46654 with a deltaPct of 0.5. The Intel Xeon w3-2535 scores 46653 with a deltaPct of 0.5. These deltaPct values are small, so any of these CPUs would likely produce similar CPU-bound behavior in this game.

The nearest GPU rivals are similarly close. The RTX 3070 has an average benchmark score of 17208. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT scores 17083 with a deltaPct of 0.7. The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 scores 17037 with a deltaPct of 1. The AMD Radeon HD 7970M scores 17019 with a deltaPct of 1.1. The NVIDIA Tesla K40c scores 17468 with a deltaPct of -1.5. These scores are within a narrow band, meaning a system using one of these GPUs would likely land close to the RTX 3070’s frame rates in this title.

CPU and GPU Roles

The measured FPS scaling across resolutions and presets reveals which component matters more. At High settings, 1080p averages 77 FPS, 1440p averages 65.8, and 4K averages 43.8. At Medium, the sequence is 105.9, 87, and 63.5. At Low, it is 133.5, 109.3, and 78.3. At Ultra, it is 76.5, 59.7, and 44.8.

In every preset, the drop from 1080p to 4K is substantial. This indicates that the GPU becomes the limiting factor as pixel count increases. The CPU’s 89th percentile and the GPU’s 61st percentile support that interpretation: the GPU is the weaker component relative to its own field. At 1080p, even Ultra stays above 60 FPS, so the CPU can feed the GPU well enough. At 4K, only Low and Medium clear 60, so the GPU’s rendering capacity is the ceiling.

The CPU is a 16-core, 24-thread Raptor Lake part with a boost clock of 5.40 GHz, while the GPU is an Ampere part with 5888 shading units and 8 GB of GDDR6 memory. Those specifications are consistent with a pairing where the CPU has more headroom than the GPU in high-resolution scenarios. The data shows that lowering resolution has a large effect on FPS, while lowering settings at a fixed resolution also has a large effect, but the resolution scaling is particularly steep.

FAQ

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

A: No. At 3840x2160 Ultra, the average FPS is 44.8, below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The highest playable preset at 4K is Medium, with an average of 63.5 FPS.

Q: What is the best playable setting at 2560x1440?

A: High, with an average of 65.8 FPS. Ultra averages 59.7, just under 60, so it is not considered playable by the dataset’s threshold.

Q: How does the i7-13700K compare to its nearest CPU rivals?

A: The i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 46881. The AMD Ryzen 9 5900 scores 46971 with a deltaPct of -0.2, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 scores 47022 with a deltaPct of -0.3, the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX scores 46654 with a deltaPct of 0.5, and the Intel Xeon w3-2535 scores 46653 with a deltaPct of 0.5.

Q: How does the RTX 3070 compare to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 3070 averages 17208. The AMD Radeon RX 7600 XT scores 17083 with a deltaPct of 0.7, the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 690 scores 17037 with a deltaPct of 1, the AMD Radeon HD 7970M scores 17019 with a deltaPct of 1.1, and the NVIDIA Tesla K40c scores 17468 with a deltaPct of -1.5.

Q: Is the performance data measured or estimated?

A: The fact pack marks dataIsMeasured as true. The combo ranks 1613 out of 3714 tested combinations, and the FPS values are listed as measured averages.

The Verdict

Yes, this PC can run Microsoft Flight Simulator, but the playable ceiling depends on resolution. At 1920x1080, all four presets clear 60 FPS, with Ultra at 76.5. At 2560x1440, High is the best playable preset at 65.8, while Ultra misses the threshold at 59.7. At 3840x2160, only Low and Medium clear 60, with Medium at 63.5 as the best playable option. The data shows a capable pairing that needs settings reduction at 4K, but delivers smooth performance at 1080p and 1440p with the right preset.