Microsoft Flight Simulator

The Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination delivers a strong, but tiered, experience in Microsoft Flight Simulator. Benchmark data shows that this system can achieve 60 FPS or higher at 1080p and 1440p across all tested presets, including Ultra, but falls short of that threshold at 4K with High and Ultra settings. The CPU’s strong multi-threaded performance and the GPU’s high bandwidth make this a capable pairing, though the data indicates that 4K gaming requires a reduction in visual fidelity to maintain smooth frame rates.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest preset that maintains 60 FPS at 2560x1440?

A: The Ultra preset is playable at this resolution, with an average FPS of 68.2, making it the best setting that stays above the 60 FPS threshold.

Q: Can this system run the game at 4K with High settings?

A: No. At 3840x2160 with High settings, the average FPS is 52.1, which falls below the 60 FPS playable threshold. The Medium preset is the highest playable option at this resolution, averaging 71.1 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU’s multi-threaded performance compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The Core i7-13700K scores 30,745 in Cinebench R23 multi-core. Its average benchmark score is 46,881, which is 0.2% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 5900 and 0.3% lower than the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375, but 0.5% higher than both the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX and Intel Xeon w3-2535.

Q: What is the lowest FPS recorded at 1920x1080 with Medium settings?

A: The measured average FPS at this setting is 123.2. The data does not include specific minimum or maximum FPS values, only averages.

Q: Is the GPU’s performance significantly different from its closest rivals?

A: The RTX 3080 has an average benchmark score of 23,172. This is 0.3% lower than the NVIDIA P106-100 and AMD Radeon Pro Vega 16, and 0.4% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6600M and AMD Radeon R9 M290X.

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

A: This combo ranks 1,090th out of 3,714 tested combinations, placing it in the top 30% of all systems tested for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

CPU and GPU Roles

The benchmark data reveals a clear pattern of GPU-bound scaling as resolution increases. At 1920x1080, the system delivers 159.2 FPS on Low settings and 85.8 FPS on Ultra, a difference of 73.4 FPS. Moving to 2560x1440, the Ultra preset drops to 68.2 FPS, and at 3840x2160, it drops further to 49 FPS. This steep decline with resolution demonstrates that the RTX 3080 becomes the limiting factor at higher pixel counts, while the i7-13700K provides sufficient headroom to keep the frame rate high at lower resolutions.

The CPU’s role is more apparent when comparing the scaling between presets within a single resolution. At 1080p, the jump from Low (159.2 FPS) to Medium (123.2 FPS) represents a 22.6% decrease, while the jump from High (91.5 FPS) to Ultra (85.8 FPS) is only a 6.2% decrease. This suggests that the CPU can handle the increased draw calls and simulation logic of lower presets, but the GPU struggles more with the additional visual effects of higher presets. The i7-13700K’s high single-thread score of 4,333 in Passmark helps maintain playable frame rates even when the GPU is under heavy load.

At 4K, the GPU is clearly the dominant constraint. The difference between Low (92.9 FPS) and Ultra (49 FPS) is 43.9 FPS, a 47.3% reduction. This is a much larger drop than the 46.2% reduction seen at 1440p (126.9 to 68.2 FPS), indicating that the GPU’s memory bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s and 10 GB of GDDR6X VRAM are being saturated at higher resolutions. For users targeting 4K, the data suggests that the CPU has spare capacity, and the GPU is the component that dictates playability.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-13700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 ranks 1,090th out of 3,714 tested combos for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places the system in the 70.7th percentile of all tested configurations, meaning it outperforms roughly 70% of other combinations in the database. The CPU alone sits in the 89th percentile among all CPUs, while the GPU is in the 68th percentile among all GPUs, suggesting that the processor is a stronger component relative to its peers than the graphics card.

The ranking is consistent with the measured FPS data. At 1080p and 1440p, this combo delivers frame rates well above the 60 FPS threshold, even on the most demanding preset. However, at 4K, it cannot maintain 60 FPS on High or Ultra, which prevents it from being classified as a top-tier 4K system for this specific title. The system’s overall rank reflects this balance—it is a strong performer for high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming, but not a dominant 4K solution.

The CPU’s nearest rivals show it is closely matched with other high-end processors. Its average score of 46,881 is within 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375, AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX, and Intel Xeon w3-2535. The GPU, similarly, has an average score of 23,172, which is within 0.4% of its nearest rivals, including the NVIDIA P106-100 and AMD Radeon RX 6600M. This indicates that neither component is a significant outlier in its performance class.

The Verdict

This system can run Microsoft Flight Simulator playably at 1920x1080 and 2560x1440 across all tested settings. At 1080p, the Ultra preset averages 85.8 FPS, confirming that the game is fully playable at maximum detail. At 1440p, the Ultra preset averages 68.2 FPS, also clearing the 60 FPS threshold. For 4K, the system is playable on Low (92.9 FPS) and Medium (71.1 FPS) presets, but High (52.1 FPS) and Ultra (49 FPS) fall short of the playable threshold. The verdict by resolution is clear: this is a high-performance 1080p and 1440p system, with 4K requiring a compromise on settings.

The data indicates that the system is well-balanced for this simulation title. The i7-13700K’s 16 cores and 24 threads provide ample processing power for the game’s flight dynamics and world simulation, while the RTX 3080’s 8,704 shading units and 68 RT cores handle the rendering load effectively. The 10 GB of GDDR6X memory is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p but appears to be a limiting factor at 4K with high preset levels.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the system delivers its highest performance. Low settings produce an average of 159.2 FPS, Medium settings produce 123.2 FPS, High settings produce 91.5 FPS, and Ultra settings produce 85.8 FPS. The scaling from Low to Ultra represents a 46.1% reduction in average FPS, but even the lowest value remains well above the 60 FPS threshold.

At 2560x1440, performance drops but remains playable at all settings. The average FPS values are 126.9 on Low, 98.6 on Medium, 71.8 on High, and 68.2 on Ultra. The gap between Low and Ultra is 58.7 FPS, a 46.3% reduction, which is consistent with the scaling observed at 1080p. The Ultra preset’s 68.2 FPS average is the closest this system comes to the 60 FPS threshold at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the bottleneck. Low settings average 92.9 FPS, Medium settings average 71.1 FPS, High settings average 52.1 FPS, and Ultra settings average 49 FPS. The drop from Medium to High is 19 FPS, a 26.7% decrease, which is much steeper than the 15.5% decrease seen at 1440p for the same preset transition. The data shows that only Low and Medium presets are viable for a 60 FPS experience at 4K.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the best playable setting is Medium, which delivers an average of 71.1 FPS. This is the highest preset that remains at or above the 60 FPS threshold. High and Ultra presets are not playable at this resolution, with averages of 52.1 and 49 FPS respectively.

At 2560x1440, the best playable setting is Ultra, with an average of 68.2 FPS. All four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—are playable at this resolution, and Ultra provides the highest visual fidelity while still clearing the 60 FPS threshold. The margin above the threshold is 8.2 FPS, indicating that the GPU has some headroom at this resolution.

At 1920x1080, the best playable setting is also Ultra, with an average of 85.8 FPS. This is the highest preset available, and it delivers a comfortable 25.8 FPS margin above the playable threshold. The system has significant headroom at this resolution, making it suitable for high-refresh-rate displays. For the most demanding visual experience without sacrificing playability, Ultra at 1080p is the recommended configuration.