Microsoft Flight Simulator

The data for Microsoft Flight Simulator on this platform, pairing the Intel Core i7-13700K with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER, shows a system with substantial headroom across all tested configurations. Benchmark results indicate that the combination ranks in the 92.6th percentile of all tested combos, placing it at rank 274 out of 3714. The measured frame rates are consistently high, with the lowest average recorded at 66.9 FPS under maximum load at 4K, which still clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. This analysis breaks down the specific performance metrics, scaling behaviors, and viable settings for each resolution.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the performance envelope is defined by a spread of 55.6 FPS between the lowest and highest presets. The Low preset delivers an average of 122.5 FPS, which is remarkably fluid for a flight simulator at 4K. Moving to Medium reduces the average to 95 FPS, a 22.4% drop from Low. The High preset averages 69.6 FPS, showing a further 26.7% decrease from Medium. The Ultra preset is the most demanding, producing an average of 66.9 FPS, which is only 3.9% lower than High, indicating diminishing returns in performance cost as the settings approach maximum. No minimum or maximum frame time data was recorded, so the analysis relies solely on average FPS.

At 2560x1440, the system shows significantly more headroom. The Low preset averages 167.1 FPS, which is 36.4% higher than the 4K Low result. Medium at this resolution averages 132.4 FPS, representing a 20.8% reduction from Low. High settings yield an average of 100.7 FPS, a 23.9% drop from Medium. The Ultra preset averages 94.3 FPS, which is 6.4% lower than High. The scaling from 4K to 1440p is consistent, with each resolution step providing roughly a 40-45% performance increase at the same settings.

At 1920x1080, the CPU-GPU combination saturates the display pipeline. The Low preset reaches an average of 210.5 FPS, the highest recorded in the entire dataset. Medium averages 162.9 FPS, a 22.6% reduction from Low. High settings produce an average of 122.6 FPS, which is 24.7% below Medium. The Ultra preset averages 115.4 FPS, only 5.9% lower than High. The relative gap between High and Ultra narrows as resolution decreases, suggesting that the GPU is becoming less of a bottleneck at 1080p and the CPU's single-thread performance is beginning to assert more influence.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination ranks 274th out of 3714 tested combos, placing it in the top 7.4% of all configurations. This percentile ranking of 92.6% indicates that the platform is positioned well above the median for this game. The rank reflects the synergy between the CPU and GPU, as both components individually score above the 85th percentile in their respective benchmark pools. The CPU's percentileVsAllCpus is 89, and the GPU's percentileVsAllGpus is 86, so the combined result in this specific game is slightly better than either component's standalone percentile.

In practical terms, a rank of 274 out of 3714 means there are 273 tested combinations that outperform this setup, but the vast majority of systems—over 3400—will deliver lower frame rates. The data shows that this combo is in the upper echelon of performance for Microsoft Flight Simulator, but it is not at the absolute top tier. The gap between this rank and the top 100 combos likely comes from CPUs with higher single-thread scores or GPUs with more memory bandwidth, but the measured FPS indicates that those differences manifest mainly at lower resolutions where the CPU becomes the limiting factor.

CPU and GPU Roles

The scaling data reveals how the balance of responsibility shifts between the Intel Core i7-13700K and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER across resolutions. At 3840x2160, the GPU is the dominant constraint. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 55.6 FPS, a 45.4% reduction, which shows that the GPU's rendering load is the primary factor. The CPU's 16 cores and 24 threads are sufficient to feed the GPU at this resolution, as evidenced by the fact that even the Ultra preset maintains an average above 60 FPS.

At 2560x1440, the balance begins to shift. The absolute FPS values are higher, but the proportional drop from Low to Ultra is 43.6%, which is slightly less than at 4K. This suggests that the GPU is still the main constraint, but the CPU is starting to contribute more to the overall frame time. The fact that the Ultra preset at 1440p (94.3 FPS) is higher than the High preset at 4K (69.6 FPS) indicates that the resolution reduction provides more relief than the settings reduction, pointing to GPU-bound behavior.

At 1920x1080, the CPU's role becomes more pronounced. The difference between Low and Ultra is 95.1 FPS, a 45.2% reduction, which is comparable to 4K in percentage terms. However, the absolute numbers are much higher, suggesting that both components have more headroom. The CPU's boost clock of 5.40 GHz and strong single-thread performance (3dmark_single_thread score of 1136) allow the GPU to reach 210.5 FPS at Low settings. The data indicates that at 1080p, the combination of CPU and GPU is nearly balanced, with neither component creating a significant bottleneck at any preset.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the Intel Core i7-13700K has an average benchmark score of 46881. The nearest rival is the AMD Ryzen 9 5900, which scores 46971, a delta of -0.2% meaning it is effectively identical in performance. The AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX PRO 375 scores 47022, a -0.3% delta, also within noise. On the higher side, the AMD Ryzen 9 7845HX scores 46654, a +0.5% delta, and the Intel Xeon w3-2535 scores 46653, also a +0.5% delta. These four alternatives would all produce nearly identical frame rates in Microsoft Flight Simulator, as the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions.

For the GPU, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 54209. The closest rival is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080, scoring 54247, a -0.1% delta, making it indistinguishable in practice. The AMD Radeon Pro W5700X scores 54828, a -1.1% delta, meaning it is slightly faster in synthetic benchmarks but within 1.2% of the RTX 4080 SUPER. The AMD Radeon RX 6750 GRE 12 GB scores 55698, a -2.7% delta, and the AMD Radeon 8060S scores 55757, a -2.8% delta. These two AMD alternatives are slightly faster in raw compute but would translate to a difference of only 1-2 FPS in this game, which is imperceptible.

FAQ

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

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the average FPS is 66.9, which clears the 60 FPS playable threshold. This is the most demanding configuration tested, and it remains playable.

Q: What is the highest average FPS achieved at 1080p?

A: At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the average FPS is 210.5. This is the highest recorded value across all resolutions and presets in the dataset.

Q: How much performance is lost when moving from 1080p to 4K at the same settings?

A: At Ultra settings, the average FPS drops from 115.4 at 1080p to 66.9 at 4K, a reduction of 42%. At Low settings, the drop is from 210.5 to 122.5, a 41.8% reduction.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game at 1440p?

A: The data shows that at 2560x1440, the GPU is still the primary constraint, as the difference between Low and Ultra is 72.8 FPS. However, the CPU's role increases compared to 4K, as the absolute frame rates are higher and the proportional drop is slightly smaller.

Q: What is the ranking of this combo compared to all tested configurations?

A: This combo ranks 274th out of 3714 tested, which places it in the top 7.4% of all combinations. The percentile ranking is 92.6%.

Q: Are there any presets at any resolution that fail to reach 60 FPS?

A: No. All 12 tested configurations—3 resolutions × 4 presets—produce average FPS values above 60. The lowest recorded average is 66.9 FPS at 4K Ultra.

The Verdict

This PC can run Microsoft Flight Simulator at all tested resolutions and presets, with every configuration clearing the 60 FPS playable threshold. At 3840x2160, the best settings are Ultra, which averages 66.9 FPS. This is the only resolution where the margin above 60 FPS is relatively slim, but it is still comfortable. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 94.3 FPS, providing a significant buffer. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset averages 115.4 FPS, which is nearly double the playable threshold. The data indicates that this combination is not just playable; it is well-suited for high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p and 1440p, and it handles 4K Ultra without compromise.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which averages 66.9 FPS. This is the highest setting available, meaning the system has no headroom to spare at 4K, but it does not need to sacrifice visual quality.

At 2560x1440, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is also Ultra, averaging 94.3 FPS. This provides a 34.3 FPS margin above the playable threshold, allowing for smoother frame pacing and potential background tasks without impacting performance.

At 1920x1080, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, averaging 115.4 FPS. This is nearly double the threshold, making it ideal for competitive or high-refresh-rate gameplay. The system can run the game at maximum settings at all resolutions without dropping below 60 FPS.