Microsoft Flight Simulator

# Microsoft Flight Simulator with Intel Core i3-12100F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060

The Intel Core i3-12100F pairs with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 to deliver a playable but not exceptional Microsoft Flight Simulator experience. The CPU is a 4-core, 8-thread Alder Lake-S part with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.30 GHz, placing it in the 68th percentile of all CPUs tested. The GPU, based on the AD107 chip with Ada Lovelace architecture, offers 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus and sits in the 61st percentile of all GPUs. Together, this combo ranks 1978th out of 3714 tested combinations, which is just below the median — a respectable mid-pack result for a flight simulator that stresses both components heavily.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The i3-12100F's 4 cores and 8 threads are the minimum viable configuration for a modern flight simulator. Microsoft Flight Simulator relies heavily on single-thread performance for physics and flight model calculations, and the CPU's 3.30 GHz base clock with a 4.30 GHz boost provides adequate headroom. In synthetic benchmarks, the chip scores 1674 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 11860 in multi-core, with a single-thread Passmark score of 3444. The 3DMark single-thread result of 893 and 4-thread result of 2859 indicate that the processor can handle the primary game thread plus a few auxiliary tasks.

The 12 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 per core help reduce memory latency, which matters in a game that streams large terrain and scenery datasets. The CPU supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in dual-channel mode, though the fact pack does not specify which memory type was used in the measured FPS rows. What the data does show is that at 1080p Low settings, the combo reaches 119 FPS average — suggesting that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU at lower resolutions where the graphics card is not the bottleneck. However, the multi-threaded Cinebench R23 score of 11860 is modest compared to higher-core-count rivals, and this becomes apparent in ultra settings where the simulation's background tasks (AI traffic, weather, scenery loading) compete for the same 8 threads.

The CPU's 3DMark 16-thread score of 4051 and max-thread score of 4023 are nearly identical, confirming that the chip does not scale beyond its 8 threads. In a game like Microsoft Flight Simulator, which can utilize more than 8 threads for terrain streaming and AI, this limitation means that frame pacing may suffer in dense urban areas or during complex weather scenarios. The benchmark results indicate that the i3-12100F is not the limiting factor at 1080p Low, where the average FPS of 119 approaches the refresh-rate ceiling for many displays, but it does constrain performance in the highest settings where CPU-bound simulation logic becomes more prominent.

Settings Recommendations — which preset gives the best experience per the measured rows

The measured FPS data provides four settings presets — Low, Medium, High, and Ultra — across three resolutions. At 1080p, the Low preset delivers 119 FPS average, which is smooth for most players. Medium drops to 93 FPS, High to 70 FPS, and Ultra to 66 FPS. The step from Medium to High is the largest relative drop (about 25%), while High to Ultra is a smaller 6% reduction. This suggests that the High preset hits a sweet spot where visual quality gains outweigh the FPS cost. At 1440p, the pattern shifts: Low runs at 96 FPS, Medium at 75 FPS, High at 56 FPS, and Ultra at 54 FPS. The High-to-Ultra gap nearly disappears at this resolution, indicating that the GPU begins to saturate.

For the best experience per the measured rows, the Medium preset at 1080p (93 FPS) or High at 1080p (70 FPS) provides a balance. The Medium preset at 1440p (75 FPS) is also viable for players with 1440p monitors who want smoother motion. The Ultra preset at any resolution yields the lowest FPS (66 at 1080p, 54 at 1440p, 40 at 4K) and should be reserved for players who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate. The data shows that Ultra at 1440p (54 FPS) is nearly identical to High at 1440p (56 FPS), so there is little reason to choose Ultra over High at that resolution unless the extra graphical features are worth a 2 FPS difference. At 4K, the High preset (42 FPS) is borderline playable, while Medium (55 FPS) offers a more comfortable margin. For players targeting 60 FPS, the Medium preset at 1440p (75 FPS) or High at 1080p (70 FPS) are the closest matches, though neither hits exactly 60 FPS average.

Resolution Scaling — how FPS drops from 1080p to 4K and what it says about the limiting component

The measured FPS data shows a clear resolution scaling trend. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 119 FPS; at 1440p Low, it drops to 96 FPS (a 19% reduction); and at 4K Low, it falls to 71 FPS (a 40% reduction from 1440p). This pattern indicates that the RTX 4060 becomes the primary bottleneck as resolution increases, because the CPU workload remains relatively constant while the GPU must render more pixels. The same trend appears at Medium settings: 93 FPS at 1080p, 75 FPS at 1440p (19% drop), and 55 FPS at 4K (27% drop from 1440p). At High settings, the numbers are 70 FPS at 1080p, 56 FPS at 1440p (20% drop), and 42 FPS at 4K (25% drop).

The scaling from 1080p to 1440p is remarkably consistent — around 19-20% FPS loss across all settings — which suggests that the GPU's pixel throughput is the limiting factor. However, the scaling from 1440p to 4K is more variable: Low loses 26%, Medium loses 27%, High loses 25%, and Ultra loses 26%. This consistency across settings indicates that the GPU is fully saturated at 4K regardless of the graphics preset. The fact that Low at 4K (71 FPS) is still faster than Ultra at 1080p (66 FPS) reveals that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck even at 4K with low settings — the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 272.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for the lower-detail textures, but the rendering load still dominates.

The RTX 4060's 128-bit memory bus and 8 GB GDDR6 memory are adequate for 1080p and 1440p, but the 4K results (40-71 FPS depending on settings) show that this combo is best suited for 1080p or 1440p gaming. The minimum FPS data, available only for the Medium preset, shows 79 FPS at 1080p, 64 FPS at 1440p, and 47 FPS at 4K — these minima are within 15-17% of the averages, indicating relatively stable frame times without severe stuttering.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: Based on the measured FPS data, 1080p Medium (93 FPS) or 1440p Medium (75 FPS) offers the best balance of visual quality and frame rate. At 4K, even Low settings (71 FPS) are playable, but the GPU is clearly the limiting factor.

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

A: The combo ranks 1978th out of 3714 tested combos, placing it in the middle of the pack. This is slightly below the median, indicating that many other CPU-GPU pairings deliver higher frame rates in this game.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU more important for this game's performance?

A: The data shows that the GPU becomes the bottleneck at higher resolutions. At 1080p Low, the CPU keeps up with 119 FPS, but at 4K Low, the FPS drops to 71 while the CPU workload remains similar. The CPU's single-thread score of 1674 in Cinebench R23 suggests adequate performance for the game's simulation logic, but the GPU's 8 GB VRAM and 128-bit bus limit higher-resolution performance.

Q: What is the difference between High and Ultra settings at each resolution?

A: At 1080p, High runs at 70 FPS and Ultra at 66 FPS (a 6% difference). At 1440p, High runs at 56 FPS and Ultra at 54 FPS (a 4% difference). At 4K, High runs at 42 FPS and Ultra at 40 FPS (a 5% difference). The Ultra preset offers minimal FPS gains over High, making High the more efficient choice.

Q: Does the combo maintain stable frame rates, or are there large drops?

A: For the Medium preset, the minimum FPS values are 79 at 1080p, 64 at 1440p, and 47 at 4K. The difference between average and minimum FPS ranges from 14-15%, indicating reasonably stable frame pacing without severe hitches.

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

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 small deltas indicate that the 4060 sits in a competitive performance tier.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 features 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus, delivering 272.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU has a base clock of 1830 MHz and a boost clock of 2460 MHz, with a memory clock of 2125 MHz (17 Gbps effective). Its 3072 shading units, 96 TMUs, and 48 ROPs provide a peak pixel rate of 118.1 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 236.2 GTexel/s. The FP32 performance of 15.11 TFLOPS is adequate for a flight simulator that uses complex lighting and shadow calculations.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the GPU's role is to render terrain, aircraft models, and weather effects. The 8 GB VRAM is sufficient for 1080p and 1440p at all settings, as evidenced by the stable FPS numbers. However, at 4K Ultra, the combo drops to 40 FPS, suggesting that the VRAM capacity or bandwidth becomes a limiting factor for high-resolution textures. The GPU's 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 2302 and Passmark G3D score of 19545 place it in the 61st percentile of all GPUs, which is respectable but not top-tier. The Passmark DirectX 11 score of 175 and DirectX 12 score of 76 indicate that the GPU handles modern APIs well, though the game's performance is more dependent on the overall system balance.

The RTX 4060's 24 RT cores and 96 tensor cores support ray tracing and DLSS features, but the fact pack does not include DLSS-specific frame rate data. The GPU's 115 W TDP and dual-slot design make it a power-efficient choice, but the measured FPS results show that it cannot maintain 60 FPS at 4K High (42 FPS) or 1440p Ultra (54 FPS). At 1080p, the GPU delivers playable frame rates across all settings (66-119 FPS), confirming that this resolution is the sweet spot for this card in this game.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers the following average FPS: Low at 119, Medium at 93 (with minimum 79 and maximum 107), High at 70, and Ultra at 66. The step from Low to Medium is a 22% drop, Medium to High is a 25% drop, and High to Ultra is a 6% drop. This suggests that the Medium-to-High transition is the most demanding in terms of graphical features, while High to Ultra adds relatively little visual benefit for the FPS cost.

At 2560x1440, the results are: Low at 96, Medium at 75 (with minimum 64 and maximum 86), High at 56, and Ultra at 54. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is consistent across settings: Low loses 19%, Medium loses 19%, High loses 20%, and Ultra loses 18%. The Medium-to-High drop (25%) mirrors the 1080p pattern, while High-to-Ultra is only a 4% difference — the smallest gap of any resolution, indicating that the GPU is approaching its limits at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the results are: Low at 71, Medium at 55 (with minimum 47 and maximum 64), High at 42, and Ultra at 40. The drop from 1440p to 4K is more severe: Low loses 26%, Medium loses 27%, High loses 25%, and Ultra loses 26%. All settings at 4K fall below the 60 FPS threshold, with only Low (71 FPS) remaining comfortably playable. The Medium preset at 4K (55 FPS) is borderline, while High (42 FPS) and Ultra (40 FPS) are only suitable for players who prioritize visual fidelity over smoothness.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo ranks 1978th out of 3714 tested combinations in Microsoft Flight Simulator, placing it in the 53rd percentile of all combos (i.e., 53% of tested combinations perform better). This is a middling result that reflects the balance between the i3-12100F's modest 4-core/8-thread configuration and the RTX 4060's mid-range GPU performance. The CPU's average benchmark score of 13494 places it near several rivals: the Intel Core 3 N355 (13492, 0% delta), Intel Core i5-9500 (13452, 0.3% faster), Intel Core 5 120UL (13594, 0.7% slower), and Intel Core i7-1250U (13351, 1.1% faster). These tiny deltas indicate that the CPU is within a narrow performance band of its direct competitors.

The GPU's average benchmark score of 17639 sits close to the AMD Radeon HD 7790 (17666, 0.2% higher), AMD Radeon 780M (17588, 0.3% lower), AMD Radeon Pro 560 (17551, 0.5% lower), and AMD Radeon Pro 460 (17509, 0.7% lower). The 4060 is effectively tied with these rivals in synthetic tests, yet the in-game rank of 1978 out of 3714 shows that the overall system performance is more nuanced. The rank suggests that while each component individually performs near its peers, the combination does not synergize as well as higher-ranked pairings in a CPU-heavy game like Microsoft Flight Simulator. The data indicates that players with this combo should expect average performance — capable of 60+ FPS at 1080p with medium-to-high settings, but not competitive with higher-end systems that rank in the top quartile.