Microsoft Flight Simulator

# Microsoft Flight Simulator: Intel Core i5-10400F + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER

This combination delivers a fundamentally GPU-limited experience at 4K, with the RTX 4080 SUPER's raw throughput keeping frame rates playable even under Ultra settings, while the Core i5-10400F's six cores prove sufficient to feed the GPU at lower resolutions. The data shows a system that excels at High settings across all resolutions, with diminishing returns and growing CPU pressure as resolution drops.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a classic resolution-scaling curve that shifts from GPU-bound at 4K to increasingly CPU-sensitive at 1080p. At 4K Ultra, the combo produces 67.2 FPS, which rises to 70.9 FPS at High settings — a modest 5.5% improvement. This tight grouping indicates the GPU is the primary constraint at 3840x2160, as the RTX 4080 SUPER's 52.22 TFLOPS FP32 throughput and 736.3 GB/s memory bandwidth are being fully utilized.

Moving to 1440p, the pattern changes noticeably. Ultra settings yield 95 FPS, while High settings reach 97.1 FPS — nearly identical. The gap between Low (122.8 FPS) and Ultra (95 FPS) spans 27.8 FPS, showing that the GPU still has headroom but the CPU begins to assert influence. At 1080p, the scaling flattens dramatically: Low produces 132.7 FPS, Medium 125.6 FPS, High 112.5 FPS, and Ultra 107 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 1080p is only 25.7 FPS, compared to 47.8 FPS at 4K between the same settings. This compression indicates that the i5-10400F's 12 threads and 4.30 GHz boost clock become the limiting factor as pixel count drops.

The data suggests that at 4K, the RTX 4080 SUPER's 16 GB of GDDR6X memory and 80 RT cores are the dominant variables. At 1080p, the CPU's Cinebench R23 multicore score of 10297 and single-core score of 1453 become more relevant, as the flight simulator's simulation logic and draw-call processing scale with core count and per-thread performance.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 1440p High settings as the sweet spot, delivering 97.1 FPS. This balances the GPU's capability with the CPU's limits, avoiding the 1080p CPU bottleneck visible in the compressed scaling between Low and Ultra.

Q: Does this CPU bottleneck the RTX 4080 SUPER in this game?

A: At 1080p, yes. The 132.7 FPS Low to 107 FPS Ultra spread at 1920x1080, compared to the 4K spread of 115 FPS Low to 67.2 FPS Ultra, indicates that the i5-10400F's 6 cores and 12 threads cannot fully utilize the GPU at lower resolutions. At 1440p and above, the GPU becomes the limiting factor.

Q: How does the i5-10400F rank against other CPUs in this build?

A: The CPU places in the 73rd percentile of all tested CPUs, with an average benchmark score of 14168. It sits within 1.2% of the AMD Ryzen 3 7320C and Intel Core i5-8500, showing it is a mid-pack performer in synthetic tests, though its real-world gaming results depend on the specific title.

Q: Is the RTX 4080 SUPER worth pairing with this older CPU?

A: The data shows the GPU still provides strong performance, with the 4K Ultra result of 67.2 FPS being playable. The GPU's 88th percentile ranking and 34245 Passmark G3D score indicate it is the dominant component, but the CPU's 73rd percentile ranking means some performance is left on the table at lower resolutions.

Q: What settings should be avoided at 4K?

A: The Ultra preset at 3840x2160 produces 67.2 FPS, which is noticeably lower than the High preset's 70.9 FPS. The 3.7 FPS difference between these settings suggests that the incremental visual fidelity from Ultra is not worth the performance cost, especially given the simulation's demanding nature.

Q: How does this combo rank against other tested configurations?

A: This specific combo ranks 310th out of 1795 tested combinations, placing it in the top 17.3% of all tested systems for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This is a strong showing given the CPU's age relative to the GPU's newer architecture.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 310 out of 1795 tested combinations places this system in the 82.7th percentile of all tested configurations for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This is a respectable position, but the gap between the CPU and GPU rankings is telling. The RTX 4080 SUPER ranks in the 88th percentile of all GPUs, while the i5-10400F sits in the 73rd percentile of all CPUs. This 15-point discrepancy suggests that the CPU is the weaker link in this pairing.

The GPU's nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (0.2% ahead) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti (2.9% behind), showing that the 4080 SUPER is competitive with newer and older high-end cards. The CPU's nearest rivals, including the AMD EPYC 7552 (0.4% ahead) and Intel Core i5-8500 (1.1% behind), demonstrate that the i5-10400F is firmly in the mid-range tier.

In the context of Flight Simulator specifically, the measured FPS data shows that this combo outperforms many higher-ranked configurations at 4K High settings, where the GPU's strengths are most relevant. The rank of 310 suggests that while there are 309 faster combos, they likely feature newer CPUs that avoid the 1080p bottleneck observed in this data.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 3840x2160, the measured FPS across settings shows a clear hierarchy: Low produces 115 FPS, Medium 97.2 FPS, High 70.9 FPS, and Ultra 67.2 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium is 17.8 FPS, while Medium to High costs 26.3 FPS, and High to Ultra only 3.7 FPS. This pattern indicates that the High to Ultra transition has diminishing returns, making High the most efficient 4K setting.

At 2560x1440, the numbers compress: Low delivers 122.8 FPS, Medium 116.1 FPS, High 97.1 FPS, and Ultra 95 FPS. The Low to Medium gap shrinks to 6.7 FPS, while Medium to High costs 19 FPS. The High to Ultra difference is just 2.1 FPS, again suggesting High is the optimal choice for visual quality per frame.

At 1920x1080, the spread narrows further: Low reaches 132.7 FPS, Medium 125.6 FPS, High 112.5 FPS, and Ultra 107 FPS. The Low to Medium difference is 7.1 FPS, Medium to High is 13.1 FPS, and High to Ultra is 5.5 FPS. The 1080p results are consistently higher than 1440p, but the margin between Low and Ultra shrinks from 47.8 FPS at 4K to 25.7 FPS at 1080p, confirming the CPU bottleneck.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-10400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on Comet Lake architecture, built on Intel's 14 nm process. Its base clock of 2.90 GHz and boost clock of 4.30 GHz provide the single-thread performance needed for Flight Simulator's simulation logic, which relies heavily on per-core performance. The CPU's Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1453 and multicore score of 10297 indicate that it can handle the game's physics and AI computations, but its 12 MB of shared L3 cache is modest by modern standards.

In this game, the CPU's role becomes evident when comparing 1080p Low (132.7 FPS) to 4K Low (115 FPS). The 17.7 FPS difference at Low settings, where GPU load is minimal, directly reflects the CPU's ability to process the simulation at higher frame rates. The Passmark multithread score of 12115 and single-thread score of 2541 reinforce that this is a mid-range processor that can maintain playable frame rates but cannot push beyond the 132.7 FPS ceiling observed at 1080p Low.

The CPU's 73rd percentile ranking versus the GPU's 88th percentile means that in CPU-bound scenarios, such as low-resolution high-refresh-rate play, the i5-10400F will limit the RTX 4080 SUPER's potential. However, at 4K, where the GPU dominates, the CPU's 6 cores and 12 threads are sufficient to avoid major stuttering, as evidenced by the consistent 67.2-70.9 FPS range at Ultra and High settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data strongly favors High settings across all resolutions. At 4K, High delivers 70.9 FPS versus Ultra's 67.2 FPS — a 5.5% improvement that is likely imperceptible in a flight simulator where camera movement is often slow and deliberate. At 1440p, High's 97.1 FPS is just 2.2% faster than Ultra's 95 FPS, making either choice viable. At 1080p, High's 112.5 FPS is 5.1% faster than Ultra's 107 FPS.

For the best experience, 1440p High is the recommended configuration, as it provides 97.1 FPS while maintaining visual fidelity. The 4K High setting at 70.9 FPS is also excellent for players prioritizing resolution over frame rate, given that the simulation genre does not require competitive-level responsiveness. Medium settings at 4K (97.2 FPS) offer a middle ground for those who want higher frame rates without dropping to Low.

Low settings are only recommended for players targeting maximum frame rates, as the 4K Low result of 115 FPS and 1080p Low result of 132.7 FPS show that this preset fully relieves GPU pressure but sacrifices visual quality. The data does not support using Ultra at 4K, as the 67.2 FPS result is the lowest measured and the visual gains over High are marginal.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is the dominant component in this pairing, with its 16 GB of GDDR6X memory, 256-bit bus, and 736.3 GB/s bandwidth proving essential for 4K textures in Flight Simulator. The GPU's 10240 shading units and 80 RT cores handle the game's complex rendering of terrain, weather, and aircraft models, with the 52.22 TFLOPS FP32 throughput providing ample compute headroom.

The GPU's benchmark scores reinforce its high-end positioning: a Passmark G3D score of 34245 and a 3DMark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6600 place it in the 88th percentile of all GPUs. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT (0.2% ahead) and the AMD Radeon RX 7700S (2.1% behind), indicating that the 4080 SUPER is competitive with the previous generation's flagship and current mid-high range cards.

In Flight Simulator specifically, the GPU's role is most pronounced at 4K, where the 115 FPS Low result demonstrates that even at minimal settings, the GPU can push high frame rates, but the 67.2 FPS Ultra result shows the cost of enabling full visual fidelity. The 16 GB VRAM capacity is likely a factor in the game's texture streaming, as Flight Simulator is known for its large world textures, and the 736.3 GB/s bandwidth ensures that data can be fed to the GPU without stuttering.

The GPU's 320 W TDP and triple-slot cooler suggest that thermal management is not a concern for sustained performance, and its launch MSRP of 999 USD positions it as a premium component that justifies its role as the primary performance driver in this combo.