Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator presents one of the most demanding workloads in the benchmark database, and the pairing of the Intel Core i5-11400F with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 yields a specific performance profile that hinges heavily on resolution and graphical presets. The measured data reveals a system that is capable of smooth flight at lower resolutions but becomes increasingly constrained as pixel count and visual fidelity rise, with the GPU emerging as the primary bottleneck in most scenarios.

Resolution Scaling

The transition from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 produces a dramatic and consistent drop in average frame rates across all settings, signaling that the rendering load scales aggressively with pixel count. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 106 at 1080p to 63 at 4K, a reduction of roughly 40%. Medium settings show a similar trajectory, dropping from 82 FPS at 1080p to 49 FPS at 4K, while High settings decline from 62 FPS to 37 FPS over the same resolution span. Ultra settings, already the heaviest preset, drop from 59 FPS at 1080p to 35 FPS at 4K.

This scaling pattern indicates that the RTX 5050’s rendering throughput is the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The gap between 1080p and 1440p is noticeable but manageable, with Low settings still delivering 85 FPS at 2560x1440. However, the jump from 1440p to 4K is punishing; every preset loses between 12 and 15 FPS on average, pushing the experience below the 60 FPS threshold for all but the Low preset. The data shows that 4K gaming is only viable at the lowest settings, while 1440p offers a more balanced compromise, and 1080p remains the resolution where this combo can fully stretch its legs.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-11400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Rocket Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.60 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. It communicates with the rest of the system via a dual-channel DDR4 memory interface, providing 51.2 GB/s of bandwidth. In synthetic benchmarks, the chip posts a multicore score of 14340 in Cinebench R23 and a single-core score of 2024, which places it in the 71st percentile of all CPUs tested.

For a flight simulator, the CPU’s role is typically more pronounced than in other genres due to complex physics, AI traffic, and scenery streaming. However, the measured FPS data suggests that the i5-11400F is not the primary constraint in this pairing, particularly at higher resolutions. The average FPS difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1080p is 47 FPS (from 106 to 59), which is a much larger delta than what pure CPU-bound workloads would typically exhibit. This indicates that the GPU is doing the heavy lifting in determining frame rates.

That said, the CPU’s 12 threads provide sufficient headroom for the simulator’s background tasks. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 5619 and the max-thread score of 5652 show that the processor scales reasonably well with multithreaded loads, and the single-thread score of 868 in 3DMark suggests adequate per-core performance for the main simulation loop. Compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-11400F sits within a tight band: it trails the AMD EPYC 7H12 by only 0.3% and leads the Intel Core i5-12450H by 0.4%, indicating that its compute capabilities are broadly in line with similarly classed parts. The data does not show a scenario where the CPU causes a hard frame rate cap, as even the lowest 4K result (35 FPS at Ultra) is far below the CPU’s likely ceiling.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050 is built on the Blackwell 2.0 architecture and features 2560 shading units, 80 texture mapping units, and 32 ROPs, along with 20 ray tracing cores and 80 tensor cores. It operates at a base clock of 2317 MHz and a boost clock of 2572 MHz, with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 128-bit bus delivering 320.0 GB/s of bandwidth. This memory configuration is a key factor in the 4K results, as the capacity is modest for such a high-resolution workload.

The GPU’s synthetic performance places it in the 66th percentile of all GPUs, with a Passmark G3D score of 17326. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, which it leads by 1.6%, and the AMD Radeon RX Vega M GL, which trails it by 0.6%. These margins are small, suggesting that the RTX 5050 is positioned in a competitive mid-range segment.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the GPU’s limitations become apparent as resolution and settings increase. The measured FPS data shows that the RTX 5050 can deliver 106 FPS at 1080p Low, but this drops to 59 FPS at 1080p Ultra. At 4K, the GPU’s pixel throughput and memory bandwidth are insufficient to maintain high frame rates, with the Ultra preset yielding only 35 FPS. The 8 GB VRAM buffer is likely a contributing factor, as the simulator’s high-resolution textures and complex scenery can exceed this capacity, leading to the observed performance degradation. The data points to the GPU as the definitive bottleneck at 1440p and above, while at 1080p it still has enough headroom to provide playable frame rates across all presets.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the i5-11400F and RTX 5050 combination delivers its strongest results. The Low preset achieves an average of 106 FPS, which is exceptionally smooth for a flight simulator. Medium settings reduce this to 82 FPS, with a minimum of 70 FPS and a maximum of 95 FPS, showing good frame pacing consistency. High settings bring the average down to 62 FPS, still comfortably above the 60 FPS target. Ultra settings, however, dip to 59 FPS, which is marginally below that threshold but still playable.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates decline by roughly 20-25% across the board. Low settings average 85 FPS, which remains fluid. Medium settings produce 66 FPS on average, with a minimum of 57 FPS and a maximum of 76 FPS, indicating some variance but generally stable performance. High settings drop to 50 FPS, which starts to feel less responsive, and Ultra settings fall to 48 FPS. At this resolution, the experience is best described as playable but with noticeable compromises on the higher presets.

At 3840x2160, the GPU is clearly overwhelmed. Low settings yield an average of 63 FPS, which is playable, but Medium settings drop to 49 FPS with a minimum of 42 FPS, which may cause noticeable stutters. High settings average 37 FPS, and Ultra settings average 35 FPS, both of which are below the threshold for a smooth experience. The data shows a clear progression: 1080p is the sweet spot, 1440p is acceptable for lower presets, and 4K is only viable at Low settings.

How This Combo Ranks

In the global ranking of tested CPU-GPU combinations for Microsoft Flight Simulator, this pairing sits at rank 1814 out of 2996 total combos. This places it in the lower half of the distribution, which aligns with the measured FPS results that show it struggling at higher resolutions. The rank reflects the aggregate performance across all tested settings and resolutions, and the data indicates that while the combo is capable at 1080p, it cannot compete with higher-end configurations that maintain 60+ FPS at 1440p or 4K.

The rank is not surprising given the mid-range positioning of both components. The i5-11400F’s 71st percentile CPU standing and the RTX 5050’s 66th percentile GPU standing suggest that individual parts are competent, but the combination does not boost either component to a top-tier status. The delta between this combo and higher-ranked ones is likely driven by the GPU’s 8 GB memory and limited bus width, which become apparent in this simulator’s demanding scenery. For users targeting 1080p, this rank understates the actual playability, but for those expecting high-refresh 1440p or 4K, the ranking accurately reflects the hardware’s limitations.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the target resolution. At 1920x1080, the High preset at 62 FPS offers the best balance between visual quality and smoothness, as it stays above the 60 FPS threshold while providing a significant upgrade over Medium’s 82 FPS. The Ultra preset at 59 FPS is a marginal downgrade in performance and may not be worth the extra visual load, given the small FPS delta.

At 2560x1440, the Medium preset at 66 FPS is the recommended choice. It delivers a playable frame rate with a minimum of 57 FPS, which is acceptable for a simulator. The Low preset at 85 FPS is smoother but sacrifices too much visual detail, while High at 50 FPS and Ultra at 48 FPS are below the 60 FPS target and may result in a less fluid experience.

At 3840x2160, the only viable option is the Low preset, which averages 63 FPS. Medium at 49 FPS is borderline, but the minimum of 42 FPS suggests potential stuttering. High and Ultra at 37 and 35 FPS respectively are not recommended for a playable experience. For users who prioritize visual fidelity over frame rate, Medium at 1440p is the highest setting that maintains a reasonable performance level, while 1080p Ultra is the ceiling for this combo without entering sub-60 FPS territory.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the optimal resolution, as all presets except Ultra average above 59 FPS. At 2560x1440, only Low and Medium presets exceed 60 FPS, while at 3840x2160, only Low settings achieve a playable 63 FPS average.

Q: How does the RTX 5050 compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT?

A: According to the benchmark data, the RTX 5050 has an average score of 21035, which is 1.6% higher than the RX 5600 XT’s score of 20713. This indicates a slight performance advantage, but the difference is minimal.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor at 4K resolution?

A: The measured FPS drop from 1080p to 4K, such as from 106 to 63 FPS at Low settings, strongly indicates that the GPU is the limiting component. The RTX 5050’s 8 GB VRAM and 320.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for the high pixel count, while the i5-11400F’s 12 threads provide adequate processing power.

Q: What is the average FPS at 1440p with Medium settings?

A: The measured data shows an average of 66 FPS at 2560x1440 with Medium settings, with a minimum of 57 FPS and a maximum of 76 FPS.

Q: How does the i5-11400F perform relative to the Intel Core i5-12450H in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The i5-11400F has an average benchmark score of 17177, which is 0.4% higher than the i5-12450H’s score of 17239. This places the two processors nearly on par, with the i5-11400F having a very slight edge.

Q: Can this combo run Microsoft Flight Simulator at 4K with High settings?

A: No. The measured average FPS at 3840x2160 with High settings is 37 FPS, which is well below the 60 FPS target and likely to result in a stuttery experience. Only the Low preset at 4K achieves a playable average of 63 FPS.