Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator presents one of the most demanding workloads in PC gaming, and the pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti produces a fascinating dataset. The measured frames per second reveal a system that is clearly GPU-bound at higher resolutions but shows signs of CPU limitation at 1080p, particularly when settings are lowered. The data suggests a configuration capable of smooth flight at 4K Ultra, yet one where the choice of settings and resolution dramatically reshapes the performance profile, making the relationship between the processor's six cores and the graphics card's 12 GB of memory the central story of this analysis.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average frame rate recorded for this combo in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: The highest average frame rate in the measured data is 164 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the Core i5-12400 compare to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i3-14100F?

A: The data shows the Core i5-12400 has an average benchmark score of 18683, while the Intel Core i3-14100F has an average score of 18519, making the i5-12400 0.9% faster.

Q: What is the lowest average frame rate recorded for this combo at 4K resolution?

A: The lowest average frame rate at 3840x2160 is 54 FPS, which occurs with Ultra settings.

Q: Is the RTX 3080 Ti more powerful than the AMD Radeon Pro 5300 according to the benchmark data?

A: Yes, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti has an average benchmark score of 41187, which is 0.8% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro 5300's score of 40870.

Q: What is the combined ranking of this specific CPU and GPU pairing among all tested combos in this game?

A: This combo ranks 895th out of 3714 tested combinations, placing it in the top quarter of all systems.

Q: Does the 4K Medium setting provide a higher average frame rate than the 1440p High setting?

A: No, the 4K Medium setting yields an average of 76 FPS, while the 1440p High setting yields a higher average of 77 FPS.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti is the undisputed performance driver in this configuration, and its specifications within the FACT PACK illuminate why it handles Microsoft Flight Simulator's immense visual load so effectively. At the heart of the card is the GA102 chip, built on Samsung's 8 nm process, with a die size of 628 mm². This large physical footprint houses 28,300 million transistors, enabling the card's 10,240 shading units and 112 ROPs. The memory subsystem is equally formidable, featuring 12 GB of GDDR6X on a 384-bit bus, which delivers a bandwidth of 912.4 GB/s. This massive memory bandwidth is critical for a flight simulator that streams vast amounts of terrain and texture data.

The clock speeds, with a base of 1365 MHz and a boost of 1665 MHz, allow the card to reach a peak FP32 performance of 34.10 TFLOPS. This raw compute power is what allows the GPU to render the complex geometry of cockpits, airports, and photogrammetry cities. The data shows that this power translates into playable frame rates even at the most demanding settings. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the card maintains an average of 54 FPS, and at High settings at the same resolution, it pushes that to 57 FPS. The card's 83rd percentile ranking among all GPUs further confirms its high-end status. Interestingly, the nearest rival data shows it is only 0.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro 5300, a workstation card, and 2% ahead of the newer NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070, suggesting that the 3080 Ti's raw bandwidth and core count keep it competitive with more modern architectures.

The 12 GB VRAM capacity deserves particular attention. In a game like Microsoft Flight Simulator, which can load enormous textures for ground detail and aircraft models, the difference between 12 GB and smaller pools can mean the difference between smooth streaming and severe stutter. The measured data, which shows a 76 FPS average at 4K Medium, indicates the card has sufficient memory headroom to avoid becoming a bottleneck at that setting. The gap between Low (97 FPS) and Ultra (54 FPS) at 4K is a 43 FPS swing, demonstrating how much the GPU's shading and texture units are taxed as settings increase.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo rank of 895 out of 3714 total tested combinations places this system in the 76th percentile of all configurations tested for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This is a strong result, but it is not in the top tier. The data suggests that while the RTX 3080 Ti is a high-end card, the Core i5-12400, with only 6 cores and 12 threads, holds the system back from reaching the absolute pinnacle of performance. The CPU's percentile rank of 72nd among all processors is slightly lower than the GPU's 83rd percentile, indicating a mild imbalance.

This ranking implies that in a game that is known to be heavily CPU-dependent for its simulation logic and draw-call processing, the i5-12400 is the limiting factor. The measured FPS data supports this interpretation. At 1080p with Low settings, the system reaches 164 FPS, but the frame rate scaling from 1080p to 1440p and then to 4K is not linear. The jump from 164 FPS at 1080p Low to 132 FPS at 1440p Low is a 20% drop, while dropping from 1440p Low to 4K Low (97 FPS) is a further 27% drop. This gradual decline suggests the CPU is still able to feed the GPU frames at 1080p, but the GPU is working progressively harder as resolution increases.

When compared to other combos, this rank of 895 indicates that a significant number of systems with more powerful CPUs (likely 8-core or 16-core parts) achieve higher frame rates, particularly at lower resolutions. The delta between this combo and higher-ranked ones would be most pronounced at 1080p, where the CPU's single-thread and multi-thread performance becomes the primary driver. The data shows the i5-12400 has a single-thread score of 910 in 3dmark and a multi-thread score of 5890 in 3dmark_max_threads, which are respectable but not top-tier numbers. In a flight simulator, the main thread's performance is often the arbiter of maximum FPS, and this CPU's six cores may struggle to keep up with the RTX 3080 Ti's raw output at lower resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of how this system scales across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system demonstrates its peak performance, with an average of 164 FPS at Low settings, 127 FPS at Medium, 96 FPS at High, and 91 FPS at Ultra. The Medium preset shows a minimum of 108 FPS and a maximum of 146 FPS, indicating a stable frame time distribution. The gap between High and Ultra at 1080p is only 5 FPS (96 vs. 91), suggesting that the CPU is beginning to limit performance at these settings, as the GPU should be able to handle the extra load without such a small penalty.

Moving to 2560x1440, the system remains highly capable. The Low preset delivers an average of 132 FPS, which is still exceptionally smooth for a flight simulator. Medium drops to 103 FPS, with a minimum of 87 FPS and a maximum of 118 FPS. High settings yield 77 FPS, and Ultra produces 74 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at 1440p is a mere 3 FPS (77 vs. 74), further reinforcing the notion of a CPU bottleneck at these settings. The transition from 1080p to 1440p at Ultra only costs 17 FPS (91 to 74), which is a smaller drop than the resolution change would suggest if the system were purely GPU-bound.

At 3840x2160, the system finally exhibits classic GPU-bound behavior. The Low preset averages 97 FPS, which is a significant drop from the 132 FPS at 1440p. Medium averages 76 FPS, with a minimum of 64 FPS and a maximum of 87 FPS. High dips to 57 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 54 FPS. The scaling from High to Ultra at 4K is only 3 FPS (57 to 54), which is a pattern that appears across all resolutions. This suggests that the Ultra preset introduces settings that are particularly taxing on the GPU's compute units, but the CPU is still able to keep up with the frame generation demands at this resolution.

Settings Recommendations

The data provides a clear picture of which settings offer the best balance of visual fidelity and performance for this specific combo. For users with a 1920x1080 display, the Ultra preset at 91 FPS is the most sensible choice. The 5 FPS difference between High and Ultra is negligible, and the extra visual quality from Ultra settings is likely worth the minor performance hit. The Medium preset at 127 FPS is a viable option for those seeking higher refresh rates, but the 36 FPS difference between Medium and Ultra does not justify the loss of graphical detail in a game where visual immersion is paramount.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 77 FPS is the recommended starting point. This provides a 60+ FPS experience with high-quality textures and shadows. The Ultra preset at 74 FPS is also playable, and the 3 FPS difference from High is trivial. The Medium preset at 103 FPS is an excellent choice for users with high-refresh-rate monitors, as it offers a 26 FPS advantage over High. The Low preset at 132 FPS is only recommended for competitive or testing scenarios, as the visual quality degradation would be too severe for a sim.

For 4K displays, the Medium preset at 76 FPS is the clear winner. It provides a playable frame rate above 60 FPS while maintaining a level of visual detail that does not look outdated. The High preset at 57 FPS is a borderline experience, as it hovers near the 60 FPS target but may suffer from occasional dips. The Ultra preset at 54 FPS is the most visually impressive but is only suitable for users who prioritize graphics over frame rate and are tolerant of sub-60 FPS performance. The Low preset at 97 FPS is a viable option for those who want the smoothest experience, but the visual compromise is substantial. Overall, the data indicates that the Medium preset at 4K offers the best compromise between the 76 FPS average and the 64 FPS minimum recorded.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400 is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake-S architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. Its base clock of 2.50 GHz and boost clock of 4.40 GHz provide the single-thread performance that is crucial for Microsoft Flight Simulator's simulation logic. The CPU's benchmark scores are revealing: a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 15989 and a single-core score of 2257. The 3dmark single-thread score is 910, while the max-threads score is 5890. These numbers indicate a processor that is strong for gaming but not a top-tier performer in multi-threaded workloads.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU is responsible for calculating flight dynamics, weather, AI traffic, and the game's core simulation loop. The data from the measured FPS suggests that the i5-12400 is a capable partner for the RTX 3080 Ti, but it is not without its limitations. At 1080p with Low settings, the system hits 164 FPS, which is likely near the CPU's maximum frame generation capability. The fact that the FPS does not scale linearly with resolution at lower settings points to a CPU-bound scenario at 1080p. For example, the jump from 1080p Low (164 FPS) to 1440p Low (132 FPS) is a 32 FPS drop, which is less than the 27% reduction in pixel count, indicating the CPU is still the primary constraint.

The CPU's 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core help it manage the game's data streams. Its 65W TDP suggests it runs efficiently, but its six physical cores may be a limitation in a game that can utilize more threads for tasks like terrain loading. The nearest rival data shows the i5-12400 is only 0.1% slower than the AMD EPYC 7643 and 0.3% slower than the Intel Core i7-1355U, which is a surprising result given the EPYC is a server-class chip. This suggests that for this game's workload, the i5-12400's high clock speeds compensate for its lower core count, and it competes well with other processors in the same performance bracket. However, the 72nd percentile ranking among all CPUs indicates that a significant portion of processors offer better performance, likely leading to higher FPS in CPU-bound scenarios.

Resolution Scaling

The resolution scaling data from the FACT PACK reveals the shifting bottleneck between the CPU and GPU. From 1920x1080 to 2560x1440, the average FPS across all settings drops by a factor of approximately 0.8, with the Low preset dropping from 164 to 132 FPS, Medium from 127 to 103 FPS, High from 96 to 77 FPS, and Ultra from 91 to 74 FPS. This is a consistent reduction of around 20-25%, which is less than the 78% increase in pixel count from 1080p to 1440p. This indicates that the system is not purely GPU-bound at 1080p; if it were, the FPS would drop more significantly with the increase in resolution.

When moving from 2560x1440 to 3840x2160, the FPS drops are more pronounced. The Low preset falls from 132 to 97 FPS, a 27% reduction. Medium falls from 103 to 76 FPS, a 26% reduction. High falls from 77 to 57 FPS, a 26% reduction. Ultra falls from 74 to 54 FPS, a 27% reduction. This consistent ~27% drop across all settings when moving to 4K indicates that the GPU is now the limiting factor. The pixel count increases by 125% from 1440p to 4K, but the FPS only drops by 27%, which reflects the RTX 3080 Ti's raw bandwidth and compute power. The data suggests that the GPU has enough headroom to handle the increased resolution without a proportional loss in frame rate, but the CPU is no longer the primary constraint.

The most telling comparison is between the Low and Ultra presets at each resolution. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 73 FPS (164 vs. 91), which is a 45% reduction. At 1440p, the difference is 58 FPS (132 vs. 74), a 44% reduction. At 4K, the difference is 43 FPS (97 vs. 54), a 44% reduction. This consistent percentage gap between Low and Ultra across resolutions suggests that the GPU's compute load scales proportionally with settings, but the absolute FPS values are capped by the CPU at lower resolutions. The data implies that at 4K, the GPU is finally able to flex its full muscles, and the system is entirely GPU-bound, with the CPU providing frames fast enough to keep the card fed. The result is a system that offers a playable 4K experience at Medium settings and a highly playable 1440p experience at Ultra, with the resolution scaling data clearly indicating that the RTX 3080 Ti is the star of this show, while the i5-12400 is a competent, if not exceptional, supporting actor.