Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is one of the most demanding titles in the benchmark database, and the combination of the Intel Core i5-12400F with the AMD Radeon RX 570 produces results that are firmly in the lower tier of tested configurations. The data shows a system that is almost entirely limited by its graphics card at every resolution and settings level, with the CPU providing adequate, though not exceptional, support for the simulator’s complex simulation logic. The measured frame rates indicate that this combo is best suited for low-resolution, low-detail play, and that any attempt to push toward higher visual fidelity will result in a slideshow-like experience.

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

The Intel Core i5-12400F is a 6-core, 12-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. This chip sits in the 73rd percentile against all CPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 19,039. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS and the Intel Core 3 201E, with score deltas of 0% and -0.1%, respectively, indicating that the i5-12400F is a solid mid-range performer in synthetic tests.

For Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU’s role is primarily to handle the flight model, weather simulation, and AI traffic calculations. The 12 threads are beneficial for the simulator’s multi-threaded workload, and the single-thread performance — evidenced by a 3DMark single-thread score of 909 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 1,680 — is respectable for a chip in this class. However, the measured FPS results in this game tell a different story: at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 48 FPS, which is the highest score in the entire dataset. This suggests that the CPU is not the primary bottleneck at this setting; the GPU is.

The data reveals a pattern where increasing the resolution from 1080p to 4K at the same settings causes a dramatic drop in frame rate. For example, at Low settings, the average FPS falls from 48 at 1080p to 39 at 1440p, then to 29 at 4K. This scaling is typical of a GPU-bound scenario, where the CPU has enough headroom to feed the graphics card, but the graphics card cannot keep up with the increased pixel count. The i5-12400F’s performance in this context is adequate, but it is not a powerhouse; its multicore score of 12,380 in Cinebench R23 is roughly 40% higher than its nearest rival’s average, but this advantage does not translate into higher frame rates in this game because the GPU is the limiting factor.

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

The AMD Radeon RX 570 is an older Polaris 20 GPU built on a 14 nm process, with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth. Its base clock is 1,168 MHz, boosting to 1,244 MHz, and it houses 2,048 shading units. The GPU sits in the 74th percentile against all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 28,766, placing it near the AMD Radeon RX 6800M and the AMD Radeon R9 M295X, with deltas of -0.4% and 0.7%, respectively. This places it as a mid-range card from a bygone era, and the benchmark results confirm this.

The 4 GB VRAM is a critical limitation for Microsoft Flight Simulator, which is known for streaming high-resolution textures. The measured FPS at 4K Ultra is just 16 FPS, and at 4K High it is 17 FPS, indicating that the card is overwhelmed by the combination of high resolution and high-detail textures. The memory bandwidth of 224.0 GB/s is also insufficient for 4K workloads, as the card cannot feed the shaders fast enough. The GPU’s FP32 performance of 5.095 TFLOPS is modest by modern standards, and the data shows that even at 1080p Medium, the card only manages 38 FPS, which is below the threshold for smooth gameplay.

The RX 570’s performance relative to its rivals is telling: it is nearly identical to the RX 470, with a delta of -0.8%, and close to the Quadro RTX 8000, with a delta of 1.2%. This means that the card is not a significant step up from its predecessor, and its age is showing in this demanding simulator. The 4 GB memory limit is likely the reason why Ultra settings are unplayable even at 1080p, where the card only reaches 27 FPS. The GPU’s end-of-life production status and its 150 W TDP suggest that it was designed for 1080p gaming in its heyday, but not for the heavy texture streaming of a 2020-era flight simulator.

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

The resolution scaling data provides a clear picture of where the bottleneck lies. From 1080p to 4K, the average FPS drops by roughly 40-50% at every settings level. For instance, at Low settings, the FPS goes from 48 (1080p) to 39 (1440p) to 29 (4K), a drop of about 19% from 1080p to 1440p and an additional 26% from 1440p to 4K. At High settings, the FPS goes from 28 (1080p) to 23 (1440p) to 17 (4K), showing a more gradual decline. This pattern is a classic indicator of a GPU-bound system, where the CPU is capable of maintaining the same level of simulation at higher resolutions, but the GPU’s pixel throughput cannot keep pace.

The fact that the FPS does not drop more sharply between 1440p and 4K at High settings (from 23 to 17, a 26% drop) compared to the drop from 1080p to 1440p (from 28 to 23, an 18% drop) suggests that the GPU is already near its performance ceiling at 1440p. The 4 GB VRAM is likely being saturated at 1440p High, forcing the card to reduce texture quality, which mitigates the expected performance hit. In contrast, at Low settings, the VRAM is not a constraint, and the scaling is more linear, but the absolute FPS numbers are still low (29 at 4K), indicating that the GPU’s raw compute power is insufficient.

This scaling data also reveals that the CPU is not the limiting factor. If the i5-12400F were the bottleneck, the FPS would remain relatively constant across resolutions, as the CPU’s work is independent of pixel count. Instead, the FPS drops significantly with resolution, confirming that the RX 570 is the primary constraint. This is important for users to understand: upgrading the CPU would not improve frame rates in this configuration; only a GPU upgrade would.

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

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of the combo’s performance across three resolutions and four settings levels. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 27 (Ultra) to 48 (Low). Specifically, Low delivers 48 FPS, Medium delivers 38 FPS with a minimum of 32 and a maximum of 43, High delivers 28 FPS, and Ultra delivers 27 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra is negligible (only 1 FPS), suggesting that the Ultra preset adds extra effects that the GPU cannot render without a significant performance penalty, but the card is already so limited that the difference is minimal.

At 2560x1440, the average FPS ranges from 22 (Ultra) to 39 (Low). Low delivers 39 FPS, Medium delivers 30 FPS with a minimum of 26 and a maximum of 35, High delivers 23 FPS, and Ultra delivers 22 FPS. The drop from Low to Medium is 9 FPS, and from Medium to High is 7 FPS, but from High to Ultra is only 1 FPS. This indicates that the Ultra preset at 1440p is unplayable, and even High settings are below 30 FPS, which is the minimum for a playable experience in a flight simulator.

At 3840x2160, the average FPS ranges from 16 (Ultra) to 29 (Low). Low delivers 29 FPS, Medium delivers 22 FPS with a minimum of 19 and a maximum of 26, High delivers 17 FPS, and Ultra delivers 16 FPS. The 4K results are uniformly poor, with even Low settings barely reaching 30 FPS. The Medium settings at 4K show a minimum of 19 FPS, which is far below the threshold for smooth motion. This dataset makes it clear that 4K is not a viable resolution for this combo, regardless of settings.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

The combo of the Intel Core i5-12400F and AMD Radeon RX 570 ranks 3,538 out of 3,714 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the bottom 5% of all configurations, which is a stark contrast to the individual component percentiles. The CPU ranks in the 73rd percentile, and the GPU in the 74th, but the combination performs far worse than those individual scores would suggest. This is because the game is extremely demanding, and the RX 570 is simply not powerful enough to drive the simulator at acceptable frame rates.

The rank of 3,538 means that only 176 combos perform worse. These are likely systems with even older GPUs or lower-end CPUs. The data shows that this combo is at the edge of playability, with only the lowest settings at 1080p achieving a frame rate above 45 FPS. The nearest rivals for the GPU, such as the RX 470, would likely produce similar results, but the rank is what it is: this is a low-end configuration for this game. The high rank number also indicates that the majority of tested systems, including those with mid-range GPUs like the RX 570’s rivals, are positioned much higher in the rankings, confirming that this combo is not recommended for the simulator.

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

Based on the measured FPS data, the only settings that provide a remotely playable experience are at 1080p with Low or Medium presets. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 48 FPS, which is above the 30 FPS threshold for a playable flight simulator. At 1080p Medium, the FPS drops to 38 with a minimum of 32, which is still playable but with some stutter potential. The Medium preset offers a better visual experience than Low, but the 10 FPS difference between them might not be worth the visual upgrade for users who prioritize smoothness.

At 1440p, the only viable option is Low, which delivers 39 FPS, but this is below the 40 FPS mark that most users would consider smooth. Medium at 1440p delivers 30 FPS, which is borderline, but the minimum FPS of 26 suggests that there will be noticeable dips. High and Ultra at 1440p are not recommended, as they fall below 25 FPS. At 4K, none of the settings are playable, with the highest being 29 FPS at Low, which is still too low for a smooth experience.

Therefore, the best experience per the measured rows is achieved at 1080p with Medium settings. This gives an average FPS of 38, a minimum of 32, and a maximum of 43, which provides a balance between visual quality and performance. Users who are sensitive to frame rate drops may prefer 1080p Low at 48 FPS, but the Medium preset is the sweet spot for this hardware combination. Moving to 1440p or 4K is not recommended, as the FPS drops below playable levels.

FAQ — 4-6 Q&A pairs answerable from FACT PACK data

Q: What is the best resolution and settings combination for this CPU and GPU in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: The best experience is at 1080p with Medium settings, which yields an average FPS of 38, with a minimum of 32 and a maximum of 43. At 1080p Low, the average FPS is 48, but the visual quality is significantly lower.

Q: How does the FPS scale from 1080p to 4K at Low settings?

A: At Low settings, the average FPS drops from 48 at 1080p to 39 at 1440p, and then to 29 at 4K. This represents a 19% drop from 1080p to 1440p and an additional 26% drop from 1440p to 4K.

Q: Is the CPU or the GPU the limiting factor in this configuration?

A: The GPU is the limiting factor. The FPS drops significantly as resolution increases (e.g., from 28 at 1080p High to 17 at 4K High), which indicates a GPU bottleneck. The CPU has sufficient headroom, as evidenced by its 73rd percentile ranking.

Q: What is the combo's rank among all tested configurations in this game?

A: The combo ranks 3,538 out of 3,714 tested combos, placing it in the bottom 5% of all configurations tested for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Q: Can this combo handle Ultra settings at any resolution?

A: No. At 1080p Ultra, the average FPS is 27, at 1440p Ultra it is 22, and at 4K Ultra it is 16. All of these are below the playable threshold of 30 FPS.

Q: How does the RX 570 compare to its nearest rival, the RX 470, in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The RX 570 has an average benchmark score of 28,766, which is 0.8% lower than the RX 470’s score of 28,996. This indicates that the two cards are nearly identical in performance.