Microsoft Flight Simulator

The Intel Core i5-12400F paired with the AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT ranks in the 1368th position out of 1795 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places the configuration in the lower portion of the database, indicating that while it can run the game, it does so with significant compromises compared to higher-tier hardware. The data shows a system that is capable of delivering playable frame rates at lower settings, but struggles to maintain smooth performance when visual fidelity is prioritized, particularly at higher resolutions.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 1368 out of 1795 tested configurations places it in the bottom quarter of all systems measured for this title. This is a modest result, reflecting a hardware pairing that is functional but not optimized for the demanding nature of Microsoft Flight Simulator. The CPU, scoring in the 77th percentile against all processors, provides solid computational power, while the GPU, sitting in the 68th percentile against all graphics cards, is the more limiting factor in this pairing. The discrepancy between these percentile scores suggests that the graphics card is holding the system back from achieving higher overall performance in this simulation-heavy game.

Benchmark results indicate that the CPU is a competent performer, with its average benchmark score of 19221 placing it nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-8700K, which scores 19210 (a delta of just 0.1%). It also edges out the Intel Core i5-1335U by 0.3% (19167) and the AMD EPYC 7773X by 1.3% (18979). However, the AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS outperforms it slightly by 0.7% (19364). This puts the i5-12400F in a competitive mid-range position for processing power, but the GPU’s lower standing relative to other graphics cards means the system cannot fully leverage the CPU’s capabilities in graphically intensive scenarios.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT is built on the RDNA 1.0 architecture with a Navi 10 chip, featuring 8 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 256-bit bus. This provides a memory bandwidth of 448.0 GB/s, which is a substantial amount for a card of this generation. The GPU operates at a base clock of 1605 MHz and a boost clock of 1905 MHz, with a game clock of 1755 MHz. These specifications, combined with 2560 shading units, allow the card to deliver a pixel rate of 121.9 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 304.8 GTexel/s. In terms of raw compute, it offers 9.754 TFLOPS of FP32 performance.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the data shows that this GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher settings. At 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 101.2 FPS, but this drops to 57.4 FPS at High settings and 53.8 FPS at Ultra. The pattern is consistent across resolutions, with the gap between Low and Ultra widening as resolution increases. This indicates that while the GPU has enough memory bandwidth for the game’s textures, its compute power is insufficient to maintain high frame rates when the game’s rendering load increases. The card’s average benchmark score of 24731 places it just behind the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile (24763, a delta of -0.1%) and ahead of the Intel Arc A350M (24647, 0.3%) and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile (24592, 0.6%). This suggests the RX 5700 XT is a capable mid-range card, but it is not designed for the extreme demands of Flight Simulator at maximum settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12400F features 6 cores and 12 threads, running at a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz. It is built on the Alder Lake architecture using a 10 nm process, with 18 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration and offers PCIe Gen 5 with 20 lanes. In synthetic benchmarks, it scores 16518 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 2332 in single-core, with a Geekbench multi-core score of 9138 and a single-core score of 2221. Its Passmark multithread score is 19433, and single-thread is 3481.

For Microsoft Flight Simulator, which is known for its heavy reliance on single-core performance, the i5-12400F’s strong single-thread capabilities are an asset. The CPU’s 3DMark single-thread score of 909 and 2-thread score of 1699 indicate that it can handle the game’s primary simulation thread effectively. However, the data shows that this CPU power is not fully utilized when paired with the RX 5700 XT. At 1080p Low settings, the system hits 101.2 FPS, but this is likely close to the CPU’s limit for this title. When resolution increases to 4K, the frame rate drops to 60.2 FPS at Low settings, showing that the GPU is struggling to keep up with the increased pixel count. The CPU’s 77th percentile ranking and its near-identical performance to the Core i7-8700K (delta of 0.1%) confirm that it is not the limiting factor in most scenarios, but rather the GPU holds the system back from achieving higher frame rates.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo run Microsoft Flight Simulator at 60 FPS?

A: Yes, but only at lower settings. The data shows 60.2 FPS at 4K Low, 78.2 FPS at 1440p Low, and 101.2 FPS at 1080p Low. At Medium settings, it drops to 80 FPS at 1080p, but at High settings it falls to 57.4 FPS at 1080p.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in overall performance?

A: The Intel Core i5-12400F has an average benchmark score of 19221, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core i7-8700K (19210, delta 0.1%). It is also 0.3% faster than the Intel Core i5-1335U (19167) and 1.3% faster than the AMD EPYC 7773X (18979). The AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS is slightly faster at 19364 (delta -0.7%).

Q: What is the best resolution for this combo?

A: For a balance of visual quality and performance, 1440p Medium is a strong choice, delivering 61.6 FPS. At 1080p, Medium hits 80 FPS, but High drops to 57.4 FPS. At 4K, only Low settings achieve a playable 60.2 FPS.

Q: Is the GPU or CPU the main bottleneck in this system?

A: The GPU is the primary bottleneck. The CPU scores in the 77th percentile of all processors, while the GPU is in the 68th percentile. The frame rate drops are most pronounced when increasing resolution, which is a sign of GPU limitation.

Q: How does the RX 5700 XT rank against other GPUs?

A: It has an average benchmark score of 24731, placing it just behind the NVIDIA RTX A5000 Mobile (24763, delta -0.1%). It is ahead of the Intel Arc A350M (24647, delta 0.3%) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 Mobile (24592, delta 0.6%).

Q: What is the expected performance at 1080p Ultra?

A: The data shows an average of 53.8 FPS at 1080p Ultra. This is below the 60 FPS threshold, but it may be acceptable for a flight simulator where frame rates are less critical than in fast-paced action games.

Resolution Scaling

The data reveals a significant impact of resolution on frame rates. At Low settings, the system achieves 101.2 FPS at 1080p, 78.2 FPS at 1440p, and 60.2 FPS at 4K. This represents a 22.7% drop from 1080p to 1440p and a 40.5% drop from 1080p to 4K. At High settings, the frame rates are 57.4 FPS at 1080p, 47.5 FPS at 1440p, and 33.8 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 4K at High settings is 41.1%, which is a larger percentage decrease than at Low settings.

This pattern indicates that the GPU is the limiting component. When resolution increases, the rendering load on the GPU grows, causing frame rates to drop disproportionately. The CPU has enough headroom to maintain consistent performance, but the RX 5700 XT cannot keep up with the increased pixel count. At Ultra settings, the system falls to 30.2 FPS at 4K, which is barely playable. The scaling from 1440p to 4K at Ultra is a drop from 42.9 FPS to 30.2 FPS, a 29.6% decrease, further confirming that the GPU is struggling under the load of higher resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the optimal settings for this combo depend on the user’s priority for visual fidelity versus frame rate. For a smooth 60 FPS experience, Low settings are required at 4K (60.2 FPS) and 1440p (78.2 FPS). At 1080p, Low settings deliver 101.2 FPS, which is well above the threshold. If the user prefers better visuals, Medium settings provide 80 FPS at 1080p and 61.6 FPS at 1440p, both of which are playable. However, at 4K Medium, the frame rate drops to 42.8 FPS, which may be acceptable for a flight simulator but is not ideal.

High settings are viable at 1080p with 57.4 FPS, but this is below 60 FPS. At 1440p High, the frame rate drops to 47.5 FPS, and at 4K High, it falls to 33.8 FPS. Ultra settings are not recommended for this combo, as they only achieve 53.8 FPS at 1080p and 30.2 FPS at 4K. The best experience for most users would be 1440p Medium, which offers a balance of visual quality and performance at 61.6 FPS, or 1080p Medium at 80 FPS for a more fluid experience.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The following table details the exact average frame rates measured for this combo across all resolutions and settings:

| Resolution | Settings | Avg FPS |

|------------|----------|---------|

| 3840x2160 | High | 33.8 |

| 3840x2160 | Low | 60.2 |

| 3840x2160 | Medium | 42.8 |

| 3840x2160 | Ultra | 30.2 |

| 2560x1440 | High | 47.5 |

| 2560x1440 | Low | 78.2 |

| 2560x1440 | Medium | 61.6 |

| 2560x1440 | Ultra | 42.9 |

| 1920x1080 | High | 57.4 |

| 1920x1080 | Low | 101.2 |

| 1920x1080 | Medium | 80 |

| 1920x1080 | Ultra | 53.8 |

The data shows a clear progression: at every resolution, Low settings provide the highest frame rates, while Ultra settings provide the lowest. The gap between Low and Ultra is most pronounced at 4K, where the difference is 30 FPS (60.2 vs 30.2). At 1080p, the gap is 47.4 FPS (101.2 vs 53.8). This indicates that the GPU’s performance ceiling is reached quickly as settings are increased, and users should expect to make significant compromises in visual quality to achieve smooth frame rates. For a consistent experience, Medium settings at 1440p offer the best trade-off, with 61.6 FPS, while those seeking higher frame rates should consider 1080p Medium at 80 FPS.