Microsoft Flight Simulator

The Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER combination produces a playable but constrained experience in Microsoft Flight Simulator, with the data clearly indicating that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions. The performance curve shows that while the combo can approach 100 FPS at 1080p on Low settings, it falls to roughly a third of that figure at 4K Ultra, revealing a system that is far better suited to 1080p and 1440p gaming than to 4K. The benchmark results place this pairing at rank 1277 out of 1795 tested combos, which places it in the lower-middle portion of the database, a position that reflects its age and mid-range specifications rather than any fundamental pairing flaw.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep and consistent performance drop as resolution increases, which is the definitive signature of a GPU-bound scenario. At High settings, the average frame rate falls from 56.8 FPS at 1920x1080 to 46.8 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of 10 FPS, and then to 34.5 FPS at 3840x2160, a further reduction of 12.3 FPS. This linear degradation pattern indicates that the RTX 2060 SUPER’s rendering capabilities are being exhausted well before the CPU becomes a limiting factor.

The scaling behavior is even more revealing when examining the Low preset. At 1080p Low, the combo achieves 99.2 FPS, which drops to 79 FPS at 1440p and 59.3 FPS at 4K. The fact that even the lowest quality preset cannot maintain 60 FPS at 4K confirms that the GPU’s 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 7.181 TFLOPS of FP32 compute are simply insufficient for the game’s high-resolution demands. Interestingly, the gap between 1080p and 1440p at Low is 20.2 FPS, while the gap between 1440p and 4K is 19.7 FPS, showing a remarkably consistent penalty per resolution step.

This scaling pattern strongly suggests that the limiting component is the GPU. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see frame rates cluster together across resolutions, particularly at lower settings where pixel throughput is less demanding. Instead, every resolution increase produces a proportional FPS loss, which is the classic behavior of a graphics-card-limited system. The data shows that the i5-12400F has ample headroom, as evidenced by the 99.2 FPS result at 1080p Low, and it is the RTX 2060 SUPER that caps the system’s performance ceiling.

Settings Recommendations

For players prioritizing smooth frame rates over visual fidelity, the Low preset at 1440p delivers a solid 79 FPS, which is the highest frame rate achieved at that resolution across all settings. This represents the best balance of performance and image clarity for competitive or fast-paced play. However, for those who prefer a more visually immersive experience, the Medium preset at 1080p provides 80.8 FPS, which is nearly identical in performance to the 1440p Low result but with significantly improved graphical detail.

The High preset is the most problematic tier in the data. At 1080p it produces 56.8 FPS, which is playable but below the 60 FPS threshold that many consider the minimum for smooth flight simulation. At 1440p High, the frame rate drops to 46.8 FPS, and at 4K High, it falls to just 34.5 FPS. Given that the jump from Medium to High at 1080p costs 24 FPS (from 80.8 to 56.8), the visual improvement must be substantial to justify this performance penalty. Benchmark results indicate that the Medium preset is the sweet spot for this combo, offering over 80 FPS at 1080p and a still-respectable 64.1 FPS at 1440p.

The Ultra preset is only recommended for ground-based screenshots or brief scenic views. At 1080p Ultra, the combo manages 53.6 FPS, which drops to 47.7 FPS at 1440p and 36 FPS at 4K. The data strongly suggests that Ultra settings are beyond the capabilities of this pairing for consistent gameplay. The optimal configuration is Medium at 1080p or 1440p, where the measured FPS figures indicate a responsive and stable experience.

FAQ

Q: Can this combo achieve 60 FPS at 4K?

A: No, according to the measured data, the highest average FPS at 3840x2160 is 59.3 on Low settings. All other presets at 4K fall below 45 FPS, with High at 34.5 and Ultra at 36 FPS.

Q: What is the best resolution for this pairing?

A: The data shows that 1920x1080 is the most capable resolution, with all four presets exceeding 53 FPS. The 2560x1440 resolution is also viable, provided the user sticks to Low or Medium settings, which deliver 79 and 64.1 FPS respectively.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the bottleneck in this game?

A: The resolution scaling data indicates the GPU is the limiting factor. The RTX 2060 SUPER shows a consistent FPS drop across every resolution increase, while the i5-12400F’s strong single-thread score of 909 in 3dmark suggests it has sufficient processing power for the game’s physics and AI calculations.

Q: How does the RTX 2060 SUPER compare to its nearest rivals?

A: The GPU’s average benchmark score of 19774 places it just 0.3% ahead of the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN and 0.5% ahead of the RTX 2070. It is also 0.8% faster than the Quadro K5200 and 1.3% faster than the Tesla K40m, indicating very tight competition in this performance tier.

Q: What is the best preset for 1440p gaming?

A: For 1440p, the Low preset at 79 FPS is the only setting that provides a comfortable margin above 60 FPS. The Medium preset at 64.1 FPS is also acceptable, but High and Ultra drop to 46.8 and 47.7 FPS respectively, which may feel sluggish for flight simulation.

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM limit performance?

A: The data does not directly measure VRAM usage, but the significant FPS drops at 4K across all settings suggest that the 8 GB memory capacity, combined with the 448.0 GB/s bandwidth, is insufficient for the high-resolution textures required by this game.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER ranks at 1277 out of 1795 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places the pairing in the 71st percentile of all tested configurations, meaning roughly 29% of combos perform worse. This ranking is notable because it places the system in the lower-middle tier of the database, despite the CPU having a respectable percentile of 77 versus all CPUs and the GPU sitting at the 63rd percentile.

The rank reflects the GPU’s age and position in the market. The RTX 2060 SUPER, with its 8 GB of VRAM and 7.181 TFLOPS, is a mid-range card from the Turing generation, and the measured FPS data shows it struggling with the demands of this flight simulator at higher resolutions. The CPU, by contrast, is a modern 12th-generation part that scores 19221 in the average benchmark, placing it just 0.1% ahead of the Intel Core i7-8700K and 0.3% ahead of the Core i5-1335U.

This ranking suggests that the combo is well-balanced for 1080p gaming, where it can deliver frame rates in the 53-99 range depending on settings. However, for 1440p and 4K, the GPU becomes the clear weak link, dragging the overall rank down. Users seeking better 4K performance would need a significantly more powerful GPU, as the current configuration’s data shows a hard performance ceiling at around 59 FPS even on the lowest settings.

CPU Role

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. Its benchmark results show strong single-threaded performance, with a 3dmark single-thread score of 909 and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2332. These figures are critical for Microsoft Flight Simulator, which is known to be heavily dependent on single-core performance for its complex flight dynamics and AI traffic calculations.

The CPU’s multi-threaded capabilities are equally robust, as evidenced by a Cinebench R23 multicore score of 16518 and a 3dmark max-thread score of 5912. This headroom means that the processor is unlikely to be the bottleneck in most scenarios, which is confirmed by the FPS data showing that frame rates scale consistently with resolution. The 18 MB of shared L3 cache and dual-channel memory support provide adequate bandwidth for the game’s data streaming needs.

The CPU’s percentile rank of 77 versus all CPUs indicates it performs better than 77% of all processors in the database, and its average benchmark score of 19221 is nearly identical to the Core i7-8700K, which scores 19210. This suggests that the i5-12400F provides comparable gaming performance to older high-end parts, making it a solid foundation for this combo. However, the data shows that the CPU’s capabilities are largely untapped in this game at higher resolutions, as the GPU consistently limits the frame rate well before the CPU reaches its maximum output.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its best performance across all presets. The Low setting produces an average of 99.2 FPS, which is the highest figure in the entire dataset. The Medium preset follows at 80.8 FPS, offering a significant visual upgrade for a 18.4 FPS penalty. High settings drop to 56.8 FPS, and Ultra falls further to 53.6 FPS. This resolution is clearly the sweet spot for this pairing, with even the most demanding preset maintaining a playable frame rate.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance degrades noticeably. Low settings yield 79 FPS, which is still smooth, but Medium drops to 64.1 FPS. High settings fall to 46.8 FPS, and Ultra manages 47.7 FPS. The data shows a 20.2 FPS difference between Low and Medium at this resolution, indicating that the GPU is beginning to struggle with the increased pixel count. The 1440p results are acceptable for Low and Medium, but High and Ultra are marginal for a smooth experience.

At 3840x2160, the combo’s limitations become starkly apparent. The Low preset achieves 59.3 FPS, which is the only setting that comes close to 60 FPS. Medium drops to 44.4 FPS, Ultra to 36 FPS, and High to 34.5 FPS. The 4K results show that the RTX 2060 SUPER is overwhelmed by the pixel throughput demands, with the gap between Medium and High being relatively small (9.9 FPS), suggesting that the GPU is hitting a hard memory bandwidth or compute ceiling. The overall pattern across all resolutions and settings indicates a system that is best utilized at 1080p, with 1440p being a viable secondary option.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is built on the Turing architecture with a TU106 chip, featuring 2176 shading units, 136 TMUs, and 64 ROPs. Its clock speeds are 1470 MHz base and 1650 MHz boost, which produces a peak FP32 performance of 7.181 TFLOPS. The 8 GB of GDDR6 memory operates at 1750 MHz with a 256-bit bus, delivering 448.0 GB/s of bandwidth. These specifications place the card at the 63rd percentile of all GPUs in the database, with an average benchmark score of 19774.

The GPU’s performance in Microsoft Flight Simulator is characterized by a consistent inability to maintain high frame rates at 4K. The data shows that even at Low settings, the card can only reach 59.3 FPS, and this drops to 44.4 FPS at Medium. The 34 RT cores and 272 tensor cores provide some hardware acceleration for ray tracing and DLSS, but these features are not reflected in the measured FPS data, which appears to be based on traditional rasterization. The 12 nm process node and 175 W TDP indicate an older, power-hungry design compared to modern cards.

The GPU’s nearest rivals in the benchmark database are all older or similarly-aged products, with the RTX 2060 SUPER performing just 0.3% better than the GTX TITAN and 0.5% better than the RTX 2070. This tight grouping suggests that the card has reached the limits of its architectural efficiency. In this game, the GPU’s 8 GB VRAM capacity and 448.0 GB/s bandwidth are insufficient for high-resolution textures, which is the primary reason for the dramatic FPS drops observed at 1440p and 4K. The GPU is the definitive bottleneck in this combo, as the CPU clearly has more performance to offer.