Microsoft Flight Simulator

The benchmark data for Microsoft Flight Simulator with the Intel Core i5-12400F and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER reveals a configuration that scales predictably with resolution, though the relationship between CPU and GPU workload shifts dramatically as pixel count increases. Across the tested resolutions—1920x1080, 2560x1440, and 3840x2160—the frame rates show a consistent pattern: the gap between Low and Ultra settings narrows at higher resolutions, indicating a transition from CPU-bound behavior at 1080p to GPU-bound behavior at 4K. The data presents a clear picture for users targeting specific display configurations, with the 1440p and 4K results showing particularly strong performance for a flight simulator that demands both high fidelity and smooth camera movement.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data shows a steep drop as resolution scales upward, but the magnitude of that drop depends heavily on the chosen settings preset. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 183.5 FPS at 1920x1080 to 156.7 FPS at 2560x1440, a reduction of approximately 14.6%, and then to 115.6 FPS at 3840x2160, a further 26.2% reduction from the 1440p figure. This indicates that even at Low settings, the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER retains substantial headroom at 4K, with the CPU still contributing to overall throughput. However, at Ultra settings, the scaling is steeper: 106.7 FPS at 1080p drops to 85.7 FPS at 1440p (a 19.7% decrease), and then to 60.5 FPS at 4K (a 29.4% decrease from 1440p). The 4K Ultra result sits just above the 60 FPS threshold, suggesting the GPU is nearing its practical limit for this title at maximum fidelity.

The pattern across Medium and High settings reinforces this interpretation. At 1080p, the Medium preset achieves 151.8 FPS, while High reaches 111.3 FPS; at 1440p, those figures become 124.1 FPS and 90.9 FPS respectively, and at 4K they fall to 90.8 FPS and 67.6 FPS. The delta between 1080p and 4K at Medium (a 40.2% reduction) is larger than at Low (37.0% reduction), but smaller than at High (39.3% reduction) and Ultra (43.3% reduction). This suggests that the CPU, a 6-core/12-thread Alder Lake part with a 2.50 GHz base and 4.40 GHz boost clock, becomes less of a limiting factor as resolution rises, allowing the GPU’s 8448 shading units to take over as the primary constraint. At 1080p Ultra, the 106.7 FPS result indicates the CPU is keeping pace with the GPU’s output, but the 60.5 FPS at 4K Ultra shows the GPU is fully saturated, with the CPU having ample room to feed frames.

GPU Role

The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER’s specifications directly explain its behavior in this benchmark. With 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus delivering 672.3 GB/s of bandwidth, the card has ample memory capacity for Microsoft Flight Simulator’s large texture sets and streaming world data. The 2340 MHz base clock and 2610 MHz boost clock provide the raw compute throughput, with the GPU’s 44.10 TFLOPS FP32 performance enabling the high frame rates seen at 1440p and 4K. The card’s 66 RT cores and 264 tensor cores are present, though this flight simulator’s workload appears to rely primarily on traditional rasterization, given the strong performance at all settings.

The GPU’s average benchmark score of 48704 places it in the 86th percentile among all GPUs, with nearest rivals including the NVIDIA CMP 50HX (scoring 49071, a -0.7% delta) and the NVIDIA RTX A2000 (scoring 47915, a 1.6% delta). This positioning indicates the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER sits slightly below the top tier but well above mid-range offerings. In the context of this game, the GPU’s role becomes more pronounced at higher resolutions: at 1080p, the CPU’s 18 MB of shared L3 cache and 12 threads handle the simulation logic and draw calls, while at 4K, the GPU’s 16 GB memory buffer and 96 ROPs become the bottleneck for pixel throughput. The 4K Ultra result of 60.5 FPS aligns with the GPU’s 250.6 GPixel/s pixel rate, as the card is effectively rendering 8.3 million pixels per frame at that resolution.

FAQ

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

A: The data shows 2560x1440 as the sweet spot. At High settings, the combo delivers 90.9 FPS, which is 34.5% higher than the 4K High result of 67.6 FPS, while still offering substantially better visual fidelity than 1080p. The 1440p Ultra result of 85.7 FPS also remains well above the 60 FPS threshold, making it viable for high-refresh-rate displays.

Q: How does the CPU affect performance at 1080p versus 4K?

A: At 1920x1080, the CPU is more likely to be the limiting factor, as evidenced by the 183.5 FPS Low result and 106.7 FPS Ultra result. The i5-12400F’s 6 cores and 12 threads, with a 4.40 GHz boost, provide sufficient single-thread performance for the simulation’s main thread, but at 4K, the GPU becomes the clear bottleneck, with the 4K Ultra result of 60.5 FPS showing the GPU is fully utilized while the CPU has headroom.

Q: Is the RTX 4070 Ti SUPER capable of 4K Ultra in this game?

A: The measured data shows 60.5 FPS average at 3840x2160 Ultra settings. This is just above the 60 FPS line, meaning the experience is playable but not with significant margin for demanding scenes. Dropping to High settings at 4K yields 67.6 FPS, providing a more comfortable buffer for frame time spikes.

Q: How does the i5-12400F compare to its nearest rivals in general CPU benchmarks?

A: The i5-12400F has an average benchmark score of 19221, placing it in the 77th percentile. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-8700K, scores 19210, a 0.1% delta, while the AMD Ryzen 5 7533HS scores 19364, a -0.7% delta. This indicates the i5-12400F is effectively on par with these processors, with differences of less than 1% in aggregate performance.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Ultra settings at 1440p?

A: At 2560x1440, the Low preset achieves 156.7 FPS, while Ultra achieves 85.7 FPS, a difference of 71.0 FPS (or 45.3% lower). The Medium preset at 124.1 FPS and High at 90.9 FPS show a non-linear scaling, with the largest jump in cost occurring between High and Ultra.

Q: Does the GPU’s memory bandwidth matter for this game’s performance?

A: The RTX 4070 Ti SUPER’s 672.3 GB/s bandwidth, paired with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory, appears sufficient for the game’s streaming requirements. The 4K High result of 67.6 FPS versus the 4K Ultra result of 60.5 FPS suggests that memory bandwidth is not a hard limit, as the performance difference aligns with the GPU’s compute scaling rather than a memory bottleneck.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the data shows a wide spread across presets. Low settings produce 183.5 FPS, Medium 151.8 FPS (a 17.3% reduction from Low), High 111.3 FPS (a 26.7% reduction from Medium), and Ultra 106.7 FPS (a 4.1% reduction from High). The small delta between High and Ultra at 1080p indicates the CPU is becoming a limiting factor, as the extra GPU work from Ultra settings does not translate into a proportional frame rate penalty.

At 2560x1440, the presets scale more evenly: Low at 156.7 FPS, Medium at 124.1 FPS (a 20.8% reduction), High at 90.9 FPS (a 26.8% reduction), and Ultra at 85.7 FPS (a 5.7% reduction from High). The 1440p results show a similar pattern to 1080p, with the High-to-Ultra gap remaining small, suggesting the CPU still has some influence at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the presets compress further: Low at 115.6 FPS, Medium at 90.8 FPS (a 21.5% reduction), High at 67.6 FPS (a 25.6% reduction), and Ultra at 60.5 FPS (a 10.5% reduction from High). The larger High-to-Ultra delta at 4K (10.5% versus 5.7% at 1440p and 4.1% at 1080p) confirms the GPU is now the primary constraint, with the additional pixel work from Ultra settings directly impacting frame rate.

Settings Recommendations

For users with a 1920x1080 display, the High preset at 111.3 FPS offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. The Ultra preset’s 106.7 FPS represents only a 4.1% improvement in visual fidelity cost, but the marginal frame rate difference suggests the CPU is limiting the GPU’s output. The Medium preset at 151.8 FPS is suitable for high-refresh-rate monitors, but the jump from Medium to High is significant (26.7% frame rate reduction) and likely worth the visual trade-off for a sim where scenery detail matters.

At 2560x1440, the High preset at 90.9 FPS is the recommended choice for most users. It provides a smooth experience on 144Hz displays without dipping below 60 FPS in typical scenarios. The Ultra preset at 85.7 FPS is also viable, delivering a 5.7% frame rate reduction for the highest fidelity, which is acceptable for a game where immersion is key. The Medium preset at 124.1 FPS is ideal for competitive play or for users prioritizing frame rate over scenery detail, but the visual compromise may be noticeable in a flight simulator.

For 3840x2160, the High preset at 67.6 FPS is the optimal choice. It provides a comfortable margin above the 60 FPS threshold, whereas the Ultra preset at 60.5 FPS leaves no room for frame time spikes during complex scenes with dense terrain or weather effects. The Medium preset at 90.8 FPS is recommended for users who want high frame rates at 4K, but the visual downgrade from High is substantial. The Low preset at 115.6 FPS demonstrates the GPU’s raw capability when visual load is minimized, but it is not recommended for a title where visual fidelity is a core experience.