Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a uniquely demanding title that stresses both the processor and graphics card in ways few other games replicate. The combination of the Intel Core i5-12400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 produces a data set that reveals a clear performance hierarchy across resolutions and settings. The benchmark results show a system capable of high frame rates, but the margins between settings and resolutions tell a more nuanced story about where the bottleneck lies in this specific pairing.

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, built on Intel's 10 nm process. It operates with a base clock of 2.50 GHz and a boost clock of 4.40 GHz, with a 65 W TDP. The processor features 18 MB of shared L3 cache, along with 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core and 80 KB of L1 cache per core. This configuration places the CPU in the 77th percentile against all processors tested, and its average benchmark score of 19221 is nearly identical to its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-8700K, which scores 19210 (a delta of just 0.1%).

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU's role is significant because the simulation engine must process flight physics, weather, and terrain data continuously. The benchmark data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the combo achieves 185.9 FPS, but this drops to 121.7 FPS at Ultra settings. This 64.2 FPS spread at the same resolution indicates that the render workload is scaling substantially with settings, but the CPU must keep up with the simulation thread. The 3DMark single-thread score of 909 and the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2332 suggest that the i5-12400F has solid per-core performance, which is critical for a game that cannot fully parallelize all of its simulation tasks. The multi-threaded scores, such as the 16518 in Cinebench R23, show that the 6-core/12-thread design provides ample headroom for background tasks, but the game's engine likely relies heavily on the boost clock of 4.40 GHz to maintain flight model integrity.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

This specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-12400F and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 ranks 81st out of 1795 tested combinations in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places the combo in the top 4.5% of all tested systems, which is a strong showing for a mid-range processor paired with a flagship-tier graphics card. The rank is influenced by both the CPU's ability to feed the GPU and the GPU's raw rendering power. Given that the RTX 5080 sits in the 89th percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 59188, the ranking suggests that the i5-12400F is not significantly holding back the system in this title. The nearest GPU rivals to the RTX 5080 include the Intel Arc A570M (58239, delta of 1.6%) and the Intel Arc Pro A60 (60326, delta of -1.9%), and while these are not direct competitors in the same performance class, they illustrate the benchmark's variance. The combo rank of 81 indicates that many other pairings with higher-end CPUs achieve better results, but the overall experience remains highly playable.

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

Q: What is the maximum average FPS achievable with this combo in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 185.9 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings.

Q: How does the i5-12400F compare to its nearest rival in terms of average benchmark score?

A: The i5-12400F has an average benchmark score of 19221, which is just 0.1% higher than the Intel Core i7-8700K's score of 19210.

Q: Does the RTX 5080 outperform its nearest rival in average GPU benchmark score?

A: Yes, the RTX 5080 scores 59188, which is 1.6% higher than the Intel Arc A570M's score of 58239, but it trails the Intel Arc Pro A60, which scores 60326 (a delta of -1.9%).

Q: What is the lowest average FPS recorded for this combo?

A: The lowest average FPS is 70.1 FPS, recorded at 3840x2160 resolution with Ultra settings.

Q: How many total combinations were tested for this game's combo ranking?

A: The combo rank is 81 out of 1795 total tested combinations.

Q: What is the difference in FPS between 1080p Low and 4K Ultra settings?

A: The difference is 115.8 FPS, dropping from 185.9 FPS at 1080p Low to 70.1 FPS at 4K Ultra.

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

The measured FPS data provides a comprehensive view of performance across three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the combo delivers 185.9 FPS on Low, 167.5 FPS on Medium, 132.7 FPS on High, and 121.7 FPS on Ultra. This shows a predictable scaling where each step up in settings costs between 10 and 35 FPS, with the largest single drop occurring from Medium to High (34.8 FPS). Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates are 172.8 FPS on Low, 140.2 FPS on Medium, 103.8 FPS on High, and 101.7 FPS on Ultra. The gap between High and Ultra narrows significantly at this resolution, with only a 2.1 FPS difference, suggesting that the GPU is becoming the limiting factor. At 3840x2160, the results are 128.9 FPS on Low, 102.7 FPS on Medium, 79.1 FPS on High, and 70.1 FPS on Ultra. The 4K Low setting still produces a very playable 128.9 FPS, while Ultra dips to 70.1 FPS, which is just above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay. The data indicates that the RTX 5080 is capable of handling 4K but requires setting adjustments to maintain high frame rates.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 is a Blackwell 2.0 architecture GPU built on TSMC's 5 nm process, with a die size of 378 mm² containing 45,600 million transistors. It features 16 GB of GDDR7 memory on a 256-bit bus, providing 960.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The GPU operates at a base clock of 2295 MHz and a boost clock of 2617 MHz, with memory running at 1875 MHz (30 Gbps effective). The RTX 5080 has 10752 shading units, 336 TMUs, and 112 ROPs, along with 84 ray tracing cores and 336 tensor cores. Its FP32 performance is 56.28 TFLOPS, and it supports DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.4, and OpenGL 4.6.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the GPU's role is heavily tied to resolution and settings. The 16 GB VRAM buffer is more than sufficient for the game's textures, even at 4K Ultra, where the combo still achieves 70.1 FPS. The memory bandwidth of 960.0 GB/s ensures that texture streaming from the simulated world does not become a bottleneck. The benchmark scores for the GPU, such as the Passmark G3D score of 36565 and the Geekbench OpenCL score of 264461, place it in the 89th percentile. The GPU's nearest rivals in benchmark scores are the Intel Arc Pro A60 (60326, delta of -1.9%) and the Intel Arc A570M (58239, delta of 1.6%), but these comparisons are based on synthetic tests. In the game data, the RTX 5080's performance scales well from 1080p to 1440p, but the drop from 1440p to 4K is more pronounced, indicating that the GPU is nearing its limits at higher resolutions with this CPU pairing.

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

Analyzing the measured rows, the optimal settings depend on the target resolution and desired frame rate. At 1920x1080, the Ultra preset delivers 121.7 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold, making it the best choice for visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness. The High preset at 132.7 FPS is also excellent, but the 11 FPS gain from High to Ultra is modest compared to the visual improvements. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset produces 101.7 FPS, while High produces 103.8 FPS. The 2.1 FPS difference between these two is negligible, so Ultra is the clear recommendation for the best experience at this resolution. However, the Medium preset at 140.2 FPS offers a substantial 38.5 FPS boost over Ultra for users who prioritize frame rate over visual quality. At 3840x2160, the situation changes. The High preset delivers 79.1 FPS, which is comfortable for most displays, while Ultra drops to 70.1 FPS. The Medium preset at 102.7 FPS provides a significant margin above 60 FPS and is likely the sweet spot for 4K gaming. The Low preset at 128.9 FPS is available for those with high-refresh-rate 4K monitors. Overall, the data suggests that Ultra is viable at 1080p and 1440p, while High or Medium is preferable at 4K to maintain higher frame rates.

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

The FPS scaling across resolutions reveals the balance between CPU and GPU load. From 1920x1080 to 2560x1440, the average FPS drop across all settings is approximately 30-40 FPS. For example, at High settings, the drop is from 132.7 FPS to 103.8 FPS, a 28.9 FPS decrease. This is a moderate decline, indicating that the GPU is still able to handle the increased pixel count without a dramatic loss. From 2560x1440 to 3840x2160, the drop is larger. At High settings, the FPS falls from 103.8 to 79.1, a 24.7 FPS decrease, and at Ultra, it drops from 101.7 to 70.1, a 31.6 FPS decrease. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings is from 121.7 FPS to 70.1 FPS, a 51.6 FPS reduction, which is a 42.4% decrease. This scaling pattern suggests that the RTX 5080 is the primary limiting component at higher resolutions, as the CPU's performance is relatively constant across resolutions. The CPU's role is more evident at lower resolutions, where the frame rates are higher. At 1080p Low, the combo hits 185.9 FPS, which is a very high frame rate that could potentially exceed the CPU's ability to feed the GPU in certain scenes. However, the data shows that the CPU can sustain these frame rates, as the 3DMark single-thread score of 909 and the Cinebench R23 single-core score of 2332 indicate strong per-thread performance. The scaling from 1080p to 4K is consistent with a GPU-bound scenario, where the RTX 5080's rendering capabilities are taxed more heavily as resolution increases. The 4K Ultra result of 70.1 FPS shows that the combo is capable of high-fidelity 4K gaming, but the margin over 60 FPS is slim, suggesting that users should monitor settings carefully to maintain smooth gameplay.