Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a demanding flight simulation title that stresses both the CPU and GPU heavily. The combination of the Intel Core i5-12600KF processor and the AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT graphics card produces a specific performance profile across various resolutions and quality presets. The measured data provides a clear picture of how this hardware pairing handles the game's workloads, from the highest fidelity settings to the most performance-oriented configurations.

FAQ

Q: What is the best performance achieved by this combo at 1920x1080?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded for this combination at 1920x1080 is 125.4 FPS, which is achieved with the Low settings preset. The Ultra preset drops this to 72 FPS, showing a significant performance scaling range at this resolution.

Q: How does the Ultra preset compare to High at 2560x1440?

A: At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset yields an average of 57.7 FPS, while the High preset provides a higher average of 61.4 FPS. This indicates a modest performance cost for the additional visual fidelity offered by Ultra settings at this resolution.

Q: Is the combo capable of running the game at 3840x2160?

A: Yes, the data shows the combination can run at 3840x2160, with the Low preset achieving an average of 71.2 FPS. However, higher settings are more demanding, with the High preset averaging 42.1 FPS and the Ultra preset averaging 44.1 FPS.

Q: What is the frame rate difference between Low and Medium settings at 1920x1080?

A: The jump from Low to Medium settings at 1920x1080 results in a frame rate decrease from 125.4 FPS to 101.1 FPS. This is a difference of 24.3 FPS, representing a notable trade-off for improved visual quality.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested combinations for this game?

A: The combination is ranked 837 out of 1795 tested combos for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the middle of the performance distribution for all systems tested.

Q: What is the performance difference between the High and Ultra presets at 1920x1080?

A: At 1920x1080, the High preset averages 74.3 FPS, while the Ultra preset averages 72 FPS. The difference is minimal, only 2.3 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset is nearly as playable as High at this resolution.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT is the primary driver for visual output in this configuration. Its role is defined by its 12 GB of GDDR6 memory on a 192-bit bus, which provides a memory bandwidth of 432.0 GB/s. This memory configuration is crucial for handling the high-resolution textures and complex scenery data that Microsoft Flight Simulator streams. The GPU's operating clocks are substantial, with a base clock of 2150 MHz, a game clock of 2495 MHz, and a boost clock of 2600 MHz, allowing it to maintain high throughput in sustained scenes.

The benchmark results show a clear scaling pattern tied to the GPU's workload. At 1920x1080, the GPU is less likely to be the primary bottleneck, resulting in high frame rates across all settings. The difference between Low (125.4 FPS) and Ultra (72 FPS) is stark, demonstrating the GPU's capacity to render simpler scenes much faster. As the resolution increases to 2560x1440, the pixel count and memory pressure rise, reducing average frame rates. The High preset at this resolution still manages 61.4 FPS, but the Ultra preset falls to 57.7 FPS.

At 3840x2160, the GPU's limitations become more apparent. The High preset drops to 42.1 FPS, and the Ultra preset is only slightly better at 44.1 FPS, which is an anomaly in the data. Interestingly, the Medium preset at 4K scores 58.7 FPS, which is higher than both High and Ultra. This suggests that certain settings within the High and Ultra presets impose a significant cost on the GPU. The GPU's performance percentile against all GPUs is 79, and its average benchmark score is 35327. In terms of rival performance, it is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon RX 5600M, which has a deltaPct of 0.2, and it trails the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 by 1.3 percent in average score.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data offers a clear guide for optimizing the experience with this hardware. For users prioritizing the highest frame rates, the Low preset is the clear choice. At 1920x1080, it delivers an average of 125.4 FPS, which provides a very fluid experience. At 2560x1440, the Low preset still yields a strong 102.6 FPS. Even at 3840x2160, the Low preset maintains a playable 71.2 FPS, making it the only preset that consistently breaks the 60 FPS barrier at 4K.

For a balance between visual quality and performance, the Medium preset is a strong candidate. At 1920x1080, it delivers 101.1 FPS, which is excellent. At 2560x1440, it averages 81.7 FPS, which is still very smooth. The Medium preset at 3840x2160 provides 58.7 FPS, which is close to the 60 FPS target and better than the High or Ultra presets at that resolution. This makes Medium the most versatile preset for this GPU, as it offers a significant visual upgrade over Low without the steep performance cost of High or Ultra.

The High and Ultra presets are best reserved for lower resolutions or less demanding scenarios. At 1920x1080, both are playable, with High at 74.3 FPS and Ultra at 72 FPS. The performance difference between them is minimal, so users at 1080p could opt for Ultra for the best visuals. At 2560x1440, High (61.4 FPS) is preferable to Ultra (57.7 FPS) for a smoother experience. The data indicates that at higher resolutions, the High preset does not offer a consistent advantage over Medium, and the Ultra preset often underperforms Medium, making Medium the recommended preset for 1440p and 4K.

How This Combo Ranks

In the comprehensive database of tested hardware combinations for Microsoft Flight Simulator, this pairing holds the 837th position out of 1795 total combos. This places the Intel Core i5-12600KF and AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT squarely in the middle of the performance spectrum. A rank of 837 indicates that while it is not a top-tier enthusiast setup, it is not a low-end configuration either. It sits above the median, suggesting that it delivers a competent experience for the majority of users.

The ranking reflects the balance between the CPU and GPU. The CPU is a strong performer, with an average benchmark score of 27827 and a percentile rank of 84 against all CPUs. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i9-10900K, has an identical average score with a deltaPct of 0, indicating that the 12600KF is a very capable processor. On the GPU side, the RX 6750 XT has an average benchmark score of 35327 and a percentile rank of 79 against all GPUs. Its performance is closely matched with the AMD Radeon RX 5600M (deltaPct 0.2) and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti Mobile (deltaPct -0.3).

The combination of a high-percentile CPU and a mid-to-high-percentile GPU results in a system that is well-balanced for this flight simulator. The rank of 837 out of 1795 suggests that many other tested combos are either stronger in GPU, CPU, or both. However, the data shows that this pairing can deliver playable frame rates at various settings, including high resolutions, which confirms its overall capability. The measured FPS results across the board confirm that the rank is not a reflection of poor performance, but rather of the competitive field of other tested hardware.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF plays a critical role in feeding the GPU with data and calculating the complex physics and game logic of Microsoft Flight Simulator. This processor features 10 cores and 16 threads, a configuration that allows it to handle both the main simulation thread and secondary background tasks. Its architecture, Alder Lake, uses a hybrid design that is reflected in its cache hierarchy, with 80 KB of L1 cache per core and 1.25 MB of L2 cache per core, alongside a 20 MB shared L3 cache. This cache structure is vital for keeping frequently accessed data close to the processing cores.

The CPU's clock speeds are a key factor in its performance. With a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz, it can scale its frequency to meet demanding single-threaded workloads, which are common in flight simulation. The benchmark data supports this, showing a single-thread score of 1016 in 3dmark and a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3309. These scores indicate strong per-core performance, which is crucial for the game's primary simulation logic that often relies on a few heavily loaded threads.

In the context of this game, the CPU's multi-threaded capabilities are also relevant. The processor achieves a 3dmark max-threads score of 7952 and a Cinebench R23 multi-core score of 23444. This multi-threaded headroom helps when the game is processing AI traffic, weather systems, and other background simulations. The CPU's performance is further contextualized by its percentile rank of 84 against all CPUs, showing it outperforms the majority of processors. Its average benchmark score of 27827 is nearly identical to its closest rivals, including the Intel Core i9-10900K (deltaPct 0) and the Intel Core i5-12600K (deltaPct -0.1). This suggests that the 12600KF provides a level of processing power that is well-matched to the demands of Microsoft Flight Simulator, ensuring that the GPU is not starved of data and that frame rates are not artificially limited by CPU bottlenecks.