Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a uniquely demanding title, and the data for the Intel Core i5-12600KF paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER reveals a configuration that is heavily skewed towards raw graphics throughput. The measured frames per second across all resolutions and settings show a system that can push very high frame rates, but the scaling patterns indicate that the CPU is often the factor that keeps the experience from being perfectly smooth at lower resolutions. This analysis breaks down the measured data to understand where the bottlenecks lie and what the numbers imply for a flight simulation enthusiast.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate progression from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 tells a clear story about which component is doing the heavy lifting. At the Low preset, the system achieves 205.4 FPS at 1080p, which drops to 164.5 FPS at 1440p, and then falls to 121.1 FPS at 4K. This is a substantial drop of 84.3 FPS from 1080p to 4K, or roughly a 41% reduction in performance. This steep decline indicates that the GPU is being fed progressively more work, and its performance is scaling down as pixel count increases.

However, the scaling pattern is not uniform across all presets. At the Ultra preset, the frame rate only drops from 115.7 FPS at 1080p to 91.5 FPS at 1440p, and then to 71 FPS at 4K. The percentage drop from 1080p to 4K here is about 38.6%, which is slightly less steep than at Low. This suggests that at higher settings, the additional graphical effects and shading work are already consuming significant GPU resources, so the relative impact of increasing resolution is slightly muted. The 4K Ultra result of 71 FPS is particularly telling; it is only 0.5 FPS lower than the 4K High result of 71.5 FPS, suggesting that the Ultra preset at 4K is hitting a performance ceiling that is not purely GPU-bound.

The data shows that the RTX 4080 SUPER is the primary driver of performance at 4K, but at 1080p, the frame rates are so high that the CPU becomes a limiting factor. The difference between 1080p Low (205.4 FPS) and 1440p Low (164.5 FPS) is a 40.9 FPS drop, while the difference between 1440p Low and 4K Low is a 43.4 FPS drop. The fact that the drop from 1080p to 1440p is nearly as large as the drop from 1440p to 4K implies that the CPU is struggling to feed the GPU at 1080p, preventing it from reaching even higher frame rates.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor from the Core 12th Gen series, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. Its benchmark scores are solid, with a 3dmark_single_thread score of 1016 and a 3dmark_max_threads score of 7952. In a game like Microsoft Flight Simulator, which is known for heavy single-threaded simulation logic, this core strength is essential. The data suggests that the CPU is able to keep up with the GPU at most settings, but the 1080p Low result of 205.4 FPS hints at its limits.

The Cinebench R23 multicore score of 23444 indicates that the processor has plenty of multi-threaded headroom for background tasks, but the game's frame rate is more likely tied to the single-thread performance. The 3dmark_2_threads score of 1995 shows that even with just two threads, the CPU is performing well. Compared to its nearest rivals, the i5-12600KF has an average benchmark score of 27827, which is nearly identical to the Intel Core i9-10900K at 27829 (0% delta) and the Intel Core i5-12600K at 27851 (-0.1% delta). This places it in a very competitive position for its class.

The fact that the frame rates at 1080p do not scale linearly with the GPU's potential suggests that the CPU's architecture, with its 20 MB of shared L3 cache, is doing its job but is not the star of the show. The data implies that while the CPU is capable, it is not the component that allows this combo to achieve its highest frame rates; it simply provides a stable platform for the GPU to excel. The 84th percentile ranking among all CPUs confirms that it is a strong processor, but it is not the top-tier part that would be needed to push 1080p frame rates beyond what the data shows.

How This Combo Ranks

In the grand scheme of tested configurations, this specific pairing of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks at position 112 out of 1795 combos for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the top 6.2% of all tested systems, which is an impressive feat. The high ranking is almost certainly driven by the GPU, as the RTX 4080 SUPER has an average benchmark score of 53610 and sits in the 88th percentile of all GPUs.

The combo's rank of 112 is notable because it suggests that while there are many systems that are faster, there are also a vast number that are slower. The data indicates that this is a high-end configuration that will provide a very smooth experience in this game. However, the rank also highlights that the CPU is not a top-tier part. If the CPU were a stronger model, such as a higher-core-count processor with better single-thread performance, the combo could potentially rank higher, as the GPU would not be held back in CPU-limited scenarios.

The nearest rivals for the GPU include the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, which has a score of 53489 (0.2% delta), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, which scores 52086 (2.9% delta). The RTX 4080 SUPER outperforms both, which helps solidify its position in the combo ranking. The data shows that this combo is a well-balanced, high-performance system, but it is not the absolute best, leaving room for more powerful CPUs to push the ranking even higher.

Measured FPS Breakdown

Looking at the exact numbers, the system's performance is consistently strong across all tested scenarios. At 1920x1080, the average frame rates range from 115.7 FPS at Ultra to 205.4 FPS at Low. The Medium preset delivers 162.4 FPS, and High gives 124.7 FPS. This shows that at 1080p, even the most demanding settings are playable, and the Low preset offers a very high refresh rate experience.

Moving to 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high, with the Low preset hitting 164.5 FPS and the Medium preset at 129.6 FPS. The High preset produces 96.3 FPS, and the Ultra preset drops to 91.5 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at 1440p is only 4.8 FPS, which suggests that the extra visual fidelity from Ultra is not costing much performance at this resolution.

At 3840x2160, the system starts to show its limits. The Low preset still manages 121.1 FPS, which is excellent for 4K, but the Medium preset drops to 96.2 FPS. The High preset achieves 71.5 FPS, and the Ultra preset is nearly identical at 71 FPS. The close proximity of the High and Ultra results at 4K is a key finding, as it indicates that the game is likely becoming more CPU-bound at this resolution, or that the Ultra preset's specific effects are not heavily impacting the GPU load in this particular flight scenario.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is a powerhouse, with 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, providing a bandwidth of 736.3 GB/s. Its boost clock of 2550 MHz and 10240 shading units give it immense compute power, with an FP32 performance of 52.22 TFLOPS. The benchmark data supports this, with a Passmark G3D score of 34245 and a 3dmark Steel Nomad DX12 score of 6600. This GPU is clearly the dominant component in this combo, and its performance is what allows for playable 4K frame rates.

The GPU's role becomes even clearer when looking at the 4K results. The fact that the RTX 4080 SUPER can maintain over 71 FPS at 4K Ultra in a game as demanding as Microsoft Flight Simulator reflects its capabilities. The data shows that the GPU is the primary driver of performance at higher resolutions, as the frame rates scale directly with the workload. The 88th percentile ranking among all GPUs and its performance against rivals like the RX 6900 XT, which it beats by 0.2%, confirms its position as a top-tier graphics card.

The GPU's 16 GB of VRAM is also a significant factor, as it ensures that the game has plenty of memory for high-resolution textures and flight data. The data does not show any signs of VRAM limitation, as the frame rates do not exhibit any unusual stuttering or drops that would indicate memory swapping. The RTX 4080 SUPER is the clear star of this pairing, and its performance is what makes this combo rank so highly.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured data, the best experience depends heavily on the target resolution. For players using a 1080p or 1440p monitor, the Ultra preset is a viable option, as it delivers 115.7 FPS and 91.5 FPS respectively. These frame rates are high enough for a smooth experience, and the visual quality improvements over High are worth the small performance cost, especially at 1440p where the difference is only 4.8 FPS.

For 4K users, the data suggests a different approach. The difference between High (71.5 FPS) and Ultra (71 FPS) is negligible, so choosing the Ultra preset is a free visual upgrade with no measurable performance penalty. However, for those who prioritize frame rate, the Medium preset at 96.2 FPS is the sweet spot, offering a significant boost over High while still maintaining high visual quality. The Low preset at 121.1 FPS is an option for competitive or high-refresh-rate play, but it likely sacrifices too much visual fidelity for a flight simulator.

The data implies that the High preset is the least efficient choice at 4K, as it offers almost the same performance as Ultra but with worse visuals. Therefore, the recommendation is to use Ultra at 4K for maximum quality, or Medium for a high frame rate. At lower resolutions, the Ultra preset is the clear recommendation, as the GPU has enough headroom to handle it easily.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution to play this game with this combo?

A: The data shows that 2560x1440 offers a great balance, with the Ultra preset hitting 91.5 FPS and the High preset at 96.3 FPS, providing both high visual fidelity and smooth gameplay.

Q: Is the CPU or GPU the limiting factor in this system?

A: The data indicates that at 1080p, the CPU is likely the limiting factor, as frame rates are extremely high but do not scale perfectly with the GPU's potential. At 4K, the GPU becomes the primary constraint, as seen in the drop from 205.4 FPS at 1080p Low to 121.1 FPS at 4K Low.

Q: How does this combo rank compared to other tested systems?

A: This combo ranks 112th out of 1795 tested configurations for Microsoft Flight Simulator, placing it in the top 6.2% of all systems tested.

Q: What is the difference in performance between the High and Ultra presets at 4K?

A: The difference is minimal. At 3840x2160, the High preset achieves 71.5 FPS, while the Ultra preset achieves 71 FPS, a difference of only 0.5 FPS, making Ultra a free upgrade in visual quality.

Q: Can this system handle high refresh rate monitors?

A: Yes, at 1920x1080, the system can achieve 205.4 FPS on Low settings and 115.7 FPS on Ultra, which is sufficient for high refresh rate displays. At 1440p, it can hit 164.5 FPS on Low, which is also excellent.

Q: Is the RTX 4080 SUPER's 16 GB of VRAM sufficient for this game?

A: The data shows no evidence of VRAM limitations. The frame rates at 4K Ultra remain stable at 71 FPS, and there are no signs of performance degradation that would indicate memory capacity issues.