Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is one of the most demanding titles in the benchmark database, and the pairing of the Intel Core i5-12600KF with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 produces a distinctive performance profile. The measured data reveals a system that is heavily influenced by graphics settings, with the CPU providing a robust foundation while the GPU becomes the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions and presets. This analysis breaks down the specific frame rates, scaling behavior, and comparative standing of this combination.

CPU Role — cores, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The Intel Core i5-12600KF is a 10-core, 16-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.70 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. It sits in the 84th percentile of all CPUs in the database, indicating strong overall processing capability. Its 20 MB of shared L3 cache and support for DDR4 and DDR5 memory make it a versatile choice, but in Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU’s role is primarily to feed the GPU with draw calls and simulation data, a task that scales with both core count and single-thread speed.

Benchmark results show the processor’s multi-threaded strength: it scores 23,444 in Cinebench R23 multi-core and 12,373 in Geekbench multi-core. Single-thread performance is equally solid, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3,309 and a Geekbench single-core score of 2,529. These numbers matter because Flight Simulator’s engine, while capable of using multiple threads, still relies heavily on a few high-frequency cores for the main simulation loop. The i5-12600KF’s boost clock of 4.90 GHz ensures that these critical threads are serviced promptly.

Comparing the CPU to its nearest rivals, the data shows it is essentially tied with the Intel Core i9-10900K, with a deltaPct of 0. It trails the Core i5-12600K by only 0.1% and the Core Ultra 5 125H by 0.2%, while leading the Core i7-13700H by 0.4%. This places the i5-12600KF in a very tight performance cluster, meaning that any frame rate differences in the game are unlikely to stem from CPU limitations. The 3DMark scores reinforce this: the processor achieves 7,956 in the 16-thread test and 7,952 in the max-thread test, showing consistent scaling as more threads are utilized.

In the context of the measured FPS, the CPU appears to be more than adequate. At 1080p with Low settings, the system hits 123.7 FPS, which is the highest average recorded across all configurations. This suggests that even at lower resolutions where the GPU workload is lighter, the i5-12600KF does not become a limiting factor. The processor’s 10 cores and 16 threads provide enough headroom for the game’s background tasks, such as terrain streaming and AI traffic, without starving the render thread. For this title, the CPU is a stable platform that allows the GPU to be the primary variable in performance.

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

The measured data across four presets—Low, Medium, High, and Ultra—at three resolutions reveals how this combo responds to graphical load. At 1080p, the progression is clear: Low yields 123.7 FPS, Medium drops to 98.9 FPS, High settles at 75 FPS, and Ultra falls to 69.6 FPS. The jump from Low to Medium is a 24.8 FPS reduction, while the step from High to Ultra is a more modest 5.4 FPS loss. This indicates that the Medium preset offers a substantial visual improvement over Low with a still-fluid frame rate, while Ultra provides diminishing returns for the performance cost.

At 1440p, the same pattern holds but with lower absolute numbers. Low achieves 102.6 FPS, Medium hits 81.9 FPS, High reaches 56.4 FPS, and Ultra manages 56.5 FPS. The interesting note here is that High and Ultra are nearly identical in performance, with a difference of just 0.1 FPS. This suggests that at 1440p, the GPU is becoming saturated, and the extra visual fidelity of Ultra is essentially free. However, the 56 FPS range is below the 60 FPS threshold that many users prefer for smooth flight simulation, making Medium the better choice for a locked experience.

For 4K, the data shows a more constrained environment. Low delivers 72.6 FPS, Medium drops to 54.4 FPS, High falls to 41.7 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 40.1 FPS. The gap between Low and Medium is 18.2 FPS, which is significant, but the gap between High and Ultra is only 1.6 FPS. Given that even Medium sits below 60 FPS at this resolution, users aiming for smoothness should stick with Low, which is the only preset that breaks the 60 FPS barrier. For those prioritizing visuals over frame rate, Ultra is the choice, as it offers the best image quality with only a marginal penalty over High.

The best overall experience per the measured rows is the Medium preset at 1080p, which provides 98.9 FPS. This is nearly 100 FPS, offering a very smooth simulation with acceptable visual fidelity. At 1440p, Medium at 81.9 FPS is the sweet spot, balancing quality and speed. At 4K, the recommendation is Low at 72.6 FPS, as it is the only preset that maintains a playable frame rate without dipping into the 40s or 50s.

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

The frame rate scaling across resolutions is a clear indicator of where the bottleneck lies. Starting with the Low preset, the system produces 123.7 FPS at 1080p, 102.6 FPS at 1440p, and 72.6 FPS at 4K. This represents a 17.1% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 29.2% drop from 1440p to 4K. The total reduction from 1080p to 4K is 41.3%. This pattern shows that the GPU is the primary limiter, as the frame rate decreases proportionally with the increase in pixel count.

For the Medium preset, the scaling is similar: 98.9 FPS at 1080p, 81.9 FPS at 1440p, and 54.4 FPS at 4K. The drop from 1080p to 1440p is 17.2%, and from 1440p to 4K is 33.6%, for a total reduction of 45.0%. The larger drop to 4K suggests that the RTX 5060’s 8 GB of GDDR7 memory and 128-bit bus are being stressed at this resolution, as the higher preset increases memory pressure.

The High preset shows 75 FPS at 1080p, 56.4 FPS at 1440p, and 41.7 FPS at 4K. The percentage drops are 24.8% and 26.1%, respectively, with a total reduction of 44.4%. The Ultra preset follows a similar curve: 69.6 FPS at 1080p, 56.5 FPS at 1440p, and 40.1 FPS at 4K, with drops of 18.8% and 29.0%, totaling 42.4%.

The data indicates that at 1080p, the system is partially CPU-bound, as evidenced by the high frame rates across all presets. However, as resolution increases, the GPU workload grows, and the RTX 5060 becomes the clear limiting component. The fact that the drop from 1440p to 4K is consistently larger than the drop from 1080p to 1440p, particularly at Medium and High settings, points to the GPU’s memory bandwidth and pixel throughput being exhausted. The RTX 5060 has a pixel rate of 119.9 GPixel/s and a texture rate of 299.6 GTexel/s, which are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p but struggle to keep up with the 8.3 million pixels of 4K.

How This Combo Ranks — use comboRankInGame vs other tested combos

In the database of tested combinations, this pairing of the Intel Core i5-12600KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 ranks 903rd out of 1,795 combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the 50th percentile of all tested systems, meaning it performs better than half of the configurations but worse than the other half. Given the CPU’s 84th percentile ranking and the GPU’s 73rd percentile ranking, this combined result is lower than either individual component’s standing, which suggests that the pairing is not fully optimized for this particular game’s demands.

The rank of 903 out of 1,795 indicates a mid-pack performance. This is consistent with the measured frame rates, which are playable but not exceptional, especially at higher resolutions. The combo’s position is likely dragged down by the GPU’s performance at 4K, where even the Low preset only achieves 72.6 FPS. In comparison, systems ranked higher would likely feature more powerful GPUs with higher memory bandwidth or larger frame buffers, allowing them to maintain higher frame rates at 4K Ultra.

The CPU’s nearest rivals, such as the Intel Core i9-10900K, show identical average benchmark scores, so the CPU is not the differentiator here. The GPU’s nearest rivals, including the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT and the NVIDIA Tesla M60, have virtually identical average scores, with deltaPct values of 0 and 0.5, respectively. This suggests that the RTX 5060 is performing as expected for its class, but the combination does not push it into a higher tier. The rank of 903 is a fair representation of the system’s overall capability in this flight simulator, which is a demanding title that rewards both strong CPU single-thread performance and substantial GPU rasterization power.

FAQ

Q: What is the highest average FPS this combo achieves in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: The highest measured average FPS is 123.7, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: At 4K resolution, which settings preset provides a frame rate above 60 FPS?

A: Only the Low preset at 3840x2160 achieves an average FPS above 60, with a measured 72.6 FPS. The Medium preset drops to 54.4 FPS.

Q: How does the Intel Core i5-12600KF compare to the Intel Core i9-10900K in average benchmark score?

A: The two processors have nearly identical average scores, with the i5-12600KF scoring 27,827 and the i9-10900K scoring 27,829, resulting in a deltaPct of 0.

Q: What is the percentage drop in FPS from 1080p to 4K on the High preset?

A: At High settings, the average FPS drops from 75 at 1080p to 41.7 at 4K, representing a total reduction of 44.4%.

Q: What is the combo’s rank among all tested combinations in this game?

A: The combo ranks 903rd out of 1,795 total combinations tested in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Q: Does the RTX 5060’s performance closely match any specific rival GPU in the database?

A: Yes, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 has an average benchmark score of 30,109, which is very close to the AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT’s score of 30,097, resulting in a deltaPct of 0.