Microsoft Flight Simulator

# Microsoft Flight Simulator — Intel Core i7-12700K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER

The measured frame rates for this combination place it at rank 1077 out of 1795 tested combos, meaning it sits just above the 40th percentile of all systems tested in this title. The data shows a system that handles the simulator's varying loads with a clear pattern: at lower resolutions the CPU does most of the work, while at 4K the GPU becomes the primary constraint. The Intel Core i7-12700K, with its 12 cores and 20 threads, provides ample headroom for the simulator's physics and scenery calculations, while the RTX 2070 SUPER's 8 GB of GDDR6 memory and 256-bit bus deliver consistent throughput across all settings.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1080p to 4K is steep and consistent across all settings presets. At Low settings, the average frame rate falls from 114.1 FPS at 1920x1080 to 90.4 FPS at 2560x1440, then to 67.1 FPS at 3840x2160 — a total reduction of 41.2% from 1080p to 4K. This relatively modest percentage drop at Low settings suggests the CPU is still contributing meaningfully even at 4K, because the load is light enough that neither component is saturated.

At High settings, the scaling is more aggressive: 67.4 FPS at 1080p drops to 51.0 FPS at 1440p (a 24.3% reduction), then to 37.9 FPS at 4K (a further 25.7% reduction). The total 1080p-to-4K drop is 43.8%. Ultra settings show a nearly identical pattern: 62.1 FPS at 1080p, 46.4 FPS at 1440p, and 36.1 FPS at 4K, for a total reduction of 41.9%.

The key observation is that the gap between High and Ultra narrows as resolution increases. At 1080p, Ultra is 5.3 FPS slower than High (62.1 vs 67.4). At 4K, that difference shrinks to just 1.8 FPS (36.1 vs 37.9). This indicates that at 4K, the GPU is the limiting factor regardless of whether you choose High or Ultra — the extra shading work in Ultra is largely masked by the pixel throughput bottleneck. Conversely, at 1080p, the CPU has enough headroom that the GPU can fully express the difference between presets.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for smooth gameplay with this combo?

A: Based on the measured data, 1920x1080 at Medium settings delivers 88.0 FPS, while 2560x1440 at Low delivers 90.4 FPS. For 60+ FPS at 1440p, Medium settings at 71.9 FPS is the only preset that clears that threshold, while at 4K, only Low settings (67.1 FPS) achieve playable frame rates.

Q: How does the RTX 2070 SUPER compare to its closest GPU rivals in this context?

A: The GPU's average benchmark score of 22206 places it just 0.5% below the NVIDIA RTX A400 (22307) and 0.9% above the NVIDIA GeForce GTX TITAN Z (22006). It trails the RTX 4060 Mobile by 2.3% but leads the AMD Radeon RX 5700 by 2.5%.

Q: Is the Core i7-12700K the bottleneck at 4K?

A: No. The frame rate differences between High and Ultra at 4K (37.9 vs 36.1 FPS) are minimal, which indicates the GPU is saturated. At 1080p, where the CPU has more influence, the same preset gap is larger (67.4 vs 62.1 FPS), confirming the GPU is the limiting component only at higher resolutions.

Q: What CPU score percentile does the i7-12700K achieve?

A: The processor ranks in the 89th percentile among all CPUs tested, with an average benchmark score of 35684. Its closest rival is the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5845, which scores 35802 — a 0.3% difference — followed by the Intel Core i5-14500HX at 35940 (0.7% higher).

Q: Does the 8 GB VRAM on the RTX 2070 SUPER cause issues at 4K?

A: The data does not show any VRAM-related anomalies. The 4K Ultra result of 36.1 FPS and 4K High at 37.9 FPS are both consistent with the scaling pattern seen at lower resolutions, suggesting the 8 GB frame buffer is sufficient for this title's 4K demands at these settings.

Q: How much faster is the CPU in multi-threaded benchmarks compared to single-threaded?

A: In Cinebench R23, the multicore score of 29241 is roughly 7.1 times the single-core score of 4128. Passmark multithread (34404) is approximately 8.6 times the singlethread score (4013). This large scaling factor indicates strong multi-core utilization, which benefits Flight Simulator's scenery and physics threads.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700K is a 12-core, 20-thread Alder Lake-S processor with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its 25 MB of shared L3 cache and 1.25 MB L2 per core provide substantial on-die storage for the simulator's terrain and aircraft data. The processor's 3DMark scores show strong scaling from 2065 in the 2-thread test to 9979 in the max-thread test, indicating that additional threads are effectively utilized.

In this game, the CPU's role is most visible at 1080p. The difference between Low (114.1 FPS) and Ultra (62.1 FPS) at 1080p is 52.0 FPS — a much wider spread than at 4K, where the same preset gap is only 31.0 FPS (67.1 to 36.1). This suggests that at 1080p, the CPU is feeding the GPU fast enough that the graphics settings become the differentiator. The 3DMark 16-thread score of 9276 and the Cinebench R20 multicore score of 12281 both indicate strong thread scaling, which helps when the simulator spawns multiple background threads for weather, AI traffic, and physics.

The Passmark physics score of 1790 is relatively modest compared to the multithread score of 34404, but this is typical for a desktop chip that prioritizes balanced performance. The CPU's 89th percentile rank among all processors confirms it is well above average, and its nearest rivals — the Ryzen 7 PRO 5845, i7-13700T, i5-14500HX, and i7-13800H — all fall within a 1.5% band of its average score, showing that this chip is competitively positioned in its class.

Settings Recommendations

For 1920x1080, the data shows that Medium settings at 88.0 FPS offers the best balance of visual quality and performance. High settings at 67.4 FPS is playable, and Ultra at 62.1 FPS is acceptable if you prioritize image quality over frame rate. Low settings at 114.1 FPS is only necessary for competitive or very high-refresh displays.

At 2560x1440, Medium settings at 71.9 FPS is the recommended choice, as it maintains a smooth experience above 60 FPS. Low settings at 90.4 FPS is viable for higher refresh rates, while High at 51.0 FPS and Ultra at 46.4 FPS fall below 60 FPS and are better suited for less demanding scenarios like static viewing or slow flight.

At 3840x2160, the options are constrained. Low settings at 67.1 FPS is the only preset that clears 60 FPS, making it the default recommendation. Medium at 50.7 FPS is playable but not ideal for fast-moving flight, and High at 37.9 FPS and Ultra at 36.1 FPS are best reserved for screenshots or flying over sparse terrain. The small gap between High and Ultra at 4K (1.8 FPS) suggests that if you're on the High preset, there's little penalty in trying Ultra.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination ranks 1077th out of 1795 tested combinations, placing it in the 40th percentile of all systems in this game's database. This is a mid-pack position, which reflects the fact that neither the CPU nor the GPU is a top-tier part in 2024 terms. The CPU's 89th percentile ranking is strong, but the GPU's 65th percentile ranking pulls the overall combo down.

The data suggests that the RTX 2070 SUPER is the weaker link in this pairing. At 4K Ultra, the system delivers 36.1 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold that most users consider smooth. The GPU's average benchmark score of 22206 places it in the 65th percentile, and its nearest rivals are a mix of professional and mobile parts, indicating that it has been surpassed by newer desktop GPUs.

However, the combo's rank is not a failure. At 1080p and 1440p with Medium settings, it delivers 88.0 and 71.9 FPS respectively, which are solid results for a flight simulator. The rank reflects the fact that this is a previous-generation mid-range GPU paired with a high-end CPU, and the performance is consistent with that expectation.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the average frame rates are: Low 114.1 FPS, Medium 88.0 FPS, High 67.4 FPS, and Ultra 62.1 FPS. The step from Low to Medium costs 26.1 FPS, while the step from Medium to High costs 20.6 FPS, and High to Ultra costs only 5.3 FPS. The diminishing returns above Medium are clear.

At 2560x1440, the results are: Low 90.4 FPS, Medium 71.9 FPS, High 51.0 FPS, and Ultra 46.4 FPS. The Low-to-Medium drop is 18.5 FPS, Medium-to-High is 20.9 FPS, and High-to-Ultra is 4.6 FPS. The same pattern holds — Ultra offers little over High.

At 3840x2160, the numbers are: Low 67.1 FPS, Medium 50.7 FPS, High 37.9 FPS, and Ultra 36.1 FPS. The Low-to-Medium drop is 16.4 FPS, Medium-to-High is 12.8 FPS, and High-to-Ultra is just 1.8 FPS. The Ultra preset is nearly indistinguishable from High at this resolution, confirming the GPU is fully saturated.

Across all resolutions, the Low preset delivers 60+ FPS at 4K, 90+ FPS at 1440p, and 114+ FPS at 1080p. Medium delivers 50.7, 71.9, and 88.0 FPS respectively. High delivers 37.9, 51.0, and 67.4 FPS. Ultra delivers 36.1, 46.4, and 62.1 FPS. The data shows that Medium is the highest preset that maintains 60+ FPS at 1440p, and Low is required for 60+ FPS at 4K.