Microsoft Flight Simulator

The benchmark data for Microsoft Flight Simulator on the Intel Core i7-12700KF and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 combination shows a system that is heavily influenced by resolution and graphics settings. The measured frames per second (FPS) across the three tested resolutions reveal a predictable scaling pattern, where the GPU becomes the primary constraint as pixel count increases, while the CPU’s strong single-thread performance ensures high framerates at lower resolutions.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS drop from 1920x1080 to 3840x2160 is significant at every settings level, but the magnitude of that drop varies. At Low settings, the average FPS falls from 159.5 at 1080p to 91.4 at 4K, a reduction of 68.1 FPS. This represents a 42.7% decrease, indicating that even at the lowest graphical load, the RTX 3080 is still being pushed harder by the higher pixel count. At High settings, the drop is from 95.1 FPS at 1080p to 56.7 FPS at 4K, a 38.4 FPS reduction. The Ultra preset shows the smallest absolute drop, going from 85.5 FPS at 1080p to 52.4 FPS at 4K, a 33.1 FPS decrease.

The pattern is clear: as resolution increases, the gap between the highest and lowest settings narrows. At 1080p, the difference between Low and Ultra is 74 FPS (159.5 versus 85.5). At 1440p, that difference shrinks to 57.8 FPS (128.8 versus 71.0). At 4K, the difference is only 39 FPS (91.4 versus 52.4). This compression of the settings range at higher resolutions is a classic sign that the GPU is becoming the limiting component. The RTX 3080’s 10 GB of GDDR6X memory and 760.3 GB/s bandwidth are likely being saturated at 4K, especially with the Ultra preset, which demands more memory for textures and geometry.

Conversely, the relatively small drop in FPS from 1080p to 1440p at Low settings (159.5 to 128.8) suggests that the CPU is still able to feed the GPU adequately at that resolution. The data indicates that the 1440p resolution is a sweet spot for this combination, offering a substantial increase in visual fidelity over 1080p without the severe performance penalty seen at 4K.

CPU Role

The Intel Core i7-12700KF is a 12-core, 20-thread processor based on the Alder Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.60 GHz and a boost clock of 5.00 GHz. Its benchmark results show strong multi-threaded capabilities, scoring 28,979 in Cinebench R23 multicore and 9,983 in 3DMark max threads. However, for Microsoft Flight Simulator, the single-thread performance is more critical. The processor scores 4,091 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 1,043 in 3DMark single thread, which places it in the 89th percentile of all CPUs.

The data shows that at 1080p with Low settings, the system achieves 159.5 FPS. This high framerate, even at the lowest graphical settings, suggests that the CPU is not the bottleneck in this scenario. The game’s simulation logic, which is largely single-threaded, is being handled efficiently by the i7-12700KF’s high boost clock. The processor’s 25 MB of shared L3 cache also helps with the large number of assets and terrain data that the game streams.

When comparing to its nearest rivals, the i7-12700KF’s average benchmark score of 35,355 is nearly identical to the Intel Core i5-14400, which scores 35,336, a delta of only 0.1%. It also trades blows with the Intel Core i7-13800H and Intel Core i9-12900HX, with deltas of -0.2% and 0.2%, respectively. This indicates that the i7-12700KF is a well-balanced processor that sits right in the middle of its performance tier. For this game, the high single-core score is likely more impactful than the multi-core scores, as the game does not scale perfectly across all 20 threads.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific combination of CPU and GPU ranks 518 out of 1,795 tested combos for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the top 28.9% of all tested systems. The rank is a composite measure, taking into account the performance of both the i7-12700KF and the RTX 3080 across all tested resolutions and settings.

The combo’s rank is influenced by the fact that the RTX 3080, while a high-end card in its generation, is not the absolute fastest available. The GPU’s average benchmark score of 35,787 places it in the 80th percentile of all GPUs, with its nearest rival being the AMD Radeon Pro Duo, which scores 35,860 and is only 0.2% faster. The RTX 3080 is also closely matched with the AMD Radeon 880M, which is 0.4% slower. This puts the GPU in a competitive middle-to-high tier.

The CPU’s 89th percentile ranking is slightly higher than the GPU’s 80th percentile. This suggests that in this pairing, the CPU has a slight performance advantage over the GPU. The data confirms this, as the system is clearly GPU-limited at 4K. If the CPU were weaker, we would expect to see a more pronounced FPS drop when moving from 1080p to 1440p, but the measured data shows a more gradual decline, indicating the GPU is the primary constraint at higher resolutions.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data is comprehensive, covering three resolutions and four settings presets. At 1920x1080, the average FPS ranges from 159.5 at Low to 85.5 at Ultra. The Medium preset yields 125.8 FPS, and High yields 95.1 FPS. All of these values are above 60 FPS, meaning the system is capable of delivering a smooth experience at 1080p with any settings preset.

At 2560x1440, the performance is still strong. The Low preset delivers 128.8 FPS, while Medium drops to 99.2 FPS. High yields 75.5 FPS, and Ultra is the only preset that falls below 60 FPS, with an average of 71.0 FPS. This is still a playable framerate, but it indicates that the Ultra preset at 1440p is starting to strain the GPU.

At 3840x2160, the performance drops more noticeably. Low settings deliver 91.4 FPS, which is still excellent. Medium yields 73.1 FPS, and High drops to 56.7 FPS. The Ultra preset averages 52.4 FPS, which is below the 60 FPS threshold and may result in noticeable stuttering during intensive flight scenes. The data clearly shows that 4K is the most demanding scenario for this combination, especially with higher graphical presets.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is built on the Ampere architecture with a GA102 chip, manufactured on an 8 nm process by Samsung. It features 8,704 shading units, 272 texture mapping units, and 96 raster output units. The card has a base clock of 1440 MHz and a boost clock of 1710 MHz. Its 10 GB of GDDR6X memory is connected via a 320-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s.

The GPU’s role is clearly defined by the resolution scaling data. At 1080p, the GPU is not the limiting factor, as the CPU can maintain high framerates even with the graphics load reduced. However, at 4K, the GPU’s compute and memory bandwidth are pushed to their limits. The drop from 91.4 FPS at Low to 52.4 FPS at Ultra at 4K shows that the Ultra preset is heavily reliant on the GPU’s ability to process complex shaders and large textures.

The RTX 3080’s 10 GB of VRAM may be a limiting factor at 4K with the Ultra preset, as Microsoft Flight Simulator is known for loading large amounts of photogrammetry and high-resolution textures. The card’s 68 RT cores and 272 tensor cores are not directly benchmarked in this data, but they support features like DirectX 12 Ultimate, which the game can use for improved lighting effects. The GPU’s Passmark G3D score of 25,086 confirms its high-end status, though its nearest rivals are within 1% performance, indicating that the RTX 3080 is not a dominant outlier.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings preset depends on the target resolution and desired framerate. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is recommended, as it delivers an average of 85.5 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS threshold. The High preset at 95.1 FPS is also a good choice if the user prefers to prioritize framerate over visual fidelity.

For 2560x1440, the High preset is the best balance, offering 75.5 FPS. The Medium preset at 99.2 FPS is also viable, but High provides a noticeable improvement in visual quality without sacrificing smoothness. The Ultra preset at 71.0 FPS is playable, but the lower framerate may be noticeable in fast-moving scenarios.

For 3840x2160, the Medium preset is the recommended choice, delivering 73.1 FPS. This is the only preset above 60 FPS at 4K. The Low preset at 91.4 FPS is also an option for those who prioritize framerate, but it sacrifices significant graphical detail. The High preset at 56.7 FPS and Ultra at 52.4 FPS are both below the 60 FPS mark, and while they may be acceptable for a slow-paced flight simulator, they could lead to a less fluid experience. The data suggests that to maintain a consistent 60 FPS at 4K, users should stick with Medium settings, while 1440p allows for High settings without compromise.