Microsoft Flight Simulator

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

The Intel Core i7-14700F is a 20-core, 28-thread processor built on the Raptor Lake architecture, with a base clock of 2.10 GHz and a boost clock of 5.40 GHz. Its cache hierarchy includes 80 KB of L1 per core, 2 MB of L2 per core, and 33 MB of shared L3. This CPU sits in the 94th percentile of all processors, with an average benchmark score of 54097. In the synthetic Cinebench R23 multi-core test, it scores 35443, while its single-core score is 5003; Geekbench results show 16571 multi-core and 2711 single-core.

For a flight simulator like Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU’s role is substantial because the simulation engine continuously computes aerodynamics, weather, and terrain data. The benchmark data shows that this processor is competitive with high-end rivals: it trails the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X by only 0.6%, the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D by 1.1%, and outperforms both the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 and AMD EPYC 7313P by 1.2% and 1.7%, respectively. These delta percentages indicate that the i7-14700F delivers near-top-tier computational throughput, which matters when the game’s simulation thread becomes the bottleneck.

The PassMark physics score of 2495 and floating-point math score of 108275 further illustrate the CPU’s ability to handle complex, continuous calculations. In single-threaded PassMark testing, the score is 4261, which aligns with the game’s reliance on a primary simulation thread. Given the boost clock of 5.40 GHz, the processor can push high single-thread performance when needed, though the measured FPS results suggest that at lower resolutions, the GPU becomes the limiting factor, while at higher resolutions, both components share the load.

GPU Role — VRAM, clocks, and how they relate to this game's results

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 is built on the Turing architecture with a TU106 chip manufactured on a 12 nm process at TSMC. It features 1920 shading units, 120 texture mapping units, and 48 ROPs, along with 30 RT cores and 240 tensor cores. The GPU’s memory configuration is 6 GB of GDDR6 on a 192-bit bus, delivering 336.0 GB/s of bandwidth. The base clock is 1365 MHz with a boost clock of 1680 MHz, and the memory runs at 1750 MHz (14 Gbps effective). The GPU’s FP32 compute is 6.451 TFLOPS, with a pixel rate of 80.64 GPixel/s and texture rate of 201.6 GTexel/s.

This GPU sits in the 58th percentile of all graphics cards, with an average benchmark score of 16074. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 7600S, which scores 15996 (0.5% difference), and the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and Pro 5700, both at 16351 (1.7% higher). The RTX 2060 is 1.8% ahead of the AMD Radeon Pro W5500, which scores 15786. These close margins place the RTX 2060 in a mid-range tier, which is consistent with the measured FPS behavior in Microsoft Flight Simulator.

The 6 GB VRAM capacity is a critical factor at higher resolutions. In 4K Ultra settings, the average FPS drops to 28.8, which suggests the GPU is struggling with both memory capacity and compute load. The 192-bit memory bus and 336.0 GB/s bandwidth are sufficient for 1080p and 1440p, but at 4K, the data demands increase significantly. The DirectX 12 PassMark score of 53 and DirectX 11 score of 110 indicate that the GPU handles modern APIs reasonably, though the game’s rendering engine likely taxes the shading units heavily.

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

The measured FPS data reveals a consistent scaling pattern across resolutions. At Low settings, the average FPS goes from 90 at 1080p, to 70.4 at 1440p, and then to 53.1 at 4K. That is a 21.8% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 24.6% drop from 1440p to 4K. At Medium settings, the progression is 71.5, 57.9, and 44.2, representing drops of 19.0% and 23.7%, respectively. High settings show 55.1, 43.3, and 32.7, with drops of 21.4% and 24.5%. Ultra settings yield 50.6, 39.3, and 28.8, dropping 22.3% and 26.7%.

The pattern is clear: the percentage drop from 1440p to 4K is consistently larger than the drop from 1080p to 1440p across all settings. This indicates that the GPU becomes increasingly stressed as pixel count rises. The RTX 2060’s 6 GB VRAM and 192-bit bus likely cause the steeper decline at 4K, where the game’s texture and geometry data exceed comfortable memory capacity.

At 1080p, the CPU’s strong single-thread performance (boost clock of 5.40 GHz, R23 single-core score of 5003) is sufficient to keep the simulation running, and the GPU is the primary constraint even at Low settings, where 90 FPS is achieved. As resolution increases, the GPU load grows disproportionately, confirming that the RTX 2060 is the limiting component in this configuration for Microsoft Flight Simulator. The CPU’s percentile rank (94th) versus the GPU’s (58th) further supports this interpretation: the processor has more headroom than the graphics card.

Measured FPS Breakdown — resolution by resolution, settings by settings, exact numbers

At 1920x1080, the RTX 2060 delivers 90 FPS on Low, 71.5 FPS on Medium, 55.1 FPS on High, and 50.6 FPS on Ultra. The jump from Low to Medium is a 20.6% reduction, while Medium to High is a 23.0% reduction, and High to Ultra is an 8.2% reduction. The relatively small gap between High and Ultra suggests that Ultra settings add effects that are not proportionally more demanding at this resolution.

At 2560x1440, the averages are 70.4 FPS on Low, 57.9 FPS on Medium, 43.3 FPS on High, and 39.3 FPS on Ultra. The Low-to-Medium drop is 17.8%, Medium-to-High is 25.2%, and High-to-Ultra is 9.2%. The larger Medium-to-High drop at 1440p compared to 1080p indicates that the GPU’s shading units are more heavily loaded when pixel count increases.

At 3840x2160, the results are 53.1 FPS on Low, 44.2 FPS on Medium, 32.7 FPS on High, and 28.8 FPS on Ultra. The Low-to-Medium drop is 16.8%, Medium-to-High is 26.0%, and High-to-Ultra is 11.9%. At 4K, the High preset falls below 33 FPS, which is often considered the threshold for smooth gameplay, while Ultra dips below 30 FPS. Only Low and Medium settings at 4K maintain playable frame rates above 40 FPS.

The data shows that the RTX 2060 can handle 1080p with ease, even at Ultra (50.6 FPS), and 1440p is viable on Low and Medium presets (70.4 and 57.9 FPS). At 4K, the user must compromise significantly, as only Low settings achieve above 50 FPS, and Medium stays just above 44 FPS.

FAQ

Q: What is the best resolution for this GPU and CPU combo in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: The data shows that 1080p delivers the highest frame rates, with 90 FPS on Low and 50.6 FPS on Ultra. 1440p is playable on Low (70.4 FPS) and Medium (57.9 FPS), while 4K only reaches playable levels on Low (53.1 FPS) and Medium (44.2 FPS).

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in synthetic benchmarks?

A: The Core i7-14700F scores 54097 on average, which is 0.6% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X (54450) and 1.1% lower than the AMD Ryzen 9 9900X3D (54681). It is 1.2% higher than the Intel Xeon Phi 7290 (53469) and 1.7% higher than the AMD EPYC 7313P (53206).

Q: Why does the FPS drop more sharply from 1440p to 4K than from 1080p to 1440p?

A: The percentage drops from 1440p to 4K are consistently larger across all settings (e.g., 24.6% on Low versus 21.8% from 1080p to 1440p). This indicates the GPU’s 6 GB VRAM and 192-bit memory bus become significant bottlenecks at 4K, where pixel data requirements exceed comfortable capacity.

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

A: The GPU is the limiting component. The CPU sits in the 94th percentile of all processors, while the GPU is in the 58th percentile. The resolution scaling data shows that FPS drops are proportional to pixel count increases, which is typical of a GPU-bound scenario.

Q: What is the playable FPS threshold for this combo?

A: At 1080p, all settings exceed 50 FPS. At 1440p, Low and Medium stay above 57 FPS, but High (43.3 FPS) and Ultra (39.3 FPS) may feel less smooth. At 4K, High (32.7 FPS) and Ultra (28.8 FPS) fall below typical smoothness thresholds, while Low and Medium remain above 44 FPS.

Q: How does the RTX 2060’s performance compare to its listed rivals?

A: The RTX 2060’s average benchmark score is 16074. It is 0.5% higher than the AMD Radeon RX 7600S (15996) and 1.8% higher than the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 (15786). It is 1.7% lower than both the AMD Radeon Pro 5600M and Pro 5700 (both 16351).

Settings Recommendations

For users targeting smooth, consistent frame rates, the data suggests prioritizing resolution over preset quality. At 1080p, even Ultra settings deliver 50.6 FPS, which is acceptable for a flight simulator where precise control input matters more than high refresh rates. Medium settings at 1080p (71.5 FPS) provide a comfortable margin for complex scenes with dense scenery or weather effects.

At 1440p, the Medium preset (57.9 FPS) offers the best balance, as it stays above 55 FPS while providing improved visual fidelity over Low (70.4 FPS). High at 1440p (43.3 FPS) is usable but may stutter during heavy load, and Ultra (39.3 FPS) is borderline. For 4K, the Low preset (53.1 FPS) is the only setting that approaches 60 FPS, while Medium (44.2 FPS) remains playable. High (32.7 FPS) and Ultra (28.8 FPS) are not recommended due to the risk of noticeable frame drops.

The measured data indicates that the RTX 2060’s 6 GB VRAM is the key constraint at higher resolutions. Users who prioritize 4K should stick to Low or Medium, while those who accept 1080p can enjoy Ultra without significant performance loss. The CPU’s high percentile rank ensures that the simulation logic will not bottleneck the GPU at any tested resolution, making the graphics card the sole determinant of the final frame rate.