Microsoft Flight Simulator

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

The Intel Core i7-14700K is a 20-core, 28-thread processor based on the Raptor Lake-R architecture, built on Intel's 10 nm process. Its base clock runs at 3.40 GHz with a boost clock up to 5.60 GHz, and it carries 33 MB of shared L3 cache alongside 2 MB of L2 per core and 80 KB of L1 per core. The chip supports both DDR4 and DDR5 memory over a dual-channel bus, and its PCIe Gen 5 interface with 16 CPU lanes provides ample bandwidth for modern storage and graphics.

In the context of Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU's role is substantial. The game is known for heavy single-threaded simulation logic, but the 14700K's multi-threaded capacity also matters for scenery loading and background tasks. Benchmark data places this CPU in the 96th percentile among all processors, with an average benchmark score of 70,074. Its nearest rival, the Intel Core i7-14700KF, scores 70,104, a delta of 0% — essentially identical performance. The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X scores 70,420, which is -0.5% relative to the 14700K, meaning the 14700K is slightly behind but within noise. The AMD EPYC 9115 scores 69,887, a 0.3% delta, and the Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 scores 71,056, a -1.4% delta.

These synthetic benchmarks translate into real-world frame rates. At 1080p with Low settings, the combo hits 211.5 FPS, and at Ultra it still manages 117.9 FPS. The CPU's strong single-core performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6,287) helps maintain high frame rates even when the GPU is not the bottleneck. At lower resolutions like 1080p, the CPU's ability to feed the GPU becomes more critical, and the data shows the 14700K holds up well, with only a modest drop from Low to Ultra settings. The 20-core configuration also ensures that background processes and flight sim add-ons do not starve the main simulation thread, keeping frame pacing consistent.

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

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER is built on the Ada Lovelace architecture using TSMC's 5 nm process, with a chip containing 45,900 million transistors on a 379 mm² die. It features 16 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 256-bit bus, delivering 736.3 GB/s of bandwidth. The base clock is 2295 MHz with a boost clock of 2550 MHz, and memory runs at 1438 MHz (23 Gbps effective). The GPU has 10,240 shading units, 320 TMUs, 112 ROPs, 80 RT cores, and 320 tensor cores, providing 52.22 TFLOPS of FP32 compute.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the GPU is responsible for rendering dense scenery, weather effects, and complex lighting. The 16 GB VRAM buffer is particularly relevant here, as the game can consume large amounts of memory at high resolutions and detail settings. The RTX 4080 SUPER sits in the 88th percentile among all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 53,610. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, scores 53,489, a 0.2% delta, meaning the 4080 SUPER is essentially on par. The AMD Radeon Pro W6600M scores 53,414 (0.4% delta), the AMD Radeon RX 7700S scores 52,505 (2.1% delta), and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti scores 52,086 (2.9% delta).

The GPU's impact on frame rates is evident when comparing resolutions. At 4K Ultra, the combo delivers 65.9 FPS, while at 1080p Ultra it reaches 117.9 FPS. The drop from 1080p to 4K at Ultra settings is about 44%, indicating that the GPU becomes the limiting factor at higher resolutions. The 16 GB VRAM ensures that even at 4K Ultra, there is no memory-related stuttering, allowing the GPU to maintain consistent frame delivery. The RTX 4080 SUPER's compute power also supports the game's complex shaders, and the 80 RT cores handle any ray-traced effects without significant performance penalties.

FAQ

Q: How does the Intel Core i7-14700K compare to its closest rival in terms of overall CPU benchmark score?

A: The 14700K scores 70,074 on average, which is essentially tied with the Intel Core i7-14700KF at 70,104 (0% delta). It is also within 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X, which scores 70,420, and 0.3% behind the AMD EPYC 9115 at 69,887. The Intel Xeon Platinum 8270 leads slightly at 71,056, a -1.4% delta.

Q: What is the RTX 4080 SUPER's standing relative to its nearest GPU rivals?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has an average score of 53,610, placing it in the 88th percentile. Its closest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT, scores 53,489, a 0.2% delta. The AMD Radeon Pro W6600M is 0.4% behind, the AMD Radeon RX 7700S is 2.1% behind, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti is 2.9% behind.

Q: Does the combo perform better at 1080p or 4K in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: The combo achieves significantly higher frame rates at 1080p. At Ultra settings, it hits 117.9 FPS at 1080p, compared to 65.9 FPS at 4K Ultra. At Low settings, the difference is even larger: 211.5 FPS at 1080p versus 121.8 FPS at 4K.

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

A: The combo ranks 102nd out of 1,795 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator, placing it in the top 6% of all combinations tested.

Q: How much VRAM does the RTX 4080 SUPER have, and does it matter for this game?

A: The RTX 4080 SUPER has 16 GB of GDDR6X memory. In Microsoft Flight Simulator, this capacity is sufficient for high-resolution textures and complex scenery, as the data shows stable frame rates even at 4K Ultra without memory-related issues.

Q: What is the CPU's boost clock and how does it affect performance?

A: The 14700K boosts up to 5.60 GHz. This high clock speed contributes to its strong single-threaded performance, which is crucial for the simulation's main thread. The data supports this, as the combo maintains high frame rates at 1080p Low (211.5 FPS) where CPU limitation is more likely.

How This Combo Ranks

The combination of the Intel Core i7-14700K and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 SUPER ranks 102nd out of 1,795 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the top 6% of all configurations, indicating a very capable system for this title. The rank reflects the balance between the CPU's 96th percentile standing and the GPU's 88th percentile position, with the CPU being relatively stronger in synthetic benchmarks.

The ranking suggests that while the combo is not at the very top, it outperforms the vast majority of systems tested. The data indicates that the CPU is a slightly stronger component relative to the GPU, which aligns with the game's simulation-heavy nature. However, the GPU still delivers strong results, as evidenced by the 4K Ultra performance of 65.9 FPS, which is playable for a flight sim. The high rank is likely driven by the CPU's excellent single-threaded performance (Cinebench R23 single-core score of 6,287), which is critical for maintaining frame rates in complex scenarios like dense urban areas or heavy weather.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured frame rates provide a comprehensive view of how this combo performs across resolutions and settings. At 1080p, the combo delivers 211.5 FPS on Low settings, 164.8 FPS on Medium, 120.4 FPS on High, and 117.9 FPS on Ultra. The transition from Low to Ultra results in a 44% drop in frame rate, with the largest single step being from Low to Medium (a 22% decrease). The step from Medium to High is a 27% drop, while High to Ultra is only a 2% decrease, suggesting diminishing returns at the highest settings.

At 1440p, the frame rates are 170.1 FPS on Low, 129.5 FPS on Medium, 96.9 FPS on High, and 95.2 FPS on Ultra. The drop from Low to Ultra is 44%, similar to 1080p. Notably, the difference between High and Ultra is only 1.7 FPS, indicating that Ultra offers minimal visual benefit over High at this resolution. At 4K, the results are 121.8 FPS on Low, 95.5 FPS on Medium, 71.4 FPS on High, and 65.9 FPS on Ultra. The drop from Low to Ultra is 46%, the largest relative decrease across all resolutions.

Comparing across resolutions at the same settings, the 4K Ultra score of 65.9 FPS is 44% lower than the 1080p Ultra score of 117.9 FPS. At Medium settings, 4K (95.5 FPS) is 42% lower than 1080p (164.8 FPS). At Low settings, 4K (121.8 FPS) is 42% lower than 1080p (211.5 FPS). These consistent drops indicate that the GPU scaling is predictable across settings.

Settings Recommendations

The measured data provides clear guidance on which settings preset offers the best experience. At 1080p, the High preset delivers 120.4 FPS, which is above the 60 FPS threshold for smooth gameplay, while Ultra only marginally improves visuals for a 2% frame rate cost. The Medium preset at 164.8 FPS offers a more comfortable margin for fluctuating scenes, but High provides the best balance of visual fidelity and performance. At 1440p, the High preset at 96.9 FPS is still well above 60 FPS, while Ultra at 95.2 FPS is nearly identical in performance, making High the recommended choice due to the negligible difference.

At 4K, the High preset at 71.4 FPS is the sweet spot, providing smooth gameplay while maintaining good visual quality. The Ultra preset at 65.9 FPS is only 8% slower, but the visual improvement may not justify the drop for some users. The Medium preset at 95.5 FPS is the best option for those prioritizing frame rate over visuals, as it offers a 34% performance boost over High while still looking respectable. The Low preset at 121.8 FPS is unnecessary for most users, as the visual compromises are significant.

Overall, the data suggests that High settings provide the best experience across all resolutions, with 1080p High (120.4 FPS), 1440p High (96.9 FPS), and 4K High (71.4 FPS) all delivering playable frame rates. For users with high-refresh-rate monitors at 1080p or 1440p, the Medium preset offers significantly higher frame rates (164.8 FPS and 129.5 FPS, respectively) without a massive visual penalty, but High remains the recommended starting point.

Resolution Scaling

The frame rate drops from 1080p to 4K reveal the limiting component in this combo. At Low settings, the drop from 1080p (211.5 FPS) to 4K (121.8 FPS) is 42%, while at Ultra settings, the drop from 1080p (117.9 FPS) to 4K (65.9 FPS) is 44%. This consistent scaling across settings indicates that the GPU is the primary bottleneck at higher resolutions, as the CPU's performance is not affected by resolution changes.

The CPU's strong performance is evident in the fact that even at 4K Low, the combo delivers 121.8 FPS, which is well above the 60 FPS target. This suggests that the CPU is capable of feeding the GPU even at lower resolutions where the GPU load is reduced. However, the GPU's scaling from 1080p to 4K is not linear — the 42-44% drop is less than the theoretical 4x pixel count increase, indicating that the game's graphics load does not scale perfectly with resolution, or that the CPU begins to play a more significant role at 1080p.

The data shows that at 1080p Low, the combo achieves 211.5 FPS, which is likely CPU-limited, as the GPU has headroom. As resolution increases, the GPU becomes more dominant, and frame rates drop accordingly. The fact that the drop from 1080p to 4K is similar across settings (42-44%) suggests that the GPU is the limiting factor in all cases, but the CPU's high single-threaded performance ensures that it does not become a bottleneck even at 1080p. This balance indicates that the combo is well-matched, with neither component significantly holding back the other in this game.