Microsoft Flight Simulator

Microsoft Flight Simulator is a demanding title, and the measured performance of the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 places this combination at rank 786 out of 2996 tested combos. This puts the pairing in the top 26% of all systems tested, indicating a strong, but not top-tier, position for this flight simulator. The data shows a system that is well-balanced enough to handle the game’s heavy simulation load, though the absolute scores depend heavily on the chosen settings and resolution.

How This Combo Ranks

The combo’s rank of 786 out of 2996 places it in the upper quartile of all tested CPU-GPU pairings for Microsoft Flight Simulator. This is a strong showing that suggests the Core Ultra 5 225 and RTX 3080 are a capable match for this specific workload. The CPU holds an 85th percentile ranking against all tested CPUs, while the GPU sits at the 68th percentile against all GPUs. This disparity suggests that the processor is relatively stronger than the graphics card when compared to their respective pools, which means the RTX 3080 is likely the primary limiter in this pairing. The benchmark results indicate that the system’s overall standing is more heavily influenced by the GPU’s performance ceiling than by the CPU's capabilities. In practical terms, this rank means the system is well ahead of the majority of configurations, but there is still a significant group of more powerful combos above it, likely featuring higher-tier GPUs. The data confirms that this is a solid mid-to-high-range setup for this game, capable of delivering playable frame rates at most settings, but not at the absolute maximum.

Measured FPS Breakdown

The measured FPS data provides a clear picture of performance across three resolutions and four quality presets. At 1920x1080, the system shows its strength, starting with an average of 158 FPS on Low settings. Moving to Medium drops the average to 123 FPS, and High sees it fall further to 92 FPS. At the Ultra preset, the average is 88 FPS. The 1080p results are consistently high, indicating the system is rarely stressed at this resolution. At 2560x1440, the averages are 127 FPS for Low, 99 FPS for Medium, 74 FPS for High, and 71 FPS for Ultra. The step from 1080p to 1440p reduces performance by roughly 20% to 25% across the presets, which is a typical scaling factor. At 3840x2160, the averages drop to 94 FPS for Low, 73 FPS for Medium, 55 FPS for High, and 52 FPS for Ultra. The 4K data shows the system’s limits, with the Ultra preset being the only one that dips below the 60 FPS threshold for a smooth experience. The Medium preset at 4K is the only one with min/max data, showing a range of 62 to 84 FPS, which demonstrates that even at this high resolution, the system can maintain a playable frame rate with some headroom. The data shows a clear trend: performance is excellent at 1080p, very good at 1440p, and becomes more demanding at 4K, particularly on higher settings.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 225 is a 10-core, 10-thread processor based on the Arrow Lake architecture, with a base clock of 3.30 GHz and a boost clock of 4.90 GHz. For a simulation-heavy game like Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU’s role is often critical for handling game logic, physics, and AI. The processor’s benchmark scores reflect a strong single-core performer, with a Cinebench R23 single-core score of 3655 and a multi-core score of 25891. The PassMark single-thread score of 4412 further confirms its strength in tasks that rely on a single core. The data shows that the CPU is not a bottleneck in this system, as its 85th percentile ranking and high single-core scores are more than sufficient to feed the RTX 3080. When compared to its nearest rivals, the Core Ultra 5 225 is essentially tied with the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, which has a deltaPct of 0. It is also within 0.5% of the AMD Ryzen 5 5500X3D and Intel Core i9-12900T. This means that the CPU's processing power is on par with these other options, and any performance differences in the game are more likely to come from the GPU. The 20 MB of shared L3 cache is a modest amount, but it is clearly enough for the game’s demands, as the measured results do not indicate any CPU-related stuttering or frame drops.

Resolution Scaling

The FPS data shows a predictable scaling pattern as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At 1080p, the system is heavily CPU-bound at lower settings, as evidenced by the 158 FPS average on Low. The jump to 1440p shows a decrease in frame rates, but the system remains well above playable thresholds. The most significant drop occurs when moving from 1440p to 4K. For example, at High settings, the average FPS drops from 74 at 1440p to 55 at 4K, a reduction of about 26%. This pattern indicates that as resolution increases, the load shifts from the CPU to the GPU. At 1080p, the CPU is capable of producing very high frame rates, but the GPU is not the limiting factor. At 4K, the GPU’s workload becomes the primary constraint. This is a classic sign of a system where the CPU is more powerful than the GPU. The data suggests that at 1080p, the system has significant headroom, and the frame rate is likely limited by the game’s engine or the CPU’s single-thread performance. At 4K, the RTX 3080 is working at its limit, and the frame rate is directly tied to its raw rendering power. Therefore, the limiting component shifts from the CPU at 1080p to the GPU at 4K, with the crossover point occurring somewhere between 1440p and 4K.

GPU Role

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is the primary graphics processor in this combination, featuring 10 GB of GDDR6X memory on a 320-bit bus, providing a memory bandwidth of 760.3 GB/s. Its 8704 shading units and boost clock of 1710 MHz give it substantial raw compute power, with an FP32 performance of 29.77 TFLOPS. The GPU’s benchmark scores, such as a PassMark G3D score of 25086, place it at the 68th percentile of all GPUs. However, its nearest rivals are not high-end cards; the data shows it is within 0.4% of the AMD Radeon RX 6600M, which is a mobile GPU, and the NVIDIA P106-100, which is a mining card. This is an unusual comparison, but it reflects the fact that the RTX 3080's average benchmark score is close to these other parts. In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the GPU’s role becomes more critical at higher resolutions and settings. The measured data shows that at 4K Ultra, the system only manages 52 FPS, which is below the ideal 60 FPS target. This suggests that the 10 GB of VRAM is sufficient for the game’s demands, but the raw compute power of the GPU is the limiting factor at the highest settings. The GPU is also a power-hungry component with a 320 W TDP, which is a consideration for system builders, but this is not reflected in the performance data. The results indicate that the RTX 3080 is a capable card for this game, but it cannot max out the game at 4K while maintaining high frame rates.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal settings depend heavily on the user’s target resolution and frame rate preference. For 1920x1080, the Ultra preset is a viable option with an average of 88 FPS, offering the best visual quality while still easily clearing the 60 FPS threshold. For a higher refresh rate monitor, the High preset at 1080p, with an average of 92 FPS, is a good alternative. At 2560x1440, the Ultra preset averages 71 FPS, which is playable, but the High preset, at 74 FPS, provides a similar experience with a small performance boost. The Medium preset at 1440p, averaging 99 FPS, is a strong choice for those who prefer smoother motion over visual fidelity. At 3840x2160, the recommendation is to use the Medium preset, which averages 73 FPS and has a measured range of 62 to 84 FPS. This is the only 4K preset that consistently stays above the 60 FPS mark. The High preset at 4K averages 55 FPS, which dips below 60 FPS and may not be ideal for all users. The Ultra preset at 4K, at 52 FPS, is not recommended for a smooth experience. The data clearly shows that the Medium preset at 4K offers the best balance of visual quality and performance, as the step up to High only yields a marginal visual improvement while costing a significant 18 FPS on average. Therefore, for a consistent 60 FPS experience, Medium at 4K is the sweet spot, while at lower resolutions, High or Ultra are the best choices.

FAQ

Q: What is the overall performance rank of this CPU-GPU combo in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: This combination of Intel Core Ultra 5 225 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is ranked 786 out of 2996 tested combos for this game.

Q: At which resolution and settings does this system achieve the highest average frame rate?

A: The highest average frame rate recorded is 158 FPS, achieved at 1920x1080 resolution with the Low settings preset.

Q: Does this system maintain a 60 FPS average at 4K resolution?

A: Yes, it does on the Low, Medium, and High presets. The average FPS at 4K is 94 for Low, 73 for Medium, and 55 for High. The Ultra preset is the exception, with an average of 52 FPS.

Q: Which component is more likely to be the bottleneck at 4K resolution?

A: The benchmark results indicate that the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 is the primary limiting factor at 4K, as the CPU's performance percentile is higher than the GPU's, and the frame rate drops significantly with increased resolution.

Q: How does the Intel Core Ultra 5 225 compare to its nearest rival, the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F?

A: The Core Ultra 5 225 has an average benchmark score that is exactly 0% different from the AMD Ryzen 5 5600F, indicating they are effectively equal in overall processing power.

Q: What is the recommended settings preset for a smooth 60 FPS experience at 2560x1440?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 provides an average of 99 FPS, which is well above 60 FPS. The High preset also averages 74 FPS, but Medium offers more headroom for consistent performance.