Microsoft Flight Simulator

# FAQ

Q: What is the combo rank of the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and AMD Radeon RX 570 in Microsoft Flight Simulator?

A: This combination ranks 2870 out of 2996 tested combos in the game, placing it in the bottom 5% of all configurations.

Q: How does the CPU compare to its nearest rivals in overall benchmark scores?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 has an average benchmark score of 48995, which is 0.4% below the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G and 0.5% below the AMD Ryzen 9 7900, while being 0.6% above the Intel Xeon Gold 5318H and 0.8% above the Intel Core i5-14600K.

Q: What is the best measured FPS for this combo at 1080p?

A: The highest measured performance is 48 FPS at 1920x1080 with Low settings. The Medium preset delivers 38 FPS, while High and Ultra produce 28 FPS and 27 FPS, respectively.

Q: How much does the GPU's memory bandwidth impact performance in this flight simulator?

A: The RX 570 provides 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth over a 256-bit bus with 4 GB of GDDR5 memory. The data shows that at 4K Ultra settings, the combo drops to 16 FPS, indicating the 4 GB frame buffer is a limiting factor at higher resolutions.

Q: What is the CPU's core and thread configuration?

A: The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 has 14 cores and 14 threads, with a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz. It features 24 MB of shared L3 cache and supports DDR5 memory with dual-channel configuration.

Q: Does the RX 570 support modern graphics APIs needed for this game?

A: Yes, the GPU supports DirectX 12 (12_0), OpenGL 4.6, and Vulkan 1.3, which are sufficient for Microsoft Flight Simulator's rendering requirements.

GPU Role

The AMD Radeon RX 570 is built on the Polaris 20 chip using GCN 4.0 architecture at a 14 nm process node. It operates with a base clock of 1168 MHz and a boost clock of 1244 MHz, with memory clocked at 1750 MHz (7 Gbps effective). The GPU's 4 GB of GDDR5 memory on a 256-bit bus yields 224.0 GB/s of bandwidth, which is directly relevant to the performance observed in this flight simulator.

With 2048 shading units, 128 TMUs, and 32 ROPs, the RX 570 delivers 5.095 TFLOPS of FP32 compute. The pixel rate is 39.81 GPixel/s and texture rate is 159.2 GTexel/s. These specifications position the GPU in the 74th percentile of all GPUs, with an average benchmark score of 28766. Its nearest rival, the AMD Radeon RX 6800M, scores 28874, a 0.4% difference, while the Radeon RX 470 scores 28996, putting the RX 570 0.8% below that card.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the GPU role becomes increasingly critical as resolution rises. The measured FPS data shows that at 1920x1080 Low settings, the combo achieves 48 FPS, but at 3840x2160 Low settings, it drops to 29 FPS. This 40% reduction in performance from 1080p to 4K at the same settings highlights how the GPU's 4 GB memory capacity and bandwidth constraints surface at higher resolutions. The 256-bit bus provides substantial bandwidth for a card of this class, but the 4 GB capacity becomes a bottleneck when rendering the detailed scenery and terrain that flight simulation demands.

The GPU's DirectX 12 support is utilized by this game, and the 12_0 feature level allows for modern rendering techniques. However, the end-of-life production status and 150 W TDP indicate this is an older design, which shows in the measured results. At 4K Ultra settings, the combo manages only 16 FPS, making the game effectively unplayable at that configuration.

Resolution Scaling

The measured FPS data reveals a clear pattern of performance degradation as resolution increases from 1080p to 4K. At Low settings, the combo delivers 48 FPS at 1920x1080, 39 FPS at 2560x1440, and 29 FPS at 3840x2160. This represents a 19% drop from 1080p to 1440p, and a further 26% drop from 1440p to 4K, for a total reduction of 40% across the resolution range.

At Medium settings, the scaling follows a similar trajectory: 38 FPS at 1080p, 30 FPS at 1440p, and 22 FPS at 4K. The gap between 1080p and 4K here is 42%. High settings show 28 FPS at 1080p, 23 FPS at 1440p, and 17 FPS at 4K, a 39% total reduction. Ultra settings yield 27 FPS at 1080p, 22 FPS at 1440p, and 16 FPS at 4K, a 41% drop.

The consistency of these percentage drops across all four settings presets indicates that the GPU is the primary limiting component at every resolution. If the CPU were the bottleneck, we would expect to see smaller FPS differences between resolutions, as the CPU workload remains relatively constant regardless of pixel count. Instead, the steady decline in FPS with each resolution step points to the GPU's rendering capabilities and memory bandwidth being saturated.

At 4K, even the Low preset cannot maintain 30 FPS, with the 29 FPS average falling just short of playable thresholds. The 4 GB frame buffer is likely being exhausted at this resolution, forcing the GPU to manage memory more aggressively. The Medium preset at 4K shows a minimum FPS of 19 and maximum of 26, indicating frame time variance that could cause noticeable stuttering during complex flight scenarios.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo achieves its best results. Low settings produce an average of 48 FPS, which is the only measured configuration that approaches smooth gameplay. Medium settings deliver 38 FPS with a minimum of 32 and maximum of 43 FPS. High settings yield 28 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 27 FPS. The difference between High and Ultra at this resolution is minimal, suggesting the settings scaling has diminishing returns at this performance level.

Moving to 2560x1440, the performance degrades across all presets. Low settings average 39 FPS, which remains playable but shows a 19% reduction from 1080p. Medium settings average 30 FPS with a range of 26 to 35 FPS. High settings produce 23 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 22 FPS. The gap between High and Ultra narrows to just 1 FPS at this resolution, indicating both presets are hitting similar GPU limitations.

At 3840x2160, the results become marginal for playability. Low settings average 29 FPS, just below the 30 FPS threshold often considered the minimum for smooth gameplay. Medium settings average 22 FPS with a range of 19 to 26 FPS. High settings yield 17 FPS, and Ultra settings drop to 16 FPS. At this resolution, the GPU's 4 GB memory capacity and 224.0 GB/s bandwidth are clearly insufficient for the demands of this flight simulator.

The measured data shows that only the 1080p Low setting exceeds 45 FPS, and no configuration at any resolution reaches 60 FPS. The best 1080p Medium result of 38 FPS, with a minimum of 32 FPS, represents the highest preset that maintains acceptable frame rates for this title.

How This Combo Ranks

This combination of Intel Core Ultra 5 245 and AMD Radeon RX 570 ranks 2870 out of 2996 tested combos in Microsoft Flight Simulator. This places it in the bottom 4.2% of all configurations, indicating that this pairing is not well-suited for this particular game. The rank reflects the combined performance of both components, and the data shows that the GPU is the primary constraint.

The CPU itself is a strong performer, ranking in the 90th percentile of all CPUs with an average benchmark score of 48995. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (49196, 0.4% higher), AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (49228, 0.5% higher), Intel Xeon Gold 5318H (48698, 0.6% lower), and Intel Core i5-14600K (48618, 0.8% lower). This places the Ultra 5 245 in competitive territory with these other processors, showing it is not the limiting factor in this combo.

The GPU, in contrast, ranks in the 74th percentile of all GPUs with an average benchmark score of 28766. Its nearest rivals include the AMD Radeon RX 6800M (28874, 0.4% higher), AMD Radeon R9 M295X (28580, 0.7% lower), AMD Radeon RX 470 (28996, 0.8% higher), and NVIDIA Quadro RTX 8000 (28421, 1.2% lower). While the GPU is not at the absolute bottom of the performance spectrum, its 4 GB memory capacity is a significant handicap for a game like Microsoft Flight Simulator that loads extensive scenery data.

The disparity between the CPU's high percentile ranking (90th) and the GPU's lower ranking (74th) explains why this combo sits so low in the game-specific rankings. The CPU has ample headroom, but the GPU cannot translate that processing power into playable frame rates at higher settings and resolutions.

Settings Recommendations

Based on the measured FPS data, the optimal configuration for this combo is 1920x1080 with Low settings, which delivers 48 FPS. This is the only measured setting that approaches smooth gameplay, and it provides the best experience for users who prioritize frame rate stability. The 1080p Low preset achieves nearly double the FPS of the 4K Low preset (29 FPS), making it the clear choice for playable performance.

For users willing to accept lower frame rates for better visual fidelity, the 1920x1080 Medium preset offers 38 FPS with a minimum of 32 FPS. This preset maintains playable performance while providing improved graphics over Low settings. The minimum FPS of 32 indicates that even during demanding scenes, the frame rate remains above the 30 FPS threshold.

The 2560x1440 Low preset at 39 FPS is also viable, though it represents a 19% performance reduction from the 1080p Low preset. For users with 1440p displays, this may be the preferred option, but the lower resolution at 1080p provides more headroom for complex flight scenarios.

High and Ultra presets are not recommended at any resolution. At 1080p, High delivers 28 FPS and Ultra delivers 27 FPS, both below the 30 FPS playability threshold. At 1440p, these presets drop to 23 FPS and 22 FPS respectively, and at 4K they fall to 17 FPS and 16 FPS. The visual quality improvement from Medium to High and Ultra does not justify the significant frame rate penalty.

The Medium preset at 1080p represents the best balance between visual quality and performance, offering 38 FPS average with 32 FPS minimum. This is the recommended configuration for users who want acceptable visual fidelity without sacrificing smoothness.

CPU Role

The Intel Core Ultra 5 245 is a 14-core, 14-thread processor based on Arrow Lake architecture, manufactured on TSMC's 3 nm process node. It has a base clock of 3.50 GHz and a boost clock of 5.10 GHz, with 24 MB of shared L3 cache. The CPU supports DDR5 memory in dual-channel configuration with 102.4 GB/s of memory bandwidth, and it features 20 PCIe Gen 5 lanes. The processor carries an integrated Arc Xe-LPG Graphics 64EU, though the discrete RX 570 handles rendering in this configuration.

In benchmark tests, the Ultra 5 245 demonstrates strong single-thread and multi-thread performance. It scores 4648 in Cinebench R23 single-core and 32924 in multi-core, with a PassMark single-thread score of 4394 and multi-thread score of 38706. The processor ranks in the 90th percentile of all CPUs, confirming its position as a high-performing desktop part.

In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the CPU's role involves handling physics calculations, flight dynamics, and AI traffic, while the GPU renders the visual scene. The measured data shows that even at 1080p Low settings, the combo only achieves 48 FPS, which is well below what the CPU alone could support. Given the CPU's strong benchmark scores — 400942 in PassMark data compression and 120548 in floating-point math — the processor is capable of feeding the GPU with sufficient data.

The fact that FPS scales consistently with resolution changes suggests that the CPU is not the bottleneck in this configuration. If the CPU were limiting performance, we would expect to see similar FPS numbers across different resolutions, as the CPU workload would remain constant. Instead, the steady decline in FPS from 1080p to 4K indicates that the GPU is the constraining component, and the CPU has additional headroom that is not being utilized.

The CPU's 14 cores and 14 threads provide adequate parallel processing for this flight simulator, which can utilize multiple threads for various subsystems. The 24 MB L3 cache helps with data locality, and the 102.4 GB/s memory bandwidth ensures that the CPU can quickly access the data it needs. However, the overall system performance is limited by the GPU, making the Ultra 5 245 a mismatched partner for the RX 570 in this particular game.